Full professor at Rio de Janeiro Federal University. Researcher from CNPq and FAPERJ. Member of the Geoscience Centre of Coimbra University, Portugal.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate in Geology at Coimbra University, Portugal. MSc (1989) and DSc. (1993) at Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil. Pos-doc (1999) at UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil.
Tem experiência na área de Geociências, com ênfase em Paleontologia Estratigráfica, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: Cretáceo, paleoecologia, paleontologia, geologia e bacias sedimentares. Bolsista 1 A do CNPq e participante do Programa Cientistas do Nosso Estado - FAPERJ
Elcanidae (Insecta, Orthoptera) from the Crato Formation, Araripe Basin: Exquisite preservation and ecological implications Gabriele Nunes, Ismar de Souza Carvalho Cretaceous Research, 2026 Elcanidae is one of the most abundant orthopteran families in the Crato Formation (Aptian), northeastern Brazil. However, its high-fidelity preservation and ecological importance within the context of the Crato fauna have not yet been studied. Here, we present a taphonomic and morphological analysis of elcanids from this Konservat-Lagerstätte and their relationship with the depositional lacustrine environment. We propose that the Crato elcanids inhabited areas near lake’s borders, including oviposition close to its margins, which facilitated their preservation. In addition, their abundance may be the result of sudden climatic events that led to aerial deposition into the aquatic environment. Finally, we propose that the metatibial leaf-like spurs may have played a role in camouflage, while the dark coloration on the tegmina could have served a defensive function. Our findings further contribute to the taxonomic and morphological diversity of this extinct taxon from the Crato Formation.
Constraints and adaptations in crocodyliform skull evolution Ananth Srinivas, Jen A. Bright, John A. Cunningham, Sandra Aparecida Simionato Tavares, Fresia Ricardi-Branco, Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Fabiano Vidoi Iori, Emily J. Rayfield Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 2025 Crocodyliforms display a diverse range of skull morphologies through their evolutionary history. Extant crocodilians possess platyrostral (broad and flat) snouts, thought to be sub-optimal for resisting feeding loads due to the conflicting demands of feeding and hydrodynamic constraints. In contrast, numerous Mesozoic crocodyliforms possessed oreinirostral (dome-shaped) skulls, were terrestrial and hence free from hydrodynamic constraint. This study aims to examine the role of function in determining skull shape in crocodyliforms and assesses the difference in stress resistance between oreinirostral and platyrostral taxa. We hypothesize that in the absence of hydrodynamic constraints, oreinirostral taxa have skulls that are better suited for resisting feeding-induced loads. Using finite element analysis, we evaluated biomechanical performance in oreinirostral notosuchian taxa Baurusuchus salgadoensis , Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi and Caipirasuchus paulistanus , compared to the extant platyrostral Alligator mississippiensis , Crocodylus niloticus and Paleosuchus palpebrosus . Results show that oreinirostral morphologies are comparatively better suited for resisting forces generated during feeding, with increased muscular efficiency, supporting the hypothesis that hydrodynamic constraints influence crocodyliform skull evolution.
Jurassic dinosaurs from Brazil: the footprints from Parnaíba Province, Mosquito Formation Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Manuel Alfredo Medeiros, Roseane Ribeiro Sarges, Denise Carla da Silva Mendes, Rossano D.L. Michel, Claiton M.S. Scherer, Bernardo de C. P. e M. Peixoto, Heitor R.D. Francischini, Renato P. Ghilardi, Roberto Vasconcelos Marques, José Maria dos Reis Maia Filho, Hannah Souza Levy Italian Journal of Geosciences, 2025 Dinosaur footprints in the Parnaíba Province, Brazil are so far restricted to the Corda Formation (Upper Jurassic) and Itapecuru Formation (Lower Cretaceous). They are interpreted as predominantly belonging to theropods. In this study, fossil footprints are reported in sandstones from the Mosquito Formation (Lower Jurassic), municipality of Fortaleza dos Nogueiras, Maranhão State, Northeastern Brazil. The footprints occur in sedimentary succession interpreted as an aeolian-lacustrine environmental context (Macapá Member) representing the first deposits of the Mosquito Formation. The new ichnosite of Tangará Ecopark represents to date the most important occurrence of dinosaur tracks from the Brazilian Jurassic, with a large number of footprints allowing new insights into the dinosaur record from Brazil and new perspectives on their diversity and environmental distribution.
