Bryozoans from the Pliocene Bowden Shell of Jamaica
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1998 Contr. Tert. Quatern. Geol. 35(1-4) 63-83 37 figs, 1 tab. Leiden, April Bryozoans from the Pliocene Bowden shell bed of Jamaica Paul D. Taylor AND Tiffany S. Foster THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM LONDON, ENGLAND Taylor, Paul D. & Tiffany S. Foster. Bryozoans from the Pliocene Bowden shell bed of Jamaica. In: Donovan, S.K. (ed.). The Pliocene Bowden shell bed, southeast Jamaica.— Contr. Tert. Quatern. Geol.,35(l-4):63-83, 37 figs, 1 tab., Leiden, April 1998. all of the Recorded for the first Nineteen species of bryozoans are illustrated from the Bowden shell bed, including commoner species. Bassler, 1928, Schizo- time from the Bowden shell bed are ?Plagioecia dispar Canu & Mecynoecia proboscideoides (Smitt, 1872), porella errata (Waters, 1879),Petraliellacf. bisinuata (Smitt, 1873) andSchedocleidochasma porcellanum (Busk, 1860). Most of the Bowden bryozoans are widespread in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the Neogene and at the present day. They represent a tropi- flows. cal shelf fauna, apparently transported without appreciable abrasion into a deeperwater setting in sediment gravity Key words — Bowden shell bed, systematics, Cyclostomata, Cheilostomata, SEM, ecology. P.D. Taylor and T.S. Foster, Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, Eng- land. Contents tained in Terebripora and the latter being placed in syn- for onymy with Orbignyopora archiaci (Fischer). Except Pohowsky (1978), all of the papers describing Bowden Introduction p. 63 bryozoans predate scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Methodsand materials p. 64 The availability of SEM has had a major impact on bryo- Systematic palaeontology p. 64 zoan systematics, especially in permitting easier and Discussion p. 70 more accurate illustrationof morphological details. Acknowledgements p. 71 intended be The present paper is not to a mono- References p. 71 graphic revision of the Bowden bryozoan species: such of all of an undertaking would require not only restudy the but also extensive with related types, comparison taxa Introduction of diverse geographical and stratigraphical provenance. Instead, we aim to provide a short synopsis concentrating first describe Canu & Bassler (1919) were the to bryozo- on the most common species, the majority of which are ans from the Bowden Formation (Bowden Marl or Bow- here illustrated for the first time using SEM. Conse- den shell of Jamaica. described 17 9 and bed) They species, quently, full species descriptions synonymies are not of these characteristics of which were new. Subsequently, many species given. However, the most important for redescribed Canu & Bassler the Bowden were by (1923), reproducing distinguishing between commoner species of the used in their earlier their taxonomic nomenclature and classifi- many photographs they paper, are outlined, and the of the fauna increased 32 diversity was to spe- cation are updated, and some ecological comments are cies. Only one paper specifically concerning Bowden given. bryozoans has been published subsequently, in which The Bowden Formation is part of the Lower Coastal described further six Canu & Lagaaij (1959) a species. Group and outcrops in a small area of southeastern Ja- of Bassler's (1923) two Bowden species ctenostome maica, around Bowden on the eastern side of Port Mo- bryozoans represented by borings, Terebripora sinefilum rant Bay. Over 600 species of invertebrates have been included in the so-called 'Bowden and T. elongata, were Pohowsky's (1978) recorded from the lowermost unit, monograph of ctenostome borings, the former being re- shell bed', making it the most famous fossiliferous hori- 64 in zon Jamaica. The shell bed comprises a series of from North Carolina as likely to be C. denticulata coarse-grained and conglomeratic layers and lenses (Lamarck). Maturo's figure (1957, fig. 21) shows subcir- within marlstones. Trace fossil and some other evidence cular pseudopores like those of the Bowden shell bed that the Formation is suggests Bowden a deep-water de- specimen. However, it is impossible to be sure of the exact with the posit, fossils in the shell bed being allochthonous identity of the Bowden Crisia, which is therefore not as- and from sediment flow deposited a gravity (Pickerill et signed to a species. al., The Bowden — 1996). age of the shell bed is late Plio- Ecology Species of Crisia have a wide bathymetric cene. distribution; for example, Hayward & Ryland (1985) re- corded C. denticulatafrom the lower shore, whereas other of the described Harmelin species genus by (1990) range down to almost 1,000 m. METHODS AND MATERIALS Specimens were studied using an ISI ABT-55 scanning Genus Crisulipora Robertson, 1910 electron microscope equipped with