Uppermost Miocene Lamniform Selachians (Pisces) from the Alvalade basin (Portugal)

This paper deals with Lamniform teeth collected in deposits from the Esbarrondadoiro Formation, Alvalade Basin in Southern Portugal. The following genera were recognized: Carcharias, Pseudocarcharias, Alopias, Isurus and Carcharocles. The species Carcharias acutissima is by far the most predominant, all other taxa being rare or very rare. This situation points to neritic, tropical to subtropical, rather shallow waters not far away from the coast. This is corroborated by the rarity of the associated, mainly pelagic, taxa. The ratio between C. acutissima and the remaining Lamniforms as a whole is markedly uneven between Esbarrondadoiro and the localities of Santa Margarida and Vale de Zebro. This suggests quite different environmental conditions, a matter that will require a more thorough examination taking into account all palaeontologic and geologic data.

Sélaciens du Miocène terminal du bassin d'Alvalade (Portugal). Essai de synthèse

A rich uppermost Miocene selachian fauna from the Alvalade Basin (represented by more than 10.000 teeth) is accounted for. It is the most modern miocene fauna of neritic habit under warm-temperate to subtropical conditions, known in the european Miocene.

Seláceos do Farol das Lagostas (Bacia do Cuanza, Angola)

O presente trabalho consiste na apresentação da diversidade de seláceos do Farol das Lagostas pertencente à Bacia do Cuanza. Os condrichthyes são componentes comuns da fauna aquática desde o Paleozoico. No entanto, devido à natureza cartilaginosa do esqueleto, o registo paleontológico dos mesmos restringe-se, basicamente, às partes mineralizadas como dentes, dentículos dérmicos e espinhas cefálicas O lugar Farol das Lagostas contém uma fauna de seláceos relativamente rica e variada, representada neste estudo por cerca de 1.000 dentes isolados, além de outras peças esqueléticas. Foram identificados e descritos quarenta e quatro taxa, pertencentes às seguintes ordens: Hexanchiformes, Squaliformes, Pristiophoriformes, Squatiniformes, Lamniformes, Carcharhiniformes, Rajiformes e Myliobatiformes. Trata-se de uma diversidade faunística cuja maioria dos géneros possui representantes atuais. Os Carcharhiniformes representam 53% dos taxa identificados. Estão representadas as famílias Scyliorhinidae, Triakidae, Hemigaleidae, Carcharhinidae e Sphyrnidae, com 18 espécies. Verifica-se a presença de formas bentónicas e nectónicas que indicam condições térmicas moderadas, quentes e tropicais a temperadas, que habitam frequentemente zonas costeiras. A relação faunística identificada corresponde a uma zona litoral. Ora, considerando o conjunto de dados em face da presença de fauna pelágica e dos grandes predadores, especialmente Isurus hastalis e Carcharocles megalodon, podemos admitir que existisse então um Golfo relativamente largo de uma faixa Atlântica aberta (Antunes & Balbino, 2004); ABSTRACT: Selachians from Farol the Lagostas (Cuanza Basin, Angola) The present work consists of the presentation of diversity of selachians from Farol das Lagostas, which belongs to the Cuanza Basin. The condrichthyes are a part of aquatic fauna since the Paleozoic. However, due to the nature of the cartilaginous skeleton, the paleontological registration of the same ones is restricted to mineralized parts like teeth, dermal denticles and cephalic spines. The of formation, Farol das Lagostas has a fauna of selachian relatively rich and diverse, represented in this study for around 1.000 isolated teeth, and other skeletal parts. Forty four taxa were described and identified, belonging to the following orders: Hexanchiformes, Squaliformes, Pristiophoriformes, Squatiniformes, Lamniformes, Carcharhiniformes, Rajiformes e Myliobatiformes. It’s a faunal diversity whose most genera have current representatives. The Carcharhiniformes represente 53% of the identified taxa. The represented families are Scyliorhinidae, Triakidae, Hemigaleidae, Carcharhinidae e Sphyrnidae, with 18 species. There is presence of benthic and nektonic forms that indicate moderate thermal conditions, the temperate and tropical hot, often inhabit coastal areas. The identified faunal relation corresponds to a coastal zone. So, considering the data set, due to the presence of pelagic fauna and large predators, especially Isurus hastalis e Carcharocles megalodon, we can admit that then there was a relatively large Gulf of open Atlantic range (Antunes & Balbino, 2004).