Depth transect of an Upper Triassic (Rhaetian) reef from Gosau, Austria: Microfacies and community ecology

Paleoecology, biogeography, and evolution of reef ecosystems in the Panthalassa Ocean during the Late Triassic: Insights from reef limestone of the Sambosan Accretionary Complex, Shikoku, Japan

“…Quantitative data significantly enhance our understanding of ancient reef ecosystems and allow us to reliably discriminate between different types of reefs. Our results are especially relevant when compared with similar quantitative analyses performed on coeval reef settings (e.g., Martindale et al, 2012Martindale et al, , 2013a.…”

“…Ideally, the reef builders must be in-place, but it is often difficult to assess this criterion in thin sections. Moreover, in both modern and ancient reefs, broken and more or less reworked reef components are common, especially at the reef crest (Fagerstrom and Weidlich 2005;Martindale et al, 2013a). Second, the presence of microbial crusts and sessile organisms binding the reef builders together particularly helps to identify reef limestone.…”

A regional-scale discontinuity in western Sicily revealed by a multidisciplinary approach: A new piece for understanding the geodynamic puzzle of the southern Mediterranean

“…Many authors pointed out how the marginal complexes of the Upper Triassic carbonate platforms can be differentiated in two end terms [ Flügel and Senowbari‐Daryan , ; Flügel , ; Iannace and Zamparelli , ]: Microbial serpulid reefs typical at the margins of intraplatform basins of limited extension, with restricted circulation [ Berra and Jadoul , ; Braga and Lopez‐Lopez , ; Zamparelli et al ., ]; Sponge‐coral reefs (also known as Dachstein‐type reefs), typical of high‐energy, open marine environments. Coralline sponges and (subordinate) corals in association with a high‐diverse community of reefal dwellers dominated these reefs [ Flügel , , and references therein; Martindale et al ., ]. …”

From Fore Reef to Lagoon: Evolution of the Upper Triassic Dachstein Carbonate Platform on the Tennengebirge (Salzburg, Austria)

“…Thin-section composition was quantitatively assessed using the point-counting technique described in section 6.2 of Flü gel (2004) and used in Bosence and Allison (1995), Olivier et al, (2004), and Martindale et al, (2010Martindale et al, ( , 2013. In this study 200 points were counted from each thin section (grid points 1 mm apart, two 10 point by 10 point grids per section).…”

“…The bioconstructers that could be identified in this reef comprise typically Carnian faunas (Vesicocaulis reticuliformis sponges and Ladinella porata microproblematica), Norian faunas (Retiophyllia aranea corals and Ammobaculites rhaeticus foraminifera), and Carnian through Rhaetian faunas (Celyphia, Uvanella, and Radiomura sponges, Retiophyllia fenestrata corals); age ranges of species and genera from the Paleobiology Database (paleodb.org/ as of September 28th, 2012). The abundance of Carnian-type epibionts, including encrusting sponges, microproblematica such as ''Tubiphytes'', and Carnian-style microbial fabrics or crusts (as opposed to the well-layered Spongiostromate stromatolitic crusts that are characteristic of Norian-Rhaetian reefs, e.g., Wurm, 1982;Flü gel, 2002Flü gel, , 2004Martindale et al, 2013), in addition to the aforementioned reef taxa, give the Tennengebirge patch reef a distinctly Carnian appearance in thin section. Indeed, without early Norian index fossils (conodonts and ammonoids) at the base of the reef, even regional experts may incorrectly consider the Tennengebirge patch reef to be Carnian in age based on the microfacies and organism assemblage in thin section.…”