Insect damage in dinosaur bones from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Campanian) Coahuila, Mexico

Bioerosion and palaeoecological association of osteophagous insects in the Maastrichtian dinosaur Arenysaurus ardevoli

“…Necrophagous insects are present in terrestrial environments, where they colonise exposed carcases (see references in Csiki 2006;Xing et al 2015;Pirrone & Buatois 2016;Serrano-Brañas et al 2018;Augustin et al 2019). These insects belong to six orders: (1) Isoptera, termites of the families Termitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Mastotermitidae; (2) Coleoptera, beetles of the families Silphidae, Dermestidae, Cleridae and Tenebrionidae; (3) Diptera, blow flies (Calliphoridae); (4) Ephemeroptera, mayflies; (5) Hymenoptera, sweat bees (Halictidae), sphecid wasps (Sphecidae), and some species of ants (Formicidae); and (6) Lepidoptera, tineid moths.…”

“…The first possible tracemakers to be ruled out are ants and termites due to their social character, since the tracks left by these organisms have variable star-shaped features (Backwell et al 2012;Xing et al 2015). Other producers that can be excluded are the tineid moths, which are specialists in the consumption of keratinised structures such as horns and hooves (Behrensmeyer 1978;Hill et al 1987;Serrano-Brañas et al 2018). Moreover, some mayflies (polymitarcids) produce U-shaped burrows that are separated by a thin wall; they do not bore furrows or pupation chambers (Serrano-Brañas et al 2018).…”

“…Other producers that can be excluded are the tineid moths, which are specialists in the consumption of keratinised structures such as horns and hooves (Behrensmeyer 1978;Hill et al 1987;Serrano-Brañas et al 2018). Moreover, some mayflies (polymitarcids) produce U-shaped burrows that are separated by a thin wall; they do not bore furrows or pupation chambers (Serrano-Brañas et al 2018).…”

“…Beetles, and more specifically the dermestids, are the most common tracemakers that produce pupation chambers (see references in Xing et al 2015;Serrano-Brañas et al 2018;Augustin et al 2019). The first fossil record of dermestid beetles comes from the Late Cretaceous (Parkinson 2013).…”

“…To infest a corpse, these insects need a carcase of a dead animal with dry skin and dried soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and cartilage), in other words to be in a dry stage of decomposition. At this stage, the carcase is above water and dry, and the bones are not buried quickly (Bornemissza 1957;Reed 1958;Coe 1978;Timm 1982;Hasiotis 2004;Serrano-Brañas et al 2018;Augustin et al 2019). Moreover, these insects are able to bore into cortical and spongy bone, producing pupation chambers, tunnels and furrows (Timm 1982;Jodry & Stanford 1992;Schroeder et al 2002;Roberts et al 2007;Britt et al 2008;Huchet et al 2013;Höpner & Bertling 2017).…”