Putative arthropod trace fossils from the Orcadian Basin at Achanarras Quarry (Middle Devonian of Scotland)

Flannery-Sutherland, Joseph

doi:10.1144/jgs2020-233

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

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“…However, despite the abundance of body fossils, and unlike other Scottish 'Old Red Sandstone' sites (e.g., Pollard andWalker, 1984. Trewin et al, 2012;Shillito and Davies, 2017), there has thus far been a paucity of trace fossils recorded from the locality: only very recently have putative isolated arthropod scratch marks been described from the site (Flannery-Sutherland, 2021). Here we provide the first report of fish trace fossils from the Achanarras Quarry site; two specimens of Undichna, a surficial fish swimming trace that is a common ichnological signature of middle and late Palaeozoic lacustrine rhythmites and turbidites (Trewin, 2000, Minter et al, 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

First report of fish trace fossils ( Undichna ) from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone, Caithness Flagstone Group

Tindal

Shillito

Davies

2021

SJG

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Two newly-discovered specimens of the fish locomotion trace Undichna (U. britannica and Undichna isp.), are described from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone Member (Caithness Flagstone Group, NE Scotland). Fish trace fossils have not previously been reported from the Achanarras Limestone Member, despite decades of study of the unit as a key locality for fish body fossils. The traces comprise discontinuous sinusoidal grooves; one showing multiple parallel incisions, created by the fins of an acanthodian fish swimming close to the substrate. The apparent absence of trace fossils attributable to infaunal or epifaunal benthic organisms suggests that the sediment at the bottom of the lake was relatively inhospitable. The low ichnodiversity of the Achanarras Limestone Member is likely due to low oxygen levels in the depositional environment.Thematic collection: This article is part of the Early Career Research collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

First report of fish trace fossils ( Undichna ) from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone, Caithness Flagstone Group

Tindal

Shillito

Davies

2021

SJG

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Ichnology of a Middle Devonian regression: Environment, terrestrialization and true substrate controls on trace fossils of the Hangman Sandstone Formation, SW England

Davies

McMahon

Shillito

et al. 2023

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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The Invasion of the Land in Deep Time: Integrating Paleozoic Records of Paleobiology, Ichnology, Sedimentology, and Geomorphology

Buatois

Davies

Gibling

et al. 2022

Integrative and Comparative Biology

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Synopsis The invasion of the land was a complex, protracted process, punctuated by mass extinctions, that involved multiple routes from marine environments. We integrate paleobiology, ichnology, sedimentology, and geomorphology to reconstruct Paleozoic terrestrialization. Cambrian landscapes were dominated by laterally mobile rivers with unstable banks in the absence of significant vegetation. Temporary incursions by arthropods and worm-like organisms into coastal environments apparently did not result in establishment of continental communities. Contemporaneous lacustrine faunas may have been inhibited by limited nutrient delivery and high sediment loads. The Ordovician appearance of early land plants triggered a shift in the primary locus of the global clay mineral factory, increasing the amount of mudrock on the continents. The Silurian-Devonian rise of vascular land plants, including the first forests and extensive root systems, was instrumental in further retaining fine sediment on alluvial plains. These innovations led to increased architectural complexity of braided and meandering rivers. Landscape changes were synchronous with establishment of freshwater and terrestrial arthropod faunas in overbank areas, abandoned fluvial channels, lake margins, ephemeral lakes, and inland deserts. Silurian-Devonian lakes experienced improved nutrient availability, due to increased phosphate weathering and terrestrial humic matter. All these changes favoured frequent invasions to permament establishment of jawless and jawed fishes in freshwater habitats and the subsequent tetrapod colonization of the land. The Carboniferous saw rapid diversification of tetrapods, mostly linked to aquatic reproduction, and land plants, including gymnosperms. Deeper root systems promoted further riverbank stabilization, contributing to the rise of anabranching rivers and braided systems with vegetated islands. New lineages of aquatic insects developed and expanded novel feeding modes, including herbivory. Late Paleozoic soils commonly contain pervasive root and millipede traces. Lacustrine animal communities diversified, accompanied by increased food-web complexity and improved food delivery which may have favored permanent colonization of offshore and deep-water lake environments. These trends continued in the Permian, but progressive aridification favored formation of hypersaline lakes, which were stressful for colonization. The Capitanian and end-Permian extinctions affected lacustrine and fluvial biotas, particularly the invertebrate infauna, although burrowing may have allowed some tetrapods to survive associated global warming and increased aridification.

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Putative arthropod trace fossils from the Orcadian Basin at Achanarras Quarry (Middle Devonian of Scotland)

Cited by 3 publications

References 31 publications

First report of fish trace fossils ( Undichna ) from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone, Caithness Flagstone Group

First report of fish trace fossils ( Undichna ) from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone, Caithness Flagstone Group

Ichnology of a Middle Devonian regression: Environment, terrestrialization and true substrate controls on trace fossils of the Hangman Sandstone Formation, SW England

The Invasion of the Land in Deep Time: Integrating Paleozoic Records of Paleobiology, Ichnology, Sedimentology, and Geomorphology

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