The shorebird ichnofacies: an example from the Miocene of southern Spain

Abstract

The Late Miocene Sorbas Member of the Sorbas Basin, Almería Province, southeast Spain contains an extensive avian ichnofauna preserved in lagoonal marls. Three distinctive avian ichnotaxa can be identified: Antarctichnus fuenzalidae Covacevich and Lamperein, 1970; Iranipeda millumi n. ichnosp.; and Roepichnus grahami n. ichnogen, n. ichnosp. In common with many other Cenozoic avian ichnofaunas, these traces are associated with shorebirds, including plovers, storks, ducks and/or gulls, respectively. Associated mammalian tracks include possible cat and artiodactyl footprints. The avian tracks are abundant and show a range of behavioural aspects in common with other recorded examples of Cretaceous–Recent shorebird tracks. These include both solitary and group activities consistent with their postulated avian tracemakers.