Cretaceous chelonians from Marília Formation, Peirópolis, Minas Gerais, Bauru Basin, Brazil

Abstract

In the Upper Cretaceous deposits of Bauru Basin, the complete specimens of chelonians are rare. However, a large amount of bone fragments of Pleurodyra suborder is found. In the paleontological sites located at Peirópolis (Uberaba, Minas Gerais), which belong to Marília Formation (Maastrichtian-Campanian), there is one of the best fossil registers for this group in Brazil. The 315 skeletal remains collected in these outcrops and housed in the Complexo Cultural e Científico de Peirópolis of Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro allow an assessment of the diversity and abundance of Testudines during the Upper Cretaceous. A comparative analysis of these fossils with specimens from other localities from Bauru Basin enabled a better understanding of the chelonians of the region in the Cretaceous period.