Predation of late Marjuman (Cambrian) linguliformean brachiopods from the Deadwood Formation of South Dakota, USA

One hundred and twenty-five linguliformean brachiopods of late Marjuman (Cambrian) age with shell perforations, presumably caused by predation, were recovered from shallow-water limestones at two localities of the Deadwood Formation in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Three-quarters of the perforated valves belonged to taxa in the order Acrotretida, while one-quarter of the specimens belonged to those of the order Lingulida. This is the first report of predation of fossil lingulids. In both orders there was a marked selection for valve type. Ninety-five per cent of all perforations of acrotretids were in the ventral valve, while 87% of all perforations of lingulids were in the dorsal valve. The highest rate of predation of collected acrotretids, at any stratigraphic horizon, was 22%, while the rate of predation of collected lingulids, at any given stratigraphic horizon, was as high as 9%. Half of the perforated valves had round holes with a sharp, non-beveled exterior edge, and half had irregularly shaped holes with chipped interior edges. The former type is attributed to either boring or a swift, piercing percussive strike, while the latter is attributed to a smashing percussive strike with a blunt appendage. A third type of perforation consisting of minute, roughly circular holes is thought to be too small to be the work of predators, and is assumed to be the result of an encrusting organism or parasite. The different types of perforation seen in the brachiopod valves indicate that there was more than one type of predator attacking them, including possibly one of the earliest durophages. Various hypothetical predators are suggested as potential candidates for causing the shell perforations. The criteria for their selection as possible linguliformean predators include possessing the ability to produce one of the two types of shell perforation, and being small enough to warrant preying on small (< 2 mm) brachiopods.     

Evaluating Detection Probabilities for American Marten in the Black Hills,South Dakota

ABSTRACT Assessing the effectiveness of monitoring techniques designed to determine presence of forest carnivores, such as American marten (Martes Americana), is crucial for validation of survey results. Although comparisons between techniques have been made, little attention has been paid to the issue of detection probabilities (p). Thus, the underlying assumption has been that detection probabilities equal 1.0. We used Presence-Absence data obtained from a track-plate survey in conjunction with results from a saturation-trapping study to derive detection probabilities when marten occurred at high (>2 marten/10.2 km²) and low (≤1 marten/10.2 km²) densities within 8 10.2-km² quadrats. Estimated probability of detecting marten in high-density quadrats was p = 0.952 (SE = 0.047), whereas the detection probability for low-density quadrats was considerably lower (p = 0.333, SE = 0.136). Our results indicated that failure to account for imperfect detection could lead to an underestimation of marten presence in 15–52% of low-density quadrats in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. We recommend that repeated site-survey data be analyzed to assess detection probabilities when documenting carnivore survey results.     

Bivalve Wood Borings of the Ichnogenus Teredolites Leymerie from the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Upper Cretaceous,Czech Republic)

Finds of fossil wood with bivalve wood borings (Teredolites clavatus and T. longissimus) occur in various facies and presumed sedimentary settings of the platform, shallow-marine Bohemian Crectaceous Basin. The basin comprises areas with sandy-dominated sediments, with marl and clay-dominated sediments, areas with predominat sandy-marly rocks, and finally areas dominated by calcareous nearshore sediments. Teredolites clavatus is common in fossil wood of sandstones, originating in beach or deltaic settings; marl and clay-dominated rock frequently bear wood fragments densely bored by Teredolites longissimus. When accompanied by evidence of marine environments as body fossils, glauconite or typical trace fossils, most of the wood fragments are bored. The presence/absence of borings in wood fragments can be considered the most reliable and easily useable criterion of distinction of marine settings in sandy sediments of the margin of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin.     

Hepatic minerals of white-tailed and mule deer in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota

Because there is a paucity of information on the mineral requirements of free-ranging deer, data are needed from clinically healthy deer to provide a basis for the diagnosis of mineral deficiencies. To our knowledge, no reports are available on baseline hepatic mineral concentrations from sympatric white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using different habitats in the Northern Great Plains. We assessed variation in hepatic minerals of female white-tailed deer (n = 42) and mule deer (n = 41). Deer were collected in February and August 2002 and 2003 from study areas in Custer and Pennington Counties, South Dakota, in and adjacent to a wildfire burn. Hepatic samples were tested for levels (parts per million; ppm) of aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), selenium (Se), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), thalium (Tl), and zinc (Zn). We predicted that variability in element concentrations would occur between burned and unburned habitat due to changes in plant communities and thereby forage availability. We determined that Zn, Cu, and Ba values differed (P 相似文献   

