Abelisauroidea e Carcharodontosauridae (Theropoda,Dinosauria) na América do Sul durante do Cretáceo. Implicações Paleogeográficas e Geocronológicas

Abstract

In this contribution an up-to-date list of abelisauroid ceratosaurians and carcharodontosauridallosaurians recognized in South America is presented. Abelisauroids and carcharodontosauridsin South America show rich species diversity and a wide range of temporal and geographicaldistribution. At least eight formally described species of Abelisauroidea are recognized in Argen-tina and only one in Brazil; in contrast, only one species of Carcharodontosauridae is known forall South America. The fossil record of abelisauroids and carcharodontosaurids in South Americashows a dominance of abelisauroids in the upper late Cretaceous, while the dominance ofcarcharodontosaurids as large predators was during the Cenomanian-Turonian. Although knowl-edge of the evolution of Abelisauroidea and Carcharodontasauridae in South America, as well asin the rest of Gondwana is still far for being complete, intensive explorations in recent years haveprovided greater insight into the composition of theropod faunas in the Cretaceous of Gondwana.

Keywords

• Abelisauroidea
• Carcharodontosauridae
• Cretaceous
• South America.