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First report of fish trace fossils (Undichna) from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone, Caithness Flagstone Group

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Abstract

jats:pTwo newly-discovered specimens of the fish locomotion trace jats:italicUndichna</jats:italic> (jats:italicU. britannica</jats:italic> and jats:italicUndichna</jats:italic> isp.), are described from the Middle Devonian Achanarras Limestone Member (Caithness Flagstone Group, NE Scotland). Fish trace fossils have not previously been reported from the Achanarras Limestone Member, despite decades of study of the unit as a key locality for fish body fossils. The traces comprise discontinuous sinusoidal grooves; one showing multiple parallel incisions, created by the fins of an acanthodian fish swimming close to the substrate. The apparent absence of trace fossils attributable to infaunal or epifaunal benthic organisms suggests that the sediment at the bottom of the lake was relatively inhospitable. The low ichnodiversity of the Achanarras Limestone Member is likely due to low oxygen levels in the depositional environment.</jats:p><jats:p content-type="thematic-collection">jats:boldThematic collection:</jats:bold> This article is part of the Early Career Research collection available at: <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research" ext-link-type="uri">https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research</jats:ext-link></jats:p>

Description

Keywords

37 Earth Sciences, 3705 Geology

Journal Title

Scottish Journal of Geology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0036-9276
2041-4951

Volume Title

57

Publisher

Geological Society of London

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
NERC (NE/R009457/1)