Gigantism, taphonomy and palaeoecology of Basiloceras, a new oncocerid genus from the Middle Devonian of the Tafilalt (Morocco)

Abstract

The genus Basiloceras gen. nov. containing the two species B. goliath sp. nov. and B. david sp. nov. is described. It belongs to the Acleistoceratidae within the Oncocerida. Both species are from the Middle Devonian of the Tafilalt (Morocco). The genus exhibits a large interspecific size range between the small Eifelian B. david sp. nov. and the Givetian B. goliath sp. nov., the largest Devonian oncocerid currently known, altogether only second to some fragmentary remains of Calchasiceras from the Carboniferous of Russia. Several other large species are mainly known from the late Emsian of Bohemia and the Eifelian of Germany. The holotype of B. goliath sp. nov. contains numerous epicoles, trace fossils and shell debris, which are discussed in the context of its taphonomy. Compared to other oncocerids, Basiloceras is characterised by a short body chamber, which might be related to buoyancy regulation. In contrast to some older publications, we do not regard breviconic oncocerids with contracted aperture as benthic or nektobenthic animals, but instead, we think that they dwelled in the water column.