An exceptional surface occurrence: the middle to upper Miocene succession of Pécs-Danitzpuszta (SW Hungary)

The Pécs-Danitzpuszta sand pit is the most important outcrop of the oldest Pannonian (upper Miocene, Tortonian) deposits in southern Hungary. A trench excavated in 2018 exposed Lake Pannon deposits and underlying Paratethys strata down to the upper Badenian (Serravallian), and together with the sand pit they make up a continuous sedimentary succession with a true thickness of ~220 metres. Due to tectonic deformation, middle Miocene deposits and carbonates in the lowermost Pannonian are overturned. Layers become vertical close to the marl-sand boundary, then the dip changes to normal, with continuously decreasing dip angles. The exposed succession starts with 5 m of upper Badenian (13.8-12.6 Ma old) calcareous marls and sandy limestones with sublittoral, then littoral molluscs, which were deposited in the normal salinity seawaters of the Central Paratethys. The overlying 8 m of sand, silt, sandy breccia and conglomerate are fossil-free,; only the lowermost silt layer contains reworked Badenian microfauna. This unit probably accumulated from gravity-driven flows in a fan-like, probably terrestrial depositional setting. The next 7.5 m of frequently alternating thin-bedded limestones, marls and clays with sublittoral biota represent rapid transgression. Foraminifers, ostracods, molluscs and calcareous nannoplankton indicate late Sarmatian, then Pannonian age for this interval. However, the locations of the boundaries indicated by the various groups are not are not consistent, making the position of the Sarmatian/Pannonian boundary uncertain. The Sarmatian beds with marine fossils still accumulated in the Paratethys, between ~12.1–11.6 Ma, under varying salinities due among others to temporary freshwater input. The Pannonian strata already represent sediments of the brackish Lake Pannon. Above these beds, uniform calcareous marl becomes dominant with some clay layers and graded or structureless conglomerate to sandstone interbeds. The deposition of the overall 64- m- thick Pannonian calcareous marl section took place in the open, probably few -hundred -metres -deep water of the lake between ~11.62 and 10.5–10.2 Ma. It may represent a rare, well-exposed surface occurrence of the Endrőd Formation which is known from thousands of wells in the Pannonian Basin. Above this section, a 6-7 -m- thick transitional interval of silty marls and sands is followed by ~140 m of limonitic, pebbly sands. They have poor to moderate sorting and rounding, metre -thick beds with transitional boundaries and abundant fossils and clasts reworked from older Miocene units. Their accumulation took place between 10.2-10.5 and 9.6 Ma by gravity flows connected to deep-water portions of fan deltas.

Thresholds of temperature change for mass extinctions

Climate change is a critical factor affecting biodiversity. However, the quantitative relationship between temperature change and extinction is unclear. Here, we analyze magnitudes and rates of temperature change and extinction rates of marine fossils through the past 450 million years (Myr). The results show that both the rate and magnitude of temperature change are significantly positively correlated with the extinction rate of marine animals. Major mass extinctions in the Phanerozoic can be linked to thresholds in climate change (warming or cooling) that equate to magnitudes >5.2 °C and rates >10 °C/Myr. The significant relationship between temperature change and extinction still exists when we exclude the five largest mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic. Our findings predict that a temperature increase of 5.2 °C above the pre-industrial level at present rates of increase would likely result in mass extinction comparable to that of the major Phanerozoic events, even without other, non-climatic anthropogenic impacts.

