Massive tabulates in competition for space: A case study from Aferdou el Mrakib (Middle Devonian, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Król, Jan J.; Jakubowicz, Michał; Zapalski, Mikołaj K.; Berkowski, Błażej

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.02.009

Cited by 14 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Sedimentological and palaeontological studies of a similar cluster reef assemblage from the Maider basin in the Givetian of Morocco also ruled out the very shallow, high?energy interpretation (Król et al . 2018a; Jakubowicz et al . 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secondly, the patch reefs were developed on the palaeohighs resulting from the Tienne Sainte?Anne Mbr (Jemelle Formation), and tabulate and rugose corals often settled on such underwater elevations (Berkowski 2008; Król et al . 2016, 2018a). They could provide the organisms with better access to nutrients and light, but in turn those advantageous positions provided them with limited space, which resulted in the organisms competing for it.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Heliolitids are fairly common in Middle Devonian reefal facies of Europe and N Africa (Goldfuss 1826; Kettnerova 1933; Lecompte 1936; Flügel 1956; Stasi?ska 1958; Iven 1980; Hladil 1988; Nowi?ski 1992; Fernández?Martínez 1998; Król et al . 2018a; Jakubowicz et al . 2019).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Heliolitid corals and their competitors: a case study from the Wellin patch reefs, Middle Devonian, Belgium

Król

Denayer

Wolniewicz

et al. 2021

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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\xA0km 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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heliolitid corals and their competitors: a case study from the Wellin patch reefs, Middle Devonian, Belgium

Król

Denayer

Wolniewicz

et al. 2021

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“…Encrusters typically avoid the most dangerous corals and succeed on hosts with smaller polyp sizes, which are less aggressive (Scott ; Dai & Yang ; Tapanila ); in general, they preferred massive colonial hosts (e.g. Król et al ). Apparently, the absence of massive colony morphology could imply that the heterocorals were of limited attractiveness for epizoans, rarely serving as hosts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epizoans immured in the heterocoral Oligophylloides maroccanus Weyer, 2017: a unique record from the Famennian (Upper Devonian) of Morocco

Dworczak

Berkowski

Jakubowicz

2020

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Exceptionally well‐preserved proximal parts of colonies of the late Famennian heterocoral Oligophylloides maroccanus Weyer, 2017 with immured epizoans are described here from the Jebel Bou Ifarherioun ridge of the eastern Anti‐Atlas, Morocco. This is the first evidence of unique syn vivo interactions between a heterocoral and numerous epizoans, that is the colonial tabulate corals Zemmourella? sp. and Aulopora? sp.; solitary rugose corals Czarnockia? sp. and Gorizdronia? sp.; and other juvenile, undeterminable solitary rugosans, crinoids, as well as microbial structures. Detailed analysis of sectioned specimens allowed mutual interactions to be traced during growth of the host and infesting encrusting taxa. The studied associations show that the epizoans must have settled on the proximal parts of Oligophylloides in places devoid of soft tissue. The encrusted proximal portions of the colonies show that soft tissue of the heterocoral could have retracted and expanded again, fouling and immuring dead epizoans. The process of bioimmuration is perfectly marked by thin layers of microbial encrustations developing on the epibiont skeletons prior to their overgrowth by the skeleton of the heterocoral. The studied encrustations seem to be widespread, but the association provided the epizoans with additional substrate for encrustation, as well as an elevated position above the seafloor, beneficial for access to nutrients. We suggest that the host bioimmured the encrusters after their death, because of noticeable microbial encrustations and veneers of sediment, a lack of malformations, relatively rapid growth and aggressive activity of epizoans.

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“…On the edges of a colony, the dark bands often pass to microbial micrite, suggesting the correlation between seasonal slowering of growth and microbial infestation, as yet proposed by Berkowski & Belka (), Gómez‐Herguedas & Rodríguez () and Król et al . ().…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

From rolling stones to rolling reefs: a Devonian example of highly diverse macroids

Denayer

2018

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The upper carbonate member of the Aisemont Formation (Upper Frasnian, Belgium) yielded a surprisingly diverse assemblage of macroids varying in size, shape and composition, from simplest microbial oncoid to complex, polytaxic circumrotatory macroid. A descriptive classification combining composition and geometry of macroids is proposed. It suits for sedimentological and palaeobiological analyses. Five categories forming a continuum are distinguished as follows: (1) simple oncoids, consisting of microbial coating of various nuclei; (2) composite oncoids, involving several encrusting taxa and microbes‐induced precipitates; (3) simple circumrotatory macroids, constructed by one or few different organisms and forming free‐rolling particle; (4) polytaxic circumrotatory macroids, constructed by diverse organisms, usually in sequential coating and form free‐rolling object; and, (5) polytaxic domed macroids, polytaxic assemblage of encrusting organism forming domed or columnar anchored bioconstructions. The dominant (in number and volume) encrusting organisms are the tabulate corals and stromatoporoids that both possessed the ability to attach to any hard substrate. Microbes also contributed to the formation of macroids although the volume they occupy is relatively limited. Skeletal invertebrates likely grew during the good season when environmental conditions were suitable for the growth, then partly or totally died and was colonized by microbes during the bad season. The surface of the macroid (after rolling or not) was subsequently re‐coated with skeletal organisms when suitable conditions re‐established. Final burial of the macroid occurred during the good season as their outermost surface is rarely coated with microbes. Geopetal sediment filling of cavities displays various directions indicating the rolling of the objects during their formation. Periodical rolling or tilting may be related to seasonal storms and the resulting assemblage formed genuine rolling reefs of crucial importance for birth palaeoecological and sedimentological analysis.

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Massive tabulates in competition for space: A case study from Aferdou el Mrakib (Middle Devonian, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Cited by 14 publications

References 51 publications

Heliolitid corals and their competitors: a case study from the Wellin patch reefs, Middle Devonian, Belgium

Heliolitid corals and their competitors: a case study from the Wellin patch reefs, Middle Devonian, Belgium

Epizoans immured in the heterocoral Oligophylloides maroccanus Weyer, 2017: a unique record from the Famennian (Upper Devonian) of Morocco

From rolling stones to rolling reefs: a Devonian example of highly diverse macroids

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