Geoconservation Research 2021, Volume 4 / Issue 2 / pages(513-523) European UNESCO Geoparks: Original Article Open-air Paleontological Sites: A Dissemination Opportunity and a Risk to Spoliation. A Case Study in the Orígens Geopark, Spain Isabel C. Blasi1, Xavier M. Pellicer2,*, Joan Poch1, Àngel Galobart3,4 1 Departament de Geologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain 2 Orígens UNESCO Global Geopark, Tremp, Lleida, Spain 3 Dinosaur Ecosystem Research Group. Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Edifici Z, C/ de les columnes s/n, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain 4 Museu de la Conca Dellà. C/ del Museu 4, Isona i Conca Dellà, Spain Abstract Visits to paleontological sites are one of the most popular geotourism activities, but their appeal may have drawbacks. Deciding which sites are suitable for dissemi- nation and appropriate measures for their optimal conservation can be complex. Corresponding Author: Here, we present a geoconservation inventory of 15 Upper Cretaceous paleonto- Xavier M. Pellicer Orígens UNESCO Global Geopark logical sites with dinosaur and other vertebrate remains from the Origens UNE- Tremp, Lleida, Spain SCO Global Geopark. We provide a summary of the inventory and methodology Email:xmir@geoparcorigens.cat used to characterize the geosites. We used a modified version of a geoconservation questionnaire developed by the Spanish Geological Survey that allows systematic characterization of the sites and diagnosis of their geo-touristic and educational po- tential, as well as their susceptibility to degradation through exposure to local envi- ronmental conditions, vandalism, and spoliation. Based on these criteria, protection and conservation measures tailored to the needs of each site are recommended. Our aim is to address questions on previously published geoconservation measures and to establish a preliminary systematic approach in the characterization, diagnosis, and protection of vertebrate paleontological sites in the Spanish Pyrenees. Keywords: Geoconservation, Paleontology, Upper Cretaceous, Dinosaurs, Orígens Geopark. Article information Received: 2020-10-27 Accepted: 2021-10-12 DOI: 10.30486/GCR.2021.1913481.1055 How to cite: Blasi IC, Pellicer XP, Poch J & Galobart À (2021). Open-air paleontological sites: a dissemination oppor- tunity and a risk to spoliation. A case study in the Orígens Geopark, Spain. Geoconservation Research. 4(2): 513-523. doi: 10.30486/gcr.2021.1913481.1055 Geoconservation Research e-ISSN: 2588-7343 p-ISSN: 2645-4661 © Author(s) 2021, 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. 513 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 2 2021 / pages(513-523) Introduction Following this initial legislation, the Spanish gov- Geoconservation of open-air geosites is a key ernment transferred the management of cultural point of discussion in UNESCO Global Geoparks. heritage to the Autonomous Communities. The According to the European Association for Con- first Catalan Heritage Law (Act 9/1993) included servation of Geological Heritage (ProGEO 2017), sites with paleontological remains as cultural her- “Geoconservation is defined as a set of actions itage. This act strictly prohibits the collection of aimed at informing the management of geologi- fossils anywhere in the Catalan territory and states cal sites, in or ex-situ, comprising inventory and that prospecting, excavation, and conservation of assessment, conservation, statutory protection, in- paleontological deposits are managed by the De- terpretation and monitoring of sites”. partment of Culture of the Catalan Government. The law establishes two levels of heritage protec- Open-air paleontological sites are highly suscepti- tion: Sites of National Cultural Interest (BCIN by ble to weathering and anthropogenic activity even its acronym in Catalan) and Sites of Local Cul- when they are correctly managed and protected. tural Interest (BCIL). BCINs constitute the high- Geoconservation measures are increasingly being est category of protection awarded by a regional applied to significant paleontological outcrops, government and are also recognized as Elements such as the Fumanya sauropod footprints in Cen- of Cultural Interest by the Spanish central admin- tral Catalonia, the titanosaur egg nests in Orígens