Comment on “Ichnological analysis of contourites: Past, present and future” by Francisco J. Rodríguez-Tovar and F. Javier Hernández-Molina [Earth-Science Reviews, 182 (2018), 28-41]

By their impressive paper title “Ichnological analysis of contourites: Past, present and future”, Rodríguez-Tovar and Hernández-Molina (2018) have implied that the paper is about a comprehensive review of the topic in space (i.e., global) and time (i.e., past, present, and future). But in reality, the paper has covered only three case studies in Europe. In the real world, bioturbation and burrows are not unique to contourites; they are equally abundant in turbidites, hyperpycnites, tempestites, and even in deformed seismites. Therefore, the immediate challenge is in distinguishing contourite facies from other facies (e.g. hyperpycnites with intense bioturbation). Disappointingly, the review has neglected to address this fundamental issue. Without resolving the basic issue of distinguishing contourites, any ichnological analysis of “contourites” is purely academic and has no relevance in advancing contourite research.