QUATERNARY CROCODILIANS, TESTUDINES, AND AMPHIBIANS FROM THE LAJEDO DE SOLEDADE SITE, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL, AND THEIR PALEOENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The present study describes and analyzes the anurans, crocodilians, and testudines of the a Late Quaternary fossil vertebrate assemblage from the Ravina das Araras, at the Lajedo de Soledade (Apodi, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil). The identified remains include anurans assigned to cf. Rhinella sp., cf. Leptodactylus sp., cf. Proceratophrys sp., cf. Pipa sp., and Hylidae indet., as well as crocodilians (Caimaninae indet.) and Testudines with terrestrial and aquatic habits, represented by Chelonoidis sp., Kinosternon scorpioides , and Chelidae indet. The stratigraphic distribution of these taxa across layers A, B, and C indicates the recurrent presence of vertebrates associated with humid environments and water bodies within the deposit. Ichnological analysis revealed the presence of the ichnospecies Nihilichnus clavus on costal plates of Chelidae indet., representing the first record of this ichnotaxon in the Quaternary of Brazil. These traces provide direct evidence of ecological interactions among aquatic vertebrates and are potentially associated with predation on freshwater turtles by crocodilians that share the same habitat and co-occur in layers B and C. Taken together, the paleontological, ichnological, and stratigraphic data indicate that the Lajedo de Soledade recorded a heterogeneous paleoenvironmental landscape, dominated by open habitats but associated with areas of denser vegetation cover. These environments included temporary water bodies, such as shallow ponds, seasonally flooded areas, and ephemeral channels linked to the local karst system, which acted as structural elements of the landscape and enabled the coexistence of aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial taxa under conditions of pronounced climatic seasonality. • Rare Quaternary herpetofaunal record from northeastern Brazil • Integrated analysis of anurans, crocodilians, and testudines • First Brazilian Quaternary record of Nihilichnus clavus • Aquatic taxa indicate episodic and seasonal water availability • Evidence reveals environmental heterogeneity in the Caatinga