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Borings in the shell of an Ordovician (Whiterockian) gastropod

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

David M. Rohr
David M. Rohr*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas 79832
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Extract

A single specimen of the platyceratacean gastropod Raphispira showing one complete and one incomplete, slightly elliptical borehole was recovered from the Antelope Valley Formation in central Nevada. Circular boreholes may be formed by a variety of causes, but they are most commonly attributed to the predators. In the Paleozoic the holes are most common in brachiopods, both calcareous and phosphatic. This is the oldest reported occurrence in a calcareous shell. In most instances, if a hard-bodied form is consumed by a carnivore, little recognizable evidence remains; therefore, predator boreholes are helpful in determining trophic relationships.

Type
Paleontological Notes
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 65 , Issue 4 , July 1991 , pp. 687 - 688
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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