Project Nº 493: the Rise and Fall of the Vendian Biota

Project nº 493: The rise and fall of the Vendian biota

Spanish Working Group Annual Report 2007

Spanish co-ordinator: José Antonio Gámez Vintaned. Área y Museo de Paleontología. Fac. de Ciencias. Universidad de Zaragoza. C/ Pedro Cerbuna, nº 12. E-50009 Zaragoza, España

E-mail: <>

I. Report of activities of the IGCP Project 493 Spanish Working Group in 2007

I.1. Annual meeting of the Spanish National Committee of the IGCP

The Spanish co-ordinator of IGCP Project 493 participated in the annual meeting of the Spanish National Committee of the IGCP celebrated at the site of Fundación Cueva de Nerja in Nerja (Málaga province, Spain), from 4th to 5th May 2007, leaded by Prof. MarcosA. Lamolda (University of Granada).

The meeting consisted of an IGCP working session, as well as two lectures on the geology of the renowned Nerja cave on Friday 4th May, followed by a visit to the cave itself. On Saturday 5th May, a geological excursion visited the karst of the Nerja cave, Zafarraya polje and Antequera torcal (eastern-central Málaga and southern Granada provinces).

I.2. Third Spanish symposium of IGCP Project 493

The Third Spanish Symposium of IGCP Project 493 celebrated in Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia province, Spain) during the XXIII Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología (a meeting jointly organised by the Spanish Palaeontological Society [SEP] and the University of Granada, taking place from October 3rd to 6th 2007, under the Leitmotiv “Events and the palaeontological record”). The symposium consisted of a scientific session and a working session.

I.2.a. Third annual scientific session of the IGCP 493 Spanish Working Group

Scientific results from the Spanish Working Group were presented during a scientific session on Thursday 4th October, dealing with two main lines of research: 1) taxonomic studies on skeletal microfossils from the Vendian (Ediacaran) of Spain, entailing a worth increase of the global biodiversity known for this key interval in the history of life; 2) ichnofossil biozonation around the Proterozoic/Phanerozoic transition in Spain, as a basis for future chronostratigraphic and geochronological proposals at this interval.

I.2.b. Third annual working session of the IGCP 493 Spanish Working Group

The IGCP 493 Spanish Working Group is composed of twenty scientists from ten Spanish research centres, namely specialists in stratigraphy, palaeontology, petrology, sedimentology, tectonics and volcanology of the Precambrian and lower Palaeozoic of Spain and Russia.

The third annual working session of the Spanish Working Group celebrated on 4th October 2007, at 05:00 PM. Eight members of he group attended. Two new members joining in 2007 were introduced to the group. A report of the activities accomplished and results achieved by IGCP 493 since its beginning up to 2007 was made by the Spanish co-ordinator. Emphasis was made on the fifth international annual meeting, held in Russia in August 20-30th. Also future tasks and prospects were highlighted.

II. Papers and meeting contributions of the Spanish Working Group in 2007

Álvaro, J.J., Macouin, M., Bauluz, B., Clausen, S. and Ader, M. 2007. The Ediacaran sedimentary architecture and carbonate productivity in the Atar cliffs, Adrar, Mauritania: Palaeoenvironments, chemostratigraphy and diagenesis. Precambrian Research, 153, pp.236-261. Amsterdam.

Álvaro, J.J., Macouin, M., Ezzouhairi, H., Ribeiro, M.L., Ader, M., Charif, A. and Ait-Ayad, N. (In press.) Late Neoproterozoic carbonate productivity in a rifting context: the Adoudou Formation and its associated bimodal volcanism onlapping the western Saghro inlier, Morocco. In: Ennih, N. and Liégeois, J.P. (eds.), Boundaries of the West African Craton. Geological Society of London Special Publication.

Gámez Vintaned, J.A. and Liñán, E. 2007a. The Precambrian/Cambrian boundary in Spain: ichnofossil palaeobiology and zonation. In: Semikhatov, M. A. (ed.) The Rise and Fall of the Vendian (Ediacaran) Biota. Origin of the Modern Biosphere. Transactions of the International Conference on the IGCP Project 493, August 20-31, 2007, Moscow. GEOS, Moskva, pp.54-57.

Gámez Vintaned, J. A. and Liñán, E. 2007b. Ichnological palaeobiology and zonation at the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary in Spain. In: Braga, J. C., Checa, A. and Company, M. (eds.) XXIII Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología (Caravaca de la Cruz, 3-6 de Octubre de 2007). Libro de Resúmenes. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España y Universidad de Granada, Madrid, Granada, pp.68-69.

