A LONG MORTICHNIALTRACKWAY OF MESOLIMULUS WALCHI FROM THE TITHONIAN STAGE OF THE UPPER JURASSIC SOLNHOFEN LITHOGRAPHIC LIMESTONE NEAR WINTERSHOF, GERMANY

A complete, 9.7 meter long mortichnial trackway (WDC CSG-233) was discovered in a plattenkalk quarry near Wintershof, Bavaria; Germany and it may be the longest reported trackway described to date. It was collected from the Lower Tithonian of the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone. The trackway is represented by footprints, telson drag impressions along with a completely preserved Mesolimulus walchi at the end of its trackway. The telson drag impressions are fairly long and consistent at the beginning of the trackway, however, about the last 1/3^rd of the track the telson drag impressions get shorter and more erratic, suggesting that the horseshoe crab was trying to swim up and get out of the lagoon. The bottom of the lagoon was hypersaline, making it hard for any organism to survive. There is no sign of footprints leading away from the specimen indicating that the horseshoe crab is not a molt. The cause of death of M. walchi is unknown, however, it may have been washed into the lagoon and struggled to get out of the toxic environment. No predatory marks have been found to suggest that it may have been dropped by a predator.