Microborings in mid-Cretaceous fish teeth

Fish teeth and other remains from the British Cretaceous contain abundant e vidence for post-mortem colonization by endolithic organisms. The borings a re here recognized as occurring in three morphotypes, including a flask-sha ped form not previously recorded. There is strong evidence to suggest that each of these boring types shows a strong preference for a particular subst rate histology. The damage and destruction of vertebrate remains by microbo rings is here considered to exert a major taphonomic conrol on microvertebr ate assemblages. The relationships between the intensity of colonization of vertebrate material by endolithic organisms and palaeoenvironment have imp lications for using these bone microborings as palaeoenvironmental indicato rs.