A LOWER CAMBRIAN CORAL FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA

A Lower Cambrian coral, Moorowipora chamberensis, occurs in the Botomi an Moorowie Formation near Moorowie Mine in the northern Flinders Rang es, South Australia. The coralla available for study are cerioid, with tripartite cerioid walls characterized by fibrous crystallites belong ing to each corallite, separated by dark, fine-grained carbonate. The corallites were built by true individuals (polyps), as evidenced by th eir contraction to rounded form when elastic sediment was present with in the corallum. Tabulae are present, formed as a basal thin, dark lay er and upper fibrous layer perpendicular to the upper surface of the p late. The cerioid colonial form with typical coralline wall structure, the presence of short septal spines, the reaction of corallites to in fluxes of elastic sediment and the construction of the tabulae all ind icate that this Lower Cambrian coral may be placed within the anthozoa n Subclass Tabulata, albeit with a question mark. This would extend th e range of the group considerably.