Rugose Coral Genera Research Articles

Tournaisian and Viséan Lophophyllum of Gorskiy (1932) from the Kirghiz Steppe and a possible ancestor of a new Bashkirian rugose coral genus from the Donets Basin (Ukraine)

AbstractAll specimens assigned by Gorskiy (1932) to the genus Lophophyllum Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850 are revised, redescribed and reillustrated. The corallite identified by him as a second, specifically indeterminate species of Lophophyllum is here questionably included in Amygdalophyllum Dun and Benson, 1920. For the reminding specimens two new, unnamed genera are suggested. ”Lophophyllum” subtortuosum Gorskiy, 1932 belongs to a new, non-dissepimented genus of an unknown family. A possible relationship between gen. nov. 1, sp. nov. 1 and the new Bashkirian genus from the Donets Basin (Ukraine) is proposed.

Devonian and Carboniferous research: homage to Professor Edouard Poty - Foreword

This special volume in homage to Edouard – Eddy – Poty is dedicated to several scientific topics he developed during his career. Rather than an alphabetic or stratigraphic ordering of the contributions, we chose to present the papers following Eddy’s topical chronology, as detailed in the bio- and bibliography of Edouard Poty (compilation by J. Denayer and colleagues).Hence, the first paper deals not only with Eddy’s oldest interest, the Visean rugose corals from southern Belgium, but also the locality, which he has most intensely studied and sampled during his career, Royseux. J. Denayer and colleagues present in that opening paper the description of this Late Visean biodiversity palaeo-hotspot in Belgium. It is self-explaining that Eddy is one of the co-authors. Because taxonomic descriptions are a big and fundamental piece of Eddy’s work, V. Ogar presents herein a paper on the systematic of some selected Carboniferous corals from the Ukrainian Donets Basin.Stratigraphy based on rugose corals is another one of Eddy’s oldest research topics. In this volume it is represented by the contribution of S. Rodriguez and colleagues dealing with Serpukhovian coral biostratigraphy in Morocco.The paper by J.W. Pickett is dedicated to the palaeoecology of the rugose coral genus Symplectophyllum from the Lower Carboniferous of Australia, reflecting one of Eddy’s first paper’s on palaeoenvironmental pressure on corals.The following paper on Visean storm deposits south of the Yangtze Old L

On three rugose coral genera from Serpukhovian strata in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

ABSTRACT Fedorowski, J. 2012. On three rugose coral genera from Serpukhovian strata in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica, 62 (1), 1-33. Warszawa The rugose coral specimens included by Schindewolf (1952) in the genera Claviphyllum Hudson, 1942, Fasciculophyllum Thomson, 1883 and Pentaphyllum (Tachylasma) Grabau, 1922 are revised on the basis of the original collection. The first two taxa are included in Antiphyllum Schindewolf, 1952, either in its original sense or in its newly introduced subgenus Antiphyllites. The new genus Effigies is introduced for Pentaphyllum (Tachylasma ) silesiacum Schindewolf, 1952. The reasons for placing individual genera within given families and suborders are discussed. New, detailed descriptions of species are supplemented by text-figures in order to document their intraspecific variability and phylogenetic relationships.

Rugose coral diversifications and migrations in the Devonian of Australasia

The occurrence of approximately 100 rugose coral genera has been confirmed in the Devonian carbonate dominated successions of Australasia. Their temporal distribution shows that the largest faunal turnovers were in the Pragian and Givetian, with profound extinction events at or near the ends of the Emsian, Givetian and Frasnian. The evolutionary innovation and diversification of the Early Devonian rugose corals of eastern Australia are characterized by a high turnover rate in the late Lochkovian—Pragian and strong dynamism of radiation from late Pragian to medial Emsian, implying considerable dispersal to South China, central Asia and Europe. After a high intensity of origination in the Pragian, maximum diversity was reached in the Emsian. Phillipsastreids and endophyllids appeared late in the Pragian and became common in the Emsian; stringophyllids appeared in the Emsian. As elements of these families are recorded mainly from the Middle, or even Upper Devonian of other provinces of the Old World Realm, it appears that they may have originated in eastern Australia during the Early Devonian. Following a marked decrease in generic richness in the Eifelian, faunal diversity reached another high peak in the early mid‐Givetian as a result of immigration of coral genera, probably from South China, central Asia, Europe and northwestern Canada in the Old World Realm.

