Taphonomic control protocol for fossil excavations in Brazilian Quaternary caves

• Grant number: 25/12769-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Renato Pirani Ghilardi
• Grantee: Lais Alves Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Taphonomy, a branch of paleontology dedicated to the study of the processes that affect organic remains from death to their discovery, proves essential for the interpretation of the fossil record. In Brazil, although taphonomic studies have intensified in recent decades, a large part of the analyses is still based on previously collected materials, frequently lacking adequate stratigraphic or taphonomic control. This limitation compromises the quality of paleoenvironmental interpretations, and the understanding of the processes involved in the formation of taphocoenosis, especially in Quaternary karst deposits. Additionally, the scarcity of integrated approaches that include both invertebrate and vertebrate fossils reveals important methodological gaps. Given this perspective, the present project aims to carry out paleontological excavations with rigorous taphonomic and stratigraphic control in caves of the Alto Vale do Ribeira (SP), aiming at the development and validation of a standardized protocol for the collection and taphonomic analysis in karst environments. The developed protocol will contribute to the methodological standardization in paleontological excavations in Brazil, allowing for the acquisition of contextualized and high-resolution data. The results of this research will enable a more precise reconstruction of the depositional processes in caves, in addition to promoting the improvement of knowledge about the taphonomic aspects of Brazilian Quaternary fossiliferous deposits and their respective paleoenvironmental contexts.