Haplotichnus

{{Short description|Trace fossil}} {{Ichnobox | fossil_range = | image = | taxon = Haplotichnus | authority = Miller, 1889 }} thumb|Close-up of the type specimen of ''Haplotichnus indianensis'' showing the projections at the angled turns. The projections are a diagnostic characteristic of ''Treptichnus bifurcus'', making ''H. indianensis'' a junior subjective synonym of ''T. bifurcus''. Scale is in mm.

'''''Haplotichnus''''' is an ichnogenus of invertebrate trace fossil that was erected by S.A. Miller in 1889.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=S.A.|title=North American Geology and Paleontology for the Use of Amateurs, Students, and Scientists|url=https://archive.org/details/northamericangeo00milluoft|date=1889|publisher=Western Methodist Book Concern|location=Cincinnati|pages=[https://archive.org/details/northamericangeo00milluoft/page/664 664]}}</ref> Buatois et al. (1998) proposed that ''Haplotichnus'' should be synonymized with ''Gordia'' because both exhibit a looping course with self-crossing.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Buatois|first1=L.A.|last2=Mángano|first2=M.G.|last3=Maples|first3=C.G|last4=Lanier|first4=W.P.|title=Ichnology of an Upper Carboniferous fluvio-estuarine paleovalley: The Tonganoxie sandstone, Buildex quarry, eastern Kansas, USA|journal=Journal of Paleontology|date=1998|volume=72|issue=1 |pages=152–180|doi=10.1017/S0022336000024094|bibcode=1998JPal...72..152B |s2cid=140690638 }}</ref> Other researchers, such as Wang et al. (2009), have maintained the distinction between the two ichnogenera because ''Haplotichnus'' has sharp bends, whereas those of ''Gordia'' are not sharp.<ref name=Wang2009>{{Cite journal| first1 = Y.| first2 = J. P.| first3 = Y. L.| first4 = P. J.| title = Palaeoecology of the trace fossil ''Gordia'' and its interaction with nonmineralizing taxa from the early Middle Cambrian Kaili Biota, Guizhou Province, South China| last1 = Wang| journal = Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology| volume = 277| issue = 1–2| pages = 141–148| year = 2009| doi = 10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.02.017| last2 = Lin| last3 = Zhao| last4 = Orr | bibcode = 2009PPP...277..141W}}</ref> Most recently, Getty and Bush (2016) synonymized ''Haplotichnus'' with ''Treptichnus'' due to the presence of bifurcating projections at the bends.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Getty|first1=Patrick|last2=Bush|first2=Andrew|title=On the Ichnotaxonomic Status of ''Haplotichnus indianensis'' (Miller, 1889)|journal=Ichnos|volume=24|issue=3|pages=234–238|doi=10.1080/10420940.2016.1270210|year=2017|bibcode=2017Ichno..24..234G |s2cid=132358521}}</ref> Other features, such as the looping course of the trace, thought to distinguish ''Haplotichnus'' from ''Treptichnus'', are actually seen in one of the syntypes of ''Treptichnus'', further supporting Getty and Bush's (2016) synonymy.

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Trace fossils Category:Invertebrate paleontology