First record of the ichnofossil Atollites from the Late Cretaceous of the Northern Apennines, Italy
Enrico Serpagli
A new radial trace fossil, Atollites italicum ichnosp. nov., is reported from Upper Cretaceous sediments of the Northern Apennines ( Italy ). It is made up of several cylinder-club systems, which are interpreted as radiating in a possible faint spiral pattern from a central shaft. The pre-diagenetic reconstruction of the Atollites structure is attempted for the first time. The trace fossil may be attributed to small crustaceans or, less probably, it represents a feeding burrow of other deposit feeders.
Key words: Radial trace fossil, Cretaceous, Apennines, Italy.
Enrico Serpagli [serpagli@unimore.it], Dipartimento del Museo di Paleobiologia e dell’Orto Botanico, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Università 4, 41100 Modena, Italy.
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