Neoichnology of the desert scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis: Burrows to biogenic cross lamination

Abstract

Bioturbation by terrestrial animals is common in arid and semi-arid continental environments. Scorpions have comprised a significant portion of the diversity of predatory arthropods in these environments from the Late Paleozoic to the Recent. Many scorpions are active burrowers and likely have a substantial, if rarely recognized, ichnofossil record. This project involved the study of the burrowing behaviors and trace morphologies of the scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis (Scorpiones: Caraboctonidae). Individual animals were placed into sediment-filled terrariums for two- to three-week periods after which burrows were cast, excavated, and described. Descriptions of the subsurface structures included architecture, dimensions, bioglyphs, complexity, and tortuosity. Additional experiments were run with differing sediment composition, density, and moisture to evaluate the animal's behavioral response to altering environmental conditions. Specimens of H. arizonensis burrowed by scratching and kicking loose sediment from the subsurface with the first two to three pairs of walking legs. The subsurface biogenic structures produced consisted of subvertical ramps, U-shaped burrows, helical burrows, and mazeworks. In the process of excavating the burrows, the desert scorpions also produced a hummocky surface topography as well as structures in dry, sandy sediment that resembled lamination and ripple cross-lamination. Increasing clay content and sediment density increased the complexity of burrow architectures produced. Reducing these variables limited the complexity of the burrows, reduced their likelihood of preservation, and increased the abundance of biogenic cross-lamination. Data collected from these and similar experimental studies can be applied to terrestrial ichnofossil assemblages in order to better interpret the paleoecology of ancient soil ecosystems. © Paleontological Society March 2012.