Bivalve borings, bioclaustrations and symbiosis in corals from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of southern Israel

Mark A. Wilson, Olev Vinn, Timothy Palmer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Specimens of the small compound coral Aspidiscus cristatus (Lamarck, 1801) containing evidence of symbiosis with bivalves have been found in the En Yorqe'am Formation (Upper Cretaceous, early Cenomanian) of southern Israel. The corals have paired holes on their upper surfaces leading to a common chamber below, forming the trace fossil Gastrochaenolites ampullatus Kelly and Bromley, 1984. Apparently gastrochaenid bivalve larvae settled on living coral surfaces and began to bore into the underlying aragonitic skeletons. The corals added new skeleton around the paired siphonal tubes of the invading bivalves, eventually producing crypts that were borings at their bases and bioclaustrations at their openings. When a boring bivalve died its crypt was closed by the growing coral, entombing the bivalve shell in place. This is early evidence of a symbiotic relationship between scleractinian corals and boring bivalves (parasitism in this case), and the earliest record of bivalve infestation of a member of the Suborder Microsolenina. It is also the earliest occurrence of G. ampullatus
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)243-245
Number of pages3
JournalPalaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Volume414
Early online date16 Sept 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Nov 2014

Keywords

  • cenomanian
  • trace fossils
  • corals
  • bivalves
  • symbiosis
  • Israel

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