Notas sobre depósitos de Taveiro estratigrafia, paleontologia, idade, paleoecologia

This paper reports some research work that has been done to support Geological Survey's field work for the 1:50.000 Carta Geológica de Portugal, (sheets 19-C Figueira da Foz and 19-D Coimbra-Lousã). Its main purpose was to establish the age of some continental formations. At Cerâmica do Mondego, Ld.ª near Taveiro, two series were observed. The lower one is mainly pelitic, montmorillonite being predominant. It also includes some sandy beds and channel deposits with high energy sediments (conglomerate with limestone pebbles). The upper series lies unconformably upon the former, and there is a neat discontinuity surface between the two. It mainly consists of sands, kaolinite being the most abundant of the clay minerals. This seems to indicate an intensive weathering, an acid, well drained environment and transportation by quite high energy running waters. No fossils were recorded. Preliminary paleontological results are presented, along with some data concerning other localities (Aveiro, etc.). Fossils found in the lower series are: gastropoda (Bulimus gaudryi, TV. 15 bed), several vertebrates (TV. 18), fishes (TV. 19?) and plants (TV. 19-TV. 24). Vertebrata belong to the same fauna as that from Vizo, Aveiro, etc. The presence of mammals is most important as only a single tooth was previously Know in Europe (Southern France) in Late Cretaceous formations. Elsewhere there are some mammalian remains in Peru besides the rich assemblages found in the USA and Mongolia. Plants are representative of the «Debeya flora» well known at several localities in Beira Litoral province, in «Buçaco sandstones», and in Lisbon's «Basaltic Complex». The most important stratigraphical conclusion is that the lower series is Upper Campanian and/or Maastrichtian in age, and not Tertiary as sometimes it has been considered. As at Aveiro, «Bebeya flora» occurs in-beds somewhat higher than those with the Aveiro-Vizo-Taveiro vertebrate fauna. Correlation with other «Debeya flora» localities are now more clear. Data concerning Taveiro lower series, in the whole, point out to a rather warm (and moist?) environment in an occasionally (seasonally?) flooded region.

Notas sobre depósitos de Taveiro estratigrafia, paleontologia, idade, paleoecologia

This paper reports some research work that has been done to support Geological Survey's field work for the 1:50.000 Carta Geológica de Portugal, (sheets 19-C Figueira da Foz and 19-D Coimbra-Lousã). Its main purpose was to establish the age of some continental formations. At Cerâmica do Mondego, Lda. near Taveiro, two series were observed. The lower one is mainly pelitic, montmorillonite being predominant. It also includes some sandy beds and channel deposits with high energy sediments (conglomerate with limestone pebbles). The upper series lies unconformably upon the former, and there is a neat discontinuity surface between the two. It mainly consists of sands, kaolinite being the most abundant of the clay minerals. This seems to indicate an intensive weathering, an acid, well drained environment and transportation by quite high energy running waters. No fossils were recorded. Preliminary paleontological results are presented, along with some data concerning other localities (Aveiro, etc). Fossils found in the lower series are: gastropoda (Bulimus gaudryi, TV. 15 bed), several vertebrates (TV. 18), fishes (TV. 19?) and plants (TV. 19-TV. 24). Vertebrata belong to the same fauna as that from Vizo, Aveiro, etc. The presence of mammals is most important as only a single tooth was previously know in Europe (Southern France) in Late Cretaceous formations. Elsewhere there are some mammalian remains in Peru besides the rich assemblages found in the USA and Mongolia. Plants are representative of the «Debeya flora» well known at several localities in Beira Litoral province, in «Buçaco sandstones», and in Lisbon's «Basaltic Complex». The most important stratigraphical conclusion is that the lower series is Upper Campanian and/or Maastrichtian in age, and not Tertiary as sometimes it has been considered. As at Aveiro, «Bebeya flora» occurs in-beds somewhat higher than those with the Aveiro-Vizo-Taveiro vertebrate fauna. Correlation with other «Debeya flora» localities are now more clear. Data concerning Taveiro lower series, in the whole, point out to a rather warm (and moist?) environment in an occasionally (seasonally?) flooded region.

Veiga Ferreira e a Paleontologia em Portugal

This communication deals with the less known research activities on Palconlology by Octávio da Veiga Ferreira, since just after he became a member of the staff of the Serviços Geológicos de Portugal. These activities lasted for about 25 years (1951-1975, eventually up to 1987). Besides much field and laboralory work, Veiga Ferreira produced (alone or in collaboration} 38 papers. These concern vertebrates, echinoids, pectens and other molluscs, and malacostraca, as well as some papers of a more general or divulgation character. Studied fossils range from Jurassic to Quaternary, and from continental Portugal to Santa Maria Island (Azores), the Madeira Archipel and Angola. Veiga Ferreira is author of much valid work. He generously helped others as well. A bibliography for his paleontological papers is provided.

