Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure
Sphenothallus is a problematic fossil with possible cnidarian affinities. Two species of Sphenothallus, S. aff. longissimus and S. kukersianus, occur in the normal marine sediments of the Late Ordovician of Estonia. S. longissimus is more common than S. kukersianus and has a range from early Sandbia...
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Institute of Paleobiology PAS
2015-12-01
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Series: | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
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Online Access: | http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app60/app000492013.pdf |
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author | Olev Vinn Kalle Kirsimäe |
author_facet | Olev Vinn Kalle Kirsimäe |
author_sort | Olev Vinn |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Sphenothallus is a problematic fossil with possible cnidarian affinities. Two species of Sphenothallus, S. aff. longissimus and S. kukersianus, occur in the normal marine sediments of the Late Ordovician of Estonia. S. longissimus is more common than S. kukersianus and has a range from early Sandbian to middle Katian. Sphenothallus had a wide paleo-biogeographic distribution in the Late Ordovician. The tubes of Sphenothallus are composed of lamellae with a homo-geneous microstructure. The homogeneous microstructure could represent a diagenetic fabric, based on the similarity to diagenetic structures in Torellella (Cnidaria?, Hyolithelminthes). Tubes of Sphenothallus have an apatitic composition, but one tube contains lamellae of diagenetic calcite within the apatitic structure. Sphenothallus presumably had origi-nally biomineralized apatitic tubes. Different lattice parameters of the apatite indicate that biomineralization systems of phosphatic cnidarians Sphenothallus and Conularia sp. may have been different. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:35:05Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-62332cecc9bb40168f7d91a0984fcb2e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 0567-7920 1732-2421 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:35:05Z |
publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
publisher | Institute of Paleobiology PAS |
record_format | Article |
series | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
spelling | doaj.art-62332cecc9bb40168f7d91a0984fcb2e2022-12-22T01:14:22ZengInstitute of Paleobiology PASActa Palaeontologica Polonica0567-79201732-24212015-12-016041001100810.4202/app.00049.2013Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructureOlev Vinn0Kalle Kirsimäe1Department of Geology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, EstoniaDepartment of Geology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, EstoniaSphenothallus is a problematic fossil with possible cnidarian affinities. Two species of Sphenothallus, S. aff. longissimus and S. kukersianus, occur in the normal marine sediments of the Late Ordovician of Estonia. S. longissimus is more common than S. kukersianus and has a range from early Sandbian to middle Katian. Sphenothallus had a wide paleo-biogeographic distribution in the Late Ordovician. The tubes of Sphenothallus are composed of lamellae with a homo-geneous microstructure. The homogeneous microstructure could represent a diagenetic fabric, based on the similarity to diagenetic structures in Torellella (Cnidaria?, Hyolithelminthes). Tubes of Sphenothallus have an apatitic composition, but one tube contains lamellae of diagenetic calcite within the apatitic structure. Sphenothallus presumably had origi-nally biomineralized apatitic tubes. Different lattice parameters of the apatite indicate that biomineralization systems of phosphatic cnidarians Sphenothallus and Conularia sp. may have been different.http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app60/app000492013.pdfCnidaria?SphenothallusapatitemicrostructureOrdovicianSandbianKatianEstonia |
spellingShingle | Olev Vinn Kalle Kirsimäe Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure Acta Palaeontologica Polonica Cnidaria? Sphenothallus apatite microstructure Ordovician Sandbian Katian Estonia |
title | Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure |
title_full | Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure |
title_fullStr | Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure |
title_full_unstemmed | Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure |
title_short | Alleged cnidarian Sphenothallus in the Late Ordovician of Baltica, its mineral composition and microstructure |
title_sort | alleged cnidarian sphenothallus in the late ordovician of baltica its mineral composition and microstructure |
topic | Cnidaria? Sphenothallus apatite microstructure Ordovician Sandbian Katian Estonia |
url | http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app60/app000492013.pdf |
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