Lapa dos Peixes I (Pleistocene to of Brazil)

Also known as Fish Cave I

Where: Bahia, Brazil (13.8° S, 44.0° W: paleocoordinates 13.8° S, 44.0° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene to Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported

• Costa da Silva et al. 2019: Lapa dos Peixes, with horizontal projection of 7020 m and 14 m vertical range (Bitencourt and Rodet, 2002; Bichuette and Rizzato, 2012), shows a pattern of meandering conduit linked to a river subjected to extreme oscillations of discharge flows, with side compartments which become active under overflow conditions. Regarding to current hydrological dynamics and evolutionary condition, the cave can be subdivided into two sections: a) downstream segment, partially flooded by a main river which flow volumes varies seasonally, becoming quite reduced during droughts then leaving temporary pools in points of the gallery (Bichuette and Rizzato, 2012); and b) upstream segment in which galleries were almost left behind by the main river due to course realignment (Fig. 2H), except for the occurrence of restricted infiltrations of vadose water linked to discharges which are not supported by the flow capacity downstream.
• Costa da Silva et al. 2019: The Serra do Ramalho is sustained by sequences of Neoproterozoic pelitic and carbonate rocks belonging to the Paraopeba Subgroup of Bambuí Group, Jequitaí (not outcropping), Sete Lagoas, Serra de Santa Helena, Lagoa do Jacaré and Serra da Saudade formations (Auler and Farrant, 1996; Bitencourt and Rodet, 2002; Zalán and Silva, 2007), the last one restricted to high elevations in the northernmost part of the plateau (Conceição Filho et al., 2003). Cretaceous sandstones of Urucuia Formation overlay units of Bambuí Group, forming elevated sandy plains which stand out at the plateau summit (Conceição Filho et al., 2003, Fig. 2C).

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: Costa da Silva et al. 2019: at Lapa dos Peixes, 117 samples were collected. At Lapa dos Peixes, 119 fossils were not collected because it would need excavation work, which would be impacting to the cave, or for logistical reasons, all of which were identified and counted in situ. Afterwards, the material was stored in the paleontological collection of Museu de Ciências da Terra, Serviço Geológico do Brasil - CPRM (MCTer, Museum of Earth Sciences, Geological Survey of Brazil),

Primary reference: R. Costa da Silva, M. Berbert-Born, D. E. F. Bustamante, T. N. Santoro, F. Sedor and L. Santos Avilla. 2019. Diversity and preservation of Pleistocene tetrapods from caves of southwestern Bahia, Brazil. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 90:233-254 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 212448: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Grace Varnham on 14.08.2020

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Placentalia -
Xenarthra indet.
 Cingulata - Pachyarmatheriidae
Pachyarmatherium brasiliense
Pachyarmatherium brasiliense Porpino et al. 2009 edentate
 Cingulata - Pampatheriidae
Pampatherium sp.
Pampatherium sp. Ameghino 1875 edentate
 Megatherioidea - Nothrotheriidae
Nothrotherium maquinense
Nothrotherium maquinense Hay 1930 edentate
  - Mylodontidae
Scelidotheriinae indet., Catonyx cuvieri, Valgipes bucklandi
Scelidotheriinae indet. Ameghino 1889 edentate
Catonyx cuvieri Lund 1839 edentate
Valgipes bucklandi Lund 1839 edentate
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Cervidae indet.
Cervidae indet. Gray 1821 deer
 Artiodactyla - Tayassuidae
Tayassu pecari
Tayassu pecari Link 1795 white-lipped peccary
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Palaeolama major
Palaeolama major Liais 1872 camel
 Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Tapirus sp.
Tapirus sp. Brisson 1762 tapir
 Placentalia -
Carnivora indet.
Carnivora indet. Bowdich 1821 carnivoran
 Rodentia - Caviidae
Neochoerus sp.
Neochoerus sp. Hay 1926 caviomorph