Retiolitid graptolite Spinograptus from Poland and its membrane structures
Anna Kozłowska-Dawidziuk
Spinograptus reticulolawsoni sp. n., S. latespinosus sp. n., S. cf. latespinosus, and S. sp. are described from borecore samples of the late Wenlock (Colonograptus? praedeubeli Zone), of the Bartoszyce borehole, NE Poland. They represent an early diversification phase of retiolitids, which followed the Cyrtograptus lundgreni Event. Some species display a combination of primitive and advanced characters, implying a mosaic pattern of Spinograptus evolution. Most of the material studied contains continuous peridermal membranes, suggesting that they may have been universally present in the retiolitids. Long (2 mm) siculae found in two species of Spinograptus contrast with short siculae, known for Retiolites and Paraplectograptus.
Key words: graptolites, retiolitids, membrane, phylogeny, Silurian, Poland.
Anna Kozłowska-Dawidziuk [akd@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, ul. Twarda51/55, PL-00-818 Warszawa, Poland.
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