Pteridichnites biseriatus - A Brittle Star Trace Fossil?

The Upper Devonian sediments in central NY are often rather poor in body fossils, but rich in trace fossils ("ichnofossils" - see Introduction to Ichnology by Anthony Martin from Emory University).  Here we have some interesting examples of such trace fossils - Pteridichnites biseriatus.  They are thought to be the trace fossil of a brittlestar (although this assignment strikes me as largely unsupported at present).   The specific assignment of the strata in which these specomens were has not yet been established, but it is undoubtedly Upper Devonian.  For more Pteridichnites images, this time from the Upper Devonian of West Virginia, see Have You Seen This Fossil?

This photo was sent to me by Mark Mancevice, who collected the specimen on the Ithaca College campus (Ithaca, Tompkins County, NY).

The next three specimens were found by Norm Trigoboff and Joe O'Rourke, who were kind enough to bring them to my attention.  They were found approximately 5 miles (8.3 km) south of Ithaca, Tompkins County, NY.  
Scale divisions - 1 cm.

References:

Clarke, J.M. and Swartz, C.K.  (1913) Systematic paleontology of the Upper Devonian deposits of Maryland, Maryland Geological Survey, Devonian Plates, Plate XLVI - 6

McDowell, R.R., Avary, K.L., Matchen, D.L., and Britton, J.Q. (2007) The Startigraphic Utility of the Trace Fossil Pteridichnites biseriatus in the Upper Devonian of Eastern West Virginia and Western Virginia, USA.  Southeastern Geology  44 (4), 191-201.

Corbo, S. (1979) Vertical distribution of trace fossils in a turbidite sequence, Upper Devonian, New York State.  Palaeogeog., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.
28 (1-2), 81-101

Corbo, S. (1980) Production, Preservation and Facies Significance of Trace Fossils in Epicratonic Submarine-Fan Deposits, Upper Devonian, New York.  Unpublished master's thesis, State University of New York at Binghamton.

Return to NY Paleontology home page

Page last revised August 22, 2007