BELEMNITE BATTLEFIELDS

Mass accumulations of belemnite rostra ('belemnite battlefields') are common in Mesozoic sediments, and accumulations of belemnoids are also known from older rocks. Many Recent teuthid species suffer mortality immediately after spawning, and some authors have suggested that belem nite accumulations record a similar phenomenon. Conversely, it is clea r that many belemnite battlefields actually formed in an environment o f net sediment loss, with current alignment and winnowing. A proposed model for the production of belemnite battlefields involves five possi ble pathways:post-spawning mortality, catastrophic mass mortality, pre dation concentration, stratigraphical condensation, and resedimentatio n. Although accumulations that have not been reworked are rare, it is possible to recognise the generating agents of belemnite accumulations through their intrinsic features. A genetic classification of belemni te battlefields, based on the identified pathways, is tested through f ield examples in Britain and Antarctica, as well as through published examples.