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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Complex tetrapod burrows from Middle Triassic red beds of the Argana Basin (Western High Atlas, Morocco)
Palaios, Volume 26, No. 9, Year 2011
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Description
Although burrowing ability has been widespread in tetrapods for more than 300 million years, subsurface dwelling structures that indicate communal behavior are poorly evidenced from pre-Cenozoic strata. Here we present recently discovered tetrapod burrows from Middle Triassic red beds of the Argana Basin in central Morocco, whose complexity suggests an origin by gregarious animals. The well-preserved burrows occur in interbedded mudstones and sandstones interpreted as channel and overbank deposits of ephemeral, braided sreams. All burrows originate from the top of thick-bedded sandstones and descend as moderately inclined (10°-030°), partially spiral tunnels to laterally extended, branchd chambers in underlying mudstones. Tunnel segments are biconvex to planoconvex in cross section, up to 20 cm wide and 12 cm in maximum height and exhibit transverse scratch marks along the ceilings and sidewalls. Distinctive burrow characteristics include a laterally sinuous geometry (wavelength λ 5 38-45 cm; amplitude A 5 5-10 cm) of the ubelike passages and the presence of grouped alcoves in terminal chambers. We attribute the burrows to procolophonids or therapsids based on closely associated tetrapod tracks and the limited diameter of the excavations. Our findings represent the second oldest record of communal fossorial behavior by tetrapods and the oldest example from low-latitude areas. Beyond providing refuge from predators, these elaborate underground structures probably functioned as a buffer against diurnal or seasonal variations of air temperature and humidity in a semiarid habitat that was situated just north of the paleoequator. Copyright © 2011, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology.
Authors & Co-Authors
Voigt, Sebastian
Germany, Freiberg
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Schneider, Joerg W.
Germany, Freiberg
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Saber, Hafid
Morocco, El Jadida
Faculté Des Sciences D'el Jadida
Hminna, Abdelkbir
Morocco, El Jadida
Faculté Des Sciences D'el Jadida
Lagnaoui, Abdelouahed
Morocco, El Jadida
Faculté Des Sciences D'el Jadida
Klein, Hendrik
Germany, Neumarkt
Saurierwelt Paläontologisches Museum
Brosig, Andreas
Germany, Freiberg
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Fischer, Jan
Germany, Freiberg
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Statistics
Citations: 35
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.2110/palo.2011.p11-014r
ISSN:
08831351
Research Areas
Environmental
Study Locations
Morocco