istration. This figure establishes a set of protection Geopark or the sauropod, stegosaurid and orni- measures, criteria for their conservation and re- thopod footprints in Maestrazgo Geopark. Some habilitation and guarantees public access to sites. geoconservation examples are a joint project be- BCILs include heritage sites managed by local tween Manchester University, Institut Català de authorities. Paleontologia (ICP) and Barcelona Autonomous University (UAB) to produce a 3D digital repre- At a Central Government level, Law 42/2007 and sentation using LiDar (Terrestrial Light Detection its subsequent amendment in Law 33/2015 on and Range) technology (Vila et al. 2006; Bates et Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, describe the al. 2008) of a spectacular sauropod tracks outcrop geological heritage as a set of natural geological in Fumanya, Central Catalonia or the restoration resources of scientific, cultural and/or educational project led by ICP to reconstruct the “Cretaceous value including geological formations and struc- Viewpoint” (Mirador del Cretaci) Geosite in Orí- tures, landforms, minerals, rocks, meteorites, fos- gens Geopark, with one of the most important sils, soils and other geological manifestations that titanosaur egg nests in the world including 25 to allow us to know, study and interpret: (1) the or- 30 clutches of megaloolithid eggs, which was se- igin and evolution of the Earth, (2) the processes riously vandalized in 2015, aiming to preserve the that have modeled it, (3) the climates and land- educational and geotourism interest of the site. scapes of the past and present and (4) the origin and evolution of life. The main tools to protect natural and cultural heritage are educational and legal concepts included in her- Having in mind the described legislation, we pro- itage laws. However, some of these are unclear and pose here to examine the geotourism and educa- can be interpreted in different ways. The first mention tion potential of 15 paleontological dinosaur sites of fossil protection in Spanish legislation was made in the Spanish pre-Pyrenees (Fig. 1) and assess in Article 40.1 of the Spanish Historical Heritage law their susceptibility to weathering and anthropo- 16/1985, which states that geological and paleonto- genic activity. We anticipate that this work will logical elements related to the history of man and his aid in decision making for the implementation of origins are part of the (Historical) Heritage. appropriate geoconservation measures. 514 Pellicer: Origens UNESCO Global Geopark Figure 1. Location of the study area and the sites recorded within the Orígens Geopark. The Geopark area is out- lined in green. The region outlined in red indicates the area where most of the dinosaur remains are recorded and illustrates the area covered by Figure 3. Geographical and Geological Context The landscape of the area during the Late Creta- The 15 sites are located within the boundaries of ceous (Campanian) was an enclosed sedimentary Orígens UNESCO Global Geopark in the south- basin opening and deepening westwards. The sed- ern sector of the Catalan Pyrenees. The Geopark imentary record shows a transition from continen- comprises 19 municipalities, covering an area of tal to marine facies during this period (Díaz-Moli- 2,040 km2. The main sites of interest are mostly na 1987; Ardèvol et al. 2000; Rosell et al. 2001). focused on the municipalities of Isona i Conca de However, a marine regression during the early Dellá, Tremp and Coll de Nargó (Fig. 1). Maastrichtian in the eastern and central Pyrenees caused a shift to continental conditions associat- Tectonic movements of compression associated ed with diversification of vertebrates in the area with the formation of the Pyrenees between the (Sellés et al. 2013). Upper Cretaceous and the Miocene contributed to the formation of four main synclineal structures Dinosaur fossils are recorded in the upper Cam- throughout the Southern Pyrenees (Puigdefàbre- panian to upper Maastrichtian (72–66 Ma). At gas & Souquet 1986) where most of the vertebrate that time, Europe was an archipelago, and the paleontological sites are recorded: the Vallcebre Iberian Peninsula and the south of France were and Coll de Nargó synclines to the east and the part of the Armorican Island. The climate