Taphonomic and ethologic aspects of the ichnology of the Maastrichtian of the type area (Upper Cretaceous, The Netherlands and Belgium)

Three rare ichnotaxa from the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage (Upper Cretaceous) are described, and their morphology and palaeoecological significance discussed; a fourth ichnotaxon shows an unusual mode of preservation. The infill of an articulated lithophagid bivalve (Meerssen Member, Maastricht Formation) preserves the distinctive firmground burrow Arachnostega gastrochaenae BERTLING, 1992. This is the first report of this trace fossil, probably generated by polychaetes, from the Cretaceous of northern Europe. The producer may have been grazing the inside of the bivalve shell while bur... Mehr ...