Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador
The exceptional assemblage of cirripedes from the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments of Canoa and Tablazo Formations includes more than 80 specimens of the whale barnacle Coronula diadema, a species that today lives mainly in the skin of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In light of the exc...
Published in: | Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11568/180542 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 |
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ftunivpisairis:oai:arpi.unipi.it:11568/180542 2024-02-11T10:05:45+01:00 Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER DI CELMA C BUCKERIDGE J. Bianucci, Giovanni DI CELMA, C Landini, Walter Buckeridge, J. 2006 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11568/180542 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000243094600011 volume:242 issue:3-4 firstpage:326 lastpage:342 numberofpages:17 journal:PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11568/180542 doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-33947160148 cirripede whale Ecuador Neogene taphonomy palaeoecology info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2006 ftunivpisairis https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 2024-01-17T17:50:01Z The exceptional assemblage of cirripedes from the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments of Canoa and Tablazo Formations includes more than 80 specimens of the whale barnacle Coronula diadema, a species that today lives mainly in the skin of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In light of the exclusive ectoparasitism of Coronula on whales and mainly on humpback whales, we infer that during the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene the Canoa Basin was on the seasonal migration route of these cetaceans and that whales remained in the Canoa Basin for sufficient time (breeding?) for large accumulations of Coronula to form. Support for this hypothesis comes from current use of this part of the Ecuadorian coast as a breeding ground for Megaptera and from a rib fragment of ?Megaptera from the Coronula-rich Tablazo Formation. Indirect palaeoclimatic implications may be derived from this as humpback whales require at least 25 °C for breeding. Thus, in the Late Pliocene and the Pleistocene, the Humboldt Current apparently had a northern extension similar to the present, with a 25 °C summer isotherm in the same latitudinal position along the Ecuador coast as today. On the basis of preservation, it is concluded that the Coronula-bearing molluscan shell beds in the Canoa and Tablazo Formations are of two basic types: biogenic and sedimentologic. Coronula shells deposited in the biogenic shell beds are little affected by physical processes (fragmentation, peeling, edge preservation), while modified by biological processes like bioerosion and encrustation. The exterior and interior surfaces of the shells display a variety of bioerosional features and encrusting taxa including barnacles, serpulid polychaetes, small oysters and bryozoans indicating that they were deposited during periods of sedimentary quiescence. In comparison, Coronula that accumulated within sedimentologic concentrations are typically heavily abraded and highly fragmented with little or no encrustation Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 242 3-4 326 342 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa |
op_collection_id |
ftunivpisairis |
language |
English |
topic |
cirripede whale Ecuador Neogene taphonomy palaeoecology |
spellingShingle |
cirripede whale Ecuador Neogene taphonomy palaeoecology BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER DI CELMA C BUCKERIDGE J. Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
topic_facet |
cirripede whale Ecuador Neogene taphonomy palaeoecology |
description |
The exceptional assemblage of cirripedes from the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments of Canoa and Tablazo Formations includes more than 80 specimens of the whale barnacle Coronula diadema, a species that today lives mainly in the skin of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In light of the exclusive ectoparasitism of Coronula on whales and mainly on humpback whales, we infer that during the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene the Canoa Basin was on the seasonal migration route of these cetaceans and that whales remained in the Canoa Basin for sufficient time (breeding?) for large accumulations of Coronula to form. Support for this hypothesis comes from current use of this part of the Ecuadorian coast as a breeding ground for Megaptera and from a rib fragment of ?Megaptera from the Coronula-rich Tablazo Formation. Indirect palaeoclimatic implications may be derived from this as humpback whales require at least 25 °C for breeding. Thus, in the Late Pliocene and the Pleistocene, the Humboldt Current apparently had a northern extension similar to the present, with a 25 °C summer isotherm in the same latitudinal position along the Ecuador coast as today. On the basis of preservation, it is concluded that the Coronula-bearing molluscan shell beds in the Canoa and Tablazo Formations are of two basic types: biogenic and sedimentologic. Coronula shells deposited in the biogenic shell beds are little affected by physical processes (fragmentation, peeling, edge preservation), while modified by biological processes like bioerosion and encrustation. The exterior and interior surfaces of the shells display a variety of bioerosional features and encrusting taxa including barnacles, serpulid polychaetes, small oysters and bryozoans indicating that they were deposited during periods of sedimentary quiescence. In comparison, Coronula that accumulated within sedimentologic concentrations are typically heavily abraded and highly fragmented with little or no encrustation |
author2 |
Bianucci, Giovanni DI CELMA, C Landini, Walter Buckeridge, J. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER DI CELMA C BUCKERIDGE J. |
author_facet |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER DI CELMA C BUCKERIDGE J. |
author_sort |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI |
title |
Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
title_short |
Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
title_full |
Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
title_fullStr |
Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
title_full_unstemmed |
Palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ecuador |
title_sort |
palaeoecology and taphonomy of an extraordinary whale barnacle accumulation from the plio-pleistocene of ecuador |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11568/180542 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000243094600011 volume:242 issue:3-4 firstpage:326 lastpage:342 numberofpages:17 journal:PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11568/180542 doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-33947160148 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.004 |
container_title |
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
container_volume |
242 |
container_issue |
3-4 |
container_start_page |
326 |
op_container_end_page |
342 |
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1790602914274738176 |