Reconstructing a Carboniferous inferred coral-alcyonarian association using a biomineralogical approach.

摘要: The taxonomic assignation and ecological implications of the genus Syringoalcyon Termier & Termier, 1945 have been a palaeontological problem for long time. Carboniferous material from Morocco Spain has studied using biomineralogical approach by means petrographic microscopy, SEM, AFM, EMPA CIP microscopy analysis. Detailed morphological, structural, chemical composition crystallographic data enable deeper understanding nature Syringoalcyon. coral walls so-called epithecal scales exhibit conspicuous differences in microstructure (lamellae holacanthine fibres vs. single crystal scales), nanostructure (pill-shaped granule-shaped nanocrystals), (LMC HMC) orientation. results these analyses imply that is an association between tabulate Syringopora epibiont. They also suggest epibiont was alcyonarian (a rare occurrence fossil record) attached to syringoporoid. This work highlights utility biomineralizational approaches solving problems, such as systematic affinities, advancing knowledge evolution biocrystallization processes.