Neoichnology of signs of fauns in the Talkherud watershed, western Zanjan province
Authors
1
MSc, stratigraphy and paleontology, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan. Zajnaj, Iran
2
University of Zanjan
3
Associated professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan. Zajnaj, Iran
Abstract
In this study, a set of traces resulting from the biological activity of vertebrates and invertebrates of the present era was examined in the Talkhe Roud watershed located in the west of Zanjan province. After analyzing the physiography and morphology of this watershed, which covers an area of 520 square kilometers, eight survey stations were selected and surveyed along the river at approximately equal intervals. A total of 126 samples were collected and studied in the field or laboratory. Identifying these traces is crucial for understanding the distribution and abundance of organisms in this basin, confirming the existence of animals that may not be easily observed directly. Among these traces, vertebrate footprints include those of dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, lizards, medium to small birds, and frogs. Invertebrate traces are a result of movement, nesting, egg or larval rearing, trapping, hunting, and feeding on sediments. Most of these effects were observed seasonally, especially in the spring. The distribution of biological effects around the main river of Talkhe Rood can be categorized into three areas. The floodplain area primarily shows mammal movement and insect nesting. In the fine-grained sediments of the channel margin, vertebrate activity is most abundant, with behaviors such as feeding on sediments, egg laying, movement, and trapping being observed. The river channel section, often covered with coarse-grained gravelly sediments, exhibited the least biological activity, with most traces of vertebrates and invertebrates' movement being observed there.
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