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 diverse.


INTRODUCTION
The rich fossil tetrapod content from the Middle-Upper Triassic of southern Brazil is recorded in beds related to the Santa Maria Supersequence, in which four recognized faunal tetrapod associations succeed in time: Dinodontosaurus, Santacruzodon, Hyperodapedon and Riograndia Assemblage Zones (AZ) (Soares et al. 2011) (Fig. 1).In all of these bio stratigraphic unities, whose proposed ages are based on correlations with Argentinean and Malagasy faunas (Abdala and Ribeiro 2010), the non-mammaliaform cynodonts (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) account for a significant percentage of the recorded taxa, taxonomically com prising the most diverse group.In fact, the diversity of the derived non-mammaliaform probainognathian cynodonts, grouped into the Clade Prozostrodontia (sensu Liu and Olsen 2010), from the Upper Triassic Candelária Sequence (Santa Maria Supersequence) of southern Brazil is remarkable when compared to MARINA B. SOARES, AGUSTÍN G. MARTINELLI and TÉO V. DE OLIVEIRA its global fossil record, based upon poorly preserved specimens.At least two prozostrodontians are known from the Hyperodapedon AZ (Bonaparte and Barberena 2001) and at least five from the younger Riograndia AZ (Bonaparte et al. 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, Martinelli et al. 2005, Soares et al. 2011).Recent studies on these taxa have highlighted their essential contribution to the understanding of the mammaliaforms origin (Bonaparte et al. 2005, Luo 2007, Abdala 2007, Liu and Olsen 2010, Bonaparte 2012), illustrating the climbing mosaic of characters developed during the Middle-Late Triassic transition (Bonaparte et al. 2005, Martinelli and Rougier 2007, Martinelli and Bonaparte 2011, Bonaparte 2012, Rodrigues et al. 2012, 2013).
In the late Carnian Hyperodapedon AZ, the prozostrodontians Therioherpeton cargnini Bonaparte and Barberena (1975) and Prozostrodon brasiliensis Bonaparte and Barberena (2001) are recognized, both displaying several derived features in the skull and dentition (e.g.lack of prefrontal and postorbital, constricted root in postcanines) that positioned them as basal prozostrodontians (Liu and Olsen 2010).From this AZ, Charruodon tetracuspidatus Abdala and Ribeiro (2000) and Trucidocynodon riograndensis Oliveira et al. (2010) are also known.Charruodon was originally related to Therioherpeton due to the morphology of the lower postcanines; nonetheless, based on the deep and robust lower jaw (unexpected for Therioherpeton based on its skull), we consider that the phylogenetic position of Charruodon cannot be elucidated until new specimens come to light.On the other hand, Trucidocynodon represents a member of the Ecteniniidae (Oliveira et al. 2010, Martinez et al. 2013), which is positioned outside, as sister-group of Prozostrodontia (Martinez et al. 2013).
In this contribution, we present a new prozostrodontian cynodont from the Riograndia AZ of A NEW CYNODONT FROM THE LATE TRIASSIC OF BRAZIL the Candelária Municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.The new taxon is described, compared and included in a broad phylogenetic analysis of cynodonts.Although based on a partial lower jaw and maxillary fragments, the specimen represents a new taxon of prozostrodontian with several features shared with Prozostrodon from the Hyperodapedon AZ and especially with Brasilodon and Brasilitherium from the Riograndia AZ.The new specimen contributes to the understanding of the non-mammaliaform prozostrodontian diversity.

GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY
The Upper Triassic Candelária Sequence corres ponds to a third-order sequence placed in the Santa Maria Supersequence (sensu Zerfass et al. 2003, Horn et al. 2014) (Fig. 1).The basal portion of the Sequence consists of a coarsening-upward succession that begins with red mudstones interbedded with small-scale trough cross-bedded sandstone lenses.Rhytmites and sigmoidal massive to climbing cross-laminated sandstone bodies are also present (Soares et al. 2011).This facies association is interpreted as a lacustrinedeltaic depositional system in a humid climate (Holz andScherer 2000, Zerfass et al. 2003).The Candelária Sequence encompasses the Hyperodapedon AZ (sensu Abdala et al. 2001), in which the most abundant components are the rhynchosaur Hyperodapedon sp. and the traversodontid cynodont Exaeretodon riograndensis Abdala et al. (2002).Besides the aforementioned cynodonts (e.g., Trucidocynodon, Therioherpeton, Charruodon and Prozostrodon), its dinosaur content also deserves mention (Bittencourt and Kellner 2009, Langer et al. 1999, Cabreira et al. 2011).This faunal association enables us to correlate these levels with those of the Ischigualasto Formation from Argentina, whose basal layer was dated as MARINA B. SOARES, AGUSTÍN G. MARTINELLI and TÉO V. DE OLIVEIRA 230.3-231.4 ± 0.3My (Rogers et al. 1993, Furin et al. 2006, Martinez et al. 2011).The top of the Candelária Sequence, where the younger Riograndia AZ is recognized, has an increased content of sandstone.The layers occur as narrow, massive or stratified (horizontal and trough cross bedding) lenses interpreted as amalgamated sandstone bodies related to high width/depth ratio channels.This succession is interpreted as the progressive replacement of a lacustrine-deltaic by a fluvial system (Rubert andSchultz 2004, Soares et al. 2011).The Riograndia AZ is characterized by a rich association of small tetrapods, such as the procolophonid Soturnia caliodon Cisneros and Schultz (2003), and the sphenodontid Clevosaurus brasiliensis Bonaparte and Sues (2006), among others, and the five taxa of advanced non-mammaliaform cynodonts aforementioned (Riograndia, Brasilodon, Brasilitherium, Irajatherium and Minicynodon).The dinosaurs are represented by the plateo saurid Unaysaurus tolentinoi Leal et al. (2003), the theropod (sensu Langer et al. 2009) Guaibasaurus candelariensis Bonaparte et al. (1999), and new specimens with sauropodomorph affinities (Bittencourt et al. 2013), plus the dinosauriform Sacisaurus agudoensis Ferigolo and Langer (2007).Also compose the Riograndia AZ the dicynodont Jachaleria candelariensis Araújo and Gonzaga (1980), an indeterminate phytosaur (Kischlat and Lucas 2003), isolated teeth of archosaurs (Dornelles 1990), and a stereospondyl amphibian (Dias-da-Silva et al. 2009).This whole fauna occurs in a series of outcrops mainly located in Candelária and Faxinal do Soturno municipalities, and the record of Riograndia guaibensis in at least five of them, enables their correlation to the Riograndia AZ (Soares et al. 2011, Bittencourt et al. 2013).In turn, Riograndia AZ can be correlated to the fauna from the base of the Los Colorados Formation of Argentina (Early Norian) due to the presence of the same dicynodont genera, Jachaleria (Bonaparte 1971, see also comments in Martinelli and Rougier 2007).
The Botucaraí Hill Site (sensu Bittencourt et al. 2013) crops out along the highway BR 287, Candelária Municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil (29° 40' 53" S;52° 50' 28" W).This site is characterized by twelve meters of massive to laminar mudstones intercalated by centimeter massive sandstones lenses, followed by a layer of massive sandstones and another layer of trough cross bedded sandstone, one meter thick each.The holotype of the new cynodont was collected at the same level where several materials of Jachaleria and some sauropodomorph dinosaur remains were found (Bittencourt et al. 2013) (Fig. 2).THERAPSIDA Broom, 1905CYNODONTIA Owen, 1861EUCYNODONTIA Kemp, 1982PROBAINOGNATHIA Hopson, 1990PROZOSTRODONTIA Liu and Olsen, 2010 Botucaraitherium gen.nov.

