Page 41 - DINOSOUR ATLAS

south america
Araripe Basin C E A R Á
Açude Orós

Fossils From the early cretaceous, about 100 million years ago, have Araripe Juàzeiro do Norte
been discovered in Brazil’s Araripe Basin. At this time, South America P I A U Í Araripe Basin
lay close to Africa, but as the continents edged apart an inland sea
formed. Along its edges lived small carnivores, such as Mirischia
and Santanaraptor, together with large predatory dinosaurs, P E R N A M B U C O
including the oddly named Irritator. No herbivores have
been found, so it is likely that the carnivores lived off São Francisco
the area’s fish. Eventually, the sediments on the
seabed became rock, creating the limestone of u site location
the world famous Santana Formation. The Araripe Basin is in northeast Brazil, and covers
about 3,000 sq miles (8,000 sq km). The Santana
Formation lies within the Araripe Basin.

, angaturama
TeeTh were
Like Irritator, Angaturama is also only cone-shaped
known from a Santana Formation skull. and pointed
Although it has been described as
Three- a new spinosaur (a fish-eater
fingered with a crocodilelike head), u Fossilized dragonFly
hand with and therefore given its own Fossils of invertebrates (animals
hooked claws name, it may turn out
to grab prey without backbones), particularly
to be an Irritator specimen. Jaw was long and slim, and insects, are preserved in great detail,
If this happens the Angaturama although the snout has not such as this Zigoptera dragonfly.
name will be dropped. been found, it may have
had a spoon-shaped tip

, irritator
Irritator was the first Early Creataceous
dinosaur to have been discovered in Brazil.
It is known from a nearly complete skull,
discovered in the Santana Formation. Its facial
features suggest that it was probably a fish-eater.

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