Margarida Vilas-Boas, who holds a PhD in Geology with a specialisation in Palynology, has been awarded the 2024 Best Scientific Paper in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy by the Portuguese Palaeontology Society, in recognition of her pioneering research conducted in the Algarve.
According to Vilas-Boas, the award-winning study was carried out in several locations, including the Loulé Rock Salt Mine, Praia do Amado, São Bartolomeu de Messines, and Albufeira.
Using palynological techniques, the study of plant microfossils, the research aimed to determine the ages of geological formations in the region associated with the Silves Group. These analyses made it possible to date the formations from the Upper Triassic (Lower Carnian) to the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian).
Remarkably, this marks the first time the Triassic–Jurassic transition has been identified in Portugal.
“This research produced unprecedented and innovative geological dating and palaeoenvironmental interpretation data for these areas of the Algarve, significantly contributing to the scientific understanding of the region’s palaeogeographic evolution,” Vilas-Boas said.
The article forms part of her doctoral thesis, developed at the University of the Algarve between 2020 and 2024, under the supervision of Professor Paulo Fernandes, in collaboration with Zélia Pereira from the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG) and Professor Simonetta Cirilli from the University of Perugia, Italy.
