First Report of a Trilobite in the Carboniferous of Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

Raif Kandemir & Rudy LEROSEY-AUBRIL; RAİF KANDEMİR

Article Details

First Report of a Trilobite in the Carboniferous of Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

Authors:

Raif Kandemir & Rudy LEROSEY-AUBRIL | RAİF KANDEMİR

Publisher:

TUBITAK

Journal:

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences 2011 Vol.20 Issue 2, pp.179-183

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2011

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2000732123

Frequency:

Bimonthly

eISSN:

1303-619X

pISSN:

1300-0985

Abstract:

 

The pre-Mesozoic basement of the Eastern Pontides consists of a Permo-Carboniferous sedimentary sequence including the Çatalçeşme and Hardişi formations. The Çatalçeşme Formation has yielded rich assemblages of fusulinids, corals, gastropods, brachiopods, bryozoans, algae, conodonts and plants. Hitherto trilobites were unknown from this formation; here we report the discovery of a pygidium from a dark grey limestone bed near the top. Trilobites are a minor component of benthic marine communities during the Late Pennsylvanian, and to our knowledge, the discovery of this pygidium constitutes the first report of their occurrence in deposits of this age in Turkey. The morphological characteristics of the specimen, especially the number of axial rings and pleural ribs and the well-defined border (Owens 1983), suggest that it probably belongs to an undescribed species of Ditomopyge Newell, 1931 (Ditomopyginae). It also exhibits a distortion of the posterior part of the axis, and a shortening (right side) or a fusion (left side) of some pleural ribs, which is tentatively interpreted as repaired injuries or the results of a developmental dysfunction.

 

The pre-Mesozoic basement of the Eastern Pontides consists of a Permo-Carboniferous sedimentary sequence including the Çatalçeşme and Hardişi formations. The Çatalçeşme Formation has yielded rich assemblages of fusulinids, corals, gastropods, brachiopods, bryozoans, algae, conodonts and plants. Hitherto trilobites were unknown from this formation; here we report the discovery of a pygidium from a dark grey limestone bed near the top. Trilobites are a minor component of benthic marine communities during the Late Pennsylvanian, and to our knowledge, the discovery of this pygidium constitutes the first report of their occurrence in deposits of this age in Turkey. The morphological characteristics of the specimen, especially the number of axial rings and pleural ribs and the well-defined border (Owens 1983), suggest that it probably belongs to an undescribed species of Ditomopyge Newell, 1931 (Ditomopyginae). It also exhibits a distortion of the posterior part of the axis, and a shortening (right side) or a fusion (left side) of some pleural ribs, which is tentatively interpreted as repaired injuries or the results of a developmental dysfunction.

Article Details

First Report of a Trilobite in the Carboniferous of Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

Authors: Raif Kandemir & Rudy LEROSEY-AUBRIL | RAİF KANDEMİR

Publisher: TUBITAK

Journal: Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences 2011 Vol.20 Issue 2, pp.179-183

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2011

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2000732123

Frequency: Bimonthly

eISSN: 1303-619X

pISSN: 1300-0985

Issues

Authors:

Raif Kandemir & Rudy LEROSEY-AUBRIL | RAİF KANDEMİR

Publisher:

TUBITAK

Journal:

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences 2011 Vol.20 Issue 2, pp.179-183

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2011

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2000732123

Frequency:

Bimonthly

eISSN:

1303-619X

pISSN:

1300-0985