was Tremp and Àger synclines to the west (Dalla Vec- tropical, with vegetation dominated by palm chia et al. 2014). The sites presented here are in trees, ferns, and conifers (Fig. 3; Marmi et al. the Tremp and Coll de Nargó structural basins 2016a). Vertebrate remains have been recorded (Fig. 2). both in the Aren Sandstone Formation and the 515 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 2 2021 / pages(513-523) Figure 2. Geological setting of the study area, with yellow markers to indicate the sites presented in this work. The geological background has been modified from Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya geological map at 1: 50,000 scale. The Suterranya Limestones–Garumnian Formation illustrates the approximate position of the K/Pg limit. Tremp Group (Mey et al. 1968). The Arén Sand- Geosite Significance and Geotourism Potential stone Formation consists of quartz-rich sand- A geosite is a site of geological importance, con- stones with medium to large-scale cross-stratifi- taining information about the conformation and cation interpreted as coastal paleoenvironments dynamics of the Earth (Bruno et al. 2014). These with barrier island systems and deltaic deposits sites are selected within a contextual framework to (Riera et al. 2009). The age of this formation assess their international significance. A number of ranges from late Campanian to late Maastrich- aspects are considered: (1) representativeness and/ tian (Ardèvol et al. 2000). The Tremp Group, or interest of the geological record and time-range generally overlying the Arén Sandstone For- represented; (2) presence of exceptional land- mation, ranges from late Campanian to late Pa- forms; (3) paleontological content; (4) existence leocene (Mey et al. 1968; Willems 1985). The of relevant tectonic and structural elements; (5) Garumnian Formation was subdivided by Rosell toccurrence of unusual or unique minerals, rocks et al. (2001) into the La Posa Formation (Cue- and/or sedimentary structures; and (6) possibility vas 1992) consisting of grey pelites with some of identifying paleogeographies and/or paleoenvi- coal beds, charophyte limestone and sandstone, ronments that reveal the geological evolution of the Conques Formation (Cuevas 1992) formed the region (Carcavilla et al. 2019; García-Cortés by red pelites (fluvial fàcies) with some sand- et al. 2000; Avendaño Gil et al. 2020). Moreover, stones and rare paleosol beds and, the Cenozoic these sites can be classified based on their facies: Suterranya limestones and Upper Red Garum- paleoecosystem, ichnological value, taphonomic nian facies (Fig. 2). patterns, catastrophic events and geoarcheological importance (Bruno et al. 2014). 516 Pellicer: Origens UNESCO Global Geopark Figure 3. Idealized scene of the landscape of the Tremp Basin during the Late Cretaceous consisting of a plain along a coastal area in a tropical climate. © Oscar Sanisidro/ICP. We present an inventory of 15 sites (Table 1) lo- text, scientific, educational and tourism interest, cated in the Orígens Geopark where significant protection measures, vulnerability, use and mon- paleontological remains have been discovered itoring. Finally, a field campaign was carried out from 1917 to the present day. The data from these to outline, characterize and classify the selected sites has provided key information to reconstruct sites. the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment of the Late Cretaceous (Riera et al. 2009; Vila et al. The field classification questionnaire (See an ex- 2011, 2016; Sellés et al. 2013). ample in Supplementary data) includes several sections that were scored from 0 to 4, where 4 cor- Methods responds to very high and 0 to very low interest. The inventory was carried out in three stages. First, The final score was obtained by adding the values the sites were selected based on taphonomic inter- gathered in each section, and sites with high inter- est, age and chronology, degree of conservation of est scores were considered relevant as educational the fossils and their taxonomic value. Second, a and tourism sites. The vulnerability section was modified version of a questionnaire developed by treated separately, with high vulnerability scores García-Cortés & Carcavilla (2009) tailored to the indicating high susceptibility to weathering