Shell boring of sessile epibiontic organisms as paleoecological guides
DOI | 10.1016/0031-0182(66)90023-X |
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Aasta | 1966 |
Ajakiri | Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology |
Köide | 2 |
Leheküljed | 333-379 |
Tüüp | artikkel ajakirjas |
Keel | inglise |
Id | 7257 |
Abstrakt
Fossil and Recent shells from Dutch beaches and the bottom of the Adriatic Sea show borings which are attributed to marine Cyanophyta, Porifera, Annelida, Bryozoa, Mollusca and Arthropoda. Altogether a dozen different boring systems are found in the shells, two of which are reworked from the Eocene. The fauna is meagre because suitable environments are scarce. Some fossil examples from the Tertiary are also discussed. The importance of shell borings study for palaeoecological purposes is stressed; fossils may occur with or without borings, depending on epibiontic or endobiontic habits; borings can indicate the living position of the shell-bearing host; the boring organisms themselves are often restricted to particular environments; the post-mortem history of reworked skeletal material can be retraced.