A METHOD OF STUDIES ON THE FOSSIL BARNACLES

Abstract

The paleo-ecological method of studies for the fossil barnacles collected from the Narita formation of Japan proper is discussed in this paper, referring to the ecological information of barnacles in a living state. The fossil barnacles obtained from the pleistocene beds keep well-defined coloring on the shell plates. Typical hosts of the fossil barnacles are pelecypode species. In the case that the fossil barnacles had been removed from certain hosts, the original hosts are possible to presume by the ornamentati on printing the fossil barnacle bases. It is known that the shell plates of barnacles in a living state are almost attacked with boring algae (Parke & Moore, 1935). The same evidences are also founded in the barnacles obtained from various pleistocene beds at the Narita formation.