The genus Palaeolituonella (Foraminifer) and description of Palaeolituonella angulata nov. sp. from Upper Triassic reef limestones of the Tethys

Hypercalcified sponges from the Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) reefs of Sicily

The sponge-dominated Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) reefs of Sicily yielded the most abundant hypercalcified sponge taxa compared with other time equivalent reefs in the world. Chambered sponges (“Sphinctozoa”) are the most abundant group among the hypercalcified sponges. All together almost 150 species of hypercalcified sponges (including sphinctozoans, inozoans, chaetetids, disjectoporids and spongiomorphids) were recognized in the Norian-Rhaetian reefs occurring in different localities in Sicily. 93 species (30 new, 28 as sp. indet.) of sphinctozoans, belonging to 18 families (2 new: Polytubithalamiidae, Globucatenulaiidae) and 35 genera (4 new: Globucatenula, Polytubithalamia, Rostros…