Full text - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica

Full text - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica

Palaeontologica
--'----'---~:..:.__'___'__'_"'___'_
Acta
V ol. 30, No. 1-2
pp. 99- -106; pls, 15-16
Polonica
_
Warszawa 1985
EWA RONIEWICZ a n d ELZBIETA MORYCOWA
FOSSIL FLABELLUM (SCLERACTINIA) OF ANTARCTICA
RONIEWICZ, E. a nd MORYCOWA , E.: Fossil Flab ellum (Scleractinia) of Antarctica. Acta Palaeont. Polonica , 30, 1-2, 99- 106, 1986 (1985).
A new ahermatypic scleractlnian coral, Flab ellum raris eptatum sp.n., belonging
to the Flabellum thouarsl!-group of species, has been described from Tertiary
glacio-marine sequence of the Cape Melville Formation cropping out at the
King George Isl and , South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.
K ey w
0
r d s:
ahermatypic Scleractinia , T ertiary , Antarctica.
Ewa Roni ewicz, Zaklad Paleobiologl!, Polska Akademia Nauk, al. ZWirki i Wigury
93, 02-089 Wa rs za wa , Poland . El :l:bieta Morycowa , Instytut Nauk Ge ologicznych,
Uniw ersytet Jagtelloilskt, ul. Oleandry 2a, 33-063 Krak6 w, Poland. Received:
September 1984.
INTRODUCTION
The specimens under study were collected during the 5t h Polish
Antarctic Expedition, 1980-1981 , to the H. Arctowski Station (Birkenmajer 1982a). The corals come from the glacio-marine sequence of the Cape
Melville Formation tha-t forms the upper part of the Moby Dick Group
discriminated by Birkenmajer (1982b) in the area of the Melville Penninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands (Birkenmajer 1982b,
.1984; Bir ken ma jer et al. 1983) (fig. 1). The whole sequence of the Moby
Dick Group is crossed by andesite and basalt dykes. Radiometric data
obtained fr om the andesite dykes (ca. 20 rna: Birkenmajer et al. 1985)
allow t o estimate the age of the group not y ounger than early Miocene.
The deposits of the glacio-marine sequence are composed of well bedded, grey, green, brownish and black shales and silty shales showing
7·
100
KING GEORGE
ISLAllD
E W A RO NIEWICZ & ELZBIET A MORYCOWA
0°
59 0 0 ' W
0
1.
,. o·
o•
!,i
j.
Melvi lle
P"nlnoula
o,
62 0 15'5
A
18 0 0
Destruct ion Bay
c
Fig. 1. Location of the King George I sland (A) an d the Melville Penninsul a (B) and
a map (C) showing distribution of the Tertiary (Moby Dick Group) a t the Melville
Penninsula (do tted).
inter calati on s of siltstones, sandstones and limestones. Iceberg rafted dropstones of all sizes from some millim eters up to 2 m et ers are scattered
within the sediments. The glacio-marine deposits contain abundant fauna
(Birkenmajer et al. 1983) such as frequent solitary corals Flab ellum rariseptatum sp .n., polychaete ja ws (Szaniawski an d Wro na in press),
bivalves , some of them in life position , gastropods (Karczewski in press),
echinoids (Szymaiiska in press) , abu nd ant crabs and crab made
trace fossi ls (F orster et al. 1985 and Forster et al. in press) , abundant
foraminifera , scarce f ish r emains, as well as Cretace ous belemnites (Birkenmaj er et al. in press) and nannoplankton (Dudziak 1984). The last two
grou ps have been r ecycl ed. Corals were colle oted in the black siltstones
a nd silty shales of the upper part of the sequence, ch eefly in the Crab
Cr eek area and in some isolated poin ts (fig . 2C) . Th e character of coral-bearing and othe r sediments of the Cape Melville Formation, as we ll as
the fauna contained therein in dicate t ha t the glac io-marine sequence was
deposit ed in low energy water on the outer shelf (Birkenmaj er 1982b,
1984).
