Late Cretaceous mosasaurids of northeastern Brazil: a summary of their record and a paleobiogeographical survey

CANDEIRO, CARLOS ROBERTO A.; FOFFA, DAVIDE; BRUSATTE, STEPHEN L.; FERNANDEZ, MARTA; DINIZ-FILHO, JOSÉ ALEXANDRE; VIDAL, LUCIANO S.; DIAS, TAMIRES DO CARMO; LIMA, ISABELA; SILVA, TATIANE

ANDEAN GEOLOGY

SERVICIO NACIONAL GEOLOGIA MINERVA

Año: 2025 vol. 52

0718-7092

The coastal region of northeastern Brazil holds one of the most important records of mosasaurids from theLate Cretaceous of South America. Analysis of these discoveries allowed us to create a picture of the composition of thefauna, as well as the diversity and paleobiogeography of these clades. In the region, the mosasaurid fossils are containedin Cenomanian to Maastrichtian geological units of epicontinental marine origin, in the Cotinguiba (Sergipe-AlagoasBasin), Alcântara (São Luís Basin), Itamaracá (Paraíba Basin), Calumbi (Sergipe-Alagoas Basin), and Gramame (ParaíbaBasin) formations. Paleogeographic data corroborate that these deposits represent low-latitude equatorial environments.The Brazilian fauna is represented by fourteen taxa from one family (Mosasauridae), two subfamilies (Mosasaurinae:Prognathodontini, Globidensini and Mosasaurini; Plioplatecarpinae: Plioplatecarpini), and some indeterminate mosasauridspecimens. Mosasaurids from the northeastern region of Brazil resemble Late Cretaceous marine reptiles from westernAfrica (Angola, Congo, and Morocco), suggesting faunal continuity in the seaway that bridged these areas. The studyof this marine fauna is crucial to understanding the evolutionary and paleobiogeographic history of the group duringthe opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.