Exceptional preservation in mayfly nymphs (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from the Early Cretaceous of the Las Hoyas fossil site Ángela D. Buscalioni, Raman Umamaheswaran, Alba Sánchez-García, Ana Isabel López-Archilla, Jaime Joaquim Dias, Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Candela Blanco-Moreno, Jesús Marugán-Lobón Cretaceous Research, 2025 The present study focuses on a group of macroinvertebrates that have played an important role in past and present lentic ecosystems: the Ephemeroptera. The study analyses the diversity, relative abundance, taphonomic alterations and fossilisation patterns of the Las Hoyas nymphs. The objective is to investigate the factors that may contribute to the presence of soft tissues in fossils with poor corporeal preservation. In accordance with this, only three morphotypes of the Leptophlebiidae family and one of the Euthyplociidae family have been characterised. However, the ultrastructural details of digestive and respiratory tissues have been documented, including the digestive canal, the shape of the gills, tracheoles, chloride cells, and importantly, in situ bacteria in cytokinetic stages located at the hindgut. The nymphs were fossilised in a variety of ways, including carbonaceous films, mineralised casts, and impressions. The nymphs that have been fossilised as composite moulds (Type III) and carbon films (Type II) tend to be larger in size. However, their bodies are rather well-preserved and show less soft tissue remains than those of the nymphs that have been preserved as impressions (Type I) and mineralised phosphorus casts (Type IV). These latter nymphs are smaller in size, and their bodies are poorly preserved. However, they show a greater variety of soft tissue details. This bias suggests an interesting link to environmental factors differentiating watered and flooding from microbial mat binding conditions. • Mayflies preserve a variety of soft tissues in Cretaceous limestones. • Nymphs contain bacteria fossilized in situ in the hindgut. • Endogenous bacteria induced phosphorus precipitation in inner tissues.
Brazilian fossils are not necessarily cultural heritage Caiubi Emanuel Souza Kuhn, Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Fábio Augusto Gomes Vieira Reis, André Luis Spisila, Marjorie Csekö Nolasco, Abdelmajid Hach Hach, Adelir José Strieder Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2024
ESR dating of Toxodon teeth from Baixa Grande, Bahia, Brazil Ricardo da Costa Ribeiro, Angela Kinoshita, Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior, Ana Maria Graciano Figueiredo, Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Oswaldo Baffa Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 2021
Heart fossilization is possible and informs the evolution of cardiac outflow tract in vertebrates Lara Maldanis, Murilo Carvalho, Mariana Ramos Almeida, Francisco Idalécio Freitas, José Artur Ferreira Gomes de Andrade, Rafael Silva Nunes, Carlos Eduardo Rochitte, Ronei Jesus Poppi, Raul Oliveira Freitas, Fábio Rodrigues, Sandra Siljeström, Frederico Alves Lima, Douglas Galante, Ismar S Carvalho, Carlos Alberto Perez, Marcelo Rodrigues de Carvalho, Jefferson Bettini, Vincent Fernandez, José Xavier-Neto Elife, 2016
A Mesozoic bird from Gondwana preserving feathers Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Fernando E. Novas, Federico L. Agnolín, Marcelo P. Isasi, Francisco I. Freitas, José A. Andrade Nature Communications, 2015
The public opinion of the teachers about the mineral exploitation in São José de Itaboraí Basin - Itaboraí (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) Rendiconti Online Societa Geologica Italiana, 2013
Conservation and restoration of geological heritage and its relevance to geoconservation Boletim Paranaense De Geosciencias, 2013
Tooth Marks of Mammalian Incisors on Rocky Substrate in Brazil: Evidence of Geophagy in the Cerrado Biome Agustín Martinelli, Thiago da Silva Marinho, Felipe Mesquita de Vasconcellos, Cristiane Monteiro dos Santos, Luiz Carlos Borges Ribeiro, Simony Monteiro dos Santos, Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Francisco Macedo Neto, Pedro Morais Fonseca, Camila Lourencini Cavellani, Mara Lúcia da Fonseca Ferraz, Vicente de Paula Antunes Teixeira Ichnos an International Journal of Plant and Animal, 2013
