The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology to analyse ROV video and scanning-sonar data to document the abundance and distribution of epi-benthic megafauna on the continental slope off Vancouver Island and to quantify the impact of trawling on these megafaunal assemblages. Impacts of bottom trawling on deep-sea ecosystems vary depending on habitat types and species present. Environmental factors such as depth, dissolved oxygen concentration, substratum type, and bottom roughness also affect the diversity and composition of benthic communities. We studied two transects (30km and 12km long) on the upper continental slope off Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, that included areas of seafloor with visible trawl marks. Our study area was also located in an oxygen minimum zone with very low bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations in its core (600m-1000m). The main target for bottom trawling fisheries in this area is the longspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus altivelis). Field data were collected using the ROV ROPOS equipped with a 3CCD video camera and high-resolution scanning sonar. Megafaunal composition/abundance and bottom characteristic information were extracted from video imagery and assembled using a custom-designed MS Access database. The same database was used to compile information on trawl-door marks detected in recorded sonar imagery. The sonar surveyed a 50m radius around the submersible during transects, providing a broader view of evidence of trawling in the area than video. This thesis reports on relationships between environmental variables and faunal abundance, diversity and species distribution. Following the video and sonar analysis, diversity patterns and general species distribution for both transects were determined. Relationships of community structure to depth and trawling intensity were investigated using the hierarchical clusters technique to identify similarities in the megafauna assemblages between stations . Finally, spatial structures in the megafaunal community and their associated environmental variables were examined using the Principal Coordinates Neighbour Matrices (PCNM) and redundancy analysis tests. Differences in total abundance, species composition and distribution, and species diversity were detected between the high and low trawling intensity areas. One of the main highlights of our results was the dominance of ophiuroids and holothurians along most of the transect, except for the highly trawled area. Spatial structures were identified in the megafaunal community, showing a strong influence of bottom trawling intensity and, to a lesser extent, depth. Nearby water column measurements of dissolved oxygen concentrations suggest that depth might be associated with dissolved oxygen levels, but in situ oxygen data were not available during the ROV surveys. A deeper understanding of in situ oxygen levels would help clarify the role of this factor in shaping megafauna assemblages and its interaction with trawling. / Graduate

Several late Pleistocene fossil localities in the Kings Creek catchment, Darling Downs, southeastern Queensland, Australia, were examined in detail to establish an accurate, dated palaeoecological record for the region, and to test human versus climate change megafauna extinction hypotheses. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS 14C) and U/Th dating confirm that the deposits are late Pleistocene in age, but the dates obtained from the two methods are not in agreement. Fluvial depositional accumulation processes in the catchment reflect both high-energy channel and low-energy episodic overbank deposition. The most striking taphonomic observations for vertebrates in the deposits include: 1) low representation of post-cranial elements; 2) high degree of bone breakage; 3) variable abrasion but most identifiable bone elements with low to moderate degree of abrasion; 4) low rates of bone weathering; 5) low degree of carnivore bone modification; and 6) low degree of articulated or associated specimens. Collectively, those data suggest that the material was transported into the deposit from the surrounding proximal floodplain and that the assemblages reflect hydraulic sorting. A multifaceted palaeoecological investigation revealed significant habitat change between superposed assemblages of site QML796. The basal fossiliferous unit contained species that indicate the presence of a mosaic of habitats including riparian vegetation, vine thickets, scrubland, open and closed woodlands, and open grasslands during the late Pleistocene. Those woody and scrubby habitats contracted over the period of deposition so that by the time of deposition of the youngest horizon, the creek sampled a more open type environment. Sequential faunal horizons show a step-wise decrease in taxonomic diversity that cannot be explained by sampling or taphonomic bias. The decreasing diversity includes loss of some, but not all, megafauna and is consistent with a progressive local loss of megafauna in the catchment over an extended interval of time. Collectively, those data are consistent with a climatic cause of megafauna extinction, and no specific evidence was found to support human involvement in the local extinctions. Better dating of the deposits is critically important, as a secure chronology would have significant implications regarding the continent-wide extinction of the Australian megafauna.

