Silurian predator borings in the brachiopod Dicaelosia from the Canadian Arctic

Wenlockian (Silurian) age silicified brachiopods from the Canadian Arctic contain cylindrical boreholes with a mean diameter of 0.32 mm. The largest number of holes was found in the genus Dicaelosia. The presence of articulated specimens with a hole in only one valve and a high frequency of holes in the beak area indicates the work of an unknown, possibly soft-bodied, predator. This contrasts with recent reports which ascribe cylindrical borings to nonpredator origins. The location of the holes in relation to the inferred life position of the brachiopod suggests that the predator had an infaunal mode of life. Some borings may have been due to sediment boring annelids.