''Ophiomorpha'' is an
ichnotaxon
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 ...
, usually interpreted as a burrow of an organism (specifically a crustacean) living in the near-shore environment.
The burrow lining is more or less smooth on the inside, and densely to strongly mammalated or nodose on the outside, due to the packing of nodules for support of the burrow. Branching is irregular but Y-shaped where present.
It (particularly ''O. nodosa'') is often considered part of the
Skolithos
''Skolithos'' (formerly spelled ''Scolithus'' or ''Skolithus'') is a common trace fossil ichnogenus that is, or was originally, an approximately vertical cylindrical burrow with a distinct lining. It was produced globally by a variety of organ ...
ichnofacies
An ichnofacies is an assemblage of trace fossils that provides an indication of the conditions that their formative organisms inhabited.
Concept
Trace fossil assemblages are far from random; the range of fossils recorded in association is constra ...
,
where it has occurred (i.e. nearshore environments) since the early Permian, though it (particularly ''O. rudis'') has also occurred in deep water settings (''Nereites'' ichnofacies) since the Late Jurassic, such as well-oxygenated turbidites.
More generally ''Ophiomorpha ''and other crustacean-generated burrows first become prominent in the Jurassic.
See also
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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 ...
*
Ichnology
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 ...
References
Burrow fossils
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