abstract: Megafauna species worldwide have undergone dramatic declines since the end of the Pleistocene, twelve thousand years ago. In response, there have been numerous calls to increase conservation attention to these ecologically important species. However, introduced megafauna continue to be treated as pests. This thesis evaluates the extent of this conservation paradox in relation to changing megafauna diversity from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene and finds that introductions have provided refuge for a substantial number threatened and endangered megafaunal species and has restored generic diversity levels per continent to levels closer to the Pleistocene than the Holocene. Furthermore, this thesis describes a previously unstudied behavior of wild burros (Equus asinus), an introduced megafauna whose pre-domestic ancestors are Critically Endangered. Wild burros dig wells to access groundwater and in doing so substantially increase water availability on several scales, create sites that are visited by numerous species and are comparable to natural water sources in terms of species richness, and provide germination nurseries for important riparian pioneer plant species. My results suggest that relaxing concepts of nativity in an age of extinction will provide new understandings of ecological function and can help focus attention on broader conservation goals. / Dissertation/Thesis / Appendix C / Appendix F / Masters Thesis Biology 2017

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3085.pdf: 11800699 bytes, checksum: 71c066e8e0a2f17d9129aaf2bec7145c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-24 / Records of isotopic and elemental carbon and nitrogen and pollen in lake sediments and soils have been used for studies of Quaternary paleoecology worldwide, including in the Amazon at specific sites, such as the region of Carajas, Lake Pata and Region Porto Velho in Rondonia state making it necessary to register in the central southern region. We collected two cores in the Lagoa Jabuti site and a core on the Site Três Coqueiros in the floodplain of the Teles Pires river in northern Mato Grosso state. The cores were analyzed for elemental and isotopic nitrogen and carbon (% C, % N, 13C, 15N and C/N), and palynology and radiometric dating by 14C via AMS. Was also used samples of Quaternary megafauna and elements of material culture. From the analysis carried out it appears that southern Amazon in the Mato Grosso there were no significant ecological changes during the study period, which is around 5,500 years B.P., except for the registration of a relatively sharp change in carbon isotope values for about 2,700 years BP. The pollen analysis of the sediment of Jabuti showed the predominance of elements on forest herb/fern coinciding with data from botanical surveys conducted in the area in which stand families Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Combretaceae, Melastomataceae, Annonaceae, among the trees; Cyperaceae , Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae, Achantaceae and Amaranthaceae between herbs and Polygonaceae, Cyatheaceae and Asplenium among the ferns. The megafauna considered in the paper presented by ESR beyond the age covered by the project and analyzed the material culture (ceramics) revealed that from the earliest moments of occupation (about 1,300 years BP) the ecological conditions of the region have not changed, although they have been registered large gaps in regional occupation that can be interpreted as a crisis in the supply of natural resources necessary for survival in the region. / Registros de dados isotópicos e elementares de carbono e nitrogênio e palinológicos em sedimentos lacustres e solos têm sido utilizados para estudos da paleoecologia do Quaternário em todo mundo, inclusive na Amazônia em sítios específicos, a exemplo da região de Carajás, Lagoa da Pata e região de Porto Velho no estado de Rondônia fazendo-se necessário o registro na região centro meridional da região. Foram coletados dois testemunhos de sondagem na Lagoa Jabuti e um testemunho no Sítio Três Coqueiros na planície de inundação do rio Teles Pires no norte de Mato Grosso. Os testemunhos foram analisados elementar e isotopicamente para nitrogênio e carbono (%C, %N, 13C, 15N e C/N), além de palinologia e datação radiométrica pelo 14C via AMS. Foram ainda utilizadas amostras da megafauna quaternária e elementos da cultura material. A partir das análises executadas, especialmente δ13C (-222 a - ) verifica-se que na Amazônia Meridional matogrossense não ocorreram significativas mudanças ecológicas no período estudado, que está em torno dos 5.500 anos, exceto pelo registro de uma alteração relativamente acentuada nos valores isotópicos de carbono há cerca de 2.700 anos A.P. A análise palinológica dos sedimentos da Lagoa Jabuti evidenciaram a predominância de elementos florestais sobre ervas/pteridófita coincidindo com os dados de levantamentos botânicos efetuados na região em que sobressaem famílias Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Combretaceae, Melastomataceae, Annonaceae, entre as arbóreas; Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae, Achantaceae e Amaranthaceae entre as ervas e Polygonaceae, Asplenium e Cyatheaceae entre as pteridófitas. A megafauna considerada no trabalho apresentou pelo ESR idade além da abrangida pelo projeto e a cultura material analisada (cerâmica) revelou que desde os primeiros momentos de ocupação (cerca de 1.300 anos A.P.) as condições ecológicas da região não se alteraram, ainda que tenham sido registrados grandes hiatos na ocupação regional que podem ser interpretados como crises no fornecimento de recursos naturais fundamentais para a sobrevivência na região.