Two coral collections have been gathered - one by Dr. A. Gazdzicki
and Dr R. Wrona, the other by Prof. Dr. K. Birkenmajer - and handed
F O S SIL F LABELL UM
OF
101
ANTARCTICA
ove r to the a utho r s for study. The coll ections are housed at the Institute
of P alaeobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (abbreviat ed as
ZPAL), and at the Institute of Geological Sci en ces, J agi ellonian University
(UJ), Cr ac ow. A detail ed st udy on coral m orphology and ontogeny will be
p ublished in a sp eci al volume of pal eontologic results of the Polish
Antarctic Expeditions (Roniewicz and Morycowa in press).
Acknowledgm ents. - Th e authors ar e de eply in de bted to Prof. Dr. K. Birkenmajer , Dr. A. Ga idzicki a nd Dr. R. Wro na f or maki ng th em t he coral collection s
available and f or help ful di scu ssion s.
DESCRIPTION
Genus Flab ellum L esso n, 1831
Flabe llu m rar iseptatum sp .n .
(figs. 2-4; pI. 15: 1-6; pI. 16: 1-7)
?1978. Flabellum d. cuneiforme wailesi Conrad; Malumian et al ., pI. 1: 8a, b.
1982. Solitary coral Flabellum; Gaidzicki and Wrona : fig. 6a, b.
1983. Solitary coral of the genus Flab ellum ; Birkenmajer et al.: fig . 4b and c.
Synt ype s: ZP AL H VII/19, 23, 57, 89, UJ 125 P /1, 10, figured in the pI. 15: 1-6
(specimen ZPAL H VII/19 figured also in: Ga idzicki and Wrona 1982, f ig. 6a).
Locus typicus: Crab Creek, Mel ville Penninsula, King George Island, South
Shetland I slands, Antarctica.
Stratum typicum : Cape Melville Formation .
Derivatio nominis: Lat. raru s - rare, from a small septal density.
Diagnosis : Trochoid, turbinate, cuneiform and flabellate, wi th pedicel 2-3 mm
in diameter. Corallite surface sm ooth . Largest cor a lli tes up to 35X90 mm in d iameter
and ca . 75 mm tall. Septa th in , nonexsert. The number of septa equals 12 at the
ba sal plate and ranges ne arly 200 in largest specimens. Septal densi ty commonly
9-12 per 10 mm. Upper septal edge from slig htl y convex to subhorizontal in outline,
provided peripherally w ith a n otch. Colu mella de ep , spo ngy.
Material. - Ab out 320 more or le ss complete specimens: ZPAL H VII/1-262 ;
UJ 125P/1-60. Examined coral s represent a w hole ser ies of po stlarval ontogenetic
stages.
De scr iption. - Corallites v ariable in sh ap e fr om trochoid , subcir cular in cross
sect ion to fl abellate, ellipti ca l in cross sectio n (f ig. 2), f re e with th e exception of
~
V
8 ..,
H' 14mm
14
12
17 .
17
40
30
75
F ig. 2. Flabellum ra r i septatum sp .n., t ype locality and horizon. Shape variability of
coralla. Specimens: 1 ZPAL H VII/23, 2 UJ 126P/1 , 3 UJ 125P/U, 4 UJ 125P/17, 5 UJ
125P/9, .6 ZPAL H VII/79, 7 UJ 125P/I0, 8 ZPAL H VII/57.
