TY - JOUR
T1 - Ordovician Ichnofossils and Popular Architecture in Monsagro (Salamanca, Spain): Ethnopaleontology in the Service of Rural Development
AU - Simón-Porcar, Guillermo
AU - Martínez-Graña, Antonio
AU - Simón, José L.
AU - González-Delgado, José
AU - Legoinha, Paulo
N1 - This research was funded by the project SA044G18 of Junta de Castilla y León, and the Geotransfer research group (E32_17R) financed by the Aragón regional government.
PY - 2020/9/1
Y1 - 2020/9/1
N2 - The municipality of Monsagro, a mountain location in Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park (Salamanca, Spain), has recently developed two paleontological outreach projects: a Fossil Footprints Geo-route within the urban area and a modern Centre for the Interpretation of Ancient Seas. They are based on the abundance and popular interest of Cruziana and other ichnofossils, which have been added as architectural elements in many buildings of the village constituting a curious ethnopaleontological phenomenon. The Monsagro ichnofossils are ex situ paleontological heritage submitted to non-standard conditions of conservation. Its scientific value is therefore limited, but its social value is high, and the support of both population and public administration gives the strength for the success of the referred outreach/geotourist initiatives. An on-site survey conducted with village inhabitants and visitors reveals their high popular estimate, and how these have contributed to increasing scientific culture of citizens and socio-economic development of this rural area.
AB - The municipality of Monsagro, a mountain location in Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park (Salamanca, Spain), has recently developed two paleontological outreach projects: a Fossil Footprints Geo-route within the urban area and a modern Centre for the Interpretation of Ancient Seas. They are based on the abundance and popular interest of Cruziana and other ichnofossils, which have been added as architectural elements in many buildings of the village constituting a curious ethnopaleontological phenomenon. The Monsagro ichnofossils are ex situ paleontological heritage submitted to non-standard conditions of conservation. Its scientific value is therefore limited, but its social value is high, and the support of both population and public administration gives the strength for the success of the referred outreach/geotourist initiatives. An on-site survey conducted with village inhabitants and visitors reveals their high popular estimate, and how these have contributed to increasing scientific culture of citizens and socio-economic development of this rural area.
KW - Cruziana
KW - Ex situ paleontological heritage
KW - Geotourism
KW - Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park
KW - Social value
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090046207&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12371-020-00506-y
DO - 10.1007/s12371-020-00506-y
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85090046207
VL - 12
JO - Geoheritage
JF - Geoheritage
SN - 1867-2477
IS - 3
M1 - 76
ER -
