The ancestry of Climacograptus spiniferus Ruedemann

Abstract

Two new species of Climacograptus are described from the late Gisbornian and early Eastonian (Late Ordovician) of Victoria. It is proposed that they form a lineage which can be traced from C. bicornis tridentatus Lapworth, via C. cruciformis sp. nov. and C. lanceolatus sp. nov., to C. spiniferus Ruedemann. A newly recognised structure, the parasicula, is described.

Keywords:

• Victoria
• graptolites
• Climacograptus new taxa
• Climacograptus lineage
• biostratigraphy
• Gisbornian
• Eastonian
• Late Ordovician
• parasicula