Unravelling the nature of Waiparaconus, a pennatulacean (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) from the Late Mesozoic-Early Cainozoic of the Southern Hemisphere  

作　　者：John S.BUCKERIDGE Hamish J.CAMPBELL Pierre MAURIZOT 

机构地区：[1]Earth and Oceanic Systems Group,RMIT University,Victoria,Australia [2]GNS Science,Lower Hutt,New Zealand [3]BRGM,The French Geological Survey,New Caledonia

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2014年第2期111-120,共10页整合动物学（英文版）

摘　　要：Enigmatic calcareous conical fossils have been known from marine Paleocene-Eocene sequences of New Zea-land since the early 1870s.More recently,similar fossils have been recorded from both Late Cretaceous ma-rine sequences of Western Australia,New Caledonia and Antarctica,and possibly from the Eocene of South America.The present paper extends the record to the late Cretaceous of New Caledonia.These remains are un-like any living taxa,and have been variously interpreted as molluscs(rudistid bivalves),cirripedes(stalked bar-nacles),annelids and inorganic structures.Assignation to the Cirripedia has been refuted by Buckeridge(1983,1993),who proposed that the material would be better placed within the Cnidaria.We investigate this hypothe-sis in light of the New Caledonian material and by comparison with living gorgonians and pennatulaceans,and demonstrate that Waiparaconus is best placed within the Pennatulacea.Waiparaconus zelandicus varies in form somewhat,with 3 morphotypes defined and reinforced by geography.Comment is provided on the imperative to fit organic remains into known groups,with reflection on what may happen if taxa are left in insertae sedis.

关 键 词：CRETACEOUS Early Paleogene pennatulacean Southern Hemisphere Waiparaconus 

分 类 号：P53[天文地球—古生物学与地层学]