Ichnofossils of fossil resins and the taphonomical model of their distribution

Abstract

Fossil resins preserve not only body fossils but also a diverse record of trace fossils reflecting organism–substrate interactions during and after resin secretion. This study develops an ichnological framework for resin‐hosted traces, distinguishing between borings preserved on resin surfaces and behaviour‐related structures caught within the resin matrix, termed ichnoinclusions. The analysis is based on comprehensive sample of fossil resin material, including Baltic, Lublin, Ethiopian, Mexican (simojovelite) and Lebanese ambers. The documented ichnofossils represent multiple ichnofacies and record successive stages of resin taphonomy. Woodground‐related borings (e.g. Teredolites , Apectoichnus ) are associated with early stages of resin accumulation, whereas lithic‐type borings assigned to Gastrochaenolites  isp. reflect later phases of redeposition, burial and substrate induration. These observations demonstrate that fossil resin does not represent a single ichnotaxobase, but passes through a succession of substrate conditions, recording a multi‐stage ichnological history. In addition, ichnoinclusions provide independent taphonomic information. Structures such as silk threads, spider webs, larval cases, and frass accumulations record resin viscosity, flow dynamics and microenvironmental conditions at the moment of entrapment. The results support a taphonomic model linking ichnofacies succession with resin redeposition and demonstrate that fossil resins should be treated as dynamic substrates recording both biological activity and sedimentary processes.