The first record of cornulitids tubeworms from the early Late Ordovician of Spiti, Tethyan Himalaya, India

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tentaculitoid tubeworms, an extinct invertebrate group, is being reported from the Ordovician strata of Spiti, Tethyan Himalaya, India. External and internal moulds of tentaculitoids are preserved in the lower unit of the Takche Formation which is considered early Late Ordovician in age. The assemblage includes Cornulites cf. sterlingensis, Cornulites zatoni, Cornulites sp., and Tentaculites spp. Cornulites cf. sterlingensis, Cornulites sp., and Cornulites zatoni are recorded and described for the first time from the Ordovician strata of India. Though, the occurrence of genus Tentaculites is previously mentioned from the Early Palaeozoic sequence of Spiti, the detailed documentation is provided herein for the first time from the Ordovician sequence of Spiti, India. The occurrence of solitary-free forms of tentaculitoids from shallow marine settings of Spiti, Tethyan Himalaya, India indicates that unattached free forms might have been more competent in the siliciclastic environment of relatively low palaeolatitude than carbonate platforms of lower palaeolatitudes and siliciclastic environments of the highest palaeolatitudes.