Behavioral patterns expressed in scribbling trace fossils from Ordovician strata of yeongweol, Korea

Abstract

Ancient behavioral patterns expressed in scribbling trace fossils from the Ordovician Mungok and Yeongheung formations of the Yeongweol area of Korea are compared and interpreted. Scribbling trace fossils from the Tremadocian to early Arenigian Mungok Formation consist of a continuous series of uniform circles with slightly changing centers. Diameters of circles and trails are about 50 mm and 1–2 mm, respectively. Scribbling trace fossils from the late Arenigian to early Caradocian Yeongheung Formation are not well preserved. The size of the circles is about 100–150 mm and trail diameters are up to 5 mm. Scribbling trace fossils from the Mungok Formation are interpreted to be a result of repetitious grazing whereby the animal pursued a circular course and followed some part of that previous trail before leaving it to make another new circle. This behavior may be a primitive grazing method for scribbling traces. Scribbling traces from the younger Yeongheung Formation are also interpreted to be a result of ...