The Ordovician graptolite subfamily Kinnegraptinae in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Victoria is emerging as the region where members of the Ordovician graptolite subfamily Kinnegraptinae, revised herein, reached its highest diversity, with 16 or 17 species present, grouped in the four genera Paradelograptus Erdtmann et al. (1987), Lignigraptus n. gen., Wuninograptus Ni, 1981 and Psenograptus n. gen. The biostratigraphic range of the subfamily extends over much of the Early and Middle Ordovician, from the late Tremadocian Aorograptus victoriae Biozone to the late Darriwilian Archiclimacograptus riddellensis Biozone. Species described are Paradelograptus antiquus (T.S. Hall, 1899a), P. pritchardi (T.S. Hall, 1899a), P. bulmani (Thomas, 1973), P. maletzi n. sp., P. orthae n. sp., P. cayleyi n. sp., Lignigraptus chapmani (Keble & Harris, 1934), L. sedecimus (Harris & Thomas, 1938a), L. ramulosus (Harris & Thomas, 1938a), L. erdtmanni (Rickards & Chapman, 1991), L. gnomus n. sp., L. absidatus n. sp., L. daangean n. sp., L. diabolus n. sp., Wuninograptus quadribrachiatus Ni, 1981, Psenograptus costermansin. sp., Psenograptus sp. A and Psenograptus sp. B. The term glossa is proposed for the elongate apparatuses that adorn thecal apertures of Kinnegraptus, Lignigraptus and Wuninograptus.