Abelisaur and Dromaeosaur Teeth Found in Upper Cretaceous Brazil

Theropod teeth from the Adamantina Formation (Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous), Monte Alto, São Paulo, Brazil

Authors:

Tavares et al

Abstract:

Theropod bone remains from the Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous, Southeastern Brazil, are scarce and poorly preserved. Because of that much of the information about these dinosaurs mainly relies on isolated teeth. Here we report a set of theropod teeth found in association with several crocodylomorph teeth and a well-preserved and semi-articulated sauropod dinosaur from the Adamantina Formation deposits. The teeth were analyzed under both morphological and morphometric point of views and the results showed they correspond to the clades Abelisauridae and Dromaeosauridae. To date, and based on osteological evidence, abelisaurids are the most common theropod clade in Bauru Group deposits. Additionally, although deinonychosaur remains have also been described for this unit, some of the teeth reported here might represent the first evidence of Dromaeosauridae for the Bauru Group.