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First record of late Eocene ascidians (Ascidiacea, Tunicata) from southeastern Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

Magdalena Łukowiak
Magdalena Łukowiak*
Affiliation:
Institute of Paleobiology Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland,
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Abstract

Ascidian spicules are reported for the first time from the upper Eocene (Paleogene) biosiliceous marls and mudstones of the Blanche Point Formation in the St. Vincent Basin, southeastern Australia. The spicules that belong to the family Polycitoridae are identified as a Recent species Cystodytes cf. dellechiajei, and Cystodytes sp. and spicules of the family Didemnidae are indentified as representing genera Lissoclinum, Didemnum, and Polysyncraton. Five other different morphological spicule types which can be classified only at the family level also belong to the Didemnidae. This study demonstrates that ascidians had a very wide distribution by the late Eocene and that ascidian fauna was already of a modern character.

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Type
Research Article
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Journal of Paleontology , Volume 86 , Issue 3 , May 2012 , pp. 521 - 526
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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