102
EWA RO NIEWICZ & E LZBIET A MOR YCOWA
early p ostl arval stages. Cor allite su rface sm oot h wit h th in , vertical lines corresponding t o each septum (pI. 15: 4a, 6). Ep itheca th in . Ellipt ica l cal ices with lateral edges
rounded (fig . 3; p I. 15: 4b , 5b ; pl . 2: 1, 2, 5, 6). Ca licular profile from slightl y to
strongly ar ched (pI. 15: 1b, 2, 5a, 4a , 6). Ca licular edge smoot h. Fo ssa narrow an d
deep (pI. 2: 3, 6, 7). Pedicel cy li n dri ca l (pl. 15: 3b; pI. 2: 4a, b) , 2-3 mm in di ameter
a nd abo ut 5 mm ta ll ; on t he basa l pl a te 12 septa ar ranged in tw o cycles. The third
cycle of septa develops most commonly a t the height of 3-4 m m , where the great
d iamet er is up to 6-7 mm. The largest fla bella te specimen is 90X 35 mm in diameter
a n d mo re th an 65 mm (estimated 75 m m ) in height (pl. 15: 6). The largest turbin ate
specimen is 52X46 mm in d iamet er a n d more than 46 mm (es t. 60 mm) in height
(pl , 15: 5). The nu mber of septa is abo ut 200 in both, septa l density 9-12 per
10 mm (rarely 8 or 13). S epta thin , nonex sert. Distal ed ge subhorizontal or sligh tly
convex axialwards, with a sh allo w notch a t the wall (fig. 4; pl . 16: 3). Inner ed ge
su bver tical (pI. 16: 3, 7), di stally thin an d sm oot h , an d de ep er in the fo ssa - w avy
and thickened. Septal f a ces covered w ith subhorizontal rows of ir regular, sha r p ,
coarse gran ules (pI. 16: 3). Septal a pparat us of mo re or le ss com plete 6 septal cycles
and rare S7 septa in largest specim ens . Round scars 3-4 per 1 mm on the wall in
the interseptal spa ce. Columella deep, spong y, formed of extensions of inner edges
of Sl an d S2 in juvenils whilst SI-S4 in a d ults (pI. 16: 1, 5, 7). Thick ster eom in the
proximal cora ll ite end. Angle between lateral corallite ed ges f rom 30° to 110°.
D iscussion. - Flabellum TaTiseptatum sp .n, is related with the Subantarctic and
Antarctic cora ls of the thouUTsi i-group of species. It resembles especially F. impensum Squires and F. nreum Cairns (compare Squires 1962, 1963; Ca irns 1982). With
the former it has the same r ange of shape va r iabili ty an d n early the same maximum
size of corallite. However, the two species d iffer, above all, in the number of septa
and septa l density. Their number amounts to 200 in adult specimens of F . TaTiseptatum and 300 in F . impensum. As to the septa l density per 10 mm it is 10 and 19-21
respectively. In t his last ch aracter F. TaTiseptatum sp.n, is clo se to F . creum Cairns,
a species with relatively small coralla. As on e can judge from the ill us t r a ti on s a n d
the de scription, adult corallites of F. ureurn and young F. TaTiseptatum are similar
in the relationship between the cora llite size an d the number of septa (compare
Cairns 1982: 35, pI. 11: 1-5). The new speci es differs from F. creurn in having thinner
pedicel and septa, as well a s in deeper f ossa and a subhorizontal or convex profile of
the septal distal edge. Its ornamentation of septa i s si milar to that in F . CUTvatum
Mo sel ey (compare Squires 1961: fig s. 20, 22). From other species of the group it
differs as to the combination of fe atures.
The oldest representat ive of the F. thouaTsii-group is a sp ecies from the Oligocene
of Argentina, which has n ot been examine d palae ontologic ally up to now. Our species,
10mm
L--
Fig. 3. Flabellum TaTis eptatum sp .n .,
type locality and horizon. Transverse
section executed just above the
columella, at the height of ca. 13 mm.
Complete cycles of Sl-S4 septa and
som e S5 septa at lateral calicular
edges a r e visible in the lumen or in
the wall. At the r ight calicular edge
S5 septa are mo re advanced in
development than at t he left one.
- ' Juvenile corallite, ZPAL H
VII/245.
FOSSIL FL A BELLUM O F
ANTARCTICA
103
Fig. 4. Flabellum rariseptatum sp.n ., type
loc ality a nd horizon. Semi-schematic drawing
to show a profile of the distal and internal
septal edges ; columella developed a t the bottom of t he calice. Specimen broken at the
proximal end. UJ 125P/13.
well represented by a seri es of spe cim ens v arying in shape does not fit the brief
de scription of that form given by Squires (1963: 35). The latter author considered that
form as resembling F. antarcticum Gravier, a circum-Antarctic recent species,
recently renamed F. flexuosum Cairns, 1982.