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:31:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3497.pdf: 5073859 bytes, checksum: 36a72d05c41badbe007e14a94e6f23bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-02 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The carbonate caves of the Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern São Paulo State, Brazil, preserve abundant fossil record of Pleistocene-Holocene South American megafauna. This work presents a historical review of its paleontological studies, as well as an update taxonomic survey of the megafauna material gathered since the beginning of the explorations in the area. Herein are also discussed paleobiogeographic and paleoecological questions and presented new Electron Spin Resonance dating results of the Ribeira s material. The fossil megafauna of the Upper Ribeira karstic region include: Eremotherium laurillardi, Nothrotherium maquinense, Lestodon armatus, Catonyx cuvieri, Ocnopus gracilis‟, Ahytherium aff. aureum, Glyptodon clavipes, G. reticulatus, Hoplophorus cf., Toxodon spp., Stegomastodon waringi, Tapirus terrestris,. Equidae indet., Smilodon populator and Panthera onca, of which only P. onca and T. terrestris still remain in the region. The register of Equidae here presented is the first for this area and also the first formal entry for the São Paulo state. The fossil assemblage recorded shows greater biogeographical affinity to the mega-mammal community of the intertropical region, though a typical taxon from pampean localities was also found. This denotes that the area should be a transition zone. The ecology of the species found suggests bygone occurrence of fairly different environmental settings than the existing one in the area. There were more temperate climates associated with open vegetation physiognomies, what agrees with the already known paleopalinological data. The fossil material does not show any kind of cronocorrelation given the type of genesis of the cave accumulations; and paleoecological investigations indicate that these fossils does not represent a real biocoenosis, but depict different faunistic moments related to climate oscillations during the Quaternary. The results obtained with the absolute dating corroborate the hypothesis that the Vale do Ribeira material belong to Late Pleistocene Holocene age; and also give the first biocronological insight for an extinct group in this area. To better understand the information provided by these deposits, further efforts on prospection and dating should be conducted, as well as detailed taphonomic investigations. The studies of the Quaternary fauna in São Paulo State come to fill an important gap in the intricate history of the South American megafauna. / As cavernas carbonáticas do Alto Vale do Ribeira, sudeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, preservam abundantes registros fósseis da megafauna pleisto-holocênica sul-americana. O presente trabalho oferece uma revisão dos estudos paleontológicos realizados nessa região, assim como um levantamento de todo material fóssil relativo à mega-mamíferos coletado desde o início das explorações na área. São apresentadas discussões paleobiogeográficas e paleoecológicas relativas à fauna pretérita, além de novos resultados de datação por Ressonância do Spin Eletrônico' (ESR) de materiais da região. A megafauna fóssil encontrada inclui: Eremothrerium laurillardi, Nothrotherium maquinense, Lestodon armatus, Catonyx cuvieri, Ocnopus gracilis , Ahytherium aff. aureum, Glyptodon clavipes, G. reticulatus, Hoplophorus sp., Toxodon spp., Stegomastodon waringi, Tapirus terrestris, Equidae indet., Smilodon populator e Panthera onca, dos quais apenas P. onca e T. terrestris continuam presentes na área. O registro fóssil de Equidae aqui apresentado é inédito para a região e constitui-se do primeiro apontamento formal para o Quaternário do Estado de São Paulo. A assembléia fóssil registrada mostra maior afinidade biogeográfica à comunidade de mega-mamíferos da região intertropical, porém o fato de ter sido encontrado um taxon típico da região pampeana denota que a área deveria fazer parte de uma zona de transição. A ecologia das espécies encontradas sugere a ocorrência pretérita de configurações ambientais bastante distintas da atual na região, ou seja, houveram climas mais temperados e secos associados a fisionomias vegetacionais mais abertas, até o avanço e estabelecimento definitivo da floresta mesofítica atual. Isso concorda com os dados conhecidos pelos estudos de paleopalinologia. Os materiais dos depósitos analisados não demonstram uma cronocorrelação tendo em vista o tipo de gênese das