Traps and attractants for wood-boring insects in ponderosa pine stands in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Recent large-scale wildfires have increased populations of wood-boring insects in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Because little is known about possible impacts of wood-boring insects in the Black Hills, land managers are interested in developing monitoring techniques such as flight trapping with semiochemical baits. Two trap designs and four semiochemical attractants were tested in a recently burned ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., forest in the Black Hills. Modified panel and funnel traps were tested in combination with the attractants, which included a woodborer standard (ethanol and alpha-pinene), standard plus 3-carene, standard plus ipsenol, and standard plus ipsdienol. We found that funnel traps were equally efficient or more efficient in capturing wood-boring insects than modified panel traps. Trap catches of cerambycids increased when we added the Ips spp. pheromone components (ipsenol or ipsdienol) or the host monoterpene (3-carene) to the woodborer standard. During the summers of 2003 and 2004, 18 cerambycid, 14 buprestid, and five siricid species were collected. One species of cerambycid, Monochamus clamator (LeConte), composed 49 and 40% of the 2003 and 2004 trap catches, respectively. Two other cerambycids, Acanthocinus obliquus (LeConte) and Acmaeops proteus (Kirby), also were frequently collected. Flight trap data indicated that some species were present throughout the summer, whereas others were caught only at the beginning or end of the summer.     

Borings in mobile clasts from Eocene conglomerates of Northern Dalmatia (Coastal Dinarides, Croatia)

Summary Bored clasts occur in Eocene conglomerates deposited in the upper shoreface and beachface settings of the Dinaric foreland basin. The trace fossil assemblage consists ofGastrochaenolites, Trypanites, and possibly some other ichnotaxa and may be compared to theTrypanites Ichnofacies. The preservation characteristics of the borings reflect many stages of colonisation/boring and abrasion. The removal of shells of the boring bivalves, the different depths of the abrasional truncation of borings, and the predominant preservation of the largest excavations (Gastrochaenolites) in the ichnocoenosis are related to repeated phases of abrasion, caused by the mobility of clasts. Coastal gravel is a specific variant of hard substrates, whose mobility controls the colonisation of borers, the type of assemblage and its preservation potential.     

Borings in trepostome bryozoans from the Ordovician of Estonia: two ichnogenera produced by a single maker, a case of host morphology control

The evolution of borings has shown that the morphology of borings is a function of both the borer and its substrate. This study investigated the effect of bryozoan internal skeletal morphology on the dimensions and distribution of borings. One hundred and forty-three trepostome colonies from the Middle and Upper Ordovician strata of northern Estonia were examined. Of these, 80% were matrix entombed, longitudinally sectioned ramose and hemispherical colonies, and 20% were matrix-free hemispherical colonies that allowed examination of the colony surfaces. Seventy-one percent of the ramose colonies were bored, whereas 88% of the hemispherical colonies were bored. On average, only 8% of colony surface areas were bored out. Borings were more randomly oriented in the hemispherical colonies. In contrast in the ramose colonies, the borings tended to more restricted to the thin-walled endozone and thus parallel to the branch axis. This is interpreted to be a function of the thick-walled exozones controlling to some extent where the borer could bore. Based on morphology, the borings in the hemispherical colonies are referred to Trypanites and those in the ramose colonies to Sanctum . Sanctum is revised to include two possible openings and to recognize that boring shapes were inherently constrained by the thick-walled exozones of the host bryozoan colonies. Both trace fossils were probably produced by a boring polychaete that used the tubes as domiciles.     

The influence of light, stream gradient, and iron on Didymosphenia geminata bloom development in the Black Hills, South Dakota

The aquatic nuisance species Didymosphenia geminata was first documented in Rapid Creek of South Dakota’s Black Hills during 2002. Since then, blooms have occurred primarily in a 39-km section of Rapid Creek while blooms were rarely observed in other Black Hills streams. In this study, we evaluated factors related to the presence and development of visible colonies of D. geminata in four streams of the Black Hills. At the watershed scale, stream gradient was negatively associated with the occurrence of D. geminata whereas stream width was positively related to D. geminata presence. At the stream scale, D. geminata coverage was inversely related to canopy coverage and iron concentration. At the local scale, shading by bridges virtually eliminated growth of D. geminata colonies under bridges. At all three scales, proxy measures of light such as stream width, canopy coverage, and bridge shading revealed that light availability was an important factor influencing the presence and coverage of D. geminata colonies. In general, streams that had relatively wide stream reaches (mean = 9.9 m), shallow gradients (mean = 0.22%), and little canopy cover (mean = 13%) were associated with D. geminata blooms. In addition, iron concentrations in streams with D. geminata colonies were lower than in streams without blooms.     