Proposes for the parque paleontológico de são josé de itaboraí (Brazil) preservation by the public understanding Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2011
Diagnostic revision for the mesozoic tetrapod ichnospecies Brasilichnium elusivum (Leonardi, 1981) (Mammalia) from the Botucatu Formation, Paraná Basin, Brasil Ameghiniana, 2008
Augen gneiss: The more carioca of the rocks Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2008
Fossils as a tool to education in paleontology Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2007
Preservation and paleoenvironmental context of the footprints from upper triassic (Santa Maria formation) of Southern Brazil Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2007
Mariliasuchus robustus, a new crocodylomorpha (mesoeucrocodylia) from the bauru Basin, Brazil Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2007
The importance of the fossil casts in the scientific preservation of fossil collections and the divulgation of paleontology in basic education Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2007
Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a new peirosaurid crocodile (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil Zootaxa, 2007
Paleontology: 50 years of education and research at the departamento de geologia of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2007
Paleabotany origin of Cretaceous amber form the Amazonas, Araripe and Recôncavo Basins, Brazil Geociencias, 2006
Crocodylomorph osteoderms morphology from the paleontological site of Peirópolis (Bauru Basin, Upper Cretaceous) Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2006
Editorial Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2005
Estágios de desenvolvimento de Mariliasuchus amarali, crocodyliformes mesoeucrocodylia da formação adamantina, cretáceo superior da Bacia Bauru, Brasil Anuario do Instituto De Geociencias, 2005
Sauropod footprints from the Antenor Navarro Formation (Early Cretaceous, Sousa Basin), Serrote do Letreiro, Paraiba State, Brazil Ameghiniana, 2000
Experimental study of lean premixed and prevaporised turbulent spray combustion 37th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 1999
As Pegadas Fósseis do Paleodeserto da Bacia Sanfranciscana (Jurássico Superior-Cretáceo Inferior, Minas Gerais) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1998
A Conchostracofauna da Bacia de Barro (Cretáceo Inferior, Nordeste do Brasil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1996
The conchostracan fauna of the Barro Basin (Lower Cretaceous, Northeastern Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1996
Dinosaur footprints from Ponta da Guia (São Luís Basin, Upper Cretaceous - Maranhão, Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1995
Cedro Basin: A cretaceous vertebrate ichnofauna Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1995
Dinosaur ichnofossils from the Araripe Basin (Lower Cretaceous, Ceará, Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1995
Pseudo-ichnofossils in rocks of the Precambrian Sao Joao del Rei Basin, Minas Gerais Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1995
Candidodon: A heterodont crocodile (Notosuchia, Lower Cretaceous - Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1994
Legal aspects of the commercialization of fossils and its influence on palaeontological research and teaching in Brazil Cadernos IG Unicamp, 1993
Geology of the basins of Pombal, Sousa, Uirauna-Brejo das Freiras and Vertentes (northeastern Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1992
Invertebrate ichnofossils of the Botucatu Formation, São Paulo (Brazil) Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1990
A new triconodont mammal from the Lower Cretaceous of Maranhão, Brazil Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1988
The use of Periodic acid-Schiff (P.A.S.) in the recognition of Brazilian tertiary biogenic sedimentary structures Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 1988
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Re-evaluation of the Early Cretaceous titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur Triunfosaurus leonardii from the Triunfo Basin, Brazil: implications for the initial radiations … PD Mannion, IS Carvalho Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 207 (1), zlag073 , 2026 2026
