Corals from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Ocozocoautla Formation, Chiapas, Mexico

  • Harry F. Filkorn Department of Invertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007 USA.
  • Javier Avendaño-Gil Instituto de Historia Natural y Ecología, Calzada de los Hombres Ilustres s/n, 29000 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico.
  • Marco A. Coutiño-José Instituto de Historia Natural y Ecología, Calzada de los Hombres Ilustres s/n, 29000 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico.
  • Francisco J. Vega-Vera Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D. F., Mexico.
Keywords: corals, Cretaceous, Maastrichtian, Mexico, Chiapas.

Abstract

The coral species from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) strata of the Ocozocoautla Formation in Chiapas, Mexico, are identified, described and illustrated for the first time. This coral fauna is composed of 12 species, nine of which are colonial, presumably zooxanthellate, reef-building forms. This is the first time that six of these species have been reported from Mexico. The majority (11) of these species are endemic to the Caribbean region and known only from the Late Cretaceous.

Published
2018-05-07
Section
SPECIAL SECTION, Mesozoic Invertebrate Paleontologyc