Acta Palaeontologica Polonica

The coral banks of the Danian of Denmark

Soren Floris

Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 25 (3-4), 1980: 531-540

Danish Danian (Lower Tertiary) octocorals are not uncommon, but bank construction is unknown. Scleractinians (ahermatypic) mostly rare and represented by solitary species. In a few places coral limestone was formed by species of Dendrophyllia, Faksephyllia and Oculina. Parts of this coral limestone from the classic locality, Fakse Quarry, show the only certainly recognized banks. Together with bryozoan banks they are known to have formed a large complex more than 90 m in thickness. The coral rocks and structures of the complex are considered and palaeoecologieal features are summarized. Initiation and features of development of this Lower-Middle Danian bank complex are considered. Comparison with Cretaceous-Quaternary structures demonstrates that the complex at Fakse is unusual.

Key words: Corals, Scleractinia, Octocorallia, palaeoenvironment, Danian, Lower Tertiary, Denmark.


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