Museum of the Department of Earth and geo-environmental Sciences
The Museum of the Department of Earth and geo-environmental Sciences holds an immense scientific collection gathered by Professor Elena Luperto Sinni during her research activity at the University of Bari, from the early 60ies until 2000, when she passed away. The collection cons ists of over 20,000 thin sections and 2,500 photographic plates for the study of benthic foraminifera of the Mesozoic. The collection mainly provides extensive documentation of the evolutionary history and stratigraphic characters of micropaleontological limestones of the Apulian Platform. Also significant is the material from stratigraphic units Lucano Apennines and in particular from the Triassic limestones Limestone Abriola (Monte Facito formation). The collection includes also the type material with established taxa (29 taxa of benthic foraminifera, 2 calcareous algae), contained in thin sections and / or illustrated by original iconographic material represented by photographic plates produced until the end of Sixties. Among the species that Professor instituted during her studies on the limestone of Bari (pp. Callovian-lower Turonian?) are reported Praechrysalidina infracretacea n. gen. N. sp, and Protochysalidina elongata n.gen. n. sp. In the Altamura’s Limestone are found Murgella lata n. gen. N. sp. and Nummofallotia apula , (upper Turonian-Maastrichtian). Of note, the foraminifera Abriolina mediterranea n. gen. N. sp., in Limestone Abriola coming from Triassic.
