Middle Albian corals from the Espinazo del Diablo Formation (Lampazos area, Sonora, Mexico)

Abstract

In this study, we describe a coral fauna from limestones of the Middle Albian, in the Espinazo del Diablo Formation, at a distance of 10 km to the southeast of Tepache town, which is in the Lampazos area of Mexico. The corals did not form bioconstructions. A total of 46 species assigned to 22 genera that belong to the superfamilies Actinastraeoidea, Cladocoroidea, Cyclolitoidea, Eugyroidea, Heterocoenioidea, Misistelloidea, Stylinoidea, and Thamnasterioidea are reported. One genus and three species are described as new. The new genus Pentacoeniopsis belongs to the family Solenocoeniidae. The generic composition shows that the fauna is dominated by Early Cretaceous corals, and almost all species were indicated in the Early Aptian and Early Albian. Four genera have a range beyond the Santonian. Due to the relatively high number of endemic taxa, the coral fauna of the Lampazos area shows a low number of species that are shared with other studied areas, and coral fauna of the Bisbee Basin are the nearest with only 15 shared taxa. •