Abstract
Although they are rare, fossilized gills are well known in Mesozoic coleoid cephalopods. In the Late Jurassic Solnhofen (South Germany) and Late Cretaceous Hâkel and Hâdjoula (Lebanon) plattenkalks, the feather-like gill remains are usually preserved as a yellowish staining. Small coleoids from Hâkel—tentatively determined as octopods—attracted our attention because these stains occur throughout the entire mantle sac in an unusual symmetrical pattern. Actualistic comparisons point to a compound of diverse vascular structures that most likely reflect central parts of the venous blood system (afferent branchial vessels, branchial hearts, vena pallialis, blood sinus) as well as the nephridial sacs. The nephridial sacs are clearly separated, which confirms the octopod nature of the fossils. A reticulated staining pattern in the rear of the mantle, which may reflect the gonad capillary system, suggests the presence of mature small-sized octopods. Based on its colour, its amorphous habit, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) elemental analyses, the major components of the coelomic cavities have been replicated by an iron-rich phase (presumably goethite; copper was not detected). The goethite does not replace the tissues; rather, it traces their gross form as a well-defined “stain”. It is assumed the goethite is secondary after pyrite, which precipitated as a consequence of the oxygen-binding capacity of the copper-bearing haemocyanin and its ability to locally regulate redox potentials immediately postmortem.
Kurzfassung
Fossilisierte Kiemen bei mesozoischen coleoiden Cephalopoden sind trotz allgemeiner Seltenheit gut bekannt. Die federförmigen Kiemenreste sind in den spätjurassischen und spätkretazischen Plattenkalken von Solnhofen (Süddeutschland) und Hâkel und Hâdjoula (Lebanon) üblicherweise als gelblich verfärbte Strukturen erhalten. Kleine Coleoiden aus Hâkel—provisorisch als Octopoden bestimmt—erweckten unser Interesse, weil die Verfärbungen auf ungewöhnliche Weise symmetrisch über den ganzen Mantelsack verteilt sind. Aktualistische Vergleiche deuten darauf hin, dass es sich hierbei um einen Verbund aus diversen vaskulären Strukturen handelt, die sehr wahrscheinlich zentrale Teile des venösen Blutsystems (afferente Kiemengefäße, Kiemenherze, Vena pallialis, Blutsinus) und der Nephridialsäcke widerspiegeln. Die klar voneinander getrennten Nephridialsäcke bestätigen, dass es sich tatsächlich um Octopoden handelt. Ein retikuläres Farbmuster im hinteren Mantelsackbereich könnte das Kapillarsystem der Gonaden darstellen, was darauf hindeuten würde, dass es sich hierbei um geschlechtsreife, kleinwüchsige Octopoden handelt. In Anbetracht von Farbe, amorphem Habitus und EDX-Analysen wurden die Hauptkomponenten der Coelomhöhlen durch eine eisenreiche Phase (vermutlich Goethit; Kupfer wurde nicht nachgewiesen) repliziert. Der Goethit ersetzte dabei nicht die Gewebe, sondern zeichnet vielmehr ihre Formen als klar umrissene Färbungen grob nach. Es wird vermutet, dass primär die Ausfällung von Pyrit eine Folge der Sauerstoffbindungskapazität von kupferbasierten Hämcyanin und dessen Fähigkeit ist, sofort nach dem Tod lokale Redoxpotentiale zu regulieren.
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Acknowledgments
We are particularly grateful to Ru Smith (Houston, Texas), who kindly provided his specimens for morphological studies. Thanks also go to Monika Bulang-Lörcher (Freie Universität Berlin), who drew the sketch in Fig. 2.
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Fuchs, D., Wilby, P.R., von Boletzky, S. et al. A nearly complete respiratory, circulatory, and excretory system preserved in small Late Cretaceous octopods (Cephalopoda) from Lebanon. PalZ 90, 299–305 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-015-0256-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-015-0256-6