Antimony, arsenic and bismuth in sediments of the Ukureyskaya formation of the Olovskaya depression in Transbaikalia, containing fossil remains of the dinosaurs of a new genus and species Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus

The concentrations of antimony, arsenic, and bismuth in sediments of the Ukureyskaya formation of the Olovskaya Depression in Transbaikalia are considered. It was determined that their maximum concentrations are confined to the sediments around the village of Novoberezovskoye and Kulinda locality, which contains fossils of the dinosaurs Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus.

Development of paleontological art in Poland

ABSTRACT The first illustrations of geo-objects—different crystals of salt—from Poland were included by U. Aldrovandi in his Musaeum Metallicum (1648). The first publications containing paleontological sketches of fossil remains of animals and plants appeared in the early eighteenth century. G.A. Helwing, in his Lithographia Angerburgica (1717) and Lithographiae Angerburgicae Pars II (1720), included drawings of fossils of various ages from the Peri-Baltic area. G.A. Volkmann’s Silesia Subterranea (1720) was extensively illustrated by elaborate sketches of fossils including Carboniferous plants from the Lower Silesia region. In 1764, J.-É. Guettard published an important paper on the geology of Poland that contained detailed illustrations of fossils from various parts of the country. S. Staszic, in his two seminal books published in 1805 and 1815, provided detailed illustrations of animal remains, mainly bones of large, extinct mammals. This “pioneering era” of development of paleontological art came to an end with publications by two geologists that laid the foundations of modern paleontology in Poland: Polens Paläontologie by G.G. Pusch (1836) and Paleontologia Polska (1846) by L. Zejszner. In less than 150 years, paleontological art evolved from simple illustrations of “curious objects” from the subsurface to scientific drawings that marked the birth of modern paleontology.

Ancient creatures of Hungary: Bringing the animals to life

ABSTRACT The first trace fossils in Hungary, dinosaur footprints, were found in the coal mines of the Mecsek Mountains. The footprints belonged to small theropod dinosaurs. The first fossil bones of vertebrate animals from present-day Hungary were found in 2000 in the mountainous region of Bakony. Numerous taxa have been collected from the locality of Iharkút. These fossils represent a diverse fauna (including fishes, amphibians, turtles, lizards, crocodilians, dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs) that lived between 85.8 and 83.5 m.y. ago in the Santonian Age during the Late Cretaceous period. Paleoart can depict these fossil remains in an engaging way to help inform the public about the ancient creatures of Hungary. This chapter provides an overview of how the Mesozoic vertebrates from Hungary have been reconstructed for scientists and the public.

The evolution of Castorids (Mammalia, Rodentia) in the Republic of Moldova

Beavers first appear in Asia, where fossil remains date back to the Eocene (33-36 million years ago). The most widespread Pleistocene giant beaver fossils were Siberian beavers – Trogontherium cuvieri and the North American beaver – Castoroides ohioensis. According to recent research, the oldest beavers in the Republic of Moldova are known from the deposits of Sarmatian (11.5 million years) – Steneofiber aff. depereti Mayeri, Chalicomys jaegeri (Kaup), Palaeomys castoroides Kaup, Trogontherium minutum minutum Franzet et Storch., T. minutum rhenanum Franzet et Storch. and Monosaulax cainarensis Lungu. In the Meotian (8.7-5.0 million years) only two species were recorded – Trogontherium minutum rhenanum Franzet et Storch. and Castor aff. praefiber Deperet. et Lungu.

Taphonomic and spatial analyses from the Early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena 4 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, southern Spain)

Venta Micena is an area containing several palaeontological sites marking the beginning of the Calabrian stage (Early Pleistocene). The richness of the fossil accumulation including species of Asian, African and European origin, makes Venta Micena a key site for the the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental study of southern Europe during the Early Pleistocene. Thus, research has been focused on Venta Micena 3, which was originally interpreted as a single palaeosurface associated with a marshy context, in which most of the fauna was accumulated by Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Recent excavations have unearthed a new site, Venta Micena 4, located in the same stratigraphic unit (Unit C) and in close proximity to Venta Micena 3. Here we show the first analyses regarding the taphonomic and spatial nature of this new site, defining two stratigraphic boundaries corresponding to two different depositional events. Furthermore, the taphonomic analyses of fossil remains seem to indicate a different accumulative agent than Pachycrocuta, thus adding more complexity to the palaeobiological interpretation of the Venta Micena area. These results contribute to the discussion of traditional interpretations made from Venta Micena 3.

Excavation & Conservation of Fossils from the Baynunah Formation

The recovery, preparation, and conservation of fossil remains found in the late Miocene Baynunah Formation, Abu Dhabi, present special challenges. In this chapter, field experiences are covered, and solutions are proposed for some of the challenges for the recovery and conservation of fossils in this sandy desert environment. This chapter provides paleontologists and those concerned with Abu Dhabi’s fossil heritage, whether in the field or the laboratory, with suggestions for best practices in the collection, preparation, molding and casting, and long-term conservation of this evidence of past life.

Experimental Aqueous Alteration of Cortical Bone Microarchitecture Analyzed by Quantitative Micro-Computed Tomography

Bones are one of the most common vertebrate fossil remains and are widely used as proxy archives in palaeontology and archaeology. Previous histological analyses have shown that bone microarchitecture is mostly well-preserved in fossil remains, but partially or even entirely lost in most archaeological specimens. As a consequence, processes occurring during early diagenesis are pivotal for the preservation of bones and a better understanding of these processes would be required to assess the significance of information stored in fossilized bones. Although much of the changes occur at the nanometer scale, determining the resistance of bone microarchitecture to diagenetic alteration on a microscopic scale constitutes a prerequisite for more detailed studies. Here, results from the first comparative in vitro taphonomy study of cortical bone simulating conditions potentially encountered in early diagenetic settings are presented. In order to accelerate anticipated early diagenetic changes and to facilitate their study in a practical framework, cortical bone samples were exposed to aqueous solutions with temperature, time, and composition of the experimental solutions as controlled parameters. Before and after the experiments, all samples were characterized quantitatively using micro-computed tomography to document structural changes. The results show that the overall change in cortical porosity predominantly occurred in canals with diameters ≤9 µm (∆Ct.Po = ±30%). Furthermore, the data also show that the solution composition had a stronger impact on changes observed than either temperature or time. It was also found that samples from the two experimental series with a freshwater-like solution composition showed a characteristic reaction rim. However, it remains unclear at present if the observed changes have an impact on reactions occurring at the nanometer scale. Nonetheless, the results clearly demonstrate that on a micrometer scale down to 3 μm, bone microarchitecture is largely resistant to aqueous alteration, even under very different physicochemical conditions. In addition, the data illustrate the complexity of the interaction of different diagenetic factors. The results presented here provide a solid framework for future investigations on reaction and transport mechanisms occurring during the early diagenesis of fossil bones.