ENGLISH SPANISH FLORA AND INVERTEBRATE FOSSIL COLLECTION INFORMATION SHEET 4 (CASES 29-72)

The Spanish Flora and Invertebrate Fossil Collection contains about 37,200 specimens, of which 7,700 are displayed in 44 cases located in the main hall of the museum. The collection illustrates the palaeontological diversity found in Spain, and is arranged in chronostratigraphic order (i.e. according to successive periods of geological history) from the Cambrian (542 million years ago) to the Pliocene (2.5 million years ago).

CASES 29 AND 30 CASE 36 PALAEOZOIC-CAMBRIAN PALAEOZOIC-DEVONIAN

The Cambrian witnessed a key A key palaeontological site in The site's importance is further Case 30 contains a good and Cases 35, 36 and 37 display Many of the specimens were event for life on Earth, the Spain for the study of the heightened by the exceptional varied collection of trilobites from several examples from the collected prior to 1940, and “Cambrian explosion”. This term Cambrian explosion is the locality state of preservation presented by Murero, notable among which localities of Arnao (Asturias) and some of them were even studied refers to the sudden appearance of Murero (Zaragoza), which is soft-bodied organisms that lack are the complete specimens Colle (León). Both are classic and deposited by important early of multicellular organisms, Middle Cambrian in age (510 skeletons, such as sponges, such asConocoryphe heberti . sites in the history of palaeonto- 20th century palaeontologists marking an abrupt transition in million years ago). The site has worms and algae. Case 29 The size of the cranidium of logy. They are characterised by such as Casiano de Prado and the fossil record, with the yielded a vast diversity of displays organisms other than Paradoxides brachyrhachis the presence of exceptionally Lucas Mallada. Two unique appearance of the more primitive taxonomic groups, consisting trilobites that were found at indicates the full size it would well-preserved echinoderms specimens are the calyces of the ancestors of many metazoan mainly of numerous fossils of Murero. Sponges are marine have attained, which was larger (blastozoans and crinozoans), crinozoans Trybliocrinus (multicellular) phyla. The trilobite arthropods. However, animals. This is a small, conical than that of the other specimens although trilobites, corals, flatheanusand Pradocrinus “explosive” appearance of such the remains of brachiopods, specimen that lived anchored to on display. stromatoporoids, bryozoans, baily, since these are type adaptive variation and diversity echinoderms, molluscs, hyoliths soft substrates. The fragile Acrothele cf. coriacea is a brachiopods and the occasional specimens used to define both is thought to be the result of rapid and hydrozoan cnidarians have Cambrian sponges only fossilised brachiopod, in other words an cephalopod have also been species. evolutionary change. also been found. under exceptional conditions. This invertebrate with a shell found. is the first record of this type of composed of two valves that Pradocrinus baily. Conocoryphe heberti. Paradoxides brachyrhachis. fauna in Europe. lived attached to the substrate. Trybliocrinus flatheanus. Early Devonian (410 million years Middle Cambrian (510 million Middle Cambrian (510 million Early Devonian (410 million years ago). years ago). years ago). Leptomitus conicus. Acrothelecf. coriacea. ago). Colle (León, Spain). Murero (Zaragoza, Spain). Murero (Zaragoza, Spain). Middle Cambrian (510 million Cámbrico Medio (510 m.a.). Arnao (Asturias, Spain). Maximum dimension: 8.5 cm. Maximum dimension: 3.2 cm. Maximum dimension: 7.5 cm. years ago). Murero (Zaragoza, Spain). Maximum dimension: 13 cm. Murero (Zaragoza, Spain). Dimensión máxima: 0,8 cm. Maximum dimension: 2.5 cm.

eo Geominero Instituto Geológico y Minero de España ENGLISH SPANISH FLORA AND INVERTEBRATE FOSSIL COLLECTION INFORMATION SHEET 4 (CASES 29-72)

