Muensteria

Muensteria
"Muensteria" trace fossil from the Temblor Formation (Lower Miocene) of Kern County, California. Note the menisci (back-filling structures) in the burrow.
Muensteria trace fossil from the Temblor Formation (Lower Miocene) of Kern County, California. Note the menisci (back-filling structures) in the burrow.
Trace fossil classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Order: Sabellida
Family: Sabellidae
Ichnogenus: †Muensteria
Sternberg, 1833

Muensteria is the ichnogenus of a type of trace fossil that is found in sedimentary rocks, and is thought to represent the horizontal burrow of a marine invertebrate organism. It is a horizontal, non-branching, unlined, tube-like burrow characterized by menisci, which are concave to flat laminae within the burrow created as the organism packs sediment and fecal material behind it when moving forward in the burrow. Muensteria is one example of a meniscate burrow.[1][2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference chamberlain1978 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference howard&frey1984 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).