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Alleged mosasaur bite marks on Late Cretaceous ammonites are limpet (patellogastropod) home scars

1998; Geological Society of America; Volume: 26; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026 2.3.co;2

1943-2682

Tomoki Kase, Paul Johnston, Adolf Seilacher, Japeth B. Boyce,

Ichthyology and Marine Biology

Research Article| October 01, 1998 Alleged mosasaur bite marks on Late Cretaceous ammonites are limpet (patellogastropod) home scars Tomoki Kase; Tomoki Kase 1Department of Geology, National Science Museum, 3-23-1, Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0073, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Paul A. Johnston; Paul A. Johnston 2Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Box 7500, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Adolf Seilacher; Adolf Seilacher 3Kline Geology Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511-8161 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Japeth B. Boyce Japeth B. Boyce 44350 Cliff Drive, Rapid City, South Dakota 57702 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Tomoki Kase 1Department of Geology, National Science Museum, 3-23-1, Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0073, Japan Paul A. Johnston 2Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Box 7500, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0, Canada Adolf Seilacher 3Kline Geology Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511-8161 Japeth B. Boyce 44350 Cliff Drive, Rapid City, South Dakota 57702 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1998) 26 (10): 947–950. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026 2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Tomoki Kase, Paul A. Johnston, Adolf Seilacher, Japeth B. Boyce; Alleged mosasaur bite marks on Late Cretaceous ammonites are limpet (patellogastropod) home scars. Geology 1998;; 26 (10): 947–950. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026 2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract New data contradict the mosasaur-bite hypothesis for the origin of holes seen in Placenticeras ammonites from the Late Cretaceous Pierre Shale and Bearpaw Formation of the western interior of North America. Observations of a limpet-infested Placenticeras ammonite and of several Placenticeras specimens with radular scratch marks reveal that the limpets dwelled on floating ammonites, and their homing activity produced circular depressions. When altered during diagenesis, the depressions mimic tooth punctures. Crushing experiments on fresh Nautilus shells using a mosasaur robot show that mosasaur bites could not have produced holes resembling those in the fossils. Furthermore, sectioning of "bitten" ammonites reveals that sepia are sometimes intact under the holes, an observation irreconcilable with penetration by a tooth. We present an alternative interpretation that the alleged "bite marks" in Placenticeras ammonites are really limpet home scars that were altered after burial. While predation of mosasaurs on ammonites remains a possibility, it would have to be demonstrated by other criteria. Our findings do not support mosasaur-ammonoid coevolution in the Late Cretaceous. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.