Chondrichthyan Fauna from the Pirabas Formation, Miocene of Northern Brazil, with Comments on Paleobiogeography

Abstract

The chondrichthyan fauna from the Pirabas Formation is redescribed. Only thirteen nominal taxa are considered valid. From these taxa, ten were reassigned to extant taxa (Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharhinus perezii, Galeocerdo cuvier, Rhizoprionodon lalandii, Sphyrna sp., Hemipristis elongatus, Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus, Nebrius ferrugineus, and indeterminate Myliobatidae), confirming the Neogene age of this formation. This elasmofauna is compared with other Caribbean and African Tertiary faunas.

Keywords

• Chondrichthyans
• Miocene
• Pirabas Formation