Article
Geology
Andrea Baucon, Carlos Neto de Carvalho, Fabrizio Felletti, Gabriele Tosadori, Alexandre Antonelli
Summary: The study reveals that burrow morphologies show persistent patterns over evolutionary time scales, influenced by small-world dynamics and forming associations between shallow and deep-sea burrows. This pattern follows assembly rules similar to those shaping human social networks.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olmo Miguez-Salas, Francisco J. Rodriguez-Tovar, Allan A. Ekdale, Stefanie Kaiser, Angelika Brandt, Andrew J. Gooday
Summary: This study reports the presence of Paleodictyon at Subarctic latitudes and depths over 4500 m for the first time. The new Paleodictyon specimens represent distinct ichnospecies that are associated with relatively eutrophic conditions in this region.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stefan Bengtson, Birger Rasmussen, Jian-Wei Zi, Ian R. Fletcher, James G. Gehling, Bruce Runnegar
Summary: Researchers have found that the animal burrows in the Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Mount Barren Group in southwestern Australia may predate the last metamorphic event in the region and were formed during an Eocene transgression. After this event, there was resilicification of the quartzites, filling the pore space with syntaxial quartz cement forming silcretes, making the rocks hard again and impenetrable to animal burrowing.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Geography, Physical
F. Garcia-Garcia, F. J. Rodriguez-Tovar, M. Poyatos-More, L. M. Yeste, C. Viseras
Summary: This study analyzed sedimentary structures in a 50 m-thick package of terrestrial organic debris-rich sandstone bodies alternating with burrowed siltstones in the Betic Cordillera, Spain. Two types of sandbodies were identified, and the study highlights the importance of ichnological analysis for understanding hyperpycnal flows. The findings suggest the need for multi-scale analysis focusing on trace fossils and physical sedimentary signatures to improve our understanding of river-derived sustained-flow turbidites.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
M. Gabriela Mangano, Luis A. Buatois, Robert B. MacNaughton, Soren Jensen, Romain Gougeon, Alberto Marcos, Dean Meek, Laura Pinuela, Jose Carlos Garcia-Ramos
Summary: This study reevaluates the Cambrian trace fossil Psammichnites and reinterprets the previously named Taphrhelminthopsis circularis as a variant of Psammichnites gigas. The relationships between Psammichnites and other trace fossils commonly found in Cambrian shallow-marine strata are also discussed. Recommendations for renaming some trace fossils are provided. This documentation of the preservational variability of Cambrian Psammichnites is important for accurately estimating ichnodiversity levels during the Cambrian explosion and for stratigraphic correlation.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Andrew D. La Croix, Korhan Ayranci, Shahin E. Dashtgard
Summary: This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding animal-sediment interactions in siliciclastic shallow-marine environments. It provides insights into the behaviors of organisms in different environmental conditions and their geological features. This knowledge is important for reconstructing paleo-ecosystems and explaining sedimentary strata.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rachel Przeslawski
Summary: This article documents and describes the occurrence of a unique type of lebensspuren, known as the 'spider trace', which was observed in both Western and Eastern Australia. The importance of effectively sharing similar observations to enhance our understanding of deep-sea biology is discussed.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Geography, Physical
Diana L. Boyer, Aaron M. Martinez, Scott D. Evans, Phoebe A. Cohen, Emily E. Haddad, Katherine H. Pippenger, Gordon D. Love, Mary L. Droser
Summary: The Late Devonian witnessed significant taxonomic and ecological turnovers, with reduced oxygen conditions playing a key role. Research using a dataset from 17 localities in New York and Ohio revealed prolonged oxygen stress in the Appalachian Basin during this time, impacting biological communities and redox conditions in the water column. The study also highlighted unique signals during the Lower and Upper Kellwasser Events, as well as the Hangenberg Biocrisis, suggesting different drivers and responses for each extinction event.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Abdelfattah Azizi, Asmaa El Bakhouch, Abderrazak El Albani, Kalle Kirsimae, Mouhssin El Halim, Khadija El Hariri, Mohamed Erragragui, Ahmid Hafid, Olev Vinn
Summary: This article focuses on the stratigraphic position of the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in Morocco's Anti-Atlas Mountains. While no trace fossils or body fossils were found previously, abundant trace fossils were discovered at the base of the Adoudou Formation, providing evidence for the boundary's location through the integration of carbon isotope records.
PRECAMBRIAN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Arpad David, Alfred Uchman, Ricardo S. Ramalho, Jose Madeira, Carlos S. Melo, Patricia Madeira, Ana Cristina Rebelo, Bjoern Berning, Markes E. Johnson, Sergio P. Avila
Summary: Pliocene body fossils from Santa Maria Island in Azores have been studied for decades, with recent attention focusing on ichnofossils. Deposits from the Baia de Nossa Senhora section contain well-preserved invertebrate borings, providing insights into the dispersal of benthic faunas. The borings, belonging to various ichnogenera, suggest that the bearing bioclasts have been exposed for several years on the sea floor.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilya Bobrovskiy, Alexey Nagovitsyn, Janet M. Hope, Ekaterina Luzhnaya, Jochen J. Brocks
Summary: This article examines the gut contents of Ediacaran animals and reveals their diet strategies, as well as some physiological characteristics of these early animals.
