First tracks of newborn straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus)

Tracks and trackways of newborns, calves and juveniles attributed to straight-tusked elephants were found in the MIS 5 site (Upper Pleistocene) known as the Matalascañas Trampled Surface (MTS) at Huelva, SW Spain. Evidence of a snapshot of social behaviour, especially parental care, can be determined from the concentration of elephant tracks and trackways, and especially from apparently contemporaneous converging trackways, of small juvenile and larger, presumably young adult female tracks. The size frequency of the tracks enabled us to infer body mass and age distribution of the animals that crossed the MTS. Comparisons of the MTS demographic frequency with the morphology of the fore- and hind limbs of extant and fossil proboscideans shed light into the reproductive ecology of the straight-tusked elephant, Palaeloxodon antiquus. The interdune pond habitat appeared to have been an important water and food resource for matriarchal herds of straight-tusked elephants and likely functioned as a reproductive habitat, with only the rare presence of adult and older males in the MTS. The preservation of this track record in across a paleosol surface, although heavily trampled by different animals, including Neanderthals, over a short time frame, permitted an exceptional view into short-term intraspecific trophic interactions occurring in the Last Interglacial coastal habitat. Therefore, it is hypothesized that Neanderthals visited MTS for hunting or scavenging on weakened or dead elephants, and more likely calves.Universidad de Huelva y Junta de Andalucía. RNM-293 y RNM-238Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia de Portugal, fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea y plan COMPETE 2020 de Portugal. UIDB/MAR/ 04292/202

Mineralogy with Touch

En este trabajo se describe la actividad (taller-exposición) de divulgación científica inclusiva realizada dentro del Proyecto Mineralogía con Tacto de la Universidad de Sevilla y en colaboración con la Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE). El taller se realizó en el Centro de Recursos Educativos ONCE de Sevilla para estudiantes con diversidad funcional visual de 3º y 4º de la ESO de las Comunidades Autónomas de Andalucía y Extremadura. El taller-exposición versó sobre los minerales, sus propiedades físicas, sus usos y su condición como formadores de rocas. Con el objetivo de hacer efectivo el aprendizaje de este alumnado, los contenidos se diseñaron, trabajaron y experimentaron desde las propiedades organolépticas o sensoriales de los minerales. La valoración del alumnado sobre el enfoque de este taller como estrategia de aprendizaje de conceptos geológicos fue muy positiva.This paper describes an activity (workshop-exhibition) of inclusive scientific divulgation carried out in the framework of the Project ‘Mineralogy with Touch’ supported by the University of Seville in collaboration with the National Organization of Spanish Blind People (acronym ‘ONCE’ in Spanish). The workshop was held in the facilities of the ‘Educational Resource Center ONCE’ (Seville) for students with visual functional diversity. The students, belonging to the 3rd and 4th courses of secondary education (acronym ‘ESO’ in Spanish), came from Andalusia and Extremadura (southern and western Spain, respectively). The workshop-exhibition focused on minerals, their physical properties, their uses and their conditions as rock-forming minerals. In order to make effective the learning of these students, the contents were designed, developed and experimented from the organoleptic or sensorial properties of minerals. The aim of this workshop as a learning strategy for geological concepts was positively assessed by the students.VI Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia de la Universidad de Sevill

Paleoenvironmental characteristics of the «transitional facies» (Lower Pliocene) in the Northwestern sector of the Guadalquivir Basin (Albaida del Aljarafe, Seville, Spain)

The paleontological evidences (bivalves and crustacean decapods, mainly) of the «transitional facies» in Albaida del Aljarafe (SW. sector of the Guadalquivir Basin), indicate a relatively deep infralitoral plattform highly influenced by coastal terrigenous supply The paleoichnocoenosis data corroborate also, this assumptio

New data about pliocene macroflora in the Southwestern of the Iberian Peninsula (Lepe, Huelva, Spain)

A new macroflora outcrop, post-Upper Zanclian (Lower Pliocene at least) in age is discovered at first time in the Southwestern sector of the neogene Guadalquivir Basin (near to Lepe, Huelva, Spain). The taxa are mainly represented by Daphnogene, Laurophyllum, Acer, Platanus, Salix, and doubtful Ginkgo and Zelkova remnants. This macroflora indicates a subtropical paleoclimatic conditions, under high temperatures related with marsh zones or flows, and probably, with episodic dry seasons events. These results are congruents with the former microflora (pollen) data established in the region and they are also rather similar with the pliocene climatic conditions of the catalonian (NE of the Spain) and portuguese basin

Upper Neogene Ichnofacies of the Guadalquivir Basin (Lepe-Ayamonte area, Huelva, Spain)

Thè marine arid lacustrine Upper Neogene sediments in the Southwestern sector of the Guadalquivir Basin (Lepe-Ayamonte area, Huelva, Spain), are basically characterized by four distinte ichnofacies: Cruziana, Skolithos, mixed Cruziana-Skolithos, Gnathichnus and GlóssifungiièS ichrìófacies. The stages of ichnofacial evolution provides several palaeòenviromentàl keys for these materials, as bathimetry, hydrodihamic energy, salinity and type of substratu

