Discovery of iconic ichnogenus Paleodictyon from the Early Eocene Flysch of the Middle Andaman Islands, India

The graphoglyptid ichnofossil Paleodictyon ( Meneghini, 1850 , Osservazioni stratigrafiche e paleontologiche concernenti la geologia della Toscana e dei paesi limitrofi ) is documented for the first time from the Early Eocene Flysch of the Andaman Islands. I review all known Indian occurrences of the ichnogenus Paleodictyon , including one from the Indian Ocean. I further argue that the modern Chinese checkerboard-like hexagonal pinholes from the deep-sea of the world’s major oceans, often considered as the extant P. nodosum , differ markedly in ecological and preservational context and therefore represent a distinct ichnogenus and ichnospecies rather than actual ‘living fossils’.