A new Carboniferous rugose coral genus from northern England

Pleionastraea gen. nov. of the family Lithostrotionidae is described from the Lower Carboniferous Brigantian Stage of northern England. Two species, P. magnaP. matura, are referred to it. This astraeoid/thamnasterioid genus is distinguished from Orionastraea by its larger dimensions, but is considered to have followed the same evolutionary trend of a gradual breakdown of the corallite wall.

Two species of the operculate rugose coral genus Rhizophyllum from Ludlovian beds on Gotland

Two species of the operculate and calceoloid rugose coral Rhizophyllum Lindström, mainly from Ludlovian beds on Gotland, are revised and redescribed. The species treated are Rhizophyllum gotlan–di–cum (Roemer) – type species of Rhizophyllum – and R. elongatum Lind–ström; the latter species is endemic to Gotland. Ontogenetic development, in particular, has been studied. Both species are rhizosessile and exhibit internal tabulated tubes (= vertical tube–channels) which are connected to the attachment structures; in R. elongatum the intracalicular offsets are connected to the attachment structures via these internal tube–channels. The septa are multitrabeculate. Platyphyllum Lind–ström and Rhizophylloides Spassky, Kravtsov and Tsyganko are interpreted as junior synonyms of Rhizophyllum. The morphological differences between Rhizophyllum and Calceola Lamarck are discussed. Both genera are members of the subfamily Calceolinae King.

Nanophyllum, a new monotypic rugose coral genus from the Lower Silurian of Gotland

Abstract The genus Nanophyllum is here established. The generic affinities to Donaco‐phyllum and Entelophyllum is discussed. The type species N. ramosum n. gen. & sp. is described and illustrated. Johannessen, W.H., 1995: Nanophyllum, a new monotypic rugose coral genus from the Lower Silurian of Gotland. GFF, Vol. 117 (Pt. 1, March), pp. 53–55. Stockholm. ISSN1103–5897.

Species of the Silurian operculate rugose coral generaAraeopomaandRhytidophyllum

Abstract The operculate rugose coral genera Araeopoma Lindstrom and Rhytidophyllum Lindstrom, represented in Silurian sequences on Gotland, are here revised and redescribed. These genera belong to the subfamily Araeopomatinae which is characterized by undifferentiated opercular septa. The affinities between Araeopoma and other operculate genera including Goniophyllum is discussed. The species treated in this paper are Araeopoma prismaticum (type species), Araeopoma elongation and Rhytidophyllum pusillum, all of which appear to be endemic on Gotland. Araeopoma has a rhabdacanthine septal microstructure, while that of Rhytidophyllum is unknown. Johannessen, W.H., 1995: Species of the Silurian operculate rugose coral genera Araeopoma and Rhytidophyllum. GFF, Vol. 117 (Pt. 1, March), pp. 31–41. Stockholm. ISSN 1103–5897.

The coralThuliocyclus prominensn. gen. and sp. (Rugosa: Palaeocyclidae) from the Upper Silurian of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Twenty-two specimens ofThuliocyclus prominens, a new palaeocyclid rugose coral genus and species, on a loose slab presumably from the lower Pridolian Barlow Inlet Formation at Cape Rescue on Cornwallis Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, provide a good growth series from neanic to ephebic stages. The new genus shares morphological characteristics with both typical Silurian Palaeocyclidae and more advanced Devonian Hadrophyllidae.