Bioerosion scars of acorn barnacles from the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, upper neogene

New etching trace fossils produced by the attachment of balanid barnacles on fossil molluscs, mainly bivalves, from the Upper Miocene of Cacela (southern Portugal) and Lower Pliocene of Huelva (southwestern Spain) are described. These traces are named as Anellu¬sichnus n. igen. due to the ring-like shape of the scars. Two ichnospecies are recognized: A. circularis n. isp., consisting in a circular scar defined by a discoloured area or by a circular to subcircular trench and A. undulatus n. isp. that has a sinuous perimeter reflecting the undulate pathway of the furrow and a flat shelf etched into the substrate. Within the outer furrow both can display a cluster of circular, oval or subpo¬lygonal concentric lines. A. undulatus n. isp. shows several morpholo¬gies that correspond to different ontogenetic stages.Sono descritte nuove tracce fossili di dissoluzione dovute alla fissazione di cirripedi su molluschi, soprattutto bivalvi, nel Miocene superiore di Cacela (Portogallo meridionale) e nel Pliocene inferiore di Huelva (Spagna sudoccidentale). Queste tracce vengono denominate Anellusichnus n. igen., per la forma ad anello delle incisioni. Sono distinte due ichnospecie: A. circularis n. isp., che consiste in una incisione circolare delimitata da un’area decolorata o da un solco circolare o subcircolare. A. undulatus n. isp., che ha perimetro sinuoso, connesso con la traccia ondulata del solco a base piatta, inciso nel substrato. Nell’ambito del solco esterno entrambe le ichnospecie mostrano un insieme di linee concentriche circolari, ovali o subpoligonali. A. undulatus n. isp. presenta diverse morfologie, che corrispondono a diversi stadi ontogenetici

Cruziana- and Rusophycus-like traces of recent Sparidae fish in the estuary of the Piedras River (Lepe, Huelva, SW Spain)

Modern fish are able to produce a plethora of different traces (both bioturbation and bioerosion structures) according to several behaviours, yet only five ichnotaxa have been interpreted as produced by the activity of fish in the fossil record. Many taphonomic factors may favour the non-fossilization of many of these traces and, even fossilized, they could have been misinterpreted. In this contribution, shallow and bilobed traces produced by the feeding activity of the perciform fish Diplodus vulgaris (Sparidae) in the estuary of the Piedras River (Lepe, Huelva, SW Spain) are described. Neoichnological study and comparison of these bioturbation structures with the fossil record allow associating them as Cruziana- and Rusophycus-like traces, i.e. traces with features very similar to those of such ichnogenera. Since these ichnotaxa have been commonly interpreted as the result of the locomotion and resting of different kinds of invertebrates, in order to get a better understanding of the marine and continental fossil record, we also propose taking into account fish as potential producers of this kind of traces in future paleoichnological studies

Stratigraphic correlation between upper neogene units in the SW sector of the Iberian Peninsula

Upper Neogene Units (Late Miocene-Early Pliocene) in the SW sector of the Iberian Penninsula (Algarve, S of Portugal and Huelva-Sevilla, SW of Spain) have been finally correlated on the basis of bio-chronostratigraphic data obtained in new fossiliferous points of Huelva province (Lepe-Ayamonte area

New bio-cronostratigraphical data from the SW sector of the Guadalquivir basin (Lepe-Ayamonte Area, Huelva, Spain)

The paleontological data of the marine neogene sediments in the Lepe-Ayamonte area, Huelva (SW of the Guadalquivir basin) allow to establish a relative chronology from the presence of calcareous nannoplancton and malacofaunes. These data are congruent with the previous radiometric ag

Patrimonio Geológico y Ecoturismo

El desarrollo incontrolado de ciertas actividades relacionadas con la oferta ecoturística dentro de los Parques Naturales puede acarrear serios peligros para la conservación del Patrimonio Geológico. Un ejemplo claro lo constituye El Cerro del Hierro, lugar calificado actualmente como Paraje Natural Excepcional, dentro del Parque Natural Sierra Norte de Sevilla. Su riqueza geomorfológica (paisaje kárstico singular), mineralógica y paleontológica (importantes yacimientos del Cámbrico inferior) está amenazada gravemente por el expolio sistemático de fósiles y minerales, así como por la destrucción paulatina del paisaje a consecuencia de actividades relacionadas con el «ocio activo»Uncontroled activities related with the ecotourism in the Natural Parks may constitute an important danger in order to the conservation of their Geologic Patrimony. An example is the zone so called Cerro del Hierro, qualified at present, as Exceptional Natural Place, and located into the Parque Natural Sierra Norte de Sevilla. Systematic spoliation of fossils (Lower Cambrian) and minerals and the progressive destruction of the karstic landscape by activities carried-in at the open air, are the main menace