Paleoenvironmental and Paleoecological Inferences of the Quaternary Megafauna of Lajedão do Patrício, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

During the Pleistocene, a diverse fauna composed of large and mega mammals lived in the Northeastern of Brazil, and is generally associated with open environments. We present in this study carbon and oxygen isotopic data of Notiomastodon platensis and Toxodontinae from the fossiliferous deposit of Lajedão do Patrício, João Dourado, Bahia, Brazil. The analyzes of δ13C and δ18O were carried out to better understand the paleoecology of these taxa and, consequently, make it possible to obtain paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental inferences about the region of Lajedão do Patrício fossiliferous deposit. The δ13C values identified for Notiomastodon platensis (−5.67‰ and −6.95‰) and Toxodontinae (−5.62‰ and −7.03‰) indicate a mixed diet for these taxa due to the consumption of C3 and C4 plants, indicating an environmental scenario of vegetation mosaic of dry forest (caatinga) and cerrado during the Pleistocene/Holocene. The comparison between the δ13C data from the megafauna in Northeast Brazil allowed the identification of opportunistic behaviors for Notiomastodon platensis and Toxodontinae, varying between the browser, mixed and grazing habits, according to the characteristics of the habitat in which they lived. The δ18O data and its variations suggest changes in the precipitation regime during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in the region of the analyzed fossiliferous deposit.