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Shell structure of helically coiled microconchids from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of Germany

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Abstract

Microconchid affinity of helically coiled tubes of Microconchus aberrans (Hohenstein, 1913) from the early Anisian of southern Germany is supported by an SEM study of shell structure. There are probable pseudopunctae in the shell of M. aberrans. Helically coiled and some substrate-cemented planispiral microconchids have similar microlamellar tube structures in the Triassic. The structure of the morphologically aberrant M. aberrans is characteristic of Palaeozoic to Middle Triassic microconchids. Allochthonous tube fragments of M. aberrans in the Wellenkalk presumably originate from a microconchid biostrome.

Kurzfassung

Die Zugehörigkeit der schraubenförmig gewickelten Röhren von Microconchus aberrans (Hohenstein, 1913) aus dem frühen Anisium von Süddeutschland zu den Microconchiden wird durch eine SEM-Analyse der Schalenstruktur bestätigt. Die Schale von M. aberrans weist wahrscheinlich Pseudopunktae auf. In der Trias zeigen schraubenförmige und einige planispiral am Substrat zementierte Microconchiden einander ähnliche mikrolamellare Röhrenstrukturen. Die Struktur des morphologisch abweichenden M. aberrans ist typisch für Microconchiden vom Paläozoikum bis zur mittleren Trias. Allochthone Röhrenfragmente von M. aberrans im Wellenkalk stammen vermutlich aus einem Microconchiden-Biostrom.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to H. Furrer, Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, for allowing study of the collection of Triassic tubeworms. K. Kirsimäe from the University of Tartu helped with the SEM. I am also grateful to the Swiss Academy of Sciences for a grant in support of the study of Mesozoic tubeworms in the Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich. I am indebted to the Paleontological Society for a Sepkoski grant. I am grateful to M. Jäger, Holcim (Süddeutschland) GmbH, and P.D. Taylor, Natural History Museum, for their constructive reviews.

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  1. Department of Geology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Olev Vinn

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Vinn, O. Shell structure of helically coiled microconchids from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of Germany. Paläontol Z 84, 495–499 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-010-0064-y

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