Upper Cambrian agnostoid trilobites from the Machari Formation, Yongwol, Korea

The Middle to Upper Cambrian Machari Formation in Korea is well known for abundant and diverse trilobites along with other invertebrate fossils. Based on recent reappraisal on the trilobites of the Machari Formation, eight trilobite zones have been proposed for the Upper Cambrian sequence: i.e., in ascending order the Glyptagnostus stolidotus, Glyptagnostus reticulatus, Proceratopyge tenuis, Hancrania brevilimbata, Eugonocare longifrons, Eochuangia hana, Agnostotes orientalis and Pseudoyuepingia asaphoides zones. Trilobites from the lower five zones and part of the Pseudoyuepingia asaphoides Zone have been already published elsewhere. In this paper, we describe the agnostoid trilobites of the upper three zones, Eochuangia hana, Agnostotes orientalis and Pseudoyuepingia asaphoides zones, of the Machari Formation. These comprise 24 species belonging to 13 genera, including one new genus (Yongwolagnostus) and ten new species (Homagnostus? sulcatus, Ivshinagnostus alatus, Ivshinagnostus quadratus, Yongwolagnostus stenorhachis, Yongwolagnostus dubius, Nahannagnostus pratti, Pseudagnostus? dividuus, Pseudagnostus medius, Pseudorhaptagnostus? urceus and Ammagnostus serus). These biozones correlate well with middle Upper Cambrian zones established in South China, Australia, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Canadian Rocky Mountains.     

Pedogenesis and paleoclimatic implications of the Chamberlain Pass Formation, Basal White River Group, Badlands of South Dakota

The Chamberlain Pass Formation is a new lithostratigraphic unit representing the first phase of deposition of the Paleogene White River Group in western South Dakota. Analysis of pedogenic features within the channel and overbank deposits of the Chamberlain Pass Formation allows for a refinement of Middle to Late Eocene paleoclimates of this area. Pedogenic features within distal overbank deposits of the Chamberlain Pass Formation have long been recognized and classified as the Interior Paleosol Series (Retallack, 1983). Previous interpretations held that distal overbank sediments and soils of this time were deposited and formed under humid, acidic environments. This research demonstrates that, while this interpretation is correct, soils of the Chamberlain Pass Formation were also subjected to periods of dryness. Pedogenic features preserved within the channel sandstone and proximal overbank deposits (which include root traces, peds, cutans, glaebules, Bt, Btc and Bc horizons, silcretes and altered detrial sandstone mineralogy) suggest the formation of Aqualfs, Aquults and Durixerults. Soils appear to have been acidic to slightly alkaline, oxidizing and moderately-to well-drained, depending upon the physiographic position of the soil and the prevailing climate at the time of formation. Soils formed within the channel and proximal overbank deposits represent a new soil series, herein designated as the Weta Paleosol Series. The Weta and Interior Paleosol Series have a catenary soil relationship, based on differences in parent material and soil moisture conditions.

Middle to Late Eocene paleoclimate appears to have fluctuated between humid and dry conditions. Within the Weta Paleosol Series, soils formed within one physiographic and climatic regime were successively overprinted by pedogenic features of soils formed during later periods under different physiographic and climatic regimes. This has resulted in the presence of humid climate soil pedorelicts in dry climate soils, dry climate pedorelicts within humid climate soils and the overlapping of various physiogrpahically controlled pedogenic processes as baselevels changed. Sediments of similar pedostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic arrangement can be found in Nebraska, northern South Dakota and North Dakota. The recognition of these similar sediments in different basins across the northern Great Plains may allow for an increased understanding of regional tectonic, depositional, climatic and geomorphic events during the Paleogene.     

Occurrence of Giant Borings of Osprioneides kampto in the Lower Silurian (Sheinwoodian) Stromatoporoids of Saaremaa,Estonia

The distribution of Osprioneides is more environmentally limited than that of Trypanites in the Silurian of Baltica. Osprioneides probably occurred only in large hard substrates of relatively deepwater muddy bottom open shelf environments. Osprioneides were relatively rare, occurring in 4.7% of all stromatoporoid specimens in that environment, in contrast to small Trypanites-Palaeosabella borings, which occur in 88.4% of stromatoporoids and 88.9% of heliolitid corals. Osprioneides is reported only from the lower Sheinwoodian stromatoporoids of the exposed Silurian of Saaremaa (Wenlock to Pridoli). Osprioneides borings probably played a minor role in the general bioerosion in the Silurian of Baltica.     

