Ichnology of the Pleistocene Ironshore Formation, Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies

The Pleistocene Ironshore Formation, which is well exposed near Salt Creek, Grand Cayman, has an extremely well preserved suite ofichnofossils, including Bergaueria sp. Conichnus conicus, Ophiomorpha borneensis, Ophiomorpha nodosa, Planolites beverleyensis, Polykladichnus irregularis, Psilonichnus upsilon, and Skolithos sp. This suite is important because Polykladichnus irregularis, Psilonichnus upsilon, and Ophiomorpha borneensis are relatively rare and have not been widely studied. These ichnofossils, which belong to the Skolithos ichnofacies, were created by benthic organisms in response to the hydrodynamic conditions rather than the composition of the substrate. This example demonstrates that ichnofossils of some carbonate systems should be treated in a similar manner to their counterparts in siliciclastic environments.