Malumian et al. (1979) reported occurrence of Flabellum cf . cuneiforme w ai l esi
Conrad in the Tertiary of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The seq uenc e is considered
as Lower Miocene (Codignotto and Malumian 1981, and N. Malumian personal comm unica ti on) . Two photographs half the natural size (Ma lumian et al . 1979: pI. 1: 8a, b)
show a rather small, flabellate corallite resembling in a general a spect F . rar isept at um .
Flabellum r aris eptat u m sp .n . occurs in the seq uen ce underlying the Cape Melvil-
le Formation, i.e, in the Destruction Bay Formation constituting the middle part of
the Moby Dick Group. The deposits of that f ormation are composed of sandstones
a nd conglomera te s with large-scal e cross-beddi ng. The material of the formation
is derived from reworked ba salts underlying the sequence. Exotic rocks occur
infrequently. Fossils a r e represented by bivalves, frequently in life position, brachiopods, ga st ropods, recycled belemnites, corals - F . raris eptatum, and wood fragments .
The ch aracter of the sedimen t indicates that the seq uen ce formed in shall ow - mari ne
environment, probably a ba y (Birkenmaj er 1984).
Distribution. - Sou th Shetland Islands, Antarctica: probabl y Lower Miocene ;
T ierra del Fuego, South America: Low er Miocene.
104
EWA RONIEWICZ & ELZBIETA MORYCOWA
REFERENCES
BIRKENMAJER, K . 1982a. Report on geological investigation of King George Island
and Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica) , in 1980-81.Stud. Geol. Polonica, 74, 175-197.
1982b. Pre-Quaternary fos siliferous glacio-marine deposits at Cape Melville,
King George Island (South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica) . - Bull . Acad.
Pol. Sci., Terre, 29, 4 (1981), 331-340.
1984. Geology of the Cape Melville area, King George Island (South Shetland,
Antarctica): Pre-Pliocene glacio-marine deposits and their substratum. In:
K. Birkenmajer (ed.), Geological Results of the Polish Antarctic Expeditions,
Pt. 4. - Studia Geol. Polonica, 79, 7-86.
, GAZDZICKI, A. and WRONA, R 1983. Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils in
glacio-marine strata at Cape Melville, Antarctica. - Nature, 303, 5912, 56-59.
, - , KREUZER; H. and MULLER, P. 1985. K - Ar dating of the Melville
Glaciation (Miocene) in West Antarctica. - Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci., Terre, 32,
, - , PUGACZEWSKA, H. and WRONA, R, in press. Recycled Cretaceous
belemnites in Miocene glacio-marine sediments of King George Island, West
Antarctica. In: A. Gaidzicki (ed.), Palaeontological Results of the Polish
Antarctic Expeditions. - Palaeont. Polonica, 49.
CAIRNS, S. D. 1982. Antarctic and Subantarctic Scleractinia. Paper 1. In: L. S.
Kornicker (ed.), Biology of the Antarctic Seas, IX, Antarctic Research Series,
34, 1-74. American Geophysical Union, Washington.
CODIGNOTTO, J. O. and MALUMIAN, N. 1981. Geologia de la Region al Norte del
paralelo 54°S de la Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego. - Rev. Asoc. Geol.
Argentina, 36, 1, 44-88.
DUDZIAK, J. 1984. Cretaceous nannoplankton from glaciomarine deposits of the
Cape Melville area, King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica).
In: K. Birkenmajer (ed.), Geological Results of the Polish Antarctic Expeditions, Pt. 4. - Stud. Geol. Polonica, 74, 37-51.
FORSTER, R, GAZDZICKI, A. and WRONA, R 1984. First record of homolodromiid
crab from Lower Miocene glacio-marine sequence of West Antarctica. - N. Jb,
Geol.-Palaeont., Mh., 6, 340-348.
, - and - , in press. Crab tanathocoenosis from Cape Melville Formation
(Lower Miocene) of King George Island, West Antarctica. In: A. Gaidzicki (ed.),
Palaeontological Results of the Polish Antarctic Expeditions. Part 1. - Palaeont . .
