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Ichnoassociations, facies and depositional environments of a modern barrier-island: Ilha da Tavira (Ria Formosa, Portugal)
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Da Vinci's paleodictyon: The fractal beauty of traces
No full textThe origins of ichnology are located in a land of convergence between Art and Science, in a historical period - the Renaissance - during which the scientific method had its birth. Trace fossils were studied and graphically represented by preeminent naturalists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Konrad Gesner, Johann Bauhin and Ulisse Aldrovandi - who defined ichnofossils as "exceptionally beautiful". In this study, the representation of trace fossils in the Renaissance is explored by employing a method widely used in studying visual perception - fractal geometry. In particular, this paper focuses on the reasons for the aesthetic appeal of traces and proves that (1) the aesthetic perception of traces is closely tied to their fractal dimension, and (2) many traces are aesthetically appealing because they have fractal behaviour. In particular, graphoglyptids and chondritids display significant fractal-like features that are linked with their constructional program and function. Such fractal traces are hierarchically structured and their whole geometric structure can be regarded as an expression of self-organization processes producing correlations between different orders of scale
Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605): The study of trace fossils during the Renaissance
No full textThe Renaissance was a time of flourishing for literature, art and science. A prominent figure in Renaissance science was the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi, considered today to be one of the founding fathers of modern paleontology. Aldrovandi is known to have widely studied body fossils, but his work on trace fossils has yet to be explored by science historians. This paper proposes to critically analyze Aldrovandi's approach to trace fossils, based on his writings (most of which are still unpublished) and on the illustrations that accompany them. In his studies, the Bolognaborn naturalist accurately describes such ichnological celebrities as Gastrochaenolites and Cosmorhaphe and discusses a few theoretic principles on the trace-making process. The study of the works of Aldrovandi brings to light a fascinating and little-known source of the history of ichnology. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
LEONARDO DA VINCI, THE FOUNDING FATHER OF ICHNOLOGY
No full textScience historians separated the scientific origins of ichnology and body fossil paleontology; the birth of body fossil paleontology is attributed to the Renaissance, whereas the beginnings of ichnology are placed in the 19th century. The present study shifts the boundaries of the history of paleontology and provides new information on an obscure chapter of scientific thought: the ichnological studies of Leonardo da Vinci. This report examines the ichnological observations of Leonardo da Vinci by (1) interpreting the Codex Leicester and the ichnosites described therein, and (2) studying the ichnological drawing included in the Codex I. This paper demonstrates the modernity and correctness of the observations and interpretations made by da Vinci, who used trace fossils to complement his hypothesis concerning the relationship of body fossils to the host sediment. The result from new information presented here is the establishment of a line of continuity between the two main branches of paleontologytrace fossils and body fossilsthat emerge united by the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, the founding father of ichnology. Copyright © 2010, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)
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