Silurian and Devonian corals of Japan
Makoto Kato, Masao Minato, Isao Niikawa, Makoto Kawamura, Hitoshi Nakai and Solchi Haga
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 25 (3-4), 1980: 557-566
Coral assemblages and their faunal sequence for the Silurian and Devonian in four major regions of Japan are reviewed. In Yokokurayama the G2 fauna with Hatysites is Early to Middle Silurian and the G3 fauna with Schedohatysites is mainly Late Silurian. The Kawauchi Formation of Hikoroichi corresponds to G3 and a part of G2. The Okuhinotsuchi Formation of Arisu is mainly correlatable with the G2. The Ohno fauna of Hikoroichi with Xystriphyllum and the Fukuji fauna are both Early Devonian in age, but their composition is quite different from each other. The Nakazato fauna of Hikoroichi is Middle Devonian. These faunas are composed mostly of cosmopolitan genera. The development of coral faunas may indicate the strong contrast in litho- and biofacies between the Pacific side (outer zone of Southwest Japan and Northeast Japan) and the Japan Sea side (inner zone of Southwest Japan) during the Silurian and Devonian.
Key words: Coral biostratigraphy, paleogeography, Silurian, Devonian, Japan.
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