Paleoecological significance of newly discovered trace fossils near the Gedaref town, eastern Sudan

Highly bioturbated beds in small sedimentary outcrops have been reported, for the first time, from two localities near the Gedaref town. The trace-bearing beds are medium-to fine-grained sandstones associated with mudstones, assuming a coarsening upward sequence. The trace fossils were identified as Thalassinoides isp. and Skolithos ichnofacies association namely: Skolithos, Monocraterion, Diplocraterion and Conichnus isp. Based on the aforementioned litho and biofacies associations, the studied sediments might have been deposited in a more distal facies of a fluvial system, most probably in a deltaic environment.

► Trace fossils were discovered at two localities near the Gedaref town. ► The bioturbated beds were encountered at the top of the Gedaref Formation. ► They include Skolithos ichnofacies and Thalassinoides isp. ► The studied beds could have been deposited in a deltaic environment.