Taphonomic patterns mimic biologic structures: diagenetic Liesegang rings in Mesozoic coleoids and coprolites

PeerJ

article

Christian Klug¹  Gianpaolo Di Silvestro²  Rene Hoffmann³  Guenter Schweigert⁴  Dirk Fuchs⁵  Thomas Clements⁶  Pierre Gueriau⁷ 

[1] Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich;Trilobite Design Italia;Institute of Geology, Mineralogy & Geophysics, Ruhr-Universität Bochum;Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde;Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie;School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham;Institute of Earth Sciences ,(ISTE), University of Lausanne

关键词: Coleoidea;    Vampyropoda;    Jurassic;    Cretaceous;    Diagenesis;    Exceptional preservation;    Conservation deposits;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.10703

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Because of physiology of coleoids, their fossils preserve soft-tissue-remains more often than other cephalopods. Sometimes, the phosphatized soft-tissues, particularly parts of the muscular mantle, display dark circular patterns. Here, we showcase that these patterns, here documented for fossil coleoids from the Jurassic of Germany and the Cretaceous of Lebanon, superficially resemble chromatophores (which enable living coleoids to alter their coloration). We examined and chemically analyzed the circular structures in these specimens, describe them, and discuss their genesis. Based on their structure and color, we visually differentiate between three types of circles. By comparison with similar structures, we suggest that these structures are not biogenic but Liesegang rings, which formed due to reaction-diffusion processes very soon after death.

【 授权许可】

CC BY