Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera

Vol. 33.2 Nanjing 2005 ISSN 0943-1829

Newsletter Staff EDITORS Xiangdong WANG Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology Chinese Academy of Sciences 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008 P. R. China [email protected]

Tomasz WRZOLEK University of Silesia Department of Earth Sciences ul. Bedzinska 60, PL 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland [email protected]

TREASURER Tetsuo SUGIYAMA Fukuoka University, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-6631, Japan [email protected]

CORRESPONDENTS Australia Gregory E. Webb Austria (See Germany) Belgium M. Coen-Aubert Bulgaria V.L. Tchechmedjieva Canada R. McLean China Jian-Qiang Chen Czech Republik A. Galle/J. Hladil Denmark (see Norway) France C. Perrin Germany, Austria, Switzerland S. Schroeder/ J. Geister Italy F. Bosselini Japan R. Sugiyama Middle Asia, Tadzhikistan a.o. N.K. Ospanova Near East M. Gameil Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Finland B.E. Neuman Poland R. Wrzolek

Russia Moscow coordinator A.B. Ivanovski Vladivistok S.Y. Latypov

Novosibirsk & Siberia V.N. Dubatolov Moscow M. Poltavceva St.Petersburg G.S. Kropatcheva Urals M.V. Shurigyna Slovenia D. Turnsek Spain & Portugal A. Perejon/S. Rodriquez South America A. Correa deVasconcellos Sweden (see Norway) United Kingdom St. Kershaw United Stateds of America R. Baron-Szabo/C.W. Stock

Special Groups Archaeocyathids Stromatoporoids

E. Moreno-Eiris C.W.Stearn

Porifera

D. Janussen

BIBLIOGRAPHERS Pre-Carboniferous Rugosans M. Coen-Aubert Carb./Permian Corals G. Webb Tabulata/Heliolitida Kl. Oekentorp Porifera s.str. D. Janussen

Mes./Cenozoic Corals H. Loeser Archaeocyathida E. Moreno-Eiris Stromatoporoidea C.W. Stearn

CONTENTS Editor’s note………………………………………………………………….. 1

Correspondents…………………………………………………………….... 2 Addresses ………………………………………………………………..

3

Treasurer’s Report………………………………………………………………...5

The Association……………………………………………………………… 5 News and Views ……………………………………………………………...6

Bibliography.................................................................................................... 10 General topics..............................................................................................10 Rugosa, Tabulata & Heterocorallia..................................................................14 Scleractinia…………………………………………………..……………25 Other corals……………………………………………………….………40 Stromatoporoidea & Porifera ……………………………………………….41 Reefs……………………………………………………………………...44

Compilations and Databases………………………………………………...48 Announcements………………………………………………………………51 Annual membership fee……………………………………………………...53 Impressum……………………………………………………………………55 Front cover: Transverse (upper) and longitudinal (lower) sections of a new species of Antheria, Upper Gzhelian of Pennsylvanian, Carboniferous; Esfahan, Central Iran. (unpublished)

Editor’s note Dear Colleagues, “To promote the interdisciplinary collaboration and progress, as well as understanding among members of the association” is the primary scope of “Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera”. We are grateful to those individuals who contributed data for inclusion in both last and this issues and those who assisted in their preparation. We are planning only a single issue of FC&P 33; suggested deadline for your contributions is December 30th, 2005. Continuous efforts are being made to present the Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera in the internet. Two sites and are available to access the news, and from the first one you can download the PDF file of the newsletter. More internet sites on the fossil cnidarians and sponges are included in the present issue of FC&P. Remember please that all your current reports can be edited promptly by Wrzolek and put on line at the second address given above. We look forward to receiving your news anytime. With best wishes to all, Xiangdong Wang Tomasz Wrzolek

Instructions to correspondents and contributors Help the editors of Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera and adopt these few points: 1) RTF format; 2) Times New Roman, 12 points, single space, alphabetic plus chronologic order in bibliographies; 3) Boldface for authors, dates of publication and volume numbers; 4) Italics for journal titles (full spelling); 5) No extra formatting, please; 6) The editors give the final touch and make the layout decisions; your reports may be fragmented according to chapters as presented in current FC&P volume (33.1) or as at or ; this may change from volume to volume, as necessity dicates i.e. changing data volume in various fields of our research; 7) The results of editorial work are presented promptly on-line at so you can make the corrections prior to printing; 8) The editors indicate your authorship either at headlines or after your entry; 9) Square brackets [ ] are used to do this in the latter case, also in case of non-original remarks and comments; 10) Please have a look at the entries of the other authors and consider what can be improved in your reports… Thank you! Tomasz Wrzolek Xiang-dong Wang

1

CORRESPONDENTS Correspondents are asked to collect and send News and Views, e.g. about what happens in coral research in their region to the editors. We depend on your cooperation to make Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera a living and current journal. But this call includes also the responsibility of all specialists to inform their correspondents. Australia G. WEBB Austria (see Germany) Belgium M. COEN-AUBERT Bulgaria V. L. TCHECHMEDJIEVA Canada R. McLEAN China CHEN, JIANG-QIANG Czech Republik A. GALLE / J. HLADIL Denmark (see Norway) France C. PERRIN Germany, Austria and Switzerland S. SCHRÖDER & J. GEISTER Italy F. BOSSELINI Japan T. SUGIYAMA Middle Asia, Tadzhikistan a.o. N.N. [proposal N. K. OSPANOVA] Near East M. GAMEIL Norway. Sweden, Denmark and Finland B. E. NEUMAN Poland T. WRZOLEK Russia Moscow, Coordinator N.N. [hitherto A.B. IVANOVSKI] Vladivistok S. Y. LATYPOV Novosibirsk and Siberia V. N. DUBATOLOV Moscow N.N.[hitherto M. POLTAVCEVA] St. Petersburg G.S. KROPATCHEVA Urals N.N.[hitherto M.V.SHURIGYNA] Slovenia D. TURNŠEK Spain and Portugal A. PEREJON & S. RODRIGUEZ South America A.CORREA deVASCONCELLOS Sweden (see Norway) United Kingdom St. KERSHAW United States of America A.F. BUDD & C.W. STOCK Special Groups Archaeocyathids Stromatoporoids Porifera Pre-Carboniferous corals Carboniferous & Permian Corals Tabulata and Heliolitida

E. MORENO-EIRIS C.W. STEARN D. JANUSSEN M. COEN-AUBERT G. WEBB Kl. OEKENTORP

2

Addresses of Correspondents C.R. Rozvojova 135 CZ-162 00 Prague 6 – Suchdol [email protected]

Bosselini, Francesca R., Dr. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra Universitá di Modena, Via Universitá 4 I-41 100 Modena [email protected] Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie, Dr. 303 Kennon Road Knoxville, Tennessee 37909, USA [email protected]

Janussen, Dorte, PD. Dr. Forschungsinstitut Senckenberge Sektion Marine Invertebraten Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main [email protected]

Chen, Jian-Qiang, Prof. Beijing Graduate School China University of Geosciences Xueyuan Road 100083 Beijing/China [email protected]

Kershaw, Steve, Dr. Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Brunel University Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH United Kingdom [email protected]

Coen-Aubert, Marie, Dr. Département de Paléontologie Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Rue Vautier 29 B-1000 Bruxelles [email protected]

Kropatcheva, G.S. Dr. All-Union Geological Institute (VSEGEI) Sredni prospekt 74 RUS- 199 026 St. Petersburg

Dubatolov, Viktor N., Prof. Dr. Institute of Geology & Geophysics Akademia Nauk, Sibirien Branch 630 090 Novosibirsk/Russia [email protected]

Latypov, Yury Ya. Russian Academy of Science Institute of Marine Biology pr. 100-letija Wladiwostok 690022 Wladivostok/Russia [email protected]

Galle, Arnost, Dr. Institute of Geology Acad. Sci.C.R., Rozvojova 135 CZ-162 00 Prague 6 – Suchdol [email protected]

McLean, Ross, Dr. 201 15th St NW Calgary AB, T2N 2A8 Canada [email protected]

Gameil, Mohammed, Prof. Dr. UAE University, Faculty of Science, Geology Department, 17551, Al Ain, Emirates. [email protected]

Moreno-Eiris, Elena, Dr Universidad Complutense Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas Departamento de Paleontología 28 040 Madrid [email protected]

Geister, Jörn, Dozent Dr. Geologisches Institut Universität Bern, Baltzerstr. 1 CH-3012 Bern [email protected]

Neuman, Prof. Dr. Björn E.E. Universitet i Bergen Geologisk Institutt, Avd. A Allegatan 41 N-5014 Bergen

Hladil, Jindrich, Dr. Sc. Institute of Geology, Acad. Sci.

3

Ospanova, Narima K., Dr. Akademia Nauk Tadzhikistana. Institute of Geology ul. Aini Str. 267 734063 Dushanbe Tajikistan [email protected]

Stock, Carls W., Prof. Dr. University of Alabama Department of Geology Tuscaloosa, USA AL 35487-0338 [email protected] Sugiyama, Tetsuo, Prof. Dr. Fukuoka University Faculty of Science Departement of Geology 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku Fukuoka 814-6631/Japan [email protected]

Perejon, Antonio, Dr. Instituto de Geológia Económica Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas 28 040 Madrid Perrin, Christine, Dr. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Laboratoire de Paléontologie 8 rue de Buffon F-75005 Paris [email protected]

Tchechmedieva, Violeta L., Dr. University Institute of Palaeontology Boulv. Tzas. Osvoboditel 15 BG-1000 Sofia/Bulagria

Poltaceva, N.V., Dr. Geological Survey of South Kazakhstan Ul. Formanova 110 480 000 Alma-Ata/Kazakhstan

Turnšek, Dragica, Dr. Paleontoloëki inëtitut Ivana Rakovca 13 ZRC SAZU Gosposka 13 SLO-1000 Ljubljana [email protected]

Rodriguez, Sergio, Prof. Dr. Universidad Complutense Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas Departamento de Paleontología 28 040 Madrid [email protected]

Vasconcellos, Alberto Correa de, Dr. Departamento de Biologia Vegetal e Animal Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524 Maracana Rio de Janeiro 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro/Brasil [email protected]

Schröder, Stefan, Dr. Geologisches Institut Universität zu Köln Zülpicher Str. 49 A D-50674 Köln [email protected]

Webb, Gregory E., Dr. School of Natural Resource Sciences Queensland University of Technology GPO Box 2434 Brisbane, QLD 4001 [email protected]

Shurygina, M.V., Dr. Ural geological Survey Ul. Vainera 55 RUS-620 001 Ekaterinoburg

Wrzolek, Tomasz, Dr. University of Silesia Department of Earth Sciences ul. Bedzinska 60, PL-41-200 Sosnowiec [email protected]

Stearn, Colin W., Prof. Dr. 65 Aberdeen Road Kitchener, Ontario N2M 2Y4 Canada [email protected]

4

TREASURER’S REPORT Treasurer: Tetsuo SUGIYAMA Statement of Income and Expenditure: after the Graz Symposium to 2005, 1, 1. Income: Subscription:

152,960 Japanese Yen

Expenditure: Printing Vol. 33.1: 64,574 Japanese Yen Account dues: 5,600 Japanese Yen Sending, Stationary, Web maintenance: 25,830 Japanese Yen ======================================================= Balance (carried forward): 56,956 Japanese Yen! I would like to ask all members to help your association account! See the last page of this volume how to send annual fee.

THE ASSOCIATION President Bernhard Hubmann / Austria / 2003 - 2007 Vice Presidents George D. Stanley / USA / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Stefan Schröder / Germany / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Ewa Roniewicz / Poland / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Tetsuo Sugiyama / Japan / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Stephen Kershaw / U.K. / 2003 - 2007 Secretary Bernhard Riegl / USA / 2003 - 2007 Council Members Australasia and others: 5 votes Gregory Webb / Australia / 2003 - 2007 Yasufumi Iryu / Japan / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Yoichi Ezaki / Japan / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Wang, Xiang Dong / PR China / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Wang, Xun-Lian / PR China / 2003 - 2007 The Americas: 3 votes Graham A. Young / Canada / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Carl W. Stock / USA / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Kenneth G. Johnson / USA / 2003 – 2007 Europe I: 6 votes Edouard Poty / Belgium / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 5

Jean-Pierre Cuif / France / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Christine Perrin / France / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Francisco Soto / Spain / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Ian Somerville / Ireland / 2003 - 2007 John Nudds / UK / 2003 - 2007 Europe II: 5 votes Michael Rasser/ Austria, Switzerland / 2003 - 2007 Hannes Loeser / Germany / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 D. Janussen / Germany / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Heldur Nestor / Estonia / Scandinavia / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Europe III: 4 votes Arnost Galle / Czech Republic / 2003 - 2007 Tomasz Wrzolek / Poland / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 - 2007 Irene Yu. Bugrova / CIS / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 – 2007 Olga L. Kossovaya / CIS / 1999 - 2003 / 2003 – 2007

NEWS AND VIEWS Canada / Graham Young (Manitoba) Young and Elias are leading a collaborative project on spectacular Late Ordovician-Early Silurian rocky shorelines exposed in the Churchill area of northern Manitoba. An extensive ancient archipelago can be delineated, with a record of environmental and biotic change as sea level fluctuated. Data from drillcore obtained in 2003, and from field work in previous years, will permit three-dimensional reconstruction. This study has significant implications to our understanding of the paleoecology and taphonomy of corals and other groups in a unique setting. Elias and Young continue to work on the diversity, paleoecology, and community structure of Late Ordovician to earliest Silurian coral faunas. Patterns of evolution and biogeography are being related to major transgressive-regressive cycles and paleoceanographic parameters. Comparative analyses of pre-extinction, post-extinction, and recovery faunas contribute to an understanding of biotic response to environmental change. Adam Melzak has completed a Ph.D. dissertation on rugose corals from Anticosti Island, Québec site of the world’s most complete coral-bearing succession across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary. This contributes data on extinction and recovery in a continental-margin setting. Shaochun Xu (recent Postdoctoral Fellow) and Elias are working on latest Ordovician coral faunas of South China. These results will be synthesized with those from North America, providing a broader perspective of biotic change resulting from the mass extinction. For her M.Sc. thesis, Raegan Porter is conducting a paleoenvironmental and paleoecological reconstruction of a stromatoporoid/coral-rich Silurian unit in southern Manitoba. D-J Lee (Andong National University, Korea) and Elias are studying evidence of symbionts in tabulates from the Upper Ordovician of southern Manitoba and modes of corallite increase in tabulates from the Upper Ordovician of Tennessee. New discoveries are challenging existing models concerning the paleobiology and evolutionary relationships of early tabulate corals. 6

Young has completed a large project with Steve Kershaw (Brunel University, England) on growth banding in Paleozoic stromatoporoids and colonial corals, comparing material from Manitoba with specimens from Gotland, Sweden. Growth bands in Paleozoic corals are similar to density bands in modern corals, but stromatoporoid bands are different and may not be caused by seasonal factors. Young and Shaochun Xu are studying remarkable Late Ordovician coral-stromatoporoid intergrowths from South China. This is the first thorough documentation of such intergrowths before the Late Ordovician extinction, and may affect our understanding of the evolution of benthic communities.

China (Rugosa) / Xiang-dong Wang Xiang-dong Wang is now in Fukuoka, Japan and will stay there till end of August. Together with Tetsuo Sugiyama, he is working on Late Paleozoic rugose corals of China, Thailand, and Iran. Most siginificant finding is a Cathaysian rugosan fauna in the Upper Pennsylvanian of Central Iran. This Iranian fauna is mainly composed of such massive corals as Antheria, Nephelophyllum, Streptophyllidium, and Ivanovia, at generic level, and is associated by Late Pennsylvanian fusulinids Rauserites (several species) and Ultradaixina bosbytauensis. All the corals studied belong to a single family, Kepingophyllidae, a typical Cathaysian taxon typical for China and IndoChina, what implies a close biogeographical connection of Central Iran with China during Late Pennsylvanian time. Xiao-juan Wang (Ph. D. student of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology) is working on Late Permian rugose corals from Tibet. She is revising all the species of Waagenophyllum, Liangshanophyllum, and Huayunophyllum, which dominated the Lopingian coral faunas in shelf facies of Tibet. Yue Li has come back to Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology from University of Tokyo, Japan after finishing his post-doctoral fellowship. His focus is mainly on Early Paleozoic reefs and environmental changes.

Germany and Mexico (Scleractinian research) / Hannes Löser Hilmar Hanske (Hannover, Germany) is continuously working on a bibliography of extant corals http://www.scleractinia.de). The bibliography includes literature published between 1758 and 2000 about extant Scleractinian corals as well as the reef-building species of Millepora, Heliopora and Tubipora. The database encompasses at the present moment about 8,400 literary references. A publication is envisaged for 2005 or 2006 in the Coral Research Bulletin (http://www.cp-v.de/crb/). Hannes Löser plans supervision of some Cretaceous Corals research at Hermosillo (Mexico) during 2005. Sara Tomás from the Barcelona University (Spain) will stay in Hermosillo from April to June and will study Early Aptian corals from Spain as a part of her doctoral thesis; José Juan Jiménez from the University of Chiapas (Mexico) is going to write his bachelor thesis on Maastrichtian corals from Chiapas. Hannes Löser, after finishing his PhD at the University Erlangen-Nürenberg (1999) about the Palaeobiogeography of Early Cretaceous corals, spent one year and a half as a collection manager in Dresden and Leipzig (Germany) where he reviewed among others the collection of Johannes Felix 7

(a catalogue was published in 2002, see below). In the framework of a resarch project of the German Science Foundation (DFG) he revised systematically the collection of W.O. Dietrich of Jurassic and Cretaceous corals from Tanzania, which is housed in the Natural History Museum in Berlin (a publication is under preparation). Half a year he spent at the Tohoku University in Sendai as a guest professor by kind inivitation of Prof. Kei Mori. Löser used this opportunity to review and revise partly the collection of Motoki Eguchi (a catalogue is published as well), and to visit coral collections in China, the U.S.A. (Texas), and India (Calcutta). Since January 2001 Löser had a two year postdoctoral fellowship at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Hermosillo; in 2003 he obtained a position as researcher and teacher at the same location. Löser works continiuously on Mesozoic and Cenozoic corals (presently on faunas from France, Spain, Ivory Coast, and Turkey), but also on rudists, orbitolinid foraminifera, nerineid gastropods, and the biostratigraphy of Early Cretaceous carbonates. Since 2000 he edits the Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals of which two volumes (List of Species, List of Citations; www.cp-v.de/ccc) are published. The third volume (List of Localities) is under preparation for 2004 or 2005. The fourth volume will comprise a systematic revision of all coral genera which are indicated in the Cretaceous. This monograph will concentrate (contrary to numerous other monographs on this subject) on type material, or material obtained from type localities. Löser continues his work on the palaeontologic database program PaleoTax. The windows version is available for free since 2001 (http://www.paleotax.de). From 2004 on, he returned as bibliographer for Mesozoic and Cenozoic corals for the Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera Newsletter. Some recent papers of Löser (not included into bibliography farther below): Löser & Liao, Wei-hua, 2001. Cretaceous corals from Tibet (China); biostratigraphical and palaeobiogeographical aspects. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 19, 5, pp 661-667. -- , Sugiyama, T. & Mori, K., 2002. Catalog of the Mesozoic corals of Japan. Bulletin of the Tohoku University Museum 2, pp 1-46. -- 2003. Internodien der Gattung Moltkia (Octocorallia) aus einem Maastricht-Geschiebe (Oberkreide) von Niedersachsen (Deutschland). In Löser, H., Zwanzig, M. (Eds.), Berliner Beiträge zur Geschiebeforschung 2, pp 99-101, 1 pl; CPress Verlag, Dresden. -- 2004, in press. PaleoTax. Database management system to record, process, analyse and output taxonomic, geographic and stratigraphic data in palaeontology. Version 2.1. Manual. Publicaciones ocasionales 3, pp 1-153. -- 2004, in press. PaleoTax - a database program for palaeontological data. – Computers & Geosciences. -- & Mohanti, M., 2004, in press. A Cenomanian Coral Assemblage from southern India. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte.