or an- needs of the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME, thropogenic activity. by its acronym in Spanish), was synthetized for its use in characterizating the paleontological sites Results of the study area. The questionnaire was modified The study area comprises some of the richest sites by: (1) focusing its reference on paleontological for dinosaur fossils in the Pyrenees. These have aspects; (2) adapting its scale to typical paleon- provided many fossilized dinosaur bones, eggs, tological outcrops; and (3) adjusting the scores and ichnites. Several genera of dinosaurs have to the aims of the project and to characteristics of been described from the Tremp Group and Arén outcrops with vertebrate fossil remains. The ques- Formation as well as a rich variety of other rep- tionnaire (See an example in Supplementary data) tiles. These sites are representative of the fauna included the following fields: location, physiogra- and flora of the Upper Cretaceous Tremp Basin. phy, socio-economic conditions, geological con- Several have been thoroughly excavated and have 517 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 2 2021 / pages(513-523) Table 1. Name, brief description, and legal protection of the fifteen sites presented in this work. BCIN stands for Cultural Feature of National Interest (Bé Cultural d’interès nacional). provided a great amount of data (e.g., Marmi et of the sites depending on the geoturism and ed- al. 2016b; Vila et al. 2016; Fondevilla et al. 2019; ucational interest, as well as their vulnerability Conti et al. 2020), based on the analysis of large to natural (e.g., weathering) and anthropogenic quantities of fossils. As an example, the Basturs-1, activity. Sites with high interest scores (Table 2) Basturs-2 and Mirador del Cretaci sites are con- are well preserved and easily accessible (La Posa, sidered among the most significant titanosaur Orcau-2) or recently restored and well-equipped eggs nests with very well-preserved samples of sites, such as Mirador del Cretaci. Low scores megaloolithid eggs. indicate sites with insufficient fossil content (Su- terranya and Basturs poble), poor conservation The scoring system (see Supplementary data) or difficult access (Masia de Ramón, Costa Roia enabled us to obtain a numerical result for each and Sant Romà d’Abella I). Sites with high vul- 518 Pellicer: Origens UNESCO Global Geopark Table 2. Scoring results drawn from field site characterization. The two sites marked in gray are not yet declared as BCIN and therefore are in a situation of high legal vulnerability. nerability have a high risk of over-collecting, such reach activities, would require legal protection be- as Magret and Les Torres, from lack of legal pro- fore contemplating any action. tection or fragility of the outcrop by bedrock type and position. One example of the latter is the posi- Geosites Conservation: Actions, Solutions, and tion of Llau de la Costa outcrop, at the bottom of Limitations a gorge affected by seasonal storm events, which The concept of an open-air museum originated in makes the site highly vulnerable. Low vulnerabili- the late 19th century in Scandinavia (Rentzhog ty scores indicate outcrops on relatively hard bed- 2007) and has spread worldwide since. The Mira- rock (La Posa) or sites with low remaining fossil dor del Cretaci, La Posa, and Orcau-2 sites are al- content (Suterranya, Basturs Poble, Molí de Baró ready equipped and open to the public. However, and Costa Roia). these sites still have room for further development in both geotourism and geoconservation. Mirador Sites with low fossil recovery or without exposed del Cretaci would require strengthened security fossils are not considered for tourism or educa- measures by increasing the frequency of visits by tion. Therefore, even though they have provided rural agents and the installation of security camer- a large quantity of fossil remains in the past, the as for a 24 h surveillance system. La Posa is quite Sant Romà d’Abella I, Suterranya, Molí del Baró, a resilient geosite, but regular cleaning should be Els Nerets, Masia de Ramón, Basturs Poble and carried out and an information panel describing La Costa Roia sites do not currently show any in the significant sedimentary structures recorded in situ exposed fossils and therefore cannot