A Sphinctozoan Sponge From the Late Triassic (Norian) of the United Arab Emirates

Upper Triassic (Norian) hypercalcified sponges from the Musandam Peninsula (United Arab Emirates and Oman)

“…Bernecker (1996) reported the occurrence of three species of chaetetids-Artrochaetetes medicus Cuif and Fischer, Bauneia annosciai Bizzarini and Braga, and Blastochaetetes dolomiticus Bizzarini and Braga-from Upper Triassic deposits of Oman. The occurrence of Lovcenipora in the Musandam Mountains, described below, was mentioned by Hudson (1960) and Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey (2007).…”

“…Thin sections with nine-digit numbers are samples previously taken in the Weld for microfacies analysis. Order Vaceletida Finks andRigby, 2004 Family Colospongiidae Senowbari-Daryan, 1990 Subfamily Colospongiinae Senowbari- Daryan, 1990 Genus Hajarispongia Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey, 2007 Original diagnosis: "Perforate, moniliform, single or branched chambered sponges like Colospongia and distinguished from Colospongia by having cribribullae present in the exowalls. No interal Wlling structure, but vesiculae may occur.…”

“…Type species: Hajarispongia osmani Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey, 2007. Hajarispongia osmani Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey, 2007. (Figs.…”

“…Occurrence: Colospongia whaleni from the Upper Triassic of Hells Canyon, Oregon (USA), described by Senowbari-Daryan and Stanley (1988), was transferred to Hajarispongia by Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey (2007). Therefore, the genus Hajarispongia is known from Upper Triassic of Oregon, but Hajarispongia osmani is known only from the Norian-Rhaetian of the Musandam Mountains in the UAE.…”

“…Representatives of hypercalciWed sponges were not previously described from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Recently, Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey (2007) reported the occurrence of sponges with description of a new Norian sphinctozoan genus, Hajarispongia, from Wadi Naqab in the UAE part of the Musandam Mountains. An excellently preserved sponge fauna of Norian-Rhaetian age, dominated by sphinctozoans, was collected for this study by one of authors (FM) from the Musandam Mountains in UAE (Fig.…”