Sloveniaxon, a new genus of ahermatypic Rugosa (Anthozoa) from the basal Permian (Asselian) of Slovenia
All-Russian Geological Survey Institute VSEGEI, Srednyy Prospect 74, R-199026 St.Petersburg, Russia; Olga_Kossovaya@vsegei.ru
Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; matevz.novak@geo-zs.si
Loewestrasse 15, D-10249 Berlin, Germany; dieter.weyer@t-online.de
Abstract
The proposal of the new genus is based on Sloveniaxon asseliensis sp. nov. from the late Early Asselian of the Dovžanova Soteska section NNE of Tržič (Karavanke Mts.), in a Cyathaxonia facies assemblage with Cyathaxonia and Lophophyllidium. Together with Variaxon Fedorowski, 2010, the taxon is classified as Variaxoninae Fedorowski, 2010 of Antiphyllidae Iljina, 1970 (suborder Zaphrentoidina Schouppé & Stacul, 1959), descending from Rotiphyllum Hudson, 1942. Sloveniaxon was widely distributed in Eurasia (Spain, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Timor, China) during Late Bashkirian, Moscovian, Asselian, Sakmarian?, Late Artinskian, Capitanian, Dzhulfian? times; there it had been mostly misidentified as really quite homoeomorphic Cyathaxonia Michelin, 1847 or Cyathocarinia Soshkina, 1928 (suborder Cyathaxoniina Spasskiy, 1977). The diagnostic difference is a true aseptal columella (Cyathaxoniinae Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1850) against a massive septal pseudocolumella (Variaxoninae), best visible in cross sections of the calice. For unambiguous identification, often neglected studies of the calicular phase are demanded to see the axial boss in statu nascendi without later stereoplasmatic thickening and diagenetic recrystallisations.
Future modern revisions (including intensive serial sectioning) should verify the proposed transfer of the following previous species into Sloveniaxon: Cyathaxonia (Cyathocarinia) multituberculata Soshkina, 1928, Cyathaxonia angularis Fomichev, 1953, Cyathaxonia archangelskyi Fomichev, 1953, Cyathaxonia lomonossovi Fomichev, 1953, Cyathocarinia crassata Guo, 1980, Cyathaxonia degrootae Rodríguez, 1984, Cyathaxonia pinguis Rodríguez & Kullmann, 1999, Cyathaxonia sp.n.B, Rodríguez & Kullmann, 1999.