Halysis Høeg, 1932 — an ancestral tabulate coral from the Ordos Basin, North China

Journal of Palaeogeography

Hong-Xia Jiang¹  Li-Jing Zheng²  Yue-Yang Zhang³  Ya-Sheng Wu³  Jun-Feng Ren⁴  Zheng-Liang Huang⁴  Hong-Ping Bao⁴ 

[1] Institute of Paleontology, Hebei Geo University, 050031, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China;Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China;Innovation Academy for Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China;China United Coalbed Methane Corporation, LTD, 100011, Beijing, China;Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China;Innovation Academy for Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China;Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Changqing Oilfield, 710021, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China;

关键词: Halysis;    Morphology;    Taxonomic affinity;    Middle Ordovician;    Tabulate coral;    Wuhai;    Inner Mongolia;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s42501-020-00073-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

The problematic calcareous microfossil Halysis is abundant in the Middle Ordovician Darriwilian Stage of the western edge of the Ordos Basin, North China. The rich and well-preserved specimens of Halysis in this area facilitate detailed studies for its skeletal construction and tube microstructure. Halysis differs from calcified cyanobacteria and calcareous red and green algae in morphology, skeletal construction and microstructure, as well as reproduction mode. Halysis typically consists of multiple juxtaposed parallel tubes arranged in sheets (‘multiple-tube’ type) or is just composed of one tube (‘single-tube’ type). In ‘multiple-tube’ Halysis, tube fission by bifurcation results from the insertion of a microcrystalline wall at the center of a mother tube. This study demonstrates for the first time that the tube walls of Halysis have a laminofibrous (fibronormal) microstructure, composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to wall surface, and recognizes the ‘single-tube’ type Halysis composed of one tube; in addition, for the first time, this study finds out that ‘multiple-tube’ Halysis develops buddings from the conjunction of two tubes and ‘single-tube’ Halysis shows wide-angle Y-shaped branchings. Based on these findings, this study further compares Halysis with tabulate corals. Halysis appears stratigraphically earlier than Catenipora and Aulopora, and has a smaller tube size. ‘Multiple-tube’ Halysis resembles Catenipora and ‘single-tube’ Halysis resembles Aulopora in skeletal construction and microstructure, and in their tube walls of laminofibrous microstructure composed of fibrous calcite perpendicular to the tube wall surface. Catenipora and Halysis are both characterized by the absence of septal spines. The similarities suggest that Halysis may be the ancestor of Catenipora-like and Aulopora-like tabulate corals.

【 授权许可】

CC BY