Metaulastraea
Dietrich, 1926, p. 63
Metaulastraea Dietrich, 1926, p. 63 is a junior synonym (available and invalid), see Pleurostylina Fromentel 1861, p. 204.
Type Species
Aulastrea pompeckji Dietrich, 1926, p. 63, pl. 5, figs. 2 and 7; Original Designation Dietrich, 1926, p. 63
Type Specimen: Holotype; ; Not Traced; Unknown
Type Locality: Late Aptian of Tanzania (Mambawala Plateau)
The holotype of the type species is housed at MB (Berlin) under K.1493.
Classification
Remarks
According to Loser (2008, p. 56), Metaulastraea Dietrich differed from Pleurostylina de Fromentel in lacking a very prominent, thick, and rhopaloid main septum. Therefore, he grouped it with the genus Amphiaulastraea Geyer. Re-study of the type material housed at the MNHN (Paris) (see Baron-Szabo, 2002, pl. 137, figs. 1-2 and 4) and at the "Humboldt Museum" (MB, Berlin) by Baron-Szabo in 2009 revealed, however, that these two taxa showed identical skeletal structures. The appearance of a rather prominent main septum in the type material of Pleurostylina can frequently only be observed on the upper surface of the specimen. In thin section, the main septal development can be rather irregular, thus closely corresponding to the kind seen in the type material of Metaulastraea of better preserved corallites, in which a more prominent septum can be observed. In addition, increase by Taschenknospung, which takes place by cutting off almost in a symmetrical fashion the corallite side that is opposite to the one with the main septum (a feature typically seen in Pleurostylina and similar to the kind seen in Pleurophyllia), can also be observed in the type material of Metaulastraea. In contrast, in Amphiaulastraea increase by Taschenknospung seems to occur in a rather irregular manner, including both irregular separation of corallite centers and development of new corallites inside the dissepimentarium. Therefore, Metaulastraea Dietrich is considered a junior synonym of Pleurostylina de Fromentel (Baron-Szabo, in press and in prep.)
This page has been in preparation since 02-Jun-2007 12:36
This version was contributed by Rosemarie Baron-Szabo on 17-Oct-2013 23:12.
Page authors are: Rosemarie Baron-Szabo. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.
The editor is: Rosemarie Baron-Szabo
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