Carlos Neto de Carvalho, A. Baucon, D. Badano, P. Proença Cunha, Cristiana Ferreira, S. Figueiredo, Fernando Muñiz, J. Belo, F. Bernardini, M. Cachão
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The c. 100 myr extensive fossil record of bee brood nests and cells (calichnia) in siliciclastic sedimentary deposits, or palaeosols, is virtually devoid of the presence of their producers. The absence of a more specific assignment to a producer of the different ichnogenera of the ichnofamily Celliformidae precludes their use in phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographic studies. Omission surfaces developed in incipient carbonate palaeosols during the late Holocene (middle Neoglacial), c. 2975 yr cal BP, on the southwest coast of mainland Portugal show insect calichnia in dense ichnofabrics dominated by shallow discrete cells (Palmiraichnus castellanosi) and cells at the terminus of vertical shafts. At Carreira Brava, one of the studied sites, bees ready to abandon their cells were found in an exceptional state of preservation inside the sealed brood chambers. The chambers also preserve the inner cell hydrophobic polymerized membrane and remains of the monospecific Brassicaceae‐type pollen provision. Although the cause of mass mortality remains a mystery, oxygen depletion due to sudden flooding of the nesting substrate and consequent or overnight temperature drop, just before emergence, are plausible causes. The anaerobic conditions and later rapid carbonate diagenetic lithification are the likely causes of the preservation of the bees and the inner cell organic membrane. The favourable climate conditions for the development of successive, dense ichnofabrics from an omission suite dominated by bee brood cells may be the result of slightly colder and higher‐precipitation winters during the Neoglacial interval.
期刊介绍:
Papers in Palaeontology is the successor to Special Papers in Palaeontology and a journal of the Palaeontological Association (www.palass.org). The journal is devoted to the publication of papers that document the diversity of past life and its distribution in time and space.
Papers in Palaeontology is devoted to the publication of papers that document the diversity of past life and its distribution in time and space. As a sister publication to Palaeontology its focus is on descriptive research, including the descriptions of new taxa, systematic revisions of higher taxa, detailed biostratigraphical and biogeographical documentation, and descriptions of floras and faunas from specific localities or regions. Most contributions are expected to be less than 30 pp long but longer contributions will be considered if the material merits it, including single topic parts.
The journal publishes a wide variety of papers on palaeontological topics covering:
palaeozoology,
palaeobotany,
systematic studies,
palaeoecology,
micropalaeontology,
palaeobiogeography,
functional morphology,
stratigraphy,
taxonomy,
taphonomy,
palaeoenvironmental reconstruction,
palaeoclimate analysis,
biomineralization studies.