Special Presentation by Prof. Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Slovenia

All students, research fellows, and faculty members of the Central Department of Geology, as well as anyone interested, are warmly invited to attend a special presentation by Prof. Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek from Slovenia. 

Date: 2082-07-13 (30th October 2025)
Venue: Presentation Hall, Central Department of Geology (CDG)
Time: 11:00 AM sharp

Topics: 

• Introduction to Microfossils with focus on Conodonts
• Separation and study techniques
• Significance in stratigraphy and geological interpretation
• Applications and research importance
• Insights into the Mountain Academy and its ongoing activities
• Overview of current conodont research at CDG

Synopsis of Lecture

Part I

Conodonts – Introduction

Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Geological Survey of Slovenia

Conodonts are an extinct group of jawless vertebrates known for their commonly preserved phosphatic parts – elements that can be found in Palaeozoic to Triassic sedimentary rocks. The elements form a distinctive feature of these animals, composed with a series of oral elements arranged in a complex and bilaterally symmetric apparatus. The elements are composed of the mineral apatite (calcium phosphate), and due to their resistance to weathering, they remain unchanged in rocks over long periods of time. Conodont animals inhabited a variety of marine habitats. Therefore, many of them are extremely important for understanding the paleoecological and paleogeographic conditions in Palaeozoic and Triassic. Conodonts were undoubtedly one of the most successful animal groups, as they inhabited the planet for more than 300 million years. They have always evolved rapidly, achieved a large geographical distribution, and their fossils are present in rocks of very short geological periods, which is the basic characteristic of index fossils. They are valuable fossils for the geological time scale.

In the second part, a preparation technique for preparing conodont samples will be presented, and relevant experiences in working at the Geological Survey of Slovenia will also be provided.

Himalayan Academy

A short report on establishing the Himalayan Academy will be outlined. The Himalayan Academy is an inter-institutional co-operation platform that is focused on three main fields: research in the Himalayan region, teaching and development work to improve the skills and competencies of students from both Asian and European countries, and the dissemination of the results. The Letter of Intent on the formation of the platform of co-operation “Himalayan Academy” was signed on 5^th of May 2025 at the AGH University of Krakow by the representatives from Europe and Asia.

Part II: Ongoing Research in Nepal

Report on conodont study in Nepal 2024

The field research in Nepal was carried out in November 2024. The first part focused on field research in the Himalayan Tethys, in the upper part of the Kali Gandaki basin in the Mustang region. The expedition was carried out as part of the IGCP 710 project - Western Tethys meets Eastern Tethys (leader Michal Krobicki) and consisted of an international group of geologists from Poland, Hungary and Slovenia. Field work took place in selected Mesozoic profiles to conduct biostratigraphic, sedimentological and structural analyses. In parallel, we also sampled Triassic layers for conodont research in some Triassic sections.

The second part of the expedition took place at the Department of Geology at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. With exceptional interest and extensive involvement of students and with the help of Prof. Kabi Raj Paudyal, a 10-day “conodont” workshop was conducted. The emphasis was on the preparation of carbonate samples for conodont analysis. The practical work was limited to the first phase of conodont preparation based on acid preparation using acetic acid.

Part III

Barbara Jurkovšek and Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek

Paleoart, or in Slovenian paleo-art, is any original work of art that attempts to depict prehistoric life based on scientific evidence. These can be just representations of fossil remains of ancient organisms, but more often we imagine depictions of ancient living creatures in their living environment under this term. Since the word paleo-art is often used as a synonym for prehistoric art, for example, cave paintings of our ancestors, paleo-art seems to be a more appropriate term, as it comes from the Greek words paleo for old and art for art. In essence, paleo-art is a special type of art with an undeniable scientific basis, which began to emerge in parallel with the emergence of paleontology as a scientific science about organisms that inhabited the Earth in the geological past.

This lecture will present some fossils and reconstructions of the environment in as balanced a manner as possible, especially those geological periods that are more strongly represented in Slovenia with their rocks. The paintings were created over a decade and a half in parallel with geological research in close collaboration between the geologist and the painter, who placed the former organisms in their presumed habitat and breathed life into them, and are intended for a forthcoming book entitled Images of the Geological Past.

--------------