Polonica, 49.
GAZDZICKI, A. and WRONA, R 1982. Skarnienialosci g6rnej kredy i trzeciorzedu
z osad6w talasoglacjalnych na P61wyspie Melville'a, Wyspa Kr6la Jerzego
(Zachodnia Antarktyka). - Przeqi . Geol., 8, 395-404.
KARCZEWSKI, L., in press. Gastropoda from Cape Melville Formation (Lower
Miocene) of King George Island (Antarctica) . In: A. Gaidzicki, (ed .), Palaeontological Results of the Polish Antarctic Expeditions. Part 1. - Palaeont.
Polonica, 49.
MALUMIAN, N., CAMACHO, H. H. and GORRONO, R 1979. Moluscos del Terciaro
inferior ("Magellanense") de la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Republica
Argentina). - Ameghiniana, 15, 3-4 (1978), 265-284.
RONIEWICZ, E. and MORYCOWA, E., in press. Morphology and ontogeny of Flabel-
FOS SIL FL AB ELLUM
OF A NT A R CTI C A
105
lum rari septatum of the Cape Mel v ill e F ormation (Low er Mi ocene, Antarctica) .
I n: A. Gazdz icki (ed.), P alaeontologi cal Results of the Poli sh Antarctic Expediti ons. P art 1. - Palaeont. Polonica, 49.
SQUIRES, D. F . 1961 Deep sea coral s coll ecte d b y the L amont Geological Ob serv a tory. 2. Scotia Se a coral s. - Amer. Mus. Novit., 2046, 1-48.
1962 . The f auna of th e Ro ss Se a , Pt. 2. Scleractinian corals . - N. Z. D ep. sci.
indurt s. Re s. Bull., 141, 1-28.
1963. F l abel l u m rub rum (Qu oy a n d Gaimard). - Ibid em , 154, 1-43.
SZANIAWSKI, H. an d WRO NA, R. , in press. The polychaete jaw ap parat uses fr om
Cape Mel ville F ormation (L ow er Mi ocene) of K ing Ge orge I sland (An tarctica).
In : A. G azd zicki (ed.) , P al a eon t olog ical Resu lts of the P oli sh An tarctic Expeditions. Part 1. - Palaeont. Polonic a, 49.
SZYMANSKA, W. , in press . Echinoids fr om Cape Mel ville Formation (Lower
Miocene) of King George I sl and (Anta rtica) . In: i bi dem. - Ib i d em , 49.
EWA RONIEWICZ i ELZBIETA MORYCOWA
KOPALNY GATUNEK FLABELLUM (SCLERACTINIA) Z ANTARKTYKI
Stre szczen ie
Wsr6d obfitej f auny kopalnej odk r y te j w 1980-81 roku przez u czestnik6w V P ol skiej Wyprawy Antarktyczne] PAN (Birkenmajer 1982a) znajduje si e nowy gatunek
koral owca nierafowego, · Flabellum rariseptatum sp .n. Fauna p och od zi z osad6w
lodowcowo-morskiej Formacji Cape Melville od slaniaj acych si e na Polwy sp ie Melville'a na Wy spie King George w Poludniowych Szetlandach (fig. 1 A -C) . Osady t e
sa w ykszta lco ne przed e wszys tk im w p ost a ci mulowc6w i il ow c6w z r ozrzuconymi
gl azarni wytop ionymi z dryfujqcych g6r lodowych. Formac ja Cape Melville twor zy
n ajw yzsza czesc Grup y Moby Di ck w yr oznion e] n a Wyspie K ing G eorge przez Birkenm aj era (1982a, 1984). Koralowce w y stepuja ob ok krab6w (Forst er et al. 1985, Forster
et al . in press), szkarlupni (Szyrnanska in press), m iec zakow (Karczewski in press),
wieloszczet6w (szczeki i ap araty szcze k ow e, Szaniawski i Wrona in press), otwornic,
oraz kredowych belemnit6w i n ann opl anktonu, kt6re sa redepon owane (Birkenmajer
et al. 1983; Dudziak 1984). Uwaza sie, ze osady F ormacji Cape Melville p ow stawaly
w spokojnej wodzie w obreb ie zew net r zn ego sze lf u (Birkenmajer 1982b, 1984). G6rnq
grantee wieku osad6w tej f ormacji ok r eslaja przecinajqce je da jki andezytowe, kt6re
licza okolo 20 mIn lat (Birkenmajer et al. 1985).
