Tectonics and sedimentation in Southern South America during Triassic

Zerfass, Henrique; Chemale, Farid; Schultz, César Leandro; Lavina, Ernesto Luiz Corrêa

doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2003.12.008

Cited by 118 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Footprints and body fossils are known from several sedimentary basins in Argentina, most notably the Ischigualasto and Los Colorados formations of the Ischigualasto-Villa Union Basin in northwestern Argentina (e.g., Rogers et al, 1993;Bonaparte, 1997;Zerfass et al, 2004). Similarly aged strata (Santa Maria and Caturrita formations) in southern Brazil preserve an extensive tetrapod assemblage, including basal dinosauromorphs, basal saurischians, and early sauropodomorphs (e.g., Langer et al, 2007a).…”

Section: Early Dinosaur-bearing Formationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs

Brusatte

Nesbitt

Irmis

et al. 2010

Earth-Science Reviews

242

214

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Dinosaurs were remarkably successful during the Mesozoic and one subgroup, birds, remain an important component of modern ecosystems. Although the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous has been the subject of intense debate, comparatively little attention has been given to the origin and early evolution of dinosaurs during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic, one of the most important evolutionary radiations in earth history. Our understanding of this keystone event has dramatically changed over the past 25 years, thanks to an influx of new fossil discoveries, reinterpretations of long-ignored specimens, and quantitative macroevolutionary analyses that synthesize anatomical and geological data. Here we provide an overview of the first 50 million years of dinosaur history, with a focus on the large-scale patterns that characterize the ascent of dinosaurs from a small, almost marginal group of reptiles in the Late Triassic to the preeminent terrestrial vertebrates of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. We provide both a biological and geological background for early dinosaur history. Dinosaurs are deeply nested among the archosaurian reptiles, diagnosed by only a small number of characters, and are subdivided into a number of major lineages. The first unequivocal dinosaurs are known from the late Carnian of South America, but the presence of their sister group in the Middle Triassic implies that dinosaurs possibly originated much earlier. The three major dinosaur lineages, theropods, sauropodomorphs, and ornithischians, are all known from the Triassic, when continents were joined into the supercontinent Pangaea and global climates were hot and arid. Although many researchers have long suggested that dinosaurs outcompeted other reptile groups during the Triassic, we argue that the ascent of dinosaurs was more of a matter of contingency and opportunism. Dinosaurs were overshadowed in most Late Triassic ecosystems by crocodile-line archosaurs and showed no signs of outcompeting their rivals. Instead, the rise of dinosaurs was a two-stage process, as dinosaurs expanded in taxonomic diversity, morphological disparity, and absolute faunal abundance only after the extinction of most crocodile-line reptiles and other groups.

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Section: Early Dinosaur-bearing Formationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs

Brusatte

Nesbitt

Irmis

et al. 2010

Earth-Science Reviews

242

214

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“…1 and 2) that extended from South America to Australia (du Toit, 1927;Veevers et al, 1994a). Zerfass et al (2004) suggested that Early Triassic deposition took place in the wide alluvial basin that extended from western South America to South Africa, while the Middle and Late Triassic sedimentation occurred within the tectonically controlled restricted basins such as back-arc rifts (Argentinian and Chilean basins), Fig. 1.…”

Section: Southwestern Gondwanamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, there were two main phases of sedimentation in southern South America during the Triassic, which were tectonically controlled (Zerfass et al, 2004):…”

Section: Southwestern Gondwanamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its maximum outcropping thickness is about 400 m. It is composed of conglomerates and sandstones related to low sinuosity and low gradient rivers (Zerfass et al, 2004). The only fossil remains are ichnofossils related to tetrapod footprints that suggest a Triassic age (Stipanicic and Bonaparte, 1976).…”

Section: Talampaya Synthemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fossil content is composed of fragments of kannemeyrid dicynodonts of a Triassic age. Zerfass et al (2004) suggested an Olenekian age. This synthem corresponds to the Tarjados Fm (Fig.…”

Section: Tarjados Synthemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Triassic synthems of southern South America (southwestern Gondwana) and the Western Caucasus (the northern Neotethys), and global tracing of their boundaries

Ruban

Zerfass

Pugatchev

2009

Journal of South American Earth Sciences

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Bone histology supports gregarious behavior and an early ontogenetic stage to Decuriasuchus quartacolonia (Pseudosuchia: Loricata) from the Middle‐Late Triassic of Brazil

de Farias,

Desojo,

Cerda

et al. 2023

The Anatomical Record

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Decuriasuchus quartacolonia is a middle‐sized basal “rauisuchian” (Pseudosuchia, Loricata) from the Triassic beds of Brazil, whose original description was based on 10 specimens of equivalent size found in aggregation. In this contribution, we explore the osteohistology of its appendicular bones and a rib, aiming to infer growth patterns and ontogeny. In all analyzed bones (except in the rib) from three individuals, we found fibrolamellar bone (FLB) throughout the cortices, a pattern shared with other histologically sampled basal loricatans. We found evidence that suggests an early ontogenetic stage for all studied specimens: absence of secondary osteons, lack of transition from an inner highly vascularized FLB matrix to a poor vascularized parallel‐fibred bone, one line of arrested growth, open vascular canals in the external surface of the cortex and absence of an external fundamental system. In addition, we observed that the neurocentral sutures in the caudal to cervical vertebrae of the holotype are unfused, strongly suggesting that these individuals were not skeletally mature, as had been previously assumed. In addition, our data support the prior hypothesis that Decuriasuchus is the oldest‐known archosaur to show evidence of gregarious behavior and adds a probable cause of this as a strategy to obtain food and avoid predation until becoming independent as adults. Furthermore, our results open the possibility that Decuriasuchus may represent an earlier growth stage of the larger Prestosuchus chiniquensis, with two specimens recovered from the same stratigraphic level and paleontological site. Since the adult form of Decuriasuchus remains unknown, a deeper anatomical study is needed to discuss the validity of the species. This study case exemplifies the importance of paleohistology as an essential complementary tool to describe a new morphospecies in vertebrate paleontology.

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Tectonics and sedimentation in Southern South America during Triassic

Cited by 118 publications

References 35 publications

The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs

The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs

Triassic synthems of southern South America (southwestern Gondwana) and the Western Caucasus (the northern Neotethys), and global tracing of their boundaries

Bone histology supports gregarious behavior and an early ontogenetic stage to Decuriasuchus quartacolonia (Pseudosuchia: Loricata) from the Middle‐Late Triassic of Brazil

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