Margarosmilia? gemminata Beauvais, 1986

Vasseur, Raphaël & Lathuilière, Bernard, 2021, Pliensbachian corals from the Western Tethys, Geodiversitas 43 (22), pp. 1187-1291 : 1242-1244

Margarosmilia? gemminata Beauvais, 1986

( Fig. 37 )

Margarosmilia ? gemminata Beauvais, 1986: 27, pl. 6, fig. 3, and txt-fig. 17-18.

Margarosmilia ? gemminata – Vasseur 2018: 234-235, fig. 3.53.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: MNHN.F.R11617, Beauvais 1986: 28, pl. 6, fig. 3 and txt-fig. 17-18. TYPE HORIZON. — Domerian ( Upper Pliensbachian ).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Beni Tadjit (Bou Dahar), Morocco. STUDIED SAMPLE. — Holotype MNHN.F.R11617. GEOGRAPHIC AND STRATIGRAPHIC RANGES. — Pliensbachian of Jebel Bou Dahar ( Morocco).

DESCRIPTION (modified after Beauvais 1986)

Subdendroid corallum in the form of a cylinder holding three short branches that seem to have grown by parricidal intracalicular budding. One single corallite is well developed, the two others are abortive. The bigger corallite is subcylindrical as the parent-corallite and hold a deep infundibuliform calice with sharp calicular edges. The parent-corallite is covered by a thick wrinkled epitheca s.l., which is not the case for the offspring-corallites. The calicular fossa is small, deep, slightly elongated. Radial elements are compact, free, straight costosepta with a fusiform elongated shape in transverse section. The distal edge is smooth or finely granulated and the lateral faces hold thin granulae. No columella. Wall probably present, of undefined nature.

Calicular diameter: 9 to 26 mm – Number of septa: approximately 102 for the bigger of the 3 rejuvenescent calices – Septal density: 5 per 2 mm.

REMARK

We keep this species with doubt under the genus Margarosmilia , given that polished or thin sections would be necessary to exclude the possibility of a reallocation to the genus Coryphyllia Cuif, 1975 into the family of the Coryphylliidae .

Figures

FIG. 37. — Margarosmilia? sp.: A, lateral view of the specimen MNHN.F.R11617; B, distal view of the specimen MNHN.F.R11617; C, lateral view of the major calice, corallum specimen MNHN.F.R11617; D, distal view of the major calice of the specimen MNHN.F.R11617; E, detail of the septal ornamentation of the major calice of the specimen MNHN.F.R11617. Scale bars: A, B, 1 cm; C, 2 mm; D, 4 mm; E, 1 mm.