Environmental refugies for Holocene megafauna in Brazil FH Cortes Faria, IS Carvalho, HI Araujo-Junior, CL Ximenes, ... QUATERNARY RESEARCH , 2026 2026
Elcanidae (Insecta, Orthoptera) from the Crato Formation, Araripe Basin: Exquisite preservation and ecological implications G Nunes, I de Souza Carvalho Cretaceous Research, 106366 , 2026 2026
Early Cretaceous freshwater bivalves from northeastern Brazil: Insights into the evolutionary history of South American freshwater mussels VR Silva, VB Guerrini, FG Varejão, RC Silva, K Collins, IS Carvalho, ... Cretaceous Research 178, 106212 , 2026 2026
Enhancing paleoclimate reconstructions in the late Aptian North-Northeast Brazil using clay mineralogy VMJ Salgado-Campos, LC Bertolino, L Borghi, A de Moraes Rios-Netto, ... Evolving Earth, 100111 , 2026 2026
Environmental refugies for Holocene megafauna in Brazil FHC Faria, I de Souza Carvalho, HI Araújo-Júnior, CL Ximenes, ... Quaternary Research, 1-9 , 2026 2026
Genesis of the Quaternary megafauna fossil deposit of Lagoa do Rumo (state of Bahia, Brazil): Paleoenvironmental and paleoecological aspects R da Costa Ribeiro, FHC Faria, I de Souza Carvalho, HI de Araujo-Junior Quaternary International 751, 110022 , 2026 2026
Imaging and spectroscopy techniques applied to characterise fossilisation processes and biomineralisation GL Oses, SL Belatto, SCM Limeira Junior, TP dos Santos, CL Rodrigues, ... Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 13, 1669055 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Taphonomic features in the Quaternary megafauna of the Apa River (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) CLP Miranda-Junior, FHC Faria, EM Facincani, IS Carvalho, FV Iori Brazilian Journal of Geology 55, e20250046 , 2025 2025
Constraints and adaptations in crocodyliform skull evolution A Srinivas, JA Bright, JA Cunningham, SAS Tavares, F Ricardi-Branco, ... Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292 (2058) , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Evidence of piscivorous diet in an enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil FLK Salgado, LM Chiappe, R Neumann, I de Souza Carvalho Cretaceous Research 175, 106161 , 2025 2025
A new large hypercarnivorous crocodyliform from the Maastrichtian of Southern Patagonia, Argentina FE Novas, D Pol, FL Agnolín, I de Souza Carvalho, M Manabe, T Tsuihiji, ... PLoS One 20 (8), e0328561 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Fossil fish provide evidence of geomelanin preservation with implications on the visual accuracy of an extinct fish species G Prado, RC Salvato, B Becker-Kerber, EP Silva, FL Pinheiro, GL Osés, ... Lethaia 58 (3), 1-17 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Jurassic dinosaurs from Brazil: the footprints from Parnaíba Province, Mosquito Formation I de Souza Carvalho, M Alfredo Medeiros, R Ribeiro Sarges, ... Italian Journal of Geosciences 144 (2), 198-208 , 2025 2025
Reproductive organs of a Grylloidea fossil from the Cretaceous Araripe Basin, Brazil JJ Dias, IS Carvalho, PGB Souza-Dias, E Zefa, CL Barros, G Prado, ... Journal of the Geological Society 182 (3), jgs2024-211 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Predictive Model for FPSO Topsides Weight: A Data Science Case Applied to Surface Facilities TA Jambeiro, DD Fonseca, M Katekawa, R Nassur, MG Benfica, C Rocha, ... Offshore Technology Conference, D022S059R002 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Exceptional preservation in mayfly nymphs (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from the Early Cretaceous of the Las Hoyas fossil site ÁD Buscalioni, R Umamaheswaran, A Sánchez-García, AI López-Archilla, ... Cretaceous Research 167, 106052 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
3,500 years BP: The last survival of the mammal megafauna in the Americas FHC Faria, I de Souza Carvalho, HI de Araújo-Júnior, CL Ximenes, ... Journal of South American Earth Sciences 153, 105367 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Early Cretaceous freshwater bivalves from northeastern Brazil: Insights into the evolutionary history of South American freshwater mussels VR Silva, VB Guerrini, FG Vareja, RC Silva, K Collins, IS Carvalho, ... CRETACEOUS RESEARCH 178, 25 , 2025 2025