Japan/Tetsuo Sugiyama Erika Kido and Tetsuo Sugiyama continuously work on Silurian corals from the Kurosegawa Terrane in Southwest Japan. A paper described on coral occurrence and faunal correlation written in Japanese with English abstract was published as below. Tetsuo Sugiyama, Yoichi Ezaki, Isao Niikawa and Koichi Nagai are charging in a research project on type materials described by Minato, Yabe and Hayasaka, and Ozawa, which are stored in

8

the Hokkaido University and Tohoku University. Until now close to 90 % of them are checked and it will be a database of type materials described by Japanese researchers during the 20th Century. Recent publication: Kido, E. and Sugiyama, T., 2005. Silurian rugose corals from the Gionyama Formation, Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Southwest Japan. Fukuoka Univ. Sci. Rept., 35 (1), p. 11-29, with 2pls. (Japanese with English abstract)

South Korea / Dong-jin Lee Boo-Young Bae has completed a Ph.D. thesis "Morphometrics and paleobiology of cateniform corals from the Upper Ordovician Red River Formation, Southern Manitoba, Canada" under the supervision of D.-J. Lee and Bob Elias (Manitoba). In her thesis, multivariate analytical methods, which have been used effectively in work on scleractinian corals, were applied to cateniform tabulates from the Selkirk Member, Red River Formation, in Manitoba. The life-history strategies (survival and growth characteristics) in response to different physical environments were also determined and evaluated for some selected cateniform tabulate species. D.-J. Lee and Bob Elias continue to work on modes of corallite increase and relevant aspects of colony growth in early tabulates from various Upper Ordovician localities including southern Manitoba, Tennessee and Estonia. D.-J. Lee and Xiangdong Wang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, China) are planning to work on early tabulate corals from the Upper Ordovician of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, South China. D.-J. Lee and Xiangdong Wang expect applications from Chinese students who are interested in Chinese corals in the graduate program.

United Kingdom / Brian Rosen (London) Having reached the statutory age of retirement for research scientists at The Natural History Museum in London, I retired from the Department of Palaeontology in February 2002. However I was invited back, just four days later (!) to work part-time as Editor-in-Chief of a new Life Science journal published by the Museum, Systematics and Biodiversity. I also transferred to the Department of Zoology. Apart from the Department name, my address details remain the same. I would like to take this opportunity to give a very belated thanks to everyone concerned for their kindness and generosity for the retirement tribute at the Graz meeting in August 2003. It turns out however that I have 'retired' but not retired! I am continuing my research on scleractinian coral systematics, palaeoecology and biogeography, when I have time in between my editing work. [more news in "compilations and databases" section]

USA / Rosemarie Baron-Sabo Liming Zhu (PhD student at Bloomington, Indiana University) started to work on the systematics and paleoecology of corals from the Campanian-Maastrichtian of Puerto Rico earlier this year. She will focus on an as yet unselected phylogenetic lineage and pursue its history.

9

BIBLIOGRAPHY General topics Baker, A. C., Starger, C. J., McClanahan, T. R. & Glynn, P. W., 2004. Coral´s adaptive response to climate change. Nature 430 (August), p. 741, 1 fig. [see: www.nature.com/nature – shifting to new algal symbionts may safeguard devastated reefs from extinction; Oekentorp] Barchy, L., Coen-Aubert, M., Marion, J.M. & Coen, M., 2004. Mise en évidence de la Faille de Marenne sur la carte géologique Aye - Marche-en-Famenne. Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre, Supplement 74, pp 59-71. [ ... dating by rugose corals has allowed us to define with precision the Givetian lithologic units which have been put in contact by this normal fault with a later, right-lateral strike-slip component ... – from the original abstract; paper in French, with English abstract; Coen-Aubert] Boulvain, F., Cornet, P., Da Silva, A-C., Delaite, G., Demany, B., Humblet, M., Renard, M. & Coen-Aubert, M., 2004. Reconstructing atoll-like mounds from the Frasnian of Belgium. Facies 50, pp 313–326. [Coen-Aubert] Cózar C. P. and Somerville I. D. 2005. Stratigraphy of upper Viséan carbonate platform rocks in the Carlow area, southeast Ireland. Geological Journal 40, pp 35-64. The stratigraphy of the upper Viséan (Asbian to Brigantian) carbonate succession in southeast Ireland is revised on the basis of seven quarry and two borehole sections. Six lithological units have been distinguished, two units (units 1 and 2) in the upper Asbian Ballyadams Formation, and four units (units 4 to 6) in the Brigantian Clogrenan Formation (both formations are dated precisely using foraminiferans, calcareous algae and rugose corals). The boundary between the Ballyadams and Clogrenan formations is redefined 19 m below the horizon proposed by the Geological Survey of Ireland, and thus, lithological characteristics of both formations are redescribed. The upper part of the Ballyadams Formation is characterized by well-developed large-scale cyclicity, with common subaerial exposure surfaces. Fine- to medium-grained thin-bedded limestones with thin shales occur in the lower part of cycles, and passing up into medium-grained pale grey massive limestones in the upper part. The Clogrenan Formation is composed mainly of medium- to coarsegrained thick limestone beds with variable presence of shales; but no large-scale cyclicity. There is a decrease in the number of subaerial exposure surfaces towards the top of the formation and common chert nodules; macrofauna occurs mostly concentrated in bands. The six units recognized in the Carlow area are comparable with other units described for the same time interval (AsbianBrigantian) from south and southwest Ireland, demonstrating the existence of a stable platform for most parts of southern Ireland, controlled principally by glacioeustatics. [original abstract; Somerville] Crame, J.A. & Rosen, B.R., 2002. Cenozoic palaeogeography and the rise of modern biodiversity patterns. In Crame, J.A. & Owen, A., (Eds.), Palaeobiogeography and biodiversity change: the Ordovician and Mesozoic-Cenozoic radiations. ISBN: 1-86239-106-8 Geological Society, London Special Publications 194, pp 153–168. [Rosen]

10

Fedorowski, J., 2003. Some remarks on diagenesis of rugose coral skeletons. Geologos 6, pp. 89109, 2 pls. Rugose coral microstructure exhibits striking similarity to that in Scleractinia. The main difference lies in the mineral composition: calcitic in the former and aragonitic in the latter. Calcitic skeletons of the Rugosa are commonly better preserved than those in the Scleractinia, and therefore some of them have been interpreted as unaltered, a position rejected in this paper. The dual nature of septa, which commonly consist of a primary trabecular septum and secondary fibrous sheets, results in differently expressed diagenetic alteration in comparison of other structural elements. It has been postulated that both early and advanced diagenesis may, in some circumstances, be distinguished in the Rugosa. In most instances the early diagenetic features were destroyed by the post-burial alterations. Replacement and recrystallization are the most important processes among the advanced chemical alterations. Both may either facilitate the recognition of original macro- and microstructures or obscure them Surface replacement by silica promotes perfect preservation of shape and inner morphology, whereas pervasive replacement my destroy both. Selected replacement by hematite may help in exposing the trabecular microstructure of septa, whereas deep replacement may destroy the entire morphology. Physical alteration, such as crushing and flattening of skeletons are always destructive. The result from compaction, and their scale depends on skeletal morphology and on the relationship between the rate of infilling of intra-skeletal spaces and the accumulation of surrounding sediment. Pre-burial events, such as overgrowth and penetration by borrowing organisms, their holdfasts or roots may aid in the recognition of early diagenesis, but may also led to substantial pre-or postburial skeletal alteration, resulting sometimes in total destruction. This depends mostly on the pH of pore fluids. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Hance, L. & Poty, É., 2004. Sequence stratigraphy of the Belgian Lower Carboniferous –Tentative correlation with the British Isles. In: Hills, L.v., Henderson, C.M & Bamber, E.W. (editors). Carboniferous and Permian of the World. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Memoire 19, pp. 41-51. The Lower Carboniferous of Southern Belgium (Dinantian Subsystem) is well documented and serves as reference for the Tournaisian and Visean Series. Hundreds of sections and boreholes were measured bed by bed and collected for faunas. Biostratigraphy relies mainly on information on foraminifers, conodonts and corals, but most of other fossils groups typical of platform carbonates are abundant and diversified. Despite this great amount of data, many correlations remained questionable, mainly due to rapid facies changes and scarcity of fossils in some levels. During the Tournaisian and the Lower Visean, these changes are related to the facies evolution from nearshore to outer shelf with building of a distant Waulsortian barrier during Upper Tournaisian. Moreover, extensional synsedimentary faults acting during Lower Visean, have played a major role, controlling subsidence and facies distribution. During Middle to Upper Visean (up to the base of the Upper Warnantian), a spectacular cyclothemic sedimentation developed over a large area, reflecting a quite regular paleotopography, that later reduced in surface under the influence of the early phase of Variscan deformation. The uppermost part of the Visean was not deposited. Re-evaluation of the former Dinantian biostratigraphical pattern in a sequence stratigraphical approach gives new insight. particularly for the Tournaisian-Visean transition. From the base of the Tournaisian to the base of the Upper Warnantian (=Brigantian), 9 third-order sequences have been recognized in southern Belgium. Most of the lowstand systems tracks (LST) are lacking, probably because the high rate of eustatic variation exposed of the studied areas.

11

One of the most striking events is the important sea level fall followed by a relatively low rise, at the time of the T-V transition, with deposition of the transgressive systems tract (TST) and the highstand systems tract (HST) of a third-order sequence (sequence 5, corresponding to most of the Sovet Formation) only in the deeper part of the outer shelf. The recognition of this sequence and of its corresponding stratigraphic gap on the shallow shelf allows a better understanding of the T-V boundary and, therefore, merited reinvestigation (Devuyst, XIV ICCP). The duration of the Dinantian third-order sequences are variable, including different amounts of parasequences (fourth and five order) and resulting in the variable thickness of the sequences. Several sequences defined here have been recognized in the Bristol area of England and are more tentatively correlated with the cycles of Ramsbottom (1979) established for the Lower Carboniferous of Great Britain. These however do not correspond exactly with the third-order sequences. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Poty, É., Aretz, M. & Barchy, L., 2002. Stratigraphie et sédimentologie des du Carbonifère inférieur de la Montagne noire (Massif central, France. C. R. Geoscience 334, pp. 843-848. The ´Calcaires á Productus` of the Montagne Noire are microbial build-ups. Two formations are defined and dated respectively as Uppermost Visean (Upper Warnatian-Brigantian) and Serpukhovian on the basis on corals. That makes these limestones out to be younger than previously stated (Lower and base of Upper Warnatian-Asbian and base of Brigantian) and indicates that the development of the olistoliths and thrusts including them, due to Variscan orogeny, was at least as young as the Upper Serpukhovian. The Serpukhovian limestones of the Montagne Noire are correlated with the Lanet Limestone (Mounthoumet Massif, Corbières) and Ardengost Limestone (central Pyrenees). [original abstract; Oekentorp] Perrin, C., 2003. Compositional heterogeneity and microstructural diversity of coral skeletons: implications for taxonomy and control on early diagenesis. Coral Reefs 22, pp 109–120, 5 Abb.; (Springer-Verlag). Fine-skeletal features of scleractinian skeletons were investigated in living colonies, from ultra-thin sections and SEM preparations. In contrast to what is commonly admitted, the coral fiber is a composite structure differing markedly from a simple aragonite crystal unit. The heterogeneity of coral fiber is shown by the occurrence of a micron-scale zonation resulting from incremental growth during cycles of biomineralization. In addition, high magnification SEM reveals that a calcification center corresponds to a particular structural element clearly differentiated from the surrounding fibers and defined by its own crystal arrangement. The duality of this center/fiber arrangement corresponds to a general architecture of scleractinians, resulting from similar processes of skeletogenesis. An additional fine-scale diversity related to taxonomy is reflected by variations in the geometry and crystallinity of centres and also in the strength and regularity of fiber incremental zonation. These initial differences both within the same colony and between distinct taxa would be emphasized during diagenetic history, leading to differential susceptibility of structural elements to diagenetic processes And also to specific behavior of distinct taxa in relation to diagenesis. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Rodriguez S. 2004. Taphonomic alterations in upper Viséan dissepimented rugose corals from the Sierra del Castillo unit (Carboniferous, Córdoba, Spain). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 214, pp 135-153, 10 figs., 1 tab.; Amsterdam.

12

Dissepimented rugose corals are common in the Sierra del Castillo Unit (upper Viséan from SW Spain). A complete taphonomic study has been made of the corals from three localities, each representing different environmental conditions: Antolín rocks are interpreted as mid-ramp and contains mainly reworked corals from reefs, Sierra del Castillo rocks are regarded as originating on a shallow-water platform, and Sierra de la Estrella rocks are typical of the middle to outer platform. The occurrence and distribution of taphonomic features are different at each outcrop and even in each bed, but a general temporal scheme with the timing of all processes is proposed. Borings, encrustations, fragmentation, abrasion, recrystallization, compression, stylolitization, silicification, cleavage, dissolution, and ferruginization are documented. Some processes which are generally regarded as biostratinomic (borings and encrustations) and even as fossildiagenetic (cementation) began before the death of the polyps. Other processes occurred only during the biostratinomic phase (abrasion) or during the fossildiagenetic phase (silicification, stylolitization, cleavage), but many processes occurred during both the biostratinomic and fossildiagenetic phases (fragmentation, cementation). [Schröder] Rosen, B.R., 2002. Biodiversity: old and new relevance for palaeontology. Geoscientist 12, 9, pp 4–9. [Rosen] Rosen, B.R., Aillud, G.S., Bosellini, F., Clack, N.J., Insalaco, E., Valldeperas, F.X., and Wilson, M.E.J., 2002. Platy coral assemblages: 200 million years of functional stability in response to the limiting effects of light and turbidity. Proceedings of the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia, pp 255–265. [Rosen] Scrutton, C.T., 2005. Corals and other Cnidaria. – In: Selley, R.C., Cooks, L.R.M. & Plimer, I.R. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Geology, vol. 2: 321-334, 12 Abb., 1 Tab.; Oxford (Elsevier). This paper is an entry to the Encyclopedia of Geology and gives an overview on the actual knowledge of corals and related organisms. “Cnidarian Organization and Classification”, “Geological History”, “Coral Structure and Taxonomy”, and “Coral Ecology and Palaeoecology” are the topics. In “Geological History” the different groups are discussed, their Precambrian origins and the Phanerozoic diversity, the latter characterized by the main groups Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Anthozoa. Organization, distinguishing features, origin and relationships are treated in more detail - especially of the three main groups Tabulata, Rugosa and Scleractinia. “Coral structure and taxonomy” deals with as well problems of interpreting. Coral classification. Ecology and Paleoecology are discussed with the Scleractinians first and in comparison with of the Rugosa and Tabulata. Instructive graphs - for example life cycles, geological ranges of zoantharian corals, relationship between septal insertion, and generalized ecological and palaeoecological ranges of the three main groups - and representative figures impart additional information. A glossary and selected references for further reading complete this very informative representation of “Corals and other Cnidaria”. [Oekentorp] Wang Xiao-juan, Wang Xiang-dong, Li Wen-zhong, Shen Shu-zhong and Shi G. R., 2004. Correlation of Gondwana Permian Strata in the Baoshan area of West Yunnan, western and southern Thailand, and southern Sydney Basin. Journal of Stratigraphy 28 (4), pp 336-343. [Chinese with English abstract] An overview on the Permian lithological characters and faunas of three Gondwana-related regions, namely the Baoshan area of West Yunnan, western and southern Thailand, and southern Sydney Basin, is here introduced. During Asselian and Sakmarian time, these three regions are very similar 13

not only in lithology that is characterized by marine glacio-origin diamictites but also in faunas that are mainly composed of cold water brachiopods and small nondissepimental corals. Started from Artinskian, differences on lithology and faunal characters occur among these three regions. Warm water faunas such as fusulinid Pseudofusulina and conodont Sweetognathus, and carbonate deposition are present in the Baoshan area during the Artinskian. A warm water fusulinid Monodiexodina fauna occurs in Western Thailand during the Kungurian. These two regions possibly located in relatively northern area comparing to the Sydney Basin due to rifting from Gondwanaland and drafting northward closing to the Tethyan continent. And more later time, during the Roadian to Capitanian or even Wuchiapingian, particular Cimmerian mixed fauna and complete carbonate sequence dominated in the Baoshan block and western and southern Thailand. In the contrast, southern Sydney Basin continued to be characterized by siliciclastics and cold-water brachiopods, bivalves, and small nondissepimental corals during the Middle Permian. [original abstract; Wang] Young, G.A. and S. Kershaw. in press. Classification and controls of internal banding in Palaeozoic stromatoporoids and colonial corals. Palaeontology. [Young]

Rugosa, Tabulata, and Heterocorallia Coen-Aubert, M., 2004. Two new species of Temnophyllids (Rugosa) from the Upper Givetian of Belgium. Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre 74, pp 19–34, 7 figs. Temnophyllum delmeri n. sp., and T. ramosum n. sp. are described in detail and come from the Upper Givetian of Belgium. On the south side of the Dinant Synclinorium, T. delmeri is associated with Sunophyllum beichuanense He, 1978 and Wapitiphyllum laxum (Gürich, 1896), at the top of the Mont d´Haurs Formation. It is also present in the Flohimont Member, the lower subdivision of the Fromelennes Formation. At the base of the overlaying Moulin Boreux Member, there is a level of limestones rich in stringocephalids, diverse groups of tabulate corals and in rugose corals represented by W. laxum, Temnophyllum ramosum, T. delmeri and locally Sunophyllum beichuanense. Nearly all these fossils disappear higher in the Moulin Boreux member. The same situation has been observed in the Philippeville Massif, on the north side of the Dinant Synclinorium and in the Vesdre Massif. As the base of the Flohimont Member lies at the top of the Lower Polygnathus varcus Zone and as the major part of this lithographic unit belongs to the P. ansatus Zone corresponding to the Middle P. varcus Zone, it is quite possible that the Taghanic event occurs in Belgium just above the level of limestones with the last stringocephalids. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Coen-Aubert, M., 2005. Rugueux fasciculés et solitaires du Givetien supérieur dans le Tafilalt et le Ma'der (Maroc). Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre 75, pp 67-85. Several levels with Phillipsastrea have been sampled in the Upper Givetian of the Tafilalt and the Ma'der in Morocco and have been dated by conodonts. P. weyeri Coen-Aubert, 2002, P. tafilaltensis Coen-Aubert, 2002 and Acanthophyllum simplex (Walther, 1929) are present in all the outcrops investigated. They are associated in the Ma'der with Neotemnophyllum breve n. sp., Phillipsastrea hollardi Coen-Aubert, 2002, Siphonophrentis laskowae Wrzolek, 2002 and S. crassa n. sp.; the first species is restricted to the Upper Polygnathus varcus Zone whereas the three others occur also in the Upper Klapperina disparilis Zone. In the Tafilalt, the accompanying fauna in the 14

