Fluvial Environments

RICARDO NESTOR MELCHOR; JORGE FERNANDO GENISE; LUIS BUATOIS; ALDO MARTÍN UMAZANO

Trace Fossils as Indicators of Sedimentary Environments

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012; p. 337 - 386

This chapter reviews the present knowledge on the sedimentary facies distribution and ichnofacies assignation of assemblages of trace fossils from fluvial facies, including invertebrate, vertebrate, and plant trace fossils. The analysis comprises more than 250 trace fossil assemblages and over 170 ichnogenera. A simple classification scheme for trace fossils is adopted, largely based on morphological attributes that can be easily distinguished in the field. Trace fossil assemblages are assigned to channel-belt, floodbasin pond, crevasse-splay, and pedogenized floodplain (palaeosol) deposits. The ichnofacies recognized in fluvial deposits are Scoyenia, Mermia, Coprinisphaera, Skolithos, Celliforma, Termitichnus, Batrachichnus and Grallator. Ichnofabric studies , stratigraphic applications and the distinction between trace fossil assemblages of different river systems are discussed.