Submarine Basaltic Magmatism in the Subbetic Basin (Southern Spain): Insights into Melt-Weakening Processes during Mesozoic Continental Rifting

Mantle-derived volcanic rocks from the Subbetic hyperextended basin in SE Spain provide new insights into the composition and mechanical behavior of the mantle during continental rifting. The present study describes a sequential restored cross-section along with geochemical characteristics of the basaltic rocks interbedded within the Mesozoic succession of the basin. Sedimentary stacking patterns of minibasins above the mobilized salt reflect the relationships with coeval basaltic volcanism. We recognize two type localities on the basis of volcanic facies, the presence of shallow intrusive bodies, and age of the associated sedimentary formations. The first type corresponds to subaqueous pillow-lava flows and subvolcanic sills and dikes associated with Lower Jurassic marly limestones and Middle Jurassic oolitic limestones. The Jurassic basalts present enriched MORB compositions with moderate La/Sm and low Sm/Yb ratios. Interestingly, a significant group of this Jurassic basaltic magmatism departs from the typical MORB-OIB array, showing deep Nb-Ta negative anomalies and high Th/Nb ratios. The second type comprises subaqueous lava flows, also including pillow-shaped basalts interlayered with hyaloclastite deposits and Upper Cretaceous clays, radiolarites, and marly limestones. The Cretaceous magmatism is characterized by highly enriched MORB compositions. Furthermore, the moderate Sm/Yb values and the positive correlation between LREE/HREE and Zr point to the involvement of deep (Grt-present) mantle sources in the origin of the Cretaceous basaltic melts. We interpret the Lower- Middle Jurassic calc-alkaline signal as due to the partial melting of recycled crustal rocks within the upper mantle, i.e., associated with remnants of pre-Mesozoic subducted slabs. These characteristics are similar to those described in Triassic basaltic rocks widespread throughout the External Zone of the Betic Cordillera. Mantle-derived basalts interlayered within the Lower Jurassic syn-rift deposits indicate that melting and deformation within the lithospheric mantle was initiated early during continental rifting. Accordingly, we suggest that Early to Middle Jurassic mantle melts promoted failure within the upper mantle, thus contributing to the inception of lithospheric-scale shear zones, which, in turn, controlled the evolution of this magma-poor hyperextended margin. Subsequently, rift evolution gave way to the activation of deeper melt sources in the mantle and an increase of the alkaline signature at the Cretaceous time.Spanish Geological SurveyJunta de Andalucia A-RNM-005-UGR18 PY20-01387Spanish Government REViSE-Betics-PID2020-119651RB-I0

Determinación de la calidad óptica ocular en pacientes con glaucoma mediante la técnica del doble paso

El glaucoma primario de ángulo abierto (GPAA) es una enfermedad oftalmológica caracterizada por una disminución progresiva de la sensibilidad periférica del campo visual donde el paciente no percibe cambios en la visión ni signos en las primeras fases. Evoluciona con una pérdida progresiva de fibras nerviosas en la retina, y que suele asociarse a una presión intraocular elevada. Para valorar la calidad óptica de ojos afectados por GPAA, se ha utilizado el instrumento Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS), que permite hallar el grado de difusión intraocular que se produce en un sistema óptico mediante el parámetro OSI (índice objetivo de difusión) basándose en la técnica del doble paso, que consiste en analizar la luz que incide en el ojo y vuelve a salir tras reflejarse en la retina. Se han clasificado 86 ojos según su grado de glaucoma aplicando el criterio de Hodapp, Parrish y Anderson basado en la campimetría en hipertensos oculares y glaucoma incipiente, moderado y severo. A partir de aquí, se han analizado los parámetros de calidad óptica y se ha relacionado con los datos obtenidos mediante OCT. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que OSI es un parámetro objetivo que correlaciona con los diferentes grados de glaucoma

Reorganization of Northern Peri-Gondwanan Terranes at Cambrian–Ordovician Times: Insights from the Detrital Zircon Record of the Ossa-Morena Zone (SW Iberian Massif)

The Ossa-Morena Zone constitutes a fringe Gondwana-related terrane all along the Paleozoic. This continental block has been classically interpreted as being attached to a portion of the northern Gondwanan margin located close to the West African Craton. We report here the results of U-Pb dating on detrital zircon grains from 15 metasedimentary rocks collected in two well-exposed and well-dated Cambrian sections (Córdoba and Zafra) of the Ossa-Morena Zone. The studied samples show a dominant late Tonian-Ediacaran population peaked at c. 600 Ma. Secondary populations are Rhyacian-early Orosirian and late Orosirian-Statherian in age, with maxima at c. 2.1 and 1.9 Ga. Minor detrital zircon populations are Mesoarchean-early Siderian in age, with peaks between c. 3.05 and 2.45 Ga. Most of the studied samples lack a Stenian-early Tonian population, except for two of them with a minor peak at c. 1 Ga. Our results corroborate previous studies that locate the Ossa-Morena Zone close to the West African Craton and/or the Tuareg Shield (i.e., in a western position with respect to other Variscan zones of the Iberian Massif) at the onset of the rifting stage that opened the Rheic Ocean. Nevertheless, the absence of a significant Stenian-early Tonian population in the Cambrian Ossa-Morena rocks contrasts with the reported results on middle Ordovician-Lower Devonian rocks of this zone, which systematically contain an important population with a peak at c. 1 Ga. We relate this change to the latest Ediacaran-early Ordovician paleogeographic/paleotectonic evolution of the Ossa-Morena Zone, which might have recorded a significant eastward displacement, together with a reorganization of the drainage systems. Thus, the vanishing stages of the Cadomian orogeny could have translated eastward the Ossa-Morena Zone terrane at latest Ediacaran-earliest Cambrian time due to change in plate kinematics from subduction to right-lateral shearing. This translation would have shifted the Ossa-Morena Zone from an Ediacaran location close to the West African Craton to a Cambrian position close to the Tuareg Shield. Finally, the rift-to-drift transition occurred at late Cambrian-early Ordovician time along the northern Gondwanan margin would have reorganized the drainage systems, facilitating sediment supply from an eastern source with abundant Stenian-early Tonian detrital zircon grains, probably the Saharan Metacraton.Consejeria de Transformacion Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades de la Junta de Andalucia P20_00063 PY20-01387Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish Government PID2020-118822GB-I00 PID2020-119651RB-I0

