ENTOBIA ICHNOFACIES IN FOSSIL ROCKY SHORES, LOWER PLIOCENE, NORTHWESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Ichnological study of lower Pliocene rocky shores in several northwest ern. Mediterranean basins has revealed the existence of a recurrent tr ace fossil assemblage of borings. This assemblage is dominated by the ichnogenera Gastrochaenolites and Entobia, which often are accompanied by other borings, such as Maeandropolydora, Caulostrepsis, Trypanites , Circolites, Iramena, and unnamed U-shaped borings. The same Gastroch aenolites-Entobia assemblage has been described from Mesozoic and Ceno zoic rocky shores around the world, and these observations validate th e recently proposed Entobia ichnofacies as a recurrent ichnofacies for post-Paleozoic rocky shores.