Porocystis globularis (Giebel, 1853)

Remarks

• Collector:    Keith Minor

• Formation:  Trinity Group, Upper Glen Rose Limestone

• Location:     Bandera County, TX

• These are cool.  They look like miniature golf balls.

• Porocystis globularis (Giebel) is thought to be a fossil algal fruiting body (reproductive structure) by the experts we've talked to.

General Info

Synonyms (older names and misidentifications in the literature)

• 1852 Siphonaria globularis Giebel
• 1890 Goniolina sp. Hill
• 1893 Araucarites wardi Hill
• 1893 Porocystis pruniformis Cragin
• 1905 Porocystis pruniformis Cragin; Jarvis
• 1912 Porocystis pruniformis Cragin; Böhm
• 1928 Porocystis globularis (Giebel); Adkins

Stratigraphic Occurrence

• Trinity Group, Upper Glen Rose Limestone of south-central and West Texas
• Trinity Group, Campagrande Formation of West Texas

Age

• Porocystis globularis (Giebel) occurs in the upper Lower Albian of west and central Texas (~109 mya).

Geographic Occurrence (not an all-inclusive list)

• Bandera County, TX
• Bexar County, TX
• Brewster County, TX
• Comal County, TX
• Hudspeth County, TX

Remarks

         For identification and descriptions, see:

• Adkins, W. S.  1928.  Handbook of Texas Cretaceous Fossils.  University of Texas Bulletin 2838.

• Jarvis, M. M.  1905.  On the Fossil Genus Porocystis, Cragin.  Biological Bulletin of the Marine Biological Laboratory 9 (5), 388–390.