Leaf feeding traces from the Upper Pliocene fossil Lagerstatte of Willershausen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Titchener, F.R.
Acta Palaeobotanica Suppl (2): 403-409
1999
Accession: 010914570
The Upper Pliocene flora of the Willershausen fossil Lagerstatte was examined for leaf feeding traces. 4509 well preserved angiosperm leaves were examined. Traces were observed on 19% of leaves, a figure greater than in older Tertiary floras. Traces were treated from an ichnological perspective. "Dispersed" and "Undispersed" feeding strategies were recognised, these included; bud and feeding on developing foliage, mining, galling, continuous and interrupted marginal feeding. Gregarious and co-operative feeding on single leaves was also observed. Trace vulnerability varied dramatically between different host leaves.