La Venta: middle ramp, 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: deep subtidal ramp; lithified packstone

• The corals are volumetrically important. They develop mainly tabular and massive morphologies (20-80 cm wide and few cm-80 cm high) although lamellar forms are abundant to the SW, towards the outer part of the ramp. The coral colonies are

•commonly encrusted by stromatolites (crusts up to 5 cm thick),coralline algae and some foraminifers (nubeculariids). Bioerosion of corals is also present. The coral association is not significantly different from that of unit 5...

• This level, with a thickness of up to 15 m, is represented by micritic bioclastic packstones made of various bioclasts (such as fragments of echinoids, corals, bivalves, red algae, calcispheres, orbitolines and other benthic foraminifers). Carbonate mud is conspicuous.

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 82693: 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 - Pachyphylliidae
Columnocoenia aragonensis
Columnocoenia aragonensis Alloiteau 1946 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Dermosmiliidae
Calamophylliopsis fotisalensis
Calamophylliopsis fotisalensis Bendukidze 1961 stony coral
questionable assignment
 Scleractinia - Latomeandridae
Dimorphastrea toucasi, Thamnoseris fascigera
Dimorphastrea toucasi Fromentel 1886 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Comoseridae
"Polyphylloseris distefanoi" = Microsolena major, Dimorpharaea cf. manchacanensis
"Polyphylloseris distefanoi" = Microsolena major Ferry 1861 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Montlivaltiidae
Complexastrea sp., Complexastrea aff. nobilis, Complexastrea aff. multisepta
Complexastrea sp. d'Orbigny 1850 stony coral
Complexastrea aff. multisepta Stoliczka 1873 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Thamnasteriidae
Mesomorpha vaughani
Mesomorpha vaughani Wells 1932 stony coral