Jump to content

Interesting coral - Morocco


GeschWhat

Recommended Posts

Hi all,

I was perusing the gem show down in Tucson today and came across these interesting little corals. The vendor couldn't identify them except to say they were from Morocco and were coral. Anyone out there know what these are? They measure about 1 1/2" - 2" across.

post-17480-0-89728700-1454556711_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is somewhat reminiscent of the modern coral family Fungiidae, although the underside is quite unusual.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What you've got there is Cyclolites sp. (formerly known as Cunnolites sp.) They are a common occurrence in the upper Cretaceous Santonian Gosau-Schichten in Middle Europe.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice Scleractinians. I agree with Roger in what he said. An orientative guide about this tema may be in this document : http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/rmcg/v28n2/v28n2a3.pdf

" Genus Cyclolites Lamarck, 1801

Type species. Cyclolites elliptica Lamarck, 1801 (="porpite elliptique… Guettard, 1770, mem. Vol. 2, p. 342, pl. 21, fig. 17, 18.").

Cyclolites was originally described as "Polypier libre, orbiculaire ou elliptique, convexe et lamelleux en–dessus, applati en desous avec des lignes circulaires concentriques. Il constitue une seule étoile lamelleuse" (Lamarck, 1801, p. 369), presenting four species according to the next order: C. numismalis, C. hemisphaerica, C. elliptica and C. cristata. Milne Edwards and Haime (1849) named C. elleptica [sic] Lamarck as only example of Cyclolites, which we regard as the first secondary designation of C. elliptica as type species for this genus. Alloiteau (1957, p. 331–332) presented a strong reasoning for this selection: Cyclolites as defined by Lamarck is a very polyphyletic group and only appropriate to be used as describing the overall shape of these corals: cyclolitoid, meaning hemispheroid corallite with a flat base, considered to be discoid to cupolate shaped. Cyclolites numismalis, as the first in the list of Lamarck's species, could be regarded as the type species of Cyclolites, but is a junior synonym of the Silurian rugose coral Madrepora porpita Linnaeus, 1767. This would make Palaeocyclus Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849, having the same type species, a junior synonym of Cyclolites. The second species of Lamarck, C. hemisphaerica, was suspected by Alloiteau to be a badly drawn C. elliptica, which was the third species of Lamarck. The last one, C. cristata, became the type species of Aspidiscus Kœnig, 1825. The type specimen(s) of C. elliptica are considered to be lost. To avoid confusion Alloiteau suggested that the main part of the Cretaceous "Cyclolites" were to be reassigned to Cunnolites. Alloiteau (1957) created Cunnolites barrerei as a replacement for C. elliptica and selected a specimen from coll. Depéret (lab. Geol. de Sorbonne) as "Neoholotype", supposedly from Coustouges, France, which is near Perpignan. Cyclolites as a genus name was reestablished by Löser (2009, p. 133) with Faujas de Saint–Fond, 1799 as author of the genus, since in Faujas (1799) referred directly to Lamarck (1801, p. 369) and this would mean that, if the date of publication of Faujas would have been correct, the name would indeed be first published, completely with description in Faujas and the author would have become "Lamarck in Faujas (1799)". However, Pasteur (1802), who translated Faujas (1799) into the Dutch language, stated that the first part of the Dutch translation was published only after the first five parts of Faujas had been published. The reference to Cyclolites and to Lamarck occurred in the second part of the Dutch translation (Pasteur, 1804), meaning that those references occurred in the parts of the French original that were published after 1802, so that Lamarck (1801) remains the correct author and year of publication of the generic name Cyclolites.

Cyclolites differs with Funginella in having perforations in their septa. Funginella? isfahanensis differs also from Cyclolites/Cunnolites species in being a lot smaller in its adult stage. "

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peat Burns, the top reminded me of Funginella as well, but the ringed bottom structure reminded me of some of the domed bryozoans (sorry, I forget the name) we find back home. I love finding new things...thank you all for helping identify them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Agree with Pachy, but I would rule out Cyclastraea (Cenomanian). Nothing to do with Cyclolites and nothing with Cretaceous. Probably Eocene.

Corals must be sectionned in order to put a name on them.

Funginellastraea is very probable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one from the Amellago Gorge between Ait Hani and Goulmima,, near Errachidia, Morocco, which is indeed Cretaceous strata. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure. 

Let me see, where did I put it?

Ah! Here we go! 

It's 3.8 cm in diameter. 

20171113_184042-1.jpg

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks.

It are clearly what we are commenting on. And clearly it aren´t Cyclolites.

Looks like very similar to Funginellastraea, but this is an eocene coral.

You and the sellers report Cretaceous age for the materials. Something is wrong.

I don´t understand why Mr. Hans The Loser discards Cretaceous for these materials. Perhaps he should explain why.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It certainly looks the same as mine. 

Except, possibly the concentric growth rings on mine are much stronger than the lines radiating out from the centre?

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could it be found in through the Upper Creataceous to the Middle Eocene?

There seem to be lots on the net claiming Cretaceous and Eocene origins. 

Guess it could be both. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have this one and it is labelled as Cycloites

genus cycloseris . Cretaceous.  Morocco.

 

does this help at all?

 

 

 

cheers Bobby 

9B9DAAB5-55F7-439E-BCCA-5802CEDEB7DE.jpeg

A63FE3F2-B32E-4A43-9E56-706B547BE7CC.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

I have this one and it is labelled as Cycloites

genus cycloseris . Cretaceous.  Morocco.

 

does this help at all?

 

 

 

cheers Bobby 

9B9DAAB5-55F7-439E-BCCA-5802CEDEB7DE.jpeg

A63FE3F2-B32E-4A43-9E56-706B547BE7CC.jpeg

Yes, i think that helps. 

Yours has the same strong growth rings as mine and less of the lines radiating out from the centre.

 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

It certainly looks the same as mine. 

Except, possibly the concentric growth rings on mine are much stronger than the lines radiating out from the centre?

 

Epiteca is very variable, it also depend on conservation.

 

10 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Could it be found in through the Upper Creataceous to the Middle Eocene?

There seem to be lots on the net claiming Cretaceous and Eocene origins. 

Guess it could be both. 

 

Mmmmmm, I think not. But .................... who knows.

 

11 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

I have this one and it is labelled as Cycloites

genus cycloseris . Morocco.

 

 

 

cheers Bobby 

9B9DAAB5-55F7-439E-BCCA-5802CEDEB7DE.jpeg

A63FE3F2-B32E-4A43-9E56-706B547BE7CC.jpeg

 

No. Cyclolites absolutely not for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reminds me of nummulites. I don't now if that is relevant but just a thought

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting is that nobody asked for their thickness. This might rule out something, isn't it? None of the specimens above shows a lateral view. :)

(No, not Nummulites, although they look lenticular. First of all, the spiralling character is missing.)

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:popcorn:

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

Interesting is that nobody asked for their thickness. This might rule out something, isn't it? None of the specimens above shows a lateral view. :)

(No, not Nummulites, although they look lenticular. First of all, the spiralling character is missing.)

Good point.

Sorry my hands are shaking so not a very clear photo.

Maximum thickness, 5mm. 

20171113_223657-1.thumb.jpg.95381fa78c9005e6533484b77187e548.jpg

20171113_223703-1.thumb.jpg.d10763b5d43f4831594ec07a844087eb.jpg

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...