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An unusual brachiopod assemblage in a Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) stromatactis mud-mound of the Eastern Carpathians (Hăghimaş Mountains), Romania

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Abstract

An unusual fossil assemblage dominated by superabundant rhynchonellid brachiopods in a stromatactis mud-mound is recorded from the Hăghimaş Mountains (Eastern Carpathians), Romania. The mound mainly consists of bioclastic wackestones to packstones with a very rich macrofauna including crinoids, sponges, juvenile ammonites, and echinoids. The brachiopods represent a low-diversity but high-abundance association, dominated by the rhynchonellids Lacunosella and Septaliphoria. The taphonomical features of the fossil assemblage indicate an autochthonous fauna, with successive generations of brachiopods in life position and complete well-preserved individuals in different growth stage alongside an accessory population of crinoids and sponges. Brachiopod-brachiopod endosymbiotic life strategy is documented for the first time from a post-Paleozoic brachiopod assemblage. The mound reveals abundant stromatactis, filled by radiaxial fibrous or drusy calcite cement and internal polymud sediments. This is the first Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) stromatactis mud-mound identified in the Eastern Carpathians.

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Acknowledgments

This article is dedicated to Professor Ion Preda, who had an intimate knowledge on the geology of the Hăghimaş Mountains. Many years ago he encouraged us to study the Lacunosella-rich strata from this area. Unfortunately, he could not see these results. We would like to acknowledge Professor Ioan Bucur, member of the Romanian Academy, for his important contribution in identifying the microfauna and for valuable discussion concerning the stratigraphical range of the studied section. We also thank the reviewers Eberhard Gischler and Steffen Kiel for their critical comments that considerably improved the manuscript, Professor Eugen Grădinaru for valuable observations concerning the general geology of the area, Marius Stoica for helping us during field work, and Mihaela Gradinaru for her contribution during field and laboratory work. This work was supported by ANCS project number 3788/2007, GEOBIOHAS PNII–PARTENERIATE in CTR 31-059/2007 and by CNCSIS–UEFISCSU, project 1922 PNII–IDEI 1003/2008.

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  1. Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Bălcescu Bd, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

    Iuliana Lazăr

  2. Department of Mineralogy, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Bălcescu Bd, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

    Cristina E. Panaiotu

  3. Geological Institute of Romania, Caransebes 1st., Bucharest, 012721, Romania

    Dan Grigore

  4. Department of Geology, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469-2364, USA

    Michael R. Sandy

  5. Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, Center for Earth Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Jörn Peckmann

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Lazăr, I., Panaiotu, C.E., Grigore, D. et al. An unusual brachiopod assemblage in a Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) stromatactis mud-mound of the Eastern Carpathians (Hăghimaş Mountains), Romania. Facies 57, 627–647 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-010-0261-x

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