Nógrád Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve XXVII-XXVIII. (2003-2004)

Tanulmányok - Természettudomány - Dr. Hír István: Miocén korú gerinces maradványok gyűjtéstechnikája

Abstract The collecting methodology of Miocène microvertebrate faunas The author gives the detailed description of the collecting technics applied by him and his team in the field campaigns of the Municipal Museum of Pásztó during the last décade. This methodology is based on the report of DAMS & FREUDENTHAL (1988). First we hâve to study the geological literature intensively and we hâve to collect the data of the nonmarine sédiment complexes. The microvertebrate finds are not visible directly in the field. During the clearing up of the localities we hâve to regard the following indirect markers as indicators: - occurences of sporadic macrovertebrate finds - occurences of nonmarine mollusc faunas - occurences of lignitic seams. The best season for the field exploration is the spring, because the missing of the foliage and the wet status of the studied sédiments. The first test from a section are taken from every layers or every 20 cm thick levels. These test -samples hâve only limites mass: 10 -14 kg. A locality is worthy for intensive sampling if one intact molar сап be collected from 10 kg (or fewer) mass of sédiment. Other test -samples are needed for the exact localization of the fossiliferous layer. After the fruitful preliminary orientation we сап take the samples with the mass of 1 -10 tonnes. Before the successful washing the samples must be made dry. Usually the sunshine is efficient for this process in the summer. The material spread on a canvas and the drying needs 2 or 3 sunny days. The next phase is the soaking. 4-5 kg material is put into a bowl. 1 dl hidrogeneperoxide is poured for the material and immediately 10 1 water is poured into the bowl. The material is made pulp by the intensive fizzing of the peroxide. Usually a night is needed for the complète soaking. The washig is managed by the washig equipment with sieves having the mesh 0.6 and 0.5 mm. Usually one turn of washing is not sufficient for the complète purification of the samples. The drying and washing must be repeated in 3 -7 turns. The last turn of washing сап be managed by handsieving. During the sorting the washed material is examined thoroughly. The teeth, bones, snailshells and other fossils must be found and picked out by tweezers from the mass of ballstone and minerai grains. The finds are collected in phials. Before the scientific élaboration the teeth must be cleaned by acetic acid. The small finds must be kept in plasticine rubber. The small boxes are usefor for storage because those are possible to put under the microscope promptly. A tanulmány a T 046719. sz. OTKA téma támogatásával készült. The study was supported by the Hungárián Sciantific Fundation (OTKA) project по. T 046719. 280