The Polytechnics Subway station (Statia de metrou Politehnica) is
a unique site in Bucharest due to its Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
red nodular limestones extremely rich in rudists, belonging to genera
such as Vaccinites, Hippurites and Radiolites.
These bivalves are lavishly recorded in polished sections along the
subway station's pavement, in cross, oblique or longitudinal sections.
Such sections reveal entire series of rudist generations, following
one on the top of the others, in areas covered by these animals, such
as thickets, blanckets, arranged in the central and lateral areas
of large rudist buildups. These rudists accumulations occur in situ,
with individuals densely conected laterally, over older generations.
Actually, an entire rudist buildup had been sectioned and polished
for the Polytechnics station's pavement, a paleoecological reconstruction
of such a rare, extinct reef being possible. Together with the rudists,
the polished sections reveal red calcareous algae, stromatolites,
rare corals and gastropods. The open cast mine where the slabs occurred
is most probably located in Gilau Mountains, Transylvania.
The station is highly significant
from several points of view: scientific, as the reef buildup is excellently
polished in its whole structure, educational, as people can study
it very easily, and aestetic, as the pavement is indeed beautiful.
Practical works are permanently given right in the subway station,
in Principles of Ecology and General Geology, for undergraduate students
in Geology, Biology and Geography, a perfect place to learn and understand
an extinct biocenosis coeval with the last dinosaurs.
Photogallery on Flickr
Popa, M.E., 2000. The Polytechnics
subway station: rudists in the heart of Bucharest. Acta Palaeontologica
Romaniae, 2: 391-396.
Popa, M. E. (2012). "The Polytechnics subway station in Bucharest:
a unique paleontological site and a challenging museum." Drobeta,
Seria Stiintele Naturii 22: 17-21.