• Title/Summary/Keyword: trace fossils

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Application of RTI to Improve Image Clarity of a Trace Fossil Cochlichnus Found from the Jinju and Haman Formations

  • Sangho Won;Dal-Yong Kong
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.56 no.4
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    • pp.397-408
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    • 2023
  • A total of 64 specimens of trace fossils were collected from the Jinju Formation of the construction site of Jinju Aviation Industrial Complex, and from the Haman Formation of Namhae Gain-ri fossil site. The fossils are continuously and regularly meandering sine-curve in shape. The fossil varies in morphology: width between 0.2 and 5.6 mm, wavelength between 1.5 and 28 mm, and amplitude between 0.9 and 7.9 mm; the Jinju specimens are commonly wider than the Haman ones. The ratio of wavelength to amplitude is more or less regular regardless of width of the specimen, and the linear correlation of the ratios shows that the Jinju specimens fit better than the Haman specimens. Taking all morphometric parameters, specimens in all size ranges are temporarily identified as ichnospecies Cochlichnus anguineus. In order to obtain more distinct and clearer images of Cochlichnus, we selected two specimens and applied a new imaging technology RTI. For photography of the trace fossils, 50 to 80 images were taken per set with photometric lighting close to the surface and horizontally. RTI technology clearly showed that the images of tiny fossils were improved: the surface contrast become sharper and messy and unnecessary information disappeared. Currently, RTI technology is used in many fields including preservation of cultural properties and archaeology. As a consequence, we hope to apply this technique to the field of paleontology, especially to the study of trace fossils of very small size.

Trace Fossils from the Late Pleistocene Marginal Marine Deposits of Jeju Island, Korea: Implications for the Psilonichnus and Skolithos Ichnofacies

  • Kim, Jeong Yul;Kang, Ji Hyun
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.23-45
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    • 2018
  • Moderately diverse, but very abundant trace fossils are found from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Jeju Island, Korea. Vertical I-, Y- and U-shaped domichnia of annelids or decapods are, over 2500, extremely abundant, 3D network domichnia of callianassids are, over 200, very abundant, and small sinuous trails of nematode repichnia are, over 50, abundant in number. Horizontal trails attributable to polychaete or worm-like animals are, less than 50, common, but horizontal spreiten burrows, fish traces and crab trackways are, less than 10, rare in occurrence. Of these trace fossils, Taenidium barretti, Undichna britannica and Undichna unisulca represent the first record from the Pleistocene in Asia. Psilonichnus upsilon is the second record in Asia. Crab trackways probably produced by underwater punting gait of sideway walking crabs may represent the first record in the world. In addition, diverse and very abundant footprints of more than 500 hominids, more than 200 birds and more than 1000 mammals are closely associated with these invertebrate trace fossils. Trace fossil assemblage integrated with sedimentary facies is interpreted to have been formed in the marginal marine foreshore to backshore environment corresponding to the Psilonichnus and Skolithos ichnofacies.

Conservation and Application Scheme of Hominid and Other Vertebrate Footprints from Jeju Island, Korea

  • Lee, Chang-Zin;Kim, Jeong-Yul;Kim, Kyung-Soo
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.30 no.5
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    • pp.581-587
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    • 2009
  • This study intended to the optimal conservation method and to make an application scheme for the fossil locality of the Quaternary Hamori Formation at the northeastern coast of Mt. Songak. Many kinds of innumerable fossils are found from the Hamori Formation in the study area: Footprints of hominid, trace fossils of invertebrates, bird, artiodactyla, proboscidea, carnivores, unclassified footprints, and body fossils (arthropoda, gastropoda, mollusca, and plants). The formation has been outcropped and eroded out with innumerous fossils by the strong wave action of storm and typhoon. Korean government recognized the dangerous situation of the important fossils and decided to conserve the formation for the national heritage. Method D1 (conservation hall or museum on the fossil locality) may be the best way to protect the fossil locality from all the natural activities and to do the research, exhibition, education, and sightseeing together. The application of the geologic materials from the fossil locality should preferentially focus on the collection and research which should be accompanied by exhibition, education, and sightseeing. The application scheme may be stepped into three stages during 10 years: (1) systematic conservation and publicity during 2005-2007, (2) establishment of wellorganized museum during 2008-2010, and (3) international museum with the optimized roles 2011-2014.

