Bringing together research, geoconservation and reaching a broad public in the form of a geotourism project: the Ichnite Route of Soria (Spain)

A detailed evaluation of the palaeoichnological work carried out in the Highlands (“Tierras Altas”) of Soria (Spain) over the last 35 years is provided. The scientific research performed by different teams on the vertebrate tracksites of the Early Cretaceous deposits of the Huérteles Fm. has engendered and fostered the “Ruta de las icnitas de Soria” (Ichnite Route of Soria) project, which consists both of geoconservation work on the main vertebrate tracksites and of drawing public attention to their existence. The ichnite route represents a good example of how scientific research may help to promote projects based on geotourism. Further, the research has also led to the recovery of a significant collection of vertebrate footprints that are currently housed in the Numantine Museum (“Museo Numantino”) in Soria. This collection is one of the finest from the beginning of the Early Cretaceous both in terms of the number and quality of the tracks and in terms of their ichnodiversity (footprint types). Drawing increased attention to this collection by putting it on public display would be an exceptional complement to the ichnite route, as it would mean that visitors could also see other tracks. 2018, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp 393–403 | Cite a

Pupil size differences between female and male patients after cataract surgery

Purpose To evaluate the changes in pupil diameter in women and men after cataract surgery. The correlation of pupillary changes with the variables age and anterior chamber depth will be analyzed. Methods The values of 109 randomized eyes who underwent cataract surgery were obtained and divided into two groups, 71 women and 38 men. Pupil diameter was measured preoperatively and 3-months postoperatively using the pupillometer software of the Topolyzer Vario (Wavelight Laser Technologie AG). Anterior chamber depth was obtained with Pentacam® (Oculus). Differences in pupillary diameters were investigated and correlations with age and anterior chamber depth were analyzed. Results For mesopic pupils, the male group had greater reduction in their postoperative pupillary diameter, -0.56 mm (-12.4%), than the female group, -0.38 mm (-8.2%), P = 0.025. Photopic postoperative pupils reduced to a lesser extent, yet more in men than in women (-0.11mm [-4.5%] vs. -0.04 [-1.6%], P = 0.048). Weak significant negative correlation was found between photopic pupillary changes in women with age (r = -0.24, P = 0.041), and positive correlation for mesopic pupillary changes in men with age (r = +0.34, P = 0.039). Conclusions Patients experience pupil reduction after cataract surgery in general, but more in men than in women and for both photopic and mesopic lighting conditions. The differences are statistically significant and have moderate clinical relevance. Concerning pupillary changes, weak but opposite sign correlations were found between male/female gender and age.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDERfunds under project Ref. DPI2016-76019-RPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Tracking late jurassic ornithopods in the lusitanian basin of Portugal : Ichnotaxonomic implications

The Sociedade de História Natural in Torres Vedras, Portugal houses an extensive collection of as yet undescribed dinosaur tracks with ornithopod affinities. They have been collected from different Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) geological formations (Praia de Amoreira-Porto Novo, Alcobaça, Sobral, and Freixial) that outcrop along the Portuguese coast, and belong to two different sub-basins of the Lusitanian Basin (the Consolação and Turcifal sub-basins). Three main morphotypes can be distinguished on the basis of size, mesaxony and the morphology of the metatarsophalangeal pad impression. The minute to small-sized morphotype is similar to the Anomoepus-like tracks identified in other Late Jurassic areas. The small to medium-sized morphotype resembles the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous ichnotaxon Dinehichnus, already known in the Lusitanian Basin. Interestingly, these two morphotypes can be distinguished qualitatively (slightly different size, metatarsophalangeal pad impression and digit morphology) but are nevertheless difficult to discriminate by quantitatively analysing their length-width ratio and mesaxony. The third morphotype is considered a large ornithopod footprint belonging to the ichnofamily Iguanodontipodidae. This ichnofamily is typical for Cretaceous tracksites but the new material suggests that it might also be present in the Late Jurassic. The three morphotypes show a negative correlation between size and mesaxony, so the smaller tracks show the stronger mesaxony, and the larger ones weaker mesaxony. The Upper Jurassic ornithopod record from the Lusitanian Basin has yielded both small and medium-sized ornithopod remains, mainly iguanodontians such as dryosaurids and ankylopollexians, which are the main candidates to be the trackmakers