The Role of Wildfire,Prescribed Fire,and Mountain Pine Beetle Infestations on the Population Dynamics of Black-Backed Woodpeckers in the Black Hills,South Dakota

Wildfire and mountain pine beetle infestations are naturally occurring disturbances in western North American forests. Black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) are emblematic of the role these disturbances play in creating wildlife habitat, since they are strongly associated with recently-killed forests. However, management practices aimed at reducing the economic impact of natural disturbances can result in habitat loss for this species. Although black-backed woodpeckers occupy habitats created by wildfire, prescribed fire, and mountain pine beetle infestations, the relative value of these habitats remains unknown. We studied habitat-specific adult and juvenile survival probabilities and reproductive rates between April 2008 and August 2012 in the Black Hills, South Dakota. We estimated habitat-specific adult and juvenile survival probability with Bayesian multi-state models and habitat-specific reproductive success with Bayesian nest survival models. We calculated asymptotic population growth rates from estimated demographic rates with matrix projection models. Adult and juvenile survival and nest success were highest in habitat created by summer wildfire, intermediate in MPB infestations, and lowest in habitat created by fall prescribed fire. Mean posterior distributions of population growth rates indicated growing populations in habitat created by summer wildfire and declining populations in fall prescribed fire and mountain pine beetle infestations. Our finding that population growth rates were positive only in habitat created by summer wildfire underscores the need to maintain early post-wildfire habitat across the landscape. The lower growth rates in fall prescribed fire and MPB infestations may be attributed to differences in predator communities and food resources relative to summer wildfire.     

Arthropod Trace Fossils of the Upper Lower Cambrian Gog Group,Southern Rocky Mountains of Canada

The upper lower Cambrian Gog Group in the southern Rocky Mountains of Canada displays a high diversity and abundance of arthropod traces. Four ichnogenera, Cruziana, Diplichnites, Monomorphichnus, Rusophycus, and “Indeterminate Arthropod Scratches” are discussed, with a total of 17 different ichnospecies, as follows: Cruziana billingsi Fillion and Pickerill, 1990, Cruziana irregularis Fenton and Fenton, 1937, Cruziana jenningsi Fenton and Fenton, 1937, Cruziana navicella Fenton and Fenton, 1937, Cruziana omanica Seilacher, 1970, Cruziana pectinata Seilacher, 1994, Cruziana penicillata Gibb, Chatterton, and Pemberton, 2009, Cruziana plicata Crimes, Legg, Marcos, and Arboleya, 1977, Cruziana tenella Linnarsson, 1871, Diplichnites twelvetreesi (Chapman, 1928), Monomorphichnus bilinearis Crimes, 1970b, Monomorphichnus lineatus Crimes, Legg, Marcos, and Arboleya, 1977, Rusophycus eutendorfensis (Linck, 1942 Linck, O. 1942. Die spur Isopodichnus. Senckenbergiana, 25: 232–255. [Google Scholar]), and Rusophycus unilobus (Seilacher, 1970 Seilacher, A. 1970. Cruziana stratigraphy of “non-fossiliferous” Palaeozoic sandstones. In Crimes, T. P. and Harper, J. C. (eds.), Trace Fossils. Seel House Press, Liverpool, 447–476. [Google Scholar]). Three new ichnospecies, i.e., Cruziana caputinclinata isp. nov., Rusophycus subnotous isp. nov., and Diplichnites obliquus isp. nov., are proposed, described, and illustrated. The ichnofauna collected from three localities (Lake O'Hara, Mount Babel, and Redoubt Mountain) are predominantly Cruziana. Evidence of nutrient-rich substrates containing microbially induced sedimentary structures and the ichnospecies present confirm that the trace fossil bearing strata are part of the Cruziana ichnofacies and were deposited in a fully marine basin between fair weather wave base and storm wave base.     

A New Basal Lystrosaurid Dicynodont from the Upper Permian of South Africa

A new genus and species of late Permian dicynodont, Kwazulusaurus shakai , is described on the basis of a complete skull from the late Permian Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of the South African Beaufort Group. It is an advanced form which shows characters, such as the shape of the snout and the loss of the ectopterygoid, that link it to the early Triassic genus Lystrosaurus. Kwazulusaurus represents the most basal member of the lystrosaurian lineage. The phylogeny of progressive pristerodontian dicynodonts is discussed. It appears possible that the Kannemeyeriiformes and Lystrosauridae do not form a monophylum, as previously assumed. Instead a sister-group relationship between lystrosaurids and dicynodontids plus kannemeyeriiforms is suggested.     

