Abstract Chonetoidea corresponds to one of the most abundant superfamilies throughout the Malvinokaffric Realm (Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Antarctica, Peru and South-Central Brazil). In this paper we provided a better understanding of the diversity of this superfamily during the Devonian in southern Gondwana. For Bolivian specimens, we corroborate both the occurrence of Pleurochonetes anteloi in the Huamampampa Formation, that is, this species may have occurred at least in the Givetian, and the occurrence of Australostrophia mesembria in the Pragian-Emsian of Bolivia. We further identify both Aseptonetes isaacsoni in the Icla/Gamoneda Formation, which represents the oldest occurrence of this species, and Chonostrophia truyolsae in the Belén Formation/Bolivian Altiplano, thereby expanding its geographical distribution. We also provide the first description and illustration of a specimen of Chonetoidea from Antarctica and record the first occurrence of Australostrophia mesembria, Devonochonetinae indet. and Eodevonaria sp. in the Cabanillas Formation of Peru. Because A. mesembria is a typical Malvinokaffric species, this corroborates the extension of this realm into southern Peru.

A trajetória profissional de João Martins da Silva Coutinho relaciona-se à história do Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro), para cujas coleções, principalmente geológicas, ele contribuiu com informações científicas e remessa de material. No cenário científico brasileiro, participou de grandes comissões de caráter exploratório na segunda metade do século XIX, especialmente na Amazônia e no Nordeste. Coletou e enviou amostras para análise no Museu Nacional, estabelecendo profunda relação com a instituição e seus funcionários. Apresentam-se essas contribuições por meio da análise de documentos e da recuperação das coleções geológicas por ele remetidas e ainda presentes no acervo da instituição.

The career of João Martins da Silva Coutinho is linked to the history of the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro to whose collections (especially geological) he contributed scientific information and material. On the Brazilian scientific stage, Silva Coutinho took part in major exploratory commissions in the latter half of the nineteenth century, mainly in the Amazon and in the Northeast. He collected and sent samples to the Museu Nacional for analysis, establishing deep ties with the institution and its staff. The article presents his contributions through an analysis of these documents and an examination of the geological collections that he sent to the institution and that remain part of its holdings.