be con- the outcrop and their paleoenvironmental condi- sidered candidates as open-air museums, but the tions would widen its geotourism and educational remaining sites are all candidates. However, the interest. Magret and Les Torres sites (Fig. 4) have not yet been declared as BCINs and, although they have On the other hand, a joint ICP and Orígens Geopark significant potential for the development of out- geoconservation project at Orcau-2, involving in- 519 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 2 2021 / pages(513-523) Figure 4. Geology and fossils in the Orígens Geopark. A1) Fragment of dinosaur bone in les Torres site and an associated image; A2) of the site context. B1) Detail of tridactyl dinosaur footprints, from a hadrosaur dinosaur, in Llau de la Costa site and an associated image; B2) of the context. C1) Titanosaur eggs of the Megaloolithidae family recorded in Basturs-1 site and an associated image; C2) of the site context. stallation of an additional geoconservation panel nerability is often related to the risk of weathering and a fence along the outcrop face, producing an and erosion, as well as the risk to over-collection audio guide with a strong geoconservation mes- and fragility of the remaining fossils. Conserva- sage and improving safe access to the site, will tion and preservation measures are recommended improve the geotourism interest and protection of for each of the geosites based on the vulnerability the site. Other sites discussed here also have the score. potential for development as open-air museums. However, these have high vulnerability scores Sites without exposed fossils do not have educa- and several geoconservation aspects have to be tional or tourism interest and therefore do not re- addressed to improve their protection. High vul- quire any further protection. On the other hand, the 520 Pellicer: Origens UNESCO Global Geopark Basturs-1, Basturs-2 and Llau de la Costa geo- The use of a rating system streamlines the pro- sites have potential to be opened to the public, cess of diagnosis and protection of paleontologi- but with some restrictions. Even though some of cal sites. This methodology helps to identify and these sites have high interest scores, they also to characterize both the very fragile deposits and show high fragility scores (Table 2) as these those that show significant tourism and education- are in remote areas and have a high risk of spo- al potential. Seven of the evaluated sites, despite liation. In such situations, opening these sites their high scientific relevance, do not have in situ to the public would require extreme protection fossil remains and therefore should be omitted as measures or limiting visits to guided tours led candidates for potential open-air museums. The by professionals linked to the Conca Dellà Mu- remaining locations have enough potential to be seum, and including a strong geoconservation developed as educational and/or tourism sites. message. Further, not only should the sites be Nevertheless, protection measures should be ap- adapted to guarantee visitor safety, but access plied to preserve them from both natural degrada- roads should be upgraded so they can be used by tion and anthropogenic activity. any type of vehicle all year round. Once these issues are addressed, the Basturs-1, Les Torres The Orígens UNESCO Global Geopark comprises (Fig. 4A), Llau de la Costa (Fig. 4B) and Magret significant sites that should be shown to the pub- geosites could allow attractive geotourism and lic. However, their geoconservation is of prime educational activities consisting of guided importance so future generations can also enjoy routes where visitors could see three aspects of and learn from their invaluable paleontological the dinosaurian fossil record: footprints, bones, heritage. In general, the sites in the Orígens UN- and egg clutches. ESCO Global Geopark are of great scientific im- portance. However, most outcrops are small and The last site, the Magret geosite, is formed from sometimes difficult to access, so it is recommend- a few blocks with dinosaur bones situated precar- ed that tours are led by professional guides with iously along the edge of a forest road with a high a good paleontological background. The use of risk of rolling downslope. We recommend that professional