acumulações cavernícolas. As investigações paleoecológicas indicam que os fósseis encontrados não representam uma biocenose real, mas retratam momentos faunísticos distintos relacionados às alterações climáticas ao longo do Quaternário. O resultado obtido com a datação absoluta concorda com a hipótese de que o conjunto paleofaunístico do Vale do Ribeira pertença ao Pleistoceno Tardio Holoceno, além disso, fornece o primeiro insight sobe a biocronologia de um grupo extinto da região. Para que melhor se compreenda as informações providas por esses depósitos, mais esforços de prospecção e datação devem ser conduzidos, assim como a realização de investigações tafonômicas mais detalhadas. O prosseguimento dos estudos da fauna quaternária do Estado de São Paulo virá a preencher uma lacuna importante na intrincada história da megafauna sul-americana.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T18:03:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo3918_1.pdf: 9304727 bytes, checksum: 7aaf2a233612a1f5558ce1dca9fa0445 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / Este trabalho teve por objetivo o estudo sistemático, tafonômico, geomorfológico, sedimentológico, geoquímico e geocronológico de mamíferos pleistocênicos dos municípios de Maravilha e Poço das Trincheiras, Alagoas, para a sugestão de um modelo paleoambiental. Além disso, foram tomadas medidas para a preservação desse patrimônio. As fazendas Ovo da Ema (Maravilha) e Quandu (Poço das Trincheiras) se destacam pela presença de pequenas depressões em rochas gnáissicas preenchidas por fluxo de detritos neogênicos e fósseis conhecidas como tanques. Geomorfologicamente a região situa-se em pedimento detrítico dissecado a 350 m, junto a inselbergs e serras. Após etapas de prospecção e escavações, foram selecionados três jazigos fossilíferos, coletados 2600 ossos e dentes, fragmentados e completos, de mamíferos da megafauna, que foram identificados e depositados na coleção paleontológica do MHN-UFAL. A geometria dos tanques acompanha o relevo das depressões, formados por três camadas sedimentares com predomínio granulométrico de lama arenosa. Os fósseis encontram-se principalmente concentrados na primeira ou segunda camada, formando associações do tipo monotípica-poliespecífica. Houve preservação da biomineralização original da fluorapatita e substituição por herderita. Foram identificados seis táxons de mamíferos: Toxodon sp. (o calcâneo encontrado sugere uma possível nova espécie), Eremotherium laurillardi, Stegomastodon waringi e Palaeolama major (primeiro registro de ocorrência em Alagoas), Xenorhinotherium bahiense também um Felidae (primeiro registro de ocorrência em Alagoas). Segundo as datações por ESR, essa megafauna viveu na região pelo menos entre 42.972 (± 3.689) e 10.816 (± 1.914) anos. O paleoambiente provável é de savana arbórea-arbustiva tendendo ao xeromorfismo, com predomínio de plantas C3 seguido de plantas CAM. Para proteger e divulgar o patrimônio fossilífero está em implantação uma Unidade de Conservação. Um museu paleontológico foi criado na cidade de Maravilha, que passou a ser a primeira cidade brasileira a ter um museu voltado para os megamamíferos da fauna pleistocênica

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(情報学) / 甲第25023号 / 情博第855号 / 新制||情||143(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院情報学研究科社会情報学専攻 / (主査)教授 大手 信人, 教授 土居 秀幸, 教授 三田村 啓理 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Informatics / Kyoto University / DGAM

Seed dispersal is crucial for plants to colonize new habitats and facilitate gene flow between populations. However, Pleistocene extinctions of large-bodied fruit-eating and seed-dispersing animals, known as ‘megafrugivores’, may have hindered the dispersal of plants with large fruits (> 4cm fruit length – ‘megafruits’). Plants with megafruits are common across the flora of Madagascar, especially within the palm (Arecaceae) family. This dissertation investigates the macro-ecological and micro-evolutionary consequences of dispersal limitation on palms with megafruits in Madagascar. Specifically, I investigated three key aspects: (i) turnover or beta-diversity of palms on Madagascar and the distribution of their dispersal-related traits, (ii) the genetic diversity and genetic structure of three palms with megafruits compared to one palm with small fruits, and (iii) population size and migration rate changes over time of several Malagasy palm species with different ecological characteristics. To address these questions, historical ranges of extinct megafrugivores were reconstructed based on fossil sites, and data on extant frugivores, human activities, and climate were collected. Fieldwork in Madagascar provided genetic data for 12 palm species across 46 populations, from which I generated double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing data. Various interdisciplinary methods were employed, including redundancy analyses, variation partitioning, linear mixed effect models, species distribution models, and demographic modelling. The findings indicate that the current turnover of palms in Madagascar is primarily influenced by extant frugivores and climate, with limited impact from extinct