This discovery, made by a researcher at the National University of Colombia, is another promising step in the path of paleontology in the country. The finding is the fossil of a large predatory lizard that lived in the Cretaceous sea waters that covered much of the territory now occupied by Colombia and found on the ground construction of a pipeline in Villa de Leyva, Boyacá.
Early Cretaceous period about 150 million years, a quiet sea covered much of the territory that is now Colombia. At that time, a gulf entered by the current location of Antioquia and continued to the South and the East, home to current areas of the Coffee, Santander, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima and Huila. The shoreline was going through the Llanos foothills.
This sea was fed by nutrient-rich cold currents that provided a large fish fauna, which, in turn, constituted the diet of plesiosaurs, large dinosaurs of the sea. Within
of all were the Pliosaurs plesiosaurs, giant marine reptiles that reached up to 12 meters long and also had a short neck and powerful that facilitated their move to force his big head equipped with powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
Sutamarchán In the region, Sáchica and Villa de Leyva in Boyaca department, there are several paleontological sites that allow document the existence of Cretaceous vertebrates in the sea and investigate the dynamics and distribution of flora and fauna that geographical area during that period.
The scientific literature on these sites has generated surprising given the global expectation abundance of fossils in the area and its good condition. It is even common that the skeletons are articulated and preserved in three dimensions, which contrasts with the scarcity of fossils from the same period found in the world.
The new marine reptile researcher Mary
Eurydice Páramo Fonseca, professor of the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences of the UN, found in the rural area of \u200b\u200bVilla de Leyva a fossil pliosaur submitted almost four meters long. Mandibular and dental fragments led to the teacher to copy, while inspecting the field, as part of the Paleontological Evaluation construction of the pipeline corridor Llanos (Ecopetrol) in the region of Sutamarchán, Villa de Leyva and Sáchica, running the university and a firm of consulting engineers.
"Conscious of the fossil wealth is in the area of \u200b\u200bthe municipality, Villa de Leyva authorities insisted that, during construction of the pipeline, be careful of palaeontological interest material found on site. This aspect was considered in the environmental component of the project. As a result it was possible to develop academic activities that led to the fossil, in February this year, "said Professor Páramo. Studies
features rocks in the Colombian municipality indicate that the waters of that sea was calm, so it was possible the development of abundant life. In addition, investigations reveal that the Cretaceous period in this area were presented stable conditions, which favored the existence of large marine reptiles, said the scientist.
Also, referred to the good level of preservation of fossil vertebrates: "Possibly the sea was shallow and in essence was a shortage of oxygen, which may have attenuated the decomposition of such bodies, promoting preservation to the present. It is also possible that certain types algae coated bodies and protect them. "
About 65 million years ago ended the Cretaceous Period and Cenozoic Era began, which was consolidated in the Andes. Emerging from this mountain, one of the largest in the world today, the sea was moved hundreds of miles to the north, leaving the current department of Boyacá and other sites located in Santander, Tolima and Huila vestiges of vitality of that past ocean. Illegal trade
fossil
on the new fossil, Maria Paramo, a geologist at the A Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, specializing Paleontology University of Poitiers, France, said that "it is a large animal with fins that enabled him to quickly move his massive body. The remains dug under the hipbone, the hind flippers and tail of an individual. Mandibular fragments can estimate that the front of the specimen is preserved, but must have suffered looting in previous years. "
The phenomenon of the illegal trade of fossils is acute in Villa de Leyva. For decades it is estimated that thousands of pieces of this type have left the region and the country wasting valuable natural and cultural heritage of the nation. However, there has been a growing awareness of the people the municipality on the value of the objects of palaeontological interest, from campaigns conducted by the Paleontological Museum of Villa de Leyva, belonging to the Faculty of Sciences of the UN, among others. In 2009, more than 1,100 children and young students from the area participated in the programs developed by the museum.
On the other hand, Sáchica Sutamarchán and fossiliferous areas are as promising as Villa de Leyva and perhaps a greater potential, since they have been explored less, and the plundering of fossil fuels has not been as dramatic. Follow
investigate, preserve and exhibit
The study of fossils and the areas where they remained for buried centuries can learn more about the creatures that inhabited the earth in past ages, and their interactions, propagation times and environments in certain areas.
Paleontologists extract fossil coated gypsum blocks to protect and preserve the position of the pieces. This is done alongside a detailed photographic record and study the characteristics of the area. Then he proceeds to identify the anatomical elements, which are compared with findings documented in scientific literature. This will classify the new copy within a genus and then find the species to which it corresponds. The work of cleaning the fossils involves hundreds of hours of careful work using chemical baths precise tools and pneumatic hammers.
For now, it is expected that the fossil material is transferred to the Paleontological Museum of Villa de Leyva (see box). Meanwhile, research efforts and preservation of the fossils will continue its march to the use of geophysical tools, under the scientific guidance of geologist Orlando Hernández, MSc, professor of the Department of Geosciences at the UN.
One objective is that the people of the area and the large number of tourists visiting the region to appreciate the pieces, which will be handled properly from the point museum and museum of view. In this sense, the director of the Department of Geosciences at the UN, Juan Carlos Molano, said that "it is very important that this material is preserved in the region, especially if you integrate the collections of the Museum of Paleontology." For Professor
Páramo, "this kind of research findings and derive further energize the formation of new paleontologists in the country. Ie that paleontology work fronts also covers high value in the exploration of hydrocarbons and represents a useful role in the search for new energy resources. " As a sentence
conclusive, the UN investigator says: "The Colombians are responsible for this valuable information is studied and preserved properly for global benefit."
