Geoconservation Research 2021, Volume 4 / Issue 1 / pages(278-289) European UNESCO Geoparks: Review Article The Late Permian Kupferschiefer Fossils and the Geological Educational Trail in the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita (NW Germany) Tobias Fischer1,*, Lothar Schöllmann2, Johannes Haunert3 1UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita, Osnabrück, Germany 2LWL Museum of Natural History, Paleontological Monument Conservation, Münster, Germany 3Museumsverein Hüggel e.V., Hasbergen, Germany Abstract The iconic Kupferschiefer is a stratigraphic marker horizon of the Upper Permian in Northern and Central Europe, which is recognized internationally as a unique stratum because of its outstanding preservation of fish, reptile, and plant fossils. In the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita, Kupferschiefer fossils have been found at three tectonically uplifted elevations: Hüggel, Schafberg, and Piesberg. Corresponding Author: Here we review not only the Kupferschiefer fossil record of the Geopark, but also Tobias Fischer the paleontological excavations and environmental education programs that have UNESCO Global Geopark TER- been undertaken by the LWL Museum of Natural History in Münster, the local as- RA.vita, Osnabrück, Germany ORCID:0000-0002-2048-2903 sociations Museumsverein Hüggel e.V. and Kultur- und Verkehrsverein Hasbergen Email: [email protected] e.V. in Hasbergen, and the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita over the past 40 years. Particular emphasis is placed on the Hüggel hill, where the TERRA.track Geological Educational Trail has been set up to explain to visitors the high geo- diversity and centuries-long mining history of the area. Furthermore, we provide comments on the future of the Geocenter in Hasbergen, where the Kupferschiefer fossils from Hüggel have been exhibited until 2018. Keywords: Geoheritage, Geoeducation, Kupferschiefer, Copper Slate, Late Permian, UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita. Article information Received: 2021-04-13 Accepted: 2021-05-17 DOI: 10.30486/GCR.2021.1927911.1091 How to cite: Fischer T, Schöllmann L & Haunert J (2021). The Late Permian Kupferschiefer fossils and the geological educational trail in the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita (NW Germany). Geoconservation Research.4 (1):278- 289. doi: 10.30486/gcr.2021.1927911.1091 Geoconservation Research e-ISSN: 2588-7343 p-ISSN: 2645-4661 © Author(s) 2020, this article is published with open access at http://gcr.khuisf.ac.ir This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. 278 Fischer: UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita Introduction lished at Hüggel in 1980 and is regularly updated The Kupferschiefer (in English: “Copper Slate”) by the Geopark (Harms 1995; Natur- und Geopark and its equivalents (e.g., the Marl Slate in Great TERRA.vita 2009; Fischer 2020). Furthermore, Britain) formed as sapropels on the bottom of the the so-called Geocenter, a small museum of lo- Late Permian Zechstein Sea extending from Great cal geology exhibiting Kupferschiefer fossil finds Britain in the west to Poland and Lithuania in the from the region, operated in Hasbergen at Hüggel east. It is a stratigraphic marker horizon of the Up- until 2018. per Permian (257.3 ± 1.6 Ma; Haubold & Scha- umberg 1985; Brauns et al. 2003; Paul 2006; Paul The most famous and valuable Kupferschiefer et al. 2018). The anoxic environment at the bottom fossil from the Geopark area is a nearly complete of the Zechstein Sea prevented microbial decom- skeleton of the archosauromorph reptile Proto- position of organic matter, which is why animal rosaurus speneri found at Schafberg, which is and plant remains, including soft tissues of ma- exhibited at the LWL Museum for Natural His- rine and terrestrial vertebrates such as fish scales tory in Münster (hereafter called LWL Museum; and gastric contents, are well preserved (Haubold Grzegorczyk 2005; Gottmann-Quesada & Sander & Schaumberg 1985). Specimens of Osteich- 2009; Ezcurra et al. 2014). Apart from this dis- thyes and Chondrichthyes are the most common covery, thousands of fish, plant and invertebrate vertebrate groups in the Kupferschiefer, with the fossils have been recovered by the LWL Museum ray-finned fish group Palaeonisciformes account- from several excavation campaigns at Schafberg ing for 90 % of the fossil record (Paul 2006). In over the past 37 years (Schöllmann 2010). In con- addition, reptiles such as the gliding diapsid Coe- trast, the paleontological record of Hüggel has lurosauravus jaekli found in the Harz and Richels- long remained rather incomplete. It was not until dorfer Mountains in Germany and Yorkshire in the 2000s and 2010s that this record was investi- England are also known from the Kupferschiefer gated in more detail during three excavation cam- (Pettigrew 