Gámez Vintaned, J.A., Liñán, E. and Zhuravlev, A.Yu. 2007. Neoproterozoic shelly fossils of Spain. In: Semikhatov, M. A. (ed.) The Rise and Fall of the Vendian (Ediacaran) Biota. Origin of the Modern Biosphere. Transactions of the International Conference on the IGCP Project 493, August 20-31, 2007, Moscow. GEOS, Moskva, pp.10-11.

Nédelec, A., Affaton, P., France-Lanord, C., Charrière, A. and Álvaro, J.J. 2007. Sedimentology and chemostratigraphy of the Bwipe Neoproterozoic cap dolostones (Ghana, Volta Basin): a record of microbial activity in a peritidal environment. Comptes Rendus, Geosciences, 339 (3-4), pp.223-239. Paris.

Zhuravlev, A.Yu., Gámez Vintaned, J.A. and Liñán, E. 2007. Skeletal Precambrian. In: Braga, J. C., Checa, A. and Company, M. (eds.) XXIII Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología (Caravaca de la Cruz, 3-6 de Octubre de 2007). Libro de Resúmenes. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España y Universidad de Granada, Madrid, Granada, pp.229-230.

III. Papers and meeting contributions in earlier years, not reported yet

Fernández-Remolar, D.C., García-Hidalgo, J.F. and Moreno-Eiris, E. 2005. Interés del registro de los primeros organismos en el Arcaico y Proterozoico. Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural, 100 (1-4), pp.177-209. Madrid.

Gámez Vintaned, J. A., Liñán, E., Mayoral, E., Gozalo, R. and Zamora, S. 2006. Icnofósiles por encima del tránsito Precámbrico/Cámbrico en Los Barrios de Luna (Zona Cantábrica, España). In: Fernández-Martínez, E. (ed.) XXII Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología y simposios de los proyectos PICG 493, 503, 499 y 467. Libro de resúmenes. Universidad de León, Secretariado de Publicaciones, León, pp. 205-208.

IGCP Project 493 Spanish Working Group

(“The rise and fall of the Vendian biota”)

Year 2007

(List includes only scientist who joined the call to participate)

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• J. Javier Álvaro Blasco

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• María Eugenia Dies Álvarez

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• Jorge Vicente Esteve Serrano (joined in 2007)

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• José Antonio Gámez Vintaned (Spanish co-ordinator)

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• Eladio Liñán Guijarro

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• Samuel A. Zamora Iranzo

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• Andrey Yu. Zhuravlev (joined in 2007)

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Área y Museo de Paleontología

Facultad de Ciencias

Universidad de Zaragoza

C/ Pedro Cerbuna, nº 12

E-50009 Zaragoza

Fax: 976-761106

• José Francisco García-Hidalgo Pallarés

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Departamento de Geología

Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales

Universidad de Alcalá de Henares

E-28871 Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)

• Rodolfo Gozalo Gutiérrez

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• Miguel V. Pardo Alonso

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Depto. de Geología

Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas

Universitat de València

C/ Dr. Moliner, nº 50

E-46100 Burjasot (Valencia)

Fax: 96-3544372

• Saturnino E. Lorenzo Álvarez

Área de Prospección e Investigación Minera

Depto. de Ingeniería Geológica y Minera

Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de Almadén

Universidad de Castilla La Mancha

Pza. de Manuel Meca, nº 1

E-13400 Almadén (Ciudad Real)

Fax: 926-264401 / 926-264404

• Eduardo J. Mayoral Alfaro

• Fernando Muñiz Guinea

Depto. de Geodinámica y Paleontología

Fac. de Ciencias Experimentales

Universidad de Huelva

Avda. de las Fuerzas Armadas, s/n

E-21006 Huelva

Fax: 959-219868

• Diego García-Bellido Capdevila

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• Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Marco

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• Antonio Perejón Rincón

Depto. de Bioestratigrafía y Biocronología

UEI de Paleontología

Instituto de Geología Económica (CSIC-UCM)

Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas

Universidad Complutense

Ciudad Universitaria

E-28040 Madrid

Fax: 91-3944849

• Agustín Pieren Pidal

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Depto. de Estratigrafía

Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, 3ª planta

Universidad Complutense

Ciudad Universitaria

E-28040 Madrid

Fax: 91-3944808

• Isabel Rábano Gutiérrez del Arroyo

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Museo Geominero

Instituto Geológico y Minero de España

C/ Ríos Rosas, nº 23

E-28003 Madrid

Fax: 91-3495830

• María Dolores Rodríguez Alonso

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Área de Petrología y Geoquímica

Depto. de Geología

Facultad de Ciencias

Universidad de Salamanca

Pza. de la Merced, s/n

E-37008 Salamanca

Fax: 923-294514

• Teresa Sánchez García

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IGME

Dirección de Geología y Geofísica

C/ La Calera, nº 1

E-28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid)

Fax: 91-7287202

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