Upper Klapperina disparilis and Lower Mesotaxis falsiovalis Zones is characterized by Thamnophyllum amessouicum n. sp., Neoacinophyllum bultyncki n. sp., Siphonophrentis wangi n. sp. and Neotemnophyllum sp. The latter three taxa suggest an influence of the Western Yunnan in China. However, the remaining fauna shows affinities with that from the Upper Givetian of Western Europe and Poland. [French with English abstract; Coen-Aubert] Belka Z. & Berkowski B. 2005. Discovery of thermophilic corals in an ancient hydrothermal vent community, Devonian, Morocco. Acta Geologica Polonica, 55 (1), pp 1-7. [key words: Vent corals, Hydrothermal vents, Mud mounds, Devonian, Morocco] Living corals are remarkably broad in their thermal and bathymetric ranges. But corals that could tolerate abnormally high temperatures (higher than 40°C) are unknown both in the living communities and in the fossil record. Here we report the discovery of small thermophilic rugose corals in the Devonian vent community of southeastern Morocco. These organisms were adapted to conditions prevailing within chimney conduits of a hydrothermal system that developed on the roof of a submarine volcanic high. The coral larvae followed a calice-in-calice settlement and growth strategy to survive the contact with thermal fluids. This adaptation was not related to taxonomy and characteristic of all coral taxa present in the vents. Monospecific coral population was identified in several Emsian vents whereas the coral fauna of the single Givetian vent was more diverse and included four species. The entry of different rugose coral species into the hot vents resulted from a trophic relation to ostracods flourishing in the chimneys [original abstract; Berkowski] Dargan, G.M., 2000. Regressional episodes and diversity patterns of Australian Devonian tabulate corals. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 58, pp 273-277, 2 figs. Biostratigraphical distribution of Australian Devonian tabulate corals appears to be influenced by episodes of transgression and regression both locally and world wide. Decrease in species diversity can be related to local regressive phases. Examination of contemporaneous sequences unaffected by regression is needed before a strong cause and effect relationship can be established. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Ezaki, E. & Yasuhara, Y., 2004. Regular and flexible modes of division and hystero-ontogenetic growth in the Silurian rugose coral Stauria favosa. Palaeontology 47 (5), pp 1075–1091. [key words: coral, division, module, polarity, reproduction, Rugosa, Silurian] New modules arise in colonial corals as the result of asexual reproduction. The Silurian rugosan Stauria favosa ordinarily exhibits cerioid coralla with a characteristic cross-shaped axial structure and a typical pattern of parricidal increase. Quadripartite increase at the sites of the four protosepta is most common, whereas cases of tripartite increase are rare. Parental protosepta are transformed into dividing walls, where the four protosepta first appear with a definitive polarity in offset corallites. Daughter corallites inherit metasepta as metasepta, and catasepta as catasepta, within the same quadrants as those of the parents. Metasepta are inserted serially, following Kunth´s rule, as is characteristic of rugosan protocallites. As each daughter corallite derived immediately from the same parent is arranged with identical polarity, it grows equally and evenly both individually and as a group. Daughters thus form protosepta and metasepta under strict phylogenetic and developmental constrains. However, individual corallites grow and reproduce autonomously, by using all available skeleton and space of the parent. Although each module cannot modify essential modes of division, flexibility of the system was via changes in the density and arrangement of corallites, and regulating modes of growth, in tandem with adjacent corallites within the corallum. It is probable that regularity, due to constrains of several origins, as well as flexibility are typical of other rugosan 15

colonies and played an important role in growth dynamics between orallites and corallum. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Fedorowski, J., 2004. Considerations on most Rugosa and Dividocorallia from de Groot´s (1963) collection. Scripta Geologica 127, pp. 71-311, 1 fig., 54 pls. Rugose corals reinvestigated herein constitute the main part of the collection described by de Groot (1963). The taxonomy proposed herein differs in several instances from that accepted originally by de Groot. Some changes, such as Petalaxis for Lithostrotionella and Calophyllum instead of Polycoelia, were already introduced in de Groot´s unpublished catalogue. Others were introduced in order to match the recent advances in rugose coral systematics. Most systematic changes were based on new microstructural, diagenetic and hystero-ontogenetic studies. These are described in detail for individual species and briefly discussed in the concluding considerations. Trabecular microstructure of septa and its diagenetic alteration was documented for most species. Presence of two kinds of intercorallite walls (partition and dividing walls) was documented on the basis of their difference in microstructure. This was especially important for the genus Petalaxis, allowing proof of a distinction between species representing its nominative subgenus and that distinguished by de Groot as Hillia. A new name Degrootia was proposed for Hillia, is preoccupied by a lepidopterian. Two genera , one new (Arctocorallium gen. nov.), represented by two species, were transferred to the Calyxcorallia (Dividocorallia), the order and subclass not distinguished by de Groot. Both those species were investigated and documented in particular detail, especially their hystero-ontogeny. The restudied material allowed proof of a distinction between Calyxcorallia and the Rugosa in the insertion of major septa. Also, an uncertain status of minor-like septa that may replace the major septa was demonstrated. Both those determination are based on the hystero-ontogeny. [original abstract; Oekentorp] He Xin-Yi, Chen Jian-Qiang, 2004. Orgin, disperal and biogeographic affinity of the Middle-Late Ordovician and the Landovery rugose corals in the Yangtze Region. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 43 (2), pp 179-191. [in Chinese with English abstract] The Middle Ordovician - Llandovery rugose corals are abundant in the Yangtze region, especially in the Early Silurian. Altogether 123 genera.of Rugosa,which contain 4 genera of Middle Ordovician, 25 genera of Late Ordovician, and 94 genera of Llandovery respectively, have been reported from this region, of which 30 genera first appeared in the Yangtze region and then dispersed to Europe and North America and other adjacent regions. The following may represent the earliest occurrence age of the referred genera. Calostylis in the Middle Ordovician (Llandeilo) of southern Sichuan; Aphyllum and C. antrillia in the middle Ashgill of western Zhejiang; the streptelasmatids Briantelasma, Pycnactis and Tunguselasma in the late Ruddanian of northeastern Guizhou; the columnariids Ceriaster, Stauria, Amplexoides and Synamplexoides, and the cystiphyllids Maikottia, Rhizophyllum among others in the Middle Llandovery of northeastern Guizhou, South China. Based on these data, we may regard that the Yangtze region may have been one of the origin centers for the Ordovician and Silurian rugose corals. This paper deals with the Middle Ordovician to Llandovery rugose coral faunas in the Yangtze region, especially with their palaeobiogeographic affinities. The Middle Ordovician Rugosa of this region are characterized by the calostylids Calostylis and Yohophyllum. The Late Ordovician (midAshgill) rugosan fauna from the Sanjushan Formation of western Zhejiang Province contains some Australian elements (Hillophyllum, Bozoanophyllum), while the late Ashgill rugose fauna from the Guanyinqiao Bed in the Upper Yangtze region shows a high degree of similarity to that of North Europe, indicating that Yangtze and Europe have a close palaeobiogeographic affinity with each other. The Llandovery rugose fauna in the Yangtze region is much closer with that of Siberia, Kazakhstan and Australia. [original abstract; Wang] 16

He Xin-Yi and Chen Jian-Qiang.2004. Late Silurian rugose coral fauna from the Qujing District, East Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 43 (3), pp 303-324. [in Chinese with English abstract] Late Silurian (Late Ludlow - Early Pridoli) rugosa coral fauna from the Qujing district, east Yunnan are studied in detail, and some rugosan genera and species are reviewed, especially the coral fauna characters and their distribution of the Guandi Formation and Miaogao Formation are discussed. Altogether 22 genera and 44 species of rugose occurred in Late Silurian (including Guandi, Miaogao and Yulongsi Formation) of Qujing, east Yunnan (see table I, II). Among them, cystiphylloids Holmophyllum, Cystiphyllum and Kytophyllum are dominant. The columnariids Kyphophyllum, Micula and Pilophyllum and others are present. Only three genera Brachyelasma, Rukhinia and Phaulactis have been found for the first time from east Yunnan. As a whole, the Late Silurian rugosan coral fauna of east Yunnan has an affinity with contemporary west Qinling forms, and shows to a centain extent similarity to those of contemporaneous beds of Ural. Altogether 23 species comprising 17 genera of Rugosa are described, among them 3 species are new, namely Cystiphyllum minutum sp. nov., Ketophyllum qujingense sp. nov. and Phaulactis vesicularis sp. nov. [original abstract; Wang] Kaljo, D., 2004. Diversity of late Ordovician rugose corals in Baltoscandia: role of environmental changes and comparison with other areas. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Geology 53, (4), pp 233-245. [Coen-Aubert] Kido, E. and Sugiyama, T., 2005. Silurian rugose corals from the Gionyama Formation, Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Southwest Japan. Fukuoka Univ. Sci. Rept., 35 (1), p. 11-29, with 2pls. (Japanese with English abstract) The Gionyama Formation, a unit of Silurian and Devonian rocks, is exposed in the Gokase-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture, and assigned to the Kurosegawa Terrane in Southwest Japan. Two localities from the G2 Member of the Gionyama Formation contain an abundant rugose corals fauna consisting of 17 species in 12 genera. These are : Tryplasma sp. A，T. sp. B，T. sp. C， Cystiphyllum sp.，Holmophyllum sp. A，H. sp. B，Labechiellata regularis，Rhizophyllum sp. A，R. sp. B，Neobrachyelasma sp. aff. N. balchascicum，Pseudamplexus sp.，Amsdenoides sp.，Amplexoides sp.，Strombodes sp.，Nanshanophyllum sp. aff. N. typicum，N. sp. aff. N. mirandum and Ptychophyllum sp. The following genera are reported for the first time from this member : Cystiphyllum，Holmophyllum，Rhizophyllum，Neobrachyelasma，Pseudamplexus， Amsdenoides，Amplexoides，Strombodes，Nanshanophyllum and Ptychophyllum. In addition, Neobrachyelasma，Strombodes and Ptychophyllum are previously unknown from the Silurian of Japan. Of these genera in the G2 Member of the Gionyama Formation, eight commonly occur in the Upper Llandovery sequence in the Ningqiang – Guangyuan depression in the northern part of South China. In China, Nanshanophyllum indicates a middle to late Telychian age. Therefore the coral fauna from the G2 Member can be inferred to indicate a Late Llandovery age. Also, this is the second report of the co-occurrence of Neobrachyelasma and Nanshanophyllum, which previously was know only from the Ningqiang – Guangyuan depression. Neobrachyelasma is also known from Kazakhstan and the Altay area, and Nanshanophyllum has been reported from the Hunan Province in South China, Gansu Province in Qidam, Australia and Canada. Thus, the similarities of the coral faunas between the Gionyama Formation and these areas should be considered in any paleobiogeographic reconstruction of the Kurosegawa Terrane. (Original abstract, Sugiyama) 17

Lee, Dong-jin and Robort J. Ellias, 2000. Paleobiologic and evolutuinary significance of corallite increase and associated features in Saffordophyllum newcombae (Tabulata, Late Ordovician, southern Manitoba). Journal of Paleontology 74, 3, pp. 404–425. Saffordophyllum newcombae Flower, 1961, displays unique abilities and an unprecedented range in types of corallite increase. Cerioid growth was characteristic, but colonies on soft substrates could grow in a tollinaform manner during early astogeny. The capacity for recovery from damage and partial mortality is amazing. Rejuvenation may have been accompanied by peripheral expansion in some cases. Rapid regeneration could involve axial increase. Circular lacunae that formed during recovery became sites of rapid lateral increase or corallite decrease. Two types of axial increase occurred within coralla. Lateral increase was concentrated mainly along the basal wall and adjacent to certain circular lacunae. In typical cerioid parts of the corallum, lateral increase seldom yielded “adult” corallites, but incipient lateral offsets could be numerous. The level of colony integration was probably moderately high. There was likely soft-tissue continuity among polyps, coordination of polyp behavior, subjugation of individuals for the good of the colony, and perhaps astogenetic control. Saffordophyllum newcombae is considered to be a tabulate coral, although one type of axial increase is similar to that in a few rugose corals and the other type of axial increase as well as possible peripheral expansion resemble modes of increase in some coralline sponges. Lateral increase is considered compatible with cnidarian rather than poriferan biology. Corallite size is typical of tabulates. Saffordophyllum may not be the direct ancestor of favositid tabulates, and may not even be closely related to them; S. newcombae is very different from Paleofavosites and Favosites. The remarkable range in forms of increase discovered in S. newcombae demonstrates the critical need for detailed paleobiologic studies, if we are to understand the early evolutionary history of corals and to establish reliable criteria for distinguishing various coral groups and homeomorphs. [original abstract; Lee] Lee, Dong-jin and Robert J. Elias, 2004. Paleobiologic features of Trabeculites maculatus (Tabulata, Late Ordovician, southern Manitoba). Journal of Paleontology 78, 6, pp. 1056–1071. Detailed analysis of certain growth characteristics in Trabeculites maculatus contributes to an understanding of the paleobiology and phylogeny of early tabulate corals. Some coralla of T. maculatus contain peculiar, vertically oriented cylindrical lacunae (open areas) that are lenticular, or in one case circular, in cross section. The nature of these structures and their relation to adjacent corallites suggest that they were formed by the coral in response to soft-bodied biotic associates of unknown taxonomic affinity. Trabeculites maculatus is an unusual tabulate coral featuring both axial and lateral modes of corallite increase. Axial increase was common, often occurring in association with rejuvenation following injury and less commonly involving normal, undamaged corallites. Lateral increase of normal corallites was typical, but this form of increase could also be involved in the termination of lacunae and occurred in response to a divergent growth pattern around the circular lacuna. Corallite decrease was fairly common, usually taking place adjacent to lenticular lacunae but in some cases involving normal corallites not associated with lacunae. Corallite fusion was uncommon; it could be either temporary or permanent. Conspicuous relocation of corallites and restructuring of corallite arrangement generally involved mass rejuvenation and/or regeneration, usually over a large surface area of the corallum.

18

The growth features in T. maculatus are fundamentally the same as those in the co-occurring Saffordophyllum newcombae, including types of axial increase unknown in other tabulate corals. The basic paleobiologic similarity of these species supports the interpretation that the genera they represent are closely related phylogenetically. The relationship of these taxa to other tabulates, however, remains unresolved. [original abstract; Lee] Liao, Wei-hua & Soto, F., 2004. Rugose corals from the Arpishmebulaq Formation (Early Devonian, Lochkovian) of South Tianshan in Xinjiang. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 43 (3), pp 366–376, 3 figs., 2 pls. [in Chinese with English abstract] The Arpishmebulaq Formation is exposed at the eastern South Tienshan of Xinjiang and was originally proposed by E. Norin (1937, 1941), a Swedish geologist. It consists mainly of limestones and shales with a thickness about 400 m and yields abundant corals, brachiopods, ostracods, stromatoporoids and conodonts. Norin subdivided it into 6 divisions (A, B, C, D, E, F). There are some different opinions about the geological age of the Arpihmebulaq Formation: 1. Norin /1941) and Regnell (1941) first regarded most of formations (division A to division E) of Late Silurian age, while the top part (division F) of possibly Early Devonian age; 2. Zhang, Yu et al (1959) as well as Hou, Wang and al. (1988) recognized it as of the Lower Devonian; 3. Wang (1988) and Wang (1990) considered it as belonging to the Late Silurian; 4. Liao and others (1990, 2001), Liao and Xia (1996), Xia (1997), Deng (2001), Soto and Liao (1998, 1999, 2001) believed that it (from division B to division F) would be the age of late Lochkovian (Early Devonian) in the light of some index conodonts Amydrotaxis praejohnsoni, Pandorinellina optima, Ozarkodina remscheidensis remscheidensis. The rugose corals described and illustrated comprise 17 species within 7 genera: Cystiphylloides corniculum (Regnell, 1941), C. cf. laticystis (Regnell, 1941, C. cf. macrocystis (Schlüter, 1889), Tryplasma cf. tomtchumyshensis Zheltonogova, 1961, T. hercynica (Peetz, 1901), T. aequabile Lonsdale, 1845, Pseudotryplasma sp. A, Dubrovia sp. A., D. sp. B, D. aff. dubroviensis, Salairophyllum cf. angustum (Zheltonogova, 1961, Neomphyma sp., Rhizophyllum hedini (Regnell, 1941), R. cf. enorme Etheridge, 1903, R. extensum Soto and Liao, 1998, R. sp. A, R. sp. B. Among these rugose corals, Tryplasma cf. tomtchumyshensis, T. hercynica and T. aequabile closely resemble some Lower Devonian forms from the Urals, Salair and Altay Mountains. Although genus Rhizophyllum is usually recorded from Silurian but R. cf. enorme is somewhat related to R. enorme from the Lower Devonian of eastern Australia, Salair, Altai and the Urals. Dubrovia aff. dubroviensis and Salairophyllum cf. angustum closely resemble their holotypes from the Lower Devonian of the Salair, Russia respectively. Besides, the tabulate corals Dictyofavosites multitabulata Dubatolov, D. nagorskyi Mironova, Favosites terrejaeensis Tchernychev and Cladopora rectilineata Simpson have also been recorded from the Lower Devonian of Salair. Taken as a whole, they all indicate an Early Devonian age (Lochkovian), obviously bearing a much closer relationship with those of Salair, Altay and the Urals of Russia. [original abstract; Oekentorp] McLean, R. A., 2005. Phillipsastreid corals from the Frasnian (Upper Devonian) of western Canada: taxonomy and biostratigraphic significance. National Research Council of Canada Monograph. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 109 pp, 26 pls. Rugose corals of the Family Phillipsastreidae are abundant, diverse, and geographically widespread in the Frasnian (lower Upper Devonian) of western Canada. Species of the solitary genus Macgeea described here comprise M. parva Webster, 1889, M. proteus Smith, 1945, M. telopea Crickmay, 19

1962, M. soraufi n. sp., and M. pustulosa n. sp. Thamnophyllum and Peneckiella are branching forms, with Thamnophyllum represented by the species T. colemanense (Warren, 1928), T. tructense (McLaren, 1959), T. pedderi n. sp., T. cordense n. sp. And T. julli n. sp, while Peneckiella includes P. floydensis (Belanski, 1928), P. metalinae Sorauf, 1972, P. gracilis n. sp. and P. haultainensis n. sp. Biostratigraphic distribution of these species is reviewed, together with that of previously described Canadian massive phillipsastreid species belonging to the genera Phillipsastrea, Chuanbeiphyllum, Pachyphyllum, Smithicyathus, and Frechastraea. The coral biostratigraphy is expressed in terms of the Montagne Noir conodont zonation and modified western Canada rugose coral faunal assemblages. [original abstract; Wrzołek] Neuman, B. E. E., 2003. The new early Palaeozoic rugose coral genera Eurogrewingkia gen. nov. and Fosselasma gen. nov. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Geology 52, (4), pp 199–212. [Coen-Aubert] Pedder, A. E. H. & Murphy, M. A., 2004. Emsian (Lower Devonian) Rugose corals of Nevada: Reservoir of systematics and stratigraphic ranges, and reassessment of faunal provincialism. Journal of Paleontology 78 (5), pp 838–863. New collection from measured sections provide much of the material for this study. Holcocystis, Atopocaystis, and Stummelasma are erected as new genera. Atopocastis mucronata and Stummelasma sulfurense are new species; Holocystis flexa (Stumm), Stummelasma lonense (Stumm), and S. antelopense (Merriam) are new combinations. Revised coral ranges are integrated with the standard Nevada conodont zones and brachiopod-based faunal intervals. A range chart for 33 Rugosa emphasizes their value for correlation in Icriodus, or brachiopod-poor biofacies of the Great Basin. It also shows that full recovery from the end Lochkovian/early Pragian coral crisis in the region was delayed until the start of the middle Emsian gronbergi Zone. The recovery was accomphlished principally by radiation of the Breviphyllidae and Papilophyllidae, and by immigration or cyathophyllid and other genera. Updated lists of Rugosa genera present in the Great Basin, Mackenzie, and Appohimchi provinces during the Pragian and early Emsian (kindley-lenzi zones) and middle to late Emsian (gronbergiserotinus zones) are given. Qualitative and quantitative data, the latter as Otsuka Coefficients, indicate that the Pragian Great Basin coral faunas can no longer be regarded as part of a temporary westward extension of the Eastern Americas Realm. Nor can they be considered part of the Mackenzie coral province. Genus absence/presence data show that the Great Basin coral province began with a slow recovery of faunas after the late Lochkovian/early Pragian coral crisis, and ended with the arrival f typical Old World Realm families, including the Ptenophyllidae and Stringophyllidae, within the early Eifelian, costatus Zone. During this time faunas of the Mackenzie coral province were so distinct from those of the exotic Alexander and Farewell terranes of Alaska and British Columbia. The duration of the Devonian Great basin coral province corresponds closely to the duration of a period of depressed seawater temperatures postulated from the distribution of gypidulinid brachiopods. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Piecha M. 2004. Late Famennian heterocorals from the Refrath 1 Borehole (Bergisch GladbachPaffrath Syncline; Ardennes-Rhenish Massif, Germany). Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg 251, pp 123-133, 4 Figs, 2 pls. The heterocoral Oligophylloides pachythecus is described from the Refrath 1 Borehole. The borehole is 53m deep and consists of dark grey, in part marly mudstones with few thin intercalations of calacreous siltstones. The sediments are dated as Middle expansa Zone (late 20

