Early Triassic coprolites from Australia and their palaeobiological significance
Early Triassic coprolites from Australia and their palaeobiological significance
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1475-4983.2004.00432.x
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发表时间：
2005-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Northwood, C
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Northwood, C
对澳大利亚昆士兰州阿卡迪亚组的粪化石和两个地区的脊椎动物化石组合进行了研究，以最大限度地了解这些早三叠世沉积物的古生态。其他研究人员用来确定粪化石生产者的标准在阿卡迪亚组标本中被发现没有什么价值。结合化石的形状、生物地层分布、大小和所包含的化石遗迹，一些粪化石被认为是属于基底的初龙形类和鱼类，而另一些则无法确定。也许阿卡迪亚粪化石最重要的属性是它们保存了稀有的生物，如蓝藻，昆虫和其他节肢动物，以及鱼类的多样性。在粪化石中保存的放线菌和dipnoans的数量估计显着增加的相对丰度估计仅基于骨骼元素。虽然粪化石是古生物学信息的一个重要来源，但由于我们对粪便物质的埋藏过程了解不多，而且几乎不可能将粪化石分配给特定的生产者，因此这些信息受到限制。
Coprolites from the Arcadia Formation, Queensland, Australia, were studied in conjunction with the vertebrate fossil assemblages from two localities to maximize our understanding of the palaeoecology of these Early Triassic deposits. Criteria used by other researchers to identify the producers of coprolites were found to be of little value in the Arcadia Formation specimens. Using a combination of shape, biostratigraphic distribution, size and included remains some of the coprolites are attributed to basal archosauromorphs and fish whereas others could not be identified. Perhaps the most important attribute of the Arcadia coprolites is that they preserved rare organisms such as cyanobacteria, insects and other arthropods, and a diversity of fish. Estimates of the number of actinopterygians and dipnoans preserved in coprolites significantly increased relative abundance estimates based on skeletal elements alone. Although coprolites are an important source of palaeobiological information, this information is limited by our poor understanding of the taphonomic processes involved in the fossilization of faecal matter and by the near impossibility of assigning coprolites to specific producers.