A new cubichnium ichnogenus and ichnospecies, Pygocephalichnium reidi, from the Pennsylvanian UNESCO World Heritage Site at Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Canada, and associated ichnotaxa

Researchers have identified and described a new ichnogenus and ichnospecies, Pygocephalichnium reidi, from the Pennsylvanian Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nova Scotia, Canada. This discovery represents the first trace fossil attributed to the Pygocephalus shrimp, a common body fossil found at the site but previously lacking associated trace fossils. The study analyzed a unique shrimp-shaped resting trace from the upper Joggins Formation, linked it to an invertebrate trackway, and compared its morphology with known Pygocephalus body fossils. The trace fossil was found in fine-grained sandstones alongside other invertebrate resting traces (Selenichnites and Rusophycus) and Kouphichnium trackways, suggesting a diverse paleoenvironment. This finding enhances our understanding of the site's ichnofossil record and contributes to its paleontological significance.

Malay, B. C., Stimson, M. R., King, O. A., Faulkner, S., Heberts, B. L., Calder, J. H., MacRae, R. A., & Lucas, S. G. (2024). Nouvel ichnogenre et nouvelle ichnoespèce de cubichnium, le Pygocephalichnium reidi, du site du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO des falaises fossilifères de Joggins, au Canada, et ichnotaxons connexes. Atlantic Geoscience, 60, 185–203. https://doi.org/10.4138/atlgeo.2024.009