The Rio do Peixe rift basin developed during the Lower Cretaceous (Neocomian) and comprises the Sousa, Uiraúna-Brejo das Freiras, Pombal and Vertentes basins. In these basins, there is an abundant ichnofauna mainly composed of theropod, sauropod and ornithopod dinosaur trackways that represent the palaeontological heritage of the region. As the majority of the fossiliferous areas are located in the Sousa basin, an inventory and assessment of the scientific, educational and touristic values, together with the vulnerability of 25 palaeontological sites, is here presented and discussed. The aims of the study are to guide the strategies of geoheritage protection in the Sousa basin and to evaluate the scientific potential of the area as a geopark. In general, the geosites of the Sousa basin have low scientific and touristic values, moderate educational value and high vulnerability. The fossiliferous areas are suffering from strong natural and anthropic threats and are at high risk of degradation. For these reasons, based on the quality of the palaeontological sites, the region currently has little potential to become a geopark.
The Rio do Peixe basin, which is developed during the Lower Cretaceous, consists of the Sousa, Uiraúna-Brejo das Freiras, Pombal and Vertentes sub-basins. They have abundant ichnofauna represented by dinosaur tracks of theropods, sauropods and ornithopods, these being the main objects of geological heritage in the region. The majority of palaeontological sites are found in the Sousa basin and the most important geosite in terms of distribution of fossil footprints is Passagem das Pedras (Municipality of Sousa-Sousa basin). In 1992, this area was classified as the BValley of the Dinosaurs Natural Monument^and initially had high-quality infrastructure and trained tour guides; however, following a period of neglect, the local infrastructure became precarious. In 2014, revitalization of the museum, kiosks and walkways in Valley was performed; however, there are inefficient measures to protect the dinosaur footprints from human and natural threats. Thus, 500 interviews with the urban and rural population of Sousa in addition to traders and teachers were done, seeking public understanding of geoconservation strategies at the Passagem das Pedras geosite. Critical analysis of the results was performed as a contribution to the proposal for the Rio do Peixe Geopark. The perception is that the geoconservation strategies are not effective in protecting the Passagem das Pedras geosite or in raising the Sousa population's awareness as to the importance of geological heritage. The other palaeontological sites of the Sousa basin are also quite vulnerable and with deteriorating geological elements. Therefore, the region currently has low potential to become a geopark.
Peirópolis is a quarter located in Uberaba County (Minas Gerais State) that has an extraordinary paleontological site of the Late Cretaceous period. This area has many vertebrate fossils, mainly dinosaurs. A great amount of these fossils were found in sandstones of the serra do Veadinho. However, a lower limestone level was economically mining by European's immigrants between 1890 and 1960. In this period, the explotation was accomplished through manual exploration's techniques contributing to the discovery of fossils. Although, in 1987, the mineral explotation was conducted through mechanical techniques, causing environmental impacts and fossil destruction. Therefore, a judicial dispute has started to the use and occupation of the area between the miner activity, local population and geoscientists. Nowadays, the area is for exclusive use of the paleontological research and, in the future, touristic activity. In this context, was analysed a historic review of the use and occupation of serra do Veadinho to examine the compatibility between miner activity and paleontological research.
As a trend in sustainable tourism, geotourism is being increasingly practiced, especially in territories that include geopark areas. The municipalities included in the territory of the Projeto Geoparque Costões e Lagunas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Cliffs and Lagoons Geopark Project) have a geological, historical, cultural, and ecological diversity favoring the development of geotourism. The aim of this study is to carry out an inventory and quantitative assessment of the places with potential for the development of geotourism in the municipalities in the northern part of the territory of this project,
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