Graciela Delvene

Early Cretaceous non-marine bivalves from the Cameros and Basque-Cantabrian basins of Spain

Large unionids from the Weald facies of northern Spain are described. Three hundred seventeen specimens belonging to the Order Unionoida have been studied. Two species from the family Margaritiferidae were identified from the Cameros Basin. Margaritifera idubedae (Palacios and Sanchez, 1885) was recorded from the Urbion Group (Hauterivian-Barremian in age), being a very frequent bivalve in these fluvial sediments. Margaritifera valdensis (Mantell, 1844) was collected from the Enciso Group (Aptian in age) and is an uncommon bivalve in this lacustrine environment. A new genus with a new species called Protoanodonta conchae Delvene and Araujo, family Unionidae, is described from the Basque-Cantabrian Basin. Samples came from the Viviparus Bed Member (Vega de Pas Formation, Hauterivian-Barremian), interpreted as freshwater environment lacustrine in origin.

Protopleurobema: a new genus of freshwater bivalve from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cameros basin (NW Spain)

A new genus of fossil bivalve from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cameros Basin is described and designated Protopleurobema. As well as the type material of Unio numantinus (Palacios and Sanchez, 1885), we examined 805 specimens discovered in deposits comprising unit D of the lithological Urbion Group of Upper Barremian-Lower Aptian age. This new taxon is compared here to all the available closely related Mesozoic genera described in the literature. A large number of juvenile and adult specimens of Protopleurobema numantina (Palacios and Sanchez, 1885) were found in what was interpreted as a palaeoecological association. The presence of bivalves (Unionoida) and gastropods of the genus Viviparus indicate the freshwater nature of the environment.

From the Field to the Museum: Analysis of Groups-Purposes-Locations in Relation to Spain’s Moveable Palaeontological Heritage

This paper analyses the problems surrounding Spain’s moveable palaeontological heritage, the definition thereof, the national and regional legislation which governs it, and the particular features involved in keeping track of fossils from their natural geological context to their temporary or permanent storage or exhibition. Collecting pressures are created by five groups: (1) scientists, (2) amateurs, (3) collectors, (4) dealers and (5) civil engineering/mining. Each group can produce different pressures and impacts on a palaeontological site, but these pressures must be considered in the context of the sensitivity of a particular site in order to achieve sustainable management. This article offers recommendations for the trading and collecting of fossils which comply with the regulations and encourages greater social awareness of the importance of education and ethical principles when it comes to preserving and enjoying the moveable palaeontological heritage of other countries. Finally, it proposes a code of ethics for regulating fossil collecting in Spain.

The Exceptional Fossil Site of Las Hoyas (SPAIN) from an Educational Perspective

The paleontological heritage of the fossil site of Las Hoyas (Early Cretaceous of Cuenca, Spain) is becoming a relevant part of the sociocultural identity of Castilla-La Mancha autonomous community in general, and of Cuenca province in particular. The most recent scientific advances, including several fossil findings that have had high scientific impact, have made Las Hoyas to regularly be the center of attention in the local, national, and international media, especially since the reinterpretation of the paleoecosystem represented by the locality published in 2010. These results have led to a renaissance of the interest of the society for this unique site. As a consequence, Las Hoyas has been declared Site of Cultural Interest by the regional government, in the form of paleontological zone. This recognition, which grants the locality with the highest level of protection, sets a legal framework for the educative initiatives developed at this locality, which can be categorized as non-formal education, formal education, and Social Paleontology.