A man with a master plan: Steno’s observations on earth’s history

We present specific sources, including specimens of the Medicean cabinet and geological outcrops in Tuscany, probably used by Nicolaus Steno to build a theory on the origin of organic fossils, crystals and sedimentary strata, in order to construct the history of the Earth based on universal geometric principles. Phenomena he observed in Tuscany and in precedeing travels were revealing a sequence of events consistent with the biblical account. We propose that he devised his method to reconstruct a chronology of primordial events to demonstrate the historicity of the biblical creation in contrast to unorthodox thinking. This had been spreading in philosophical circles of northern Europe since the 1650s, circles frequented by Steno before his arrival in Tuscany in 1666. Steno knew in advance what places to visit to find fossils from literature such as Michele Mercati’s Metallotheca. This was a manuscript owned by the Florentine Carlo Dati, whom Steno probably heard about while in Paris in 1664-1665. In Tuscany he soon formed a tight interaction on matters regarding the interpretation of fossils with the local community of learned men. These included Giovanni Alfonso Borelli who was asked by Prince Leopoldo de’ Medici to provide Steno with fossils from Sicily and Malta. Steno’s theory and scale-independent, geometrical method of inquiry of geological objects found in Tuscany is hinted at in his Canis Carchariae Dissectum Caput, a geological essay completed in a few months in 1666. The theory was published in its most complete form in the so-called Prodromus of 1669. In both works he demonstrated that fossils in younger strata in the Tuscan hills, such as shark teeth and molluscan shells, have an origin analogous to solids which living animals form. In both essays he explicitly related the deposition of strata with marine fossils to the biblical flood, an idea foreshadowed in his oldest known manuscript of 1659, when he was a student in Copenhagen. He found no fossils in older sandstones of the Apennines and understood those strata to have formed before the creation of life. These discoveries and other observations he made in Tuscany were, for Steno, the final proof that natural philosophy and biblical revelation disclose in synergy the mysteries of God’s creation.

Divulgação científica sobre os fósseis de Picos, Piauí

O município de Picos, na mesorregião sudeste do Estado do Piauí, Brasil, destaca-se pela grande diversidade fossilífera, representada principalmente por fósseis marinhos com idade em torno de 380 milhões de anos, pertencentes ao período geológico conhecido como Devoniano. Para difundir o conhecimento sobre esse tema, pesquisadores do Laboratório de Paleontologia da Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, desenvolveram um projeto de divulgação científica sobre paleontologia em escolas públicas do município de Picos, com ênfase no patrimônio paleontológico local. Foram realizadas oito intervenções compostas por oficinas pedagógicas para crianças, palestras temáticas e exposições itinerantes de fósseis, para adolescentes e adultos da rede pública de educação, em oito unidades escolares, totalizando um público de 1.160 integrantes da comunidade escolar. Essas intervenções constituem parte de um programa de popularização da ciência paleontológica intitulado Programa de Divulgação Científica em Paleontologia na rede pública de ensino de Picos, Piauí, que visa facilitar o acesso à ciência, incentivar a preservação dos fósseis, e fomentar o desenvolvimento de uma relação de identidade cultural com o patrimônio fossilífero da região. Palavras-chave: Paleontologia; Popularização da Ciência; Nordeste do Brasil Scientific disclosure about fossils in Picos, Piauí Abstract: The Picos municipality in the southeastern mesoregion of the Piauí State, Brazil, stands out for the large fossiliferous diversity represented mainly by marine fossils aged around 380 million years, from the geological period known as Devonian. To disseminate knowledge on the subject, researchers from the Laboratório de Paleontologia da Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, developed a project for the scientific divulgation on paleontology in public schools in the municipality of Picos, with an emphasis on the local paleontological heritage. Eight interventions were carried out, composed of pedagogical workshops for children, thematic lectures, and itinerant exhibitions of fossils for adolescents and adults from the public-school system in eight school units, totaling an audience of 1,160 members of the school community. These interventions are part of a program for the popularization of paleontological science entitled the Program for Scientific Dissemination in Paleontology in the public-school system of Picos, Piauí (Brazil), which aims to facilitate access to science, encourage the preservation of fossils, and foster the development of a relationship of cultural identity with the region's fossiliferous heritage. Keywords: Paleontology; Science Popularization; Northeast Brazil

Tephrochronological evidence of a later Younger Dryas ice-sheet maximum in central Norway

