6PC - FOSSIL AND EXTANT PLANTS IN SEDIMENTARY AND VOLCANIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE CAMPANIA REGION (SOUTH ITALY)

The aim of the field-trip is to give a general outlook on the endless natural heritage of Campania Region focusing our attention on some (easily accessible) Cretaceous plant-bearing localities and on the activity of the Somma-Vesuvius volcano and the interactions between volcanic gases and extant plants. In Campania, volcanic and sedimentary rocks have generated fascinating landscapes which attracted scientists from all over the world. For this reason a multidisciplinary field trip excursion is herein proposed.

Itinerary

- The first day (September 1, 2014) we will move from Padova to Naples by train. A bus we will transport to the hotel. The program of this day can vary, depending on the time arrival to Naples.

- The second day we will visit two Early Cretaceous fossil localities in the northern part of Campania Region. The Aptian one of Profeti, extremely rich in conifers and fish, and the famous Albian Fossil-Lagerstätte of Pietraroja in which plants, invertebrates and vertebrates (e.g. the dinosaur Scypionix samniticus) have been found. In the afternoon we will visit the Paleolab and the village of Cusano Mutri close to the homonymous Aptian locality in which the species Frenelopsis cusanensis and Montsechia vidalii have been found.

- The third day includes the visit to the summit of Vesuvius for an examination of caldera walls, lava flows and products of the last (1944) Vesuvius eruption. In the afternoon, we will visit Pompeii archaeological site to examine the effects of the AD 79 eruption on humans and structures.

- The fourth day we will visit Capri island, a small Jurassic-Cretaceous strip of land that represents a prosecution of the Penisola Sorrentina. In the morning we will do the geological boat tour around Capri Island and if the sea will be not rough we will admire the Blue Grotto. Later we will move to the Capri village in which the “Museo del Centro Caprense Ignazio Cerio” exists. Here we will see the historical collections of the naturalist Ignazio Cerio and the wonderful panorama on the Gulf of Naples. In the afternoon we will move along the Passetiello Path along which we will observe the Macchia Mediterranea vegetation, the Arco Naturale, the Roman grotto of Matermania and the Faraglioni of Capri.

- On the last day we will visit the historical scientific Museums (Mineralogical, Paleontological and Zoological Museums) of the Centro Museale - Centro Musei delle Scienze Naturali e Fisiche (Naples University “Federico II”). Possibility to visit the Greek ruins in “Napoli Sotterranea”. In the afternoon we will move to the Botanical Garden founded at the beginning of the 19th century at a time when this Partenopean city was dominated by the French. Finally we will visit the Museum of Paleobotany which shows different plant fossils, terracotta models, and a three-dimensional phylogenetic tree.


Please take note that this excursion is organized under the supervision of Antonello Bartiromo and cannot be booked directly through the EPPC website.

No of Participants: minimum 15, maximum 28.

For more information please contact Antonello Bartiromo: antonello.bartiromo@gmail.com

Cost: € 595 (sharing room); € 735 (single room).

Participants are requested to organize the transport to- and from Naples on their own.

Price includes guide book, hotel (Grand Hotel Oriente: luxury hotel in Naples; 4 star in Naples city center), transport (bus, hydrofoils, boat in Capri), lunches and dinner (in typical Neapolitan restaurants) and entrances at the museums.






Antonello Bartiromo, Filippo Barattolo and Claudio Scarpati