Enigmatic tracks of solitary sauropods roaming an extensive lacustrine megatracksite in Iberia

Sauropod remains are abundant on the Iberian Peninsula across the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition. Where the osteological record shows a high diversity of this kind of dinosaur, the ichnological findings are mainly limited to sauropod tracks characterized by kidney-shaped manus (with or without pollex impressions) and pes impressions with three claw imprints oriented laterally. Here, we present a new sauropod ichnotaxon, Iniestapodus burgensis, found at several exposures within the Las Sereas megatracksite (Burgos, Spain). These are preserved within lacustrine limestone strata of the Rupelo Formation (Tithonian-Berriasian). Iniestapodus burgensis is characterized by: semicircular manus tracks with small pollex impressions; unusual tetradactyl pes tracks with evidence of four claws oriented anteriorly (I-II) and laterally (III-IV), of variable sizes (short claw I and IV impressions, claw II and III being the largest). The combination of features and comparison with the osteological record allows us to propose a non-titanosaurian titanosauriform as a possible trackmaker. All the Iniestapodus tracks are represented by at least two different size classes of small and medium-sized individuals, and their trackways show different multidirectional orientations. The paleoenvironmental and paleoecological data suggest that Iniestapodus trackmakers were solitary individuals, likely representing different age classes, that crossed and used the Las Sereas shallow lacustrine-palustrine areas as their preferred habitat

Paleoecology and paleoenvironment of the Early Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnoassemblage of the Los Corrales del Pelejón tracksite, Teruel Province, Spain

The earliest Cretaceous (mid-late Berriasian) tracksite Los Corrales del Pelejón is an important dinosaur trackway site in Teruel Province in Spain. The ichnoassemblage occurs in the Galve Formation (Galve sub-basin, Maestrazgo Basin) and comprises around 40 tracks assigned to theropods and ornithopods. In this paper, we undertake a paleoenvironmental analysis of the succession, which includes the overbank deposits of a fluvial environment, and discuss the implications of these findings for trackway preservation and orientation. The track-bearing unit is composed of fine- to very fine-grained, thinly bedded sandstone layers with wave ripples and traces of the Mermia ichnofacies, which were deposited as splay deposits within an ephemeral overbank pond. Two different theropod ichnotaxa (Megalosauripus cf. transjuranicus and Grallatoridae indet.) of three different size classes occur as small-, medium-, and large-sized tracks. The ornithopod tracks are classified as cf. Iguanodontipus isp. Five theropod trackways (M. cf. transjuranicus) show a bimodal orientation pattern with a similar orientation to NE-SW wave ripple crests, suggesting that these animals were walking parallel to the shoreline of the ephemeral overbank pond. Three of them walked in a similar subparallel orientation, but there is no evidence suggesting gregarious behavior as they have slightly different orientations and/or speed values. The Los Corrales del Pelejón site is an example of environmental influence on dinosaur behavior

Paleohistología y permineralización de dos saurópodos del ciclo Jurásico en la subcuenca de Galve (Teruel, España)

