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Wewokella costata new species, a large heteractinid calcareous sponge from the upper Mississippian Hartselle sandstone in Northeastern Alabama

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

J. Keith Rigby  and
Richard Keyes
J. Keith Rigby
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, 673 Widtsoe, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602-5111
Richard Keyes
Affiliation:
11575 South Memorial Parkway, #116, Huntsville, Alabama 35803-2167
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Abstract

Several specimens of the gigantic new species, Wewokella costata, have been recovered from the Upper Missisippian Hartselle Sandstone of Marshall County, east of Huntsville, in northeastern Alabama. The large sponges have flutted columnar growths and basic skeletons of triactines that are grossly encrusted or overgrown by calcium carbonate to produce massive fused skeletons. These are the oldest and largest specimens of Wewokella yet certainly identified. Wewokella costata has a skeleton with reduced numbers of triactines, but with extensive calcareous cement. The species could be in the lineage leading to the Inozoida Rigby and Senowbari-Daryan, 1996, which have spicule-free skeletons of sphaeroidal aragonite.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 72 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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