A new prozostrodontian cynodont (Therapsida) from the Late Triassic Riograndia Assemblage Zone (Santa Maria Supersequence) of Southern Brazil

We report here on a new prozostrodontian cynodont, Botucaraitherium belarminoi gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Triassic Riograndia Assemblage Zone (AZ) of the Candelária Sequence (Santa Maria Supersequence), collected in the Botucaraí Hill Site, Candelária Municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The new taxon is based on a single specimen (holotype MMACR-PV-003-T) which includes the left lower jaw, without postdentary bones, bearing the root of the last incisor, canine and four postcanines plus one partial crown inside the dentary, not erupted, and two maxillary fragments, one with a broken canine and another with one postcanine. The features of the lower jaw and lower/upper postcanines resemble those of the prozostrodontians Prozostrodon brasiliensis from the older Hyperodapedon AZ and Brasilodon quadrangularis and Brasilitherium riograndensis from the same Riograndia AZ. The inclusion of Botucaraitherium within a broad phylogenetic analysis, positioned it as a more derived taxon than tritylodontids, being the sister-taxon of Brasilodon, Brasilitherium plus Mammaliaformes. Although the new taxon is based on few cranial elements, it represents a additional faunal component of the Triassic Riograndia AZ of southern Brazil, in which small-sized derived non-mammaliaform cynodonts, closely related to the origin of mammaliaforms, were ecologically well succeed and taxonomically diverseNós reportamos aqui um novo cinodonte prozostrodonte, Botucaraitherium belarminoi gen. et sp. nov., do Triássico Tardio da Zona de Assembleia (ZA) de Riograndia da Sequência Candelária (Supersequência Santa Maria), coletado no afl oramento Sítio Botucaraí, no município de Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. O novo táxon está baseado em um único espécime (holótipo MMACR-PV- 003-T) o qual inclui a mandíbula esquerda, sem os ossos pós-dentários, com a raiz do último incisivo preservada, o canino e quatro dentes pós-caninos, além de uma coroa parcial, não erupcionada, do quinto pós-canino, e dois fragmentos maxilares, um com um canino quebrado, e outro portando apenas um dente pós-canino. As feições mandibulares e dentárias assemelham-se àquelas dos cinodontes prozostrodontes Prozostrodon brasiliensis da ZA de Hyperodapedon, mais antiga, e de Brasilodon quadrangularis e Brasilitherium riograndensis da mesma ZA de Riograndia. A inclusão de Botucaraitherium em uma ampla análise filogenética posicionou-o como um táxon mais derivado do que os tritilodontídeos, sendo o táxon-irmão de Brasilodon, Brasilitherium e mais Mammaliaformes. Apesar de o novo táxon ser baseado em poucos elementos cranianos, ele representa um componente faunístico adicional na ZA de Riograndia do Triássico sul-brasileiro, na qual os cinodontes não-mamaliaformes de pequeno tamanho, intimamente relacionados à origem dos mamíferos, foram ecologicamente bem sucedidos e taxonomicamente diverso

Interobserver reliability in the classification of pairs of records formed by probabilistic linkage of SISMAMA databases

ntroduction: The study assessed interobserver reliability in the classification of record pairs formed during probabilistic linkage of health-related databases, a key step in the methodology validation to be used in a larger on-going study on inequalities in the access to breast and cervical cancer control activities in Brazil (DAAC-SIS). Methodology: The RecLink software was used to link two databases of the Breast Cancer Control Information System (SISMAMA) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil: a reference database, which included 301 screening mammograms with probable benign diagnosis (BI-RADS 3 category) recorded in October 2010, and a database comprising 158,517 mammograms registered in 2011. Subsequently, the 215 pairs of records that were not assigned the maximum RecLink score were independently classified as being true or false by ten independent evaluators from four participating centers. Results: The Kappa coefficient ranged from 0.87 to 1.00. Six evaluators were in perfect agreement with one or more evaluators from the other centers. The global Kappa was 0.96 (95% confidence interval — 95%CI 0.94 – 0.99). Discussion: Assessment of interobserver reliability is key to ensuring the quality of the record linkage, and it should be routine practice in studies of this nature. The disclosure of such results contributes to transparency in the conduct of such studies and in the reporting of their findings. Conclusion: Interobserver reliability in this study was excellent, indicating satisfactory team consistency in the classification of record pairs

Osteology of the first skull of Aetosauroides scagliai Casamiquela 1960 (Archosauria: Aetosauria) from the Upper Triassic of southern Brazil (Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone) and its phylogenetic importance.

Aetosauria, which includes 30 species, is a diverse group of armored pseudosuchian archosaurs restricted to Upper Triassic beds. Three species occur in Brazil, and one of these, Aetosauroides scagliai Casamiquela, 1960, also occurs in Argentina. The specimen UFSM 11505, found at Faixa Nova-Cerrito I Outcrop, Santa Maria Formation (Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, is here referred to as Aetosauroides scagliai. This specimen preserves most of the skull with both hemimandibles in association with most of the postcranium, thus representing one of the most complete aetosaur skeletons found in Brazil. The premaxilla, one of the key elements of the cranial morphology of aetosaurs, along with the posterior portion of the mandible, was not described until now for A. scagliai. In contrast to the typothoracinae aetosaurs, the premaxilla of UFSM 11505 presents a shovel-shaped tip, but it is not as prominent as the lateral expansion of desmatosuchian aetosaurs, including both species of Stagonolepis, S. robertsoni Agassiz, 1844 and S. olenkae Sulej, 2010. The retroarticular process of the mandible is elongate and not tall, as in Stenomity huangae Small & Martz, 2013 and other typothoracinae aetosaurs. Unlike previous descriptions of A. scagliai, the maxillary teeth are recurved ziphodont-like with serrations on the entire length of both margins. Premaxillary teeth are also present, being less recurved than the maxillary teeth and cylindrical. We recovered Aetosauroides scagliai as the most basal taxon within Aetosauria, like previous phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, our analyses reinforce that recurved and unconstricted maxillary teeth, the shovel-shaped premaxilla and the presence of a tuber on the surangular are plesiomorphic features of Aetosauria