En este trabajo se realiza una aproximación a la paleohistología de dos dinosaurios saurópodos, Galvesaurus herreroi Barco et al., 2005 y un saurópodo indeterminado. El primero procede del yacimiento Cuesta Lonsal de Galve (Teruel) de edad Kimmeridgiense superior mientras que el segundo se ha encontrado en el yacimiento La Peñuela en Camarillas (Teruel) cuya de edad es Berriasiense. Las observaciones histológicas realizadas a partir de láminas delgadas de los restos óseos en microscopio óptico, han permitido determinar el estadio ontogenético de los saurópodos en el momento de su muerte, tratándose en Galvesaurus y el saurópodo de La Peñuela de ejemplares adulto y senil, respectivamente. Así mismo, se ha realizado un estudio mineralógico de las muestras paleohistológicas combinando la microscopía óptica y electrónica de barrido de emisión de campo (FESEM). En el estudio se observa que los procesos diagenéticos son similares en los restos óseos de los dos ejemplares. El apatito que compone los huesos no ha sido modificado durante la diagénesis. Los rellenos en los canales y cavidades vasculares son mayoritariamente cementos calcíticos, granos detríticos y óxidos. El hecho de que los procesos observados sean similares en los distintos individuos se debe probablemente a la similitud litológica y de historia geológica de las formaciones en las que los ejemplares fueron encontrados.In this work a paleohistological approach to two sauropod dinosaurs, Galvesaurus herreroi Barco et al., 2005 and an undescribed specimen have been performed. The former comes from the Cuesta Lonsal site in Galve (Teruel) and it is late Kimmeridgian in age whereas the latter have been found in La Peñuela site in Camarillas (Teruel) and it is Berriasian in age. The histological observations of the skeletal remains that were made from the thin sections in an optical microscope have allowed to determine the ontogenetic stage of the sauropods at the time of their death: Galvesaurus and the sauropod of La Peñuela were adult and senile specimens, respectively. A mineralogical study of the paleohistological samples has also been carried out, combining optical and field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM). In the study it is observed that the diagenetic processes are similar in the bone remains of the two specimens. The apatite of the bones has not been modified during diagenesis. The fillings in vascular channels and cavities are mainly calcite cements, detrital grains and oxides. The fact that the observed processes are similar in the two individuals is probably due to the lithological similarity and the geological history of the formations in which the specimens were collected

Paleontología e interpretación medioambiental de las icnitas de mamíferos del yacimiento de Fondota (Paleógeno, Abiego, Huesca)

In this work it is presented a tracksite in the vicinity of Abiego with at least 661 ichnites and 32 tracks in a level of sandstone with high carbonate content. This site is known as Fondota site. The site has been dated to a Lower Oligocene age by the study of microfossil content for the unit where it is located.The Fondota site is extremely significant from both scientific and economic point of view and especially for the village of Abiego. The site is located in Paleogene sediments of the Ebro basin. Thus, it is one of the few Paleogene that can be found in Europe. It also provides with the information about the paleo-ecological record of that moment along with the behavior of the species that have been identified. In Fondota site there are four types of ichnites: Anoplotheriipus cf. lavocati, Anoplotheriipus isp., Entelodontipus cf. viai and a fourth morfotype which cannot be accurately identified but it can be produce by a large perisodactyl. The ichnites associated to Anoplotheriipus and Entelodontipus were produced by herbivorous mammals that belong to Artiodactyla. Also the tracks allow determining the social behavior of the trackmakers.In the limit Eocene-Oligocene, in Europe took place an event known as the Grande Coupure, it was a great fauna exchange with Asia whereby a large part of the existing species in Europe disappear being replaced by new Asian species. This event might be noted in Fondota site where there are the mix of ancient species that existed during the Eocene and a new Oligocene species. Also in Europe there was a climate change and the forests of the Eocene gave way to more open environments. <br /

An exceptional paleoichnological record of artiodactyls in the early Oligocene of Abiego (Huesca, Spain)

