The Ichnological Record of Araraquara Sidewalks: History, Conservation, and Perspectives from This Urban Paleontological Heritage of Southeastern Brazil

摘要

The city of Araraquara in southeastern Brazil is unique regarding its paleontological record. Flagstones have been quarried from eolianites (Botucatu Formation, Lower Cretaceous) since the beginning of the twentieth century and used to pave and cover public and private spaces of the city. As a consequence, fossil tracks and traces (ichnofossils) of invertebrates, early mammals, and dinosaurs are widely distributed in the flagstones that pave the sidewalks of the city, right under the feet of Araraquara's inhabitants. In this paper we aimed to characterize this unique fossil record, focusing on the main trace morphotypes and their conservation. In a survey conducted in 2007-2008, 585 trace fossil-bearing flagstones were identified across Araraquara, much of which are moderately to poorly preserved. Nevertheless, optimally preserved (elite) traces of very high scientific potential were also recorded. The present study also includes a history of investigations conducted regarding these materials and discusses different aspects, difficulties, and peculiarities of conservation efforts towards this urban paleontological heritage, including some recently achieved goals.