TY - JOUR
T1 - Reconsidering the 'phyllocarid' from the Wade Creek Formation
AU - Bicknell, Russell D. C.
AU - Smith, Patrick M.
AU - Schroeder, Natalie
AU - Kimmig, Julien
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The fossil record of phyllocarids in Australia is decidedly limited, with only a few specimens known from Ordovician to Devonian deposits. Therefore, the identification of examples from older deposits would uncover more facets of Gondwanan crustacean evolution. Here, a supposed phyllocarid reported by Chapman (1925) from the Mount John Shale Member of the Wade Creek Formation is reconsidered. We conclude that the 'phyllocarid'-like structure is somewhat morphologically comparable to traces ascribed to the activity of bivalved arthropods. However, as the Mount John Shale Member is likely Mesoproterozoic in age, the most parsimonious explanation is that the structure is a cast created by abiotic activity. Re-examination of such specimens represents a useful approach to clarifying previous misidentifications in the literature and is an important application of historically valuable specimens and collections.
AB - The fossil record of phyllocarids in Australia is decidedly limited, with only a few specimens known from Ordovician to Devonian deposits. Therefore, the identification of examples from older deposits would uncover more facets of Gondwanan crustacean evolution. Here, a supposed phyllocarid reported by Chapman (1925) from the Mount John Shale Member of the Wade Creek Formation is reconsidered. We conclude that the 'phyllocarid'-like structure is somewhat morphologically comparable to traces ascribed to the activity of bivalved arthropods. However, as the Mount John Shale Member is likely Mesoproterozoic in age, the most parsimonious explanation is that the structure is a cast created by abiotic activity. Re-examination of such specimens represents a useful approach to clarifying previous misidentifications in the literature and is an important application of historically valuable specimens and collections.
KW - Australia
KW - Mount John Shale Member
KW - abiotic traces
KW - historical collections
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092766800&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03115518.2020.1820575
DO - 10.1080/03115518.2020.1820575
M3 - Article
SN - 0311-5518
VL - 44
SP - 481
EP - 483
JO - Alcheringa
JF - Alcheringa
IS - 4
ER -