Ludlow (Silurian) lithistid and hexactinellid sponges, Cape Phillips Formation, Canadian Arctic

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 2042-2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim A. de Freitas

Abundant hexactinellid and lithistid sponges occur in Ludlow (Silurian) platform slope strata of the Cape Phillips Formation, Canadian Arctic Islands. The following are new: in the Anthaspidellidae Miller, 1889, rhodesispongia simplex n.gen and sp., Climacospongia snowblindella n.sp., and Climacospongia undulata n.sp.; in the Sphaerocladina Schrammen, 1910, Caryospongia tuberosa n.sp.; in the Hexactinellida Schmidt, 1870 Malumispongium? cornwallisi n.sp., of the monospecific superfamily Malumispongium Rigby, 1967. Other previously described sponges recognized in the study assemblage include Hindia sphaeroidalis Duncan, 1879 and Caryospongia juglans Rauff, 1894. These occur in association with abundant Archaeoscyphia sp. in thin, laterally extensive lithistid sponge biostromes which throve on platform slope sediments during the Late Silurian. Based on the dominant dendroclone forms in the skeletons of these and other genera, Anthaspidellidae can be divided informally into two groups: (i) the polyclonids, possessing complex skeletons built of variable dendroclones types, including I-, X-, and Y-shape dendroclones, and accessory spicules, including rhizoclones, chiastoclones, and monactines; and (ii) the monoclonids, possessing simpler parenchymal canal systems and skeletons constructed mainly of I-shaped (amphiarborescent) dendroclones and lacking accessory spicules. The classification, based chiefly on skeletal architecture, suggests two main evolutionary trends in the family. The monoclonids generally maintained structural simplicity, inherited from the probable ancestral monactinellid, whereas the polyclonids evolved a varied and complex skeletal architecture that was more successful.

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 698-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Adrain

Cladistic analysis of the trilobite subfamily Acanthoparyphinae Whittington and Evitt, 1954, yields an explicit hypothesis of relationship for the group. All Silurian species together form a robustly supported monophylum including the genera Hyrokybe Lane, 1972, Parayoungia Chatterton and Perry, 1984, and Youngia Lindström, 1885. Sister to this is the Ordovician type species of Acanthoparypha Whittington and Evitt, 1954. Remaining species that have historically been assigned to either Acanthoparypha or Pandaspinapyga Esker and Levin, 1964, form a rather labile paraphylum. Nevertheless, the entire group thus identified is definitely monophyletic, and supported by several prominent synapomorphic character-states.The basal structure and basal node of the subfamily are more difficult to assess. The relationships of the genera Hammannopyge Přibyl, Vaněk, and Pek, 1985, Holia Bradley, 1930, and Nieszkowskia Schmidt, 1881, need to be addressed within the wider context of the family as a whole. The traditional assignment of Holia to the acanthoparyphines is followed.Wenlock acanthoparyphines from the Cape Phillips Formation of the central Canadian Arctic islands include several species of Hyrokybe and Parayoungia. They are similar to, and in one case conspecific with, coeval forms to the southwest in the southern Mackenzie Mountains.Five species are new: Holia glabra, Hyrokybe lightfooti, Hyrokybe youngi, Hyrokybe mitchellae, and Parayoungia mclaughlini. At least four other potentially new species are reported in open nomenclature.


1996 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1091-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Adrain ◽  
Eugene W. MacDonald

Diverse silicified trilobite faunas from the lower Wenlock to lower Ludlow of the Cape Phillips Formation, central Canadian Arctic, have been the subject of works by Perry and Chatterton (1977), Chatterton and Perry (1979), Adrain (1994), and Adrain and Edgecombe (1995, and in press). The present work describes a very minor component of these faunas, the family Phacopidae, which is nevertheless of considerable biogeographic interest.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Luo ◽  
Yiying Ding ◽  
Zhihao Peng ◽  
Kezhi Chen ◽  
Xuewen Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractHeteropoda venatoria in the family Sparassidae is highly valued in pantropical countries because the species feed on domestic insect pests. Unlike most other species of Araneomorphae, H. venatoria uses the great speed and strong chelicerae (mouthparts) with toxin glands to capture the insects instead of its web. Therefore, H. venatoria provides unique opportunities for venom evolution research. The venom of H. venatoria was explored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight and analyzing expressed sequence tags. The 154 sequences coding cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) revealed 24 families based on the phylogenetic analyses of precursors and cysteine frameworks in the putative mature regions. Intriguingly, four kinds of motifs are first described in spider venom. Furthermore, combining the diverse CRPs of H. venatoria with previous spider venom peptidomics data, the structures of precursors and the patterns of cysteine frameworks were analyzed. This work revealed the dynamic evolutionary trends of venom CRPs in H. venatoria: the precursor has evolved an extended mature peptide with more cysteines, and a diminished or even vanished propeptides between the signal and mature peptides; and the CRPs evolved by multiple duplications of an ancestral ICK gene as well as recruitments of non-toxin genes.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 2389-2394 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Mohammed ◽  
Vidar Neuhof

A new genus and species of Cyclopoida is described; Arctocyclopina pagonasta is found inhabiting the arctic sea ice. Comparison is made with Cyclopina gracilis Claus, with which it may be confused.