DIAGNOSIS
Botucaraitherium is diagnosed by the following association of characters: upper postcanines with a prominent central cusp (A), with symmetric mesial and distal edges, two cusps mesio-lingually (cusp B) and disto-lingually (cusp C) arranged (being A>>B=C), and two accessory cuspules in the mesio-labial border and one cuspule in the disto-labial edge; the three main upper cusps form a subtle angle (opposite to the condition of the "reverse triangle pattern"); lingual surface of the crown of upper postcanines slightly concave, with a flexion; lower postcanines with a main large cusp a on the mesial half of the crown, followed by cusps c and d decreasing in size posteriorly, slightly curved backward; main cusp a totally asymmetrical, with a concave mesial edge and is about two times taller than the straight distal edge; cusps c and d with symmetrical mesial and distal edges; reduced and basal positioned cusp b (cusp a>c>d>>b); lower postcanines with multicuspidated lingual cingulum shelf, with small mesial cusp e; upper and lower postcanines with 8-shaped cross-section root; large diastema between canine and postcanines in adult stage; postcanine replacement including the loose of anterior postcanines, addition of new ones at the rear and substitution of other functional teeth.

TYPE AND ONLY KNOWN SPECIES
Botucaraitherium belarminoi sp.nov.

ETYMOLOGY
Botucarai, in reference to the Botucaraí Hill, which dominates the landscape of the Candelary City (state of Rio Grande do Sul) and where there are several outcrops with Triassic fauna.In one of these outcrops, Botucaraí Hill Site (sensu Bittencourt et al. 2013) the holotype was found.Therium, from the New Latin, that derives from the Greek thērion, which means "beast", frequently used in mammals and close relative forms.

Botucaraitherium belarminoi sp. nov.
HOLOTYPE MMACR-PV-003-T, left lower jaw, without postdentary bones, bearing the root of last incisor, the canine, and four partially preserved postcanines plus one partial crown inside the dentary (not erupted), and two left maxillary fragments, one with a broken canine and the other with one postcanine and the root of the following two teeth.

DESCRIPTION
The specimen MMACR-PV-003-T is mostly not well-preserved due to several breakages in the lower jaw and the maxillary fragments are isolated (Fig. 3).Only the lower canine, one upper and some lower postcanines preserve most of their crown.All the material included in the holotype specimen was found in association and corresponds to only one individual.

MAXILLA
The two available portions of maxilla are extremely fragmented, without much information.Based on the preserved teeth, they correspond to the left side of the skull.One of the fragments, which preserves the left canine, has the external surface anteroposteriorly concave, highlighting the prominent canine root (Fig. 3A).Just posterior to it there is a small foramen, facing anteriorly.The second fragment has a complete anterior postcanine and the two 8-shaped roots of the two following ones (described later) (Fig. 3B).Above the first broken postcanine (i.e. the first root) there is a concavity and subtle notch which possibly corresponds to a large exit of the infraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve.