<p>The Scandinavian Ice Sheet responded time-transgressively to the Younger Dryas (Greenland Stadial 1) cold event with large regional variations. Around Trondheimsfjorden in central Norway, the Tautra Moraines and the Hoklingen Moraines have long been assumed to have formed by glacial readvances during this event, as they have been dated to c. 12.7 and 11.6 cal. ka BP respectively (Olsen et al., 2015), mainly based on radiocarbon dating of often marine fossils. The Tautra Moraines, being the outer ridges of the two, should thus represent the maximum ice-sheet extent in this region during the Younger Dryas.</p><p>This ice-front position established a pro-glacial lake west of present-day Leksvik village on the Fosen peninsula (Selnes, 1982), which covered the Lomtjønnin lakes and Lomtjønnmyran fens, and drained through a spillway via Lake Rørtjønna. Some 20 km inland (northeast) from this location, inside the Tautra Moraines, the location of the Damåsmyran bog was covered by the ice sheet at that time.</p><p>By examining sediments from these sites for occurrences of volcanic ashes (visible and cryptotephra), combined with radiocarbon dating, we find that the ice front remained at the Tautra Moraines until the late Younger Dryas, contrary to the previous chronology (and overriding the suggested formation age of the Hoklingen Moraines). These findings comply with several recent reconstructions of the deglaciation at other sites in western (Lohne et al., 2012; Mangerud et al., 2016) and southern Norway (Romundset et al., 2019) and are a strong example of the usefulness of tephrochronology in the reconstruction of past ice-sheet dynamics.</p><p> </p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>Lohne, Ø.S., Mangerud, J. & Svendsen, J.I. (2012) Timing of the Younger Dryas glacial maximum in Western Norway. <em>Journal of Quaternary Science</em>, vol. 27, pp. 81–88.</p><p>Mangerud, J., Aarseth, I., et al. (2016) A major re-growth of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in western Norway during Allerød–Younger Dryas. <em>Quaternary Science Reviews</em>, vol. 132, pp. 175–205.</p><p>Olsen, L., Høgaas, F. & Sveian, H. (2015) Age of the Younger Dryas ice-marginal substages in Mid-Norway—Tautra and Hoklingen, based on a compilation of 14C-dates. <em>Norges geologiske undersøkelse Bulletin</em>, vol. 454, pp. 1–13.</p><p>Romundset, A., Lakeman, T.R. & Høgaas, F. (2019) Coastal lake records add constraints to the age and magnitude of the Younger Dryas ice-front oscillation along the Skagerrak coastline in southern Norway. <em>Journal of Quaternary Science</em>, vol. 34, pp. 112–124.</p><p>Selnes, H. (1982) Paleo-økologiske undersøkelser omkring israndavsetninger på Fosenhalvøya, Midt-Norge. Thesis at the Department of Botany, University of Trondheim.</p>

Inventory of geoheritage as a tool for local sustainable development in Cajón del Maipo Geopark Project, Central Chile

<p>Cajón del Maipo is a mountainous territory located in the Andes Cordillera of central Chile (~ 5,000 km<sup>2</sup>), 50 km away from Santiago city, and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country. It reaches a maximum altitude of 6,570 masl, and its geology is controlled by the compressive subduction regime between the Nazca and the South American plates. In its rocks, 166 million years of geological history are recorded, and its geodiversity includes: sedimentary and igneous rocks, active stratovolcanoes, thermal springs, tectonic structures, glacial and fluvial morphologies, landslides, marine fossils, and abandoned mine shafts. The area is part of the Chilean biodiversity hotspot, and hosts an important and strained water system, with ~650 glaciers that supplies almost the entire city of Santiago with drinking and irrigation water, home to more than 7 million people.</p><p>This work shows the existing inventory of geoheritage of Cajon del Maipo, which includes 43 geosites classified in 10 geological thematic areas. Geosites were selected and assessed using a quantitative approach in the three main types of use (scientific, educational and geotouristic), and in their degradation risk. Of the inventory list, 5 geosites have international relevance, 17 national relevance, 10 regional and 11 local relevance. Additional values where highlighted associated with potential for developing geopark activities (cultural and intangible heritage, biodiversity, climate change and geological hazards), as well as legal aspects regarding protection. Combining statistical, geographical, and qualitative analysis of the previous parameters, geosites were categorized in multi labeled management classes, which are: geotourism, education, science, and conservation. For each class, management priorities and opportunities were identified, including research, protection, promotion, infrastructure habilitation, and monitoring. In the next years, this inventory must be the framework for developing a local geoheritage management plan, and the basis for the elaboration of the application dossier of Cajon del Maipo as a UNESCO Global Geopark.</p><p>Cajon del Maipo Geopark Project has been developed since 2017 with the main goals of providing economic opportunities for local community and promoting the sustainable management of natural and cultural heritage. Framed in the project Action Plan, actions and initiatives have been implemented, including: geoheritage research and geoconservation; geotourism and local products development; geoeducation programs focused on local schools; and networking at local, national, and international levels. All the mentioned initiatives are supported by the creation and the permanent updating of the Cajon del Maipo inventory of geoheritage.</p>