Mass Extinction Events and Recoveries Among Animals I de Souza Carvalho, HI de Araújo Júnior, ACS Fernandes, J d'Oliveira Elsevier , 2025 2025
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Sítios geológicos e paleontológicos do Brasil C Schobbenhaus, Brazil. Departamento Nacional da Produção Mineral, ... DNPM , 2002 2002 Citations: 197
Uberabasuchus terrificus sp. nov., a new Crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous), Brazil I de Souza Carvalho, LCB Ribeiro, L dos Santos Avilla Gondwana Research 7 (4), 975-1002 , 2004 2004 Citations: 194
Uberabatitan ribeiroi, a new titanosaur from the Marília Formation (Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous), Minas Gerais, Brazil L Salgado, I DE SOUZA CARVALHO Palaeontology 51 (4), 881-901 , 2008 2008 Citations: 178
Baurusuchus salgadoensis, a new crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Cretaceous), Brazil I de Souza Carvalho, ACA Campos, PH Nobre Gondwana Research 8 (1), 11-30 , 2005 2005 Citations: 168
An armadillo-like sphagesaurid crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil TS Marinho, IS Carvalho Journal of South American Earth Sciences 27 (1), 36-41 , 2009 2009 Citations: 140
Mariliasuchus: um novo Crocodylomorpha (Notosuchia) do Cretáceo da Bacia Bauru, Brasil I de Souza Carvalho, RJ Bertini Geologia Colombiana 24 (1), 83-105 , 1999 1999 Citations: 140
Paleontologia IS Carvalho Interciência Edition.[DAF] , 2000 2000 Citations: 125
Climate's role in the distribution of the Cretaceous terrestrial Crocodyliformes throughout Gondwana I de Souza Carvalho, ZB de Gasparini, L Salgado, FM de Vasconcellos, ... Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 297 (2), 252-262 , 2010 2010 Citations: 124
Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a new peirosaurid crocodile (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil CS TAVARES Zootaxa 1607, 35-46 , 2007 2007 Citations: 124
Amazonsaurus maranhensis gen. et sp. nov.(Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of Brazil I de Souza Carvalho, L dos Santos Avilla, L Salgado Cretaceous Research 24 (6), 697-713 , 2003 2003 Citations: 123
Adamantinasuchus navae: a new gondwanan Crocodylomorpha (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil PH Nobre, I de Souza Carvalho Gondwana Research 10 (3-4), 370-378 , 2006 2006 Citations: 97
Guia dos icnofósseis de invertebrados do Brasil ACS Fernandes Editora Interciência , 2002 2002 Citations: 97
Preservation of dinosaur tracks induced by microbial mats in the Sousa Basin (Lower Cretaceous), Brazil I de Souza Carvalho, L Borghi, G Leonardi Cretaceous Research 44, 112-121 , 2013 2013 Citations: 96
Molecular composition and chemosystematic aspects of Cretaceous amber from the Amazonas, Araripe and Recôncavo basins, Brazil R Pereira, I de Souza Carvalho, BRT Simoneit, D de Almeida Azevedo Organic Geochemistry 40 (8), 863-875 , 2009 2009 Citations: 94
Campinasuchus dinizi gen. et sp. nov., a new Late Cretaceous baurusuchid (Crocodyliformes) from the Bauru Basin, Brazil IDES CARVALHO, VDEPA TEIXEIRA, MLDAF FERRAZ, LCB RIBEIRO, ... Zootaxa 2871, 19-42 , 2011 2011 Citations: 92
Bizarre notosuchian crocodyliform with associated eggs from the Upper Cretaceous of Bolivia FE Novas, DF Pais, D Pol, I De Souza Carvalho, A Scanferla, A Mones, ... Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 1316 , 2010 2010 Citations: 86
A Mesozoic bird from Gondwana preserving feathers I de Souza Carvalho, FE Novas, FL Agnolín, MP Isasi, FI Freitas, ... Nature Communications 6 (1), 7141 , 2015 2015 Citations: 85
First abelisaurid bone remains from the Maastrichtian Marilia Formation, Bauru basin, Brazil FE Novas, I de Souza Carvalho, LCB Ribeiro, AH Méndez Cretaceous Research 29 (4), 625-635 , 2008 2008 Citations: 81
Candidodon: um crocodilo com heterodontia (Notosuchia, cretáceo Inferior-Brasil) IS Carvalho 1994 Citations: 81
Maniraptoran theropod ungual from the Marília Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Brazil FE Novas, LCB Ribeiro, IS Carvalho Rev Mus Arg Ci Nat 7, 31-36 , 2005 2005 Citations: 80