Geochemical signatures of sedimentary and diagenetic processes in the trace fossil Rosselia from the Pliocene in Taiwan

Trace fossils are structures left in a substrate as the result of the activities of living organisms. The producer of the spindle-shaped trace fossil Rosselia incorporates fine-grained organic rich material into concentric layers surrounding the central shaft. Because Rosselia is common in stressed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2022-12, Vol.12 (1), p.22316-22316, Article 22316
Main Authors: Liou, Yu‑Hsuan, Löwemark, Ludvig, Wang, Pei-Ling, Dashtgard, Shahin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/106/2738
704/106/413
704/172
704/47
704/47/4113
Cambrian
Carbon
Carbon - analysis
Carbon isotopes
Carbon Isotopes - analysis
Chemical composition
Diagenesis
Fossils
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
Humanities and Social Sciences
Marine environment
multidisciplinary
Organic carbon
Organic matter
Pliocene
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Taiwan
Trace fossils
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Summary:Trace fossils are structures left in a substrate as the result of the activities of living organisms. The producer of the spindle-shaped trace fossil Rosselia incorporates fine-grained organic rich material into concentric layers surrounding the central shaft. Because Rosselia is common in stressed shallow marine environments where the preservation potential of organic material is generally poor, these trace fossils may act as natural archives, recording changes in the provenance of organic material. Carbon isotope values of organic carbon preserved in laminae of the studied Rosselia typically lie around − 26‰, suggesting a primary terrestrial source. However, increased levels of S and Ca detected from XRF scanning of the laminae indicate that at least some marine material is incorporated. Examination of a diagenetically altered specimen also demonstrates that both elemental composition and δ 13 C values can be substantially altered diagenesis. Nevertheless, the long stratigraphic range of Rosselia , from the Cambrian to the Present, and its ubiquitous occurrence in stressed shallow-marine settings make it a potentially powerful tool to reconstruct variations in the input of organic material in settings otherwise devoid of fine-grained organic matter.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-26772-0