Paleohydrologic and Stratigraphic Significance of Crayfish Burrows in Continental Deposits: Examples from Several Paleocene Laramide Basins in the Rocky Mountains

Freshwater Decapoda trace fossils in floodplain paleosols of Marilia Formation in Minas Gerais State (SE Brazil)

“…Due to their architecture, surficial morphology, burrows predominantly quasi-vertical, absence of branches and basal chamber, these structures are attributed to Camborygma litonomos Hasiotis & Mitchell, 1993 (see also Hasiotis & Honey, 2000). This trace fossil represents the activity of freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridae).…”

“…According to these authors, the method used by crayfishes to make the burrows is the same through time (Triassic to present); the organism uses its appendages for digging and manipulating sediments and soils, a well documented process for modern crayfishes (Walls, 2009). The flooded soils developed in floodplains presents the semi-aquatic environmental conditions necessary for the occurrence of crayfishes, such as oscillation of the water table and subaerially exposition (Hasiotis & Mitchell, 1993;Hasiotis & Honey, 2000). The morphology of their burrows is usually elongated and circular or cylindrical, with dimensions varying from a few centimeters to metric, depending on the distance from the water source (Martin, 2013;Miller et al, 2014).…”

Crayfish burrows from the latest Cretaceous lower Cantwell Formation (Denali National Park, Alaska): Their morphology and paleoclimatic significance

“…Modern burrowing crayfish construct their burrows in or adjacent to water bodies where the animals can excavate through the soil to a position below the water table (e.g., Hobbs, 1981;Hasiotis and Mitchell, 1993;Hasiotis and Honey, 2000). Where there is perennial water, modern crayfish construct only horizontal or very shallow subvertical burrows (Hasiotis et al, 2007).…”

“…With respect to the architectural morphology of crayfish burrows, these burrows can have a simple quasi-vertical component, the burrows can be relatively long, and they have varying degrees of branching, chamber, and chimney development (Hasiotis and Honey, 1995). Branching occurs horizontally below water table (Hasiotis and Mitchell, 1993;Hasiotis and Honey, 2000), while burrow length is determined largely by the water table depth (Hasiotis and Mitchell, 1993).…”

“…Further, modern crayfish burrows can contain mud-liners and lag-liners (Hasiotis and Mitchell, 1993;Hasiotis and Honey, 2000). Scrape marks an knobby and hummocky features are texturally higher with respect to the burrow surface with both sets of features created through the process of either manipulation of substrate balls, or the action of the pereiopods stepping on the burrow walls (Hasiotis and Mitchell, 1993).…”