Miocene sponge assemblages in the face of the Messinian Salinity Crisis-new data from the Atlanto-Mediterranean seaway.

ABSTRACT: The Messinian Salinity Crisis is considered as one of the most influential Cenozoic events that impacted negatively on the benthic fauna of the Mediterranean area. Changing environmental conditions, including a sharp reduction of water exchange between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, altered the geographical ranges of many organisms, including sponges (Porifera). Here, we report a unique assemblage of isolated sponge spicules from the upper Miocene of southwestern Spain. The newly recognized sponge fauna was inhabiting the Guadalquivir Basin-the corridor between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean at that time. It represents a taxonomically rich sponge community that consisted of members of "soft" and "lithistid" demosponges and hexactinellids. Demosponges are represente

SUBMITTER: Lukowiak M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10657567 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature