Spain Study Finds 70-Million-Year-Old Beetle Borings in Titanosaurs, Overturning Rapid-Burial Theory
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Jul 23
Spain Study Finds 70-Million-Year-Old Beetle Borings in Titanosaurs, Overturning Rapid-Burial Theory
1 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Jul 23
Summary
Lo Hueco titanosaurs in central Spain were not buried quickly, a new study argues, after researchers found beetle-made perforations across both bones and osteoderms.
At least 240 hours of exposure would be needed to form comparable borings in modern dermestid beetle experiments, and the fossil damage likely took longer under natural conditions.
The pouch-shaped and hemispherical holes match the ichnogenus Cubiculum and point to dermestid beetles, scavengers that feed on decaying tissue and can bore into bone.
The finding revises interpretation of one of Europe’s key Late Cretaceous sites by indicating carcasses stayed exposed long enough to support a broader scavenger community before burial.
Researchers say such insect bioerosion can serve as a diagnostic tool for reconstructing ancient preservation environments; the review behind the study spans more than 140 prior references.