Rosselichnidae ifam. nov.: burrows with concentric, spiral or eccentric lamination

Abstract

Burrows with a thick concentric, spiral or eccentric lamination are common constituents of Phanerozoic marine deposits and have been described under different names for more than 150 years. Ambiguous original diagnoses, questionable type specimens and morphological transitions between end members have led to a rather unstable ichnotaxonomy and varying indistinct definitions. This situation, in turn, hinders an application of these ichnotaxa in facies interpretations, and in palaeoenvironmental and evolutionary reconstructions. A revision of this group of trace fossils, collectively assembled under the new ichnofamily Rosselichnidae, aims for its consolidation. It includes the ichnogenera Rosselia Dahmer, Cylindrichnus Toots in Howard, Patagonichnus Olivero & L opez Cabrera, Artichnus Zhang et al., Lamellaecylindrica Knaust and Bromlichnus Vallon et al., together containing 15 ichnospecies. Burrow morphology, orientation, branching and type of lamination are used as ichnotaxobases.Artichnus serialis isp. nov. is erected, whereas Rosselia erecta (Torell), Rosselia prolifera (Fournier et al.) and Lamellaecylindrica ludwigae (Schlirf) are new combinations. Rosselia erecta is installed as the ichnospecies name for forms that historically have been assigned to Monocraterion isp. A review of established interpretations of potential producers and their ethology of ichnotaxa included in Rosselichnidae reveals that polychaetes and holothurians with a suspension-and depositfeeding behaviour are best equipped to produce such burrows. The stratigraphic record of Rosselia spans the entire Phanerozoic, whereas the other ichnogenera mainly occur in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic.

Geochemical signatures of sedimentary and diagenetic processes in the trace fossil Rosselia from the Pliocene in Taiwan

“… 9 , and the incorporation of substantial amounts of fine-grained, organic rich material provide a powerful tool to assess long term changes in the type and volume of organic matter delivered by ancient river systems. The long temporal range of Rosselia spanning most of the Phanerozoic 9 , 10 allows this tool to be applied to a wide variety of scientific problems.…”

“…More recently, Rosselia became the namesake for the Rosselia Ichnofacies, which is considered to be typical of sandy, delta-front environments 9 . While the largest Rosselia may reach lengths up to one meter 2 and diameters of more than 15 cm, typical sizes are 10–20 cm in length, and a 2–10 cm in diameter 1 , 2 , 10 . The concentric layers surrounding the central shaft comprise material that is considerably finer than the surrounding host substrate, and the central shaft is commonly filled with sediment similar in composition to the host substrate.…”

HELMINTHOPSISANDCYLINDRICHNUSICHNOGUILDS FROM MIOCENE THIN-BEDDED TURBIDITES, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

“…The ichnotaxonomy of Cylindrichnus has been a matter of debate, particularly regarding its relationships with the ichnogenus Rosselia. Following Belaústegui and Gibert (2013), Ekdale and Harding (2015), and Knaust (2021), Cylindrichnus is here recognized as a valid ichnogenus. The Viamonte Cylindrichnus concentricus are small cylindrical burrows, circular or elliptical in cross-section, consisting of a central passively filled tube or lumen, surrounded by series of concentrically and eccentrically arranged mud laminae (Figs.…”

Trace fossils from the Maastrichtian chalk of the Isle of Rügen, north-east Germany

“…Lamellaecylindrica paradoxica has 'longitudinal striae (ornamentation) on the external surface'. (Knaust, 2021d(Knaust, , p. 1864. It was originally described from the Albian of southern England (Webster, 1814;Knaust, 2022), but was later confused with Thalassinoides paradoxicus, with which it may intergrade (Knaust, 2021c).…”

“…The ichnogenus Rosselia comprises a 'vertical to inclined, downward tapering, straight or curved burrow with a funnelshaped, bulbous or fusiform aperture containing a thick concentric, spiralled or eccentric lining around one or several, passively filled, cylindrical tube(s)' (Knaust, 2021d(Knaust, , p. 1850. Rosselia erecta is defined as 'unbranched, sub-vertical Rosselia with a funnelshaped aperture, in which the passively filled cylindrical tube is enlarged to occupy a major fraction of the funnel.…”