The image is 120mm wide. Percentages indicate simulated water content of the substrate. Colors of the scan were reversed for better contrast. Percentages indicate calculated water content of the shale. Percentages indicate calculated water content of the shale.
Percentages indicate calculated water content of the shale.
Experimental structures were influenced by the consistency of the substrate, the morphology of the worms, and the type of locomotion. The more or less uniform burrow diameter in the Chattanooga Shale suggest that the burrowers moved in a smooth, continuous fashion. Because such burrows are typically constructed in a firm substrate, the misidentification will lead to a mistaken assessment of substrate conditions. It will also lead to erroneous assumptions about environmental conditions, because there are implicit behavioral adaptations associated with Planolites or Paleophycus . It should become a useful tool in the study of trace fossils in shales.