Hi Stanislaw,

I have two suggestions.

1. There are lot of similarities to Teredolites isp.

2. Ask Alfred Uchman, please!

Best wishes,

              Arpad

Great photos - I've seen similar ichnofacies within Pliocene shallow marine deposits here in the UK. My initial feeling is that they could be Thalassionoides. Perhaps their apparent horizontal development could indicate relatively frequent breaks in deposition or erosion? For instance, cyclical burrowing followed by termination (sub aerial exposure?) preventing extensive vertical development.....?

Thalassinoides can have strongly imposed or voluntary horizontal trends, with Thalassinoides horizontalis being a prime example of the later. The only issue I have with this being assigned to Thalassinoides is the oblique shape of the tunnels and the lack of obvious branching.

Jonathan, you are probably right. Our shallow-marine ichno-cardinal Duncan McIlroy says: "I would call them Thalassinoides. Some species don't have horizontal galleries, and in a coal there is so much differential compaction that they get kind of broken up."

Dávid, Alfred Uchman has already suggested these can be Teredolites burrows. Actually, Terodiltes clavatus occurs there at the layer top (see attached photo), but it is much smaller (shorter) than these burrows.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Jonathan and Dustin,

thank you very much for your suggestions. My first supposition was that this is Thalassinoides, but lack of  branching bothered me. Some of these burrows show in vertical section vertically stacked meniscation, like with Teichichnus (see burrows pointed with white marks in attached photo). Their vertically curved course may be due to deformation resulting from compaction. Would you agree with me?

Regards

Stan

Hello Dr. Stanislaw, Teichichnus zigzag looks like a possibility. However, on plan, these appears like a tubular burrow with discrete, near circular outline ( i am not sure though!). It would be interesting to know whether these menisci represent spreiten or backfill.  

Hello, I have some  picture about burrow.

I found it in my field observation some of burrows. Is it Teichichnus , Thalassinoides or other? thanks

Hi if you check out the Ferron Sandstones in Utah you will find a copy of your last picture. From it I may say that this is a transegressive surface, highly burrowed with Thalassinoides. You can also notice that the burrows are compacted and the shape is no longer circular, but oval.

You are right, Aimen. Duncan McIlroy has pointed to the same analogue in the Book Cliffs in Utah.

I agree with Aimen and Nemec. Similar examples are found in the Nodular Limestone  of the Bagh Formation, Cretaceous, Central India where the burrows have an oval cross section

Lieber Stan,

ich schreibe gleich mal auf Deutsch, das geht mir besser von der Hand. Das sind interessante Spuren und die Fotos sind leider etwas klein um Details erkennen zu können. Angebohrte (Tredolithes sp.) Kohlenflöze gibt es in der Niederrheinischen Bucht nicht selten - das wäre meines Erachtens eine Möglichkeit. Du wirst dich erinnern unsere 1. Exkursion 1992 IAS Jena, da heben wir ähnliche Spuren unterhalb des 2. Miozänen Flözes in Gräbendorf gesehen. Sie sind da aber im  Liegendschluff zusammen mit Wurzelröhren. W. Schneider hat dazu mal etwas veröffentlicht - muss ich aber erst suchen.

Beste Grüße

Peter