Open AccessMysterious boring hidden within the hinge plates of heterodont bivalves
Author(s) -
Jordi Martinell,
Rosa Domènech,
Georges Richard
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
bulletin of the geological society of denmark
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2245-7070
pISSN - 0011-6297
DOI - 10.37570/bgsd-1998-45-21
Subject(s) - hinge , trace fossil , paleontology , geology , trace (psycholinguistics) , sack , mining engineering , forensic engineering , biology , engineering , structural engineering , fishery , philosophy , linguistics
Well-hidden beneath the umbo ofheterodont bivalves, a sack-like boring is etched into the two hinge plates of the opposed valves. The boring is abundant, occurs in numerous host species, ranges from Eocene to today and appears to have worldwide occurrence. The trace fossil is named Umbichnus inopinatus nov. igen. et isp. The nature of the tracemaker remains unknown. The possibility that the structure is a dissolution pit produced by the bivalve itself is discussed.