RESUMEN: El yacimiento de Fondota en Abiego (Huesca, España) es uno de los yacimientos de icnitas de mamíferos más relevantes en el Paleógeno europeo por presentar un número excepcional (más de 600 icnitas) de artiodáctilo. Se localiza en la Cuenca del Ebro, en la base de la Formación Peraltilla (Oligoceno inferior) en un nivel de calizas lacustres. Las icnitas poseen una gran variabilidad en sus morfologías y grado de conservación, sin embargo en la mayoría se observa la impresión de dos dedos en posición anterior, siendo este carácter típico de mamíferos artiodáctilos. Se han identificado cuatro morfotipos: dos se relacionan con el icnogénero Anoplotheriipus; un tercero con Entelondontipus cf. viai; y el cuarto son icnitas indeterminadas de gran tamaño. El yacimiento posee además 32 rastros del icnogénero Anoplotheriipus, que han permitido determinar un posible comportamiento gregario de sus productores.RESUMO: A jazida de Fondota em Abiego (Huesca, Espanha) é uma das jazidas de ichnitas de mamíferos mais importantes no Paleogénico Europeu por apresentar um número excecional (mais de 600 ichnitas) de artiodáctilo. Esta jazida localiza-se na Bacia do Ebro, na base da Formação Peraltilla (Oligocénico inferior) num nível de calcários lacustres. As ichnitas possuem uma grande variabilidade nas suas morfologias e grau de conservação, contudo, na maioria observa-se a impressão de dois dedos posicionados anteriormente, característica típica dos mamíferos artiodáctilos. Foram identificados quatro morfotipos: dois relacionados com o icnogénero Anoplotheriipus; um terceiro com Entelondontipus cf. viai; e o quarto são ichnitas indeterminadas de grande tamanho. A jazida possui ainda 32 rastos do icnogénero Anoplotheriipus, que permitiram determinar um possível comportamento gregário dos seus produtores.ABSTRACT: The Fondota tracksite in Abiego (Huesca, Spain) is one of the most relevant in the Paleogene of Europe, due the exceptional number of artiodactyl ichnites (more than 600). It is located in the Ebro Basin in the base of the Peraltilla Formation (Early Oligocene) and is preserved in a lacustrine limestone bed. The ichnites have great variability both in their morphologies and degree of morphological preservation. However, all of them present the impression of two digits in an anterior position, a feature typical of artiodactyl footprints. Four morphotypes been identified: two of them related to the ichnogenus Anoplotheriipus, a third related to Entelondontipus cf. viai; and a fourth indeterminate morphotype compound of large-sized ichnites. The site also has 32 trackways of the ichnogenus Anoplotheriipus, which have made it possible to determine their possible gregarious behavior.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aula Paleontológica y Ruta de las Icnitas de Soria: un espacio paleontológico musealizado con fines didácticos y turísticos

La riqueza y variedad de yacimientos con icnitas de dinosaurio y otros reptiles descubiertos en la comarca soriana de Tierras Altas, motivó la puesta en marcha, a finales del siglo XX, de la Ruta de las Icnitas. Este espacio museográfico, constituido por 15 yacimientos visitables y un Aula Paleontológica que cumple las labores de Centro de Interpretación y Visitantes,ha recibido el impulso de las autoridades locales y regionales con el fin de convertirlo en un referente nacional e internacional a nivel científico,patrimonial, didáctico, educativo y turístico. Esto ha permitido la realización de labores continuas de inventario y conservación, y la puesta en valor de unos yacimientos que cada año atraen a cientos de escolares, familias y turistas, convirtiéndose así el turismo natural y cultural en motor dedesarrollo para la comarca. El interés científico que avala la iniciativa se pone de manifiesto en los continuos hallazgos que han permitido identificar unos 200 yacimientos con icnitas de dinosaurios saurópodos, terópodos, ornitópodos y estegosauridos, además de otras de tortuga,cocodrilo y pterosaurio. Un amplio y variado registro que despierta el interés de muchos visitantes potenciales y que se convierte en herramientade gran valor educativo e interpretativo

El yacimiento de icnitas de artiodáctilos de Fondota (Abiego, Huesca): paleoambiente e icnotafonomía

El yacimiento de Fondota (Abiego, Huesca) es uno los yacimientos con más fósiles de icnitas de vertebrados de la Cuenca del Ebro. Éstas presentan una gran variedad de grados de preservación morfológica (MP) por lo que resulta fundamental conocer las condiciones sedimentológicas bajo las que se desarrolló. El yacimiento, localizado en la parte inferior de la Formación Peraltilla (Oligoceno inferior), se sitúa en la superficie de un nivel de calizas grises masivas que presenta indicadores de escasa profundidad y desecación (nodulización, laminación estromatolítica…). El nivel calcáreo correspondió a un área encharcada desarrollada sobre depósitos de un relleno de canal en una zona aluvial distal. En dicha situación, las icnitas se originaron bajo diferentes condiciones con variaciones en la humedad y el contenido de agua del substrato. Estas condiciones tuvieron una influencia directa en los valores altos o bajos de MP, y, por tanto, en la presencia/ausencia de detalles anatómicos