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For the coral experts: Cladocora or Thecosmilia?


Hapchazzard

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I've posted this same coral some time ago, along with a bunch of other finds from the same locality, but it's identity is still bugging me. In my search, I've narrowed the potential genus down to either Cladocora or the montlivaltid Thecosmilia.

 

The locality is the Čerevićki potok fm., Serbia, Maastrichtean. In the Paleobiology Database, only Thecosmilia has been reported in the locality, but Cladocora was also apparently reported in the relative geographic vicinity.

 

View of the entire colony:

 

BOeFr4W.jpg

 

View of the entire colony(up close):

 

HdrVOPn.jpg

 

View of the corallites:

 

KF8N1Ti.jpg

 

Album link: https://imgur.com/a/vtWMX


Here's the descriptions of both genera, from Corallosphere:

 

Cladocora

 

Thecosmilia

 

So, what's your judgment? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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2 hours ago, Hapchazzard said:

I've posted this same coral some time ago, along with a bunch of other finds from the same locality, but it's identity is still bugging me. In my search, I've narrowed the potential genus down to either Cladocora or the montlivaltid Thecosmilia.

 

The locality is the Čerevićki potok fm., Serbia, Maastrichtean. In the Paleobiology Database, only Thecosmilia has been reported in the locality, but Cladocora was also apparently reported in the relative geographic vicinity.

 

View of the entire colony:

 

BOeFr4W.jpg

 

View of the entire colony(up close):

 

HdrVOPn.jpg

 

View of the corallites:

 

KF8N1Ti.jpg

 

Album link: https://imgur.com/a/vtWMX


Here's the descriptions of both genera, from Corallosphere:

 

Cladocora

 

Thecosmilia

 

So, what's your judgment? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you great links!

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The fossil corals from that locality were described in P. Gyula, E. Pratz. 1910. A petervaradi hegyseg (Fruska Gora) Kretaidoszaki (Hipersenon-) faunaja. There are the orignal designations of that time, which are probably outdated. :) link

" 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

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1 hour ago, abyssunder said:

The fossil corals from that locality were described in P. Gyula, E. Pratz. 1910. A petervaradi hegyseg (Fruska Gora) Kretaidoszaki (Hipersenon-) faunaja. There are the orignal designations of that time, which are probably outdated. :) link

Are you saying the aforementioned links posted by hapchazzard are outdated?  

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10 hours ago, abyssunder said:

The fossil corals from that locality were described in P. Gyula, E. Pratz. 1910. A petervaradi hegyseg (Fruska Gora) Kretaidoszaki (Hipersenon-) faunaja. There are the orignal designations of that time, which are probably outdated. :) link

 

I've already checked that document (which you so kindly provided to me some time ago) and, unfortunately, there are no corals in the list that even vaguely resemble what I have (at least those with pictures).

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6 hours ago, Hapchazzard said:

 

I've already checked that document (which you so kindly provided to me some time ago) and, unfortunately, there are no corals in the list that even vaguely resemble what I have (at least those with pictures).

As you say, nothing in this document matches your sample. In any case, it is appreciated the contribution of this type of specific documentation of the collection sites.
As for your sample, little can be seen in it. It's just a ramose colony.
I would rule out Thecosmilia. It could be Cladocora, but it seems to be a tertiary genus. Perhaps some other member of the Cladocoridae family such as Procladocora or Dordonophyllia.
This is one of those cases in which one talks a lot and ends up saying nothing in particular. The specimen does not give much more either.
Maybe someone can contribute something more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thecosmilia almost does not reach the Upper Cretaceous, only the Lower Cenomanian. To be able to say more about this sample, a polished section is needed. There are douzens of genera that look alike. At a first glance I would agree with Pachy, Cladocoridae is good guess. 

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BTW, Cerevicki Potok is Campanian (Belemnitella mucronata, Parapachydiscus gollevillensis, Baculites anceps, Inoceramus balticus).

For details see: Géczy, B. 1954. Cyclolites (Anth.) tanulmányok. [Studies on the Cyclolites (Anthozoa).] - Geologica Hungarica, (palaeontologica), 24: 1-180, pl.1-10 (Budapest).

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I like those old documents. They are unique. To shorten the search for everyone,  here it is. :)

 

BTW, it's in Hungarian and plate X (with explanations) is missing, but it's a nice work. Thank you, Hans, for the reference !


 

" 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

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" 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

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Géczy I have got still as a book but thank you for the link. The 2012 paper was unknown to me. I browse all the mainstream journals but I have less access to the local stuff. Thanks Abyssunder.

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