Sponge spicules from early Paleozoic rocks of the Carolina slate belt

A phyllite unit from the Carolina slate belt of South Carolina contains sponge spicules. The sponge spicules, which occur along bedding planes, are of three types: hexactines, tetraclads, and monactines. Even though the overall morphology of the spicules is very simple, they suggest a Middle Cambrian or younger age. The discovery of sponge spicules and recent discoveries of trilobites and metazoan trace fossils demonstrate that the Carolina slate belt is probably comprised of late Precambrain to Middle Ordovician metasediments.