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Lower Silurian polychaetaspid and ramphoprionid polychaetes from Gotland : aspects on taxonomy and palaeoecology

Eriksson, Mats (1996) In Dissertations in Geology at Lund University
Department of Geology
Abstract
The Silurian strata of Gotland yield a wide variety of polychaete jaws. The investigated polychaetes include the family Polychaetaspidae with the two genera Polychaetaspis and Kozlowskiprion, and the monotypic family Ramphoprionidae with the genus Ramphoprion. The fauna derives from the sections at Lusklint and Lickershamn 2 which comprise the three stratigraphically oldest units on Gotland: the Lower Visby Beds, the Upper Visby Beds, and the Högklint Beds. These Beds are exposed in the northeastern part of the island and range in age from Late Llandovery to Early Wenlock. Identification of the species is based on isolated jaw elements (scolecodonts) and apparatuses, utilizing a biological species concept. Of the elements forming an... (More)
The Silurian strata of Gotland yield a wide variety of polychaete jaws. The investigated polychaetes include the family Polychaetaspidae with the two genera Polychaetaspis and Kozlowskiprion, and the monotypic family Ramphoprionidae with the genus Ramphoprion. The fauna derives from the sections at Lusklint and Lickershamn 2 which comprise the three stratigraphically oldest units on Gotland: the Lower Visby Beds, the Upper Visby Beds, and the Högklint Beds. These Beds are exposed in the northeastern part of the island and range in age from Late Llandovery to Early Wenlock. Identification of the species is based on isolated jaw elements (scolecodonts) and apparatuses, utilizing a biological species concept. Of the elements forming an apparatus only the first maxillary pieces (MI), have been studied. Three new species are introduced: Polychaetaspis olofi n. sp., Ramphoprion anderssoni n. sp., and R. ? bergmani n. sp. The remaining seven taxa are all polychaetaspids and include
P. marlenediesae (Eller, 1942), P. "obliquus" (Eichwald, 1854), P. cf tuberculatus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, P. cf. latus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, P. wyszogrodensis Kozlowski, 1956, P. cf. gadomskae Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, and Kozluwskiprion cf. longicavernosus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966. The taxonomic diversity is highest in the Högklint Beds and most of the investigated species indicate a preference for warm and shallow marine environments. Only the two species K. cf. longicavernosus and P. cf. latus are present from the Lower Visby Beds to the Högklint Beds, and these are presumably more tolerant to environmental changes and show a preference for deeper water strata. This study presents an extended range for the ramphoprionids into the Silurian, so now both Ordovician and Silurian strata are included. One transposed, left jaw element probably of P. marlenediesae was found. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Eriksson, Mats
supervisor
organization
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Annelida, polychaetes, polychaetaspids, ramphoprionids, scolecodonts, palaeoecology, taxonomy, Lusklint, Lickershamn 2, Lower Visby Beds, Upper Visby Beds, Högklint Beds, Wenlock, Llandovery, Silurian, Gotland, Sweden
publication/series
Dissertations in Geology at Lund University
report number
72
language
English
additional info
Anknytning saknas för Claes Bergman.
id
2365901
date added to LUP
2012-10-23 11:55:17
date last changed
2012-10-23 11:55:17
@misc{2365901,
  abstract     = {{The Silurian strata of Gotland yield a wide variety of polychaete jaws. The investigated polychaetes include the family Polychaetaspidae with the two genera Polychaetaspis and Kozlowskiprion, and the monotypic family Ramphoprionidae with the genus Ramphoprion. The fauna derives from the sections at Lusklint and Lickershamn 2 which comprise the three stratigraphically oldest units on Gotland: the Lower Visby Beds, the Upper Visby Beds, and the Högklint Beds. These Beds are exposed in the northeastern part of the island and range in age from Late Llandovery to Early Wenlock. Identification of the species is based on isolated jaw elements (scolecodonts) and apparatuses, utilizing a biological species concept. Of the elements forming an apparatus only the first maxillary pieces (MI), have been studied. Three new species are introduced: Polychaetaspis olofi n. sp., Ramphoprion anderssoni n. sp., and R. ? bergmani n. sp. The remaining seven taxa are all polychaetaspids and include
P. marlenediesae (Eller, 1942), P. "obliquus" (Eichwald, 1854), P. cf tuberculatus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, P. cf. latus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, P. wyszogrodensis Kozlowski, 1956, P. cf. gadomskae Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966, and Kozluwskiprion cf. longicavernosus Kielan-Jaworowska, 1966. The taxonomic diversity is highest in the Högklint Beds and most of the investigated species indicate a preference for warm and shallow marine environments. Only the two species K. cf. longicavernosus and P. cf. latus are present from the Lower Visby Beds to the Högklint Beds, and these are presumably more tolerant to environmental changes and show a preference for deeper water strata. This study presents an extended range for the ramphoprionids into the Silurian, so now both Ordovician and Silurian strata are included. One transposed, left jaw element probably of P. marlenediesae was found.}},
  author       = {{Eriksson, Mats}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Dissertations in Geology at Lund University}},
  title        = {{Lower Silurian polychaetaspid and ramphoprionid polychaetes from Gotland : aspects on taxonomy and palaeoecology}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}