Protovirgularia McCoy, 1850

DESCRIPTION: Trace occurs as bilobate horizontal to subhorizontal, cylindrical burrow with a straight to slightly curving median ridge and regular to irregular chevron-shaped markings.

BEHAVIOR(S): Fodinichnia (deposit feeding)

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS: Marine to continental freshwater environments

POSSIBLE TRACEMAKERS: Mollusks, such as bivalves, annelids, and arthropods, such as crustaceans

GEOLOGIC RANGE: Ordovician–recent

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Seilacher and Seilacher, 1994; Uchman, 1998; Bradshaw, 2010, Lucas et al. 2006

REMARKS: May appear similar to tool marks on the base of a bed. Description from Uchman (1998). Seilacher and Seilacher (1994) found that the inclination of the slope of the chevron marking is in the direction of organism motion. Seilacher and Seilacher (1994) synonymized Imbrichnus, Uchirites, Biformites, Crossopodia, Pennatulites, Walcottia, and Sustergichnus within Protovirgularia.