Representatives of the order Pilosa and Cingulata, Furna do Cazuza (Pleistocene-Holocene), Paripiranga, Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Located in the Northeast of Brazil, the city of Paripiranga, State of Bahia, is situated in a karst region called Supergrupo Canudos. The locality boasts a high number of natural cavities, some of which contain Pleistocene mammal fossils and remains of contemporary vertebrates. The cave locally known as Furna do Cazuza is a deep natural cavity in Proterozoic limestone, with a vertical entrance of 16 m in depth, resembling an abyss, serving as natural traps for many animals, especially mammals. The cave has a large area at its entrance, with a significant influx of sediment and a considerable quantity of bones, some of which have already been collected. The collected bone material (appendicular and part of a skull) belongs to three individuals: an armadillo and two giant ground sloths. The osteoderms were attributed to the Pampatheriidae Holmesina sp., and the most abundant bone material to the Megatheriidae Eremotherium laurillardi and the Scelidotheriidae Catonyx cuvieri. This study presents the largest number of bones of C. cuvieri attributed to a single individual in a cave. As paleontological research advances, the understanding of the diversity of the past fauna during the Pleistocene in the municipality of Paripiranga and the surrounding region continues to expand. The caves are still under study, and their fossiliferous richness has not been fully measured and identified.