The coral Cothonion from the lower Cambrian of North Greenland

Abstract

Originally described from the Coonigan Formation of New South Wales, Australia, a second occurrence of the operculate coral Cothonion sympomatum is here described from the Paralledal Formation of North Greenland. Both finds are of late early Cambrian age, Series 2, Stage 4 in the emerging fourfold classification of the Cambrian. The new find supports widespread distribution patterns seen in early Cambrian Small Shelly Fossils, although associated trilobites belong to traditional redlichiid (Australia) and olenellid (Greenland) realms, respectively.

Key words:

• Cnidaria
• coral
• Cothoniida
• lower Cambrian
• Greenland

Acknowledgements

Support from GGU (GEUS) during the collection and preparation of the Paralleldal samples is gratefully acknowledged, as is ongoing financial support from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).