13-15 June 1996
Eduardo Mayoral Alfaro
Universidad de Huelva, Spain
Mayoral@uhu.es
In 1996, the "II Reunión de Tafonomía y Fosilización" was held in Zaragoza (Spain) from June 13 to 15. The contributions were published in a Communications Volume in the Spanish and English languages, with a list of participants and their affilations. The Reunión was sponsored by the Sociedad Española de Paleontología, Sociedad Geológica de España and the European Paleontological Association. The 124 participants hailed mainly from Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, The Netherlands), South America (Argentine, Brazil) and other countries (Maroc, Australia). They contributed 63 papers dealing with the processes of preservation, alteration, transport and fossilization of continental macromammals (normally in karst deposits, but also marine cetaceans), plants and palynomorphs, taphonomy-archaeology and taphonomy-paleoecology relationships, methodology of taphonomical analysis, general concepts and patterns of concentrations and assemblages of macrofossils (mammals, insects, molluscs), microfossils and taphonomy of benthic communities. Other topics as taphofacies, paleoclimatology and paleoenvironmental implications were shown as well.
From the ichnological point of view, only four papers were presented, concerning to general taphonomic considerations of biogenic structures and the use of the trace fossils (burrowing and bioerosion) and ichnofabrics as interesting tools in order to paleoenvironmental and sedimentological reconstructions.
The final point of the above Reunión was a field excursion to the Jurassic and Cretaceous of the Iberian Cordillera in the Galve-Oliete-Ariño area (province of Teruel, NE Spain). A guide to this geological excursion was published.
The participants had an excellent opportunity to observe the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in Galve, which has supplied 50 taxa of vertebrata: dinosaurs (Sauropoda, 6 taxa; Theropoda, 4 taxa; Ornithopoda, 5 taxa; Thyreophora, 3 taxa); mammals (9 species of Multituberculata), flying reptilian, crocodiles, turtles and lizards (8 taxa in total); amphibious (5 taxa) and fishes (7 taxa); as well as two wonderful outcrops of theropod and ornithopod ichnites. The field trip ended with an interesting review of the paleogeographical reconstruction of the Middle and Upper Jurassic Northeastern Iberic Platform. Extraordinary taphonomic considerations were established on the basis of the excellent ammonoid fauna preserved here.
Guidebook of Abstracts: "II Reunion de Tafonomia y Fosilizacion (13-15 Junio, 1996)". Eds: MELENDEZ, G.; BLASCO SANCHO, Ma. & PEREZ-URRESTI, I. Institucion Fernando El Catolico (C.S.I.C.) Zaragoza, 440 p. ISBN: 84-7820-311-7.
In this book there are four ichnological papers. These are:
Another field trip guidebook was published, "II Reunion de Tafonomía y Fosilización (13-15 Junio, 1996)". Guia de la Excursion. Eds: MELENDEZ, G. & PEREZ-URRESTI, I. Universidad de Zaragoza, Dpto. de Geología. ISBN: 84-89513-29-5.
The titles of the contributions were:
Other stops, interesting in geological aspects, but not ichnological, were the following:
The address to order these books or obtain more information is:
Dr. GUILERMO MELENDEZ HEVIA
Dpto. de Geología (Paleontología)s
Universidad de Zaragoza
Ciudad Universitaria s/n
50009 ZARAGOZA
SPAIN
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