Alcântara Formation
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The Alcântara Formation is a geological formation in northeastern Brazil whose strata date back to the Cenomanian of the Late Cretaceous.
Fossil content
| Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon | Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited. | |||||
| Taxon | Reclassified taxon | Taxon falsely reported as present | Dubious taxon or junior synonym | Ichnotaxon | Ootaxon | Morphotaxon |
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians
| Ornithischians of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Ornithopoda indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Footprints | Footprints interpreted as coming from both small and large ornithopods. Larger footprints have been tentatively assigned to hadrosaurs. |
Sauropods
| Sauropods of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Itapeuasaurus | I. cajapioensis | Itapeua beach | A rebbachisaurine rebbachisaurid | |||
| cf. Limaysaurus | L. tessonei | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Vertebrae | A limaysaurine rebbachisaurid | ||
| cf. Malawisaurus? | M. sp. | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Tooth | A tooth similar to Malawisaurus | ||
| Sauropoda indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | May belong to a titanosaurian or a diplodocoid rebbachisaurid | ||
| Titanosauria indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Vertebrae and an osteoderm | A titanosaurian sauropod |
Theropods
| Theropods of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Abelisauridae indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Two shed tooth crowns | A abelisaurid theropod | ||
| Carcharodontosauridae indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | A carcharodontosaurid theropod | ||
| Dromaeosauridae indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | Possible member of Velociraptorinae | ||
| Noasauridae indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Nine teeth | A noasaurid theropod; closely related to Masiakasaurus. | ||
| Oxalaia | O. quilombensis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Fused premaxillae; isolated and incomplete left maxilla (both heavily damaged from the National Museum of Brazil fire) | A spinosaurin spinosaurine which may be synonymus with Spinosaurus itself. However, this has been disputed. | ||
| Sigilmassasaurus | S. brevicollis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Two caudal vertebrae | Referral to Sigilmassasaurus was based on similarity to presumed caudal vertebrae of the genus from the Kem Kem Group. However, the 2022 study noted that these specimens are indeterminate spinosaurids, most likely belonging to Oxalaia considering the geographical and geological context. | ||
| Spinosaurini indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | A spinosaurin spinosaurine different from Oxalaia. | ||
| Unenlagiinae | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island, São Luís-Grajaú Basin | Teeth | A unenlagiine dromaeosaurid |
Pterosauria
| Pterosaurs of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Anhangueridae indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | A anhanguerid pterosaur | ||
| Ornithocheiroidea Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Tooth | A ornithocheiroid pterosaur |
Crocodylomorphs
| Crocodylomorphs of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Candidodon | C. itapecuruense | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | A candidodontid notosuchian | ||
| Coringasuchus | C. anisodontis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Partial right dentary | A ziphosuchian notosuchian |
Turtles
| Turtles of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Pelomedusoides indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Incomplete carapace | An side-necked turtle |
Squamates
| Squamates of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Seismophis | S. septentrionalis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Vertebrae | A snake |
Mosasaurs
| Mosasaurs of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Carinodens | C. fraasi | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Dental | A globidensin mosasaurine | ||
| Mosasauridae Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | An indeterminate mosasaurid |
Plesiosaurs
| Plesiosaurs of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Image |
| Brachaucheninae Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | A brachauchenine thalassophonean |
Fish
| Fishes of the Alcântara Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Adrianaichthys | A. pankowski | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Scales | A lepisosteiform fish | ||
| Aegyptobatus | A. kuehnei | Laje de Coringa, Cajual Island | A distobatid hybodont | |||
| Arganodus | A. tiguidiensis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Dental plates | A arganodontid lungfish | ||
| Atlanticopristis | A. equatorialis | Falésia do Sismito and Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Fourteen denticle specimens (two complete) | A sclerorhynchoid | ||
| Bartschichthys | B. sp. | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Spines | A cladistian | ||
| Ceratodus | C. brasiliensis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Dental plates | A ceratodontid lungfish | ||
| C. humei | ||||||
| Distobatus | D. nutiae | Laje de Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth | A distobatid hybodont | ||
| Equinoxiodus | E. alcantarensis | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | One complete and eight incomplete tooth plates | A neoceatodontid lungfish | ||
| E. schuitzei | ||||||
| Hybodontidae Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje de Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth & Cephalic spines | A hybodontid hybodont | ||
| Hylaeobatis | H. sp. | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Tooth | A ptychodontid lamniform | ||
| Lepidotes | L. sp. | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Mineralized scales | A lepidotid fish. | ||
| Lepisosteidae Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Scales | |||
| Lonchidiidae Indet. | Indeterminate | Laje de Coringa, Cajual Island | Teeth & Dorsal Spines | A lonchidiid hybodont | ||
| Mawsonia | M. gigas | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Palato-quadrate and post-parietal cranial material | A mawsoniid coelacanth. | ||
| Myliobatis | M. dixoni | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | A myliobatid eagle ray | |||
| Obaichthys | O. africanus | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Scales | A obaichthyid lepisosteiform | ||
| Onchopristis | cf. O. numida | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Rostral teeth | A sclerorhynchoid | ||
| Pycnodontiformes indet. | Indeterminate | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Dental plate and teeth | |||
| Stephanodus | S. sp. | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Pharyngeal teeth | A pycnodontid pycnodont | ||
| Tribodus | T. limae | Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island | Dorsal spines | A hybodont shark |