Early Cretaceous period about 150 million years, a quiet sea covered much of the territory that is now Colombia. At that time, a gulf entered by the current location of Antioquia and continued to the South and the East, home to current areas of the Coffee, Santander, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima and Huila. The shoreline was going through the Llanos foothills.
This sea was fed by nutrient-rich cold currents that provided a large fish fauna, which, in turn, constituted the diet of plesiosaurs, large dinosaurs of the sea. Within
of all were the Pliosaurs plesiosaurs, giant marine reptiles that reached up to 12 meters long and also had a short neck and powerful that facilitated their move to force his big head equipped with powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
Sutamarchán In the region, Sáchica and Villa de Leyva in Boyaca department, there are several paleontological sites that allow document the existence of Cretaceous vertebrates in the sea and investigate the dynamics and distribution of flora and fauna that geographical area during that period.
The scientific literature on these sites has generated surprising given the global expectation abundance of fossils in the area and its good condition. It is even common that the skeletons are articulated and preserved in three dimensions, which contrasts with the scarcity of fossils from the same period found in the world.
The new marine reptile researcher Mary
Eurydice Páramo Fonseca, professor of the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences of the UN, found in the rural area of \u200b\u200bVilla de Leyva a fossil pliosaur submitted almost four meters long. Mandibular and dental fragments led to the teacher to copy, while inspecting the field, as part of the Paleontological Evaluation construction of the pipeline corridor Llanos (Ecopetrol) in the region of Sutamarchán, Villa de Leyva and Sáchica, running the university and a firm of consulting engineers.
"Conscious of the fossil wealth is in the area of \u200b\u200bthe municipality, Villa de Leyva authorities insisted that, during construction of the pipeline, be careful of palaeontological interest material found on site. This aspect was considered in the environmental component of the project. As a result it was possible to develop academic activities that led to the fossil, in February this year, "said Professor Páramo. Studies
features rocks in the Colombian municipality indicate that the waters of that sea was calm, so it was possible the development of abundant life. In addition, investigations reveal that the Cretaceous period in this area were presented stable conditions, which favored the existence of large marine reptiles, said the scientist.
Also, referred to the good level of preservation of fossil vertebrates: "Possibly the sea was shallow and in essence was a shortage of oxygen, which may have attenuated the decomposition of such bodies, promoting preservation to the present. It is also possible that certain types algae coated bodies and protect them. "
About 65 million years ago ended the Cretaceous Period and Cenozoic Era began, which was consolidated in the Andes. Emerging from this mountain, one of the largest in the world today, the sea was moved hundreds of miles to the north, leaving the current department of Boyacá and other sites located in Santander, Tolima and Huila vestiges of vitality of that past ocean. Illegal trade
fossil
on the new fossil, Maria Paramo, a geologist at the A Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, specializing Paleontology University of Poitiers, France, said that "it is a large animal with fins that enabled him to quickly move his massive body. The remains dug under the hipbone, the hind flippers and tail of an individual. Mandibular fragments can estimate that the front of the specimen is preserved, but must have suffered looting in previous years. "
The phenomenon of the illegal trade of fossils is acute in Villa de Leyva. For decades it is estimated that thousands of pieces of this type have left the region and the country wasting valuable natural and cultural heritage of the nation. However, there has been a growing awareness of the people the municipality on the value of the objects of palaeontological interest, from campaigns conducted by the Paleontological Museum of Villa de Leyva, belonging to the Faculty of Sciences of the UN, among others. In 2009, more than 1,100 children and young students from the area participated in the programs developed by the museum.
On the other hand, Sáchica Sutamarchán and fossiliferous areas are as promising as Villa de Leyva and perhaps a greater potential, since they have been explored less, and the plundering of fossil fuels has not been as dramatic. Follow
investigate, preserve and exhibit
The study of fossils and the areas where they remained for buried centuries can learn more about the creatures that inhabited the earth in past ages, and their interactions, propagation times and environments in certain areas.
Paleontologists extract fossil coated gypsum blocks to protect and preserve the position of the pieces. This is done alongside a detailed photographic record and study the characteristics of the area. Then he proceeds to identify the anatomical elements, which are compared with findings documented in scientific literature. This will classify the new copy within a genus and then find the species to which it corresponds. The work of cleaning the fossils involves hundreds of hours of careful work using chemical baths precise tools and pneumatic hammers.
For now, it is expected that the fossil material is transferred to the Paleontological Museum of Villa de Leyva (see box). Meanwhile, research efforts and preservation of the fossils will continue its march to the use of geophysical tools, under the scientific guidance of geologist Orlando Hernández, MSc, professor of the Department of Geosciences at the UN.
One objective is that the people of the area and the large number of tourists visiting the region to appreciate the pieces, which will be handled properly from the point museum and museum of view. In this sense, the director of the Department of Geosciences at the UN, Juan Carlos Molano, said that "it is very important that this material is preserved in the region, especially if you integrate the collections of the Museum of Paleontology." For Professor
Páramo, "this kind of research findings and derive further energize the formation of new paleontologists in the country. Ie that paleontology work fronts also covers high value in the exploration of hydrocarbons and represents a useful role in the search for new energy resources. " As a sentence
conclusive, the UN investigator says: "The Colombians are responsible for this valuable information is studied and preserved properly for global benefit."
Source: UN / DICYT
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