Abstract The Aptian Crato Formation is world renowned for its well-preserved fossils in microbially-induced laminated limestones, which are regarded as one of the main Cretaceous Konservat-Lagerstätte of the geological record. Detailed stratigraphic investigation and mapping of the up to 90-m-thick Crato Formation at the eastern border of the Araripe Plateau allowed recognition of a regionally persistent fossil-bearing muddy interval, herein defined as the Caldas Bed. At its type locality, it is defined as an up to 2-m-thick coarsening-upward succession of grey/green mudstone and interbedded sandy siltstone and claystone. The 0.85- to 2-m-thick interval was recognized in several localities along the outcrop belt, and it is bounded by sharp, lower (Konservat-Lagerstätte limestone) and upper (sandstone and heterolithic facies) contacts. Despite previous literature data suggesting the presence of marine mollusks, the bed contains freshwater bivalves, small gastropods, spinicaudatans, plant remains, trace fossils, and rare ostracods. The Caldas Bed records benthic paleocommunities representing a short-term isochronous regional freshening event, marked by abrupt changes in sedimentation pattern, bathymetry, salinity, oxygenation and water chemistry.

RESUMO: Bivalves permianos da Bacia do Paraná evoluíram em um imenso mar interior, sob condições de extremo isolamento e estresse ambiental. Embora conhecidos desde 1918, a história evolutiva desses bivalves é ainda obscurecida pelo conhecimento incompleto e enviesado sobre a composição faunística e a distribuição estratigráfica de várias assembleias. Portanto, a descrição da assembleia de Tiaraju, a única conhecida no Grupo Passa Dois do sul do Brasil, contribui com novas informações-chave sobre a composição, biocorrelação e idade dessa fauna de moluscos únicos. Terraia falconeri, Cowperesia emerita, Holdhausiella elongata e Terraia altissima foram registradas e descritas. T. falconeri é a espécie mais comum, seguida por C. emerita, H. elongata e T. altissima. A fauna é maiormente composta por Terrainae, faltando os Pinzonellinae. A assembleia é, desse modo, pobremente diversificada, no que tange à composição faunística e guildas (somente bivalves de infauna, facultativamente móveis, suspensívoros estão presentes). Cowperesia emerita e T. altissima sugerem, fortemente, biocorrelação com assembleias das formações Rio do Rasto e Gai-As, Brasil e Namíbia, indicando idade não mais jovem que o Permiano médio (Wordiano-Capitaniano). À luz dessas informações, o mapa geológico da região de Tiaraju, São Gabriel, e o contato local entre as formações Teresina e Rio do Rasto, requerem, ambos, reavaliação.

ABSTRACT: Permian bivalves of the Paraná Basin evolved in a large inland sea, under conditions of extreme isolation and environmental stress. Although known since 1918, its evolutionary history is still obscure due to the incomplete and biased information on faunal composition and stratigraphic distribution of various assemblages. Hence, the description of the Tiaraju assemblage, the only known bivalve occurrence in the Passa Dois Group from the southernmost Brazil, adds new key information on the composition, biocorrelation and age of this unique molluscan fauna. Terraia falconeri, Cowperesia emerita, Holdhausiella elongata, and Terraia altissima were recorded and described. T. falconeri is the commonest species, followed by C. emerita, H. elongata and T. altissima. The faunule is mainly composed by Terrainae, lacking Pinzonellinae. Assemblage is, thus, poorly diversified, both regarding the faunal composition and guild structure (only infaunal, facultatively motile, unattached, suspension feeders present). Cowperesia emerita and T. altissima strongly indicate biocorrelation with assemblages of the Rio do Rasto and Gai-As formations, Brazil and Namibia, providing an age no younger than the mid-Permian (Wordian-Captianian). On the light of this information, the current geological map of the Tiaraju region, São Gabriel, and the local boundary between the Teresina and Rio do Rasto formations requires reevaluation.