A remarkable new halichondrid demosponge, Ptilospongia hemisphaeroidalis, from the latest Ordovician Beigong Biota, South China

A remarkable new halichondrid demosponge, Ptilospongia hemisphaeroidalis, from the latest Ordovician Beigong Biota, South China

Blog Article

A new halichondrid demosponge bubarid bekindtopets.com Ptilospongia hemisphaeroidalis gen.et sp.nov.is described from the latest Ordovician Beigong Biota in Jingxian County, Anhui Province, South China.The new taxon is well-preserved with a two-layer choanosomal skeleton structure (basal layer and erect monactines layer) and three different types of megascleres (styles, strongyles, strongyloxeas), providing an excellent insight into a bubarid affinity and indicating a previously 730 sunken lake road unknown group.

It probably represents the earliest known fossil record of bubarids, providing a more reliable calibration point currently available for taxonomic and molecular phylogenetic studies.