Taming an ichnotaxonomical Pandora’s box: revision of dendritic and rosetted microborings (ichnofamily: Dendrinidae)
Author
Wisshak, Max
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2017
2017-12-29
390
1
99
journal article
21907
10.5852/ejt.2017.390
54438cfa-5f3a-4ee3-85c8-00e453a6d641
2118-9773
3839858
4D1D1CA3-8345-4BA3-9C7C-5EBDD40752CE
Nododendrina nodosa
Vogel, Golubic & Brett, 1987
Fig. 22
Nododendrina nodosa
Vogel
et al.
, 1987: 270
, fig. 4.
Hyellomorpha cheimadendritica
Plewes, 1996: 184
, pl. 32,
figs 1–3
.
Clionolithes hirsuta
–
Solle 1938
(partim): 162, fig. 13 (figs 2–4, 8, 11, 14 =
C. radicans
, figs 5–7, 10 =
C. cervicornis
, figs 9, 15, 17–18 =
C. pannosa
).
Nododendrina
–
Vogel 1987
: fig. 4.
Nododendrina nodosa
–
Buatois
et al.
2017: 161
, fig. 75E.
Original diagnosis
Rosette-shaped repeatedly branched systems, up to
1.5 mm
in diameter (1.06 ± 0.33 [26]). Branches diverge radially, and immediately beneath the substrate surface from a central node (presumably at the original point of entry), with frequent anastomoses. The central nodes are
75–270 µm
(163 ± 64 [10]) wide, and up to
300 µm
high (207 ± 55 [10]). The node represents the deepest penetrating part of this endolith. Radiating branches originate from the central node as high-crested ridges lowering gradually toward the periphery. The branches diverge in straight line, at angles ranging from 32° to 88° (63 ± 15 [63]), or are curved into U-shaped forks. The branches are high and narrow in cross section,
18–47 µm
(30.74 ± 7.56 [100]) wide and
50–120 µm
(87.05 ± 19.80 [88]) high, covered with larger and smaller spiny outgrowths. The outlines of these branches appear scalloped in both vertical and horizontal projections. Dorsal spines (i.e., those toward the interior of the brachiopod shell) end blindly, whereas the ventral ones form numerous connections with the shell surface.
Fig. 22.
Nododendrina nodosa
Vogel, Golubic & Brett, 1987
.
A
. SEM of holotype in an epoxy cast of the brachiopod
Mediospirifer
Bublichenko, 1959
from the Devonian at Lake Erie, New York, USA.
B
. A more densely branched and anastomosing growth form in an epoxy cast of
Athyris
McCoy, 1844
from the Devonian at Lake Erie, New York, USA.
Emended diagnosis
From a central node below the point of entry, prostrate branches of rosette diverge radially as highcrested ridges, lowering gradually towards the periphery. Branches diverge in straight lines, at various angles, bear frequent anastomoses, are high and narrow in cross section, and are covered with larger and smaller spiny outgrowths, with dorsal spines ending blindly, whereas the ventral ones form numerous connections with the shell surface.
Original description
n/a, but see detailed original diagnosis above.
Type material, locality and horizon
Holotype
(
Fig. 22A
) is cast in epoxy from a
Mediospirifer
brachiopod shell from the Erie lakeshore bluffs S of the mouth of
Eighteenmile Creek
4.0–
5.5 km
SW of Wanakah
,
New York
,
USA
.
Wanakah
Member, Ludlowville Formation, Hamilton Group, Givetian, Devonian. The
holotype
is deposited in the
Institut
für
Geowissenschaften
,
Goethe-Universität
,
Frankfurt
,
Germany
(
Bo 1/1
).
Remarks
Plewes (1996)
established
Hyellomorpha
cheimadendritica
(a
nomen nudum
because her thesis was not formally published), which bears close enough morphological similarity to
N. nodosa
, albeit smaller in dimension, to be regarded as a junior synonym.
Furlong & McRoberts (2014)
regard
N. nodosa
as a junior synonym of
Clionolithes radicans
, a view that is not supported here.
Nododendrina nodosa
is the largest ichnospecies of
Nododendrina
, and is the only ichnospecies displaying high-crested galleries, the central node thus being less pronounced in its vertical extent. While
N. europaea
shows only a single plexus emerging from the main node,
N. nodosa
shows a plexus on either side of the node or galleries radiating from all around.