CHARACTERIZATION OF BEHAVIORAL COMPLEXITY IN MARINE TRACE FOSSILS AND ITS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE: A CASE STUDY OF ZOOPHYCOS

Huibo Song, Shasha Nie, Yi Jin, Xiangyu Zhang and Hongliang An
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Huibo Song: School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China†Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed, Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Henan Province, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China
Shasha Nie: School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China
Yi Jin: School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China†Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed, Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Henan Province, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China
Xiangyu Zhang: School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China
Hongliang An: School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, P. R. China

FRACTALS (fractals), 2021, vol. 29, issue 05, 1-16

Abstract: The paleoenvironment influences trace-making behavior significantly, and progressively more evidence shows that this behavior follows scale-invariance properties. In this study, we focused on the definition of behavioral complexity in the trace fossil Zoophycos to explore its paleoenvironmental significance. Firstly, the fractal topography in Zoophycos was established by introducing virtual tertiary lamellae. Next, a fractal dimension (D) model was proposed and the spatio-temporal evolution trend of the complexity of the trace-making behavior was established. In application, the correlation of D to the paleo-water depth and substrate consistency of the paleoenvironment was analyzed with the aid of variations of δ13C and lamellae deformations in Zoophycos from the Carboniferous-Permian Taiyuan Formation of North China. The results show that D increases with paleo-water depth, although it decreases when the degree of substrate consistency increases. Our investigation indicates that fractal topography not only provides an essential explanation for the complexity of trace-making behavior but also plays a reliable and significant role in paleoenvironmental interpretation. Most importantly, this work may shed some light on the subject of fractal ichnology and provide a mathematical framework toward studies in quantitative ichnology.

Keywords: Fractal Topography; Behavioral Complexity; Zoophycos; Fractal Dimension; Paleoenvironment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1142/S0218348X2150119X

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