Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Early Permian bryozoan biota from the Treskelodden Formation, Horsund, Svalbard, Arctica  (Early Permian bryozoans)

Outline
The Triassic, along with the Permian, represents a transitional period in the evolutionary history of bryozoans, where the diverse Palaeozoic stenolaemate faunas were decimated by the end of Permian mass extinction. Although the bryozoans comprise on the dominant faunistic elemnent in Recent seas around Arctica their fossil record is still incomplete. The recent investigation of the (Upper Carboniferous - lowermost Permian) Treskelodden Beds has revealed that these series could be potential for the very interesting Early Permian bryozoans in many aspects such as: taxonomy, evolution and the biostratigraphy in the global meaning. The preliminary geological and biostratigraphical investigations in this area were done by the Polish expedition in 1998 (A. Gazdzicki and Kaim), from were they collected a few samples containing the bryozoans. In the past the late Permian sedimentary formation of Kapp Starostin (Svalbard) revealed the presence of the relatively rich bryozoan biota which have been studied extensively in the past (see Morozowa 1970, Nakrem, 1988, 1991).The Early Permian bryozoan fauna have never been studied in the fossil record of Arctica what has a significant value for the evolutionary pattern of the Permian fauna. Taxonomic studies of this rare in this part of the World Early Permian bryozoans are valuable for the biostratigraphy of the studied sequences as was done previously by the Norwegian Continental Shelf and Petrolium Technology Research Institute (IKU) for the Barents Shelf. In this aspects also bryozoans have the biostratigraphical and lithological significane, especially together with the other accompanying microfaunas like foraminifers and conodonts which occur abundantly in this area - and this fauna has a great derise for the other scientists and explorers. The very important will be the paleobiogeographical aspects of the studied fauna because the bryozoans could also give more data concerning the migration routes and their connections with the Tethys and other regions like Russian platform SE-Asia and Australia. The paleogeographical aspect of the Early Permian Arctic fauna is interesting because the late Permian phase of the evolution differed from that of the Early Permian in increased provincionalism, which maily resulted from the progressive isolation of the marine basins, which increased the differenciation of bryozoans of the boreal and tropical zones. Correlation between the taxonomic diversity of the Late Permian bryozoans in all climatic zones has shown, the the number of tropical provinces are lower in the composition of bryozoans than those in the low boreal provinces. Bryozoans which are only characteristic of the Euro-Canadian boreal zone, occur in the Cordilleran province; whereas the bryozoan fauna of the New Zealand province includes, in addition to endemics, genera that are in common with or close to the bryozoans of bereal provinces; these genera indicate the bipolarity in the evolution of cold-water faunas. Therefore, the Early Permian fauna of Treskelodden Beds has a great value for the further taxonomical, paleogeographical and biostratigraphical studies.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The further exploration, the wider knowledge and discoveries in Arctic continet have a world-wide meaning. The studies of the fossil Arctic bryozoans provide a new data to reconstruct the evolutionary trends and the migration routes of the bryozoan fauna during the past. This fauna is an excellent scientific material for the international scientific teams and it may cast a new light on the global evolution of the fossil record of this group of fauna.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
A part of the collection from the Troskelodden Beds (Svalbard, Arctica) is stored at the Institute of the Palaleobiology of the Polsh Academy of Sciences will be used during the taxonomical studies. Unfortunatelly, this material is scare in relation to the aim of the author who wish to collect E. Permian bryozoans from the formation. I would be very glad to invite to the collaboration Dr Andrej Ernst from the Kiel University - a specialist in the bryozoan fauna of the Tethys area.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
I would be very keen on joining the other international scientific group which will be planning the field works in the same area. The other solution is to join the Polish Academy of Science, Institute of Geophysics, Department of Polar and Marine Research.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: July /2005-2006            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The cooperation with the geologists or another groups which support the logistic aims.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes, Arctic and Antarctic Research Programme of Poland 2002-2010, Commiittee on Polar Research, Polish Academy of Sciences; Title of the project - Elaboration of nature of palaeobiotal crises, with special stress laid upon the Permian/Triassic transition.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Exp

How will the project be organised and managed?
The very imporant tasks of the undertaken project are the following: - to collect the Early Permian fauna from the Treskelodden Formation; to elaborate the studied fauna; - to announce the results and to publish the papers.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Scientific purposes and education

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
There is no an initial ideas for the management of project data

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The author of the project would like to look for the international funds like EU funds.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Projects connected with Arctic are usually connected with efforts of many international groups. This project undoubtedly attracts many specialists who want to cooperate internationally.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Urszula Hara
Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warszawa


00-975 Warsaw
Poland

Tel: 48 22 849-53-51
Mobile: no
Fax: 48 22 849-53-42
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation