Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity
Silurian turreted gastropods from the Upper Leintwardine Formation, Ludlow Series, collected in Delbury Quarry, Shropshire, UK, are all encrusted by the trepostome bryozoan Homotrypa cochlea sp. nov. Bryozoans were not found to encrust any other component of the shelly fauna and thus seemed pref...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institute of Paleobiology PAS
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app67/app009642021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828147620534550528 |
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| author | CAROLINE J. BUTTLER LESLEY CHERNS LUCY M.E. MCCOBB |
| author_facet | CAROLINE J. BUTTLER LESLEY CHERNS LUCY M.E. MCCOBB |
| author_sort | CAROLINE J. BUTTLER |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Silurian turreted gastropods from the Upper Leintwardine Formation, Ludlow Series, collected in Delbury Quarry,
Shropshire, UK, are all encrusted by the trepostome bryozoan Homotrypa cochlea sp. nov. Bryozoans were not found
to encrust any other component of the shelly fauna and thus seemed preferentially to choose the gastropod shells. The
relationship between these two organisms was examined to consider whether the bryozoans were using the dead, empty
mollusc shells as a substrate, if they were living symbiotically with live gastropods, or if the shells were inhabited by a
non-gastropod host. There is evidence that the bryozoans encrusted the shells of living gastropods but continued growing
after the death of the mollusc, potentially with the shell then occupied by a conchicole. Bryozoans encased the gastropod
shells and, after death of the mollusc, the internal cavity became a “closed” microenvironment where the shell form and
sometimes the recrystallised shell became preserved. The aragonitic shells of these gastropods were prone to dissolution
early in diagenesis, and no gastropods are found without encrusting bryozoans. Bryoimmuration resulted in a local
taphonomic window for the molluscs, which are notably sparse in most early Palaeozoic shelly faunas—the so-called
“missing molluscs” phenomenon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:03:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84bd1f4c40a742cc89d0c8229b22f257 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0567-7920 1732-2421 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:03:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Paleobiology PAS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
| spelling | doaj.art-84bd1f4c40a742cc89d0c8229b22f2572022-12-22T04:03:26ZengInstitute of Paleobiology PASActa Palaeontologica Polonica0567-79201732-24212022-09-0167356957710.4202/app.00964.2021Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversityCAROLINE J. BUTTLER0LESLEY CHERNS1LUCY M.E. MCCOBB2Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, Wales, UK.School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales, UK.Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, Wales, UK.Silurian turreted gastropods from the Upper Leintwardine Formation, Ludlow Series, collected in Delbury Quarry, Shropshire, UK, are all encrusted by the trepostome bryozoan Homotrypa cochlea sp. nov. Bryozoans were not found to encrust any other component of the shelly fauna and thus seemed preferentially to choose the gastropod shells. The relationship between these two organisms was examined to consider whether the bryozoans were using the dead, empty mollusc shells as a substrate, if they were living symbiotically with live gastropods, or if the shells were inhabited by a non-gastropod host. There is evidence that the bryozoans encrusted the shells of living gastropods but continued growing after the death of the mollusc, potentially with the shell then occupied by a conchicole. Bryozoans encased the gastropod shells and, after death of the mollusc, the internal cavity became a “closed” microenvironment where the shell form and sometimes the recrystallised shell became preserved. The aragonitic shells of these gastropods were prone to dissolution early in diagenesis, and no gastropods are found without encrusting bryozoans. Bryoimmuration resulted in a local taphonomic window for the molluscs, which are notably sparse in most early Palaeozoic shelly faunas—the so-called “missing molluscs” phenomenon.https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app67/app009642021.pdfgastropodabryozoasymbiosisovergrowtharagonitetaphonomysilurianshropshireuk |
| spellingShingle | CAROLINE J. BUTTLER LESLEY CHERNS LUCY M.E. MCCOBB Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity Acta Palaeontologica Polonica gastropoda bryozoa symbiosis overgrowth aragonite taphonomy silurian shropshire uk |
| title | Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| title_full | Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| title_fullStr | Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| title_short | Trepostome bryozoans encrusting Silurian gastropods: A taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| title_sort | trepostome bryozoans encrusting silurian gastropods a taphonomic window and its implications for biodiversity |
| topic | gastropoda bryozoa symbiosis overgrowth aragonite taphonomy silurian shropshire uk |
| url | https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app67/app009642021.pdf |
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