Latest Ordovician Ichnofossils from Hirnantian shales (Chavera and Orea formations) of some Spanish localities

Hirnantian shales from two Central Iberian localities (Corral de Calatrava, El Centenillo: Chavera Formation) and one more in the Iberian Cordillera of NE Spain (Noguera section: Orea Formation), provided an ichnological assemblage composed of Allocotichnus palmatus isp. nov., Asaphoidichnus isp., Monomorphichnus ispp., Diplichnites isp., Neonereites isp., Laevicyclus isp., Helminthopsis isp., Helicorhaphe isp., Curvolithus? isp., Didymaulichnus? isp., Cochlichnus? isp., Palaeophycus? isp., Gordia? isp., Arenicolites? isp. and Pascichnion? igen. et isp. indet. The identified ichnofauna occurs within a largely unfossiliferous facies (claimed as "azoic" by many authors) contemporaneous with glaciomarine deposits over much of the peri-Gondwanan margin. The ichnogenus Helicorhaphe Ksiazkiewicz is reported for the first time from Lower Palaeozoic rocks. The new ichnospecies Allocotichnus palmatus isp. nov. is characterized by 3-5 pairs of crawling traces probably made by small arthropods, being the main tracks formed by 5-10 raking imprints radially arranged.