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Article: Eocene isopods on electric rays: tracking ancient biological interactions from a complex fossil record

Palaeontology - Volume 62 Part 2 - Cover
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 62
Part: 2
Publication Date: March 2019
Page(s): 287 303
Author(s): Ninon Robin, Giuseppe Marramà, Ronald Vonk, Jürgen Kriwet, and Giorgio Carnevale
Addition Information

How to Cite

ROBIN, N., MARRAMà, G., VONK, R., KRIWET, J., CARNEVALE, G. 2019. Eocene isopods on electric rays: tracking ancient biological interactions from a complex fossil record. Palaeontology, 62, 2, 287-303. DOI: /doi/10.1111/pala.12398

Author Information

  • Ninon Robin - UMR 7207 CR2P Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle Sorbonne Université CNRS 47, rue Cuvier, CP 38 75234 Paris Cedex France
  • Giuseppe Marramà - Department of Palaeontology University of Vienna Althanstrasse 14 1090 Vienna Austria
  • Ronald Vonk - Naturalis Biodiversity Center PO Box 9517 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands
  • Ronald Vonk - Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam PO Box 94248 1090 GE Amsterdam The Netherlands
  • Jürgen Kriwet - Department of Palaeontology University of Vienna Althanstrasse 14 1090 Vienna Austria
  • Giorgio Carnevale - Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra Università degli Studi di Torino Via Valperga Caluso 35 I‐10125 Torino Italy

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 14 February 2019
  • Manuscript Accepted: 30 July 2018
  • Manuscript Received: 23 April 2018

Funded By

Austrian Science Fund. Grant Number: M2368‐B25
Università degli Studi di Torino

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

Isopod crustaceans have developed a variety of feeding strategies, which impact on their various life habits over time. Apart from morphological adaptations and the typical secondary deformations that some parasitic isopods inflict on their host's exoskeleton, traces of feeding behaviours involving isopods on their victim/food are seldom fossilized. Many of these rare occurrences consist of cases for which the degree of association between the isopods and their potential food source is unclear, or the interaction only very briefly explained (recently analysed cases excepted). There are two limiting problems in identifying the biological nature of fossilized associations: (1) direct associations of organisms preserved as ‘imprint’ (as opposed to inclusions in cherts or amber) are shaped by several taphonomic events difficult to identify (such as the time of death, burial and fossilization of the organism); (2) even in modern nature, differences within syn vivo interactions (like parasitism and micropredation) are poorly understood in marine systems. We report the occurrence of isopods associated with ancient chondrichthyans which also represent rare cases of the preservation of several fossil isopods on larger organisms. These organisms are adult electric rays of the genus †Titanonarke Carvalho from the late Ypresian (Eocene) of the Monte Postale site, Bolca Lagerstätte, Italy. By examining: (1) the involved lineages of rays and isopods; (2) the taphonomy of the association; (3) its environmental context; and (4) biological/adaptive features; we identify this association as a selective case, either of ancient scavenging or of micropredation on specific electric rays by isopods.

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