Biostratinomic analysis of Lycoptera beds from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, western Liaoning, China

Autor:	Jiangyong Zhang, Yanhong Pan, Xiaoting Zheng, Franz T. Fürsich, Yaqiong Wang
Rok vydání:	2015
Předmět:	Fish mortality Taphonomy biology Paleontology biology.organism_classification Yixian Formation Cretaceous Water depth Mass mortality Lycoptera Mesozoic Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Geology
Zdroj:	Palaeontology. 58:537-561
ISSN:	1475-4983 0031-0239
Popis:	Little is known about the palaeoenvironments of the Early Cretaceous lakes of western Liaoning. Uncertainties exist especially about the water depth, water temperatures and annual temperature fluctuations. Here, we analyse the preservation of the most abundant fish of the lakes, the teleost Lycoptera, articulated skeletons of which occur in large concentrations suggestive of mass mortality. Taphonomic features such as degree of disarticulation, orientation patterns and displacement of skeletal elements reveal distinct preservational patterns. They suggest that the water temperature was low during winter and exhibited pronounced seasonal fluctuations. The depth of the lakes was not deep. Possible causes of the fish mortality are discussed, of which anoxia is favoured. This leads to a more refined palaeoenvironmental model for these palaeolakes, which harbour one of the most important Mesozoic Lagerstatten.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::015fe4a6cbd34084f793da2bc3b9559a https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12160 Zobrazit plný text záznamu Plný text