Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain)
A fossil mysticete was discovered along the southwestern coast of Spain, occurring in a block detached from the Neogene deposits exposed along a coastal cliff at the locality of Conil de la Frontera (Cádiz, Spain). These deposits range from Pliocene to Pleistocene in age and include shallow-marine,...
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/1/17 |
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| author | Giulia Bosio Ildefonso Bajo-Campos Alberto Collareta Sergio Ros-Montoya Daniel de la Torre Giovanni Coletti Giovanni Bianucci |
| author_facet | Giulia Bosio Ildefonso Bajo-Campos Alberto Collareta Sergio Ros-Montoya Daniel de la Torre Giovanni Coletti Giovanni Bianucci |
| author_sort | Giulia Bosio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A fossil mysticete was discovered along the southwestern coast of Spain, occurring in a block detached from the Neogene deposits exposed along a coastal cliff at the locality of Conil de la Frontera (Cádiz, Spain). These deposits range from Pliocene to Pleistocene in age and include shallow-marine, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic sediments, with the whale being found in occurrence of a stratigraphic unconformity marked by <i>Thalassinoides</i> burrows. <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr analyses on oyster shells associated with the skeleton suggest an Early Pliocene age, in agreement with the age of the lowermost unit cropping out at the study site. The studied cetacean specimen consists of an articulated, almost complete balaenopteroid skeleton exposed in the field dorsal side up; being contained in an upside-down block, however, it is preserved in ventral disposition. Bones exhibit a low degree of preservation of the cortical bone tissue, which locally features shark bite marks and <i>Osedax</i> traces as well as abundant encrustations of barnacles and ostreids. Two shark teeth were also found near the skeleton. Bones have preserved their main histological features, even though they locally exhibit microcracks, dissolution, substitution by Fe oxides, and microborings. Sediment particles and late diagenetic cements fill the medullary cavities. We propose that the whale carcass experienced refloating before sinking to the seafloor and that the skeleton was probably exposed on the seafloor for some time before being eventually buried. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:46:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed0a6ab3772748f895011ed00dda41aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:46:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed0a6ab3772748f895011ed00dda41aa2024-01-26T17:13:02ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122023-12-011211710.3390/jmse12010017Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain)Giulia Bosio0Ildefonso Bajo-Campos1Alberto Collareta2Sergio Ros-Montoya3Daniel de la Torre4Giovanni Coletti5Giovanni Bianucci6Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, ItalySección de Paleontología, Museo de Alcalá De Guadaíra, Alcalá de Guadaíra, 41500 Sevilla, SpainDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartamento de Ecología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain5 C/Carretera Nueva, 32C, La Rinconada, 41309 Sevilla, SpainDipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyA fossil mysticete was discovered along the southwestern coast of Spain, occurring in a block detached from the Neogene deposits exposed along a coastal cliff at the locality of Conil de la Frontera (Cádiz, Spain). These deposits range from Pliocene to Pleistocene in age and include shallow-marine, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic sediments, with the whale being found in occurrence of a stratigraphic unconformity marked by <i>Thalassinoides</i> burrows. <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr analyses on oyster shells associated with the skeleton suggest an Early Pliocene age, in agreement with the age of the lowermost unit cropping out at the study site. The studied cetacean specimen consists of an articulated, almost complete balaenopteroid skeleton exposed in the field dorsal side up; being contained in an upside-down block, however, it is preserved in ventral disposition. Bones exhibit a low degree of preservation of the cortical bone tissue, which locally features shark bite marks and <i>Osedax</i> traces as well as abundant encrustations of barnacles and ostreids. Two shark teeth were also found near the skeleton. Bones have preserved their main histological features, even though they locally exhibit microcracks, dissolution, substitution by Fe oxides, and microborings. Sediment particles and late diagenetic cements fill the medullary cavities. We propose that the whale carcass experienced refloating before sinking to the seafloor and that the skeleton was probably exposed on the seafloor for some time before being eventually buried.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/1/17cetaceanBalaenopteroideafossilizationbiostratinomyfossil diagenesisbioencrustation |
| spellingShingle | Giulia Bosio Ildefonso Bajo-Campos Alberto Collareta Sergio Ros-Montoya Daniel de la Torre Giovanni Coletti Giovanni Bianucci Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) Journal of Marine Science and Engineering cetacean Balaenopteroidea fossilization biostratinomy fossil diagenesis bioencrustation |
| title | Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) |
| title_full | Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) |
| title_short | Taphonomy of a Mysticete Whale from the Lower Pliocene of the Coast of Cádiz (Spain) |
| title_sort | taphonomy of a mysticete whale from the lower pliocene of the coast of cadiz spain |
| topic | cetacean Balaenopteroidea fossilization biostratinomy fossil diagenesis bioencrustation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/1/17 |
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