Some unusually large, complex, and well-preserved chertified burrow structures in Mississippian strata of Mammoth Cave National Park: The case for preservation of original burrow size
Eifert TL. 1996. Some unusually large, complex, and well-preserved chertified burrow structures in Mississippian strata of Mammoth Cave National Park: The case for preservation of original burrow size. Southeast Missouri State University
Preservation of large diameter burrows, and presumably large burrowing organisms, did not become prevalent until at least Mesozoic time (230-365 Ma), and most of the burrows preserved prior to this time are only a few millimeters in diameter. Research was conducted in Kentucky in the Logsdon River passage of Mammoth Cave. The burrows addressed in this study are in horizontal-lying middle Mississippian rocks (approximately 360 Ma). These unusually large diameter (generally 3.8-8.0 cm) chertified burrows exhibit very well-preserved and complex horizontal networks. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether these unusually large burrow structures are reflective of the original burrow size, versus chert enlargement thus confirming the existence of Paleozoic large burrow producers with complex detrital feeding behavior, likewise showing that at least some chertified burrows are not substantially enlarged by chertification processes. Original large burrow diameters are confirmed by the study and opens the potential that large burrow structures may be more common in Paleozoic rocks than previously suspected. The report contains 11 original full-color photographs of the burrow structures; A table of burrows by age, size, and description; Sketches of burrow structures; and a chart of the stratigraphic layers of the Mammoth Cave area.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Eifert, Tambra
- Date of Issue
- 1996-05-16
- Publisher
- Southeast Missouri State University
- Units
- MACA
- Keywords
- Animals, Biostratigraphy, Burrows, Caves, Chert, Feeding, Fossils, Geomorphology, Logsdon River Mammoth Cave System KY, Mississippian, Paleontology, Paleozoic, Prehistoric Animals, Thesis