Gastrochaenolites is a trace fossil

Trace fossil

Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils , are geological records of biological activity. Trace fossils may be impressions made on the substrate by an organism: for example, burrows, borings , urolites , footprints and feeding marks, and root cavities...

 formed as a clavate (club-shaped) boring in a hard substrate such as a shell, rock or carbonate hardground. The aperture of the boring is narrower than the main chamber and may be circular, oval, or dumb-bell shaped (Kelly and Bromley, 1984). Gastrochaenolites is most commonly attributed to bioeroding

Bioerosion

Bioerosion describes the erosion of hard ocean substrates – and less often terrestrial substrates – by living organisms. Marine bioerosion can be caused by mollusks, polychaete worms, phoronids, sponges, crustaceans, echinoids, and fish; it can occur on coastlines, on coral reefs, and...

 bivalves such as Lithophaga

Lithophaga

Lithophaga, the date mussels, are a genus of medium-sized marine bivalve molluscs in the family Mytilidae.The shells of species in this genus are long and narrow with parallel sides. The animals bore into stone or coral rock with the help of pallial gland secretions, hence the systematic name...

and Gastrochaena (Kleeman, 1980). The fossil ranges from the Ordovician

Ordovician

The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...

 to the Recent (Taylor and Wilson, 2003).

External links

• Gastrochaenolites systematics and diagrams (in German).
• Bioerosion Website at The College of Wooster
  The College of Wooster
  The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college primarily known for its Independent study program. It has roughly 2,000 students and is located in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, United States . Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian church as the University of Wooster, it was from its creation...
  
  
• Comprehensive bioerosion bibliography