A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic
Over 20 specimens of the new genus and species Nunavutospongia irregulara, an irregular stump-like to columnar, or fan- to blade-shaped, hexactinosid hexactinellid sponge, have been recovered from exposures of the Upper Cretaceous upper Kanguk Formation on Devon Island, Nunavut Territory, in the Can...
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/e06-133 2024-04-28T08:08:45+00:00 A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic Rigby, J Keith Chin, Karen Bloch, John D Tweet, Justin S 2007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e06-133 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e06-133 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 44, issue 9, page 1235-1242 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 General Earth and Planetary Sciences journal-article 2007 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/e06-133 2024-04-09T06:56:31Z Over 20 specimens of the new genus and species Nunavutospongia irregulara, an irregular stump-like to columnar, or fan- to blade-shaped, hexactinosid hexactinellid sponge, have been recovered from exposures of the Upper Cretaceous upper Kanguk Formation on Devon Island, Nunavut Territory, in the Canadian High Arctic. The species and genus are characterized by dermal surfaces with prominent radial, irregularly vertical, rib-like flanges that have a single linear series of separated oscula perforating their rounded crests. The thin, but persistent dermal layer of fused hexactine-based spicules has rays thicker than those of the similarly fused endosomal, quadrangularly arranged, hexactines of the principal skeleton. Ostia of coarse exhalant canals, and finer inhalant canals, are extensively and uniformly developed, but irregularly placed, in the dermal layer. A thin, less prominent, gastral layer of thickened spicules lines the short, internally tapered spongocoel openings. The skeleton exposed in the commonly upward-arcuate base of each sponge has a radiate structure that does not have significant ostia. The new genus is tentatively included in the Family Cribrospongiidae Roemer, 1864, within the Order Hexactinosa Schrammen, 1903. The specimens were found in unconsolidated fine-grained glauconitic sediments along with other fossils such as fish teeth, bird bones, lingulids, coprolites, and wood. The sedimentology, stratigraphic context, and co-occurrence with fossil wood suggest that these sponges inhabited the neritic zone. As such, they would have been subject to polar light regimes, because paleogeographic reconstructions indicate that Devon Island was above the Arctic Circle during the Late Cretaceous. The distribution of the specimens suggests that they were solitary sponges that used their arcuate bases to colonize sandy substrates or biotic debris. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Devon Island Nunavut Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 44 9 1235 1242 |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Rigby, J Keith Chin, Karen Bloch, John D Tweet, Justin S A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
description |
Over 20 specimens of the new genus and species Nunavutospongia irregulara, an irregular stump-like to columnar, or fan- to blade-shaped, hexactinosid hexactinellid sponge, have been recovered from exposures of the Upper Cretaceous upper Kanguk Formation on Devon Island, Nunavut Territory, in the Canadian High Arctic. The species and genus are characterized by dermal surfaces with prominent radial, irregularly vertical, rib-like flanges that have a single linear series of separated oscula perforating their rounded crests. The thin, but persistent dermal layer of fused hexactine-based spicules has rays thicker than those of the similarly fused endosomal, quadrangularly arranged, hexactines of the principal skeleton. Ostia of coarse exhalant canals, and finer inhalant canals, are extensively and uniformly developed, but irregularly placed, in the dermal layer. A thin, less prominent, gastral layer of thickened spicules lines the short, internally tapered spongocoel openings. The skeleton exposed in the commonly upward-arcuate base of each sponge has a radiate structure that does not have significant ostia. The new genus is tentatively included in the Family Cribrospongiidae Roemer, 1864, within the Order Hexactinosa Schrammen, 1903. The specimens were found in unconsolidated fine-grained glauconitic sediments along with other fossils such as fish teeth, bird bones, lingulids, coprolites, and wood. The sedimentology, stratigraphic context, and co-occurrence with fossil wood suggest that these sponges inhabited the neritic zone. As such, they would have been subject to polar light regimes, because paleogeographic reconstructions indicate that Devon Island was above the Arctic Circle during the Late Cretaceous. The distribution of the specimens suggests that they were solitary sponges that used their arcuate bases to colonize sandy substrates or biotic debris. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rigby, J Keith Chin, Karen Bloch, John D Tweet, Justin S |
author_facet |
Rigby, J Keith Chin, Karen Bloch, John D Tweet, Justin S |
author_sort |
Rigby, J Keith |
title |
A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_short |
A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_full |
A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_fullStr |
A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new hexactinellid sponge from the Cretaceous of Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_sort |
new hexactinellid sponge from the cretaceous of devon island, canadian high arctic |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e06-133 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e06-133 |
genre |
Arctic Devon Island Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Arctic Devon Island Nunavut |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 44, issue 9, page 1235-1242 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/e06-133 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1235 |
op_container_end_page |
1242 |
_version_ |
1797577394077302784 |