La Venta: inner ramp shoal Coral Faunas, Iberian Chain (Cretaceous of Spain)

Where: Spain (40.1° N, 0.2° E: paleocoordinates 28.6° N, 8.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Benassal Formation, Late/Upper Aptian (122.5 - 113.0 Ma)

• The succession studied belongs to the depositional sequence K.1.9 in which precise biozones were defined with orbitolines..., El Palasiet succession

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: open shallow subtidal; lithified grainstone

• coral abundance and species diversity are low. Colonies are mostly tabular and domal. Abundance of domal c. increases upwards, ramose branching forms can also be found. Presence of apparently toppled corals. interpretation: high energy environment, inner ramp shoal
• 15-m-thick level consists of massive peloidal packstones-grainstones (10% carbonate cements) overlain by metric beds of bioclastic rudstones. The peloids are large, irregularly shaped and heterogenous

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: S. Tomás, H. Löser, and R. Salas. 2008. Low-light and nutrient-rich coral assemblages in an Upper Aptian carbonate platform of the southern Maestrat Basin (Iberian Chain, eastern Spain). Cretaceous Research 29:509-534 [W. Kiessling/A. Girndt/M. Nimke]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 82682: authorized by Wolfgang Kiessling, entered by Antje Girndt on 31.07.2008

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Anthozoa
 Scleractinia - Rhipidogyridae
"Ogilvinella sp." = Placogyra
"Ogilvinella sp." = Placogyra Koby 1904 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Haplaraeidae
"Actinaraeopsis sp." = Camptodocis
"Actinaraeopsis sp." = Camptodocis Dietrich 1926 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Eugyridae
"Felixigyra tenuis" = Eohydnophora tenuis
"Felixigyra tenuis" = Eohydnophora tenuis Toula 1878 stony coral