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Scheyer TM, Oliveira GR, Romano PSR, Bastiaans D, Falco L, Ferreira GS, Rabi M. A forged 'chimera' including the second specimen of the protostegid sea turtle Santanachelysgaffneyi and shell parts of the pleurodire Araripemys from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Group of Brazil. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2023; 142:6. [PMID: 37163143 PMCID: PMC10163108 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-023-00271-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Fossils of Cretaceous sea turtles adapted to an open marine lifestyle remain rare finds to date. Furthermore, the relationships between extant sea turtles, chelonioids, and other Mesozoic marine turtles are still contested, with one key species being Santanachelys gaffneyi Hirayama, 1998, long considered the earliest true sea turtle. The species is an Early Cretaceous member of Protostegidae, a controversial clade either placed within or closely related to Chelonioidea or, alternatively, along the stem lineage of hidden-neck turtles (Cryptodira) and representing an independent open marine radiation. Santanachelys gaffneyi is one of the most completely preserved early protostegids and is therefore critical for establishing the global phylogenetic position of the group. However, the single known specimen of this taxon is yet to be described in detail. Here we describe a second specimen of Santanachelys gaffneyi from its type horizon, the Romualdo Formation (late Aptian) of the Santana Group of the Araripe basin, NE Brazil. The skeletal elements preserved include the posterior part of the skull, neck vertebrae, shoulder girdle, anterior-most and left/central part of the carapace with few peripherals, and plastron lacking most of the hyoplastra. The remaining part of the carapace was apparently completed by fossil dealers using an anterior part of the pleurodiran Araripemydidae, tentatively identified as a shell portion of cf. Araripemys barretoi, a more common Santana fossil turtle, among other indeterminate turtle shell fragments. The purpose of this paper is to report the repatriation of the specimen to Brazil and to provide a preliminary description. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13358-023-00271-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten M Scheyer
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Zurich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gustavo R Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia, Área de Ecologia, Laboratório de Paleontologia & Sistematica, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros S/No., Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco 52171-900 Brazil
| | - Pedro S R Romano
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Dylan Bastiaans
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Zurich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Falco
- SCANCO Medical AG, Fabrikweg 2, 8306 Brüttisellen, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel S Ferreira
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), Sigwartstrasse 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Márton Rabi
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- Central Natural Science Collections, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Domstraße 4, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Cisneros JC, Raja NB, Ghilardi AM, Dunne EM, Pinheiro FL, Regalado Fernández OR, Sales MAF, Rodríguez-de la Rosa RA, Miranda-Martínez AY, González-Mora S, Bantim RAM, de Lima FJ, Pardo JD. Digging deeper into colonial palaeontological practices in modern day Mexico and Brazil. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210898. [PMID: 35291323 PMCID: PMC8889171 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Scientific practices stemming from colonialism, whereby middle- and low-income countries supply data for high-income countries and the contributions of local expertise are devalued, are still prevalent today in the field of palaeontology. In response to these unjust practices, countries such as Mexico and Brazil adopted protective laws and regulations during the twentieth century to preserve their palaeontological heritage. However, scientific colonialism is still reflected in many publications describing fossil specimens recovered from these countries. Here, we present examples of 'palaeontological colonialism' from publications on Jurassic-Cretaceous fossils from NE Mexico and NE Brazil spanning the last three decades. Common issues that we identified in these publications are the absence of both fieldwork and export permit declarations and the lack of local experts among authorships. In Mexico, access to many fossil specimens is restricted on account of these specimens being housed in private collections, whereas a high number of studies on Brazilian fossils are based on specimens illegally reposited in foreign collections, particularly in Germany and Japan. Finally, we outline and discuss the wider academic and social impacts of these research practices, and propose exhaustive recommendations to scientists, journals, museums, research institutions and government and funding agencies in order to overcome these practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Cisneros
- Museu de Arqueologia e Paleontologia, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
| | - Nussaïbah B. Raja
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Loewenichstr. 28, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Aline M. Ghilardi
- Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil
| | - Emma M. Dunne