Article
Geography, Physical
F. J. Rodriguez-Tovar, J. Dorador, V Zuchuat, S. Planke, O. Hammer
Summary: The study focuses on the ichnological analysis of an extended upper Permian - Lower Triassic succession from the DD-1 core, drilled in Deltadalen, Central Spitsbergen. Variations in degree of bioturbation and ichnodiversity across the Permian-Triassic transition allow for the characterization of pre-, syn-, and post-EPME phases.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William J. Foster, Amanda Godbold, Arnaud Brayard, Anja B. Frank, Stephen E. Grasby, Richard J. Twitchett, Tatsuo Oji
Summary: This study presents a paleoecological analysis of the Hiraiso Formation in northeast Japan, revealing the temporal and spatial variations of diversity, ecological structure, and taxonomic composition in the Early Triassic marine ecosystems. The study suggests that the benthic fauna in the Hiraiso Formation represents an advanced stage of ecological recovery, but not full recovery. The distribution of the benthic fauna supports the habitable zone hypothesis and is consistent with oxygen gradients in modern environments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Raees Khan, Robert S. Hill, Veit M. Doerken, Ed Biffin
Summary: The study of the reproductive morphology and trait evolution of Podocarpaceae provides valuable insights into the evolutionary history of plants. The research reveals the diverse seed cone morphology and trait evolution of the conifer family, with a specific focus on the presence of fleshy structures and their anatomical variations. The findings suggest complex and multiple evolutions of fleshy morphologies within the genus, which are associated with efficient light harvesting and bird dispersal. These traits have contributed to the success and wider distribution of Podocarpaceae in closed-canopy angiosperm forests.
Article
Geography, Physical
Gabriel E. B. de Barros, Bruno Becker-Kerber, Daniel Sedorko, Joao Henrique Dobler Lima, Mirian L. A. F. Pacheco
Summary: The Aquidauana Formation in Brazil's Late Paleozoic Ice Age presents a unique sedimentary record with a rich ichnofossil assemblage dominated by small arthropods, reflecting low functional morphology richness and environmental stress related to glacial environments. The presence of Warvichnium and Monomorphichnus distinguishes it from other Gondwanic glacial deposits, suggesting a relationship with freshwater influence and invertebrate colonization followed by subaerial exposure.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Peter Wagner, Roy E. Plotnick, S. Kathleen Lyons
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2018)
Article
Geology
Caitlin M. Boblitt, Roy E. Plotnick, Fabien Kenig, D'Arcy Meyer-Dombard
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shannon Hsieh, Alec Schassburger, Roy E. Plotnick
Review
Environmental Sciences
Roy E. Plotnick, Karen A. Koy
Article
Geology
Lucas S. Antonietto, Lisa E. Park Boush, Roy E. Plotnick, Alycia L. Stigall
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Joseph Pasterski, Anthony Bellagamba, Stephanie Chancellor, Alister Cunje, Emily Dodd, Kerri Gefeke, Shannon Hsieh, Alec Schassburger, Alexis Smith, Wesley Tucker, Roy E. Plotnick
Article
Paleontology
Joseph H. Collette, Roy E. Plotnick
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Paleontology
Philip M. Novack-Gottshall, Roy E. Plotnick
Summary: The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is known as a "living fossil" due to its unchanged morphology for millions of years. Leach in 1819 classified it into a new family Limulidae and included other related genera, a classification that is widely recognized by experts.
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shannon Hsieh, Roy E. Plotnick, Andrew M. Bush
Summary: The Cambrian information revolution drove a rapid increase in animal cognition, with early animals showing similarities in cognitive complexity to modern animals. Panarthropods dominated in terms of cognition, while the proportion of mollusks and chordates increased in the post-Cambrian period. Cognitive complexity is closely related to ecological habits and nervous system development in animals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michel Schmidt, Roland R. Melzer, Roy E. Plotnick, Russell D. C. Bicknell
Summary: The 3D model-based kinematic analysis reveals that the appendages of early Palaeozoic sea scorpions were used for hunting, including capturing, immobilizing, and consuming prey. This research method provides a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of these ancient creatures and highlights their important role in past ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Roy E. Plotnick, Russell D. C. Bicknell
Summary: The endostoma of eurypterids is reinterpreted as an appendage likely belonging to the seventh body segment and possibly homologous to the first appendage of xiphosuran chilaria, based on the study of new specimens.
BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Andrew J. Dombard, Wesley S. Tucker, Ronald Joniak, Roy E. Plotnick
Summary: The distribution of impact craters on the dwarf planet Ceres is peculiar and can provide insights into the processes that have shaped its surface. By analyzing the largest craters and their spatial patterns, researchers have identified a concentration of large craters in the south and a clustering of mid-size craters at certain scales. Additionally, the comparison of crater counts suggests that the north polar region of Ceres is older and more heavily cratered than the equatorial region. These findings suggest a possible latitudinal dependence in the distribution of craters on Ceres, possibly influenced by sunlight.
Article
Paleontology
Roy E. Plotnick, James C. Lamsdell
Summary: This article describes the discovery of a new species of hibbertopterid and an unidentified stylonurine eurypterid from the Early Mississippian. These findings represent the first documented eurypterids from the Mississippian in North America and the fourth locality worldwide of this age to yield eurypterids.
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Roy E. Plotnick, Graham A. Young, James W. Hagadorn
Summary: Sea anemones, particularly Essexella asherae, have been identified as an infaunal or semi-infaunal species in the fossil-rich Mazon Creek Lagerstatte. This finding challenges previous beliefs that Essexella was a medusa and reassigns it to the order Actiniaria. The study also suggests that Essexella may have been responsible for the creation of Conostichus, a plug-shaped trace fossil found in the same region.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Shannon Hsieh, Roy E. Plotnick