Cunctichnus Fürsich, Palmer et Goodyear, 1994
| ID | 15798 |
|---|---|
| Fossil group | Bioerosional trace fossils |
| CAD | Branched tubular borings |
| Type | Macroboring |
| Substrate | Calcareous substrate |
| Taxon | Cunctichnus |
| Author | Fürsich, Palmer et Goodyear, 1994 |
| Reference | Fürsich et al., 1994 |
| Parent taxon | Talpinidae |
| Is valid | Yes |
| FAD | Oxfordian |
| LAD | Maastrichtian |
Includes:
| Species | Reference | Valid? |
|---|---|---|
| Cunctichnus probans | Fürsich et al., 1994 | Yes |
Synonymy
| Year | Synonym | Author | Pages | Figs | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Cunctichnus Fürsich, Palmer and Goodyear, 1994 | Donovan et al. | 19 | Donovan et al., 2015b | |
| 1994 | Cunctichnus igen. nov. | Fürsich, Palmer & Goodyear | 162 | Fürsich et al., 1994 |
Descriptions and remarks
Diagnosis. Cylindrical borings in shells, arcuate tu highly sinuous or planispiral, with thin, short, tapering side-branches at points where tubes abruptly change directions.
Branched, bifurcating.
Category of architectural design: 2.68. Branched tubular borings.
Remarks: Taylor and Wilson (2003, table 2) considered Cunctichnus to be a junior synonym of Vermiforichnus Cameron, 1969. The latter provides no formal diagnosis of Vermiforichnus, but this is provided by Häantzschel (1975, p. W136, fig. 82.1a-d), although there is no mention of sidebranches at tightly curved parts of the boring. Similarly, the illustrations, reproduced by Häantzschel after Clarke (1921), are inconclusive (similarly, see Sando 1984, fig. 2D). We consider it conservative to maintain the integrity of Cunctichnus until a more detailed comparison of these ichnotaxa is available.