Famennian) by conodonts. The heterocorals are well preserved and multiple branched. The shape of the heterocorals suggests a procumbent living condition. [Wrzołek] Plusquellec, Y., 2005. Hadrophyllum asturicum n. sp., Rugosa du Dévonien de la Chaîne Cantabrique (Espagne): seul représentant du genre hors l'Amérique du Nord. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, 2005, (1), pp. 46-64. [Coen-Aubert] Poty, É., 2004. Stratigraphy and paleobiogeography of Carboniferous rugose corals of Nova Scotia. In: Hills, L.v., Henderson, C.M & Bamber, E.W. (editors). Carboniferous and Permian of the World. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Memoire 19, pp. 580-587. The Upper part of the Windsor Group, Nova Scotia, includes limestone me3mbers which are of great value for local lithostratigraphic correlation. Three of them, the Ryan Brook, the Herbert River and the Kennetcook Limestone, contain rugose corals. The Ryan Brook Limestone Member has yielded only one species of Siphonodendron, suggesting a possible Upper Viséan age. The Herbert River Limestone Member marks the base of the upper part of the Windsor Group. It is locally rich in Rugosa and yielded species belonging to Siphonodendron, Nemistium, Lonsdaleia, Axophyllum, Dibunophyllum, Koninckophyllum, a colonial Koninckophyllum and Palastraea. Most of the corals were collected in boulders in the Mahone Bay area, SW Nova Scotia. These taxa indicate Brigantian age, as previously suggested by foraminifera, and are similar to those known in Ireland, suggesting close relations between Nova Scotia and the Irish-North England basin. The Kennetcook Limestone Member is at the top of the Windsor Group. It contains only solitary corals belonging to Amplexizaphrentis and Turbinatocaninia. This fauna, rich in specimens but poorly diversified, is known in the Serpukhovian of the Russian platform. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Poty, É. & Hecker, M.R., 2003. Parallel evolution in European rugose corals of the genus Lonsdaleia McCoy, 1849 (Lower Carboniferous). Bulletin de l´Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Science de la Terre 71, pp. 109-135, 6 figs., 6 pls. [key words: Lonsdaleia, evolution, variability, Lower Carboniferous, Europe] Two lineages, both leading to cerioid and subcerioid species, can be discerned in the evolution of the genus Lonsdaleia McCoy,1849: L. (Lonsdaleia) duplicata (MARTIN, 1909) gave rise to the subcerioid genus Actinocyathus D´ORBIGNY, 1849 (considered here as a subgenus of Lonsdaleia) at the beginning of the latest Viséan in northern Europe, and L. (Lonsdaleia ) redondensis sp. nov. or a related species possibly evolved into L. (Serraphyllum) subgen. nov. near the Viséan/Serpukhovian transition in South France. Three new species of the genus Lonsdaleia are described from the uppermost Viséan and Serpukhovian of the Montagne Noire (South France), including two species assigned to the subgenus L. (Serraphyllum). Two species of the subgenus L. (Actinocyathus) are redescribed from the Serpukhovian of the Moscow Basin. Parallel evolution in Actinocyarthus and Serrraphyllum during the Serpukhovian is discussed. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Rozanov A.Yu. 2003. Paleontology of Mongolia. Ordovician-Devonian corals and Stromatoporoidea. 285pp. 68 pls.; Moskva. [Schröder] San K.K., Yan J., Schröder St., Feng Q., Ingavat-Helmcke R. & Helmcke D. 2004. Comparison of the Paleozoic sequences from the Padaukpin area (Northern Shan States, Union of Myanmar) and the Baoshan region (Western Yunnan, P.R. of China). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie 233 (3), pp 351-368, 1 fig., 1 tab.; Stuttgart. 21

The Paleozoic sequences of the Padaukpin area of the Northern Shan States (Union of Myanmar) and the Baoshan region in Western Yunnan (P.R. of China) are compared. They show many similarities. A hiatus in sedimentation during the Carboniferous is developed in both regions and is therefore of regional importance. The Middle Devonian rugose coral fauna of both regions are typical for the Old World Faunal Realm and especially corals from the Padaukpin area (Northern Shan States), show strong affinities to the Rhenish faunas from the German Eifel mountains. While the "pebbly mudstones" of Lower Permian age from the Baoshan region are usually discussed in the literature as glaciomarine deposits, similar strata in the Shan States are described as oligomictic conglomerate facies at the base of the Thitsipin Limestone Formation. [original abstract; Schröder] Schröder St. 2004. Devonian (Givetian/Frasnian) coral biostratigraphy of the Rhenish Mountains. A Moroccan Perspective? – IUGS Subcommission on Devonian stratigraphy (SDS) & Institut Scientifique, Rabat. Devonian neritic – pelagic correlation and events. Abstract volume, 4 MS-S.; Rabat. [Schröder] Schröder St. 2004. Devonian rugose corals from the Karakorum Mountains (Northern Pakistan). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 110 (3): 605-641. The Karakorum Block is regarded as a microplate of "Gondwanan" origin and was part of the Cimmerian continent ("Mega Lhasa") which rifted away from the northern margin of Gondwana during the Late Palaeozoic/Early Mesozoic. From the Northern Karakorum Range (Yarkhun and Karambar River Valleys: structurally belonging to the Northern Sedimentary Belt) an Upper Givetian to Lower Frasnian rugose coral fauna of the Shogram Formation is described. The fauna is dominated by cosmopolitan genera such as Hexagonaria, Disphyllum, Macgeea and the Temnophyllum/Spinophyllum group, generally showing a geographically wide distribution, although being absent from the Eastern Americas Realm in the Upper Givetian/Lower Frasnian. Therefore its components are of little use for biogeographical deductions at sub-realm level, and in explaining the relation between the Karakorum Range and other Cimmerian crustal blocks. A remarkable exception is the first record of the genus Pseudopexiphyllum outside of Turkey, indicating a connection to the western part of the Cimmerides. On species level, the coral fauna of the Shogram Formation is characterized by the development of a diverse and rather unique fauna including about 35 taxa, that differs from the faunas known from neighbouring crustal blocks. So far, faunistic links to the Central Iranian Microcontinent (Yazd-, and Tabas-Block), the northwest Iranian Plate (Elburz), Central Pamir, the Lhasa Block and Western Qiangtang are not clear, and although each of these fragments are believed to be closely connected they were apparently not in direct contact during the Devonian. However, the Karakorum fauna is remarkably close to one known from the Helmand Block in Afghanistan, showing a very similar generic composition that includes numerous morphologically closely related, although not identical species. Accordingly, the restricted faunal exchange led to the development of new taxa. Distribution of the new species of Spinophyllum, Pseudopexiphyllum and Pseudozaphrentis is limited to the Karakorum Mountains. Reasons for this individual faunistic development and the missing faunal exchange are unexplained, but suggest that some kind of active faunal barrier must have existed during the Devonian, which led to the development of the specific Karakorum fauna. With the exception of Phillipsastrea orientalis Smith, 1930, which is elsewhere only known from the Burmese Devonian, the occurrence of some other species suggest a connection to regions which are regarded as biogeographically unrelated. A weak relation to central European faunas is indicated by the occurrence of characteristic species of Macgeea and Hexagonaria known from the Ardennes and the Holy Cross Mountains. More unusual are the faunistic affinities to the Altai-Sayan region 22

shown by the surprising occurrences of species of Spinophyllum and siphonophrentid corals morphologically very close to those known from the Altai Mtns. And Kazakhstan. [original abstract; Schröder] Tapanila L. 2004. The earliest Helicosalpinx from Canada and the global expansion of commensalism in Late Ordovician sarcinulid corals (Tabulata). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 215 (1-2), pp 99-110. Spiral embedment cavities that formed around metazoan endosymbionts are preserved in the septa and intercorallite spaces of Columnopora and Calapoecia corals from Manitoulin Island, Ontario. These are the oldest described Helicosalpinx asturiana, and this report extends the range of these trace fossils from the Richmondian (Ashgill, Upper Ordovician) to the Givetian (upper Middle Devonian). The sinistrally coiled traces show regular morphology, suggesting a physiological basis for their shape. Coral growth parameters are not affected by the presence of Helicosalpinx, suggesting that the endosymbiont was not parasitic and not in direct competition for resources with the host. H. asturiana is interpreted as trace fossil evidence of commensalism. Two additional endosymbiotic traces occur in Late Ordovician Columnopora. The particular association of straight, cylindrical Chaetosalpinx with Columnopora is widespread during the Richmondian. A dependent association is suggested to have originated between the endosymbiont and Columnopora prior to the Richmondian expansion and to have continued into the Hirnantian (latest Ordovician). The association between this endosymbiont and host is the earliest known temporally and globally significant inter-metazoan symbiosis. Although host corals, Columnopora and Calapoecia, did not survive the end-Ordovician mass extinction events, both Chaetosalpinx and Helicosalpinx occur in other host corals during the Silurian and Devonian. [Schröder] Weyer D. 2004. Neue Rugosa-Funde aus dem Unter-Famenne von Deutschland (Anthozoa, Oberdevon). Geologisches Jahrbuch von Hessen 131, pp 203-223, 7 Abb., 2 Taf.; Wiesbaden. [Schröder] Weyer D., Feist R. & Girard C. 2003. Conodonta, Trilobita, and Anthozoa near the Late Frasnian Upper Kellwasser Event of the Geipel Quarry section in Schleiz, Thuringian Mountains (Germany). Mitteilungen des Museum f. Naturkunde, Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe 6 (2003), pp 71-78, 2 Abb., 1 Taf. [Schröder] White D.E., & Yang S.-W. 2004. British Ordovician tabulate corals. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society 157 (620); London. Of the 13 families of tabulate corals represented in the Ordovician successions of South and North Wales, Lake District, Northwest Yorkshire, Cross Fell and Southwest Scotland, three (Cryptolichenariidae, Lichenariidae, Paleoalveolitidae) are exclusive to the Caradoc Series, being the oldest tabulate corals recorded from Britain, five (Favositidae, Proheliolitidae, Proporidae, Sibiriolitidae, Taeniolitidae) are exclusive to the Ashgill Series, while the remaining five (Billingsariidae, Coccoserididae, Halysitidae, Syringophyllidae, Tetradiidae) are represented in both the Caradoc and Ashgill series. The total known fauna consists of 26 genera, of which Elkanpora and Girvanopora are new. Of the 63 species and subspecies, two are described under open nomenclature and 25 are new.

23

The palaeogeographical distribution of these tabulate corals was affected by the separation of the Laurentia and Avalon palaeocontinents in Caradoc and Ashgill times, the Iapetus Ocean acting as a barrier that prevented the mixing of their coral faunas. [Schröder] Zhang Feng, Wang Xiao-juan, and Wang Xiang-dong, 2004. Intraspecific variation in Kepingophyllum aksuense Wu et Zhou from the Lower Permian of Kelping, Xinjiang, Northwest China. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 43 (4), pp 579-585. [Chinese with English abstract] After a detailed observation in a large number of thin sections of Kepingophyllum aksuense from Lower Permian of Kelping area, Xinjiang, we found that there are strong variations in corallites of colony. The characters exhibiting high variability include: shape of corallites, width ratio of tabularium to dissepimentarium, septal length, shape of tabulae, the number of septa, and the ratio of septal number to diameter. The shape of corallites is greatly different in transverse section. They are commonly hexagon and some pentagon, and even triangle. The statistical analysis shows the ratio of tabularium to dissepimentarium has a random distribution. This abnormal distribution may be caused by unstable development of lonsdaleoid dissepimentariums. Major and minor septa are measured in the length and indicate a good linable relation between them. In longitudinal sections, shapes of tabulae can be differentiated into three kinds: the concave complete tabulae, incomplete tabulae, and clinotabulae. About 200 corallites are measured in number of septa to show a distribution pattern that the number 14-16 takes the majority. Eighty corallites are measured for the ratio of septal number to diameter. The distribution pattern shows that data points are surprisingly scattered away from the curve and the R value is only 0.3923. In addition, in longitudinal section there exists a periodic increase that probably shows a kind of seasonal variation, represented by alternative arrangement of large and small vesicular dissepiments. The comparison between the present and type specimens indicates a less difference in variability. [original abstract; Wang] Zhang Yu-Bao, Sun Yuan-Lin, Liu Jiao-Bo, and Han Bao-Fu 2004. A new species of Aphraxonia from the Upper Middle Devonian of the South Tianshan Area, Xinjiang, China. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 41 (3), pp 118-123. [in Chinese with English abstract] Aphraxonia, a rare Middle-Late Devonian rugosa coral genus with columella structure, was previously only known from two localities: Upper Devonian of Anatolia area, Turkey and the Qiziqiao Formation (Givetian) of Hunan Province, China (Ünsalaner, 1951; Jia et al., 1977), including two species: Aphraxonia salaner and Aphramonza zhuzhouensis (Jia). Aphraxonia zhuzhouensis (Jia) was originally described by Jia (see Jia et al, 1977) under the genus Hunanamonia after comparing the main features of Aphraxonia Ünsalaner, 1951 and Hunanaxonia Jia, 1977, Hill (1981) thought that no basic differences between the two genera and, thus, she put Hunanaxonia under the subjective synonyms Aphramonia Unsalaner, 1951. In this paper, we report a new species of the genus, namely Aphraaconia wuqiaensis sp. nov., collected from the Middle Devonian of the South Tianshan area, Xinjiang. This new species represents an intermediate form between Aphraxonia taurensis Ünsalaner and Aphramonia zhuzhouensis (Jia) in the internal morphological features. It is the first to confirm the existence of Aphraxonia outside the Anatolia area of Turkey and Hunan Province of China. This discovery demonstrates that Aphrasconia has wide geographical distribution during the Middle to Late Devonian period although it is rare in the fossil record. It also suggests that the South Tianshan area had close biogeographical relationship with both Turkey and Southern China during the Devonian. The new species was collected from the Middle Devonian Tuogemati Formation on a section, located about 12 km northwest to Tuopa town of Wuqia County, exposed along the highway from Tuopa toTuergart between milestones 96-99 km (Text-fig. 1). On this section, the Tuogemati Formation is about 800-900 m thick and mainly consists of thin-bedded marly limestone and 24

bioclastic limestone. It was conformably overlie by a set of Late Devonian flysch accumulation. At its bottom a reversal fault made it directly contacted with Quaternary fluvial sediment. The new species occurs near the top of the Tuogemati Formation. Abundant tabulate corals Alveolites sp. and Striatopora sp., as well as a few rugosa coral Thamnophyllum sp. and brachiopod Athysina ? sp. are found to co-exist with the new species. Both Zhou and Chen (1991) and Zhou (2001) mentioned the following fossils were found from the upper part of the Tuogemati Formation around this area, including corals Temnophyllum sp., Alveolites sp., Disphyllum sp., Neospongophyllum sp.;brachiopods Spinatrypa sp., Schizophoria sp., Gypidula sp., Desquamata sp., Emanuella sp., Undispirifer sp., Stringocephalus sp., Bornhardtina sp. etc. These fossils indicate that the Tuogemati Formation is Givetian in age. [Original abstract, Wang]

Scleractinia Aberhan, M., Bussert, R., Schrank, E., Heinrich, W.-D., Schultka, S. (et al.), 2002. Palaeoecology and depositional environments of the Tendaguru Beds (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Tanzania). Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Geowissenschaftliche Reihe 5, pp 19–44, 2 pls. [reconstruction of the ecosystem of the Tendaguru Beds is given; some Jurassic corals are depicted; Löser] Baron-Szabo, R. C. 2004. Austrian scleractinian corals from the K/T-boundary to the Miocene. In Piller, W. & Hubmann, B. (eds.): PANGEO Austria 2004, Erdwissenschaften und Öffentlichkeit. Berichte des Instituts für Erdwissenschaften Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz 9, pp 63–66. This is the first review and compilation of Austrian scleractinian corals from the K/T-boundary to the Miocene. The Austrian corals of the K/T-boundary (here defined as the period Middle Campanian-Upper Paleocene) show closest affinities to forms that are typical of the Upper Cretaceous, especially taxa of the Turonian-Lower Campanian strata of the Gosau Group. A first major transition in the faunal composition took place during the late Paleocene. When the ‘typical Cretaceous forms’ (e.g., Heterocoenia, Paraplacocoenia, Calamophylliopsis) disappeared and the first species of modern genera (e.g., Astreopora, Acropora, Goniastrea, Alveopora) appeared; all species of the latter vanished during the Eocene together with all genera which are characteristic of the Eocene-Oligocene period (Stylocoenia and Pattalophyllia) in other geographic areas. With the beginning of the Miocene another significant change of the Austrian coral fauna was observed due to the occurrence of both numerous solitary taxa (e.g., Caryophyllia, Deltocyathus, Discotrochus, and Flabellum) as well as colonial hermatypic genera (e.g., Porites and Tarbellastraea). [original abstract; Baron-Szabo] Baron-Szabo, R. C., Hamedani, A., Senowbari-Daryan, B., 2003. Scleractinian corals from Lower Cretaceous deposits north of Esfahan (Central Iran). Facies 48, 199-216. A new section through Cretaceous deposits was discovered 1 km west of the Dizlu village (approximately 40 km north of Esfahan, central Iran). Lithologically, the section distinctly differs from all other sections exposed in neighboring localities. A scleractinian coral fauna (Upper AptianUpper Albian), collected from a reefal limestone, is described in detail. The following taxa were found: Actinastrea aff. pseudominima (Koby), Columactinastraea sp., Eugyra cotteaui (d’Orbigny), Pseudomyriophyllia turnsekae Baron-Szabo, Montlivaltia sp., Paraclausastrea pulchra Morycowa, Placocoenia robusta Oppenheim, Columnocoenia ksiazkiewiczi Morycowa, Stylina micropora 25

Koby, Felixigyra deangelisi Prever, Cyathophora haysensis Wells, Diploastraea harrisi Wells, Morphastrea cf. ludovicina (Michelin), Meandrophyllia meandroides (Koby), Eocomoseris raueni Löser, Fungiastrea crespoi (Felix), Latiastraea cf. kaufmanni (Koby), Kobya aff. crassolamellosa Gregory. The coral association of the Esfahan region is dominated by forms that are known to be cosmopolitan and semicosmopolitan in the Lower Cretaceous. It was found that over 40% of the coral fauna had previously been reported from both Lower and Upper Cretaceous strata. A similar pattern has been recognized for other reefal associations (e.g. Albian of Greece and Upper Barremian-Middle Albian of Mexico). In contrast, coral assemblages which developed in rather soft bottom environments have a significantly smaller percentage (15-20%) of taxa extending into the Upper Cretaceous and show closer affinities to Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous faunas. [original abstract; Löser] Bertling, M., 2002. Ecological and morphological impact of sedimentation on hermatypic coral associations (Late Jurassic, northern Germany). Münstersche Forschungen zur Geologie und Paläontologie 93, pp 5–15. [Löser] Cairns, S. D. 2004. The Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 56 (3), pp 259-329. A total of 237 species of azooxanthellate Scleractinia are reported for the Australian region, including seamounts off the eastern coast. Two new genera (Lissotrochus and Stolarskicyathus) and 15 new species are described: Crispatotrochus gregarius, Paracyathus darwinensis, Stephanocyathus imperialis, Trochocyathus wellsi, Conocyathus formosus,Dunocyathus wallaceae, Foveolocyathus parkeri, Idiotrochus alatus, Lissotrochus curvatus, Sphenotrochus cuneolus, Placotrochides cylindrica, P. minuta, Stolarskicyathus pocilliformis, Balanophyllia spongiosa, and Notophyllia hecki. Also, one new combination is proposed: Petrophyllia rediviva. Each species account includes an annotated synonymy for all Australian records as well as reference to extralimital accounts of significance, the type locality, and deposition of the type. Tabular keys are provided for the Australian species of Culicia and all species of Conocyathus and Placotrochides. A discussion of previous studies of Australian azooxanthellate corals is given in narrative and tabular form. This study was based on approximately 5500 previously unreported specimens collected from 500 localities, as well as a re-examination of most of the types and previously reported specimens from the Australian region. Fifty-six species are recorded as new to Australia; 183 state range extensions are listed; and 96 worldwide bathymetric range extensions are noted. In order to characterize the Australian fauna, all 703 known azooxanthellate species were tabulated as to coloniality, method of attachment, and depth range: 187 species are colonial, 516 solitary; 373 are attached, 265 free, and 54 transversely dividing; and 200-1000 m is the most common depth range. Compared to all azooxanthellate species, those from Australia have a slightly higher percentage of species that are solitary and unattached (or transversely dividing), due to a disproportionate number of species in the families Flabellidae and Turbinoliidae. Bathymetrically they are typical of the worldwide fauna. Sixty-seven species are endemic to the Australian region. Both UPGMA cluster analysis and MDS ordination reveal two main regions: a northern tropical region and a southern warm temperate region, consistent with zonation patterns of shallow-water marine invertebrates. [Baron-Szabo] Dupraz, C., Strasser, A., 2002. Nutritional modes in coral-microbialite reefs (Jurassic, Oxfordian, Switzerland): Evolution of trophic structure as a response to environmental change. Palaios 17, 5, pp 449–471.

