First description of the ichnofauna from the type locality of the Famennian stage (Late Devonian) of S Belgium

Abstract

Ichnofossils from the type locality of the Famennian are here described and figured for the first time. The siliciclastic supratidal alluvial to proximal subtidal deposits of S Belgium yield a diverse ichnofauna composed of Arenicolites ispp. (two morphotypes), Chondrites intricatus, Diplocraterion isp., Dolopichnus gulosus, Gordia marina, Helminthopsis isp., Lockeia cordata, L. siliquaria, Palaeophycus tubularis, P. sulcatus, Planolites isp., Protovirgularia obliterata, P. cf. rugosa, P. isp. and Psammichnites implexus. As a whole, these 16 ichnospecies and 11 ichnogenera form the typical assemblage of the Cruziana ichnofacies where Palaeophycus is largely dominant. However, the Belgian Famennian displays a large range of lithofacies corresponding to various environments in which distinct ichnofossil assemblages are identified. Arenicolites isp. collected from sabkha-type primary dolomite indicates the probable colonisation of hypersaline environment by Arenicolites tracemakers as early as the Late Devonian. The type material of Crossochorda marioni Dewalque, 1881 is revised and attributed to Protovirgularia obliterata and P. cf. rugosa.

Keywords:

• Delta
• sabkha
• Protovirgularia
• Old Red Sandstone
• Cruziana ichnofacies

Acknowledgements

The authors thank C. Prestianni (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and E. Goemaere (Belgian Geological Survey) for their review of the early version of the manuscript, L. Debout for his assistance and help in the field, and E. Poty (University of Liège, Belgium) for providing the material he once collected in the Evieux quarry. Christopher Harris (University of the Witwatersrand, S Africa) is thanked for his help with the English. Finally the authors thank the reviewers for their remarks on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).