Assignment of Heritschiella to the Family Geyerophyllidae

The rugose coral genus, Heritschiella (Moore and Jeffords, 1941), from the Permian Florence Formation of Kansas possesses many characteristics of the family Geyerophyllidae Minato, 1955, and is here assigned to that family. The following characteristics of the family were recognized by Cocke (1970). The most important are the cardinal origin of the columella, and a narrow tabularium consisting of sagging tabulae. The exteriors are commonly marked by prominent septal grooves and interseptal ridges. Lonsdaleoid dissepiments appear extensively to locally in most corallites. The central calice is deep and cylindrical with a protruding columella. The outer calice is commonly subhorizontal. In early stages, geyerophyllids exhibit a pinnate arrangement of septa because of septa acceleration first in the alar quadrants. The minor septa approach the length of the majors. Most corallites are solitary, although a few are reported to be loosely fasciculate. Hill (1981) following Minato and Kato (1975) assigned Heritschiella to the family Waagenophyllidae (Wang, 1950) to the subfamily Waagenophyllinae (Wang, 1950). An examination of type specimens of Heritschiella reveal strong affinities to the family Geyerophyllidae Minato, 1955. To determine the origin of the columella, the epitheca of one type specimen was removed carefully with dilute hydrochloric acid to reveal the peripheral ends of minor and major septa. The pattern clearly shows that the cardinal septum is connected to the columella--the most important of all features diagnostic of the family Geyerophyllidae. The exteriors of all of the type specimens possess longitudinal ridges and grooves, somewhat obscured by poor preservation. The calice is deep surrounding a prominent columella. The outer calice is not flat as in the more flaring corallites of outer geyerophyllid species. Moore and Jeffords (1941) notes that these Permian corals are fasciculate, however, none of the type specimens are obviously colonial. Internally, the type specimens show a number of characteristics common to other geyerophyllid species. Major and minor septa are long. The former traverse approximately 7/s of the radius; the latter 3/4 as long. The cardinal septum extends into the central tabularium where it is complicated by steep tabellae and radiating lamellae to form an open columella. The range of

Silurian and Devonian coral zones in the Great Basin, Nevada and California

Charles W. Merriam studied Paleozoic stratigraphy and paleontology of Great Basin rocks for four decades. This culminated in 1973–1974 with the publication of four important monographs on the systematics and biostratigraphy of Silurian and Devonian rugose corals in the area. Merriam died in 1974 before completing work on the Late Devonian corals and without attempting to relate his coral zones to zones based on other biologic groups. Merriam described the rugose corals of 12 coral zones and based his age assignments almost entirely on a comparison of the Great Basin corals with those known from other areas of the world. Analysis of associated invertebrate fossils shows that some of Merriam's age assignments were in error. In this paper, we discuss the relationships of the coral zones to those based on brachiopods, conodonts, and graptolites; we assign three of Merriam's zones to the Silurian, six to the Early Devonian, and three to the Middle Devonian. Merriam designated two additional (higher) zones, but he did not describe the included corals. These two zones are noted, and lists of Great Basin rugose coral genera of Late Devonian age are presented herein to complete this review of the coral succession in a major North American area.

The rugose coral genera [book review

The rugose coral genera [book review

THE NEW ORDOVICIAN GENUS HILLOPHYLLUM AND THE EARLY HISTORY OF RUGOSE CORALS WITH ACANTHINE SEPTA

Two species of the new rugose coral genus Hillophyllum are described from Ordovician limestones of central-western New South Wales. The larger species, H. priscum sp. nov., is the earliest rugosan to be found in New South Wales successions, first appearing in horizons of probable Gisbornian age (about middle Lower Caradocian), and seems to be the earliest record of a solitary to fasciculate species exhibiting monacanthine septa. A smaller species, H. sp., occurs with H. priscum and the first species of Palaeophyllum in higher horizons, of probable Lower Eastonian age (approximately upper Lower Caradocian). The history of the Ordovician rugose corals exhibiting acanthine septa is reviewed. Hillophyllum shows relationships with the massive, cerioid rugose species of Foerstephyllum type, and with the solitary, non-tabulated Lambeophyllum, Coelostylis, and Primitophyllum. Together they appear to be the earliest representatives of the Suborder Cystiphyllina.