Exceptional development of dissepimental coenosteum in the new Eocene scleractinian coral genus Nancygyra (Ypresian, Monte Postale, NE Italy)

In colonial corals, the polyps are interconnected with a common tissue called coenosarc. Polyps and coenosarc secrete distinct skeletal structures: corallites and coenosteum, respectively. Ratio of corallite to coenosteum development may vary resulting in two extreme architectural patterns of coral colonies: corallite-dominated (e.g., cerioid) and coenosteum-dominated (e.g., aphroid) colonies. A large suite of examples of these patterns can be identified among extant and fossil corals, including Paleozoic rugosan corals. Herein we describe the new early Eocene colonial scleractinian coral genus Nancygyra that forms exceptional coenosteum-dominated colonies. The colonies were found in Ypresian limestones at Monte Postale (Lessini Mountains, Veneto, NE Italy), very close to the Pesciara di Bolca Fossil-Lagerstätte, where coralgal buildups have been recently recognised and described. The corallum is massive and consists of corallites of variable size (typically few millimeters in lesser calicular diameter) dispersed and protruding from a very extensive and dense dissepimental coenosteum. The coenosteum forms ca. 60-80% of the corallum volume and is made of vesicular convex dissepiments. The new coral is tentatively assigned to Euphylliidae (known in the fossil record since the Paleocene) whose modern representatives develop similar extensive coenosteum with sticking-out corallites (Galaxea) and form coralla with well-developed walls and thickened axial margins of septa (Euphyllia). Among stratigraphically older scleractinian corals, similar extent of dissepimental coenosteum development is shown by some Mesozoic amphiastreids and rhipidogyriids

The ancient evolutionary origins of Scleractinia revealed by azooxanthellate corals

Background: Scleractinian corals are currently a focus of major interest because of their ecological importance and the uncertain fate of coral reefs in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressure. Despite this, remarkably little is known about the evolutionary origins of corals. The Scleractinia suddenly appear in the fossil record about 240 Ma, but the range of morphological variation seen in these Middle Triassic fossils is comparable to that of modern scleractinians, implying much earlier origins that have so far remained elusive. A significant weakness in reconstruction(s) of early coral evolution is that deep-sea corals have been poorly represented in molecular phylogenetic analyses

Phylogeography of recent <i>Plesiastrea</i> (Scleractinia::Plesiastreidae) based on an integrated taxonomic approach

Scleractinian corals are a diverse group of ecologically important yet highly threatened marine invertebrates, which can be challenging to identify to the species level. An influx of molecular studies has transformed scleractinian systematics, highlighting that cryptic species may be more common than previously understood. In this study, we test the hypothesis that Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816), a species currently considered to occur throughout the Indo-Pacific in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate waters, is a single species. Molecular and morphological analyses were conducted on 80 samples collected from 31 sites spanning the majority of the species putative range and twelve mitogenomes were assembled to identify informative regions for phylogenetic reconstruction. Congruent genetic data across three gene regions supports the existence of two monophyletic clades aligning with distinct tropical and temperate provenances. Multivariate macromorphological analyses based on 13 corallite characters provided additional support for the phylogeographic split, with the number of septa and corallite density varying across this biogeographic divide. Furthermore, micromorphological and microstructural analyses identified that the temperate representatives typically develop sub-cerioid corallites with sparse or absent coenosteal features and smooth septal faces. In contrast, tropical representatives typically develop plocoid corallites separated by a porous dissepimental coenosteum and have granulated septal faces. These data suggest that at least two species exist within the genus PlesiastreaMilne Edwards & Haime, 1848. Based on examination of type material, we retain the name Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816) for the temperate representatives of the genus and resurrect the name Plesiastrea peroniMilne Edwards & Haime, 1857 for the tropical members. This study highlights how broadly distributed hard coral taxa still need careful re-examination through an integrated systematics approach to better understand their phylogeographic patterns. Furthermore, it demonstrates the utility of integrating micro-, macro-morphological and genetic datasets, and the importance of type specimens when dealing with taxonomic revisions of scleractinian taxa

Calcium isotopes in scleractinian fossil corals since the Mesozoic: Implications for vital effects and biomineralization through time

