Colonial Corals from the Early Aptian siliciclastic Montlivaltia marls of Jumilla (Murcia, Spain)

Abstract

Three species of colonial scleractinian corals are reported from Early Aptian sandy marls of the so-called Montlivaltia marls from a section exposed on the SE flank of the Sierra de Sopalmo, south of Jumilla in Murcia, Spain. While solitary corals of the genus Montlivaltia are extremely common in the marls, colonial corals are rare. The three colonial coral species presented here (Cryptocoenia sp. n. aff. C. pygmaea, Holocystis elegans, and Columnocoenia aragonensis) are all common Early Cretaceous species. They range in age from the late Barremian to early Albian with the exception of Columnocoenia aragonensis, which ranges from the Valanginian to Cenomanian. Their geographical distribution is large and all species were found in the central Tethys as well as in the Caribbean province. All species were previously found in siliciclastic environments and while Holocystis elegans occurs primarily in such facies, the other two species occur in pure carbonates as well.