Patrimônio icnofossilífero das vias públicas de São Carlos: levantamento da diversidade
Abstract
The Botucatu Formation is globally renowned for its ichnofossils. Originally part
of a massive paleodesert from the early Cretaceous Period, the Formation consists of
aeolian sandstones, with one of its main outcrop areas located in the municipality of
São Carlos. Here, we aimed to conduct a survey and analysis of the ichnofossil
diversity found in the public roads of the municipality, with the intention of documenting
and preserving the fossil heritage present within them. Using the Street View tool on
the Google Maps platform, a survey of locations featuring Botucatu Sandstone slabs
was conducted. Subsequently, the obtained addresses were physically visited to
assess the condition of the slabs and the presence or absence of fossil records. These
sites were photographed to create a database. In total, a sum of 1285 locations
containing Botucatu Sandstone slabs, some of which presented fossil traces were
identified, ranging from invertebrates to mammals, theropod and ornithopod dinosaurs.
There is a significant diversity within these groups, with 487 addresses displaying
traces of invertebrates, 28 of mammals, and 21 of dinosaurs. Additionally, a loss of this
collection was observed at a rate of 1% per month. Preserving this "open-air collection"
is therefore of great scientific and national interest, with the present study potentially
serving as a basis for drafting new laws for its preservation or as supplementary
material for future studies on the fossil heritage of São Carlos.
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