Flat latitudinal diversity gradient caused by the Permian–Triassic mass extinction

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is recognized as one of the most pervasive, global patterns of present-day biodiversity. However, the controlling mechanisms have proved difficult to identify because many potential drivers covary in space. The geological record presents a unique opportunity for understanding the mechanisms which drive the LDG by providing a direct window to deep-time biogeographic dynamics. Here we used a comprehensive database containing 52,318 occurrences of marine fossils to show that the shape of the LDG changed greatly during the Permian–Triassic mass extinction from showing a significant tropical peak to a flattened LDG. The flat LDG lasted for the entire Early Triassic (∼5 My) before reverting to a modern-like shape in the Middle Triassic. The environmental extremes that prevailed globally, especially the dramatic warming, likely induced selective extinction in low latitudes and accumulation of diversity in high latitudes through origination and poleward migration, which combined together account for the flat LDG of the Early Triassic.

First evidence of ganoin-scaled Halecomorphi (Neopterygii) in the Lower Jurassic of Holzmaden and Ohmden, Germany

The Posidonienschiefer Formation (lower Toarcian) of the Holzmaden region, Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany is world- famous for its marine fossils, including excellently preserved fossil vertebrates, especially ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, but also fossil fishes. The study of the diversity and palaeoecology of fish within these deposits gives us further hints to understand the corresponding ecosystem. With Holzmadenfuro rebmanni new gen. et sp. and Ohmdenfuro bodmani new gen. et sp., both curated at the Urweltmuseum Hauff in Holzmaden, we now describe the first ganoin-scaled Halecomorphi from the Posidonienschiefer of Germany. These new taxa are characterized by a specific combination of features, including body shape; number of parietals, extrascapulars, infraorbitals, dorsal and caudal fin rays, and vertical scale rows; number and shape of maxillary teeth; number and arrangement of supraorbitals; ornamentation of skull bones; insertion of dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins; position of lateral line in caudal fin area; shape and distribution of scales; and number and shape of serrations on scales. The more basal Halecomorphi with ganoid scales (Parasemionoti- formes, Panxianichthyformes, and Ophiopsiformes) remain poorly known, compared with the more advanced halecomorph group of the Amiiformes (especially the Amiidae). Closer investigation of their taxonomic relationships is therefore important for understanding broader patterns of haleco- morph evolution, especially the origin of the Jurassic Ophiopsiformes.

An ammonite trapped in Burmese amber

Amber is fossilized tree resin, and inclusions usually comprise terrestrial and, rarely, aquatic organisms. Marine fossils are extremely rare in Cretaceous and Cenozoic ambers. Here, we report a record of an ammonite with marine gastropods, intertidal isopods, and diverse terrestrial arthropods as syninclusions in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. We used X-ray–microcomputed tomography (CT) to obtain high-resolution 3D images of the ammonite, including its sutures, which are diagnostically important for ammonites. The ammonite is a juvenile Puzosia (Bhimaites) and provides supporting evidence for a Late Albian–Early Cenomanian age of the amber. There is a diverse assemblage (at least 40 individuals) of arthropods in this amber sample from both terrestrial and marine habitats, including Isopoda, Acari (mites), Araneae (spiders), Diplopoda (millipedes), and representatives of the insect orders Blattodea (cockroaches), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (true flies), and Hymenoptera (wasps). The incomplete preservation and lack of soft body of the ammonite and marine gastropods suggest that they were dead and underwent abrasion on the seashore before entombment. It is most likely that the resin fell to the beach from coastal trees, picking up terrestrial arthropods and beach shells and, exceptionally, surviving the high-energy beach environment to be preserved as amber. Our findings not only represent a record of an ammonite in amber but also provide insights into the taphonomy of amber and the paleoecology of Cretaceous amber forests.