CASES 46 AND 50 CASE 61 CASE 62 CASE 67 MESOZOIC-JURASSIC MESOZOIC-CRETACEOUS CENOZOIC-EOCENE CENOZOIC-MIOCENE

Among the cephalopod molluscs, Given the geological timescale There were numerous reefs in the There is a good number of this Trace fossils (also known as The palaeontological site at the ammonoids represent a very (the Jurassic lasted for about 70 Cretaceous, but many of them type of bivalve mollusc on display ichnofossils) from the Eocene Ribesalbes (Castellón) has yielded useful group of fossils since they million years), these horizons are were built not by corals but by here. The specimen of Hippurites flysch at Zumaia-Guetaria many fossil remains in an can used to define and identify extraordinarily precise. The rudists. These latter formed a (Vaccinites ) cf. galloprovincialis (Guipúzcoa). Most of these exceptional state of preservation. biostratigraphic units throughout speciesHildoceras bifrons and group of bivalve molluscs whose indicates the size they could specimens are of considerable This locality has been classified as the Mesozoic. This is because Perisphinctes (Dichotomoceras) two-part shell was specially attain. Other specimens are cut historical and scientific value. The aandisKonservat-Lagerstätte they present all the necessary bifurcatus have been used to adapted to reef environments. crosswise, showing the internal flysch at Zumaia consists of a characterised by both the type and characteristics of an index fossil: establish horizons for the Early The lower shell (valve) was conical structure. The fossil pictured sequence of alternating layers of excellent preservation of the fossils wide geographical distribution, and Late Jurassic, respectively, and attached to the substrate, above shows several specimens limestone, marl and sandstone, it contains. These kinds of deposit rapid rate of morphological thus dividing this period of time while the upper valve was flat, joined together, illustrating how whose age spans the Cretaceous are very scarce throughout the evolution and abundance. In fact, into thebifrons and bifurcatus very small, and served as a “lid” they were arranged in a reef. to the Eocene. This singular world. This site is composed of a the definition of Mesozoic zones. Case 46 contains three covering the valve below. They landform represents 50 million series of marly shales that were biostratigraphic units is based on specimens ofHildoceras bifrons , could measure up to 1 metre high Bournonia gardonica. years of the history of life on Earth deposited in a lacustrine ammonoids. However, it is the while case 50 displays two and are always found in large Late Cretaceous (88 million without missing a single chapter. environment, and thus contains the Jurassic system which has been specimens of Perisphinctes groups forming immense reefs. years ago). For example, it records the fossilised remains of lake-living characterised in most detail bifurcatus. These dense constructions Patones de Arriba (Madrid, Spain). Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (the organisms such as arthropods based on the ammonites, probably protected them from Maximum dimension: 9 cm. K-T boundary) extinction event, (insects and spiders), amphibians establishing horizons within the Perisphinctes bifurcatus. predators. during which the dinosaurs and and numerous plants. Case 67 different strata that span a period Late Jurassic (148 million many other species perished due contains plant remains. Of up to about 200,000 years. years ago). Hippurites (Vaccinites) cf. to the impact of a meteorite. It also particular note isCeltis sp., which is Cazorla (Jaén, Spain). galloprovincialis. records the last global warming the fossil of a branch bearing two Hildoceras bifrons. Maximum dimension: 4 cm. Late Cretaceous (83 million event, which marks the boundary fruits. Early Jurassic (187 million years ago). between the Paleocene and years ago). Vilanova de Meiá (Lérida, Spain). Eocene about 55 million years ago, Celtissp . Ricla (Zaragoza, Spain). Maximum dimension: 24 cm. associated with very high levels of Miocene (20 million years ago)

Maximum dimension: 4 cm. CO2 in the atmosphere. Ribesalbes (Castellón, Spain). Scolicia prisca is a trace fossil Maximum dimension: 7 cm. created by echinoids (sea urchins).

Scolicia prisca. Eocene (46 million years ago). Zumaia (Guipúzcoa, Spain). Maximum dimension: 38 cm.