LOWER JAW
The dentary is only observed in medial view (Fig. 4).The jaw is anteroposteriorly larger than any of the known specimens of Brasilodon, Brasilitherium and Minicynodon from the same Riograndia AZ, and smaller than Prozostrodon from the Hyperodapedon AZ.The horizontal ramus is slender along the anterior half and becomes slightly deeper at the rear.Therefore, the alveolar level and the ventral margin of the horizontal ramus are slightly divergent posteriorly.The mandibular symphysis is unfused as in prozostrodontians (e.g., Prozostrodon, Brasilodon, Brasilitherium; Bonaparte and Barberena 2001, Bonaparte et al. 2003, 2005) and has some longitudinal ridges and a small foramen.The trough for the postdentary bones is relatively reduced and runs forward, becoming smaller, parallel to the ventral edge of the dentary.The dentary seems to be transversely wide at the angular process; this region is not well-preserved although its shape seems to be similar to that of Prozostrodon (UFRGS-PV-0248-T).Below the alveolar line, the dental lamina is observed, mainly at the level of the fourth postcanine.The dentary has a large diastema between canine and postcanines and the canine base and alveolar level of the incisor is positioned slightly dorsal to the alveolar level of the postcanine series (Fig. 4A).This condition is similar to that observed in Prozostrodon, Brasilodon, Brasilitherium (Bonaparte and Barberena 2001, Bonaparte et al. 2003, 2005) and other possibly related forms such as Microconodon and Dromatherium (Hahn et al. 1994, Sues 2001).
The coronoid process is broad anteroposte riorly and tall dorsoventrally (Fig. 4A).It rises behind the pc4 where its base is more transversely broad than the remaining edge.A clear scar for the coronoid bone is not observable at this region, possibly due to the bad preservation.The articular process of the dentary is broken at the rear, nonetheless it seems to be well-developed as in other prozostrodontians (e.g., Prozostrodon, Brasilodon).A NEW CYNODONT FROM THE LATE TRIASSIC OF BRAZIL Only the anterior 1/3 portion of the horizontal ramus of the dentary can be observed in lateral view.The surface is slightly convex dorso-ventrally and there are at least two small mental foramina below and anteriorly to the level of the canine.

UPPER DENTITION
The upper incisors are not preserved.One fragment of maxilla keeps the left canine which is partially broken.It is elliptical in cross section, at the base, twice mesio-distally longer than transversely wide.The preserved mesial and distal edges are gently concave, without evidence of a ridge or crenulations (Fig. 3A).The mesial edge is subtle convex whereas the distal one is straight to slightly concave.The upper canine is larger than the lower one.
The other fragment of maxilla preserves one postcanine and the root of the following two (Fig. 3A).Unfortunately, there is no contact between both maxillary fragments, precluding any detail of the In addition, the upper postcanine count is unknown as is the exact position of the preserved postcanine.
The preserved postcanine has the crown as long as tall, mesio-distally, and about two times long than wide.The crown is dominated by a central cusp (A), with symmetric mesial and distal edges, and two cusps mesio-lingually (cusp B) and disto-lingually (cusp C; the tip of this cusp is broken) arranged.Cusps B and C have quite similar sizes but cusp B is positioned slightly more dorsal than cusp C. In oclusal view, the three cusps form a subtle angle, opposite to the condition observed in mammaliaforms with the reverse triangle pattern (Crompton and Jenkins 1968).In addition, there are accessory cingular cuspules on the labial side.On the mesio-labial corner there are two tiny cuspules (the more mesial the smallest) which are the most dorsally positioned cusps of the crown.Hence, there is some considerable distance between these cuspules and cusp B. Also, these accessory cuspules make the mesial width of the crown slightly wider than the distal width.The disto-labial accessory cusp is near cusp C, at its dorsal base (Fig. 3C).In oclusal view the labial surface of the crown is fairly straight whereas the lingual one is concave, with a flexion.The root of this postcanine is entirely inside the alveolus, but in labial view, the beginning of a longitudinal groove can be observed, constricting the root.The size of the only known upper postcanine is considerably smaller than the lower ones, a condition observed in some other probainognathians (e.g., Prozostrodon, Brasilodon, Irajatherium, Bonaparte and Barberena 2001, Bonaparte et al. 2003, 2005, Martinelli et al. 2005).
The upper postcanine pattern of the Botuca raitherium is quite different from those of the tritheledontids (Irajatherium, Chaliminia), in which there are a mesiodistally compressed and transversely broad main cusp, with small mesial and distal cusps (with a labial cingulum in the postcanines of Pachygenelus; Gow 1980, Martinelli et al. 2005, Martinelli andRougier 2007).Botucaraitherium also differs from Riograndia because the latter taxon has up to nine cusps mesiodistally aligned without any cingulum (Bonaparte et al. 2001, Soares et al. 2011).The upper postcanines of Prozostrodon display four aligned cusps (A, B, C, D) (Bonaparte and Barberena 2001) without lingual cusps or any cingular cuspules.Thus, the upper postcanines of Botucaraitherium differ significantly from those of Prozostrodon in having three main cusps (instead of four) plus accessory labial cingular cuspules (Fig. 5A, B).
The upper postcanine pattern of Botucarai therium is more closely related to that of Brasilodon, Brasilitherium and Minicynodon (Fig. 5A, C) (Bonaparte et al. 2003(Bonaparte et al. , 2005(Bonaparte et al. , 2010(Bonaparte et al. , 2012) ) than to any other prozostrodontian.Regarding the brasilodontids, its postcanines have a prominent central cusp (A), one mesial (B) and one distal (C), small accessory cusps aligned on the lingual side, and one mesial and one distal small cusp on the labial side, giving a symmetrical cusp arrangement.This pattern is consistent in all specimens of Brasilodon and Minicynodon, but in some specimens referred to Brasilitherium the distal labial accessory cusp is placed more posteriorly (Bonaparte et al. 2010, Martinelli andBonaparte 2011).
Botucaraitherium is differentiated from brasilodontids by a notoriously more bulbous crown and two (not one) mesio-labial accessory cusps.These features have never been observed even in the largest specimens of the aforementioned brasilodontids.Therefore, we considered this feature as unique of Botucaraitherium, since in the large sample of brasilodontids from the Riograndia AZ, this condition was never observed.
In addition to the only preserved upper postcanine, the maxillary fragment preserves the root of the two following teeth.The roots increase in size posteriorly and are 8-shaped in cross-section, in which the longitudinal groove is present in both labial and lingual sides, with each lobe having its own root canal.

