Spectroscopic Characterization of Eoholocene Bones Found in a Cave in Northeast Brazil

P V Oliveira,M S S Viana,S B S Gusmão,B C Viana,P T C Freire,F I Bezerra,J H Silva,O A Barros

doi:10.1155/2018/5039198

Abstract

The preservation of fossils depends on several interactions of organic and inorganic chemical processes. The hard parts, which are more suitable for fossilization, might record valuable information of biogenic processes, while the taphonomic characteristics supply information on postmortem chemical transformation. Here, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy analyses were carried out in Early Eoholocene fragments of bones collected from the subsurface at Gruta do Urso Fóssil, Ubajara National Park, northeast of Ceará State in Brazil. It is suggested a lower degree of decomposition, a preservation of the original mineral composition, along with some incidence of encrustation, and the occurrence of different animal species are analyzed. These preliminary data serve as a basis for future studies involving fossil biota from the deposits of Gruta do Urso Fóssil using spectroscopic techniques.

Highlights

Academic Editor: Vincenza Crupi e preservation of fossils depends on several interactions of organic and inorganic chemical processes. e hard parts, which are more suitable for fossilization, might record valuable information of biogenic processes, while the taphonomic characteristics supply information on postmortem chemical transformation
Results and Discussion e excavation resulted in the schematic section represented below, which demonstrates the stratigraphic distribution of the fossils in all layers found of unconsolidated sediments composed of both cave carbonate and siliciclastic material carried into the cave (Figure 2). e siliciclastic material was determined by microscopic analysis, revealing the presence of small crystalline grains
Ca and P are the majority elements identi ed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and the measurements are agreeing with X-ray diffraction (XRD). ese chemical characteristics and the incrustation observed from fossil analyses suggest that in all layers, there has been an

Summary

Research Article

Spectroscopic Characterization of Eoholocene Bones Found in a Cave in Northeast Brazil. E hard parts, which are more suitable for fossilization, might record valuable information of biogenic processes, while the taphonomic characteristics supply information on postmortem chemical transformation. X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy analyses were carried out in Early Eoholocene fragments of bones collected from the subsurface at Gruta do Urso Fossil, Ubajara National Park, northeast of Ceara State in Brazil. It is suggested a lower degree of decomposition, a preservation of the original mineral composition, along with some incidence of encrustation, and the occurrence of different animal species are analyzed. At GUF, several Early Eoholocene fragments of bones and teeth from small fauna, as well as gastropod shells, have been collected and reported in the specialized literature by Hsiou et al [8], Oliveira et al [9,10,11], and Viana [1]

Ceará state

Ca P Fe S Al Cl K Mn Si Sr Zn

Conclusions