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Last update of this page: 21. June 2017
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Asteriacites von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820
Type ichnospecies: Asteriacites lumbricalis von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820 (Subsequent designation SEILACHER, 1953: p. 93)
Ichnofamily: Asteriacitidae KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016
Diagnosis: Star-shaped, commonly pentamerous imprints and shallowly excavated pits with arms grading from a central area and continuously tapering distally (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016: p. 113).
Derivation of name: From ancient Greek αστήρ (astḗr) = star.
Remarks: According to KNAUST & NEUMANN (2016) eight ichnospecies have been assigned to the ichnogenus Asteriacites, but only 3 are recognised as valid: A. lumbricalis von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820, A. quinquefolius (QUENSTEDT, 1876) and A. stelliformis (MILLER & DYER, 1878) [see below]. The remaining six ichnospecies were regarded as a pseudofossil in the case of A. pannulatus (possibly imprints of gypsum crystals) von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820, A. ophiurus von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820 (holotype missing) probably is an ophiuroid body fossil, A. gugelhupf SEILACHER, 1983 is a burrow and was reassigned to Pentichnus, A. aberensis CRIMES & CROSSLEY, 1991 and A. obtusus CARRASCO, 2011 were regarded as junior synonyms of A. quinquefolius (see KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016).
Environment: Marginal and shallow-marine, but also occasionally deep-marine (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016).
Known Stratigraphic Range: Cambrian – Recent (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016)
Known ichnospecies:
Detailed information for each ichnospecies
- Asteriacites lumbricalis von SCHLOTHEIM, 1820
- Synonymy:
*
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1820
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Asteriacites lumbricalis
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- von SCHLOTHEIM, p. 324.
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partim
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1908
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Spongaster falax
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- FRITSCH, p. 9.; pl. 8 figs. 4, 5, 7.
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?
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2012
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Heliophycus seilacheri
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- SCHLIRF, p. 189, figs. 5, 7A.
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2016
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Asteriacites lumbricalis
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- KNAUST & NEUMANN, p.113; figs. 5B, 7A (partim), 7B, 8A, 8B.
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- Diagnosis: Star-shaped imprints and shallowly excavated pits with slender arms distinctly set off from a central disc-shaped area circular or pentagonal in outline (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016: p. 113).
- Orientation/preservation: As positive hyporelief or negative epirelief.
- Morphological category (KNAUST, 2012): Imprints, star-shaped.
- Ethological category: Cubichnia.
- Environment: Marginal and shallow-marine, but also occasionally deep-marine.
- Derivation of name: From Latin lumbricus = earthworm.
- Types: Natural History Museum of Berlin; Lectotype Inventary-No.: MB.W5475.
- Type locality: Watzendorf near Sesslach, near Coburg (southern Germany).
- Type horizon: Lower Jurassic, Hettangian, Angulatensandstein (Lias α).
- Geographical distribution: Reported globally.
- Remarks: Von SCHLOTHEIM, (1820) provided neither a diagnosis, description nor a figure of Asteriacites. According to the rules of the International Code on Zoological Nomenclature, SCHLIRF (2012) therefore, declared Asteriacites lumbricalis a nomen dubium and consequently the ichnogenus Asteriacites as invalid replacing it with its junior synonym Heliophycus MILLER & DYER, 1878. This, unfortunately, would have resulted in an instability of nomenclature as the ichnogenus-name Asteriacites was frequently used and well known (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016). Possible tracemakers are ophiuroids (SEILACHER, 1953).
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- Asteriacites quinquefolius (QUENSTEDT, 1876)
- Synonymy:
*
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1876
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Asterias quinquefolius
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- QUENSTEDT, p. 94; pl. 93 fig. 28.
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1953
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Asteriacites quinquefolius
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- SEILACHER, p. 102; pl. 10 figs. 1, 2.
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1991
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Asteriacites aberensis
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- CRIMES & CROSSLEY, fig. 4B.
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2011
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Asteriacites obtusus
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- CARRASCO, p.13.
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2016
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Asteriacites quinquefolius
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- KNAUST & NEUMANN, p. 117, fig. 10B.
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- Diagnosis: Star-shaped imprints and shallowly excavated pits containing relatively wide arms with a length:width ratio of less than 2 (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016: p. 117).
- Orientation/preservation: As positive hyporelief or negative epirelief.
- Morphological category (KNAUST, 2012): Imprints, star-shaped.
- Ethological category: Cubichnia.
- Environment: Marginal and shallow-marine, but also occasionally deep-marine.
- Derivation of name: From Latin quinquefolius = having five leaves..
- Types: University of Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Palaeontological Collection, Germany; Holotype Inventary-No.: unnumbered specimen.
- Type locality: Heiningen, according to Günter Schweigert (Stuttgart, Germany; pers. communication, June 2017) “Heininger Wäldchen” near Gammelshausen, Swabian Alb, southern Germany.
- Type horizon: Middle Jurassic, Upper Aalenian (“Brauner Jura β“), according to Günter Schweigert (Stuttgart, Germany; pers. communication, June 2017) probably Upper Donzdorf-Sandstone.
- Geographical distribution: Reported worldwide.
- Remarks: SEILACHER (1953) named seastars as possible tracemakers.
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- Asteriacites stelliformis (MILLER & DYER, 1878)
- Synonymy:
*
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1878
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Heliophycus stelliforme
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- MILLER & DYER, p. 2; pl. 3 fig. 3.
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partim
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1908
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Spongaster falax
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- FRITSCH, p. 9.; pl. 8 figs. 1, 2, 3.
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1970
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Asteriacites stelliformis
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- OSGOOD, p. 313; pl. 57 fig. 2, pl. 59 fig. 2, pl. 62 fig. 5.
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2016
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Asteriacites stelliformis
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- KNAUST & NEUMANN, p. 117; figs. 1A, 1B, 5A, 7A (partim), 7C, 9.
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- Diagnosis: Star-shaped imprints and shallowly excavated pits containing relatively short arms with a length:width ratio of more than 2 (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016: p. 117).
- Orientation/preservation: As positive hyporelief or negative epirelief.
- Morphological category (KNAUST, 2012): Imprints, star-shaped.
- Ethological category: Cubichnia.
- Environment: Marginal and shallow-marine, but also occasionally deep-marine.
- Derivation of name: From Latin = star-shaped.
- Types: Harvard University, Herbaria (formerly Botanical Museum), U.S.A.; Holotype Inventary-No.: IP24034 (HBM 3175); Latex mould in the Cincinnati Museum Center: UCM 37568.
- Type locality: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
- Type horizon: Ordovician, Hudson River Group, Maysville Beds.
- Geographical distribution: Reported worldwide.
- Remarks: Tracemakers are probably both seastars and ophiuroids (KNAUST & NEUMANN, 2016; see also SEILACHER 1953).
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