Understanding on the Fossilization of Middle School Students (화석 형성 과정에 대한 중학생들의 이해)

  • Hwang, Koo-Geun;Cho, Kyu-Seong;Huh, Min
    • Journal of the Korean earth science society
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.305-316
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    • 2009
  • Experiments to explain fossilization have been introduced in elementary and middle school science textbooks. Most of them have explained the processes by the mold and cast formed by imprint of bivalve or leaf. The processes explained in the textbooks are more similar to that of trace fossil than body fossil, because the external molds from experiment are imprints after the model was taken off. However fossils of the figures in the textbooks are mostly body fossils. Therefore, the students may be willing to equate the experiment process with the fossilization of the body fossils. The misconceptions were confirmed in this study by the questionnaire which asked 9th grade students on this subject. Many students thought that the body fossils were fossilized imprints and the fossils of terrestrial organism were formed on land without transportation, that is, they did not understand well about biostratinomy and crustal movement. The misconception about the environment in which fossils formed was already reported in a survey on the elementary school students, but has not revised until ninth grade. Therefore, to remove the misconception related to the fossilization, the fossil models in the experiments may be replaced by trace fossils, or new experiments for body fossil should be designed.

Physical Properties of Sedimentary Rocks containing Dinosaur Trace Fossils in the Haenam: A Relationship with Chert Content (해남 공룡화석 지 퇴적암의 물리적 성질: 쳐트 함량과의 관계)

  • 조현구;김수진;장세정
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.132-139
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    • 2002
  • The physical properties of Uhangri sedimentary rocks were investigated to provide the conservation strategy of Dinosaur trace fossil in the Haenam. The porosity, void ratio, dry density, water content, and degree of saturation were calculated according to the proper laboratory experiments for 9 sedimentary specimens. The flexural strength (or modulus of rupture) and thermal expansion coefficient were measured using the universal testing machine and dilatometer, respectively. The Uhangri sedimentary rocks have very low porosity, void ratio, and water content. The flexural strength of shales are 24.16~42.84, and those of sandstones are 16.34~ $43.52N/mm^2$, which are much weaker than common sedimentary rocks. The very low flexural strength of sedimentary rocks despite very low porosity, is ascribed to fine fissures in the rocks. The thermal expansion coefficient of rocks were $14.7~21.3\Times10^{-6 }$, which are 2~2.5 times as high as alumina and about 10 times as high as talc. As the content of chert in the sandstone increases, the porosity, void ratio, and water content increase, while the dry density and degree of saturation decrease. The chert-bearing sandstone have higher porosity and thermal expansion coefficient, and lower flexural strength compared to those free of chert.

Dinosaur Track-Bearing Deposits at Petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace in Daegokcheon Stream, Ulju (National Treasure No. 285): Occurrences, Paleoenvironments, and Significance in Natural history (국보 제285호 울주 대곡리 반구대 암각화 지역의 공룡발자국 화석층 : 산상, 고환경 및 자연사적 가치)

  • Kim, Hyun Joo;Paik, In Sung;Lim, Jong-Deock
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.46-67
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    • 2014
  • The Dinosaur track-bearing deposits recently found at Bangudae Petroglyph site in Ulju (National Treasure No. 285) have been studied in the aspects of sedimentology, paleoenvironments, and significance in natural history. The dinosaur tracks occur in the Daegu Formation (late Early Cretaceous), and over 80 footprints including 43 ornithopod footprints, 36 sauropod footprints, and 2 theropod footprints are preserved in this tracksite. The track-bearing deposits consist of irregularly interlaminated siltstone and mudstone, calcareous sandy to silty mudstone, thin-bedded tuffaceous sandstone, planar- to cross-laminated sandstone, and thin- to medium-bedded graded sandstone, and they are interpreted to be sheetflood deposits on an alluvial plain. Diverse types of ripples and mudcracks, rainprints, and invertebrate trace fossils are observed in these deposits, and the crest-lines of wave ripples do not show preferred orientation. Dinosaur footprints occur as true prints, underprints, overtracks, and casts on the bedding surfaces, and the orientation of trackways are scattered. It is interpreted that paleoclimatic condition of the track-bearing deposits were semiarid with alternation of wetting and drying periods, and that dinosaurs frequented small and shallow ponds during wetting periods and recorded their tracks on an alluvial plain. The frequent occurrence of dinosaur tracks in study area indicates that the Cretaceous deposits around Daegokcheon Stream are very useful sedimentological and paleontological records to understand the paleoecology and paleoenvironments during the dinosaur age in Korean Peninsula. Consequently the dinosaur track-bearing deposits around Daegokcheon Stream should be further studied in sedimentary geology and paleontology in order to enhance cultural heritage value of the Petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace as the World Heritage.