Accumulations of Fossils of the Whale Barnacle Coronula bifida Bronn, 1831 (Thoracica: Coronulidae) Provides Evidence of a Late Pliocene Cetacean Migration Route through the Straits of Taiwan

This paper describes a remarkably prolific accumulation of the whale barnacle Coronula bifida Bronn, 1831 in sediments from the late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene ages from central Taiwan. Extant Coronula is host-specific to baleen whales; as such, this accumulation of Coronula fossils represents a site where cetaceans congregated during the Plio-Pleistocene – perhaps for breeding. Although whale bones are found at the site, they are rare and fragmentary; the relatively robust shells of Coronula are thus a useful proxy for establishing ancient cetacean migration routes.
Accumulations of Fossils of the Whale Barnacle Coronula bifida Bronn, 1831 (Thoracica: Coronulidae) Provides Evidence of a Late Pliocene Cetacean Migration Route through the Straits of Taiwan
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Media contact: Noah Last: lastn@gate.sinica.edu.tw