Abstract Although Permian fossils have been known from the Parnaíba Basin for two centuries, and some faunal and flora elements are well known worldwide, research on the fossil assemblages from this basin has lagged relative to other, more accessible basins. In the last decade, however, there has been a significant increase in the study of fossils from the two Permian units of the basin: the Pedra de Fogo and Motuca formations. The goal of this contribution is to synthesize and update the existing data on the Permian macrofossils from these formations, and to use them to address biostratigraphic, palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical questions. The Pedra de Fogo and Motuca formations are likely to be Cisuralian in age. Contrary to previous reports, there is more than one stratigraphic interval that preserves petrified fossil plants. The possible marine influence proposed for the Pedra de Fogo Formation must be reassessed based on the strongly terrestrial character of its fossil assemblages. Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions are inferred to be wetter than is typically predicted for this region of the globe based on climatic modelling. Despite sharing some taxa with the Euramerican and Gondwanan biogeographical provinces, the Parnaíba Basin was likely to have been part of a distinct biogeographical province, as indicated by the high degree of endemism displayed by its Permian floras and faunas.

Abstract The Morrison Formation is a laterally extensive terrestrial deposit representingan ecologically diverse assemblage of paleoenvironments from the Late Jurassic ofwestern North America. Although the Morrison Formation has recently been interpretedas a semiarid lowland savannah on the basis of geological and paleobiologicalindicators, many microenvironments within this system are more consistent with newinterpretations of the Morrison as a ground-water dominated “wetland” deposit. Herewe report new fossils from a little-studied exposure of the Morrison Formation in andaround Temple Canyon Park near Cañon City, Colorado. The Temple Canyon sectionshows a relatively thin sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, andlimestone beds representing alluvial to fluvial and possibly lacustrine deposition. Thesection rests on Precambrian basement and is unconformably overlain by the LowerCretaceous Lytle Formation. The mudstone and limestone beds preserve an abundantfossil flora and fauna distinct from those previously described from the MorrisonFormation. The floral assemblage includes species of algae, bryophytes, ferns, ginkgophytes,horsetails, cycads, bennettites, and conifers; together these plants indicatea warm climate with abundant local water supply. The faunal assemblage containsostracodes, conchostracans, traces of aquatic insect larvae, a terrestrial insect bodyfossil, prosobranch and pulmonate gastropods, many species of fish, a possible frog,and rare turtle remains. The presence of prosobranch gastropods, fish, and aquaticinsect larvae suggests a perennial water body with high oxygen content, while thepresence of conchostracans and pulmonate gastropods may indicate some fluctuationin water quality. Keywords: Morrison Formation, Jurassic, Cañon City, Colorado, paleoecology.