Order

Melanoskleritoitidea Eisenack, 1963

Melanosclerites

Taxon overview

The term “melanosclerite” was first introduced by Eisenack (1942) to describe problematic rod-shaped organic microfossils recovered from Ordovician and Silurian glacial erratics from the Baltic region. To date, melanosclerites have been recorded from marine sediments and erratic boulders from the Lower Cambrian (Winchester-Seeto and McIlroy 2006) to the Late Devonian (Cashman 1992), although published records and detailed descriptions of melanosclerite taxa remain scarce in relation to other microfossil groups. (From: Trampisch & Butcher 2010, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-009-0042-4).

Selection of related publications

Du, M., Nõlvak, J., Tan, J., Gao, S., Wang, W. 2022. Melanosclerites from the Late Ordovician to earliest Silurian of Estonia and their palaeogeographical implications. Palynology 46, 3, 1-16. DOI:10.1080/01916122.2021.2012538

Trampisch, C. 2007. Melanosclerites from the Öjlemyr Cherts, Gotland. Comunicações Geológicas 94, 93-107.

Winchester-Seeto, T., McIlroy, D. 2006. Lower Cambrian melanosclerites and foraminiferal linings from the Lontova Formation, St. Petersburg, Russia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 139, 1-4, 71-79. DOI:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2005.07.012

Kaljo, D. 2003. Distribution and biostratigraphical value of graptolites. Estonian Geological Sections Bulletin 5, 15-17. Geological Survey of Estonia.

Eisenack, A. 1963. Melanoskleriten aus anstehenden sedimenten und aus geschieben. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 37, 1/2, 122-134. DOI:10.1007/BF02989605

Obut, A., Rytzk, G. 1958. Ordovician and Silurian Dendroidea of Estonia. ENSV TA Geoloogia Instituudi Uurimused III, 125-143.

Eisenack, A. 1942. Die Melanoskleritoiden, eine neue Gruppe silurischer Mikrofossilien aus dem Unterstamm der Nesseltiere. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 23, 1-2, 157-180. DOI:10.1007/BF03184419

List of species

1. Estoniocaulis jarvensis Obut et Rytzk, 1958 | Juuru Stage

2. Melanoarbustum balticum Górka, 1971

3. Melanocladus robustus Eisenack, 1942

4. Melanoclava betaotda Eisenack, 1942

5. Melanocyathus dentatus Eisenack, 1942 | Upper Ordovician

6. Melanofurca neptuni Eisenack, 1963

7. Melanoporella bulla Trampisch, 2007 | Upper Ordovician

8. Melanoporella clava Schallreuter, 1981 | Pirgu Stage→Porkuni Stage

9. Melanoporella polonica Górka, 1971 | Upper Ordovician

10. Melanorhabdus nodifer Eisenack, 1942 | Upper Ordovician→lower Silurian

11. Melanorhachis regularis Eisenack, 1942 | Pirgu Stage→Juuru Stage

12. Melanosteus acutus Eisenack, 1942 | Cambrian

13. Melanosteus anceps Eisenack, 1942

14. Melanosteus? asymmetricus Eisenack, 1942

15. Melanostylus coronifer Eisenack, 1963 | Porkuni Stage

16. Melanostylus hexasterides (Eisenack, 1942) | upper Silurian

17. Melanostylus polypes (Eisenack, 1942)

18. Menola oz Schallreuter, 1981 | Porkuni Stage

19. Mirachitina quadrupedis Eisenack, 1931

Classification

Organism group	Biota
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Cnidaria
Subphylum	Anthozoa
	Medusozoa
Class	Hydrozoa
	Psammocorallia
	Scyphozoa
Order	Melanoskleritoitidea
Family	Melanoporellidae
	Melanoskleritoitidae
	Mirachitinidae
Genus	Estoniocaulis
	Melanoskleritoites
	Aspidella
	Byronia
	Semenola