Journal
LETHAIA
Volume 54, Issue 4, Pages 540-557Publisher
SCANDINAVIAN UNIV PRESS-UNIVERSITETSFORLAGET AS
DOI: 10.1111/let.12421
Keywords
Coral‐ stromatoporoid reefs; Eifelian; palaeoecology; survival strategy; Tabulata
Categories
Funding
- National Science Centre of Poland [2017/27/N/ST10/01176]
- Belgian Fond National pour la Recherche Scientifique
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study focuses on the paleoautoecology of heliolitid corals in the Wellin patch reefs and their interactions with other organisms, revealing intense competition for space among various organisms within the reefs and the environmental conditions of the reefs.
Wellin patch reefs are small Upper Eifelian build-ups within the fine-grained argillaceous limestone of the Hanonet Formation. Whereas the reefs themselves are not well exposed, their fossil assemblage is accessible in the hills near the town of Wellin, approximately 40 km SE of Dinant in Belgium. It is especially rich in massive stromatoporoids, heliolitids and other tabulate corals. They exhibit predominantly domical and bulbous morphologies. This paper focuses primarily on the palaeoautoecology of the heliolitid corals and their relationships with other organisms. Cases of mutual overgrowth between heliolitids, other corals and stromatoporids suggest a high degree of competition for space on the reefs, possibly related to the scarcity of hard substrates. Coral and stromatoporoid growth forms, as well as the prevalence of micritic matrix, point to a relatively low energy environment. However, abundant growth interruption surfaces, sediment intercalations and rejuvenations of corals suggest episodically increased hydrodynamic regime and sediment supply. It is inferred that the patch reefs developed in a relatively shallow environment, where the reefal assemblage was regularly affected by storms. Heliolitids exhibited high sediment tolerance and relied on passive sediment removal for survival. They also could regenerate effectively and commonly overgrew their epibionts, after the colony's growth was hampered by the sediment. This is recorded in extremely abundant growth interruption surfaces, which allow the analysis of the impact of sediment influxes on the heliolitid corals.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available