Division of bedrock geology and collections
Nimetus
Bedrock geology research group
TalTech priority area
Research classification (Frascati)
Head of the research group
Research group member
Doctoral students
Keyword
bedrock
geology of Estonia
sedimentary rocks
paleozoic geology
paleontology
paleoenvironment
paleoclimate
stratigraphy
sedimentology
Paleozoic
Baltoscandia
Ordovician
Silurian
paleobiodiversity
mass extinction
ice age
microfossils
fossils
geological collections
geological databases
e-services
Overview
Bedrock geology, including paleontology and stratigraphy, have been among the key research areas of the Department of Geology since the 1950s.The main research topics of the group are related to deciphering Earth’s history through the latest Proterozoic and early Paleozoic times, ca 400–600 million years ago. The group is interested in better understanding the interactions between geo- and biosphere processes, in particular, addressing the following: paleobiodiversity dynamics and its relationships with climate and environmental changes; paleobiology and evolution of various groups of organisms during early Paleozoic; global paleobiogeographic patterns and the role of the Baltic faunal province; paleoclimate perturbations using multiple proxy indicators (such as conodont apatite); changes in carbon, oxygen and sulfur stable isotope composition, reflecting of atmosphere and hydrosphere in deep time.The group holds leading paleontological competence in Estonia, and for some fossil groups, leading expertise worldwide (notably for conodonts, chitinozoans and scolecodonts). The main applications are related to the highresolution biostratigraphy of Early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Most higher-impact studies are based on material from the Baltoscandian bedrocks, renowned by little alteration and good preservation primary Paleozoic environmental signatures. The group makes also excessive use of the geological and paleontological collections deposited at the department. These are the largest in Estonia and curated at a high international level
Related department
Teadusgrupiga seotud publikatsioonid
- Ausich, W.I., Wilson, M.A., Toom, U. Early Silurian recovery of Baltica crinoids following the end-Ordovician extinctions (Llandovery, Estonia) // Journal of paleontology (2020) vol. 94, 3, p. 521-530 : ill.
https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2019.89 - Liang, Y., Hints, O., Tang, P., Nõlvak, J. et al. Fossilized reproductive modes reveal a protistan affinity of Chitinozoa // Geology (2020) vol. 48, 12, p. 1200-1204.
https://doi.org/10.1130/G47865.1 - Yan, G., Lehnert, O., Männik, P., Calner, M., Luan, X., Gong, F., Li, L., Wei, X., Wang, G., Zhan, R., Wua, R. The record of early Silurian climate changes from South China and Baltica based on integrated conodont biostratigraphy and isotope chemostratigraphy // Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology (2022) vol. 606, art. 111245, 16 p. : ill.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111245 - Nõlvak, J., Liang, Y., Hints, O. Early and early Middle Ordovician chitinozoans from the Baldone drill core, central Latvia // Estonian journal of earth sciences (2022) vol. 71, 1, p. 25-43 : ill.
https://doi.org/10.3176/earth.2022.03 - Liang, Y., Nõlvak, J., Xu, H., Chen, Y., Hints, O. Revision of Ordovician chitinozoan Lagenochitina esthonica sensu lato : morphometrics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography // Journal of paleontology (2022) vol. 96, 1, p. 46-60.
https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2021.79 - Hagen-Peter, G., Wang, Y., Hints, O., Prave, A. R., Lepland, A. Late diagenetic evolution of Ordovician limestones in the Baltoscandian basin revealed through trace-element mapping and in situ U–Pb dating of calcite // Chemical geology (2021) vol. 585, art. 120563.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120563 - Männik, P., Lehnert, O., Nõlvak, J., Joachimski, M. M. Climate changes in the pre-Hirnantian late Ordovician based on δ18Ophos studies from Estonia // Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology (2021) vol. 569, p. 110347, 16 p. : ill.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110347 - Richardson, J. A., Lepland, A., Hints, O., Prave, A. R., Gilhooly III, W. P., Bradley, A. S., Fike, D. A. Effects of early marine diagenesis and site-specific depositional controls on carbonate-associated sulfate: Insights from paired S and O isotopic analyses // Chemical geology (2021) vol. 584, art. 120525.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120525 - Sorci, A., Cirilli, S., Clayton, G., Corrado, S., Hints, O., Goodhue, R., Schito, A., Spina, A. Palynomorph optical analyses for thermal maturity assessment of upper ordovician (Katian-Hirnantian) rocks from Southern Estonia // Marine and Petroleum Geology (2020) Vol. 120, Art. nr. 104574.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104574