EXPERIMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF AN EARLY ARTHROPOD TRACKWAY FROM THE MIDDLE DEVONIAN CATSKILL DELTA

The Middle-Upper Devonian Catskill Delta sediments of New York State preserve some of the earliest complex terrestrial ecosystems anywhere on theplanet. Contained within the strata of the Catskill Delta are the remains of the world's oldest fossil forest, the Gilboa Forest, along with the first spiders,centipedes, and various other terrestrial arthropods. A recent discovery along the Catskill Front in Katterskill Clove has yielded a diplichnities-type trace fossil in a purely terrestrial environment. The stratigraphic position of this trace is slightly lower than the previously mentioned well-known fossil arthropods found in Schoharie County farther to the north and west. This trace is a slightly meandering track-way approximately 1.5-2cm wide and extends for over 30cm in total length, with the distance between the individual track-marks ranging from 1 to 3mm. This trace fossil is hypothesized to represent tracks made by a large terrestrial arthropod that lived on fluvial plane of the Catskill Delta. This project aims to better determine the nature of the trace maker along with elucidating the paleoecological interactions of early terrestrial arthropods by designing and carrying out a series of experiments using modern arthropod analogues and simulated sedimentary environments.