Shallow Traces (Pits) in the Test of the Irregular Echinoid Echinocorys scutata Leske from the Chalk (Upper Cretaceous) of the United Kingdom

Specimens of epifaunal irregular echinoids in the Upper Cretaceous of northern Europe have been reported with patterns of circular, nonpenetrative parabolic pits, Oichnus paraboloides (Bromley), in the apical region. Specimens of Echinocorys scutata Leske from the Chalk at two sites in southeast England were commonly penetrated by this trace, generated by an indeterminate pit-forming organism. Pits commonly surround the apical system and, less commonly, occur within it; they occur preferentially anteriorly. Pits occur within plates, not along margins or sutures. Crosscutting of pits indicates that multiple spatfalls probably occurred. The host echinoid added new test plates adjacent to the apical system; thus, plates bearing O. paraboloides were moved abapically. The reduction in number of pits away from the apex, including those with echinoid tubercles reestablished on the base, indicates that, following death of an infester, the echinoid “reclaimed” and infilled them with calcite. The pit-former was most probably an unmineralized invertebrate that used E. scutata as a domicile which provided good access to food-rich currents for suspension feeding. Although the systematic position of the pit-former is unknown, similar infestations are known from other Upper Cretaceous echinoids and Mississippian crinoids.     

An intermediate type of medusa from the early Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation,South China

The tetraradial or pentaradial fossil embryos and related hatched individuals from the early Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation are of great interest for understanding the early evolution of medusozoans. The phylogenetic and evolutionary significance of their external and internal characters (e.g. manubrium, tentacles, septa and claustra) is still controversial. Here we describe a new pentamerous medusozoan, Hanagyroia orientalis gen. et sp. nov., characterized by five well-developed perradial oral lips around a remarkably large manubrium, a conspicuous equatorial groove, and five short interradial pairs of extensile tentacles at the bell margin. Internally, five broad and stout interradial septa join horizontally to form the claustra. Hanagyroia orientalis lacks the frenula, apertural lappet and velarium seen in coeval microfossils and extant cubozoans. Although H. orientalis resembles extant coronate scyphozoans in its round medusa-like bell margin and equatorial groove, cladistic analysis suggests close affinity with cubozoans. Hanagyroia may represent an intermediate morphological type between scyphozoans and cubozoans. The well-developed oral lips and paired short strong tentacles of Hanagyroia suggest direct development.     

Middle Cambrian lingulate brachiopods from the Murrawong Creek Formation,northeastern New South Wales

Fourteen species of lingulate brachiopods are documented from allochthonous limestone blocks of the Murrawong Creek Formation in the southern New England Fold Belt, northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The fauna includes Treptotreta jucunda Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Treptotreta sp. cf. T. sp. nov. Henderson 1992, Amictocracens teres Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Stilpnotreta magna Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Anabolotreta tegula Rowell and Henderson 1978, Neotreta orbiculata Koneva 1990, Linnarssonia sp., Linnarssonia sp. cf. L. ophirensis (Walcott 1912), Pegmatreta clavigera sp. nov., Acrothele subsidua (White 1874), Micromitra sp. cf. M. modesta (Lochman 1940), Micromitra sp. Henderson 1992, Lingulella sp. A Henderson 1992, and Kyrshabaktella certa Koneva 1986.

The associated trilobite assemblages indicate a medial Middle Cambrian age for the blocks, and the stratigraphic ranges of several of the lingulate species have been extended. The fauna displays biogeographic links at the specific level with northeastern and southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, North America, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Britain; the strongest links (four species in common) are with the Georgina Basin in northeastern Australia and the Tasman Formation in New Zealand.     

Early Cambrian radiolarians and sponge spicules from the Niujiaohe Formation in South China

Most of the reported Cambrian radiolarians are from middle Cambrian (Miaolingian Series, Wuliuan Stage) and onward, the radiolarians from lower Cambrian (Terreneuvian and Cambrian Series 2), on the other hand, are poorly documented, thus their morphological characteristics have not been well understood. In this study, we extracted spherical radiolarians and sponge spicules from the chert of the Cambrian Series 2 Niujiaohe Formation in southern Jiangxi Province, China. The well-preserved radiolarian fossils, identified as Paraantygopora porosa, consist of perforate plate shells pierced by dense pores with elevated rims, and display similarities to those from Lower Ordovician. Seven forms of sponge spicules are recognized, including monaxons, diaxons, tetractines, hexactines, triaxon tetractines, triaxon pentactines and irregular tetraxon tetractines, which are similar to those from the Qiongzhusian Stage in South China. Our results, combined with previously reported early Cambrian radiolarians from South China, indicate that the early Cambrian radiolarians developed advanced spherical skeletons.