Importance of Data on Fossil Symbioses for Parasite–Host Evolution

Robin, Ninon

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-52233-9_2

Cited by 10 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…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.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Collareta

Rasser

Frey³

et al. 2022

PalZ

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In contrast to other kinds of biological interactions, symbiosis is a scarcely investigated aspect of the fossil record. This is largely due to taphonomic biases that often frustrate any attempt to make a strong case that two organisms shared an intimate association in life. Among extant marine vertebrates, the sea turtles (Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae) bear a broad and diverse spectrum of epibiotic symbionts, including specialists such as the turtle barnacles (Chelonibiidae and Platyleapadidae). Here, we reappraise an early Oligocene (Rupelian) fossil cheloniid skeleton, featuring the remains of cirripedes on the exterior of its entoplastron, from the Rauenberg fossil-lagerstätte, southwestern Germany. The barnacle specimens are assigned to Protochelonibia melleni, an extinct protochelonibiine species and the geologically oldest known member of Chelonibiidae. In the light of taphonomic and palaeoenvironmental considerations, and given that the extant chelonibiids are mostly known as epizoic symbionts of sea turtles, we conclude that this unique fossil association resulted from the epizoic growth of the barnacles on the external surface of the plastron of the turtle during its lifetime. This remarkable fossil association provides evidence that chelonibiids, including the extinct protochelonibiines, have been chelonophilic epizoans for more than 30 Myr. A survey of the trace and body fossil records shows that platylepadids are also likely as old as the Rupelian as is their symbiotic association with cheloniid hosts. This early emergence of the modern-looking, turtle-dwelling barnacle lineages corresponds to a climate-driven phase of major radiation and taxonomic turnover among sea turtles at the Eocene–Oligocene transition.

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