%0 Journal Article
%A Fenerci Masse, Mukerrem
%A Masse, Jean Pierre
%A Arias, Consuelo
%A Vilas Minondo, Lorenzo
%T Archaeoradiolites, a new genus from the Upper Aptian of the Mediterranean Region and the origin of the Rudist Family Radiolitidae
%D 2006
%@ 0031-0239
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/51209
%X Archaeoradiolites gen. nov. (Radiolitidae), mainlycharacterized by radially arranged branching walls structuringthe outer shell layer, includes two species, Archaeoradiolitesprimitivus gen. et sp. nov. and Archaeoradioliteshispanicus gen. et sp. nov. (type species), the distinction ofwhich is based on size, shell habit and development of theradially branching microstructure. Their geographical distributionis restricted to south-east Spain and south-westFrance, i.e. the Western European Tethyan margin, whereasdata from the Black Sea coast of Turkey suggest a possibleextension to the Eastern European Tethyan margin. Eachspecies has a distinct biostratigraphic distribution withinthe Upper Aptian (mainly the Gargasian). Agriopleura issuggested to be the direct ancestor of Archaeoradiolites,which in turn is considered as the progenitor of Eoradiolites.The onset of the Radiolitidae is associated with globaloceanic changes that favoured calcite as opposed to aragonitebiomineralization. The acquisition of a porous shellmicrostructure appears, in many respects, biologicallyadvantageous and may account for gaining a rapid(< 1 myr) ecological ability for efficient colonization andoccupation of space of the family in the earlier phase of itsradiation.
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