ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Earth Sci.

Sec. Paleontology

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1551085

Reconstructing paleo-trophic relationships on the Brazilian Romualdo Formation (Early Cretaceous) through mercury analysis in fossils

Provisionally accepted
  • 1Regional University of Cariri, Crato, Brazil
  • 2Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Mercury (Hg) biomagnification values tend to reflect relationships between species in the trophic web the larger the value, the higher their position in the web. Here we present the first attempt to reconstruct paleo-trophic linkages during the onset of the Romualdo Formation in the Araripe Basin (Northeastern Brazil), based on analyses of Hg concentration ([Hg]) of fossil specimens recorded in this lithological unit. The aim is to understand possible relationships between vertebrate and invertebrate species inhabiting its paleoenvironments during the early "lagoon" phase of its deposition. Observed ratios (log[Hg]Sample) between [Hg] in fossils ([Hg]Fossil) and their surrounding concretions ([Hg]Rock) indicate greater biomagnification with change in feeding habits and size of evaluated vertebrate taxa, being lowest in the small actinopterygian fish genera Rhacolepis and Tharrhias and reaching its peak in the large predators Cladocyclus and Calamopleurus (the apex species of the trophic pyramid). Feeding habits of Vinctifer were also reviewed, and the genus was reinterpreted from filter feeder to mesopredator; Neoproscinetes and an unidentified batoid (Chondrichthyes), two durophagous bottom-feeding taxa, recorded values compatible with their predicted feeding habits. Low log[Hg]Sample ratios were observed in ornithocheiraean pterosaurs (Reptilia), suggesting it a mesopredators specialized in the smaller fish species, while Thalassodrominae presented intermediate to high log[Hg]Sample, pointing out to a unique trophic role as a terrestrial opportunistic generalist, ranging from predator to scavenger.

Keywords: Araripe Basin, geochemistry, Mercury cycle, Paleoecology, Vertebrata

Received: 24 Dec 2024; Accepted: 26 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Antonietto, Hamid, Holgado, Rocha, Ferreira, Saraiva and Lacerda. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Lucas Silveira Antonietto, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, Brazil

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