A preliminary study of the weathering mechanism of fossilized Cretaceous Hamipterus bones

doi:10.1007/s11430-020-9702-8

IVPP-IR > 中科院古脊椎所（2000年以后）

	A preliminary study of the weathering mechanism of fossilized Cretaceous Hamipterus bones
	Li, Ying 1,2; Luo, Wugan 1,2; Yang, Yimin 1,2; Jiang, Shunxing 1,3; Wang, Xiaolin1,3,4
	2021-01-20
发表期刊	SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES
ISSN	1674-7313
卷号	64 期号:3 页码:12
摘要	The discovery of Hamipterus tianshanensis had important scientific significance because three-dimensional preserved fossils can provide unique information about the reproduction, development, and evolution of pterosaurs. However, the pterosaur fossils exhibited violent weathering, including noticeable cracking and spalling, since the preservation environment changed dramatically after excavation, which severely influenced the preservation of these fossils and the scientific research conducted on them. To determine the weathering mechanism of these fossil bones, the samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The results indicate that calcite is the main mineral in the hollow bones, but it is mixed with a small amount of other minerals, such as quartz, feldspar, and other debris particles. Moreover, the main component of the pterosaur bones is hydroxyapatite, and carbonate has substituted for some of the phosphate (B-type carbonated apatite) in the fossil bones. A small amount of calcite and manganese oxides has precipitated in the vascular canals. The phosphate crystallinity index (PCI) is 4.17. These results indicate that the fossils have undergone severe diagenesis. Apart from these alterations, the fossil bones have high contents of anions and cations such as Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, and Ca2+, and the total content of soluble salts is 35584.41 mu g g(-1). Based on these results, it is inferred that the weathering mechanism of the fossil bones is as follows. First, the fragile hollow bones cracked easily because of the enormous thermal stress caused by the dramatic temperature changes in the Gobi Desert and the differences in the thermal expansion coefficients (TEC) of the surrounding rocks, the fossil bones, and the different fillers. Second, a large amount of stress is generated by salt crystallization when the temperature and humidity change, and the pterosaur fossils will be damaged when the crystallization pressure exceeds the tensile strength of the fossils. These results suggest that the preservation of pterosaur fossils requires suitable desalination and consolidation conditions. Moreover, they should be preserved in a constant temperature and humidity environment.
关键词	Hamipterus fossil weathering hydroxyapatite coefficient of thermal expansion Xinjiang
DOI	10.1007/s11430-020-9702-8
关键词[WOS]	SITES ; PALEONTOLOGY ; CONSERVATION ; PTEROSAURS
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
资助项目	National Natural Science Foundation of China[41688103] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[41572020] ; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS[2019075] ; Foundation of Excavation and Protection from the Hami Government
WOS研究方向	Geology
WOS类目	Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
WOS记录号	WOS:000609992700001
出版者	SCIENCE PRESS
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.205/handle/311034/18766
专题	中科院古脊椎所（2000年以后）
通讯作者	Wang, Xiaolin
作者单位	1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Vertebrate Paleontol & Paleoanthropol, Key Lab Vertebrate Evolut & Human Origins, Beijing 100044, Peoples R China 2.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Dept Archaeol & Anthropol, Beijing 100049, Peoples R China 3.CAS Ctr Excellence Life & Paleoenvironm, Beijing 100044, Peoples R China 4.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Coll Earth & Planetary Sci, Beijing 100049, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Li, Ying,Luo, Wugan,Yang, Yimin,et al. A preliminary study of the weathering mechanism of fossilized Cretaceous Hamipterus bones[J]. SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES,2021,64(3):12.
APA	Li, Ying,Luo, Wugan,Yang, Yimin,Jiang, Shunxing,&Wang, Xiaolin.(2021).A preliminary study of the weathering mechanism of fossilized Cretaceous Hamipterus bones.SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES,64(3),12.
MLA	Li, Ying,et al."A preliminary study of the weathering mechanism of fossilized Cretaceous Hamipterus bones".SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES 64.3(2021):12.

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