YANG Jia-Sheng, YI Jian, DONG Li-Yang & LIU Jun (2018)
Tetrapod burrows from the Triassic Ermaying Formation of Shaanxi, China.
Vertebrata PalAsiatica (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.1000-3118.180319
Tetrapod burrow records are rare in the pre-Cenozoic strata of China. Here we report three casts of vertebrate burrows from the Ermaying Formation at Xizhen, Jiaxian, Shaanxi, China. They represent the first record of casts of the tetrapod burrows from the Chinese Triassic strata. One large burrow cast is underlain by two small burrow casts, and the small burrows were likely constructed after the infilling of the larger, upper burrow. The large burrow cast is elongated and inclined, with a very gently curved morphology. The surface of the large burrow cast is covered by grooves that resemble the apparent "scratch marks" described in previous publications. The large burrow is comparable to those produced by Reniformichnus katikatii, but it is at least twice the size of the holotype. The small burrow casts are preserved as terminal chambers with entry ramps, and no distinct scratch marks are present on the surface. It is difficult to compare them to the currently described ichnotaxa. The maker of the large burrow might be a juvenile of Sinokannemeyeria or Parakannemeyeria, while the small burrows may have been made by a member of Sinognathus or a procolophonid.Â