''Helminthopsis'' is an

ichnogenus An ichnotaxon (plural ichnotaxa) is "a taxon based on the fossilized work of an organism", i.e. the non-human equivalent of an artifact. ''Ichnotaxon'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''íchnos'') meaning "track" and English , itself derived from ...

trace fossil A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil (; ), is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, which are the fossilized remains of part ...

that is found preserved on the bedding planes of fine-grained

sedimentary rocks Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedim ...

. It is characterized by short, curvilinear, nonbranching, parallel-sided, unlined traces on bedding surfaces. It is thought to represent the submarine feeding trails of an invertebrate organism that worked the surface of muddy substrates in search of food. Because ''Helminthopsis'' traces never cross over themselves, the ichnogenus is distinguished from similar traces assigned to the ''

Gordia ''Gordia'' is an ichnofossil A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil (; ), is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, which ar ...

'' ichnogenus. The similar sounding, but now obsolete, ichnogenus ''

Helminthoida ''Nereites'' is an ichnogenus of trace fossil. Modern tracemakers of incipient ''Nereites'' include worm-like organisms,Seilacher, A., 2007. Trace Fossil Analysis. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg (226 pp.) horseshoe crabsMartin, A.J., Rindsberg, A. ...

'' refers to a somewhat similar trace characterized by regular, back-and-forth meanders, whereas ''Helminthopsis'' is irregular.

References

Trace fossils {{trace-fossil-stub

See also

References