Relationships between non-avian theropod dinosaurs and extant and fossil birds are a major focus of current paleobiological research. Despite extensive phylogenetic and morphological support, behavioural evidence is mostly ambiguous and does not usually fossilize. Thus, inferences that dinosaurs, especially theropods displayed behaviour analogous to modern birds are intriguing but speculative. Here we present extensive and geographically widespread physical evidence of substrate scraping behavior by large theropods considered as compelling evidence of “display arenas” or leks, and consistent with “nest scrape display” behaviour among many extant ground-nesting birds. Large scrapes, up to 2 m in diameter, occur abundantly at several Cretaceous sites in Colorado. They constitute a previously unknown category of large dinosaurian trace fossil, inferred to fill gaps in our understanding of early phases in the breeding cycle of theropods. The trace makers were probably lekking species that were seasonally active at large display arena sites. Such scrapes indicate stereotypical avian behaviour hitherto unknown among Cretaceous theropods, and most likely associated with terrirorial activity in the breeding season. The scrapes most probably occur near nesting colonies, as yet unknown or no longer preserved in the immediate study areas. Thus, they provide clues to paleoenvironments where such nesting sites occurred.

Socheong island is a unique island containing Precambrian stromatolites in South Korea. Most of Socheong stromatolites are domes and columns, occurring as 10 cm to 1 m thick stromatolite beds. Lower parts of the stromatolite beds are predominantly composed of domes, but columns increase toward the upper level of stromatolite beds. In many of the stromatolite beds, inclined columns are easily identifiable, which is generally considered as a result of heliotropism. From general lithology, sedimentary structures, inclined angles and distributional pattern, and structural deformation of sedimentary rocks of Socheong island, the inclination of Socheong stromatolites could be better interpreted as a secondary structural deformation probably after formation of stromatolite columns, rather than as a result of heliotropism. However, at this moment, we do not clearly reject heliotropism interpretation for inclined columns of Socheong stromatolites. This is because the original position of stromatolite columns could have been lost if structural deformation had affected the whole sedimentary rocks of Socheong island.

A number of coated grains (spherical to elongated ones in shape) were collected from a small stream, Dijon, France. They were characterized by typical concentric lamination surrounding broken twigs, and were thus identified as concentric precipitation on plant twigs. Within carbonate coatings of the plant twigs, two morphological groups including, eukaryotic green algae (Vaucheria sp.) and cyanobacteria (Scytonema sp. and Rivularia sp.) were detected, which form carbonate crystals that are surrounding their filaments. The filaments could have triggered carbonate precipitation by photosynthetic removal of CO2 causing the increase of alkalinity of the water, and by supporting their sheaths as nucleation sites. Such encrusted twigs were found from 70 meters downstream, in which temperature and pH were measured as 11.1 o C and 8.18, respectively. These water chemistries (11.1 o C and pH 8.18), with the aid of microbial photosynthesis, were likely to provide a suitable condition for carbonate precipitation on the twigs.

Many problems in naming natural monuments have been repeatedly argued by many researchers, and four different types of naming problems were identified: 1) name of unknown nationality (natural monument no. 82 and 108), 2) morphological name rather than scientific name (natural monument no. 180, 295, and 409), 3) name of fable character (local cultural property of Changnyeonggun), and 4) scientifically wrong name (natural monument no. 413). Among them, two cases (case 3 and 4) using wrong names are found in natural monument of geologic heritages, which should be ascribable to a hasty designation without an accurate and thorough scientific research. In order to solve these problems and to establish an ideal policy in designating natural monument, National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage has been carrying out a research project of "Pre-study and Post-designation (PSPD)", especially targeting the rod-shaped stromatolite. It is likely that this new strategy of PSPD is a unique and the first step to solve many problems in designating and naming geologic heritages as natural monuments. As a consequence, we strongly suggest that PSPD system must be applied to natural monument designation as an institutional arrangement.

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