Abstract
Abstract: A palaeoecological study of sclerozoan foraminifera of the families Saccamminidae (aff. Sagenina), Lituolidae (Placopsilina), Cibicididae (Cibicides, Dyocibicides, Cibicidella) and Planorbulinidae (Planorbulina and Planorbulinella) that colonized epifaunal bivalves (ostreids and pectinids) during the early Pliocene in southern Spain has led to the recognition of two new boring ichnogenera: Camarichnus ichnogen. nov., with two ichnospecies, C. subrectangularis ichnosp. nov. and C. arcuatus ichnosp. nov., and Canalichnus ichnogen. nov., with one ichnospecies, C. tenuis ichnosp. nov. The first two ichnospecies were produced by adnate lituolids and cibicidids, the last by saccamminids. Their recognition is very important when quantifying populations of these organisms. Colonisation took place after death of the host bivalves, when they acted as very stable substrates whose topography probably controlled the initial settlement pattern of the foraminifera. The colonisation sequence started with the foraminifera (lituolids‐saccamminids‐cibicidids‐planorbulinids) and was followed by vermetid gastropods, serpulids, spirorbids, cheilostome bryozoans and/or ostreids. Preferred orientations and overgrowth relationships between cheilostome bryozoans and serpulids have been detected in this material.
Highlights
Benthic foraminifera with encrusting habits are relatively abundant and well known, having been the subject of systematic (Adams 1962; Loeblich and Tappan 1964a, b; Wilson 1986) and ecological study (Langer 1993; Venec-Peyre 1996)
Santos and Mayoral (2003) made a preliminary study of the traces produced by encrusting foraminifera of the families Cibicididae and Planorbulinidae, in the lower Pliocene of southern Spain (Huelva and Malaga provinces), highlighting the palaeoichnological value of recognising these traces as well as the necessity of considering them formally as ichnotaxa
The aim of this paper is to present a palaeoecological study based on bivalve hard substrate communities, concentrating mainly on some encrusting foraminifera of the families Cibicididae, Planorbulinidae and Saccamminidae
Summary
Benthic foraminifera with encrusting habits are relatively abundant and well known, having been the subject of systematic (Adams 1962; Loeblich and Tappan 1964a, b; Wilson 1986) and ecological study (Langer 1993; Venec-Peyre 1996) Their value as palaeobathymetric indicators and for determining the minimum exposure time of substrates on the sea-bed (Walker et al 2001) has been demonstrated. Encrusting foraminifera (considered sclerozoans, sensu Taylor and Wilson 2003, i.e. animals colonising hard substrates) may provide data for the study of possible competitive relationships, spatial distribution and orientation patterns, and ecological succession Some of these foraminifera leave very characteristic marks on the substrate when they settle. A final difference between Camarichnus and these other ichnogenera is that the size attained by the former is substantially greater
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