Nowy gatunek nalezy d o grupy gatunk6w z kregu F . thouarsii szero ko rozprzestrzenionych od cligo cen u do dzi s w ok61 Antarktydy i w st refi e sub an t ar k t yczn e j.
106
E WA RO N I EWICZ & E LZ B IETA M ORYCOW A
Osobniki dochodza do du zych r ozrn iarow i odz naczaja sie bardzo zmi ennym k sztaltem
(fig. 2; pl . 15: 1-6). Kombina cj a tak ich cech, jak cienkie i stosunk ow o m alo zag Elszczone septa or az lekko wypukly lub prawi e poziomy zarys dysta ln ego orzegu septow (fig s. 3, 4; pI. 16: 1-3) ro zn ia ten gat un ek od pqkrewnych. Kora lity ma jq bardzo
cienki pedicel z w klesla od dolu pl yt ka ba zalna oraz gabczasta ko lumelle 0 malo
zwiezte ] bud ow ie (pI. 16: 4-7).
EXPLANATION OF PL ATES 15 AND 16
All specimens are from Cape Mel ville Formation, King George Island,
Antarctica
Scal e bar 10 mm if not sta ted otherwise
Pl ate 15
A typical ser ies of Flab ellum rar iseptatum sp .n .
1. Juvenile corallite with an a braded sur face and a slightl y damaged distal end :
a d ist al an d b si de view s. UJ 125P/l.
2. Juvenile fJabellate coralJite with a partially abr a ded sur fa ce. UJ 125P/I0.
3. Juvenile cor allite w ith an abraded surfa ce: a proximal an d b side views. ZPAL
H VII/23.
4. Adult fJabellate corallite w ith brok en prox ima l and d ist al p or ti on s : a side and b
proximal views. ZPAL H VII/19.
5. Adult conical corallite with an abraded surface and a broken proximal end:
a side and b proximal views . ZPAL H VII/89.
6. Adult fJabellate corallite with a well preserved surface and distal edge; proximal
end broken, si de vi ew . ZPAL H VII/57.
Plate 16
The shape of septa and the structure of the columella in Flabellum
rari septatum sp .n
1. Flabellate sp ecime n, cross -secti on exe cuted just a bove the colum ella. Circular
section s of ve r tic al tubes of boring organisms a r e seen in the wall and in some
septa . ZPAL H VII/68.
2. Strongly oblique transverse sectio n of the di stal portion of a su bcir cula r calice.
Septa in the ca lice are very thin. ZPAL H VII/241-1.
3. Longitudin al broken section of the coralJite sh ow in g di st al an d internal septal
edges; proximal end broken. Coarse ornam enta tio n of septa l face s is visible UJ
125P113.
FOSSIL FLABELLUM OF ANTARCTICA
107
4. Longitudinally broken pedicel, distal (a) and side (b) views. Septa of two well
developed cycles are visible; basal plate is concave upwards and sharply rimmed
(b). ZPAL H VII/248.
5. Juvenile corallite deeply eroded distally and showing columella. ZPAL H VII/247.
6. Distal view of juvenile corallite, transverse section executed near the distal
calicular edge. Size differentiation of septal cycles and elongation of narrow
calicular fossa are well expressed. ZPAL H VII/246.
7. A corallite longitudinally broken along the calicular fossa and show ing spongy
str uct ur e of columella. Proximal and distal corallite portions are destroyed. ZPAL .
H VII /8l.
A C TA PALAEONT. POL. , VOL. 30 / 1- 2
E . RO NIEWI CZ & E . M O R Y CO W A , PL . 15
ACTA PALAEONT. POL ., VOL. :10/1- 2
E . R O N 1E W 1C Z & E . 1I10RYCOWA , PL . 16