A Lower Cambrian shallow-water occurrence of the branching ‘deep-water’ type trace fossil Dendrorhaphe from the Lontova Formation, eastern Latvia

We describe a unique Lower Cambrian (Lontova Formation, Latvia) occurrence of a branching trace fossil assigned to Dendrorhaphe isp. In the Mesozoic and Cenozoic this type occurs exclusively in deep-water flysch deposits. Dendrorhaphe may, therefore, be an additional example of a flysch-type trace fossil with an origin in early Palaeozoic shallow-water environments and subsequent onshore-offshore displacement, or perhaps, expansion. Recently, Dendrorhaphe Seilacher 1977, has been synonymized with Dendrotichnium Farrés 1967 and Ubinia Grosshejm 1961. This needs further consideration, especially because of possible relation of these ichnogenera to Chondrites patulus Fischer-Ooster 1858.