New example of Devonian predatory boreholes and the influence of brachiopod spines on predator success

The Fossil Record of Drilling Predation on Bivalves and Gastropods

“…In addition, Carriker and Yochelson (1968) suggested that Ordovician putative predatory drill holes might be epibiont attachment scars'. Several authors have reviewed the criteria for recognizing drill holes as predatory (e.g., Carriker and Yochelson, 1968;Rohr, 1991;Baumiller, 1996;Kaplan and Baumiller, 2000;Leighton, 2001a): perpendicular penetration of the shell surface; regular shape (circular or oval); penetration from the shell exterior; failure to pass through both valves of an articulated bivalved specimen; and non-random distribution of holes with respect to valve, position on the valve, and/or size or type of prey. An additional criterion sometimes used is that only one complete drill hole is present on a specimen, but many exceptions to this criterion occur among modern predatory drillers (see Leighton, 2001a, and below).…”

Intense drilling in the Carboniferous brachiopod Cardiarina cordata Cooper, 1956

“…Of additional interest are drilled juvenile forms of two species, L. brownendensis and L. glaphyra (Morris 1994;Bassett & Bryant 1993). It is worth noting that the highest drilling frequencies ever reported for Paleozoic brachiopods are con®ned to small taxa (Leighton 2001; this study). These high Fig.…”

“…Only a few studies have reported occurrences where the frequency of drilling on brachiopods exceeds 10% (Brunton & Champion 1974;Smith et al 1985;Baumiller et al 1999;Leighton 2001). This generally low frequency of predation may be related to the energy budget of the predator (low nutrient gain from the prey; see Kitchell et al 1981), the lifestyle of the predator (drilling may have been facultative), the low relative abundance of the predator, or some form of defense and/or toxicity of brachiopod prey (Thayer 1985).…”

Armoured test of Early Devonian Mesoconularia (Conulariida) from the Prague Basin (Czech Republic): probable adaptation to increased predation pressure

“…This animal is able to scratch calcium carbonate shelled competitors by rapid motions of its shell (LaBerbera 1985). Unlike molluscan calcium carbonate shells and calcitic brachiopod shells (Leighton 2001(Leighton , 2003Hoffmeister et al 2003;Kelley & Hansen 2003), there are very few recorded cases of predatory borings or piercing on organophosphatic fossil • B -X-ray powder diffraction pattern of Mesoconularia (?) lukesi francolite from the angular range of 10-55°, which was used for calculation of its lattice parameters after substraction goethite diffractions (contaminat ion of conulariid test surface).…”