guides should help to raise awareness these blocks should be moved to a flat area and the among visitors about the importance of protecting bones consolidated to avoid further degradation. the paleontological heritage and can contribute to Also, a transparent structure could be installed to monitoring site geoconservation needs. protect them from possible acts of vandalism or spoliation. Acknowledgments This research is a contribution to Orígens UNES- Conclusions CO Global Geopark (Catalunya, Spain). Scientific Geoconservation and promotion must be evaluat- research and excavations have been supported by ed individually for each site as each has its own the Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de particularities. Fragile outcrops with a high risk Catalunya, CERCA program (Departament d’Em- of spoliation can be shown to the public but only presa i Coneixement, Generalitat de Catalunya) when the correct protective measures have been and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion. considered. Episodes of vandalism at Mirador del Cretaci were mainly a consequence of ignorance References by the perpetrators about the value of these sites. Ardèvol L, Klimowitz J, Malagón J & Nagtegaal PJC Further education on this subject, especially at a (2000). Depositional sequence response to foreland local level, may help to improve the monitoring deformation in the Upper Cretaceous of the South- and preservation of sites. ern Pyrenees, Spain. American Association of Pe- 521 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 2 2021 / pages(513-523) troleum Geologists. 84: 566-587. À (2014). The hadrosauroid record in the Maas- trichtian of the eastern Tremp Syncline (northern Avendaño Gil, MJ, Lόpez S, Carbot-Chanona G & Mo- Spain). In Eberth D and Evans DC (eds.). Hadro- rales Iglesias H (2020). Geosites of paleontological saurs: Proceedings of the International Hadrosaur importance in the Central region of Chiapas, Mexi- Symposium at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Indiana co: a first step to geoconservation in Chiapas. Pale- University Press. ontología Mexicana. (6)1: 11-20. Díaz-Molina M (1987). Sedimentación sintectónica Bates KT, Rarity F, Manning FL, Hodgetts D, Vila asociada a una subida relativa del nivel del mar B, Oms O, Galobart À & Gawthorpe R (2008). durante el Cretácico Superior. In Geología y Pale- High-resolution LiDAR and photogrammetric sur- ontología (Arcosaurios) de los yacimientos Cretáci- vey of the Fumanya dinosaur tracksites (Catalonia): cos de Galve (Teruel) y Tremp (Lleida). Estudios implications for the conservation and interpretation Geológicos, Volumen Extraordinario, “Galve- of geological heritage sites. Journal of the Geologi- Tremp”, (pp. 69-93). cal Society. 165: 115-127 Díez-Canseco D, Arz JA, Benito MI, Díaz-Molina, M Bruno DE, Crowley BE, Gutak JM, Moroni A, Naza- & Arenillas I (2014). Tidal influence in redbeds: renko OV, Oheim KB, Dmitry A, Ruban DA, Tiess a paleoenvironmental and biochronostratigraph- G & Zorina SO (2014), Paleogeography as geo- ic reconstruction of the Lower Tremp Formation logical heritage: Developing geosite classification. (South-Central Pyrenees, Spain) around the Creta- Earth-Science Reviews. 138: 300-312. ceous/Paleogene boundary. Sedimentary Geology. 312: 31-49. Buscaloni AD, Sanz JL, Casanovas LM & Santafé JV (1986). An eosuchian crocodile from Upper Creta- Fondevilla V, RieraV, Vila B, Sellés AG, Dinarès-Turell, ceous of Spain (Vilamitjana, province of Lérida). J, Vicens E, Gaete R, Oms O & Galobart À (2019). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 6: 209-214. Chronostratigraphic synthesis of the latest Creta- ceous dinosaur turnover in south-western Europe. Carcavilla L, Díaz-Martínez E, García-Cortés A & Ve- Earth-Science Reviews. 