Graptolite faunas and monaxonid demosponges of the Cyrtograptus lundgreni event (late Wenlock, Silurian) interval from the Orange district, New South Wales

Abstract

Muir, L.A. & Botting, J.P., December, 2007. Graptolite faunas and monaxonid demosponges of the Cyrtograptus lundgreni event (late Wenlock, Silurian) interval from the Orange district, New South Wales. Alcheringa 31, 375-395. ISSN 0311-5518.

Three monograptid and five retiolitid graptoloids, and one species of sponge, are described from late Wenlock sections (Cyr. lundgreni and Co. ludensis biozones) at Spring Creek and Wallace Creek, near Orange, New South Wales, Australia. The sponge Janussenia orangense gen. et sp. nov. is the first monaxonid demosponge to be described from the Australian Silurian. An object containing broken Testograptus testis, and interpreted as the faecal pellet of a predator or scavenger on graptoloids, is described.

Lucy A. Muir [[email protected]], Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. Joseph P. Botting [[email protected]], 2C Roslyn Close, Mitcham CR4 3BB, UK. Received 28.4.2006; Revised 10.10.2006.

Key words:

• Graptolithina
• Porifera
• Demospongea
• Hexactinellida
• extinction

Acknowledgements

The graptolite work was done as part of a NERC-funded PhD by LAM at the University of Edinburgh, UK, grant number GT 04/99/ES/78, supervised by Euan Clarkson, Sue Rigby, and Barrie Rickards (University of Cambridge). Phil Crabb (NHM) photographed the graptolites, and he and Roy Barlow (PANDIS, University of Cambridge) gave invaluable help on the sponge plate. Barrie Rickards, Tony Wright, Ian Perceval, Gordon Packham, and Tania Koren' are thanked for assistance with fieldwork. JPB gratefully acknowledges a Junior Research Fellowship at Christ's College, Cambridge. The paper benefited from reviews by Barrie Rickards and John Pickett.