Lower Cretaceous corals from the Agrio Formation, Neuquén Basin, west-central Argentina: Family Actinastraeidae

GARBEROGLIO, RICARDO M.; LÖSER, HANNES; LAZO, DARÍO G.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (PRINT)

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2020 vol. 114

0195-6671

This contribution presents the first results of an ongoing systematic 24 revision of 25 the coral fauna of the Agrio Formation (upper Valanginian?upper Hauterivian) of the Neuquén 26 Basin, west-central Argentina. Actinastraeid corals (superfamily Actinastraeoidea, that 27 corresponds to the former suborder Archeocaeniina) are represented by eight species in28 three genera, namely Actinastraeopsis (two species), Stelidioseris (five species) and 29 Stephanastrea (one species). Actinastraeopsis and Stelidioseris species records are close to 30 or match with their first occurrences or are new first records. The last record of the genus31 Stephanastrea is now extended up from the Tithonian to the upper Hauterivian. The studied 32 corals are interpreted as colonies capable of thriving in mixed carbonate-siliciclastic 33 environments and settling on soft substrates and able to resist moderate turbidity, 34 sedimentation, and storm influence. Correlation with other actinastraeid Lower Cretaceous35 coral faunas shows affinities with those that are also record from mixed carbonate-siliciclastic 36 environments such as the Paris Basin, East Iberia, Bisbee Basin and Texas Platform.