Os topónimos algarvios na Paleontologia portuguesa

Since the XIX century, Portuguese and foreign geologists have defined 47 new invertebrate taxa (foraminifera, ostracods, coelenterates, brachiopods, gastropods, ammonoids, echinoids), 2 new fossil plant taxa (charophyte and pteridophyte) and 1 ichnofossil, using toponymy from the Algarve; these taxa refer to 1 genera, 47 species and 2 varieties. Besides the Algarve toponym, the most used as specific name, twenty others have been used, mostly from western Algarve; these toponyms are associated to: – Miocene units, particularly from Ribeira de Cacela and Ferragudo; – Cretaceous units between Zavial and Marim; – Upper Jurassic units from Sagres, Carrapateira and Loulé and Middle Jurassic units from Sagres and Guilhim; – Triassic units from Vila do Bispo to Tavira; – Carboniferous units, particularly from the Aljezur-Bordeira-Carrapateira region. The earliest of these designations were attributed to seven gastropods from the Upper Miocene of Cacela (COSTA, 1866-1867). The majority of the named species are typical of the Algarve, but some have been collected, as well, in the Lusitanian Basin. Although extensively cited in the geological literature, some of these taxa either do not fulfill the ICZN rules, or fall into synonymy with previously established taxa, or should be formally considered as non valid names (nomem nudum and nomen oblitum). Only widespread bibliographical review, associated with the palaeontological revision of some of these groups and the correct interpretation of the ICZN articles, will allow confirming, or not, the doubts that have now arisen.

Paleontologia e evolução a problemática da espécie em Paleozoologia

The concept of species in Paleontology is of paramount importance since the correct taxonomic determinations are essential to establish the age of the beds where fossils are collected. Particularly since 1940, the concept of species from a biological context, corresponding to the variability of a set of interpopulation compatibility, led us to a new approach, in which a typological conception has been replaced by a populationist one. If the notion of species is not necessarily identical for all living organisms, the greater the difficulties of interpretation in the private world of cephalopod fossils. The latter, lend themselves well to population systematics, and where this concept of species rests primarily on the morphological similarities. Thus, the introduction of general ideas analyse "typological species", "biological species", the problem of the definition of a "population" in Paleontology, and also the importance of the biometric analysis of fossil associations. The classic examples of polymorphism amd polytypism, in existing or extinct organisms, show that the concept of fossil species, observed in a well-defined period of its lifetime, is no different from that of biological species. The study of the evolution of fossil organisms allow us to understand the modelities of evolution and the mechanisms of speciation here synthesized and fully documented, namely the anagenesis or sequential evolution and the cladogenesis or divergent evoltuion; these mechanisms are the basis of the synthetic or gradualist theory of evolution developed by Dobzhansky, Mayr, Huxley, Rensch and impson. This summary ends with a reference to the theory of punctuated (or intermittent) equilibria proposed by Gould and Eldredge, who presented a more objective interpretation of morphological gaps, considered as elements of evolution itself. The interdisciplinary collaboration between zoologists, geneticists and paleontologists, is compulsory in this domain. Paleozoology has a key role since it conveys the dynamism and depth to the dimension of space-time duality.

As grandes transformações das plantas ao longo da história da terra

Dissertação de mestrado em Geologia para o ensino

Biostratigrafia de Foraminíferos do Miocénico em Portugal

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Geologia, especialidade de Estratigrafia e Paleobiologia

The Neogene of the Lower Tagus Basin (Portugal)

Revista Española de Paleontologia 19 (2), 229-242

Projecto SIGAP: sistema de informação geográfica aplicado à Palentologia

Trabalho de projecto apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica.

Fundamentos para uma exposição hipotética do Jurássico Superior da Lourinhã

Pretende-se fundamentar uma exposição sobre o Jurássico Superior da Lourinhã, focando os tetrápodes e, mais especialmente os dinossauros. Para tal selecionam-se vinte espécies e, através de diversos dioramas, conduz-se um discurso expositivo que aborde, não só a fauna escolhida, como também as várias disciplinas relacionadas com a paleontologia. Durante o trabalho tentou conhecer-se a situação actual da paleontologia em Portugal. A situação legal, do património paleontológico, as diversas colecções acessíveis ao público, o enquadramento geológico da Lourinhã e as diversas tentativas de musealização feitas até à data. Fez-se um levantamento da principal fauna tetrápoda reportada para Portugal e quais mereciam destaque no Jurássico Superior