Palaeobiology
Expeditions - Brazil
01: The spectacular fossil-rich deposits of the Santana and Crato formations of north east Brazil are a magnet for palaeontologists. Both deposits are famous for their fossil pterosaurs. These fossil deposits are exposed on the flanks of the Chapada do Araripe, a "lost world" of the Arthur Conan Doyle genre. |
 02: View of the Santana Formation, source of the famous fish-bearing nodules and, more recently, exceptionally well-preserved pterosaurs. This image shows the sequence at Mina Pedra Branca, here the fossil-bearing nodules are at the very top of the mine. |
 03: Another view of the Santana Formation, this image shows the nodules in the Romualdo Member at Estiva. |
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 04: A fossil fish mine. This site has been excavated for nodules containing fossil fish like those in the images 05 and 06. |
 05: See image 04 for detail. |
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 06: See image 04 for detail. |
 07: A very rare discovery: a nodule with two pterosaur wing-finger bones. |
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 08: The Crato Formation forms a series of waterfalls on the flanks of the Chapada do Araripe which provide a welcome spot for a swim in the tropical heat of north east Brazil. |
 09: A typical quarry of the laminated Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation, source of some spectacular fossils. See gallery |
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 10: Quarry workers (from the quarry in image 09) removing stone to make floor tiles. These men find many wonderful fossils. |
 11: A deep excavation in the Crato Formation shows that in its unweathered state the Crato Formation is a blue-grey limestone. |
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