frugivores. Surprisingly, there is no evidence of decreased genetic diversity or increased genetic differentiation in megafruited palms due to the loss of their megafrugivore dispersers. Genetic diversity is positively associated with human population density but negatively influenced by road densities, possibly reflecting habitat fragmentation by humans. Connectivity between populations is linked to the number of shared extinct and extant (mega)frugivore species, for megafruited and small-fruited palm populations, respectively. This highlights the importance of past long-distance dispersal events by megafrugivores and human-mediated dispersal possibly maintaining connectivity for megafruited palms. Population declines are observed across palms since the Last Glacial Maximum, particularly in humid forest species rarely used by humans, while humid forest species with megafruits show recent migration disruption. In contrast, palm species with smaller fruits that are highly used by humans show less pronounced declines and more stable historical migration rates. Overall, this dissertation illustrates that while the role of megafrugivores as seed dispersers is still evident in the genome of megafruited palms, other factors such as human-mediated dispersal and climate have an influence over the distribution, genetics and demographic histories of palms in Madagascar. It further shows how integrating genetic data with ecological data on species distributions, climate, human activities, can provide novel insights into the drivers of different facets of biodiversity of such a diverse group of plants such as palms.:Chapter 1 - General introduction ....................................................................................... 7 Background and problem statement...................................................................................... 7 Plant seed dispersal, fleshy fruits and frugivory ............................................................ 7 Megafauna and megafruits ............................................................................................ 9 Thesis scope .......................................................................................................................... 12 Madagascar as a model system .................................................................................... 12 Palms as a model system .............................................................................................. 16 Thesis aims and importance ................................................................................................. 19 Overview of methodologies used ......................................................................................... 19 Field data collection ..................................................................................................... 19 Double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) .............................................. 21 Outline of the thesis ............................................................................................................. 22 Chapter 2 - Megafrugivores as fading shadows of the past: extant frugivores and the abiotic environment as the most important determinants of the distribution of palms in Madagascar .................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3 - Genomic signatures of past megafrugivore-mediated dispersal in Malagasy palms ............................................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 4 - Insights into the demographic history of Malagasy palms: exploring the role of global change and species-specific characteristics ........................................................... 57 Chapter 5 – General discussion ....................................................................................... 73 Summary and key findings.................................................................................................... 73 The fate of megafruited plants in the post-megafrugivore era ........................................... 74 Vulnerability and resilience in megafruited plants .............................................................. 76 Understanding the complex role of humans in the distribution and genetics of megafruited plants ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..77 The influence of abiotic factors over the distribution and genetics of Malagasy palms ..... 78 Outlook ................................................................................................................................. 79 References ...................................................................................................................... 83 Appendix ...................................................................................................................... 101 Appendix Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................ 101 Appendix Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................ 123 6 Appendix Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................ 145 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 159 Zusammenfassung ........................................................................................................ 163 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ 169 Curriculum Vitae ..................................................................................................................... 171 List of publications and scientific presentations .................................................................... 171 Selbstständigkeitserklärung……………………………………………………………………………………….……..168

