Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: FELIPE EDUARDO FREIRE DE MELO

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : FELIPE EDUARDO FREIRE DE MELO
DATE: 27/03/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

Leaf Morphology of Quaternary Fossils Plants from the Tufas of Felipe Guerra, Rio Grande do Norte

KEY WORDS:

Leaf Arctecture, Northeastern Brazil, Paleobotany, Tufas, Potiguar Basin

PAGES: 53
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Botânica
SUMMARY:

The Caatinga occupies approximately 10% of Brazilian territory and represents one of the most distinctivebiomes in South America, characterized by high biodiversity and environmental heterogeneity. Although it is presently defined by a hot semi-arid climate, geological and paleontological evidence suggests that past conditions were likely more humid, supporting denser vegetation cover. Tufa deposits identified in the Bacia Potiguar, formed through the dissolution and reprecipitation of Cretaceous carbonate rocks, indicate the occurrence of more persistent and intense hydrological dynamics than those observed today. This dissertation investigates the environmental history of the region through the systematic description, classification, and taxonomic identification of plant fossils preserved within these tufa deposits. Following the establishment of botanical affinities, paleoenvironmental inferences are developed in order to reconstruct past climatic and ecological conditions. The results contribute to a better understanding of thenatural processes that have shaped the landscape and vegetation dynamics of the Caatinga over time. By integrating paleobotanical data with sedimentological and climatic interpretations, this research advances knowledge of Quaternary environmental changes in northeastern Brazil and highlights the significance of plant fossil records in tufas as sensitive proxies for paleoclimatic variability. The findings provide a framework for more refined and integrated paleoecological reconstructions of semi-arid tropical regions.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1283832 - ALINE MARCELE GHILARDI
Externa à Instituição - FRESIA SOLEDAD RICARDI TORRES BRANCO - UNICAMP
Externo à Instituição - LUCIANA WITOVISK GUSSELLA - UFRJ