Carnivores (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the Quaternary of Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

A report on fossil remains of carnivores from the Quaternary of Serra da Bodoquena (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), recovered from two limestone flooded caves, is presented. A total of six species could be identified belonging to three carnivore families, namely Felidae (Smilodon populator, Panthera onca, Leopardus braccatus), Canidae (Protocyon troglodytes, Chrysocyon brachyurus) and Mustelidae (Pteronura brasiliensis), a mosaic of extinct and extant species presumably related to the Holo-Pleistocene fauna of the region. These findings support in part previous suggestions of a paleoecological scenario of open savannas rich in wetlands for the Quaternary environment of Serra da Bodoquena.