191: 168-189. gas J (2019). Geoheritage and geodiversity: Madrid, Spain, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España. García-Cortés A & Carcavilla L (2009). Documento metodológico para la elaboración del Inventario Casanovas ML, Santafé JV, Sanz JL & Buscalioni AD Español de Lugares de Interés Geológico (IELIG). (1987). Arcosaurios (Corododilia, Dinosauria) del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, 1-61. Cretácico Superior de la Conca de Tremp (Lleida, España). Estudios Geológicos, Volumen Extraordi- García-Cortés A, Rábano I, Locutura J, Bellido F, nario Galve-Tremp: 95-110. Fernández-Gianotti J, Martín-Serrnao A, Quesa- da C, Barnolas A & Durán JJ (2000). Contextos Conti S, Vila B, Sellés AG, Galobart À, Benton MJ & Geológicos españoles de relevancia internacional: Prieto-Márquez A (2020). The oldest lambeosaurine establecimiento, descripción y justificación según dinosaur from Europe: insights into the arrival of la metodología del proyecto Global Geosites de la Tsintaosaurini. Cretaceous Research, 107: 104286. IUGS. Boletín Geológico y Minero. 111(6): 5-38. Cuevas JL (1992). Estratigrafía del “Garumniense” Marmi J, Martín-Closas C, Fernández-Marrón MT, de la Conca de Tremp. Prepirineo de Lérida. Acta Vicente A & Gomez B (2016a). Latest Cretaceous Geológica Hispánica. 27 (1-2): 95-108. Plant Landscapes from the Northeastern Iberia. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sci- Dalla Vecchia FM, Gaete R, Riera V, Oms O, Prie- ence Bulletin. 71: 215-229. to-Márquez A, Vila B, García Selles A & Galobart 522 Pellicer: Origens UNESCO Global Geopark Marmi J, Blanco A, Fondevilla V, Dalla-Vecchia FM, Sanz JL, Moratalla JJ, Díaz-Molina M, López-Martínez Sellés AG, Vicente A, Martín-Closas C, Oms O & N, Kälin O & Vianey-Liaud M (1995). Dinosaur Galobart À (2016b). The Molí del Baro-1 site, a di- nests at the sea shore. Nature. 376: 731-732. verse fossil assemblage from the uppermost Maas- trichtian of the southern Pyrenees (north-eastern Sellés AG, Bravo AM, Delclòs X, Colombo F, Martí X, Iberia). Cretaceous Research. 57: 519-539 Ortega-Blanco J, Parellada C & Galobart À (2013). Dinosaur eggs in the Upper Cretaceous of the Coll Mey PHW, Nagtegaal PJC, Roberti J & Hartevelt JA de Nargó area, Lleida Province, southcentral Pyre- (1968). Lithostratigraphic subdivision of post-Her- nees, Spain: Oodiversity, biostratigraphy and their cynian deposits in the south-central Pyrenees. implications’. Cretaceous Research. 40: 10-20. Leidse Geologische Mededelingen. 41: 221-228. Vila B, Oms O, Galobart À, Vicens E, Viladrich L & Ri- Prieto-Marquez A, Gaete R, Galobart A & Ardevol L bera J (2006). Síntesis fotográfica de la degradación (2000). A Richardoestesia-like theropod toot from del Patrimoni Paleontológico en el yacimiento de the Late Cretaceous foredeep, south-central Pyr- Fumanya (Berguedà, Barcelona). I. Rábano y Jo- enees, Spain. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae. 93: sep M. Mata-Perelló (eds.), Patrimonio geológico y 497-501. minero: su caracterización y puesta en valor. Cuad- ernos del Museo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y ProGeo (2017). Geodiversity, Geoheritage & Geo- Minero de España. 6: 511-516. conservation, the ProGEO simple guide, 2017, https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/progeo_leaf- Vila B, Moratalla JJ, Gaete R, Santos V & Galobart À let_en_2017.pdf (2011). New titanosaur trackways from southern Pyrenees: Orcau-2 locality (Late Cretaceous) revis- Puigdefàbregas C & Souquet P (1986). Tecto-sedimen- ited. Dinosaur Track Symposium 2011, Abstracts tary cycles and depositional sequences of the Meso- Volume: 34-35. zoic and Tertiary from the Pyrenees. Tectonophys- ics. 129: 173-203. Vila B, Razzolini NL, Galobart À & Gaete R (2015). El jaciment d’icnites de dinosaure de la Llau de la Rentzhog S (2007). Open Air Museums: The History Costa (Isona i Conca Dellà, Lleida). Actes de les and Future of a Visionary Idea, trans. Skans Victo- Primeres Jornades d’Arqueologia i Paleontologia ria Airey. Stockholm: Carlssons and Jamtli förlag. del Pirineu i Aran. Coll de Nargó i la Seu d’Urgell, 29 i 30 novembre 2013: 22-27. Riera V, Oms O, Gaete R & Galobart À (2009). The end-Cretaceous dinosaur succession in Europe: the Vila B, Sellés AG & Brusatte SL (2016). Diversity and Tremp Basin record (Spain). Palaeogeography, Pa- faunal changes in the latest Cretaceous dinosaur laeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 283: 160-171. communities of south western Europe. Cretaceous Research. 57: 552–564. Rosell J, Linares R & Llompart C (2001). El Gar- umniense prepirenaico. Revista de la Sociedad Willems SH (1985). Marine uppermost Cretaceous Geológica de España. 14: 47-56. and Garumnian facies in the region of Boixols-Coll de Nargo anticline (prov. Lerida, Spain). Estudios Geológicos. 41: 17-24. 523