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Gauthieria radiata? Turonian France with Squalicorax falcatus


sander

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Dear Fossilforum members,

 

I was wondering if the echinoid on this piece of matrix is indeed a Gauthieria radiata and if so, does that appoint this fossil to the lower, middle or upper Turonian?

The shark tooth is a Squalicorax falcatus and the piece was found in the Ardennes departement of France. I know the age of a few locations nearby, but the age of the location where this piece is from is nowhere to be found in literature. I also am not sure if I may say where it was (it took a lot of questioning to find out where it can from haha). Therefore I hope that the echinoid perhaps could be used to appoint a specific age to it.

In anycase, thank you very much for your answers,

Kind regards,

Sander

Ardennes 1.jpg

Ardennes 2.jpg

Ardennes 3.jpg

Ardennes 4.jpg

Ardennes 5.jpg

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I'd agree with it being identified as Gauthieria radiata. Lovely specimen, by the way!

It wouldn't really be possible to determine what part of the Turonian it's from, as it's known from a number of geological stages. It's even known from the lower and upper Maastrichtian, for instance. 

Usually for determining the age of European chalk fossils, we use inoceramids or other bivalves, brachiopods, (sometimes) belemnites, nannofossils (e.g. coccoliths), and sometimes echinoids. But I haven't heard of phymosomatid echinoids (e.g. Gauthieria) being used to date specimens, at least in the European chalk.

Hope I could help!

-Christian

Edited by The Amateur Paleontologist
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Thank you guys for confirming that it is indeed Gauthieria radiata and not another species!

I know the age is normally identified by other guidance fossils, but I thought perhaps this type of Echinoid is known from jsut a small section.

However, I finally found a few good geological maps of the area (map of Rethel 1:50000) and I see there that the area of the location is supposed to be Upper Turonian, so that question is also solved haha.

Kind regards,

Sander

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