Vertebrates of the Adamantina Formation

[Brad McFeeters <archosauromorph2@hotmail.com>]

Another dinosaur-related paper in press is online today (though I haven't 
seen it, as I don't have a subscription to ScienceDirect):

Candeiroa, C.R.A, A.R. Santosa, T.H. Rich, T.S. Marinho & E.C. Oliveira, 
2006.   Vertebrate fossils from the Adamantina Formation (Late Cretaceous), 
Prata paleontological district, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.  Geobios, in 
press.

ABSTRACT:  In this contribution is given a preliminary up-to-date annotated 
list of all fossil vertebrates from the Turonian?Santonian Adamantina 
Formation, Bauru Group where it occurs in the Prata paleontological district 
which is located 45 km to the west of Prata in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. 
The Adamantina Formation is a reddish sandstone in the Triângulo Mineiro 
region. These fluviolacustrine sediments were deposited in a semiarid 
environment. Three fossil vertebrate sites occur in the Prata 
paleontological district. The diversity of vertebrates in the Adamantina 
Formation is modest, and its components comprise a mixture of typical 
austral Gondwana taxa (such as abelisaurids, *Aeolosaurus*) and boreal 
Gondwana taxa (such as Carcharodontosauridae). The absence of Laurasian taxa 
in the upper part of the Bauru Group is noteworthy. Excepting some turtles, 
crocodylians, and one titanosaurid, most of the specimens discovered in this 
Group are based on fragmentary and isolated remains, which make it difficult 
to correctly identify the fossils. For this reason, many of the taxa have 
only been identified in a preliminary manner. Despite this drawback, the 
dinosaurs are typical Gondwana forms with no evidence of Laurasian 
affinities. This is concordant with the idea that the Laurasian dinosaurs 
entered South America at the end of the Late Cretaceous; i.e. after the 
Turonian?Santonian, the age of the Adamantina Formation.