Taxonomy and Paleoecology of Lyssacinosan Hexactinellida from the Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian) of Bornholm, Denmark, in Comparison with Other Postpaleozoic Representatives
Description:... Sponges occur in three large groups. The Hexactinellida, the Demospongiae and the Calcarea. The Hexactinellida are divided into the Hexactinosa, the Lychniscosa and the Lyssacinosa. The first two have a rigid skeleton, whereas the latter are sponges with loose spicules sitting in their soft parts. They are widely spread over the oceans today. It is difficult to study Lyssacinosa, due to their preferred deep sea habitat, and therefore little is known about their way of living. The sedimentology and the faunal composition of the Arnager Limestone (ca. 88 Ma), aside from the sponges, is discussed. Together with the sponge fauna a three-dimensional picture can be drawn to show the conditions and the nature of the habitat the Lyssacinosa lived in.
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