A fossorial petalurid trace fossil from the Albian of Patagonia

GENISE, J. F.; SÁNCHEZ, M. V.; POIRÉ, D. G.; GONZÁLEZ, M. G.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (PRINT)

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2020

0195-6671

The Cretaceous is a critical period for insect diversification and thus,33 paleoichnology clearly reflects this event. The oldest trace fossils in paleosols that unequivocally can be attributed to insects come from Cretaceous deposits of different regions. This fact responds to the appearance or diversification of key groups, such as bees, scarabs, termites and ants, but also cicadas and sphinx moths (Genise, 2016; Genise et al., 2020). Despite more than 30 years of intensive research on insect trace fossils in paleosols, the Cretaceous examples are few, in comparison with that of Cenozoic deposits (Genise, 2016). Thus, any insect trace fossil in paleosols that can be added to the Cretaceous record is a significant advance, a jewel. In addition, the trace fossil described herein from a paleosol is the first described for a complete order, the Odonata, also it reflects an uncommon habit for this group as it is the fossoriality, and it contributes to the evolutionary history of the group.The objectives of this contribution are: (1) To describe a new insect trace fossil in paleosols from the Albian of Patagonia, (2) To demonstrate that such trace fossil can be attributed to fossorial petalurids (Odonata), and (3) To contribute 46 with the present knowledge of the evolutionary history of these living-fossil dragonflies.