John GG Morton Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Thought I would share some specimens from my recent trip to the Mt Scott Range, near the town of Leigh Creek and about 540 km north of the city of Adelaide. These Arachaeocyatha can be found just beside the main road and are from the Ajax Limestone, of Lower Cambrian age (528 Ma). I am not able to indentify genera or species but many types are represented. Best way to see them is to either find a sample that has been naturally weathered, which shows up the structure in relief, or cut and polish sections. The last photo shows a longitudinal section of one showing both the double wall structure of the caylyx and also the attachemnt holdfast. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 These are spectacular! I love archaeocyaths. I have a small hash plate from the Ajax limestone but not as nice as these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Taylor, T.G. 1910 The Archaeocyathinae from the Cambrian of South Australia, with an account of the morphology and affinities of the whole class. Memoirs of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2:55-188 LINK Debrenne, F. 1969 Lower Cambrian Archaeocyatha from the Ajax Mine, Beltana, South Australia. British Museum of Natural History Bulletin, Geology, 17(7):295-376 LINK Debrenne, F. 1974 Les Archéocyathes Irréguliers d’Ajax Mine (Cambrien inférieur, Australie du Sud). [The Irregular Archeocyaths of Ajax Mine (Lower Cambrian, South Australia).] Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sciences de la Terre, 33:185-258 LINK Debrenne, F. 1974 Anatomie et systématique des Archéocyathes réguliers sans plancher d'Ajax Mine: Cambrien inférieur, Australie du Sud. Geobios, 7(2):91-138 Gravestock, D.I. 1980 The Biostratigraphy and Palaeontology of Archaeocyatha, (Cambrian), South Australia. PhD Thesis, University of Adelaide, 2 Volumes, 381 pp. 63 plts. LINK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Fine specimens! I've always been fascinated by these but have no opportunity to collect - I think they're absent from the UK. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 nice! Pretty good photography! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 I had to look up Archaeocyatha as I'd never heard of it before - very cool critter!!! Congratulations on the wonderful, spongy finds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John GG Morton Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 Thanks Piranha for the references - might try and ID some of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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