A new ichnotaxonomic name for burrows in vertebrate coprolites from the Miocene Chesapeake Group of Maryland, U.S.A

Swiss Journal of Palaeontology

Stephen J. Godfrey¹  Alberto Collareta² 

[1] Department of Paleontology, Calvert Marine Museum;Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa;

关键词: Burrowed coprolites;    Calvert Cliffs;    Calvert Formation;    Choptank Formation;    Coprophagy;    Transexcrementum igen. nov.;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13358-022-00250-6

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract A new ichnotaxonomic name, Transexcrementum cuniculus, is applied to tubular (cylindrical) tunnelings in coprolites. The type series of T. cuniculus consists of burrowed vertebrate (probably crocodilian) coprolites that originate from the Miocene Chesapeake Group of Maryland, U.S.A. These complex trace fossils exhibit the following combination of characters: burrows not lined nor backfilled; opening and transverse sections sub-circular; diameter supra-millimetric, up to ca. 20 mm, rather constant throughout; inner termination(s) rounded/conical; tunnel morphology straight or gently curved, sometimes branching; internal sculpturing sometimes present in form of short and irregularly oriented scratches and gouges. Clusters of the same kinds of gouges may also mark the outer surface of the coprolite. The tunneling tracemaker likely engaged in coprophagy; however, it is unclear what kind of organisms could have produced these burrows. Judging from the overall rarity of Transexcrementum cuniculus occurrences in the fossil record, the tracemaker responsible for the burrows might also have been rare, or fed on faeces only occasionally.

【 授权许可】

Unknown