Mollusc fauna associated with late Pleistocene coral reef systems of the Saudi Arabian side of the Gulf of Aqaba
Angeletti, L.; Rasul, N.M.A.; Taviani, M. (2019). Mollusc fauna associated with late Pleistocene coral reef systems of the Saudi Arabian side of the Gulf of Aqaba, in: Rasul, N.M.A. et al. Geological setting, palaeoenvironment and archaeology of the Red Sea. pp. 367-387. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99408-6_17
In: Rasul, N.M.A.; Stewart, I. (2019). Geological setting, palaeoenvironment and archaeology of the Red Sea. Springer International Publishing: Switzerland. ISBN 978-3-319-99407-9. IX, 803 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99408-6, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Angeletti, L.
- Rasul, N.M.A.
- Taviani, M.
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| Abstract |
The Saudi Arabian eastern side of the Gulf of Aqaba has been recently explored all along its length, and the main Pleistocene coral reef outcrops identified and sampled for macrofossils. Terraces ascribable to the last interglacial, the Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS5e, ~125kyr BP), predominate and contain a well preserved fossil legacy of sea life at the time. Molluscs proved to represent the most diverse component in the macrobenthos, overwhelming at species up to family levels other benthic groups. As many as 124 families of marine molluscs have been identified in this fossil system, 86 of which pertain to Gastropoda, 31 to Bivalvia, 5 to Polyplacophora and 2 to Scaphopoda. No less than 277 genera are represented in the fossil mollusc fauna, and the diversity is well in excess of 400 species. Molluscs are a fundamental clue for classifying with relative precision the former habitats preserved in these MIS5e coral systems. By and large, the MIS5e deposits document former back reef to fore-reef environments and, to a minor degree, beach or mangal settings. The fauna includes also some index-fossils of ecostratigraphic significance for recognizing MIS5e deposits in the Red Sea. The MIS5e fauna of the Gulf of Aqaba is an astonishing example of a tropical marine biodiversity hotspot whose number of species and genera is not rivalled globally by any known coeval mollusc fauna. |
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