Clionolithes palmatus Clarke, 1908

Wisshak, Max, 2017, Taming an ichnotaxonomical Pandora’s box: revision of dendritic and rosetted microborings (ichnofamily: Dendrinidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 390, pp. 1-99 : 27-28

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2017.390

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4D1D1CA3-8345-4BA3-9C7C-5EBDD40752CE

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3853751

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8878B758-BA6C-9F33-4E15-229AFCF0FC61

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Clionolithes palmatus Clarke, 1908
status

 

Clionolithes palmatus Clarke, 1908

Fig. 6 View Fig

Clionolithes palmatus Clarke, 1908: 169 , pl. 12, figs 1–2 View Fig View Fig ( fig. 1 View Fig = lectotype).

Clionolithes sollei Talent, 1963: 37 , pl. 9, figs 1–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig .

Clionolithes palmatus – Clarke 1921: 88, figs 92–93 (fig. 92 = lectotype). — Plewes 1996: 176, pl. 25, figs 7–8, pl. 26, figs 3, 5–8 (fig. 5 = lectotype), pl. 27, figs 1–2 View Fig View Fig .

Clionolithes sollei ? – (?) Talent 1963: 37, pl. 10, figs 1–6 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig .

Original diagnosis

n/a

Emended diagnosis

Trace developed along a number of principal branches which curve in a regular manner, forming stretched and longitudinally buckled sheet-like fans or terminating in fine ramifications, producing a trace with a jagged or lobed outline. Branches may radiate from only one side of a main axis. Surface texture largely smooth, tips of branches connect to substrate surface.

Original description

[…] a singular form assuming broad sparsely branched palmate hollow fronds and found only in the pelecypods and gastropods of the Pertage group (Upper Devonian).

Supplementary description

A reinvestigation of Clarke’s original material and additional specimens cast in epoxy resin allowed Plewes (1996) to provide the following description and morphometrical figures: “If numerous examples of this trace had not been cast, the different morphologies present could have been included in a number of different ichnospecies or even ichnogenera. Extremes of morphology can exist within a single individual; branches can develop into sheet-like extensions, or be delicately branched, as in the original holotype material. […] Variations in morphology are sometimes confined to different principal axis of one individual; some portions of the trace are delicately branched, others totally devoid of sub-branches. […] The width of the branches is highly variable, between 35 µm and 300 µm, with a mean of 137 µm (n = 24, SD = 67.62). Trace may be a simple rosette up to 3 mm in diameter or may ramify over the surface of the substrate, confined only by its edges; branches can extend for up to 5 mm and be 3–4 mm wide.” Despite this morphological plasticity, the most diagnostic feature appears to be the sheet-like and laterally widening fans. The maximum size of the trace was measured on the lectotype, which is 7 mm in diameter.

Type material, locality and horizon

Clarke (1908) depicted two drawings (syntypes; Fig. 6A, C View Fig ), none of which designated as the holotype. Clarke (1921) reproduced both of his original illustrations and again did not explicitly indicate a holotype. Plewes (1996) re-illustrated both of the specimens Clarke based his drawings upon (1908: pl. 12, figs 1–2 View Fig View Fig ) and both appear to be damaged. The less damaged specimen ( Clarke 1908: pl. 12, fig. 2) was considered as the holotype, whereas the other specimen was qualified as “damaged beyond recognition”. However, since her illustration as well as new images of this specimen indicate that this is not the case, and since the trace depicted by Clarke (1908: pl. 12, fig. 1 View Fig ) does match his original description much more closely, it his herein formally selected as the lectotype ( Fig. 6 View Fig A–B), rendering the other specimen a paralectotype ( Fig. 6 View Fig C–D). The lectotype, a natural cast in a Loxopteria dispar shell from the Portage Beds, Upper Devonian, from Correll’s Point, New York, USA, is housed in the New York State Museum ( NYSM 6697). The paralectotype is a natural cast in a Loxonema danai from the type locality ( NYSM 6698).

Remarks

This ichnospecies is the largest and most variable one of all Clionolithes ichnospecies, but is clearly distinguished from the others by the presence of sheet-like and laterally widening fans, as expressed most prominently in the lectotype. Clionolithes sollei Talent, 1963 shares this diagnostic (and other) features and is thus regarded as a junior synonym.

NYSM

New York State Museum

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Porifera

Class

Demospongiae

Order

Clionaida

Family

Clionaidae

Genus

Clionolithes

Loc

Clionolithes palmatus Clarke, 1908

Wisshak, Max 2017
2017
Loc

Clionolithes sollei

Talent J. A. 1963: 37
1963
Loc

Clionolithes sollei

Talent J. A. 1963: 37
1963
Loc

Clionolithes palmatus

Plewes C. R. 1996: 176
Clarke J. M. 1921: 88
1921
Loc

Clionolithes palmatus

Clarke J. M. 1908: 169
1908
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