The systematic part is a revision of the Cretaceous corals, more or less restricted to the genus level. In contrary to other compilations, this revision will be carried out exclusively on type material or material from the type locality of the type species of the genera concerned. In many cases this will be difficult, not to say, impossible. It is not envisaged to make a difference between genera which are considered "valid", and other, which are considered "synonyms" (this was a great disadvantage of VAUGHAN & WELLS 1943 and it seems that this error will be repeated by an ongoing revision of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology), but to include all genera. Data are provided on the type species, types of the type species, systematic position, junior and senior synonyms, morphology (description of the type of the type species), stratigraphic range, and species. The revision will be fully illustrated, with a strong emphasis on thin sections / acetate peels / polished surfaces from the type of the type species, and/or topotypical material from the type locality/area. The catalogue includes the following genera: Genera, to which species with a locus typicus of Cretaceous age are currently assigned. Genera, to which species are (only) originally assigned, are not included. Genera which type species is an Extant coral and which occurrence in the Cretaceous is questionable are included but not always described/depicted in detail. Genera with a type species with a locus typicus of Cretaceous age. Genera, to which species are assigned with a locus typicus of a non-Cretaceous age, but occurring the in Cretaceous (e.g. Jurassic or Tertiary species). A few genera with reference in the text, or which have species in the Cretaceous, even if they are not reported. There are about 700 genera at all. The revision is founded on a computer database built up in the past 20 years, and a large sample collection. The database encompasses all data available from the literature, information about collection material and a high amount of detailed data about Cretaceous coral localities. Hundreds of peels, several thousands of thin sections, and thousands of specimens are in hand or are available as scanned images, slides or negative films. Most large coral collections in museums and universities have been visited in the past 20 years, and additional sample material was (and will be still) collected at many coral type localities world-wide. The catalogue will be fully illustrated, with between one and five images per genus; most of them are based on thin sections. Up to now more than 750 single figures are prepared. Progress The image gives all (ca. 700) Cretaceous (mainly Scleractinian, some Octocorallian) genera. "Illustration ok" means that images has been selected, cut and labelled for print. "Description ok" means that the description is recorded with an expert data base system. This system makes the descriptions consistent, and, more over, once recorded description data can be used for numerical taxonomy and cluster analysis. "Done" means that the genus is complete with all data. The value may be higher than the described genera because there are various objective synonyms and descriptions are only assigned to the senior synonym. The progress is updated monthly. Examples This new (June 2010) examples correspond to the format which is intended for the printed catalogue. Soon some explications will be published here.

Do not consider this examples as valid and / or published data. These are just examples!
Download a sample in PDF (500KB).

© CPress Verlag Dresden, Germany.
Updated : 12-02-2011.