Cortical Contrast Processing in Retinitis Pigmentosa: Evidence of PVEPs Spatial Functions

We thank Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Aguilera for her assistance with the graphs.Objective: To study the effect of check width size of the stimuli on the amplitude and latency of the P100 component of visual evoked potentials recorded in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods: Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) were recorded in 16 RP patients and 20 visually normal subjects. Pattern reversal stimuli with five different check widths and 100% of contrast were projected in the right eye of both patients and control subjects. PVEPs induced by stimuli with 78%, 16%, and 6% of contrast were also recorded in 10 of the control subjects. Results: In RP patients, the amplitude of P100 was smaller than controls in all check sized used and the peak P100 amplitude was obtained with a larger check width than in controls. P100 was also delayed in RP patients in all check sizes studied. The P100 amplitude- and latency-check size functions of RP patients were like those found in control subjects with low contrast stimuli of 16% and 6%. Conclusion: The PVEPs spatial functions of RP patients show quantitative and qualitative changes, suggesting disease induced alteration in the neural processing of stimulus contrast.Junta de Andalucia PB98-131

Genetic characterization of the Spanish Trotter horse breed using microsatellite markers

To assist in selection schemes we carried out the first genetic characterization of the Spanish Trotter horse (Trotador Español). We used 16 microsatellite markers to genotype 40 unrelated Spanish trotters, 25 native Balearic horses (11 Menorquina and 14 Mallorquina horses) and 32 Andalusian horses. The observed heterozygosity for the Spanish Trotters was 0.647 ± 0.037 and the expected heterozygosity was 0.696 ± 0.026 while the average number of alleles per locus was 6.0 ± 0.341, these values being similar to the data published for other horse breeds. We also tried to establish the importance of the Mallorquina and Menorquina breeds in the present Spanish Trotter population. Only 9% of the total genetic variability could be attributed to differences between breeds (mean FST = 0.09 ± 0.010). Recent migration rates were confirmed the low recent genetic relationship between the Balearic breeds and Spanish Trotters, indicating that the genetic background of the present Spanish Trotter population is not based on the native Balearic horse populatio

Estructura del sistema de cría y variabilidad genética del núcleo de control cárnico del esquema de selección de la raza retinta

En el presente trabajo se ha abordado el análisis del flujo genético, la estructura poblacional y la variabilidad genética del Núcleo de Control Cárnico (NCC) del Esquema de Selección de la Raza Retinta desde su inicio hasta la actualidad. El Núcleo de Control Cárnico del Esquema de Selección de la Raza Retinta cuenta actualmente con 40499 animales controlados. De éstos, 19756 pertenecen a alguna de las 64 ganaderías actualmente inscritas en dicho Esquema. Estas últimas son las que nos ocupan en el estudio. En primer lugar se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de la contribución de las ganaderías del NCC a la población en control a partir de la aportación de animales controlados y de reproductores. Esto ha permitido conocer las ganaderías que pueden considerarse de élite y el flujo existente dentro del núcleo. Para determinar el nivel de variabilidad existente en las ganaderías del NCC se ha evaluado el porcentaje de consanguinidad y el coeficiente de parentesco. Por último se ha estimado la distancia genética entre las ganaderías del Núcleo, teniendo en cuenta el grado de parentesco genealógico medio entre los reproductores de cada ganadería

Comment on ‘‘Stratigraphy of the Northern Pulo do Lobo Domain, SW Iberia Variscides: A palynological contribution’’ by Zelia Pereira et al. (2018) – Geobios 51, 491–506

The paper by Zelia Pereira et al. (2018) is a valuable input to better constrain the Devonian palynological record of a number of siliciclastic formations of the Pulo do Lobo Unit (also known as Pulo do Lobo Domain or Pulo do Lobo Zone) in SW Iberia. They have recognized for the first time in the Pulo do Lobo Fm. and in the imbricated phyllites of the Peramora Me´lange palynomorph assemblages assigned to the middle Frasnian, as well as new Devonian palynomorphs in the Ribeira de Limas, Santa Iria and Horta da Torre formations, and the Alajar Me´ lange. Furthermore, Ze´ lia Pereira et al. (2018) intend to promote a ‘‘detailed discussion of the palynological versus geochronological ages by comparing their biostratigraphic ages with the maximum depositional ages inferred for the same formations according to detrital zircon geochronology (Pe´rez-Ca´ ceres et al., 2017; Pereira et al., 2017). The purpose of their discussion is to question the validity of zircon geochronological data, which allegedly would be contradictory with the palynomorph content, and thus not compatible with the established stratigraphic sequence. In our view, this discussion is inconsistent due to: i) the impossibility that primary igneous ages in zircon grains would have been rejuvenated during Early Carboniferous low- grade regional metamorphism; ii) a wrong interpretation of the meaning and implications of maximal depositional ages derived from the youngest detrital zircon population