Papers about trace fossils on Mesozoic bones:
Free pdf:
Julia B. McHugh, Stephanie K. Drumheller, Anja Riedel & Miriam Kane (2020)
Decomposition of dinosaurian remains inferred by invertebrate traces on vertebrate bone reveal new insights into Late Jurassic ecology, decay, and climate in western Colorado.
PeerJ 8:e9510
doi:
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9510https://peerj.com/articles/9510/A survey of 2,368 vertebrate fossils from the Upper Jurassic Mygatt-Moore Quarry (MMQ) (Morrison Formation, Brushy Basin Member) in western Colorado revealed 2,161 bone surface modifications on 884 specimens. This is the largest, site-wide bone surface modification survey of any Jurassic locality. Traces made by invertebrate actors were common in the assemblage, second in observed frequency after vertebrate bite marks. Invertebrate traces are found on 16.174% of the total surveyed material and comprise 20.148% of all identified traces. Six distinct invertebrate trace types were identified, including pits and furrows, rosettes, two types of bioglyph scrapes, bore holes and chambers. A minimum of four trace makers are indicated by the types, sizes and morphologies of the traces. Potential trace makers are inferred to be dermestid or clerid beetles, gastropods, an unknown necrophagous insect, and an unknown osteophagus insect. Of these, only gastropods are preserved at the site as body fossils. The remaining potential trace makers are part of the hidden paleodiversity from the North American Late Jurassic Period, revealed only through this ichnologic and taphonomic analysis. Site taphonomy suggests variable, but generally slow burial rates that range from months up to 6 years, while invertebrate traces on exposed elements indicate a minimum residence time of five months for carcasses with even few preserved invertebrate traces. These traces provide insight into the paleoecology, paleoclimate, and site formation of the MMQ, especially with regards to residence times of the skeletal remains on the paleolandscape. Comprehensive taphonomic studies, like this survey, are useful in exploring patterns of paleoecology and site formation, but they are also rare in Mesozoic assemblages. Additional work is required to determine if 16.174% is typical of bulk-collected fossils from Jurassic ecosystems in North America, or if the MMQ represents an unusual locality.
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Free pdf:
John W.M. Jagt, Mart J.M. Deckers, Magda De Leebeeck, Stephen K. Donovan & Eric Nieuwenhuis (2020)
Episkeletozoans and bioerosional ichnotaxa on isolated bones of Late Cretaceous mosasaurs and cheloniid turtles from the Maastricht area, the Netherlands.
Geologos 26(1): 39-49
DOI: 10.2478/logos-2020-0003
http://www.geologos.com.pl/pdf/logos-2020-0003.pdf
Isolated bones of three taxa of marine reptiles (Mosasaurus hoffmannii Mantell, Plioplatecarpus marshi Dollo and Allopleuron hofmanni (Gray)) from various levels within the Maastricht Formation (upper Maastrichtian) at the former ENCI-HeidelbergCement Group quarry (Maastricht, the Netherlands) exhibit bioerosional traces and encrustation. Episkeletozoans include dimyid, ostreid and monopleurid bivalves, at least three species of cheilostome and cyclostome bryozoans and two adnate calcareous foraminifera. The bones show biting traces (Gnathichnus pentax Bromley, Linichnus cf. serratus Jacobsen & Bromley and Machichnus isp.), as well as borings. The latter may be referred to Karethraichnus lakkos Zonneveld, Bartels, Gunnell & McHugh, which is here considered to be a junior synonym of Gastrochaenolites isp.