Taphonomy of ‘cystoids’ (Echinodermata: Diploporita) from the Napoleon quarry of southeastern Indiana, USA: The Lower Silurian Massie Formation as an atypical Lagerstätte

Thomka, James R.; Brett, Carlton E.; Bantel, Thomas E.; Young, Allison L.; Bissett, Donald

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.11.034

Cited by 15 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, modern and fossil crinoids can also be Belaústegui et al-Echinoderm ichnology and other related processes considered as benthic islands for many epidionts; in these cases the colonization may occur on both living and dead specimens (e.g., Brett and Eckert, 1982;Liddell and Brett, 1982;Peters and Bork, 1998; see also previous section concerning bioclaustrations). In addition, cystoid thecae used as benthic islands have been also documented in the fossil record (Thomka et al, 2016).…”

Section: Echinoderms As Benthic Islands For Boring and Encrusting Orgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Echinoderm ichnology: bioturbation, bioerosion and related processes

Belaústegui¹,

Muñiz²,

Nebelsick³

et al. 2017

J. Paleontol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.-Among invertebrates and both in modern and ancient marine environments, certain echinoderms have been and are some of the most active and widespread bioturbators and bioeroders. Bioturbation and/or bioerosion of regular and irregular echinoids, starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and crinoids are known from modern settings, and some of the resulting traces have their counterparts in the fossil record. By contrast, surficial trails or trackways produced by other modern echinoderms, e.g., sand dollars, exhibit a lower preservation rate and have not yet been identified in the fossil record. In addition, the unique features of the echinoderm skeleton (e.g., composition, rapid growth, multi-element architecture, etc.) may promote the production of related traces produced by the reutilization of echinoderm ossicles (e.g., burrow lining), predation (e.g., borings), or parasitism (e.g., swellings or cysts). Finally, the skeletal robustness of some echinoids may promote their post mortum use as benthic islands for the settlement of hard-substrate dwellers.

show abstract

Section: Echinoderms As Benthic Islands For Boring and Encrusting Orgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Echinoderm ichnology: bioturbation, bioerosion and related processes

Belaústegui¹,

Muñiz²,

Nebelsick³

et al. 2017

J. Paleontol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Field and laboratory studies of extant echinoderms have repeatedly confirmed the rapid rate of postmortem disarticulation under normal environmental conditions (e.g., Blyth Cain, 1968;Meyer, 1971;Schäfer, 1972;Liddell, 1975;Lewis, 1986;Meyer and Meyer, 1986;Allison, 1990;Kidwell and Baumiller, 1990;Greenstein, 1991Greenstein, , 1993Greenstein et al, 1995;Gorzelak and Salamon, 2013, among many others). Detailed taphonomic evaluation of Paleozoic faunas supports an equally rapid rate of disarticulation for extinct echinoderm groups if not removed from the taphonomically active zone (e.g., Meyer, 1990;Sumrall, 2000;Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001;Zamora et al, 2013b;Martin et al, 2015;Thomka et al, 2016).…”

Section: Echinoderm Taphonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of preservation on the quantification of morphology and patterns of disparity within Paleozoic echinoderms

Deline

Thomka

2017

J. Paleontol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.-The loss of information resulting from taphonomic degradation could represent a significant bias in the study of morphological diversity. This potential bias is even more concerning given the uneven effect of taphonomy across taxonomic groups, depositional facies, and stratigraphic successions and in response to secular changes through the Phanerozoic. The effect of taphonomic degradation is examined using character-based morphological data sets describing disparity in Paleozoic crinoids and blastozoans. Characters were sequentially excluded from the analyses following progressive taphonomic loss to determine how morphologic metrics, such as the relative distribution of taxa in morphospace and partial disparity, changed with increasing taphonomic alteration. Blastozoans showed very little change in these metrics with decreasing preservational quality, which is a result of characters that create distance in morphospace being recognizable in isolated plates. The opposite result is present in crinoids as the characters that are important in structuring the morphospace require intact modules (i.e., the calyx) to accurately assess. Temporal and stratigraphic trends produced encouraging results in that patterns could be largely recovered even with exaggerated taphonomic biases. However, certain parts of a stratigraphic sequence should be avoided and morphological outliers could potentially play a larger role through time, though both of these biases can be easily identified and avoided. The methods presented in this study provide a way to assess potential taphonomic biases in character-based studies of morphological diversity.

show abstract

“…The Holocystites Fauna is an enigmatic grouping of diploporitan echinoderms that, historically, has been restricted to the middle Silurian of North America (with a potential exception of a holocystitid from middle Silurian Australia; see Jell 2011). Whereas this fauna has been well studied in terms of its systematics (e.g., Paul 1971;Frest et al 2011;Sumrall 2015, 2017) and taphonomy (e.g., Thomka et al 2016), very little information about their evolutionary and biogeographical history exists. Paul (1971) suggested the Ordovician Brightonicystis from Baltica, a potential ancestor for the Holocystites Fauna, but this link is tenuous (see Sheffield and Sumrall 2017 for a thorough discussion of Brightonicystis).…”

Section: The Holocystites Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) diploporitan fauna of Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada: implications for evolutionary and biogeographic patterns

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) localities containing echinoderm fossils are rare; the few that have been discovered primarily contain disarticulated crinoid ossicles. Therefore, relatively little is known about echinoderm evolutionary dynamics across the Late Ordovician – early Silurian boundary, especially noncrinoid echinoderms. New diploporitan echinoderms, Holocystites salmoensis and an unidentified holocystitid, from reefal facies of the Upper Ordovician Ellis Bay Formation of Anticosti Island provide a critical data point concerning diploporitan biogeography and evolutionary pathways undertaken during the Ordovician and Silurian. These fossils also provide a crucial link in understanding the ancestry of the Silurian Holocystites Fauna, an unusual diploporitan fauna from the middle Silurian of North America, whose origination dates back at least 15 million years earlier than previously thought with the discovery of taxa described here. New fossil data such as these stress the importance of uncovering new localities from underrepresented times and places in Earth’s history, so that these evolutionary transitions can be better understood.

show abstract

Taphonomy of ‘cystoids’ (Echinodermata: Diploporita) from the Napoleon quarry of southeastern Indiana, USA: The Lower Silurian Massie Formation as an atypical Lagerstätte

Cited by 15 publications

References 60 publications

Echinoderm ichnology: bioturbation, bioerosion and related processes

Echinoderm ichnology: bioturbation, bioerosion and related processes

The role of preservation on the quantification of morphology and patterns of disparity within Paleozoic echinoderms

Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) diploporitan fauna of Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada: implications for evolutionary and biogeographic patterns

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About