Paleoecology and radiocarbon dating of the Pleistocene megafauna of the Brazilian Intertropical Region

• Published in: Quaternary research Vol. 79; no. 1; pp. 61 - 65
• Main Authors: Dantas, Mário André Trindade, Dutra, Rodrigo Parisi, Cherkinsky, Alexander, Fortier, Daniel Costa, Kamino, Luciana Hiromi Yoshino, Cozzuol, Mario Alberto, Ribeiro, Adauto de Souza, Vieira, Fabiana Silva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.01.2013; Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: AMS; Brazilian Intertropical Region; Carbon isotopes; Megafauna; Brazilian Intertropical Region; Megafauna; Carbon isotopes; AMS
• ISSN: 0033-5894; 1096-0287
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yqres.2012.09.006

During the Pleistocene a fauna composed of large (biomass > 44 kg) and giant mammals (biomass > 1000 kg) that are usually associated with open environments lived in the Brazilian Intertropical Region. We present here new information concerning the paleoecology and chronology of some species of this megafauna. Carbon isotope analyses were performed for a better understanding of the paleoecology of the species Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842), Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) and Toxodon platensis (Owen, 1849). The δ13C data allow attributing a generalist diet to these species, which varied according to the kind of habitat in which they lived. In more open habitats all species were grazers; in mixed habitats E. laurillardi and T. platensis were mixed feeders, and N. platensis was grazer; and in more closed habitats all species were mixed feeders.