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Late Cretaceous coprolites from the Kristianstad Basin, southern Sweden

Månsby, Urban (2009) In Dissertations in Geology at Lund University
Department of Geology
Abstract
Vertebrate coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of the Åsen locality, Kristianstad Basin,
southern Sweden, are described and illustrated. Their fecal origin was supported through chemical analyses revealing
a calcium phosphate composition. Five specimens were chosen for detailed description and analyses and these
were sub-divided into three different groups of ichnotaxa. Because of their heteropolar mode of spiralling, coprolites
of one group are interpreted as being produced by macrophagous lamniform sharks. Two groups, each containing
un-spiralled coprolites, are harder to attribute to a certain producer. One coprolite, containing invertebrate fossils
of possible molluscan affinity, may have been produced by a... (More)
Vertebrate coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of the Åsen locality, Kristianstad Basin,
southern Sweden, are described and illustrated. Their fecal origin was supported through chemical analyses revealing
a calcium phosphate composition. Five specimens were chosen for detailed description and analyses and these
were sub-divided into three different groups of ichnotaxa. Because of their heteropolar mode of spiralling, coprolites
of one group are interpreted as being produced by macrophagous lamniform sharks. Two groups, each containing
un-spiralled coprolites, are harder to attribute to a certain producer. One coprolite, containing invertebrate fossils
of possible molluscan affinity, may have been produced by a bottom-feeding, durophagous shark or a pycnodont
fish, both of which were common components of the Åsen fauna. Possible producers of the larger, un-spiralled
coprolites include mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Vertebratkoproliter från de yngre kretaceiska (Campan) sedimenten vid Åsen, en lokal belägen
i den nordliga delen av Kristianstadbassängen, har här beskrivits och illustrerats med det huvudsakliga målet att
bestämma deras värddjur. Deras fekala ursprung kunde bekräftas vid en kemisk analys, emedan de huvudsakligen
visades bestå av kalciumfosfat, ett ämne intimt förknippat med koproliter. Fem exemplar valdes ut för en detaljerad
beskrivning och delades därefter in i tre olika grupper baserat på skillnader i morfologi och sammansättning. En
grupp har kunnat kopplas till rovlevande hajar tack vare ett spiralvridet mönster i koproliternas ena ände, och förekomsten
av fiskrester inuti. De andra två grupperna, bestående av koproliter utan... (More)
Vertebratkoproliter från de yngre kretaceiska (Campan) sedimenten vid Åsen, en lokal belägen
i den nordliga delen av Kristianstadbassängen, har här beskrivits och illustrerats med det huvudsakliga målet att
bestämma deras värddjur. Deras fekala ursprung kunde bekräftas vid en kemisk analys, emedan de huvudsakligen
visades bestå av kalciumfosfat, ett ämne intimt förknippat med koproliter. Fem exemplar valdes ut för en detaljerad
beskrivning och delades därefter in i tre olika grupper baserat på skillnader i morfologi och sammansättning. En
grupp har kunnat kopplas till rovlevande hajar tack vare ett spiralvridet mönster i koproliternas ena ände, och förekomsten
av fiskrester inuti. De andra två grupperna, bestående av koproliter utan spiralform, är desto svårare att
härleda till specifika värddjur. En koprolit innehållandes fossil av evertebrater, troligen mollusker, skulle kunna
härstamma från särskilda haj- eller fisktaxa, vilka är kända för att äta skalbärande djur, t ex musslor. Andra tänkbara
värddjur till de problematiska koproliterna är mosasaurier eller plesiosaurier (svanödlor), vilka båda ingår i den
lokala kretaceiska faunan. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Månsby, Urban
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Koproliter från Kristianstadbassängens yngre krita
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
coprolites, Cretaceous, Kristianstad, Åsen, spiral, koproliter, krita, spiralformade
publication/series
Dissertations in Geology at Lund University
report number
246
language
English
id
2302115
date added to LUP
2012-01-25 14:36:22
date last changed
2012-01-25 14:36:22
@misc{2302115,
  abstract     = {{Vertebrate coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of the Åsen locality, Kristianstad Basin,
southern Sweden, are described and illustrated. Their fecal origin was supported through chemical analyses revealing
a calcium phosphate composition. Five specimens were chosen for detailed description and analyses and these
were sub-divided into three different groups of ichnotaxa. Because of their heteropolar mode of spiralling, coprolites
of one group are interpreted as being produced by macrophagous lamniform sharks. Two groups, each containing
un-spiralled coprolites, are harder to attribute to a certain producer. One coprolite, containing invertebrate fossils
of possible molluscan affinity, may have been produced by a bottom-feeding, durophagous shark or a pycnodont
fish, both of which were common components of the Åsen fauna. Possible producers of the larger, un-spiralled
coprolites include mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.}},
  author       = {{Månsby, Urban}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Dissertations in Geology at Lund University}},
  title        = {{Late Cretaceous coprolites from the Kristianstad Basin, southern Sweden}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}