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The corkscrew-shaped trace fossil Helicodromites Berger, 1957, from Rhenish Lower Devonian shallow-marine facies (Upper Emsian; SW Germany)

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Abstract

Corkscrew-shaped horizontal burrows are reported from the Rhenish Lower Devonian (Upper Emsian) of the Lower Mosel area. The trace fossils most probably represent dwelling burrows of vermiform organisms and are attributed to the ichnotaxon Helicodromites aff. mobilis Berger, 1957. The palaeoenvironmental setting of this occurrence is briefly discussed, and a shallow-marine, storm-influenced deposit is inferred. All spirally coiled trace fossils with a horizontal longitudinal axis are briefly compared to Helicodromites.

Kurzfassung

Schraubenförmige, horizontal im Sediment angelegte Bauten werden aus dem Rheinischen Unterdevon (Ober-Emsium) des Unter-Mosel-Gebiets beschrieben. Bei diesen Spurenfossilien, die dem Ichnotaxon Helicodromites aff. mobilis Berger, 1957 zugewiesen werden, handelt es sich höchstwahrscheinlich um Wohnbauten wurmförmiger Organismen. Die Paläoumwelt des Vorkommens wird kurz diskutiert und ein flachmarines, sturmbeeinflusstes Ablagerungsmilieu angenommen. Alle spiraligen Spurenfossilien mit horizontaler Längsachse werden kurz mit Helicodromites verglichen.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Olaf Vogel (Frankfurt) for reminding me of the Teufelslay trace fossils, James C. Lamsdell (Lawrence, KS) for checking the English of an earlier version of this manuscript and Thomas Schindler (Mainz) for useful hints. The helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers are greatly acknowledged.

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  1. Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Landesarchäologie, Referat Erdgeschichte, Große Langgasse 29, 55116, Mainz, Germany

    Markus Poschmann

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Poschmann, M. The corkscrew-shaped trace fossil Helicodromites Berger, 1957, from Rhenish Lower Devonian shallow-marine facies (Upper Emsian; SW Germany). Paläontol Z 89, 635–643 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-014-0232-6

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