First fossil record of amiid fishes (Halecomorphi, Amiiformes, Amiidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Uberaba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

AGUSTIN MARTINELLI; SERGIO BOGAN; FEDERICO AGNOLIN; LUIZ CARLOS RIBEIRO; CAMILA LOURENCINI CAVELLANI; MARA FERRAZ; VICENTE TEIXEIRA

ALCHERINGA

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Año: 2013 vol. 37 p. 105 - 113

0311-5518

The first fossil amiid fishes (Halecomorphi, Amiiformes) from the Late Cretaceous Marilia Formation (Bauru Group) at Uberaba County, Triangulo Mineiro region (Minas Gerais State, Brazil), are described. The material includes some partial maxillae, a dermopterotic, a cleithrum, several vertebral centra and teeth. Features such as the absence of a supramaxillary notch on the dorsal edge of the maxilla, a wide and deep pit on the maxilla for the articulation of the premaxilla, anterior portion of the maxilla with a sub-circular cross-section, teeth with acrodine cup with strong mesial and distal keels, among others, permit confident referral of the material to the Subfamily Vidalamiine (Amiidae), previously recognized in Lower Cretaceous strata of northeasthern Brazil. These specimens constitute the first Late Cretaceous record of this group in Brazil and one of the few in South America.