The genus Montastraea (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) from the Cretaceous in the Araripe Basin, Northeastern Brazil

Published: 11 November 2024| Version 2 | DOI: 10.17632/db2m9rxznm.2
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Description

The Araripe Basin, located in the Northeast Region of Brazil and spanning portions of Ceará, Pernambuco, and Piauí states, is one of the most emblematic sedimentary basins in the country due to its abundance of fossils and the richness of its paleobiota. Concretions can be found in the western region, including Araripina and Trindade in Pernambuco and Caldeirão Grande and Simões in Piauí. During expeditions in Simões, Piauí, we identified the first fossil coral from the Romualdo Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Santana Group), classified within the genus Montastraea Blainville, 1830. This significant discovery advances our understanding of the region's paleoenvironmental history and biodiversity. Although Montastraea is relatively common in the Tethys Sea, this represents its southernmost occurrence to date. This study provides descriptive, morphometric, and phylogenetic data for the specimen, reinforcing the Tethyan affinities of the Araripe biota. The presence of this fossil coral suggests that a shallow, tropical marine environment adapted to clear, likely warm, waters. Keywords: Fossil, Coral, Romualdo Formation, Paleobiogeography

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Institutions

Universidade Regional do Cariri, Universidade Federal do Piaui, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Universidade Federal do Para, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Estacao Experimental de Pequenos Animais do Carpina

Categories

Aquatic Invertebrate, Fossil Taxonomy, Paleoecology, Paleobiology

Funding

Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

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