26

Detailed study of Oxfordian coral-microbialite reefs in the Swiss Jura Mountains has identified major paleoecological variations in space and time, which are attributed to environmental changes. Micro- and macroscale semiquantitative analyses of microbialite types, micro-encrusters, bioerosion, corals, and other macrofauna composing the reefal facies were performed. Three main trophic structures (dominant nutritional modes) were recognized: phototrophic-dominated, balanced photo-heterotrophic, and heterotrophic-dominated. A phototrophic (light dependant) fauna dominated reefs growing in pure carbonate and nutrient-poor environments, where sedimentation rate was the main factor controlling reef growth. In mixed siliciclastic-carbonate platform environments, a balanced photo-heterotrophic fauna with periodical shifts to heterotrophicdominated associations was induced by freshwater and sediment run-off into closed, shallow lagoons. In this case, the main factors controlling reef growth were the distribution and accumulation of terrigenous sediment on the platform and / or associated nutrient availability. The balanced photo-heterotrophic structure found in mixed carbonate-siliciclastic settings produced the most diversified reefs, suggesting that these Oxfordian reefs preferentially thrived in water moderately charged with nutrients (mesotrophic environment). In the case of strong siliciclastic accumulation and / or strong increase in nutrient availability, coral reef diversity dropped drastically and heterotrophs dominated the trophic structure. A model of the evolution of trophic structure in these reefs as a function of the governing environmental factors is proposed. Focusing on the dominant nutritional mode at each step in reef evolution allows a detailed characterization of reefal structure and a better understanding of the processes leading to coral reef settlement, development, and demise. [original abstract; Löser] Filkorn, H. F., J. Avendaño Gil, M. A. Coutiño José, and F. J. Vega Vera, 2005. Corals from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Ocozocoautla Formation, Chiapas, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas 22 (1), pp 115-128. The coral species from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) strata of the Ocozocoautla Formation in Chiapas, Mexico, are identified, described and illustrated for the first time. This coral fauna is composed of 12 species, nine of which are colonial, presumably zooxanthellate, reef-building forms. This is the first time that six of these species have been reported from Mexico. The majority (11) of these species are endemic to the Caribbean region and known only from the Late Cretaceous. [Baron-Szabo] Filkorn, H. F., M. A. Coutiño José, J. Avendaño Gil, and F. Vega Vera, 2004.. Eocene corals from Veinte de Noviembre, Chiapas, Mexico. IX Congreso Nacional de Paleontología, Libro de Resúmenes, 13-15 de Octubre 2004, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico, p. 33. [Baron-Szabo] Filkorn, H. F., Pantoja-Alor, J., 2004. A new early Cretaceous coral (Anthozoa; Scleractinia; Dendrophylliina) and its evolutionary significance. Journal of Paleontology 78, 3: 501-512. [bibliographic note corrected by Löser; abstract in FC&P 33.1, p. 70] Gill, G. A., Santantonio, M., Lathuilière, B., 2004. The depth of pelagic deposits in the Tethyan Jurassic and the use of corals: an example from the Apennines. Sedimentary Geology 166, 3/4: 311334. Assessing the palaeobathymery of pelagic deposits is rather speculative, as proof through lithology or fossils significant for depth estimates is sparse. This is unfortunate as the bathymetric history of pelagic successions allows to conceive the evolution of continental margins and oceanic basins. Discoveries in coral biology bring an unexpected impact on basin analysis. Evidence strongly 27

suggests that pennular corals, fossil and modern, constitute a zooxanthellate group with an outstanding specialization in colonizing deeper parts of the marine photic zone. This adaptation includes light amplification by autofluorescent pigmented cells, and particular feeding, witnessed by peculiar gastric ducts and skeletal features. Such corals occur in the Umbria-Marche and Sabina Apennines on top of Late Jurassic submarine highs and at basin margins. Values of palaeodepth relative to pelagic deposits are provided by corals and other environmental data. Because depth reconstruction involves classical Tethyan facies, such as Ammonitico Rosso, Aptychus limestone and radiolarian cherts, we must note that these results do not meet with actualistic models relying on carbonate dissolution for estimating depth. Deposits viewed as bathyal to abyssal could also have accumulated within, or just below, the photic zone. Thus, a new insight opens on Mesozoic bathymetries, regarding vast areas (Middle East to Caribbean) and on subjects ranging from platform drowning to regional extension styles. [original abstract; Löser] Götz, S., 2003. Biotic interactions and synecology in a Late Cretaceous coral-rudist biostrome of southeastern Spain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 193, 125-138. A coral-rudist biostrome exposed in Campanian limestones near the village of Tabernas de Valldigna in southeast Spain was analysed with respect to its palaeontology, sedimentology and palaeoecology. Special attention was given to possible evidence for synecological interactions between corals and rudists. Changes in the rudist shell accretion process are evident in some polished slabs and thin sections and resulted from in vivo contact with coral colonies. These unusual balcony-like shell protuberances exist where the rudist's commissure was in contact with corals. They likely represent defence-reactions of rudists against the coral cnidia. Nevertheless, the fossil record of these biotic interactions is rare. This may be due to different growth-rates of rudists and corals, differing shape and size of interacting areas, or different life-spans. In consequence, the discrete 'window' of intergroup biotic interaction was small. Sedimentation and resuspension rates were high in the biostrome and corals only established pioneer associations under these unfavourable conditions. A higher diversity of corals is reached, however, when rudists are present. This increase in diversity resulted from the availability of additional ecological niches such as rudist-shell hard substrates and elevation above mobile sediment surface. Rudists on the other hand, received support from stabilisation of their shells through coral encrustation and framework building. In consequence, both groups benefited from their co-existence. [original abstract; Löser] Helm, C., 2002. 50 Jahre im Leben eines Korallenriffs des Oberjura. Fossilien 2, pp 102–109. [Löser] Helm, C., Reuter, M., Schülke, I., 2003. Der Korallenoolith (Oberjura) im Osterwald (NWDeutschland, Niedersächisches Becken): Fazielle Entwicklung und Ablagerungsdynamik. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft 153, 2/4: 159-186. Based on microfacies analysis, the sedimentary succession of the Korallenoolith Formation cropping out in the Hainholz limestone quarry in the Osterwald Mountains has been studied. The 42 m thick deposits almost completely represent the Korallenoolith Formation in the Osterwald Mountains and allow the subdivision into three lithological units: the section starts with (1) the Ahrensberg Member, a 26 m thick succession with an alternation of oolithic bioclastic limestones and marls at its base that swiftly grades into a monotonous oolite sequence. It is separated from (2) the overlying Hainholz Member ("Obere Korallenbank" of Hoyer 1965) by a prominent erosional unconformity. The Hainholz Member represents reefal deposits 12 m in thickness. It is followed by (3) an unit of quartz-bearing calcarenite vertically grading into oolite, and cortoid limestone upsection, the Barenburg Member. Although the Korallenoolith Formation is traditionally subdivided 28

into three (litho-) stratigraphical subunits ("Unterer Korallenoolith", "Mittlerer Korallenoolith", and "Oberer Korallenoolith", see Schulze 1975), they cannot be equated with the tripartite lithology of the studied section. According to comprehensive geological mapping and microfacies analysis, the lithological units recognized in the Hainholz quarry can be traced – with lateral variations in facies development and thickness – throughout the Osterwald Mountains. However, even at a distance of few km from the Osterwald Mountains, the Korallenoolith Formation differs in facies development and vertical facies patterns, so that a correlation of the sedimentary succession up to now appears almost impossible. When compared to the overall development of the Korallenoolith Formation in NW Germany, the reduced thickness of the Korallenoolith Formation exposed in the Osterwald Mountains is a notable feature. Furthermore, the erosional unconformity at the top of the basal oolite succession indicates a prominent hiatus in the Osterwald Mountains that is positioned at the base of the reefal deposits. Whether or not this unconformity can be correlated with the well developed lowstand unconformity at the top of the widely distributed florigemma-Bank Member (”Hauptdiskontinuitätsfläche”) that terminates reefal development remains unsettled. The middle lithological subunit (Hainholz Member) is developed as a reef complex with abundant coralthrombolite patch reefs imbedded in and interfingering with reef rubble. Its exposed dimensions make it the largest reef complex known from the Late Jurassic sedimentary succession in the Lower Saxony Basin. [original abstract; Löser] Helm, C., Schülke, I., 2003. An almost complete specimen of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) octocoral 'Isis' ramosa Voigt (Gorgonacea) from the Lower Saxony Basin, northwest Germany. Cretaceous Research 24, 1: 35-40. An almost completely preserved specimen of the octocoral 'Isis' ramosa (Mitteil. Geol. Staatsinst. Hamburg 27 (1958) 5) (Gorgonacea) is described. The specimen was found in Campanian strata in the Lower Saxony Basin near Hannover (NW Germany), presumably in the Pachydiscus stobaeil Galeola basiplana Zone of the regional northwest German zonation. It consists of a small, rigid, fan-shaped corallum that was formerly known only from a few poorly preserved fragments. This feature separates 'I' ramosa significantly from related extant Isididae that expose a corallum subdivided into calcified internodes and horny nodes. 'Isidid' species from deeper shelf settings with rigid branches and a presumed articulation only between root system and fan are interpreted as ancestral to extant gorgonaceans. [original abstract; Löser] Helm, C., Solcher, J., 1999. Weitere Funde oberjurassischer Korallen (Thamnasteria concinna und Isastrea sp.) aus quartären Ablagerungen von Niedersachsen. Geschiebekunde aktuell 15, 1: 1-8. Two species of Late Jurassic corals - Thamnasteria concinna and Isastrea sp. - are described from erratics south of Hannover (of NW Germany). [Löser] Hoefling, R., Scott, R.W., 2002. Early and mid-Cretaceous buildups. Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (SEPM) Special Publications 72, pp 521–548. Early Cretaceous carbonate platforms were widespread and thick, and complex biotic associations formed reefs that contributed significant amounts of carbonate sediment. An analysis of three time slices, late Tithonian to early Valanginian, late Valanginian to early Aptian, and late Aptian to midCenomanian, shows that although carbonate platform development increased throughout this span, it was stressed during the mid-Valanginian, the mid-Aptian, and the latest Cenomanian. These stress periods were also times when shallow-water rudists and calcareous algae experienced significant decline in abundance and diversity. These times of extinction were followed by diversification of new forms. The drivers of these stress events were a complex chain of events 29

from increased rates of ocean-floor spreading, oceanic volcanism, increased and/or expanded anoxia within the ocean water column, increased nutrients and marine plankton productivity, and deposition of organic matter. During the Early Cretaceous, carbonate platform ecosystems comprised a deeper-water association of mainly siliceous sponges, stromatolites, and some types of scleractinians and a shallow-water association of corals and rudists that built reefs and other structures. During the Aptian-Albian, intraplatform basins developed and their ramp margins generally were occupied by rudist-dominated associations of increasing biotic diversity. [original abstract; Löser] Kashiwagi, K., Yamagiwa, N., Ezaki, Y., Yao, A., Sakaori, Y. (et al.), 2002. Late Jurassic cnidarian and poriferan fossils from the Torinosu-type limestones in the Kurosegawa Terrane, western Kii Peninsula, Southwest Japan and their geological significance. Fossils 72, pp 5–16. Cnidarian and poriferan fossils were reported from the Torinosu-type limestones in the middle member of the Ikenoue Formation, Kurosegawa Terrane, westeren Kii Peninsula, Southwest Japan. They include 16 species belonging to 13 genera (nine Scleractinia, one Spongiomorphida, one Sclerospongia, and two Stromatoporoidea). The recorded cnidarian and poriferan fauna shows Late Jurassic in age, and the age estimation is consistent with the radiolarian chronostratigraphic data of the fine-grained clastic rocks enclosing the Torinosu-type limestones. Field observations suggest that the Torinosu-type limestone bodies were originally formed as laterally discontinuous carbonate mounds in shallow marine environment, and they were broken in part into blocks and transported downwards. Torinosu-type limestones associated with fine-grained clastic rocks are widely distributed in the Tithonian to Berriasian strata of both the Kurosegawa and Southern Chichibu terranes in the western Kii Peninsula. It has been discussed that shallow marine carbonate environment was formed as a result of uplift of the fore-arc basin caused by collision of seamounts. Furthermore, thrust movement of the Kurosegawa nappe over the Southern Chichibu Terrane accummulated thick olistostrome on the fore-arc basin during the middle Oxfordian to Kimmeridgian, resulting in the formation of shallow marine environment. [original abstract; Löser] Kiessling, W. & R. C. Baron-Szabo 2004. Extinction and recovery patterns of scleractinian corals at the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 214 pp 195–223. The extinction and recovery of scleractinian corals at the Cretaceous–Tertiary (K-T) boundary was analyzed based on a global database of taxonomically revised late Campanian to Paleocene coral collections. In contrast to earlier statements, our results indicate that extinction rates of corals were only moderate in comparison to other marine invertebrates. We have calculated a 30% extinction rate for Maastrichtian coral genera occurring in more than one stratigraphic stage and more than one geographic region. Reverse rarefaction suggests that some 45% of all coral species became extinct. Photosymbiotic (zooxanthellate) corals were significantly more affected by the extinction than azooxanthellate corals; colonial forms were hit harder than solitary forms, and among colonial forms an elevated integration of corallites raised extinction risk. Abundance, as measured by the number of taxonomic occurrences, had apparently no influence on survivorship, but a wide geographic distribution significantly reduced extinction risk. As in bivalves and echinoids neither species richness within genera nor larval type had an effect on survivorship. An indistinct latitudinal gradient is visible in the extinction, but this is exclusively due to a higher proportion of extinctionresistant azooxanthellate corals in higher-latitude assemblages. No significant geographic hotspot could be recognized, neither in overall extinction rates nor in the extinction of endemic clades. More clades than previously recognized passed through the K–T boundary only to become extinct within the Danian. These failed survivors were apparently limited to regions outside the Americas. Recovery as defined by the proportional increase of newly evolved genera, was more rapid for 30

zooxanthellate corals than previously assumed and less uniform geographically than the extinction. Although newly evolved Danian azooxanthellate genera were significantly more common than new zooxanthellate genera, the difference nearly disappeared by the late Paleocene suggesting a more rapid recovery of zooxanthellate corals in comparison to previous analyses. New Paleocene genera were apparently concentrated in low latitudes, suggesting that the tropics formed a source of evolutionary novelty in the recovery phase. [original abstract; Baron-Szabo] Kleemann, K., 2002. Anthozoa und Hydrozoa aus dem Karpatium des Korneuburger Beckens (Untermiozaen; Österreich). Beiträge zur Paläontologie 27, pp 275–279, 1 pl. A few fragments of stony corals, representing either Scleractinia (Anthozoa) or Stylasterina (Hydrozoa) are described from the upper early Miocene (Karpatian) of the Korneuburg Basin north of Vienna, Austria. [original abstract; Löser] Kuzmicheva, E.I., 2002. [Skeletal morphology, systematics and evolution of the Scleractinia.] Trudy Paleontologicheskogo instituta 286, 211 pp., 32 pls. [in Russian]. [The author describes 114 coral species, mainly from the Early Cretaceous of Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaidshan, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan. Thirtyeight species and ten genera (including two homonyms) are described as new. One new suborder is established. Most of the material is known from earlier publications, but the illustrations of the present paper are much better (not to say excellent!) and give a very good impression of the material. Unfortunately, the author missed most literature of the past 20 years, therefore the taxonomy appears antiquated; Löser] Lathuiliere, B., Almeras, Y., Huault, V., Bouticourt, F., Raharijaona-Raharison, L.-J., 2002. Milieux coralliens du Dogger pres de Betioky (Madagascar): la fin d'une exception. Comptes Rendues de Geoscience 334, pp 1169–1176. Corallian outcrops of the Dogger in the Betioky area (Madagascar) have been previously interpreted as barrier reefs or atolls involved in a large carbonate platform. This statement appeared exceptional for these times. A field study demonstrates that, in fact, they are only sparse solitary or colonial corals, whose growth occurred with some difficulty. They developed in meadows strongly marked by terrigenous inputs, in a subsiding context, and during brief episodes favourable to the genesis of ooids. [original abstract; Löser] Leloux, J., 2003. Columactinastraea anthonii sp. nov. (Scleractinia, Astrocoeniina), a new coral species from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of The Netherlands. Scripta Geologica 126, 185-201, 1 pl. Only four cerioid species of scleractinian corals have been described from the Maastrichtian in its type area; the montlivaltiid Isastrea angulosa (Goldfuss, 1826), and the astrocoeniids Actinastrea goldfussi d'Orbigny, 1849, A. faujasi (Quenstedt, 1881) and Columastrea fallax Umbgrove, 1925. A lectotype is selected for the latter species. A new cerioid species, Columactinastraea anthonii sp. nov., is recorded from the middle part of the Meerssen Member (Maastricht Formation) at the ENCI Quarry, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands. It is well-preserved and differs from other Columactinastraea species mainly by the relatively large diameter of its lumen. [original abstract; Löser]

31

Leloux, J., 2004. Notes on taxonomy and taphonomy of two Upper Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) scleractinian corals from Limburg, The Netherlands. Scripta Geologica 127, 313-339, 6 pls. A lectotype has been assigned for Placosmilia? robusta Umbgrove, 1925. This taxon, although fitting into the original diagnosis of Placosmilia, is not defined by the emended diagnosis of Alloiteau and later authors. Specimens from the Upper Maastrichtian of The Netherlands, that were formerly wrongly attributed to Galaxea fasciculata (Lamarck, 1816), a homonym of the extant species Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), belong to Placocoenia macrophthalma (Goldfuss, 1826). The specimen depicted as P. macrophthalma by Umbgrove does not belong to this taxon and is placed in open nomenclature. [original abstract; Löser] Leloux, J., 2004. Notes on taxonomy and taphonomy of two Upper Masstrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) scleractinian corals from Limburg, The Netherlands. – Scripta Geologica, 127: 313-339, 6 figs., 2 tbls., 6 pls.; Leiden. A lectotype has been assigned for Placosmilia? robusta Umbgrove, 1925. This taxon, although fitting into the original diagnosis of Placosmilia, is not defined by the emended diagnosis of Alloiteau and later authors. Specimens from the Upper Maastrichtian of the Netherlands, that were formerly wrongly attributed to Galaxea fasaciculata (Lamarck, 1816), a homonym of the extant species Galaxea fasciculraris (Linnaeus, 1758), belonging to Placosmilia macrophthalma (Goldfuss, 1826). The specimen depicted as P. macrophthalma by Umbgrove does not belong to this taxon and is placed in open nomenclature. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Löser, H., 2002. Biostratigraphical dating of Cretaceous coral communities using large data sets. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 76, 1, pp 75–81. Habitats of hermatypic corals are shallow and turbulent marine environments that often lack biostratigraphic index fossils. For that reason many Cretaceous coral faunas are imprecisely dated or dated only on the basis of comparisons with other coral faunas. Using a large database on the taxonomy, stratigraphical and geographical distribution of corals in the Cretaceous, a method is proposed that will make it possible to specify the stratigraphical age of coral associations on the basis of their specific composition. In this process the stratigraphical range of the species (calculated before from well-dated faunas) is summarized and a probable age of the association proposed. The method does not only help to assess the biostratigraphical age of a fauna, but may also indicate whether a fauna represents an original composition or is a mixed association derived from reworked horizons or olistoliths. The method can be applied to any other organism group, provided that the essential data for a comparison are available. [original abstract; Löser] Löser, H., 2002. Verfahren einer von der Taxonomie unabhängigen paläobiogeographischen Analyse post-paläozoischer Korallen [The palaeobiogeography of post-palaeozoic corals analysed by methods independent of taxonomy.] Mathematische Geologie 6 pp 15–43. Various unconventional methods which are described in detail were used to analyse the palaeobiogeography of post-palaeozoic corals. In view of the complicated species concept in the group of organisms investigated, traditional taxonomy was abandoned and operational taxonomical units (OTUs) were derived exclusively from samples, using methods of numerical taxonomy. The homogeneous units thus obtained are much more likely representatives of species than the taxa were in the literature. This method is practically a new approach not only to corals since large scale 32

