RESEARCH DATA IN PALEOBOTANY: PETROGRAPHIC THIN SECTIONS FOSSIL WOOD DATASET

Semeler, Alexandre Ribas; Sommer, Margot Guerra

doi:10.5007/1518-2924.2024.e95688/EN

ABSTRACT

Objective:

This study was aimed at analyzing and disseminating the fossil wood collection data stored in the thin sections of the paleobotany collection of the Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Institute of Geosciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Thin sections of petrified wood are described. Research data used in geosciences specifically seek to develop a model for the use of this type of sheet in paleobotany, enabling visualization of its representativeness in studies published over 40 years to obtain the anatomical characteristics of fossil woods and define their systematic affinities as a specific typology of research data in geosciences.

Methods:

The methodology involved interviewing a paleobotanical specialist and using different techniques applied in metric studies to map scientific production in petrified wood. Thus, a dataset of (20) thin slide sections of petrified fossil wood used in “Stressing environmental conditions in the ‘petrified forest’ from the Mata Sequence in the Triassic context of the Paraná Basin,” a paper published by the Journal of South American Earth Sciences (DOI:10.1016/j.jsames.2023.104415), was used. Depending on the methodology, these thin sections petrified wood can reveal systematic paleoclimatic signatures based on the anatomical characteristics of the fossil wood. In addition to this case study, which represents a collection of more than (2.000) thousand blades of fossil wood and approximately 40 years of research, the paleobotanical collection of the department is reused in methodology classes. The collection comprises a database created by research physicists that provides information on anatomical features, systematic affinities, paleoclimatic conditions, and paleoenvironmental insights.

Potential for reuse:

The reuse, registration, storage, identification, and preservation of thin sections as a type of research data used in paleobotany aims to improve the methodology associated with the organization of the physical database of the institution. The research data and blades of fossil wood are being digitized. They will soon be available under CC BY 4.0, according to the sample described in this data paper (DOI Mendeley: 10.17632/b8phfcsync.3). Furthermore, the data can be reused in optical and electronic scanning microscopy software.

KEYWORDS:
Petrographic thin sections; Fossil woods; Palaeoxylology; Research data in geosciences; Physical database

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Area of knowledge	B. Earth Science
Specific subject area	Paleobotany
Language	English
Data type	Physical data of petrified wood, Laboratory notes, Thin sections
Data acquisition method	Thin sections represent the set of physical data of petrified wood. They are prepared according to the standard technique for obtaining thin sections of rocks, following the usual techniques described in the literature.
Data state	Primary
Parameters for data collection	Thin sections were prepared and recorded as follows: 1) precise laboratory preparation techniques were developed to obtain segments of wood corresponding to the transverse, radial, and tangential planes, following the standard principles for conventional rock sectioning procedures (cutting, sanding, and washing), aiming at the anatomical characterization of the wood in distinct sections; 2) elaboration of thin sections in transverse (t) radial (r) and tangential ( tg) planes, following the principles of the standard technique for elaboration of petrographic slides, but with an average thickness of 40 µm.3) metallization of the slides with gold in case of SEM observation; 4) Photomicrographic documentation of the thin sections produced in different planes: transverse (t) radial (r) and tangential ( tg).
Data source location	Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy at Federal University of Rio Grande do Su, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Data accessibility	Repository name: Mendeley Data identification number: DOI: 10.17632/b8phfcsync.3

Brasil