Hercynella-Large Gastropod Community in the Carnic Alps (Devonian of Italy)

Where: Italy (46.6° N, 12.9° E: paleocoordinates 44.8° S, 52.4° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Early/Lower Emsian (409.1 - 402.5 Ma)

• "Uppermost lower Emsian at type locality."

Environment/lithology: marine; peloidal, shelly/skeletal, black wackestone and ooidal limestone

• "A subtidal restricted (high salinity and temperature) and protected (low energy and oxygen) lagoonal environment is assumed, in which ephemeral storm waves could transport bioclasts or even biosomata from the back reef or even the reef front. This community is intimately associated with the Amphipora Community and prepresents a limited part of its environment, with persisten subtidal conditions and still, partly active water exchange with the open sea. An outer BA 3 depth is suggested...it is thought to represent relatively discontinous depressions almost completely surround by BA 2, in close connection with reef complex."
• "The community usually occurs in bituminous pelmicrites with bioclasts, rarely interbedded with oolitic limestones. The organic matter content is high to very high."

Collection methods: Despite geographic range of communities similar to this, presentation suggests all elements listed are present together in type locality.

Primary reference: G. B. Vai. 1999. Wenlockian to Emsian communities of the Carnic Alps (Austria and Italy). in A. J. Boucot and J. D. Lawson, eds. Paleocommunities--a case study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian. Cambridge University Press. 282-304 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 14256: authorized by Michael Foote, entered by Michael Foote on 29.05.2002, edited by Pete Wagner

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Only dominant members of each group seem to be listed.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Ulvophyceae
 Bryopsidales - Codiaceae
Lancicula sp.
Lancicula sp. Maslov 1956
algae
Conodonta
 Ozarkodinida - Polygnathidae
Polygnathus sp.
Polygnathus sp. Hinde 1879 conodont
Gastropoda
 Euomphalina - Platyceratidae
Platyceratidae indet.
Platyceratidae indet. Hall 1859 snail
almost lacking
 Euomphalina - Euomphalidae
Straparollus (Straparollus) sp.
Straparollus (Straparollus) sp. de Montfort 1810 snail
 Euomphalina -
"Straparollus (Serpulospira) sp." = Serpulospira
"Straparollus (Serpulospira) sp." = Serpulospira Cossmann 1915 snail
 Murchisoniina - Loxonematidae
Loxonema sp.
Loxonema sp. Phillips 1841 snail
 Murchisoniina - Gosseletinidae
Bicarina sp.
Bicarina sp. Jhaveri 1969 snail
 Murchisoniina -
Murchisonioidea indet.
Murchisonioidea indet. Koken 1896 snail
Murchisonia s.l.
Bivalvia
 Cyrtodontida - Antipleuridae
Hercynella sp.
Hercynella sp. Kayser 1878 clam
Rhynchonellata
 Atrypida - Karpinskiidae
Karpinskia sp.
Karpinskia sp.
possibly transported
Anthozoa
 Cystiphyllida - Tryplasmatidae
Tryplasma sp.
Tryplasma sp. Lonsdale 1845 horn coral
 Stauriida - Ptenophyllidae
Lyrielasma sp.
Lyrielasma sp. Hill 1939 horn coral
 Favositida - Pachyporidae
Thamnopora sp.
Thamnopora sp. Steininger 1831 tabulate coral
Stromatoporoidea
 Syringostromatida - Syringostromatidae
Syringostroma sp.
Syringostroma sp. Nicholson 1865 stromatoporoid sponge
 Amphiporida - Amphiporidae
Amphipora sp.
Amphipora sp. Schulz 1883 stromatoporoid sponge
 Stromatoporellida - Stromatoporellidae
Stromatoporella sp.
Stromatoporella sp. Nicholson 1886 stromatoporoid sponge