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A varied Middle Ordovician sponge spicule assemblage from western Newfoundland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Xi-Guang Zhang  and
Brian R. Pratt
Xi-Guang Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada,
Brian R. Pratt
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada,
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Abstract

Abundant and morphologically fairly diverse siliceous sponge spicules of Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) age were collected from the Table Cove Formation of Port au Port Peninsula, western Newfoundland. Without co-occurrence of appropriate sponge body fossils, it is difficult to refer these disarticulated sponge spicules to existing or to new taxa. However, representatives of demosponges and hexactinellids are recognized. While marked differences are noted between older and younger lithistid dendroclones, for example, spicule form in these Middle Ordovician specimens is similar overall to previously known assemblages of various ages, demonstrating the morphologically conservative nature of the spicular skeleton.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , May 2000 , pp. 386 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 2000

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