Trace-fossils from a submarine fan-slope apron complex in the Cretaceous of James Ross Island, Antarctica.

The Kotick Point and Whisky Bay Formations (Aptian-Coniacian) of NW James Ross Island represent slope apron and proximal submarine fan deposits of a marine back-arc basin. Although classical deep-water trace fossils are represented, the ichnofauna includes several forms typically assigned to shallow-water environments and trace fossil assemblages are closely tied to sedimentary facies. Mud-rich, slope apron deposits are characterized by the assemblage Chondrites-Zoophycos-Planolites-Teichichnus whereas coarse, sandy fan sequences typically contain the assemblage Thalassinoides Ophiomorpha-Palaeophycus. Clearly, in such a proximal marine setting, substrate and local energy levels are more influential than absolute bathymetry -Authors