an environmental chamber. The micrographs reproduced in this paper are Remarks — Crisulipora resembles Crisia, but the articu- backscattered electron images of uncoated specimens. lated used in the internodes have between 2 and 5 transverse rows of Specimens present study are in the collec- and the is tions of The Natural History Museum, London (BMNH) autozooids, gonozooid a more complex structure penetrated by autozooidal and the Florida Museum of Natural History, University apertures. of Florida, Gainesville (UF). Crisulipora sp. Fig. 7 SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY cf. 1910 Crisulipora occidentalis Robertson, p. 254, pi. 21, Order Cyclostomatida Busk, 1852 figs 22-24. Suborder Articulina Busk, 1859 cf. Robertson — 1937 Crisulipora occidentalis Marcus, p. 21, Crisiidae Johnston, 1847 Family pi. 3, fig. 5. Genus Crisia Lamouroux, 1812 1959 Robertson — Crisulipora occidentalis Lagaaij, p. 484, text-fig. 5. — Robertson — Soule et Remarks Colonies of Crisia are jointed and erect ('cel- cf. 1995 Crisulipora occidentalis al., p. lariiform'), with internodes comprising biserially-arranged 309, pi. 119, figs A-D. autozooids separated by elastic articulations. Fossil colo- nies are invariably disarticulated. Gonozooids are bulbous Material— BMNH D41290-41317. structures situated fixed — usually at a position in the inter- Remarks None of the Bowden specimens possess gono- node. zooids and therefore it is difficult to be certain of their identity. Recent Crisulipora occidentalis was originally described from the Pacific coast of North America, but Crisia sp. subsequently recorded from Brazil and Japan. Soule et al. (1995) suggested that C. occidentalis was either trans- cf. 1838 2. into the Atlantic Crisia elongata Milne-Edwards, p. 203, pi. 7, fig. ported as a fouling organism, or that more 1959 Crisia Milne-Edwards — than exists. be excluded in elongata Lagaaij, p. 484, one species Clearly, fouling can text-fig. 4. the case of the Bowden fossil material. Study of material cf. 1986 Crisia Milne-Edwards — Winston, 30, elongata p. from various localities is required to resolve the systemat- figs 71-73. ics of Crisulipora and we prefer not to assign the Bowden , specimens to a species until this is done. However, the Material— BMNH D41249. internodes of the material narrow Bowden prompt a tenta- Remarks — internode Only one of Crisia is known from Crisuliporative comparison with the Japanese species the Bowden shell bed. This has been well which already figured ijimai was described, but not figured, by Okada by Lagaaij (1959, text-fig. 4) as Crisia elongata Milne- (1917). described from the — Edwards, 1838, a species originally Ecology Crisulipora occidentalis can be found from Recent of the Red Sea. SEM examination of the Bowden low tide to 86 m (Soule et al., 1995). specimen revealed subcircular pseudopores, whereas a specimen from Panama figured by Winston (1986, figs 71- 73) as C. elongata has slit-like pseudopores. Cook (1985, Suborder Tubuliporina Milne-Edwards, 1838 p. 202) regarded the C. elongata of Maturo (1957, p. 31) Family Diastoporidae Gregory, 1899 65 Genus Plagioecia Canu, 1918 riously variable in vinculariiform cyclostomes (cf. Flor, 1972) and the two species described by Smitt are provi- — is Remarks Plagioecia a multiserial, sheet-like, typi- sionally regarded as synonyms. — Recorded from 26-110 in Florida and cally encrusting tubuliporine in which the gonozooid is Ecology m depth transversely elongate and pierced by autozooidalapertures. Panama. ?Plagioecia dispar Canu & Bassler, 1928 Order CheilostomatidaBusk, 1852 Fig- 1 Suborder Malacostegina Levinsen, 1902 Family Membraniporidae Busk, 1852 Genus Biflustra d'Orbigny, 1852 cf. 1928 Plagioecia dispar Canu & Bassler, p. 159, pi. 31, fig. 10. — to moder- — Remarks Zooids of have cf. 1982 Plagioecia dispar Canu & Bassler Winston, p. Biflustra slightly 155, fig. 94. ately developed cryptocysts, and the gymnocyst is absent tubercles. In or present only as well-preserved zooids, denticles be Ovicells and Material— BMNH D41289. cryptocystal may developed. avicularia are The ancestrula seen in fos- Remarks— The single Bowden specimen is detached from lacking. (rarely is in unlike the ara- its substratum and is infertile. Therefore, its identification sils) twinned, as Membranipora, but, the skeleton of is cal- as Plagioecia can only be tentative. Neither P. dispar nor gonitic Membranipora, Biflustra similar have been recorded from cific (Taylor & Monks, 1997). Colony form is variable any species previously both within the and within of Bowden; P. dispar was originally described from the Re- genus species Biflustra. Some colonies are entirely encrusting, whereas others cent of the Straits of Florida, but Winston (1982) noted its far north Hatteras. develop erect growth commonly in the form of tubular presence as as