A new occurrence of tetrapod footprints from the Late Triassic of the Candelária Sequence, Brazil

Abstract

The Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone of the Candelária Sequence (Santa Maria Supersequence, Paraná Basin) preserves one of the most significant Late Triassic continental vertebrate assemblages in southern Brazil. Despite the relatively well‐documented body fossil record from this interval, ichnological records remain comparatively scarce. Here, we describe a new occurrence of tetrapod footprints recovered from the Mangueira site in the municipality of Vale do Sol, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The material comprises 28 footprints distributed across five trackways, tentatively referred to as cf. Procolophonichnium . The morphological features of the best‐preserved footprints, including digit arrangement, track proportions, and pes–manus configuration, suggest affinities with Procolophonichnium , although preservation limitations preclude a definitive ichnotaxonomic assignment of the specimens. Potential trackmakers include small cynodonts or parareptiles; however, no skeletal remains attributable to either group have been documented at the Mangueira site. Comparisons with the Predebon site, the best‐known ichnolocality within the Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone, reveal broadly similar paleoenvironmental conditions but differences in faunal composition and preservation. This new discovery expands the currently limited ichnological record of the Candelária Sequence and underscores the value of trace fossils in reconstructing faunal diversity and paleoecological complexity in the Late Triassic continental ecosystems of southern Brazil.