პალეონტოლოგიური აღმოჩენები აჭარაში

Abstract

The presented work discusses the paleontological finds of the territory of Adjara and their significance for studying the geological and biological past of the region.

The main paleontological finds in Adjara are: 1. Marine fauna - mollusks and foraminifera. 2. Flora (plant remains).

Fossilized mollusks from the Miocene-Pliocene marine period have been discovered in the territory of Adjara - mainly are bivalves and gastropods, such as Turitella, Ostrea, Cardium, Donax, Nucula, Arca, Trigonia and others.

In Makhuntseti, Chvana, Zvare, S. Shuakhevi, Khikhani areas, in the Ajaristskali River gorge, ammonites, belemnites, nummulites, as well as unicellular foraminifera are found in chalky rocks. Fish prints have been confirmed in the clay layers of Kobuleti. Also, fossilized parts of sea urchins, starfish, and other echinoderms are found in the region.

Among the fossil plants, the world-famous Goderdzi Petrified Forest (in the vicinity of the Goderdzi Pass, 1600-2100 m above sea level) is noteworthy. 15 million years ago, a forest flourished here, which was covered with volcanic lava. Over time, parts of the tree embedded in the rocks became brittle and turned into opal. In some places, the best preserved are the imprints of deciduous and coniferous plants: oak, elm, beech, pine, spruce, fir, vine, palm, box, fig leaves and petrified stems. The remains of the ancient Oligocene-Miocene flora of the Goderdzi Forest are an important source for studying the evolution of the Caucasian flora.

In the peat-swamp layers of the Kobuleti region, vegetation, peat-producing marsh grasses, sphagnum mosses, as well as deciduous trees, both macroremains (stems, roots, leaves) and microremains (dust, biological analysis), etc., are ideally preserved.

Paleontological material discovered in Adjara - fossil fauna and flora. It is of particular importance in the reconstruction of the history of the Black Sea and Caucasus environment, establishes the history of sea movement in this region, shows the paleobiogeographic history of the Black Sea region, climatic and ecological changes, sea level fluctuations, the development of the climate of Adjara and other changes in nature over millions of years from the Mesozoic era and later. Marine organisms confirm the existence of a deep sea in this territory since ancient times (approximately 90-70 million years ago). Earlier this territory was the bottom of the ocean.

Many of these sites, e.g. Goderdzi Fossil Forest, are included in the national heritage of Georgia and are actively used for both scientific and educational purposes.