Clusters of shallow pits in gastropod shells from the Maastrichtian type area (Upper Cretaceous, the Netherlands)

 

Authors: Donovan SK, Jagt JWM, Van Knippenberg PHM

Published in: Bulletin of Geosciences, volume 94, issue 4; pages: 425 - 430; Received 13 June 2019; Accepted in revised form 10 October 2019; Online 10 December 2019

Keywords: Maastricht Formation, Meerssen Member, Salsariichnus, domichnia,

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Abstract

Close-set, shallow pits are preserved in external moulds of one species each of campanilid and aporrhaid gastropods from coquinas in the uppermost Maastrichtian Meerssen Member (subunit IVf-6) at the former Ankerpoort-Curfs quarry (Geulhem, southern Limburg, the Netherlands). These clustered pits are broad, dish-like, and rounded to polygonal where closely packed; a circular, sunken groove lies within the dish; and a central rounded dome has a central, rounded depression. The producing organism obviously pursued a gregarious lifestyle. These structures are referred to a new ichnotaxon, Salsariichnus collinsi igen. et isp. nov., which is considered to belong to the ethological class of domichnia. It differs in several respects from attachment scars (ichnogenus Lacrimichnus) and deeper embedment structures such as Oichnus excavatus that are known from coeval levels.

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