Origin and evolution of the genera Lonsdaleia and Actinocyathus: Insights for the Mississippian palaeogeography from the western Palaeotethys

• Published in: Journal of Palaeogeography
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Castro, Isabel, Somerville, Ian D., Rodríguez, Sergio
• Other Authors: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), orcid:
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2023
• Subjects: Biogeography | Carboniferous | Evolution | Palaeotethys | Rugosa; McCoy; Rugosa; sverdrup basin
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/359038; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jop.2023.03.003; https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85151416133

Representatives of the subfamily Lonsdaleiinae Chapman, 1893 are common in the Mississippian of the western Palaeotethys. A general analysis of the origin, distribution and evolution of that subfamily has been undertaken. The most probable hypothesis for the origin of the genus Lonsdaleia McCoy, 1849 is to acquire colonialism via the genus Axophyllum Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851. Actinocyathus d'Orbigny, 1849 would be a descendant of Lonsdaleia by increasing integration in the colonies. The first occurrences of Lonsdaleia have been recorded in the lower Visean from northern Britain and northern Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China, but the diversification and migration to the whole Palaeotethys only happened in the late Visean. Three hypotheses are proposed on that matter. The Serpukhovian was also a period of migrations and diversification for these genera. Both Lonsdaleia and Actinocyathus have been recorded in Bashkirian refuges, the Sverdrup Basin in northern Laurasia and the Tindouf Basin in northern Africa, respectively. The division of the western Palaeotethys into six subprovinces based on the distribution of corals is proposed. his research was funded by the research project CGL2016-78738-P of the Spanish Ministry of Research and Innovation. The research of I. R–C is funded with the grant FPU 18/03207 of the Spanish Ministry of Universities. Peer reviewed