Ichnofossils

Mourinha Ichnofossils Ichnofossils from Cabanas Longas Ichnofossils from Vilarinho Ichnofossils from Meitriz Vila Cova Ichnofossils

Geossítio 17 Mourinha Ichnofossils

Discovering ancient marks of life…

In Mourinha we find ichnofossils: fossil marks of the activity of living beings. Here we see fossilized tracks called Cruziana that were formed by the activity of arthropods such as trilobites, beings that inhabited the seas around 475 million years ago, at latitudes close to the South Pole. These internationally important markers are found in quartzite rocks: a metamorphic rock on the seabed from quartz-rich sands. They are very resistant rocks that form a landscape marked by prominent ridges.

You can see this geosite on the 1.5km-long, linear PR5 geotourist footpath.

Este geossítio faz parte do itinerário B: Through the mines and unknown corners of Paiva.
Saiba mais sobre a Rota dos Geossítios .

Informação Geológica

The Mourinha Ichnofossils occur in outcrops characterized by the quantity and diversity of Arenigian (Lower Ordovician) ichnofossils. Several stratification surfaces stand out here, quite vertical, where numerous and diverse ichnofossils can easily be seen, namely Cruziana ispp., with a Cruziana furcifera track more than 3.5 m long.

The size of the slabs and the excellence of the ichnofossils represented give it a high paleontological interest and the possibility of making casts for museum collections. The fact that they are traces of the activity of organisms contemporary with sedimentation gives them stratigraphic interest. Since the iconological record has been preserved due to the occurrence of special and rare sedimentological and paleogeographical factors, this is also one of the interests to be highlighted here.