The Dinosaur Route in El Castellar (Teruel, Spain): Palaeontology as a Factor of Territorial Development and Scientific Education in a Sparsely Inhabited Area

Cobos, Alberto; Alcalá, Luís; Royo–Torres, Rafael

doi:10.1007/s12371-020-00474-3

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…2; Table 1A to D). Furthermore, the studied deposits include a great abundance of dinosaur remains and, especially, of herbivorous dinosaurs (sauropods, stegosaurs and scarce ornithopods; Casanovas‐Cladellas et al ., 1999; Casanovas‐Cladellas & Santafé‐Llopis, 2001; Royo‐Torres & Cobos, 2006; Alcalá et al ., 2009; Royo‐Torres et al ., 2009; Cobos et al ., 2010; Company & Pereda‐Suberbiola, 2010; Suñer & Santisteban, 2014; Alcalá et al ., 2018; Cobos et al ., 2020; Royo‐Torres et al ., 2020). These observations reinforce the interpretation of a setting with availability of abundant vegetation and permanent freshwater sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). This succession comprises mixed siliciclastic–carbonate sediments deposited in shallow marine, coastal and alluvial settings (Meléndez et al ., 1979; Mas & Alonso, 1981; Mas & Alonso, 1984; Luque et al ., 2005; Campos‐Soto et al ., 2016a, 2017b, 2019), and it is internationally renowned for its abundance of dinosaur remains of theropods, sauropods, thyreophorans and ornithopods (Suñer et al ., 2008; Alcalá et al ., 2009; Campos‐Soto et al ., 2017b; Alcalá & Cobos, 2018, and references therein; Cobos & Alcalá, 2020; Royo‐Torres et al ., 2020), including the fossils of the largest dinosaur found in Europe, Turiasaurus riodevensis Royo‐Torres, Cobos & Alcalá, 2006. The stratal arrangement of siliciclastic coastal and alluvial deposits of this unit indicates the apparently contemporaneous development of a variety of subaqueous and subaerial depositional settings (Campos‐Soto et al ., 2016a, 2017b, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Where humid and arid meet: Sedimentology of coastal siliciclastic successions deposited in apparently contrasting climates

et al. 2022

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Deciphering the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic setting of ancient successions that include deposits typical of different climates can be challenging. This is the case in the Late Jurassic succession cropping out in eastern Spain (South-Iberian and western Maestrazgo basins), where deposits characteristic of both arid to semiarid and humid to subhumid settings have been identified through a detailed analysis of eight stratigraphic sections. These sections comprise shallow marine carbonates changing upward and laterally to a predominantly siliciclastic coastal and alluvial succession, including abundant dinosaur remains. Deposition of coastal and alluvial sediments occurred in flood plains, ephemeral and perennial fluvial channels, aeolian dunes, deltas, distributary mouth-bars and associated distributary channels, and shallow water bodies influenced by both fresh and marine waters. Some of these deposits, notably those of aeolian and ephemeral fluvial origin, are characteristic of arid to semiarid climates. However, there are also abundant deposits that can be demonstrably shown to have a coeval origin, which are indicative of permanent water courses: (i) sediments of seasonal discharge fluvial channels with perennial to semi-perennial flow, displaying subcritical and supercritical flow sedimentary structures; (ii) deltaic sediments deposited in permanent freshwater bodies; and (iii) abundant plant and dinosaur remains, especially of herbivorous dinosaurs, which required the presence of permanent water sources and abundant vegetation. These apparently contrasting sedimentary features indicate that deposition occurred under a seasonal climate controlled by monsoonal-type precipitation. These deposits are analogous to those observed nowadays in the Lenc ß ois Maranhenses National Park (north-east Brazil), where a subhumid tropical climate with a seasonal precipitation pattern prevails. Thus, this study shows that only through careful facies analysis and interpretation of depositional processes that can be shown to be occurring concurrently in 975

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where humid and arid meet: Sedimentology of coastal siliciclastic successions deposited in apparently contrasting climates

et al. 2022

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“…Authors would like to acknowledge the use of Servicio General de Apoyo a la Investigación-SAI, Universidad de during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition of the Iberian Basin Rift System (IBRS). In this regard, the southern basins of the IBRS (Maestrazgo and South Iberian basins) have yielded many of the important vertebrate Spanish localities (with multiple sites) from the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition (e.g., Ruiz-Omeñaca et al, 2004;Royo-Torres et al, 2009;Suñer & Martín, 2009;Cobos et al, 2020), but these localities are mainly known for their dinosaur remains, whereas other groups of vertebrates are comparatively scarce or not studied in detail. It is also noteworthy that the Kimmeridgian-Berriasian deposits of the IBRS have yielded a low vertebrate diversity (see supplementary material in Aurell et al, 2016;Campos-Soto et al, 2017 when compared with other Hauterivian-Barremian localities, especially those where microvertebrate remains are abundant (Ruiz-Omeñaca et al, 2004;Canudo et al, 2010).…”

