Early Cambrian record of failed durophagy and shell repair in an epibenthic mollusc

Christian B Skovsted; Glenn A Brock; Anna Lindström; John S Peel; John R Paterson; Margaret K Fuller

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0006

Early Cambrian record of failed durophagy and shell repair in an epibenthic mollusc

Biol Lett. 2007 Jun 22;3(3):314-7. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0006.

Authors

Christian B Skovsted¹, Glenn A Brock, Anna Lindström, John S Peel, John R Paterson, Margaret K Fuller

Affiliation

¹ Centre for Ecostratigraphy and Palaeobiology, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia. christian.skovsted@geo.uu.se

Abstract

Predation is arguably one of the main driving forces of early metazoan evolution, yet the fossil record of predation during the Ediacaran-Early Cambrian transition is relatively poor. Here, we present direct evidence of failed durophagous (shell-breaking) predation and subsequent shell repair in the Early Cambrian (Botoman) epibenthic mollusc Marocella from the Mernmerna Formation and Oraparinna Shale in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. This record pushes back the first appearance of durophagy on molluscs by approximately 40Myr.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animal Structures / pathology*
Animals
Fossils*
Mollusca / anatomy & histology*
Mollusca / physiology
Predatory Behavior / physiology*