Abstract
Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data-charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods- are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation-the bonebed and the amber-from the same site.
Highlights
Localities preserving either vertebrate bonebeds or fossilised plant resin are among the most valuable sources of information on past terrestrial ecosystems (Rogers et al, 2007; Seyfullah et al, 2018)
Considering the extraordinary abundance and diversity of fossils that both the rocks and the amber have yielded, Ariño can be regarded as the most significant locality to date in which fossiliferous amber has been found associated with a dinosaur bonebed (Figure 6B)
The opposite occurs in both the Pipestone Creek (Canada) and the Bone Butte (USA) localities —whereas their vertebrate/dinosaur records are at least comparable to those from Ariño, the palaeodiversity described as inclusions from the Ariño amber is one order of magnitude higher, with the fossiliferous potential of the amber probably being significantly greater as well (Tanke, 2004; Currie et al, 2008; Nel et al, 2010; DePalma, 2010; Cockx et al, 2020)
Summary
Localities preserving either vertebrate bonebeds or fossilised plant resin (amber) are among the most valuable sources of information on past terrestrial ecosystems (Rogers et al, 2007; Seyfullah et al, 2018). 96–100.5 Ma) locality of Fouras/Bois Vert (Charente-Maritime, France) yielded diverse vertebrate remains, including about 50 dinosaur bone fragments, alongside plant macroremains, molluscs, and amber lumps, a few of which were fossiliferous (Néraudeau et al, 2003) From the latter, ~110 bioinclusions belonging to arachnids, springtails and, at least four insect orders have been reported, including several species described (Perrichot et al, 2007; Tihelka et al, 2021). 67–66 Ma) Bone Butte bonebed site (South Dakota, USA) (DePalma, 2010) This site, belonging to the intensively studied Hell Creek Formation, provided ~3000 mostly disarticulated fossils representing >50 species of dinosaurs and other vertebrates; the non-v ertebrate material included molluscs, ichnofossils, and plant macroremains, and was mostly found together with the fossiliferous amber (DePalma, 2010; DePalma et al, 2015). Further Upper Cretaceous bonebed localities from western Canada yielded amber but lacking bioinclusions (Cockx et al, 2021)
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