Na bacia do Arroio Chuí, localizada na região sul da Planície Costeira do Rio Grande do Sul no município de Santa Vitória do Palmar, geralmente nas margens constituídas de barrancas, são encontrados grande quantidade de fósseis de mamíferos integrantes da megafauna pleistocênica. Os estudos até então realizados tinham escopo basicamente na identificação taxonômica dos fósseis e os aspectos biológicos e ecológicos dessa fauna. No presente trabalho, foi elaborado um banco de dados contendo informações relativas às assembleias fossilíferas do Arroio Chuí, tafonomia e a distribuição espacial no sistema de coordenadas da superfície verdadeira terrestre, em um ambiente de Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG). A base de dados foi elaborada a partir do acervo analisado do museu Coronel Tancredo Fernandes de Mello, gerando tabelas de dados contendo informações sobre o material fossilifero, georreferenciando os sítios contendo fósseis e desenvolvendo análises estatísticas. A localização precisa das ocorrências de fósseis permitiu a observação de sua distribuição espacial, o que constituiu uma ferramenta na avaliação paleogeográfica da região e permitiu gerar subsídios que auxiliaram para colaborar na compreensão da evolução geológica da porção sul da planície costeira. / In the Chuí Creek basin, located in the southern Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul state, in the Santa Vitoria do Palmar county, usually in the banks, great number of fossils of mammals of the Pleistocene megafauna is found. The studies developed so far focused on the taxonomic identification and biological and ecological aspects of this fauna. In the present work a database containing informations regarding the fossil assemblages of Chuí Creek, taphonomy and spatial distribution in the true Earth surface coordinate system, was elaborated in a Geograpgic Information System (SIG) environment. The database was elaborated from the collection of Coronel Tancredo Fernandes de Mello museum, producing data tables with informations regarding the fossil material, georeferencing the fossil sites and generating statistical analyses. The precise location of the fossils showed their spatial distribution, which turned out to be a tool for evaluate the regional paleogeography and aided to understand the geological evolution of the southern portion of the coastal plain.

Na bacia do Arroio Chuí, localizada na região sul da Planície Costeira do Rio Grande do Sul no município de Santa Vitória do Palmar, geralmente nas margens constituídas de barrancas, são encontrados grande quantidade de fósseis de mamíferos integrantes da megafauna pleistocênica. Os estudos até então realizados tinham escopo basicamente na identificação taxonômica dos fósseis e os aspectos biológicos e ecológicos dessa fauna. No presente trabalho, foi elaborado um banco de dados contendo informações relativas às assembleias fossilíferas do Arroio Chuí, tafonomia e a distribuição espacial no sistema de coordenadas da superfície verdadeira terrestre, em um ambiente de Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG). A base de dados foi elaborada a partir do acervo analisado do museu Coronel Tancredo Fernandes de Mello, gerando tabelas de dados contendo informações sobre o material fossilifero, georreferenciando os sítios contendo fósseis e desenvolvendo análises estatísticas. A localização precisa das ocorrências de fósseis permitiu a observação de sua distribuição espacial, o que constituiu uma ferramenta na avaliação paleogeográfica da região e permitiu gerar subsídios que auxiliaram para colaborar na compreensão da evolução geológica da porção sul da planície costeira. / In the Chuí Creek basin, located in the southern Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul state, in the Santa Vitoria do Palmar county, usually in the banks, great number of fossils of mammals of the Pleistocene megafauna is found. The studies developed so far focused on the taxonomic identification and biological and ecological aspects of this fauna. In the present work a database containing informations regarding the fossil assemblages of Chuí Creek, taphonomy and spatial distribution in the true Earth surface coordinate system, was elaborated in a Geograpgic Information System (SIG) environment. The database was elaborated from the collection of Coronel Tancredo Fernandes de Mello museum, producing data tables with informations regarding the fossil material, georeferencing the fossil sites and generating statistical analyses. The precise location of the fossils showed their spatial distribution, which turned out to be a tool for evaluate the regional paleogeography and aided to understand the geological evolution of the southern portion of the coastal plain.