Utilization of geomathematical methods in taphonomic analyses of Quaternary vertebrates preserved in fossiliferous deposits of Brazil

• Grant number: 23/15349-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Renato Pirani Ghilardi
• Grantee: Lucas Henrique Medeiros da Silva Trifilio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/03430-3 - Identification of break patterns in animal bones using a hydraulic press, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Taphonomy is a field of study that explains how physical, chemical, and biological processes affect the preservation of bone remains, thus enabling researchers to trace the timeline of fossil assemblages from the time an organism perishes to the time when its fossils are collected. From a taphonomic perspective, caves and natural tanks have become primary focal points within the Brazilian paleontological field since the latter half of the 20th century, producing noteworthy results in relation to the conservation of Quaternary faunal assemblages, including mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Geomathematical models have been used to study natural tanks, enabling conclusions about the taphonomic and depositional processes supporting the fossil-bearing assemblages embedded in these sedimentary deposits. Numerous studies have revealed the preservation modes for each cave assemblage individually. However, a thorough examination to identify similarities in preservation modes among assemblages of fossils from caves has not yet been developed. So, using geomathematical assessments of taphonomic features that are found in the fossil record, this project aims to build taphonomic and depositional models for Quaternary deposits found in Brazilian caves. Additionally, these analytical efforts will be carried out to determine the existence of a general pattern that applies to both cave and natural tanks environments. (AU)