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Biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic and paleoecological implications in the taxonomic review of Corallinaceae

Implicazioni biostratigrafiche, paleobiogeografiche e paleoecologiche nelle revisioni tassonomiche di Corallinaceae

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Abstract

Some fossil species of nongeniculate coralline algae are synonyms of living species. These synonimies allow us to use stratigraphic distributions ofPhymatolithon calcareum (Pallas) Adey and McKibbin 1970 (Oligocene — Recent) and of the Mediterranean endemicsLithophyllum racemus (Lamarck) Foslie 1901 (Aquitanian — Recent) andLithothamnion valens Foslie 1909 (Priabonian — Recent) to clarify their paleobiogeography. It also illuminates the bionomy and paleoenvironments of benthic Mediterranean bottoms dominated by unattached corallines. The changes in species and morphologies in the coating sequence of rhodoliths, from nucleus to periphery, document sequential environmental changes.

Riassunto

Alcune specie fossili di Corallinaceae non genicolate sono sinonimi di specie viventi. Queste sinonimie permettono di utilizzare la distribuzione stratigrafica diPhymatolithon calcareum (Pallas) Adey and McKibbin 1970 (Oligocene-Recente), come anche diLithophyllum racemus (Lamarck) Foslie 1901 (Aquitaniano-Recente) eLithothamnion valens Foslie 1909 (Priaboniano-Recente), due specie endemiche del Mediterraneo, per chiarirne l’evoluzione paleobiogeografica. Queste sinonimie tra specie fossili ed attuali e quindi il significato attribuibile ai fossili nell’ambito della bionomia bentonica mediterranea (almeno dal tardo Miocene) consentono di ricostruire con maggior dettaglio alcuni paleoambienti di fondo mobile dominati da queste corallinacee. In presenza di rodoliti multispecifiche, è possibile tracciare l’evoluzione del paleoambiente attraverso la sequenza di accrescimento delle rodoliti stesse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 34, 20133, Milano

    Daniela Basso

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Europa, 26, 16132, Genova

    Patrizia Favega, Michele Piazza & Grazia Vannucci

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  1. Daniela Basso
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  2. Patrizia Favega
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  3. Michele Piazza
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  4. Grazia Vannucci
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Pervenuta in forma definitiva all’Accademia il 23 giugno 1998.

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Basso, D., Favega, P., Piazza, M. et al. Biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic and paleoecological implications in the taxonomic review of Corallinaceae. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 9, 201–211 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904404

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