Section: Implications For the Palaeobiodiversity In The Iberian Ecosy...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A new vertebrate assemblage from the Matute Formation of the Cameros Basin (Ágreda, Spain): implications for the diversity during the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary

Puértolas-Pascual,

Aurell,

Bermúdez-Rochas

et al. 2023

J Iber Geol

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The Ribota site (Ágreda, Soria, Spain) is a new locality in the Matute Formation (Tithonian–Berriasian) composed of several carbonate layers, outstandingly rich in macrovertebrate remains. Fossils show an unusual replacement of the original bioapatite by quartz, and are found as positive reliefs protruding from lacustrine limestone beds. This type of conservation has allowed the identification of around one hundred vertebrate bone accumulations in an outcrop of more than 10 hectares. Osteichthyans (articulated partial skeletons, cranial material, and isolated postcranial bones and scales), crocodylomorphs (disarticulated cranial material, isolated teeth, vertebrae and osteoderms), turtles (partial carapaces and plastra, but also isolated plates) and pterosaurs (cranial and appendicular elements) have been identified. Around 80 specimens have been collected and a preliminary study of part of the collection (35 specimens) has allowed the identification of at least 5 different taxa: Halecomorphi indet., Neoginglymodi indet., Goniopholididae indet., Testudinata indet., and Pterodactyloidea indet. This new site represents one of the few sites from this time interval preserved in a fully lacustrine environment, so these vertebrate assemblages are unique and composed of different animals that presumably lived around and within the lake. They are dominated by aquatic and amphibian vertebrates and was formed by attrition in this lacustrine environment, possibly far from the lake shoreline. These macrovertebrate assemblages provide new data about the diversity in the faunal ecosystems from the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition of the Iberian Basin Rift System.

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“…The enhancement of geo-palaeontological heritage aims to promote protection and preservation, disclosing scientific data for use and enjoyment of the whole society, bringing this discipline to the general public (Henriques and Pena dos Reis 2015;Berrocal-Casero et al 2018;Meléndez 2018). For these reasons, governments should protect and valorize the geo-palaeontological sites as it occurs to other tourist attractions (Melinte-Dobrinescu et al 2017;Audije-Gil et al 2018;Cobos and Alcalá 2018;Cobos et al 2020;Vasconcelos et al 2020). Probably, the most suitable and relatively common type of geo-palaeontological sites used as tourist attractions is the ichnosites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Funtana Morimenta Ichnosite (Sardinia, Italy): a Potential Geotourist Attraction

Zoboli

Pillola

2021

Geoheritage

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The late Middle Pleistocene ichnosite of Funtana Morimenta (Gonnesa, Italy) provides a relevant scientific and didactic interest. In this site, tracks of megacerine deer and dwarf mammoths of the Ice Age are well-preserved and visible in situ. The geosite has also historic importance, and it has been mentioned since the beginning of the nineteenth century for the sedimentological features and its palaeontological content. For these reasons, the Funtana Morimenta ichnosite would represent an efficient tool for developing educational goals, such as teaching activities or field trips. Unfortunately, in the last years, it has shown significant deterioration because its sedimentological features (poorly cemented aeolian sandstone) made it susceptible to weathering. For this site to be available for future generations, great attention should be posed to its safeguard and avoid the permanent disappearance of what is currently a full-fledged natural and scientific resource. The conservation actions herein proposed will provide several benefits: they are meant to (i) valorize the aeolian deposits and the visible ichnofossils; (ii) show visitors, tourists, or students the geo-palaeontological richness of the territory; (iii) encourage tourists to explore the other numerous geosites spread in the island of Sardinia; and (iv) allow private entrepreneurs or local public administrations to develop economic opportunities.

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The Dinosaur Route in El Castellar (Teruel, Spain): Palaeontology as a Factor of Territorial Development and Scientific Education in a Sparsely Inhabited Area

Cited by 7 publications

References 28 publications

Where humid and arid meet: Sedimentology of coastal siliciclastic successions deposited in apparently contrasting climates

Where humid and arid meet: Sedimentology of coastal siliciclastic successions deposited in apparently contrasting climates

A new vertebrate assemblage from the Matute Formation of the Cameros Basin (Ágreda, Spain): implications for the diversity during the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary

The Funtana Morimenta Ichnosite (Sardinia, Italy): a Potential Geotourist Attraction

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