Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4749673 | Palaeoworld | 2014 | 14 Pages |
Abstract
More than sixty years ago, H.C. Wang carried out an extensive study of skeletal microstructures of the Paleozoic corals and concluded that a “direct descent” may have existed between the two coral suborders: the Paleozoic Rugosa and the younger Scleractinia that had been established as distinct phyla by Haeckel (1896). Skeletal microstructures and three-dimensional reconstructions of walls and septa have revealed remarkable similarities between some Permian and Triassic corals, but it is only during the recent years that significant relationships were established between the structural properties of coral skeletons and their control by the biological process. Supported by recent genetic studies of calcareous biomineralization among various invertebrate phyla, the Wang's opinion now appears a reasonable working hypothesis.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Palaeontology
Authors
Jean-Pierre Cuif,