Ectoparasite borings, mesoparasite borings, and scavenging traces in early Miocene turtle and tortoise shell: Moghra Formation, Wadi Moghra, Egypt

Abstract

Borings and bite marks on fossil turtle carapaces and plastra from the Miocene Moghra Formation, northern Egypt, are herein described. All fossil turtle material from Moghra exhibits ichnofossils. The positions of invertebrate borings on external surfaces of tortoise and turtle shell material at Moghra are consistent with the activities of ectoparasites or mesoparasites. A single invertebrate ichnotaxon, Karethraichnus lakkos Zonneveld et al., 2016, occurs on Moghra tortoise fossils. This trace fossil was likely emplaced by ixodid arthropods (ticks). Bite marks assigned to Nihilichnus occur on a carapace peripheral and are interpreted to reflect postmortem scavenging. An abundant and moderately diverse assemblage of invertebrate borings characterizes Moghra aquatic turtle shells. Karethraichnus lakkos and Thatchtelithichnus holmani Zonneveld et al., 2016 traces on aquatic turtles are interpreted to reflect leech and/or trematode parasitism. Gunnellichnus moghraensis (new ichnogenus new ichnospecies) and G. akolouthiste (n. isp.) likely reflect bacterial and/or fungal infections on aquatic turtle shells that rarely dried out. UUID: http://zoobank.org/f0a3977d-deff-4954-b196-536adc405854

Stratigraphic range extension of the turtle Boremys pulchra (Testudinata, Baenidae) through at least the uppermost Cretaceous

“…The morphology and size of the bore marks on RAM 27109 are consistent with Karethraichnus lakkos Zonneveld, Bartels, Gunnell and McHugh, 2016, a common ectoparasitic ichnotaxon on turtles and tortoises from Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits in North America and Africa (Zonneveld et al 2016(Zonneveld et al , 2021Adrian et al 2021). Congeneric ichnospecies are also known from a Campanian dermochelyid (marine) turtle in Japan and from Late Pleistocene armadillos in Brazil (Sato and Jenkins 2020;Moura et al 2021).…”

“…Congeneric ichnospecies are also known from a Campanian dermochelyid (marine) turtle in Japan and from Late Pleistocene armadillos in Brazil (Sato and Jenkins 2020;Moura et al 2021). Tracemakers usually associated with K. lakkos include leeches and ixodid arthropods (ticks), which are known to feed on blood sinuses within shell bone, especially at sulci between epidermal scales (Siddall and Gaffney 2004;Zonneveld et al 2016Zonneveld et al , 2021. Bore marks of K. lakkos are only emplaced in locations accessible on living turtles-external surfaces of the carapace and plastron, especially at marginal or lip areas (Zonneveld et al 2016).…”

Turtle barnacles have been turtle riders for more than 30 million years

“…Seigel 1983), and turtle barnacles are sometimes referred to as parasites (e.g. Zonneveld et al 2022). As a matter of fact, there is some indication that some sea turtles may actively remove their epibiota by scrapping the shell against bottom rocks (Frick and McFall 2007).…”

“…This has started to change during the last few years, especially in the light of new research approaches that promote the integration between trace and body fossil analyses to identify and qualify ancient symbiotic associations, often based on the detection of skeletal intergrowths and bioclaustration structures (e.g. Yuan et al 2005;Tapanila 2008;Tapanila and Ekdale 2007;Stanley and Schootbrugge 2009;De Baets et al 2015;Wilson 2015, 2016;Vinn et al , 2018Vinn et al , 2019Vinn et al , 2021Vinn 2016Vinn , 2017aRobin et al 2016, Robin 2021Zonneveld et al 2022). Only a few studies, however, have explored the deep past of sea turtle epibiosis based on palaeontological lines of evidence (e.g.…”

Insect Marks on Bones from La Guillerma Archaeological Locality (Salado River Depression, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

“…Many taphonomic processes may modify animal carcasses and bones between the time of death and the burial (e.g., [1][2][3]). Also, some parasites can modify bone tissue during the life of the animal [4,5]. The analysis of surface modifications on bone remains and the recognition of the different agents involved have exponentially grown during the last few decades.…”