TAYASSUIDAE CERVIDAE E TAPIRIDAE DA GRUTA DO URSO FÓSSIL HOLOCENO PARQUE NACIONAL DE UBAJARA CEARÁ BRASIL

Abstract (English)

Here are described syncranial and postcranial fragments of the holartic ungulates Tayassu pecari (Link), Tapirus terrestris Linnaeus, Mazama Rafi nesque, Tayassuidae indet., and Cervidae indet., from the Gruta do Urso Fossil, Ubajara National Park, Northwest of the State of Ceará, Brazil. The majority of the material was collected on surface of different levels of the cave, except for specimens from the Sala da Entrada portion of the cave, which were collected in subsurface layers at 0.40 m and 0.50 m. These latter points, dated through the thermoluminescence method, indicated 8,000 and 8,200 years BP, respectively. The presence of T. pecari and T. terrestris suggest a forested environment and a humid climate; whereas Mazama may also inhabit other environments. The scarcity and/or disappearance of T. pecari and T. terrestris in the northern region of the State of Ceará could be related to anthropic reasons associated to climate and environmental changes during the late Quaternary. This seems to be corroborated by the current fauna indicating a semiarid (Caatinga) environment. The presence of Mazama however, suggests that this change has not occurred drastically.