Valospongia Rigby, 1983
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.4202/app.00378.2017 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CA876E-FFE1-5924-FFD6-FDE12F9C4E25 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Valospongia Rigby, 1983 |
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Genus Valospongia Rigby, 1983
Type species: Valospongia gigantis Rigby, 1983 ; Series 3, middle Cambrian; Utah, USA .
Species included: The type species, Valospongia sonorensis sp. nov. and Valospongia bufo Botting and Muir, 2014 , from the late Tremadocian Afon Gam Biota of North Wales, UK.
Remarks.— The genus is distinctive in the possession of dermal mounds covered by a finely reticulate skeleton. There are significant differences between the skeletal structure of the type species, and that seen in Valospongia bufo Botting and Muir, 2014 , and these may necessitate subdivision of the genus in future, pending more information on related forms. The current material, however, shows a close similarity to the type species, but is unquestionably a Valospongia in the strict sense.
The higher-level classification of Valospongia was discussed by Botting and Muir (2014), where assignment to any existing family was rejected. There are some structural similarities to Lantianospongia palifera Xiao, Hu, Yuan, Parseley, and Cao, 2005 , and it may be possible to unite the genera into a new family in future.
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