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Felipe L. Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia, Universidade Federal do Pampa, São Gabriel, Brazil
| | | | - Marcos A. F. Sales
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará (IFCE) – Campus Acopiara, Acopiara, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Rubén A. Rodríguez-de la Rosa
- Unidad Académica de Ciencias Biológicas-Unidad Académica de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Calzada Solidaridad, S/N, Campus II, C.P. 98060, Zacatecas, Mexico
| | - Adriana Y. Miranda-Martínez
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Sergio González-Mora
- Museo de Paleontología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Renan A. M. Bantim
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Coronel Antônio Luís, 1161, Pimenta, Crato, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Flaviana J. de Lima
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Microestruturas, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória – Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (CAV/UFPE), R. Alto do Reservatório – Alto José Leal, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Sena MVDA, Bantim RAM, Saraiva AÁF, Sayão JM, Oliveira GR. Osteohistology and microanatomy of a new specimen of Cearachelys placidoi (Testudines: Pleurodira) a side-necked turtle from the lower Cretaceous of Brazil. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:1294-1304. [PMID: 33103362 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Pelomedusoides had a recognised diverse Early Cretaceous fauna of turtles in Northeast Brazil. Within them, the bothremydid Cearachelys placidoi has a relatively abundant record. This diversity contrasts with the scarcity of osteohistological studies in this group. The relatively well-preserved shell of C. placidoi (UFRPE 5600), from the Aptian age of Araripe Basin, is studied here for the purpose of filling this gap. We performed the osteohistological description of the plastron of a new specimen of C. placidoi. Also, to conduct a comparative study, we carried out histological sections in bones of the recent chelid Phrynops sp. Our histological findings indicate similarities between the histological pattern of freshwater turtles and the coastal marine C. placidoi. Moreover, osteohistological features imply metaplastic incorporation of dermal interwoven structural fiber bundles. Lastly, the xiphiplastron of C. placidoi shows an increase of bone compactness over its craniocaudal axis. This microanatomical feature is exclusive to Cearachelys so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Valéria de Araújo Sena
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências (PPGEOC), Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil.,Centro Universitário da Vitória de Santo Antão, Loteamento São Vicente Ferrer, 71, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, 55610-050, Brazil
| | - Renan Alfredo Machado Bantim
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/nº, Crato, Ceará, 63105-000, Brazil
| | - Antônio Álamo Feitosa Saraiva
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/nº, Crato, Ceará, 63105-000, Brazil
| | - Juliana Manso Sayão
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Paleogeografia Antártica, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/nº, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20940-040, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Ribeiro Oliveira
- Laboratório de Paleontologia & Sistemática, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/nº, Recife, Pernambuco, 52171-900, Brazil
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Sayão JM, Saraiva AÁF, Brum AS, Bantim RAM, de Andrade RCLP, Cheng X, de Lima FJ, de Paula Silva H, Kellner AWA. Author Correction: The first theropod dinosaur (Coelurosauria, Theropoda) from the base of the Romualdo Formation (Albian), Araripe Basin, Northeast Brazil. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13464. [PMID: 32753698 PMCID: PMC7403328 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70349-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Manso Sayão
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Microestruturas, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Alto do Reservatório, Bela Vista, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, 55608‑680, Brazil
- Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940‑040, Brazil
| | - Antônio Álamo Feitosa Saraiva
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Crato, CE 63100‑000, Brazil
| | - Arthur Souza Brum
- Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940‑040, Brazil
- Programa de Pós‑Graduação em Zoologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20940‑040, Brazil
| | - Renan Alfredo Machado Bantim
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Crato, CE 63100‑000, Brazil
| | - Rafael Cesar Lima Pedroso de Andrade
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Microestruturas, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Alto do Reservatório, Bela Vista, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, 55608‑680, Brazil
| | - Xin Cheng
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Crato, CE 63100‑000, Brazil
- College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Str. Jianshe 2199, Chaoyang distinct, Changchun, 130061, Jilin Province, China
| | - Flaviana Jorge de Lima
- Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Crato, CE 63100‑000, Brazil
| | - Helder de Paula Silva
- Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940‑040, Brazil
| | - Alexander W A Kellner
- Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940‑040, Brazil.
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