Registros de mamíferos fósseis no Lajedo de Soledade, Apodi, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Abstract

New occurrences of fossil mammals from Lajedo de Soledade, Pleistocene of Rio Grande do Norte State are presented. The material was found associated and includes postcranial elements, isolated teeth, carapace scutes and dentary fragments. The taxa identified are: Hippidion sp., Glyptodon sp. Panochthus greslebini, Eremotherium laurillardi, Holmesina paulacoutoi, Palaeolama major, Xenorhinotherium bahiense, Equus (Amerhippus) cf.neogaeus, Smilodon populator and Toxodontidae. Arctotherium sp., Cerdocyon thous, Protocyon troglodites, Leopardus cf. L.tigrinus and Tolypeutes tricinctus are reported for the first time in association with the megafauna in this state. The ecological requirements of the taxa suggest the existence of environmental conditions differents from the current ones during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene in the region, including open grassland habitats associated with more closed environments.