INVESTIGADORES
DE VALAIS Silvina
artículos
Título:
Ichnological evidence of scavenging on the Cretaceous South American theropod Buitreraptor gonzalezorum Makovicky, Apesteguía and Agnolín, 2005 (Deinonychosauria): taphonomic and paleobiological implications
Autor/es:
GIANECHINI, F.; DE VALAIS, S.
Revista:
Historical Biology
Editorial:
Taylor y Francis
Referencias:
Año: 2015
ISSN:
0891-2963
Resumen:
The ichnological record provides valuable information on the lifestyle, behaviour, and other palaeobiological and
palaeoecological aspects of the biota. Here, we describe an interesting case of bioerosion trace fossils in bones of
Buitreraptor gonzalezorum Makovicky, Apesteguı´a and Agnolı´n, 2005, a deinonychosaurian theropod from the fossiliferous
locality of La Buitrera, Rı´o Negro, Patagonia, Argentina. The trace fossils are morphologically diverse and preserved in a
great percentage of the skeleton, including the jaw, vertebrae and limbs. Four main groups of trace fossils have been
informally named as Parallel-Edge Furrows, Overlapped Grooves, Punctures and Lined. Parallel-Edge Furrows are in turn
subdivided into four subgroups: isolated furrows, parallel pairs, opposed pairs and a combination of parallel and opposed
pairs. The bioerosion trace fossils were probably generated by scavenging activities, and the semi-articulated preservation of
the skeleton and the small size of each individual trace indicate small-sized tracemakers. Mammals are the main candidates
although some traces may have been generated by crocodyliforms and insects such as dermestids and termites. This
evidence provides additional information about palaeoenvironmental conditions, taphonomic processes, taxonomic
diversity and ecological relationships that characterised this part of northern Patagonia at Early Cretaceous times.