1986 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. 89-123
Author(s):  
S.E Bendix-Almgreen

The few detached dermal elements recorded here document a new ostracoderm fauna comprising undeterminable species of one anaspid, two cyathaspids and a heterostracan which might have its closest relatives among the pteraspids. This fauna is derived from marine deposits of ultimate Wenlock or possibly Early Ludlow age at the top of the Lafayette Bugt Formation in its type section, in Washington Land, western North Greenland. It is probably equivalent to one of the undescribed faunas known from the Monograptus testis - M. nilssoni sequence of the Cape Phillips Formation in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Comparative material from Norway and Spitsbergen is considered in this study which prompted general comments on cyathaspid squamation, vestigial fin structure, cyathaspid systematics, their phyletic position relative to the pteraspids, system of stability control in swimming, their habitats and diets.


1987 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 191-202
Author(s):  
M. J. Melchin

Ashgill age graptolites have been collected from seven sections of the Cape Phillips Formation across most of its outcrop belt. The earliest graptolite zone recognisable is that of Orthograptus fastigatus. It is correla­ted with the Dicellograptus ornatus · Zone of the northern Canadian Cordilllera and the Dicellograptus complexus Subzone of the Dicel/ograptus anceps Zone of Great Britain although no dicellograptids have been found at any of the present sections. The overlying zone is that of Paraorthograptus pacificus, an ea­sily recognisable zone around much of the world. Graptolites of the C/imacograptus extraordinarius and Glyptograptus persculptus zones appear to be en­tirely absent from this formation. This is attributed to the Late Ordovician glaciation which has induced regression and submarine erosion in many areas worldwide. The earliest recognisable Silurian zone varies from section to section due to buried or barren intervals and/or hiatuses of varying length. The Parakidograptus acuminatus Zone has been recognised at only one section. At the others, the Atavograptus atavus, the Lagarograptus acinaces-Coronograptus gregarius, the Monograptus convolutus or the Monograptus spiralis Zone (s.1.) are the earliest recognisable Silurian fau­nas. Relatively low fauna! diversities in the Ashgill and lowest Llandovery portion of the section and the to­tal lack of dicellograptids are interpreted to be due to relatively shallow water, outer shelf or carbonate ramp depositional environment.


1989 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen A. Dixon

Specimens representingHeliolites diligensBondarenko, 1966,H.aff.H. luxarboreusYang, 1978, andH. tchernysheviBondarenko, 1966, are common andHeliolitessp. andStelliporellasp. are rare in diverse coral assemblages associated with lithistid sponge reefs in deep shelf or ramp limestone facies of the Douro Formation.Heliolites diligens, a more widely adapted, possibly “opportunist” species, occurs abundantly in lower diversity stromatoporoid/coral assemblages from nonreefal, shallower shelf limestone facies. Detailed systematic study of approximately contemporaneous populations of these Ludlovian heliolitid species shows that all are morphologically variable; assessment of this variability qualitatively and quantitatively is critical to species definition and recognition.Heliolites diligensis the most variable, with wide intercolony variation in septal development, corallite wall configuration, and spacing of horizontal skeletal elements. This apparently represents morphological plasticity rather than differences that can be ascribed to distinct species. Conspecificity of the more extreme and dissimilar variants can be inferred from study of large assemblages of coeval specimens. The other species, with more narrowly defined, discrete variation fields, are more readily distinguished from each other.


1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Keith Rigby ◽  
Alfred C. Lenz

The new sponge, Astylospongiella megale, is described from rocks of the Ludlovian Neodiversograptus nilssoni Zone of the Cape Phillips Formation from southern Baillie-Hamilton Island, Arctic Canada. The genus is included in Astylospongiidae because its skeletal net is composed of sphaeroclones, which in this species, are of relatively uniform size throughout the sponge. The new sponge also has irregularly placed radiating canals which are subparallel to the upper surface, and which are cross-connected by upward fanning canals that are approximately normal to the sponge surface and the radiating canals.


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