LOWER DENTITION
The number of lower incisors is unknown.The root of the last incisor is preserved, which is circular in cross-section.It is next to the canine, indicating the lack of a diastema.Anteriorly to this root, the dentary is partially broken off and it is impossible to deduce the number and size of the other incisors (Fig. 4A).In Brasilodon there are three incisors and based on its dentary morphology the number of incisors for Botucaraitherium is likely to be the same.
The canine is broken at the tip (Fig. 4A).It is sub-circular in cross-section, with the mesial edge slightly convex and the distal one slightly concave.On the distal edge there is a thin longitudinal ridge, without serrations.The enamel covering the crown is very thin and a large portion of the root is observed outside the alveolus.There is a large diastema between the canine and the postcanines.Along the posteriormost portion of the diastema there is a mesio-distally oriented sulcus that could correspond to closed alveoli of the lost teeth.The loss of the anterior postcanines and concomitantly the enlargement of the diastema are a pattern observed in several taxa, such as some tritylodontids (e.g., Oligokyphus, Tritylodon; Kemp, 1982) Brasilodon and Brasilitherium (Martinelli and Bonaparte 2011), and some early mammaliaforms (e.g., Sinoconodon; Crompton andLuo 1993, Luo et al. 2004).
The postcanine series includes five teeth (Fig 3).The pc1 consists of a main cusp that was in process of eruption.Unfortunately, at this region there is a large breakage that obscures the anatomy of the tooth.
The pc 2-4 are similar in size.Although the crown of pc2 and pc3 are extremely damaged, they show similar crown morphology.There is a main large cusp (a) on the mesial half of the crown, followed by two cusps (c and d) that decrease in size posteriorly.These three cusps are slightly posteriorly projected, but not to the degree of, for example, Chiniquodon (Abdala and Giannini 2002).The cusps are not bulbous and constitute the sectorial portion of the crown.Cusp a is totally asymmetrical with the mesial edge concave and about two times taller than the straight distal edge.Cusps c and d have symmetrical mesial and distal edges.On the mesio-labial edge of the crown, in a basal position, there is a small cusp b.In the pc2 and pc4 that better preserve the crown morphology, the cusp size is a>c>d>>b.In the lingual side of the postcanines there is a well-developed cingulum with a small mesial cusp e (better observed in pc2), followed by a series of tiny cuspules that reach the distal margin of the crown, forming a cingular shelf (Fig. 4B, C).
The posteriormost portion of the pc4 lies internally to the coronoid process.The postcanine roots are incipiently bifurcated, with a well-developed longitudinal groove.Just below the pc4, there is a main cusp (a) of a non-erupted last postcanine.
The tooth morphology of Botucaraitherium is reminiscent of Prozostrodon and brasilodontids.The multicuspidated lingual cingular shelf of Botucaraitherium is similar to that of Prozostrodon.In contrast, Brasilodon and Brasilitherium have less crenulated labial cingulum, and instead there are more discrete cuspules (cusps e and g) (e.g., UFRGS-PV-0603-T).With regard to the main cusps, the crown is taller in Botucaraitherium than in Prozostrodon, and in the latter taxon, cusps a, b and c are more bulbous (less sectorials) with less contrast in height among them (Fig. 6).

