z-logo
Premium
Terrestrial trace fossils from the Lower Old Red Sandstone, southwest Wales
Author(s) -
Morrissey Lance B.,
Braddy Simon J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geological journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.721
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1099-1034
pISSN - 0072-1050
DOI - 10.1002/gj.991
Subject(s) - ichnofacies , trace fossil , geology , paleontology , burrow , overbank , population , facies , arthropod , biology , demography , structural basin , sociology
An assemblage of terrestrial trace fossils is described from the Lower Old Red Sandstone of Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales, preserved in mainly fine‐grained alluvial facies (channel and overbank sediments, deposited by predominantly ephemeral flows within a semi‐arid environment), and thin tuffaceous horizons. The ichnofauna is dominated by an extensive, but low diversity Beaconites ichnocoenosis, comprising the meniscate backfilled burrow Beaconites barretti. Concentrations of these burrows (up to 30 per square metre) show normal size distributions, representing periodic colonization events (inferred as a response to seasonal desiccation) of subaerially exposed (partly indurated) sediments, probably by a population of eoarthropleurid myriapods penetrating the substrate to the level of the water table in order to aestivate and/or moult. Arthropod trackways also characterize an active arthropod epifauna of arachnids ( Paleohelcura ; first Welsh record) and myriapods (two forms of Diplichnites up to 160 mm wide) and Diplopodichnus . Additional ichnotaxa include arthropod foraging and resting traces (bilobed trails, Tumblagoodichnus and Selenichnites ), ‘scratch arrays’ and worm burrows ( Cochlichnus , and Palaeophycus ) and faecal pellets all representative of the Scoyenia ichnofacies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This content is not available in your region!

Continue researching here.

Having issues? You can contact us here