Diversity, taphonomy and palaeoecology of plant–arthropod interactions in the lower Miocene (Burdigalian) in the Most Basin in north-western Bohemia (Czech Republic)

Abstract

An extensive collection of nearly 4200 fossil plants remains from lower Miocene deposits at Bílina and Břešťany were examined for signs of damage caused by arthropods. Determining the frequency and diversity of plant–arthropod interactions was the main objective, followed by a comparison of the level of damage to plant taxa for which there were at least 25 specimens. There were significant differences in the frequencies of the damage caused by the different functional feeding groups in the whole assemblage and individual taxa. Comparison of the diversity of the different types of damage by rarefying their five occurrences also confirmed the differences in the levels attained. The highest diversity was recorded for deciduous trees (Alnus, Nyssa and Populus). The organisms that caused some of the highly specific types of damage, such as mining and oviposition, were taxonomically identified on the basis of their unique morphological traits. There was one remarkable non-herbivore plant–arthropod interaction represented by a solitary record of a caddisfly case built exclusively of Taxodium needles.