Characichnos, Whyte & Romano, 2001

Moreau, Jean-David & Gand, Georges, 2022, New data on the Permian ecosystem of the Rodez Basin: ichnofauna (traces of protostomians, tetrapods and fishes), jellyfishes and plants from Banassac-Canilhac (Lozère, southern France), Geodiversitas 44 (31), pp. 975-987 : 982

Characichnos isp.

( Fig. 7 A-C)

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — M486_ 2022.1.8, slab with numerous tracks preserved as convex hyporeliefs.

DESCRIPTION

The slab M486_ 2022.1.8 bears numerous swimming tracks of tetrapods ( Fig. 7 A-C). They are small, up to 14 mm long and up to 9 mm wide. Some of them are aligned showing a trackway-like pattern ( Fig. 7C ). Morphology of individual tracks vary a lot. They show two to four parallel, elongated, thin and straight to strongly curved furrows. Some of the tracks seem to bear claw traces. Imprints of sole are absent.

REMARKS

Characichnos shows a wide stratigraphic range (Carboniferous to Cretaceous) and was reported from several Permian tracksites throughout the world (e.g. Argentina, Melchor & Sarjeant 2004; Spain, Mujal et al. 2016; United States, Lucas & Spielmann 2009; Lerner & Lucas 2015; Morocco, Moreau et al. 2020). This ichnogenus is for the first time reported in the Permian deposits from the Rodez Basin. These tracks can be interpreted as pes and manus imprints of small tetrapods half-floating and swimming in shallow water. Here, only the tips of the digits touched the substrate. On the slab M486_ 2022.1.8, these swimming tracks co-occur with abundant fish trails ascribed to Undichna cf. britannica Higgs, 1988 ( Fig. 7 D-G).

Figures

FIG. 7. — Slab showing the co-occurrence of tetrapod swimming tracks (Characichnos isp.) and fish trails (Undichna cf. britannica Higgs, 1988): A, photograph; B, interpretative sketch showing tetrapod swimming tracks (in red) and fish trails (in black); C, interpretative sketch showing only tetrapod swimming tracks; D, interpretative sketch showing only fish trails; E-G, details of fish trails. M486_2022.1.8. Scale bars: 2 cm.