FROM FOSSIL TO VOXEL: DIGITALIZATION OF THE FOSSIL COLLECTION, NEW RECORDS, AND THE ECOLOGICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL DIVERSITY OF FOSSIL CROCODILIANS FROM THE MIOCENE OF THE SOUTHWESTERN AMAZON RAINFOREST

• Grant number: 25/08336-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
• Principal Investigator: Annie Schmaltz Hsiou
• Grantee: Daniel de Simão Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/01077-4 - New frontiers in the fossil record of southwestern Amazonia, AP.R

Abstract

Fossil crocodilians from the Miocene of the Southwestern Amazon constitute an important dataset for evolutionary and functional studies. The present project aims at the comprehensive digitalization of the paleontological collection of fossil vertebrates, with an emphasis on specimens belonging to the UFAC and USP Ribeirão Preto collections, through techniques such as computed tomography, 3D scanning, and photogrammetry. The digital models obtained will be subjected to morphometric and biomechanical analyses, utilizing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations to estimate functional parameters, such as bite force and the configuration of the adductor muscles. The morphometric data will be analyzed using linear regressions and comparative phylogenetic methods, with the objective of reconstructing evolutionary patterns and morphological adaptations among lineages, including Alligatoridae, Gavialidae, and Crocodylidae. Additionally, the project foresees the creation of a digital museum that will consolidate the digitized records, promoting data integration and facilitating access for future research. This multidisciplinary approach will enable the establishment of a robust digital repository, contributing to the preservation of the fossil heritage and to the training of human resources through scientific partnerships and international exchanges. The proposed project establishes a methodological paradigm for the integrated analysis of Amazonian fossil records, thereby enhancing the understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes that shaped the diversity of the Amazon rainforest in its early stages. (AU)