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Minerals
Special Issues
Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Fossils
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Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Fossils

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomineralization and Biominerals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 1893

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francisco Ruiz

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Guest Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
Interests: mineralogy; clay minerals; geochemistry; environmental evaluation; paleoenvironmental evolution; anthropic wastes; tsunami deposits

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fossils constitute the material evidence of past life, although they comprise only a small part of the paleobiodiversity of our planet. The current possibilities for their description and interpretation are largely due to the mineralogy and geochemistry of the organisms from which they originate. In this Special Issue, we intend to emphasize the importance of these two disciplines in their conservation, their practical application in environmental reconstructions, or their potential within industrial rocks, among other possibilities. Papers on the following topics are welcome, although those addressing other approaches are not excluded:

  1. Mineralogical, microstructural and biogeochemical composition of fossils.
  2. Mineralogical, microstructural and biogeochemical changes during the fossilization process.
  3. Applications of mineralogy, microstructure and biogeochemistry in paleontology.
  4. Use and applications of isotopes in fossils.
  5. Mineralogy and geochemistry of industrial rocks of biogenic origin (diatomites, chalk, etc.).
  6. The conservation of fossils in museums and collections: mineralogical and geochemical aspects.
  7. Experimental designs for the longevity of fossils subjected to weathering processes.

Dr. Francisco Ruiz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fossils
  • mineralogy
  • geochemistry
  • microstructure
  • paleontology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 3804 KiB  
Article
Tracing Variation in Diagenesis in Concretions: Implications from a Raman Spectroscopic Study
by Yaxuan Han, Kazuya Shimooka, Meng-Wan Yeh and Motohiro Tsuboi
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050502 - 8 May 2025
Viewed by 310
Abstract
Concretions represent an exceptional mode of fossil preservation. This is attributed to their mineralized outer mantle, which exhibits low permeability and porosity, thereby limiting diagenetic alteration. The present research employs microscopic Raman spectroscopy to assess the thermal maturity of kerogen—a highly sensitive organic [...] Read more.
Concretions represent an exceptional mode of fossil preservation. This is attributed to their mineralized outer mantle, which exhibits low permeability and porosity, thereby limiting diagenetic alteration. The present research employs microscopic Raman spectroscopy to assess the thermal maturity of kerogen—a highly sensitive organic material—within concretions from northeast Taiwan. Comparative analysis of kerogen from the concretion’s core, rim, and surrounding matrix reveals differential preservation states. The organic matter in the core remains relatively unaltered, whereas the rim exhibits partial graphitization, albeit to a lesser extent than the surrounding matrix. These findings indicate a progressive diagenetic gradient, with the core influenced by the least thermal alteration, followed by the rim, and the surrounding matrix that experiences the highest degree of graphitization. Therefore, the present research underscores the role of concretionary encapsulation in mitigating diagenetic modification and enhancing organic matter preservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Fossils)
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23 pages, 21351 KiB  
Article
Mineralogy of Petrified Wood from Costa Rica
by George E. Mustoe, Guillermo E. Alvarado and Armando J. Palacios
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050497 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 469
Abstract
Costa Rica is located along the narrow isthmus that connected South America to North America beginning in the mid-Cenozoic. The exchange of vertebrates between the two continents has received considerable study, but paleobotanical aspects are less known. The Pacific coast “ring of fire” [...] Read more.
Costa Rica is located along the narrow isthmus that connected South America to North America beginning in the mid-Cenozoic. The exchange of vertebrates between the two continents has received considerable study, but paleobotanical aspects are less known. The Pacific coast “ring of fire” volcanoes produced abundant hyaloclastic material that provided a source of silica for wood petrifaction, and the tropical forests contained diverse taxa. This combination resulted in the preservation of petrified wood at many sites in Costa Rica. Fossil wood ranges in age from Lower Miocene to Middle Pleistocene, but Miocene specimens are the most common. Our research involved the study of 54 specimens, with the goal of determining their mineral compositions and interpreting the fossilization processes. Data came from thin-section optical microscopy, SEM images, and X-ray diffraction. Two specimens were found to be mineralized with calcite, but most of the woods contained crystalline quartz and/or opal-CT. The preservation of anatomical detail is highly variable. Some specimens show evidence of decay or structural deformation that preceded mineralization, but other woods have well-preserved cell structures. This preliminary study demonstrates the abundance and botanical diversity of fossil wood in Costa Rica, hopefully opening a door into future studies that will consider the taxonomy and evolutionary aspects of the country’s fossil forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Fossils)
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Graphical abstract

37 pages, 37822 KiB  
Article
Mineralization of Fossil Wood with Macrocrystalline Quartz: A Microscopic Investigation
by George E. Mustoe
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030225 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 599
Abstract
Optical microscopy and SEM imaging are powerful tools for evaluating the origins of quartz in fossil wood. Silicification is the most common mechanism for wood petrifaction, but this silica is commonly in cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline form (e.g., chalcedony or agate). Two essential requirements [...] Read more.
Optical microscopy and SEM imaging are powerful tools for evaluating the origins of quartz in fossil wood. Silicification is the most common mechanism for wood petrifaction, but this silica is commonly in cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline form (e.g., chalcedony or agate). Two essential requirements for the formation of macrocrystalline quartz is a concentration of dissolved silica low enough to allow the development of well-ordered lattices, and sufficient open space to allow euhedral or subhedral crystals to grow. Macrocrystalline quartz commonly occurs as a late-stage precipitate in open spaces that remained after initial mineralization had occurred. These spaces include vessels in angiosperm wood, and vugs and fractures in all types of wood. Exterior surfaces may also be suitable sites for quartz crystal growth. In some occurrences, crystalline quartz has directly encrusted or replaced wood cells. Diagenetic transformation of opal can produce cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline forms of quartz, but this process is not likely to produce macrocrystals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Fossils)
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