Review of the arachnofauna of the Santana Formation (Early Cretaceous, Northeast Brazil): taphonomic, morphometric and statistic aspects, with description of new species

Abstract

The arachnofauna of the Santana Formation (Early Cretaceous, Northeast Brazil) is reviewed on the basis of 19 selected specimens deposited in the Sociedade Brasileira de Paleoartropodologia (9 specimens), Laboratório de Geociências da Universidade Guarulhos, São Paulo (9 specimens), and Museu de Paleontologia da Universidade Regional do Cariri, Ceará (1 specimen), as well as one specimen recently collected by the senior author at the Araripe plateau. Taphonomic, morphometric, and statistic analyses were carried out, and two new genera and three new species are described. Possible evidences in favor of allochronic speciation are also discussed.