1972; Schaumberg 1982; Frey et al. paigns by local associations in Hasbergen with the 1997). support of the Geopark (Diedrich 2009; Müller & Haunert 2017). In this paper, we review the Kup- In the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita ferschiefer fossil record of Hüggel and Schafberg. (Fig. 1; hereafter called Geopark), NW Germany, We also discuss its implications for geoeducation, the Kupferschiefer can be found at three trans- specifically for the Geological Educational Trail, pressional uplifted elevations: Hüggel (south of and provide an outlook on the future of the Geo- Osnabrück, Lower Saxony), Schafberg (west of center in Hasbergen. Osnabrück, North Rhine-Westphalia), and Pies- berg (north of Osnabrück, Lower Saxony). Within Geological setting and paleoenvironment at these raised units, sediments ranging in age from Hüggel, Schafberg and Piesberg Late Carboniferous to Middle Triassic are exposed During the Alpine Orogeny from 95–75 Ma, uplift within a small area of only a few 10 km² (Harms of Carboniferous to Cretaceous sediments along 1984; Josten et al. 1984). Each hill has its geodi- the Osning Fault Zone within the present-day ter- versity and history of mining activity. The Hüggel ritory of the Geopark resulted in mountain rang- area in particular is characterized by a large num- es striking NW-SE, the Teutoburg Forest and the ber of quarries and tunnels, which make the rocks Wiehen Mountains, as well as three single tectoni- accessible not only to scientists but to geotourists cally uplifted areas – Hüggel, Piesberg (both south and hikers. The Geological Educational Trail, of Osnabrück) and Schafberg (Ibbenbüren, west of which connects quarries exposing the Kupfer- Osnabrück; Geologischer Dienst Nordrhein-West- schiefer and mining-historical relics, was estab- falen 2003). These transpressional uplifted eleva- 279 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 1 2021 / pages(278-289) Figure 1. Geological map of the Geopark area 1:1.000.000 showing the location of Hüggel and Schafberg (geo- logical data from Toloczyki et al. 2006). The inset map indicates the location of the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita in Germany. tions with an area of few 10 km² each are locat- braided rivers, and lakes with fluctuating water ed on Hercynian trending axes. They expose the levels (Wrede et al. 2019). The Carboniferous oldest, Carboniferous, strata in the Geopark area section ends with sandstones intercalated with and are up to 2,000 m higher than the surrounding conglomerates, which were deposited in a sub- Mesozoic strata (Fig. 1; Josten et al. 1984). tropical braided river environment (Josten et al. 1984). The Upper Permian Zechstein conglomer- Located in the Lower Saxony basin, the sediments ate unconformably overlies the sandstones in the at Hüggel, Piesberg, and Schafberg range in age quarry sections. This unconformity is the result of from latest Carboniferous to the Anisian stage of a c. 40 Myr long hiatus (equivalent to the Rotli- the Middle Triassic (Mittlerer Muschelkalk) and egend), when the Geopark area was located at a can be accessed in multiple quarries and mining continental threshold, i.e., the Hunte sill (Harms tunnels (Josten et al. 1984; Harms 1995). Because 1984, 1995; Geologischer Dienst Nordrhe- Hüggel has been raised less than Piesberg and in-Westfalen 2003). Therefore, the transition from Schafberg, it has no exposure to Carboniferous Carboniferous sandstones to Upper Permian strata coal seams and claystones, unlike the latter (Jos- (Zechstein) corresponds to the original paleo-con- ten et al. 1984). The coal seams were deposited tinental surface (Harms 1995; Natur- und Geopark in a paralic basin with tropical swamp forests, TERRA.vita 2009). The occurrence of the Zech- 280 Fischer: UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita stein conglomerate indicates the transgression of been cut off from the world oceans during the Late the Zechstein Sea during a phase of subsidence. Permian, which would explain the deposition of Furthermore, ventifacts are commonly present in anhydrite and halite evaporites under arid climates the conglomerate, providing evidence of arid cli- (Harms 1995; Natur- und Geopark TERRA.vita mate for NW Germany during the Late Permian 2009). The Lower Werra anhydrites dissolved, (Harms 1986; Schöllmann 2010). and dolines formed over time. During the Oligo- cene, these dolines collapsed and younger Perm- The Upper Permian section continues with a se- ian strata such as the Plattiger and Massiger dolo- quence of bituminous rocks: the dark brownish mites caved into the anhydrite zone (Harms 1984, Mutterflöz limestone beds, the pelitic rocks of the 1995). In the quarries at Hüggel, these paleokarst Kupferschiefer, and the dark-grayish Stinkkalk structures are expressed as collapse breccias. The limestones, which have