We present a Cenozoic record of δ^(44/40)Ca from well preserved scleractinian fossil corals, as well as fossil coral δ^(44/40)Ca data from two time periods during the Mesozoic (84 and 160 Ma). To complement the coral data, we also extend existing bulk pelagic carbonate records back to ∼80 Ma. The same fossil corals used for this study were previously shown to be excellently preserved, and to be faithful archives of past seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca since ∼200 Ma (Gothmann et al., 2015). We find that the δ^(44/40)Ca compositions of bulk pelagic carbonates from ODP Site 807 (Ontong Java Plateau) and DSDP Site 516 (Rio Grande Rise) have not varied by more than ∼±0.20‰ over the last ∼80 Myr. In contrast, the δ^(44/40)Ca compositions of Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic fossil corals are ∼1‰ lighter than those of modern corals. The observed change in coral δ^(44/40)Ca does not likely reflect secular variations in seawater δ^(44/40)Ca. Instead, we propose that it reflects a vital effect of calcification – specifically, a sensitivity of coral Ca isotope discrimination to changing seawater [Ca] and/or pH. Support for this hypothesis comes from the presence of an empirical correlation between our coral δ^(44/40)Ca record and records of seawater [Ca] and pH since the Mesozoic (Lowenstein et al., 2003 and Hönisch et al., 2012). We explore various mechanisms that could give rise to such a vital effect, including: (1) changes in calcification rate, (2) changes in proton pumping in exchange for Ca^(2+), (3) variable Rayleigh distillation from an isolated calcifying fluid, and (4) changes in the calcium mass balance of the extracellular calcifying fluid (termed here the “leaky Ca model”). We test for the dependence of seawater δ^(44/40)Ca on external seawater [Ca] by measuring the δ^(44/40)Ca of cultured corals grown in seawater solutions with [Ca] ranging from 10 to 15 mmol/kg. Corals grown under elevated [Ca] conditions show a slight, ∼0.15‰ depletion of δ^(44/40)Ca at higher seawater [Ca] – a supportive but not definitive result

A Comprehensive Phylogenetic Analysis of the Scleractinia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) Based on Mitochondrial CO1 Sequence Data

Classical morphological taxonomy places the approximately 1400 recognized species of Scleractinia (hard corals) into 27 families, but many aspects of coral evolution remain unclear despite the application of molecular phylogenetic methods. In part, this may be a consequence of such studies focusing on the reef-building (shallow water and zooxanthellate) Scleractinia, and largely ignoring the large number of deep-sea species. To better understand broad patterns of coral evolution, we generated molecular data for a broad and representative range of deep sea scleractinians collected off New Caledonia and Australia during the last decade, and conducted the most comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis to date of the order Scleractinia.Partial (595 bp) sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene were determined for 65 deep-sea (azooxanthellate) scleractinians and 11 shallow-water species. These new data were aligned with 158 published sequences, generating a 234 taxon dataset representing 25 of the 27 currently recognized scleractinian families.There was a striking discrepancy between the taxonomic validity of coral families consisting predominantly of deep-sea or shallow-water species. Most families composed predominantly of deep-sea azooxanthellate species were monophyletic in both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses but, by contrast (and consistent with previous studies), most families composed predominantly of shallow-water zooxanthellate taxa were polyphyletic, although Acroporidae, Poritidae, Pocilloporidae, and Fungiidae were exceptions to this general pattern. One factor contributing to this inconsistency may be the greater environmental stability of deep-sea environments, effectively removing taxonomic "noise" contributed by phenotypic plasticity. Our phylogenetic analyses imply that the most basal extant scleractinians are azooxanthellate solitary corals from deep-water, their divergence predating that of the robust and complex corals. Deep-sea corals are likely to be critical to understanding anthozoan evolution and the origins of the Scleractinia

Analiza oddziaływania wybuchu zewnętrznego na przegrody budowlane

The paper presents a method for determination of the action of an external explosion on building barriers. We used different procedures, known in the literature, for analysis of action of an external explosion. These procedures were the basis of tabulated algorithm for determination of the characteristics of the explosion action on the building barriers. We considered the basic division of phases of explosion action onto overpressure phase and underpressure phase. We determined blast wave parameters considering the division of explosion zone onto the close zone and distant zone. For each zone, we presented the methods of determination of the initial pressure of the reflected wave, time durations of overpressure phase, and the load variation in time.[b]Keywords[/b]: civil engineering, structural mechanics, explosive actions, building structure

Analysis of statics and dynamics of reinforced concrete beams using hypothetical model of substitute material

This paper contains the numerical analysis for reinforced concrete beam modelled with using a hypothetical model of the homogeneous substitute material. The static-strain-strength parameters of the substitute material for considered reinforced concrete beams were determined. Numerical static and dynamic analysis is presented in this work. Solution of the numerical static analysis was compared with the experimental Buckhouse’s (1997) results and other numerical results taken from literature. Solution of the numerical dynamic analysis was compared with experimental Emrich’s, Herter’s and Puffer’s (1982) results and other numerical results. The constant dynamic strength coefficient for hypothetical substitute material was taken into account in the dynamic analyzes.[b]Keywords[/b]: civil engineering, building structures, numerical analysis, reinforced concrete beams, beams from a homogeneous substitute material, statics, dynamic