Synopsis

The discovery of the trace fossil Diplichnites cuithensis, the locomotory track of the giant myriapod Arthropleura, is reported from the Strathclyde Group (Lower Carboniferous) of Fife. Twelve different trackways have been identified on a single bedding plane. Other imprints on the same bed record the thorough disruption of the sediment by the repeated superimposed footfalls of the trailmaker. The sedimentary environment of the sequence is similar to other known examples of Diplichnites cuithensis and supports the hypothesis of a terrestrial habit for Arthropleura. This occurrence is the earliest yet recorded for such trackways and indicates an extension o f the range of Arthropleura to the Lower Carboniferous.