TOOTH REPLACEMENT
The information on a single lower jaw is limited but a few comments on tooth replacement are possible.The large diastema posteriorly to the canine and the closed mesial alveoli, indicate that the anterior most postcanines were lost and not replaced.The anteriormost postcanine (i.e., labeled along the text as pc1) partially inserted in the alveolus shows that some teeth of the series were replaced and the last postcanine (pc5), represented by a non-erupted tooth, indicates that new teeth were added at the rear.Among prozostrodontians, some mix of alternate and sequencial replacement was observed in Brasilodon and Brasilitherium, being apparently polyphyodonty taxa (Bonaparte et al. 2003, 2005, Martinelli and Bonaparte 2011).It should be emphasized that the sequence of postcanine eruption and the number of replacement per locus at the non-mammaliaform prozostrodontians-mammaliaforms boundary is a matter still poorly understood.

DISCUSSION
Botucaraitherium belarminoi constitutes a new prozostrodontian cynodont from the Riograndia AZ of southern Brazil.The holotype represents an adult individual, larger than any known brasilodontid from the same AZ.There are no recorded specimens of Brasilodon and Brasilitherium in the Botucaraí Hill Site.In turn, these taxa are relatively abundant in the Sesmaria do Pinhal 1 Site, located about 600 meters away (Bonaparte et al. 2003(Bonaparte et al. , 2005)).In addition, within the Botucaraí region there is a record of Brasilitherium-like teeth in Sesmaria do Pinhal 3 Site, located about 1000 meters away from the Botucaraí Hill Site (Soares et al. 2011, Bittencourt et al. 2013).
The new species is clearly related to prozostrodontians, and especially to Brasilodon and Brasili therium (Bonaparte et al. 2003(Bonaparte et al. , 2005)), due to the morphology of the upper and lower postcanines (see Fig. 5, 6).They can be differentiated by the presence in Botucaraitherium of a well-developed multicuspidated lingual cingular shelf in lower postcanines and more bulbous upper postcanines, with more than one mesio-labial accessory cuspules.Its resemblance to Prozostrodon, from the older Hyperodapedon AZ, is also noteworthy.The lower dentition of both taxa is quite similar, especially because of the multicuspidated lingual cingular shelf.However, the sectorial portion of the postcanines of Botucaraitherium seems to be less bulbous with taller main cusps.The upper postcanines have stronger differences, due to the fact that the teeth of Prozostrodon are less quadrangular (with the exception of the last non-erupted postcanine of the holotype), and with three more developed accessory cusps in relation to the main cusp.
PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS A parsimony analysis was performed based on 34 taxa and 145 morphological cranial, dental and postcranial characters (see Appendices 1 and 2), modified from the matrix presented by Liu and Olsen (2010).Some characters and codifications were modified (Appendix 1) and two new terminal taxa (i.e., Brasilitherium riograndensis and Botucaraitherium belarminoi) were added.Liu and Olsen (2010) considered Brasilodon and Brasilitherium as synonyms; therefore, they used only Brasilodon as a terminal taxon.The proposal synonymy for these two species is a matter not clearly understood yet (see for example, Martinelli andBonaparte 2011, Bonaparte et al. 2012) and will be further analyzed.We considered them as separate taxa in the current analysis.
