Ichnos-an International Journal for Plant and Animal Traces 

About: Ichnos-an International Journal for Plant and Animal Traces is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Trace fossil & Trackway. Over the lifetime, 731 publications have been published receiving 13728 citations.

The paleoenvironmental and paleoecological significance of the lacustrine Mermia ichnofacies: An archetypical subaqueous nonmarine trace fossil assemblage

Abstract: Although nonmarine environments commonly are considered as diverse and varied as marine settings, only a single recurrent and archetypical ichnofacies, the Scoyenia ichnofacies, has been formally defined. However, recent research proposed the terrestrial Termitichnus ichnofacies as a subset of the Scoyenia ichnofacies. The Mermia ichnofacies is formally defined herein to include nonmarine, fully aquatic trace fossil suites characterized by the dominance of horizontal to subhorizontal grazing and feeding traces produced by mobile deposit feeders, the subordinate occurrence of locomotion traces, overall high to moderate ichnodiversity and abundance, and low specialized grazing patterns. The Mermia ichnofacies typifies unconsolidated, fine‐grained, permanent subaqueous substrates, and well‐oxygenated, low‐energy lake bottoms, periodically punctuated by episodic sedimentation. In addition, it is suggested to include in the Scoyenia ichnofacies, floodplain and transitional fluvio‐lacustrine trace fossil assemb...

A comparison of crayfish burrow morphologies: Triassic and Holocene fossil, paleo‐ and neo‐ichnological evidence, and the identification of their burrowing signatures

Abstract: The architectural and surficial morphologies of crayfish burrows from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation and Holocene sediments were compared in order to determine: 1) if Triassic burrows could truly be attributed to crayfish activity; 2) how comparable the burrowing mechanisms are; and 3) whether or not a common set of burrowing signatures could be identified for both ancient and modern freshwater crayfish. Materials used in this study include burrows from the members of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, casts of modern burrows constructed by Procambarus clarkii Hobbs and Procambarus acutus acutus (Girard) in the laboratory, and casts of naturally constructed modern burrows of Cambarus diogenes di‐ogenes (Girard). Triassic and Holocene crayfish burrow morphologies exhibit simple to complex architectures, varying degrees of branching, chamber, and chimney development. They also exhibit relatively textured surficial morphologies (bioglyphs) such as scrape and scratch marks, mud‐ and lag‐liners, knobby ...

Commentary: The ichnotaxa Palaeophycus and Planolites: Historical perspectives and recommendations

Abstract: Planolites, although strictly a junior synonym of Palaeophycus, can be retained as a valid ichnotaxon on the basis of stability of nomenclature. As emended by Pemberton and Frey (1982) and consistently adopted by later authors, Planolites is diagnosed primarily on the basis that it is an unlined simple burrow, whereas Palaeophycus is a lined burrow. Other ichnotaxobases and ethological considerations are, without exception, subordinate to this directive.

Formation and Taphonomy of Human Footprints in Microbial Mats of Present-Day Tidal-flat Environments: Implications for the Study of Fossil Footprints

Abstract: This study concerns the formation, taphonomy, and preservation of human footprints in microbial mats of present-day tidal-flat environments. Due to differences in water content and nature of the microbial mats and the underlying sediment, a wide range of footprint morphologies was produced by the same trackmaker. Most true tracks are subjected to modification due to taphonomic processes, leading to modified true tracks. In addition to formation of biolaminites, microbial mats play a major role in the preservation of footprints on tidal flats. A footprint may be consolidated by desiccation or lithification of the mat, or by ongoing growth of the mat. The latter process may lead to the formation of overtracks. Among consolidated or (partially) lithified footprints found on present-day tidal flats, poorly defined true tracks, modified true tracks, and overtracks were most frequently encountered while unmodified and well-defined true tracks are rather rare. We suggest that modified true tracks and overtracks make up an important percentage of fossil footprints and that they may be as common as undertracks. However, making unambiguous distinctions between poorly defined true tracks, modified true tracks, undertracks, and overtracks in the fossil record will remain a difficult task, which necessitates systematic excavation of footprints combined with careful analysis of the encasing sediment.

Tetrapod Ichnofacies: A New Paradigm

Abstract: We recognize three fundamental terms in ichnology: (1) ichnoassemblage, which is an assemblage of ichnofossils conceptually equivalent to an assemblage of body fossils; (2) ichnocoenosis, which is a trace fossil assemblage produced by a biological community that can be characterized by morphological criteria; and (3) ichnofacies, which refers to recurrent ichnocoenoses that represent a significant portion of Phanerozoic time. There are two different kinds of ichnofacies, ethoichnofacies (mostly invertebrate ichnofacies) and biotaxonichnofacies (mostly tetrapod ichnofacies). Nonmarine invertebrate ichnologists now recognize five archetypal ichnofacies (Mermia, Skolithos, Scoyenia, Coprinisphaera, Psilonichnus) to which we add the Octopodichnus ichnofacies. We propose a coherent and consistent classification and nomenclature for tetrapod ichnofacies. We name five archetypal vertebrate ichnofacies for nonmarine environments: Chelichnus, Grallator, Brontopodus, Batrachichnus and Characichnos ichnofacies.