palaeobiogeographical analyses covering a long time span were up to now mainly based on data from the literature. The distribution data thus obtained were tested by various methods to discover invariant factors and patterns in the distribution of the organisms. This mainly involves calculating the correlation of the distribution of the OTUs with operational geographical units (OGUs), stratigraphy, palaeo-latitude as well as palaeo-longitude. The specificity of various correlation coefficients is discussed. Other methods not used in this study are explained and their applicability and reliability are discussed. The structures of the data and the software used to record, process and estimate the data are briefly described. The need for transparent data structures and evaluation methods is pointed out. [abstract; Löser] Löser, H., 2003. Internodien der Gattung Moltkia (Octocorallia) aus einem Maastricht-Geschiebe (Oberkreide) von Niedersachsen (Deutschland). In: Löser, H., Zwanzig, M. (Eds.), Berliner Beiträge zur Geschiebeforschung CPress Verlag, Dresden, 2: 99-101, 1 pl.. From glacial drift material of a Maastricht age from Lüneburg (Niedersachsen, Germany), internodes of the octocoral genus Moltkia are described. The material is assigned to the species Moltkia minuta Nielsen 1918, form C sensu Voigt 1958. [original abstract; Löser] Löser, H., Bach, F., Müller, A., 2002. Die Sammlung Mesozoischer und Känozoischer Korallen von Johannes Felix am Geologisch-Paläontologischen Institut der Universität Leipzig. Leipziger Geowissenschaften 14, pp 1–70. One of the richest collections of Mesozoic and Cenozoic corals worldwide, that at the GeologicalPalaeontological Institute of the Leipzig University collected by the scientist and university teacher Johannes Felix (1859–1941), has now been catalogued and recorded in a computer database. Figured specimens and types have been checked. This paper gives an overview of Felix's life and work, of the genesis and troubled history of the collection and a condensed catalogue in the appendix. [abstract; Löser] Löser, H., Barattolo, F., Badia, S.C., Chikhi-Aouimeur, F., Dhondt, A., Erlich, R.N., Foezy, I., Geister, J., Hiss, M., Kolodziej, B., Leloux, J., Lewy, Z, Minor, K.P., Mitchell, S., Moosleitner, G., Peza, L., Remane, J., Romana, R., Sikharulidze, G.Y., Sinnyovski, D., Steuber, T., Tröger, K.-A., Turnsek, D., Vecchio, E., Vilella i Puig, J. & Zítt, J., 2002. List of citations. Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals 2, in 2 vols., 784 pp. [The second volume contains practically the revision of the Fossilium Catalogus, partes 5–7, first edited in 1914 by J. Felix. This catalogue is a list of all Cretaceous coral taxa ever cited in the literature published between 1758 and 2001. The new edition encompasses 22,500 (= seven times more than in Felix) citations. The catalogue gives the type species of each genus and its stratigraphical range. Each species is provided with data on the type material and type locality, its stratigraphical range, all citations in the literature and all localities where it is indicated. The edition is fully indexed and supplemented with a reference list; Löser] Löser, H., Mohanti, M., 2004. A Cenomanian coral assemblage from southern India. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 10, 577-594. Six hermatypic coral species [Adelocoenia desori (Koby 1897), Isastrea minima Prever 1909, Montlivaltia icaunensis d’Orbigny 1850, Rennensismilia cf. inflexa (Reuss 1854), Phyllocoenia pomeli Peron & Thomas 1893, Dimorphastrea grandiflora d’Orbigny 1850] from mixed carbonate33

siliciclastic sediments of the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Karai formation (Uttattur Group) of southern India are described. Four of them are colonial and two are solitary corals. The fauna compares well with Early Cretaceous to Cenomanian corals from northern and central Europe in particular. No relationships exist with the Late Albian coral faunas from southern India described in the 19th century, which is attributed to differences in the facies. [original abstract; Löser] Löser, H., Mori, K., 2002. The Jurassic corals from Japan in the Tohoku University Museum collection. Bulletin of the Tohoku University Museum 2, pp 77–110. The Jurassic corals described by Eguchi, Mori, Murata, Sugiyama and Yabe between 1933 and 1963 held at the Tohoku University Museum (Sendai, Japan) have been revised. The material comes from 44 localities and represents 87 coral species. The revision encompasses the proof of the generic assignment and a profound comparison to Jurassic corals described from localities outside Japan. The high number of endemic species was found to be justified. Only the generic composition of the faunas are comparable to other (mostly European) faunas. [original abstract; Löser] Löser, H., Sugiyama, T., Mori, K., 2002. Catalog of the Mesozoic corals at the Tohoku University Museum. Bulletin of the Tohoku University Museum 2, pp 47–76. The Mesozoic corals held at the Tohoku University Museum were recorded in a computer database. The collection encompasses Mesozoic corals described by Beauvais & Mori (1988), Eguchi (1934, 1936, 1942ab, 1944, 1948, 1951), Mori (1963), Murata (1962), Yabe & Eguchi (1933, 1936) and Yabe & Sugiyama (1933, 1939). All specimens and thin sections were compared to the illustrations in the literature. The numbers of the specimens given in the literature were compared to the specimens in the collection as well. As a result, type specimens and figured specimens were isolated. The collection is not complete. A certain number of specimens were not to be found in the collections. [original abstract; Löser] Morycowa, E., Masse, J.P., Vilas, L., Arias, C., 2002. Montlivaltia multiformis Toula (Scleractinia) from the Aptian of the Prebetic domain (SE Spain). Revista Espanola de Paleontología 16, 1, pp 131–144. Montlivaltia multiformis Toula (Scleractinia, Faviina, Montlivaltiidae), formerly reported from the Carpatho-Balkanic domain is described from Lower Aptian beds of the Prebetic Domain (SE Spain). Taxonomic attributes include the organisation of radial elements, septal trabneculae, caronae and endthecal elements while the external morphology of the coralla is fairly variable. The sedimentological context suggests a circalittoral environment also supported by palaeoecological features of the surrounding fauna. Owing to its stratigraphic position in the Carpatho-Balkanic region and in Spain, Montlivaltia multiformis appears as a potential marker for both shallow carbonate or outer shelf settings of the Lower Aptian Tethys European margin. [original abstract; the paper is an excellent study on the morphology and variation of the species rich genus Montlivaltia; on the other hand the holotype of Montlivaltia multiformis (NHMW 1967/695/1) has about 160 septa and it seems not probable that the Spanish material (with 82–112 septa) belongs to this species; it might belong to M. icaunensis, with syntypes showing about 90 septa and a comparable diameter; Löser] Pandey, D.K., Lathuiliere, B., Fürsich, F.T., Kuldeep, S., 2002. The oldest Jurassic cyathophorid coral (Scleractinia) from siliciclastic environments of the Kachchh Basin, western India. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 76, 2, pp 347–356. 34

Cyathophora Michelin, 1843, hitherto well known from the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous, has been found in the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) of the Kachchh Basin, western India. Eleven specimens of Cyathophora bourgueti (Defrance, 1826) from the Babia Cliff Sandstone member of the Kaladongar Formation, exposed along the northern scarp of the Kala Dongar, Pachchham Island, Kachchh, are described and illustrated as the earliest Jurassic record of the family Cyathophoridae Vaughan & Wells, 1943. It is suggested that the monospecific occurrence of Cyathophora bourgueti was controlled by salinity. [original abstract; Löser] Sachs, O., 2002. Der Diapir von Penacerrada (Sierra de Cantabria, Provinz Alava, Nordspanien). Stratigraphie, Fossilinhalt, Fazies, Tektonik und ein Impaktit-ähnlicher Diamikt vom Südrand des Diapirs. Documenta naturae 147, pp i–ix + 1–172, 39 pls. The studied field area is located in northern Spain in the Álava province south of the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz. In this region the Tertiary Ebro Basin is accompanied by a small mountain chain named the Sierra de Cantabria. In this mountain chain the southern part of the Penacerrada salt diapir was mapped at 1:10000 within a 6.1 km2 sized area. During the Lower Cretaceous, sedimentation was dominated by input from a deltaic shelf. After a first delta phase a small scale marine ingression occurred. During the first diapiric uprise of the Upper Triassic evaporites, a small patch reef complex was formed until lower Aptian times. With the break trough of the diapir, coral growth stopped. The second delta phase (Reitner & Wiedmann, 1982) started from Albian times with sand and conglomerate deposits. [from the abstract, shortened; some early Cretaceous corals are depicted; Löser] Sanders, D. & Baron-Szabo, R. C., 2005. Scleractinian assemblages under sediment input: their characteristics and relation to the nutrient input concept. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 216, pp 139-181. In the geological record, scleractinian-dominated turbid-water bioconstructions that accumulated under substantial terrigenous input, along with shallow neritic marls rich in well-preserved corals are common. These occurrences indicate that beyond some threshold, the ecologic and taphonomic effects of sedimentation prevail over the effects of nutrification. Field data and experiments on recent corals show that some taxa cope well with terrigenous turbidity and sedimentation, and acclimate to increased heterotrophy. Colonial corals resilient to sediment input commonly are massive to platy forms of high skeletal plasticity and with large polypars, to effectively reject sediment, or are branched species providing a very small sedimentation area cleaned by feeble currents, or small-polyped massive taxa that tolerate intermittent veneering by sediment. These corals may comprise siltation assemblages of recent turbid-water reefs and level-bottoms, in siliciclastic environments. Conversely, excess input of even low amounts of dissolved inorganic nutrients into clear waters adversely affects many coral species. Fossil turbid-water bioconstructions (TWB) were situated in inner shelf to shore zone settings or near storm wave base on shelves or ramps, did not stack into reef complexes, mostly show a cluster to segment fabric, are scarce in or devoid of frame pores with marine cement, and lacked a high carbonate slope. Relative to fossil clear-water buildups preserved in pure limestone successions, fossil TWB contain (moderately) diverse coral assemblages, with an increased proportion of sediment-resistant forms. Aside from coral behaviour that is elusive in fossils, the sediment resistance of corals was mainly determined by colony shape and polypar size, but small-polyped, sediment-tolerant corals became common since the Early Cretaceous. Late Jurassic to Cretaceous turbid-water coral assemblages are dominated by plocoid or thamnasterioid forms; corresponding Cainozoic assemblages consist mainly of cerioid and plocoid taxa. In fossil TWB, bioerosion and encrustation are similar or higher than in contemporaneous clear-water buildups. Under higher sediment input, accumulation of 35

discrete TWB was quenched, and level bottoms of both corals and soft-substrate biota formed. In the resulting coral marls, depending on turbidity, sedimentation and substrate stability, the coral fauna consists largely of both solitary corals and (mainly) sediment-resistant pseudocolonial/colonial forms, or is dominated by solitary corals. Many corals show growth anomalies resulting from partial mortality due to episodic, rapid sedimentation and unstable substrate. In coral marl environments, because of terrigenous input, nutrient levels probably were elevated, yet macroboring and encrustation are very scarce. Beyond some threshold of terrigenous sediment input and accumulation, the ecologic and taphonomic effects of sedimentation and unstable substrate prevail over the effects of nutrient enrichment. During the Meso-Cainozoic evolution of scleractinians, increasing photoautotrophy and progressive invasion of oligotrophic environments is in contrast to a Late Cretaceous to Cainozoic increase in the relative number of reefs in marginal-marine/siliciclastic settings. This trend may be explained by second-order sealevel fall and shrinking of epicontinental carbonate seas and isolated platforms, driving corals to more narrow, attached shelves, and by a wider total trophic range in which distinct coral assemblages can thrive, as a result of coral evolution and diversification. [Baron-Szabo] Sanders, D. & Baron-Szabo, R. C. [in press]. Cretaceous bioconstructions and coral-dominated assemblages in relation to depositional environments, Eastern Alps: overview and significance. In Piller, W. & Hubmann, B. (eds.): Schriftenreihe der Erdwissenschaftlichen Kommissionen (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften). During Cretaceous times, in the area of the future Eastern Alps, bioconstructions with corals flourished in pure carbonate and mixed clastic-carbonate environments, each with a distinct coral assemblage. In the early Aptian, on the Helvetic carbonate shelf, coral-sponge biostromes and mounds with a coral assemblage accumulated that is diversified with respect to corallite size, growth forms, polyp integration and taxa. These assemblages grew in clear, well-lit waters of moderate energy. Episodic, destructive high-energy events kept the assemblage at diversification level. The coral fauna is similar to faunas from other locations along the northern, European margin of Neo-Tethys. In the Austroalpine domain, subsequent to a phase of nappe stacking and emergence, upon middle Turonian to early Campanian transgression, deposition in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate environments prevailed. The resulting succession, the Gosau Group, contains abundant corals in a pure coral buildup, in coral/rudist mounds, and in coral-rudist level-bottoms. The corals grew under episodic stress from sediment-nutrient input. Widespread red algal encrustation indicates transient takeover of macroalgae. In mounds and level-bottoms, the coral assemblage records sedimentation and lowered light incidence by prevalence of taxa with large polyparia of plocoid, thamnasterioid or cerioid integration, and of (sub)hemispherical, foliose-lamellar and pedestal-shaped growth form; these features aid in sediment removal and/or maximize light catchment. Coral diversity ranges from 16 species in a pure coral buildup to 29 in coral-rudist mounds, and peaks at 36 species in level-bottoms within "coral marls" with abundant, diverse solitary forms. Each coral assemblage is dominated by a few "ubiquists". The coral fauna shares species with faunas mainly from France, Spain and Slovenia, but to a part was endemic at least to the area of the future Eastern Alps. The coral-dominated assemblages of the Gosau Group highlight that corals can grow under low to moderately high, medium to long-term terrestrial input of siliciclastics and particulate organic matter. Fossil coral assemblages subject to sediment/nutrient stress show a range of geologically reconcilable features closely similar to Holocene "turbid-water reefs". [original abstract; BaronSzabo] Schuster, F., 2002. Scleractinian corals from the Oligocene of the Qom Formation (Esfahan-Sirjan fore-arc basin, Iran). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 239, pp 5–55, 10 pls. 36

Sixtyone scleractinian species of 39 genera are described from the section of Abadeh, central Iran. Nine of these species and one genus are new. The section comprises sedimentary rocks of the Qom Formation located on the Iranian Plate (Esfahan-Sirjan fore-arc basin). The age of the section ranges from latest Rupelian to Chattian (late Early to Late Oligocene) based on planktonic and arger foraminifers. The coral fauna belongs to three different assemblages: 1) a solitary coral assemblage, 2) a Leptoseris-Stylophora assemblage of a low light environment, and 3) a Poritid-Faviidae assemblage forming patch reefs. This study presents a detailed description of a previously unknown Oligocene coral record from this region. The study area is located palaeogeographically between the well known coral occurrences of the Mediterranean Tethys and the coral bearing Nari Series of Sind, Pakistan and eastwards following Indopacific localities, and is therefore of prime importance for palaeobiogeographical reconstructions. Comparisons at the species level show that the coral fauna from central Iran represents a mixture of Mediterranean Tethyan and Indopacific elements. Nevertheless, the majority of the species are unknown from the Mediterranean Tethys indicating a beginning faunal separation despite an open Tethyan Seaway which still connected both regions during this time. [original abstract; Löser] Schuster, F., 2002. Early Miocene corals and associated ediments of the northwestern Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 239, pp 57–81, 6 pls. Early Miocene corals from the northwestern Gulf of Suez area (Eastern Desert, Egypt) grew on a shallow epicontinental shelf flooded by the Burdigalian transgression. Acropora layers and isolated massive Tarbellastraea colonies associated with abundant corallinacean red algae (rhodolith and maerl facies) and green algae (Halimeda) lived in a very shallow, lagoonal-like environment. Some small patch reefs were formed. The lack of a suitable substratum and the high sedimentation rate are considered the main reasons for the relatively low iversity (24 species/16 genera) of the Burdigalian coral fauna from this region. Global climatic cooling during this time favoured the development of temperate water carbonates and hindered the formation of more extensive coral reef structures. The described corals most probably were the predecessors of Middle Miocene coral faunas from the Red Sea coast which built large fringing reefs during the Langhian when the sea advanced from the Mediterranean Tethys to the Red Sea. This is shown by the presence of several identical or similar species (e.g., Tarbellastraea reussiana, Favites neglecta) described from these Langhian reefs. Generally, the described corals show a Mediterranean Tethyan affinity and are comparable to coral faunas from the Aquitaine Basin, central Iran, and Turkey. [original abstract; Löser] Schuster, F., 2002. Oligocene scleractinian corals from Doutsiko (Mesohellenic Basin, northwestern Greece). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 239, pp 83-127, 13 pls. The Mesohellenic Basin of northwestern Greece is a molasse basin with thick sequences of predominantly terrigenous sedimentary rocks. Nevertheless, coral growth occurred during short periods in the Early and Late Oligocene: (1) a coral reef formed during the initial phase of basin subsidence on a palaeotopographic high, and (2) during a regressive stage in the Late Oligocene when shallow sublittoral conditions prevailed. The fauna of the coral reef is highly diverse (31 species/25 genera) and is composed of massive dome-shaped, bulbous, branching, foliaceous, and solitary species. Like other Oligocene coral faunas from the central Mediterranean Tethys, the coral fauna is rich in members of the family Faviidae (Caulastraea, Favites, Hydnophora, Leptoria, Montastraea) and Agariciidae (Cyathoseris, Leptoseris, Pavona). The second coral horizon is dominated by allochtonous branches of Acropora, massive growing colonies are associated and partly use these accumulations as substrate. These accumulations are interpreted as former densely growing thickets of lagoonal environments which were destroyed by storm events. Again, the most important genera are found in the family Faviidae (Agathiphyllia, Antiguastrea, Hydnophora, 37

Montastraea, Tarbellastraea). This study presents for the first time a comprehensive taxonomic study of Early and Late Oligocene corals from Greece. It is the first time that an Acroporadominated assemblage is reported from sedimentary sequences as old as the Late Oligocene. This study concentrates on the taxonomic description of the coral fauna. [original abstract; Löser] Stemann, Th. A., 2004. Reef corals of the WhiteLimestone Group of Jamaica. Cainozoic Research 3 (1-2), pp 83-107. Sedimentary rocks of the White Limestone Group of Jamaica were deposited in the range of shallow to deep-water marine settings from the Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene. Horizons rich in scleractinian corals occur throughout this lithologic unit. The present study, using large, new collections (>2.000 specimens) and museum specimens, recognises 98 scleractinian species in 42 genera in the White Limestone Group. Thirty-six of these species have not been previously described in the literature. From the Middle to Upper Eocene, eleven species are reported from the Troy Formation, twelve from the upper Middle Eocene Swanswick Formation and eleven species from the Late Eocene Somerset Formation. In the Moneague Formation, fifty-two species are recorded from the lower part of the Upper Oligocene succession in units formerly mapped as the Browns Town Formation. Also, in the uppermost Oligocene of the Moneague Formation, sixty-four coral species are reported from rocks formerly mapped as the Newport Formation. An additional fifteen species are reported from the Early Miocene portions of the Montpelier Formation. In addition to scleractinian corals, a stony octocoral species (Parapolytremacis sp.) is found in the Upper Oligocene of the Moneague Formation, and at least two species of Millepora (class Hydrozoa) are recorded from the Eocene and Oligocene portions of the White Limestone Group. Coral assemblages from the Eocene of the White Limestone group are largely dominated by scattered, thinly branched and free-living corals, while Late Oligocene assemblages contain a diverse group of large massive, plate-shaped and branched corals in a system of patch reefs and coral carpets. The Early Miocene assemblages represents a possible deeper fore-reef community transported into deep water sediments in a olistostromic block. The total number of species found exceeds that known from any other single region or lithologic unit in the Caribbean Eocene through Miocene. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Stolarski, J., Roniewicz, E., and Grycuk, T. 2004. A model for furcate septal increase in a Triassic scleractiniamorph. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49, (4), 529–542. Triassic corals with septa that branch repeatedly and centripetally are here assigned to a new genus Furcophyllia. Septa of F. septafindens (Volz, 1896), re-described from the Italian Dolomites, are composed of 3–10 blades ("septal brooms"). Distances between adjacent septa and their branches are equal, and the thickness of all blades is approximately the same throughout ontogeny. However, none of the septal brooms show the same branching pattern. Proposed herein is a simple computer model that reproduces septal pattern, similar to that of Furcophyllia, based on a minimal set of rules: (i) uniform coverage of intra-calicular space; (ii) regular bifurcations following some probability; (iii) keeping some minimal distance between septal branches. The elaborate septal pattern of Furcophyllia suggests a distinct organization of the polyp's soft tissue, especially mesenteries whose appearance in modern corals is associated with insertion of sclerosepta. Hypothesis 1 suggests that mesenterial pairs flanked only "septal brooms" and that septal branches functionally corresponded with septal microarchitecture. Hypothesis 2 suggests that mesenterial pairs developed between all septal branches that functionally correspond with conventional septa. Delicate menianae, which developed on Furcophyllia septal faces (and many other Triassic corals) resemble similar septal microarchitecture of the Recent agariciid Leptoseris fragilis and may be closely related to the suspension feeding strategy of this coral. The furcate septal arrangement in Furcophyllia is unique 38