The data matrix (Appendix 2) was analyzed using Maximum Parsimony with equally weighted characters with the computer program TNT 1.1 (Goloboff et al. 2008).All characters were treated as non-additive.The equally weighted parsimony analysis was conducted performing a heuristic search of Wagner trees with 500 random addition sequences, followed by TBR (Tree Bisection Reconnection), and saving 20 trees per round, which improve the searches and ensures to find all optimal trees.Our analysis resulted in four most parsimonious trees of 441 steps, with a consistency index (CI) In the four most parsimonious trees obtained, the affi nities of Botucaraitherium with the brasilodontids are supported.Indeed, Botuca raitherium is positioned as a more derived taxon than tritylodontids, as the sister group to the clade composed by Brasilodon and Brasilitherium plus Mammaliaformes.Despite the fragmentary aspect of the new taxon, especially the characters of the dentary and dentition give support to this relationship.
The presence of Botucaraitherium in the Rio grandia AZ (Fig. 8), adding to the already known brasilo dontids, reinforces the idea that the nonmammaliaform prozostrodontians enjoyed their greater representativeness during the Late Triassic in South America, which outlined the evolutionary scenery where the most profound anatomical steps related to the origin of mammaliaforms have taken place.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Carlos Nunes Rodrigues, Curator of the Museu Municipal Aristides Carlos Rodrigues (Candelária, RS), for permitting the study of the specimen MMACR-PV-003-T.The authors would also like to thank Bruno L.D. Horn for providing the Figure 2 and for the Botucaraí Hill Site stratigraphic profi le (Fig. 3) and Luiz Flávio Lopes for the photographs.We also thank to Jorge Blanco for the skillful drawing of Botucaraitherium (Fig. 8).Funds were provided by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científi co e Tecnológico (CNPq nº 304143/2012-0; grants to MBS and AGM).We are grateful for the comments of Dr. Guillermo Rougier, Dr. Ricardo Martinez, the anonymous reviewer and the Editor of AABC, Dr. Alexander Kellner, which greatly improved the Ms.  (Bonaparte et al. 2001, Soares et al. 2011).The upper postcanines of Prozostrodon display four aligned cusps (A, B, C, D) (Bonaparte and Barberena 2001) without lingual cusps or any cingular cuspules.Thus, the upper postcanines of Botucaraitherium differ significantly from those of Prozostrodon in having three main cusps (instead of four) plus accessory labial cingular cuspules (Fig. 5A, B).

Fig. 2 -
Fig. 2 -A: Road map with City of Candelária indicated.B: View of the Botucaraí Hill site, southern margin of BR 287 road, with the indication of the fossiliferous level.C: Log of the Botucaraí Hill Site.

Fig. 3 -
Fig. 3 -Holotype (MMACR-PV-003-T) of Botucaraitherium belarminoi gen.nov.et sp.nov.A: Fragment of left maxilla with portion of canine in lateral and posterior views.B: Fragment of left maxilla with postcanine in lateral, medial and ventral views.C: Detail of upper postcanine in labial (lateral) and lingual (medial) views.Scale bars equals 5 mm in A and B and 2 mm in C. Gray areas indicate broken surfaces.Abbreviations: A-C, refers to name of cusps; Ca, upper canine; cr, constricted root; dac, distal accessory cuspule; iof, ventral edge of the infraorbital foramen; mac, mesial accessory cuspule; r, root.