among Triassic corals, and generally, among Mesozoic and Cenozoic corals. The only analogous corals are Cretaceous aulastraeoporids (e.g., Preverastrea, Paronastraea), Trochoidomeandra, and some Jurassic rhipidogyrids having secondary (apophysal) septal branches. In some Recent caryophylliids (Trochocyathus rhombocolumna, Phacelocyathus flos) primary septa may also split dichotomously and centripetally. [original abstract; Stolarski] Turnsek, D., Buser, S., Debeljak, I., 2003. Liassic coral patch reef above the "Lithiotid Limestone" on Trnovski Goz Plateau, west Slovenia. Razprave SAZU IV. Razreda Sazu 44, 1: 285331, 13 pls. In the village Gozd on Trnovski gozd plateau, west Slovenia, locality of Liassic reef building corals has been discovered. Twelve species are described systematically, four of them are new: Protoheterastraea trnovensis n. sp., Apocladophyllia gozdensis n. sp., Phacelophyllia bacari n. sp. and Heterastraea angelae n. sp. Corals form at least a 70 m long and 4 m thick patch reef. It was located at the northern margin of the Dinaric Carbonate Platform. Coral limestone lies directly above "Lithiotid limestone" containing Domerian bivalves. According to this, also the described corals are attributed to the Domerian, i.e. Upper Pliensbachian. [original abstract; Löser] Turnsek, D., LeMone, D. V., Scott, R. W., 2003. Tethyan Albian corals, Cerro de Cristo Rey uplift, Chihuahua and New Mexico. In: Scott, R. W. (Ed.), Bob F. Perkins Memorial Volume Special Publications in Geology p. 147-185, 12 figs.. In Recent coral reefs, emersion has resulted in the development of special growth forms of colonial corals which have been named microatolls. These colonies grow almost exclusively in a horizontal direction. In the upper part of the colony, subaerial exposure leads to the decay of the living body. The growth then stops and the skeleton is later colonized by various boring and encrusting organisms. Here we show the first record of a massive Mesozoic coral colony displaying the main features of emersion. The colony has been collected in perireefal Osfordian (Jurassic) limestones from the Jura Mountains (France). It is situated exactly at the expected place in a shallowingupward sequence between infralittoral buildups and supralittoral limestones. We suggest that such growth structures could be more common than previously thought in ancient coralliferous sediments and add some new details to discriminate between these colonies. [original abstract; Löser] Wittler, F., 2003. Zur systematischen Position der Isis vertebralis (Hennig) zugeordneten Wurzelgeflechte in der Oberkreide. Dortmunder Beiträge zur Landeskunde 36/37, 223-228. Most attachment bases of octocorals previously assigned to Isis vertebralis (Upper Cretaceous) cannot be confirmed as ocotocorals. They belong to solitary corals as Parasmilia cf. granularis (from the Late Turonian of Dortmund) and Parasmilia centralis (Early Campanian from Hannover, Höver and Lägerdorf; all NW Germany). [Löser] Wittler, F., Kaplan, U., Scheer, U., 1999. Zwei stratigraphisch bedeutsame Aufschlüsse im Santon (Oberkreide) des westlichen Ruhrgebietes. Dortmunder Beiträge zur Landeskunde 33, pp 133–136. [A locality close to the autobahn 2 close to Gelsenkirchen in the northwest Ruhr area (SW Münsterland) is reported under stratigraphic aspects. The Late Santon transgression could be correlated with the Recklinghaeuser Sandmergelson the base of the occurrence of the crinoid Uintacrinus socialis for the first time. In the fossil list, the coral Micrabacia coronula is mentioned from the base of the Late Santonian; Löser.] 39

Wittler, F. and Roth, R., 2003. Fazies und Fauna der Oberkreidegesteine im Dortmunder Stadtgebiet. I: Temporäre Aufschlüsse im Turon und Unterconiac zwischen 1988 und 2001. Stratigraphie, Fossilführung. Dortmunder Beiträge zur Landeskunde 36/37, 247-340. About 30 outcrops in the area of the town of Dortmund are described. Their stratigraphy reach from the Turonian to Early Coniacian. The following corals are reported: Parasmilia centralis, Coelosmilia cf. concincta, C. cf. granulata, attachment bases of Epiphaxum cf. auloporoides. [Löser]

Other corals Opresko, D. M. 2004. Revision of the Antipatharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Part IV. Aphanipathidae. Zoologische Mededelingen Leiden 78, pp 209–240. A new family of antipatharian corals, Aphanipathidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia), is established for Aphanipathes sarothamnoides Brook and related species. The family is characterized by tall, conical to acicular to cylindrical spines, which can be smooth, papillose or covered with small, conical tubercles, and by polyps that are 0.5–2.5 mm in transverse diameter and have small, subequal tentacles. The family is divided into two subfamilies based on differencies in the development of the polypar spines. In the Aphanipathinae the polypar spines are subequal. Genera are recognized on the basis of morphological features of the corallum. Aphanipathes Brook (type species A. sarothamnoides Brook) has a sparsely to densely branched corallum with straight, usually ascending, branchlets. Phanopathes gen. nov. (type species Antipathes expansa Opresko & Cairns) forms fan-shaped colonies with short, bilateral branchlets. Pteridopathes, gen. nov. (type species P. pinnata sp. nov.) has simple pinnules arranged in two rows. Tetrapathes gen. nov. (type species Aphanipathes alata Brook) has simple pinnules arranged in four rows, and Asteriopathes gen. nov. (type species A. arachniformis sp. nov.) has simple pinnules arranged in six or more rows. In the Acanthopathinae the circumpolypar spines are considerably enlarged and the hypostomal spines are usually reduced or absent. As in the Aphanipathinae, genera are recognized on the basis of morphological features of the corallum. Acanthopathes gen. nov. (type species Antipathes humilis Pourtales) forms candelabra and flabellate colonies and has reduced hypostomal spines. Rhipidopathes Milne Edwards and Haime (type species Antipathes reticulata Esper), forms flabellate colonies and has hypostomal spines that are not always reduced in size. Distichopathes gen. nov. (type species D. disticha sp. nov.) has simple, straight pinnules arranged in two rows, and Elatopathes gen. nov. (type species Antipathes abietina Pourtales) has simple pinnules arranged in four or more rows. [original abstract; Baron-Szabo; preliminary note on the paper is in FC&P 33.1, pp 71-72] Opresko, D. M., 2005. A new species of antipatharian coral (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the southern California Bight. Zootaxa 852: 1-10. A new species of antipatharian coral (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) is described from the southern California Bight. The species, Antipathes dendrochristos new species, forms large, multi-branched, bushy colonies that can reach a height of 2 m or more. The species is characterized by having small branchlets arranged primarily bilaterally and alternately, but in varying degrees of regularity; by small conical spines less than 0.1 mm tall, and by small polyps usually less than 1.4 mm in transverse diameter. The species occurs in colors of white, orange/gold, pinkish-orange, pink, red, and red-brown. [Baron-Szabo]

40

Pérezi C. D., Costal D. L. & Opresko, D. M., 2005. A new species of Tanacetipathes from Brazil, with a redescription of the type species T. tanacetum (Pourtales) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Antipatharia) Zootaxa 890: 1-12. The type species of Tanacetipathes Opresko, 2001 is Antipathes tanacetum Pourtalès, 1880. Pourtalès did not designate a holotype for A. tanacetum, nor did he indicate which form he thought was the most "typical" of the species. Because of the similarities of some of the syntypes with other nominal species, it is necessary to select a lectotype from one of the two groups with predominantly uniserial pinnulation. A specimen with short curved primary pinnules was chosen because it has a very distinctive pinnulation pattern that has been previously associated with Tanacetipathes tanacetum. With a lectotype of T. tanacetum designated, potential new species of Tanacetipathes can now be evaluated and compared directly with the type species. This is the case for T. paula n. sp., which is described here from the littoral of Archipelago of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Brazil). This species has a corallum pseudo-dichotomously branched, with primary pinnules arranged in four rows and in alternating biserial groups of two pinnules each. The primary pinnules are up to 1.9 cm in length. The secondary pinnules usually occur bilaterally, on both sides of the primary pinnules, and often in subopposite pairs, especially near the base of the primary pinnules. There are usually 3-9 secondary pinnules per lateral primary pinnules. The anterior primary pinnules always with only two secondary pinnules arranged in subopposite pair nearer the base of primary. The axial spines are relatively large, conical, acute and slightly papillose; the polypar spines up to 0.25 mm tall and abpolypar spines up to 0.17 mm. Polyps are not present on the type specimen. White, R. D., Mitescu, N. C., Skorina, L. K., 2000. A type catalog of fossil Invertebrates (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) in the Yale Peabody Museum. Postilla 223, 49 pp. [The list encompasses some paleozoic corals; Löser]

Stromatoporoidea and Porifera Bayliss, B. G. and Carney, C. K., 2004. Mapping geologically significant features in the Brassfield Quarry Park, Fairborn, Ohio. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 36, 3, p. 10. A stromatoporoid reef, part of the exhibits in the park, is being mapped [abstract; Stearn]. Brückner A. and Janussen D. 2005. The first entirely preserved fossil sponge species of the genus Rossella (Hexactinellida) from the Upper Cretaceous of Bornholm, Denmark. Journal of Paleontology 79 (1), pp 21-28. [Janussen] Caruthers, A. H., Stanley, G. D., Blodgett, R. B., and Baichtal, I., 2004. Upper Triassic shallow water marine fauna from the Alexander Terrane (SE. Alaska) and its paleogeographic significance. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 36, 4, pp 5-6. Spongiomorphs and Heterastridium are recorded in this fauna [abstract; Stearn].

41

Chen Zhe, Hu Jie, Zhou Chuanming, Xiao Shuhai and Yuan Xunlai, 2004. Sponge fossil assemblage from the Early Cambrian Hetang Formation in southern Anhui. Chinese Science Bulletin 49 (15), pp 1625-1628. Abundant well-preserved large articulated sponge fossils and isolated spicules have been reported from Early Cambrian Hetang Formation, southern Anhui Province. This unique epifaunal fossil assemblage dominated by articulated sponge fossils is called the Xidi Sponge Fauna. The sponge fauna lived in a quiet oxygenic environment below the storm wave base. Bloom of phytoplankton and rapid sedimentation rate resulted in the deposition of the black shales. Sufficient food supply, lack of other competitors, abundant ecological niches, and demand for oxyen during early Cambrian were in favor of the diversification and evolution of large sponges in the Early Cambrian. [original abstract, Wang] Janussen D, Tabachnick K. R. and Tendal O. S., 2004. Deep-sea Hexactinellida (Porifera) of the Weddell Sea. In: A. Brandt and B. Hilbig (eds.), ANDEEP (ANtarctic benthic DEEP-sea) biodiversity: colonization history and recent community patterns: a tribute to Howard L. Sanders. Deep-Sea Research 51 (14-16), pp 1857-1882. [Janussen] Li Yue; Kershaw S., and Mu Xinan, 2004. Ordovician reef systems and settings in South China before the Late Ordovician mass extinction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 205, 3-4, pp 235-254. [This paper is largely an account of the stratigraphy and sedimentology of reefs in the Middle and Late Tremadoc and middle Ashgill of China but contains information on the occurrences of stromatoporoid genera. The doubtful stromatoporoid Pulchrilamina is recorded from the Upper Tremadoc Hunghuayuan Formation. A biostrome in the middle of the Ashgillian Xiazhen Formation consists largely of Clathrodictyon. From patch reef units at Wangjiaba the following genera are recorded: Pachystylostroma, Cystostroma, Pseudostylodictyon, Stromatocerium, Plexodictyon, Ecclimadictyon and Clathrodictyon; Stearn] Matsuoka, K., Masuda, Y. & Kitabayashi, E., 2004. Fossil Freshwater sponges from the Middle Pleistocene Tsumori Formation in Mashiki-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Scientific Reports of the Toyohashi Museum of Natural History 14, pp 1–7, 2 tabs., 4 figs. Fossils of spongillid sponges, Eunapius fragilis and Ephydatia muelleri occur in the Middle Pleistocene Tsumori Formation in Mashiki-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. This is the 2nd record of Eunapius fragilis and Ephydatia muelleri from the Pleistocene in Japan. The Tsumori Formation consists of a lacustrine sediment which contains fossils of Diatoms, plant fragments, sponges, molluscs, insects, and fish. The fossil sponges occur in the lower part of the Tsumori Formation that is subdivided into the lower and upper parts with lithological characters. The fossils are found on the surface of plant fragments and in massive mudstone. Those occurrences suggest that the sponges were rapidly deposited after death of the sponge. If the habitat of the sponges have not changed over time, the fossil sponges from the lower part of the Tsumori Formation is inferred to have been formed shallow lake with waters o high mineral and organic contents. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Nguyen, H. H., 2003. Upper Devonian sediments, mass extinction of macrofossils, and Frasnian / Famennian boundary, North Viet Nam. Journal of Geology, ser. B, 22, pp 19-30. [not seen; Stearn]

42

Rigby, J. K. (Coordinating Editor), Finks, R. M. and Reid, R. E. H., 2004. Porifera (Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida, Calcarea). In R. L. Kaesler (Editor), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part E, Volume 3., Geological Society of America and University of Kansas, Boulder & Lawrence, 872 pp., 506 figs. [Stearn; see also report of Janussen in “compilations and databases” section] Rozanov A.Yu. 2003. Paleontology of Mongolia. Ordovician-Devonian corals and Stromatoporoidea. 285pp. 68 pls.; Moskva. [Schröder] Shapo, D. E., 2003. Systematics and morphometric analysis of stromatoporoids from the Little Cedar Formation, Middle Devonian, east-central Iowa. [Unpublished M.S. thesis, University of Iowa, Iowa City; see also: Systematics and growth form analysis of stromatoporoids of the Little Cedar Formation, Middle Devonian, eastern Iowa. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 35, 2, p. 49 – abstract; Stearn] Shen, Jian-Wei, and Webb, G. E., 2003. Fammennian (Upper Devonian) microbiobial (Renalcis) reef at Miaomen, Guilin, Guangxi, South China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Paleoecology 204, 3-4, pp 373-394. [This paper contains extensive discussions of the post-Frasnian reef faunas of microbiolites and comparisons of Famennian reefs of China with other areas of the world. Stromatoporoids do not occur in the Chinese reefs but a fossil identified as a “Keega-like microbe” is common. This fossil is “too small in overall dimensions to be the stromatoporoid identified as Stachyodes austale” by Riding (1974) “...but has a similar general appearance and we consider it to probably be an alga or microbial crust.” The fossil is then described in terms of algal morphology; Stearn] Stock, C. W. and Burry-Stock, J. A., 2003. Originations and extinctions of stromatoporoid genera and their roles in the Frasnian-Famennian extinction. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 35, 5, p. 385. [Stearn] Stock, C. W., and Burry-Stock, J. A., 2004. New data reinforce the conclusion that the interrealm barrier in North America was selectively breached by the stromatoporoid Habrostroma centrotum during the Lochovian Age (Early Devonian). Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 36, 5, pp 91-92. [Stearn] Tabachnick K. R. & Janussen D. 2004. Description of a new species and subspecies of Fieldingia; erection of a new family Fieldingidae and a new order Fieldingida (Porifera; Hexactinellida; Hexasterophora); pp 623-637. In: M. Pansini, R. Pronzato, G. Bavestrello and R. Manconi (eds.), Sponge Science in the New Millennium, Officine Grafiche Canessa Rapallo, Genova, 706 pp. [Janussen] Weinberg I., Glyzina O.,Weinberg E., Kravtsova L., Rozhkova N., Sheveleva N., Natyaganova A., Bonse D. & Janussen D. 2004. Types of interactions in consortia of Baikalian sponges; pp 655663. In: M. Pansini, R. Pronzato, G. Bavestrello and R. Manconi (eds.), Sponge Science in the New Millennium, Officine Grafiche Canessa Rapallo, Genova, 706 pp. [Janussen] 43

Vetter W. & Janussen D. 2004. Pop-like halogenated natural products in Antarctic sponges. Organohalogene Compound 66, pp 405-410. [Janussen]

Reefs Hubbard D. K., Zankl H., van Heerden I. & Gill I. V., 2005. Holocene reef development along the Northeastern St. Croix Shelf, Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Journal of Sedimentary Research 75 (1), pp 97-113. Eight cores were recovered from Buck Island Underwater National Monument (U.S. Virgin Islands). Facies were defined based on recovered coral species, fabrics observed in core slabs and thin sections, and detailed notes on drilling character. Thirty-six radiometric dates constrained the timing of reef accretion. Together, these data provide a detailed history of reef development under varying regimes of sea-level rise and physical oceanography. Holocene reefs around Buck Island initiated atop a broad antecedent Bench at 13-16meters below present sea level. Shelf flooding near Buck Island occurred as early as 9,500 years ago (CaIBP), but preserved reefs lagged by as much as 1,800 years. Earliest reef development was dominated by branching Acropora palmata near the shelf edge and massive corals closer to Buck Island. By 7,200 CaIBP, A. palmata apparently declined near the platform margin and was absent until ca.5,200 CaIBP throughout the study area. Over time, the reefs closer to Buck Island built upward (ca. 16 m) and seaward (ca. 50m), as the rate of sea-level rise slowed and carbonate production increasingly exceeded the accommodation space that was being created. Reef topography and zonation became progressively more distinct, with A. palmata dominating the shallow reef crest. Branching coral apparently disappeared again between 3,030 and 2,005 CaIBP for reasons that are not clear. This and the previous decline of A. palmata mimic patterns seen around St. Croix and throughout the Caribbean. By 1.000 CaIBP, the reefs close to Buck Island hard largely assumed their present character and continued to track slowly rising sea level until the present. Around 1,200 CaIBP, vertical accretion along Buck Island Bar apparently ceased. Paradoxically, the surface of this outer reef has historically been dominated by large stands of A. palmata since the area was first described, but rapid coral growth has not resulted in preservation of this species over the last millenium. Modern community structure mimics facies patterns seen in cores. Over the past 7,700 years, the southern reef crest appears to have remained slightly shallower than its northern counterpart, a condition that persists today. Observations after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 suggest that this difference in elevation is related to the pilling up of debris on the broader, southern reef crest by high waves from storms passing south of St. Croix. Also, facies along the southern reef are more variable in species composition than their northern counterparts, a condition that exhibited by the modern reef community. Coral abundance and diversity in the cores (total coral = 20-30%; dominated by A. palmata) are comparable to community structure present in the late 1970s (Bythell et al. 1993). In contrast fossilcoral abundance and diversity are consistently higher than what was measured in the 1980s and early 1990s (total coral = 7-14%; A. palmata ≤ 2%), after the onset of White Band Disease, a putative pathogen, which has recently decimated branching acroporids throughout the region. The dominance of branching A. palmata in the cores would seemingly reflect an absence of disease or other factors that would discourage its continued abundance. In apparent contrast, two lengthy gaps in the A. palmata record reflect previous disappearances that roughly correspond to similar lapses elsewhere in the Caribbean. Thus, the spatial persistence of a species in the fossil record cannot 44

necessarily be equated with its temporal continuity. Comparisons between changes in modern reefs on a time scale of decades and their fossil forbears must be made with great care. Understanding the role of short-term changes and how they are reflected in the preserved record is thus critical to relating the late Holocene A. palmata gaps to the recent decline of the species. This has important implications for our understanding of how preserved community structure relates to what actually existed in the past, and could limit our ability to use the recent geologic record as a proxy to shortterm, future changes in coral reefs. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Hughes, T.P., Baird, A.H., Bellwood, D.R., Card, M., Connolly, S.R., Folke, C., Grosberg, R., Hoegh-Gouldberg, O., Jackson, J.B.C., Kleypas, J., Lough, J., Marshall, P., Nyström, M., Palumbi, S.R., Pandolfi, J., Rosen, B.R. & Roughgarden, J., 2003. Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs. Science 301, pp 929–933. [Rosen] Königshof, P., Bensand, M., Birenheide, R., El-Hassani, A., Jansen, U., Plodowski, G., Rjimati, E., Schindler, E. & Wehrmann, A., 2003. The Middle Devonian (Givetian) "Gor-al-Hessen" reefmound (Western Sahara). Terra Nostra 3 (2003), pp 43–44. [Oekentorp] Liu Xinhua, Liu Zuhan, Yang Mengda, Yang Rongfeng, Xiao Yonglun, Wang Yue, 2004. A preliminary study on the Devonian Buzhai reefs in southern Guizhou. Chinese Journal of Geology 39 (1), pp 92-97. [in Chinese with English abstract] The Devonian Buzhai reefs in southern Guizhou developed in the Jipao and Jiwozhai members of the Dushan Formation. The reefs distributed along the boundary between the platform and platform-basin and grew on a narrow elevated area, caused by a syn-sedimentary fault. They were mostly frame reefs, built mainly by Stromatopora-Almolites community, which was very important reef building communitiy, characterized by the massive stromatoporoids and various tabulate corals. Some of them were baffle reefs, built mainly by blue-green algae community, which was dominated by columnar stromatolites. The reef complex could be divided into six facies, and four subfacies could be distinguished in the reef facies. The development of reefs was largely controlled by the sea transgression and regression and included two large cycles. (Original abstract, Wang) Matyszkiewicz, J. and Slomka, T., 2004. Reef-microencrusters association Lithocodium aggregatum-Bacinella irregularis from the Cieszyn Limestone (Tithonian-Berriasian) of the outer Western Carpathians (Poland). Geologica Carpathica 55 (6), pp 449-456. Debris-flow sediments belonging to the Upper Cieszyn Limestone (Berriasian) are exposed near ywiec (Polish part of the Outer Western Carpathians). The debris-flow sediments include clasts of bioclastic limestones (boundstones) derived from both microbial-sponge mud mounds and coralalgal reefs. The microcruster assemblage Lithocodium aggregatum - Bacinella irregulare has been found in clasts from coral-algal reefs. This assemblage unequivocally proves the presence of shallowing-upward reefal sequences on the Silesian Ridge. The development of the coral-algal reefs was probably a consequence of intense aggradational growth of microbiolite-sponge mud mounds, accompanied by intense uplift movements of the neo-Cimmerian phase. [original abstract; Oekentorp] Somerville I. D. 2004. Review of Irish Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) mud-mounds: depositional setting, biota, facies and evolution. In: Permo-Carboniferous carbonate platforms and reefs, Special Publication, Society for Sedimentary Geology 78, pp. 239-252. 45

Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) mud-mounds in Ireland occur in two main depositional settings; distal part of ramps and in the outer shelf margins. They formed predominantly during the Late Tournaisian and Late Viséan, associated with major transgressive episodes. The majority of the massive mounds have peloidal mud-matrix textures and development of stromatactoid cavities. Waulsortian mud-mound complexes reached maximum development (geographical extent and total thickness) in Late Tournaisian times. These mounds initiated in relatively deep water (150-300 m) on the distal parts of ramps in low-energy aphotic environments. Their characteristic biota comprises crinoids, fenestellid bryozoans and sponge spicules (Type 1 mounds). Apart from distinctive stromatactoid cavities, they may also exhibit sheet spars, fissure fills and dewatering structures associated with slumping. Waulsortian complexes contain laterally extensive mounds and banks ranging typically from 20-100 m thick, which may coalesce and when stacked can be over 900 m in total thickness, as in the Shannon Trough. Individual lensoid mounds are often enclosed by thin-bedded, crinoidal argillaceous limestones. Except from the upper parts of mounds, calcareous algae are normally absent. “Waulsortian-type” mud-mounds (Type 1A mounds) extend through the Viséan and into the Upper Carboniferous sections as a continuum. They are recorded from relatively deep-water ramps and basins in Arundian and Asbian rocks in NW and SW Ireland. These younger mounds have a biota similar to the Waulsortian, but they often have colonial corals and dasycladacean green algae towards the top, indicative of growth up into the dysphotic or lower euphotic zone. In the Viséan time, massive shallow-water mud mounds developed at the outer shelf margins facing deep-water basins. These carbonate shelves resulted from active tectonism in Early Viséan time. In the northern margin of the Dublin Basin isolated domical mounds occur, ranging in thickness from 10-100 m and enclosed by bedded skeletal grainstones. These mounds have a much more diverse and richer biota than Waulsortian mounds, most notably including locally abundant red and green calcareous algae, foraminifers and cyanophytes (Type 2 mounds). Unlike most Waulsortian mounds, they have encrusting foraminifers (Tetrataxis and Aphralysia), encrusting bryozoans, Problematica (Fasciella), and calcimicrobes (Renalcis and Ortonella). In the Upper Viséan sections the upper parts of some of the large mounds contain in situ colonial rugose corals (Siphonodendron and Lithostrotion), which, together with the microbiota, can form a framework or meshwork in the upper part of mounds (Type 2A mounds). Oncoids, pillars and stromatolitic microbial laminae (microbialites) occur within the cores of the mound. Some of the upper Viséan (Asbian-Brigantian) mud mound complexes show intervals of peloid-rich, lime mudstone and wackestone (“core” facies), and coarser-grained foraminiferal-algal packstone and grainstone (“flank”, “crest” or “intermound” facies). The latter are rich in green algae (Koninckopora, Kamaena) and red algae (Ungdarella, Stacheoides). Rare phylloid algae (?Archaeolithophyllum) at the tops of some mounds, together with colonial rugose coral thickets and encrusting cyanophytes, may have formed an effective wave-resistant bindstone (Type 2B mounds). These phylloid algae evolved to become the dominant biota of the phylloid algal buildups (Type 3 mounds) in the Late Carboniferous. [original abstract; Somerville] Vecsei, A., 2004. A new estimate of global reefal carbonate production including the fore-reefs. Global and Planetary Change 43, pp 1–18. [see: www.elsevier.com/locate/gloplacha] Reefal carbonate production is an important component of the carbon cycle. In this paper, the methods for assessing this production are compared. Data on framework-dominated and biodetritusdominated for-reefs are integrated for new estimates of the global reef area (304.000 – 345.000 km2), of the production in reef-flat to fore-reef transects (average 0,9 – 2,7 kg.m-2 year-1), and of the production in the worlds reefs (0,65 – 0,83 Gt year-1). These estimates are the first to incorporate the recently published global reef-flat area and to integrate fore-reef data from all reef

46

provinces. The amount of reefal carbonate production at the local, regional, and even more at the global scale remains poorly constrained of few data. [original abstract; Oekentorp]

Vennin, E., Rouchy, J.-M., Chaix, Chr., Blanc-Valleron, M.-M., Caruso, A. & Rommevau, V., 2004. Paleoecological constraints on reef-coral morphologies in the Tortonian–early Messinian of the Lorca Basin, SE Spain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 213, pp. 163-185. Coral reefs represent on of the main carbonate factories that contributed to the control of stratigraphic architecture of carbonate platforms, which had a widespread development during the late Miocene in the paleo-Mediterranean area. The late Miocene reef complexes of the Lorca basin in southeastern Spain are composed of five mixed siliciclastic/carbonate units, middle Tortonian to early Messinian in age. The development of coral reefs probably ceased when the first evoporite event occurred in the basin centre in the early Messinian. This study mainly focuses on the response of reef communities and the modifications of reef organisation to global and regional parameters. At the platform scale, the carbonates are intermixed with terrigenous deposits related to two main types of clastic systems: torrential fans and fluvial to deltaic systems. The amount of clastic input greatly affected reef growth and coral morphologies. Three different types of stratal geometries were delineated in the reef complex: sigmoids, bioherms, and patches and carpets. The reef frameworks are mainly constructed by a poorly diversified assemblage of corals composed of poritids, faviids, and mussids. Porites is the principal reef builder of the sigmoids and carpets, where it is widely distributed. Tarbellastraea is common in bioherms and Acanthrastraea appears generally associated with Porites in patches. Five basic growth forms of Porites are observed: thin branching or “finger-shaped”, thick branching to columnar, domed to hemispheric, encrusting, and platy to dish. Differences in coral morphology are used to define a relative water depth zonation in monogeneric reefs. The distribution of these growth forms was principally controlled by water depth. The reef flat is dominated by small thin branching or finger-shaped corals that are replaced towards the reef front by domed to hemispheric corals commonly encrusted by coralline algae. Downslope, columnar morphologies grade into thin branching shapes. The reef morphologies are variable throughout the five mixed-siliciclastic/carbonate units at the platform scale. The first and oldest unit is dominated by bioclasts, whereas units 2, 3, and 5 are Porites-dominated, sigmoid complexes. Unit 4 is a well-developed biohermal complex mainly composed of Tarbellastraea. These units started to develop as early as middle Tortonian and stopped as late as early Messinian, and show a progradational trend, where the two latest units are well developed. Thus, carbonate production changed from grain-producing biota in the basal unit to framework-producing biota in the overlying units, consistent with evolution from a distally steepened ramp to a reefal-rimmed shelf. At the scale of individual reef units, the relative water depth zonation of the corals is controlled by ecological changes (substrate, nutrients, synecologic relations, and diversification of coral species). In the transects across the carbonate platform related to the different units, the coral zonation records changes in spatial distribution of corals in response to ecological stresses and changes in regional and global environments (tectonic, relative sea-level changes, and runoff). [original abstract; Oekentorp]

47

COMPILATIONS AND DATABASES This is the new section of our newsletter, with data on some especially important contributions, summarizing knowledge on large fossil groups, and presenting significant collections of fossils. In many cases references will be made here to “Bibliography” section and conversely. You are kindly encouraged to add your reports to this section.

Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals / Hannes Löser Löser H. 2000. Repertoire of species. Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals 1, 135 pp. Löser, H., Barattolo, F., Badia, S.C., Chikhi-Aouimeur, F., Dhondt, A., Erlich, R.N., Fözy, I., Geister, J., Hiss, M., Kolodziej, B., Leloux, J., Lewy, Z, Minor, K.P., Mitchell, S., Moosleitner, G., Peza, L., Remane, J., Romana, R., Sikharulidze, G.Y., Sinnyovski, D., Steuber, T., Tröger, K.-A., Turnšek, D., Vecchio, E., Vilella i Puig, J. & Zítt, J., 2002. List of citations. Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals 2: 2 vols., 784 pp. [see “Bibliography”] Löser H., Barattolo F., Badia S. C., Chikhi-Aouimeur F., Dhondt A., Erlich R. N., Fözy I., Geister J., Hiss M., Kolodziej B., Leloux J., Lewy Z., Minor K. P., Mitchell S., Moosleitner G., Niebuhr B., Peza L., Remane J., Romana R., Sanders D., Sikharulidze G. Y., Sinnyovski D., Steuber T., Tröger K.-A., Turnsek D., Vecchio E., Vilella i Puig J. & Zítt J., 2005 (in press). List of localities. Catalogue of Cretaceous Corals 3, 450 pp.

Devonian Rugosa in collection of the University of Silesia / Tomasz Wrzolek The following manuscripts have been prepared end of August, 2004, for the Bachelor's degree by three students of geology of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Poland: Borcuch E., 2004. Koralowce Rugosa z rodziny Disphyllidae w dewonie Kwietokrzyskim: rodzaje Disphyllum and Temnophyllum. [Rugose corals of the family Disphyllidae in the Holy Cross Devonian: genera Disphyllum and Temnophyllum; in Polish] Jasinska M., 2004. Koralowce Rugosa dewonu Swietokrzyskiego, rodzina Disphyllidae, rodzaj Hexagonaria. [Rugose corals of the Holy Cross Devonian, family Disphyllidae, genus Hexagonaria; in Polish] temporary presentation is available at in Polish, English version is in preparation. Krupa J., 2004. Koralowce Rugosa z rodzin Cystiphyllidae, Fasciphyllidae i Stringophyllidae w dewonie Polski poludniowej. [Rugose corals of the families Cystiphyllidae, Fasciphyllidae and Stringophyllidae in the Devonian of Southern Poland; in Polish] These studies were based mostly on Rugosa of a paper by Wrzolek (1993: Rugose corals from the Devonian Kowala Formation... Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 37 (2–4), pp 217–254); scanned 48

were all the thin sections used for the above study; subsequently the files so obtained were arranged in database with some numerical but also graphical data, total size of ca. 1,5GB so far. Arrangements by Mr. Krupa allowed to present all these data as the virtual paleontological museum at the pages of the University of Silesia (http://www.rugosa.wnoz.us.edu.pl/), so that now anybody can examine the published fossil material stored here – at least part of it. Presented is also Spinophyllum from the paper by Wrzolek & Wach (1993: Tetracoral genus Spinophyllum... Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Slaskiego 1331 / Geologia 12/13, pp 47–63), Diffusolasma (Wrzolek 1981: Cyathophyllum diffusum... Acta Geologica Polonica 31 3/4, pp 169– 175, 6 pls)., Siphonophrentidae from the paper by Wrzolek, 2002 (Siphonophrentidae (Rugosa) in the Devonian of Poland. Coral Research Bulletin 7, pp 229-240, pls 1-3). Of course it would be very nice to see all of you here, in Sosnowiec, but in case of any difficulties please visit our website – we are waiting for your opinions and corrections!

Fossils and databases in London / Brian Rosen Jill Darrell (NHM) and Brian Rosen are nearing completion (December 2004) of a section treating 100 genera of rugosans, tabulates and scleractinians for PaleoBase: Macrofossils, a CD-Rom identification guide to invertebrate fossils, edited by Norman MacLeod for The Natural History Museum by Blackwell Science, Oxford. (The first two parts of this guide, treating other invertebrate groups, have already been published.) The coral section is illustrated by numerous images of corals in the NHM collections, detailed descriptions, character matrices for identification, a glossary and bibliographies. In the course of their work, Darrell and Rosen have attempted to unify some of the inconsistent terminology used in the different coral groups, and introduced new characters based on colonial structure. Darrell and Rosen are of the opinion that their work on CD-Rom mentioned above will serve as a pilot and trial which can be easily adapted for revision of the scleractinian part of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. In particular, the approach to the scleractinian descriptions, keys and glossary in the CD-Rom may also be used for Treatise entries.

Treatise E (Porifera) revised / Dorte Janussen Rigby J. K. 2004. Coordinating author, In Roger Kaesler, editor, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part E (Revised), Porifera, vol. 3. Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida, Calcarea. The Geological Society of America and University of Kansas. 872 pp, 506 figs. Rigby J. K. 2004. Classification, pp 1-8; ibid. Finks R. M. and Rigby J. K. 2004. Paleozoic demosponges, pp 9-173, figs. 1-126; ibid. Finks R. M. and Rigby J. K. 2004. Paleozoic hexactinellid sponges, pp 319-448, figs. 200-295; ibid. Finks R. M. and Rigby J. K. 2004. Heteractinida, pp 557-584, figs. 365-383; ibid. 49

Finks R. M. and Rigby J. K. 2004. Hypercalcified sponges, pp 585-764, figs. 384-504; ibid. Rigby J. K. 2004. Unrecognizable supposed sponges, pp 765-773, figs. 505-506, and Genera incorrectly assigned to Porifera but belonging to other taxa, p. 773; ibid.

Websites with living and fossil Cnidaria and Porifera 1) Living Anthozoa are presented by German zoologist Vreni Häussermann at . 2) Genomic databases of the Cnidaria are given by the Boston University at . 3) News on research on Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera are provided at . 4) Oxford University Museum – among other groups also fossil corals can be found at . 5) Official page of the International Association for Study of Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera is housed in China. 6) German site with useful data on research on fossil corals and sponges is . 7) Austrian site with data on 9th Symposium in Graz, August 2004, is at . 8) Wirtual paleontological museum, Sosnowiec, Poland: . 9) Temporary presentation of specimens of Hexagonaria (Devonian massive Disphyllid tetracorals) from the collection of the University of Silesia is at . Can you recommend any other site?

50

ANNOUNCEMENTS 6th Baltic Stratigraphical Conference / Olga Kossovaya The Conference will be held in St Petersburg, Russia, in August 2005; see

Paleozoic corals’ research in Manitoba / Graham Young Bob Elias (University of Manitoba) and Graham Young (Manitoba Museum, adjunct professor at U of M) welcome inquiries and applications from students interested in graduate studies (see ). M.Sc. and Ph.D. projects are available on all aspects and applications of Paleozoic corals. There are also interesting projects related to Lower Paleozoic paleoecology and stratigraphy.

Synthesys This grant aims to create an integrated European infrastructure for researchers in the natural sciences; see: . Current deadline for applications is March 18th, next one is September 16th 2005.

2nd International Palaeontological Congress The Organizing and Executive Committees of the Second International Palaeontological Congress (IPC2006), representing the relevant Chinese governmental agencies and scientific institutions, under the scientific sponsorship of the International Palaeontological Association (IPA), cordially invite you to participate in the SECOND INTERNATIONAL PALAEONTOLOGICAL CONGRESS (IPC 2006), BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, JUNE 17-21, 2006. This congress follows the highly successful first IPC2002 held in Sydney, and will focus on a series of scientific sessions and symposia to discuss new research findings relating fossil organisms, with emphasizing upon the convention theme “Ancient Life and Modern Approaches”. A series of scientific sessions including plenary and special sessions, general and topic symposia, short courses and special group meetings will be arranged. In addition, pre-, post congress and midconference field excursions will be organized to examine the best-exposed strata and well-preserved fossil localities in China. Social events and programs are also arranged focused on Beijing Suburb’s tour and other museum, art, and galleries.

CCC-2006 – From Platform to Basin We cordially invite you to attend the “Carboniferous Conference Cologne 2006 (CCC-2006) – From Platform to Basin”, a SEPM-CES research and field conference organised by the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, September 4 – 10, 2006. CCC-2006 succeeds the meetings in Manchester (European Dinantian Environments 1984), Dublin (European Dinantian Environments 2, 1994), and El Paso (SEPM & IAS: Permo-Carboniferous Carbonate Platforms and Reefs, 2000), which strongly promoted research on a wide range of topics in Carboniferous geology. 51

We venture to take up these roots and motivate young scientists and established colleagues to present and discuss their research results in Cologne. We offer the opportunity to experience stateof-the art results on platform and basinal facies on field trips to the classical central European Mississippian in the Belgian Ardennes and the Rhenish Slate Mountains. See you in Cologne in September 2006! Hans-Georg Herbig and Markus Aretz ([email protected])

17th International Sedimentological Congress (ISC2006), Fukuoka, Japan Congress Theme: From the Highest to the Deepest The eastern Asian region, extending from the highest mountain ranges to the deepest ocean trenches, is the geologically most-active region on this planet. Enormous yields of sediment have created vast delta plains where more than 50% of the world's population live. Out-board of the continental shoreline lies a chain of volcanic arcs and subduction zones where interaction of the Earth's interior and exterior is most intense. It can be argued that the area is the global centre of both active sedimentation and active interaction between human society and geological processes. The ISC2006 will provide a great opportunity to expand the scope of sedimentology in terms of the frontier of our discipline, the Earth System approach and relevance to society, from the highest quality to the deepest understanding. We invite friends worldwide to this significant scientific event.

52

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE Money Transfer Policy and Form The association suggests 10 Euro as an annual membership fee. We will accept your payment by credit card, VISA or Master card, because of the lower handle charge. Please write your name and card number in standing form as a typing quality. There were some transfer troubles already caused by poor handwriting information!! The treasurer made a contract with a Japanese travel agency, Kinki Nippon Tourist, Ltd. They will withdraw your payment from your card account as the annual fee of the Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera Association along with the current exchange rate between Euro and Japanese Yen. This system will start on Jan. 5, 2004. The treasurer will welcome a whole amount of annual fees in each area accumulated by the correspondent. Individual payment will be also acceptable. The money transfer form (below) must be sent by ordinary airmail or fax. Not by e-mail! If any questions, please contact the treasurer, Tetsuo Sugiyama. The transfer form can be downloaded from the association WWW page as a pdf file or please make a copy of the following page in A4 size. If you have any questions, please contact with your treasurer, Tetsuo SUGIYAMA: [email protected]

53

Transfer Form Please send this form by airmail (or fax) to: Prof. Tetsuo SUGIYAMA Department of Earth System Science Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku Fukuoka 814-0180, JAPAN Fax: 81(Japan)+92-865-6030 Name: Address:

E-mail: Telephone: I authorized payment by

VISA /

Master Card.

Card No: Expiration Date: (MONTH)

/(YEAR)

Printed Name: Signature: Amount of payment: JP Yen)

Euro (which will be exchanged by current rate to

Any documentations or comments for this payment:

54

IMPRESSUM

Edited by:

International Association for the study of Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera

Editor:

Tomasz WRZOLEK, Sosnowiec / Poland Xiangdong WANG, Nanjing / China

Printed in:

Nanjing/P. R. China, May 2005

Printed by:

Nanjing Huawen Printing Ltd.

Edition:

400

Order from:

Xiangdong WANG Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology Chinese Academy of Sciences 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008 P. R. China Fax: +86-25-8328 2185 E-mail: xdwang@nigpas. ac. cn

55