LOWER VISEAN (LOWER CARBONIFEROUS) RUGOSE CORALS FROM THE DONETS BASIN (UKRAINE)

Rugose corals are described from the lower Visean of the Donets Basin. The new coral Dorlodotidae fam. nov. and the species Cyathoclisia sukhensis sp. nov. are here introduced and the presence of the genera Amygdalophyllum and Ceriodotia are established for the first time in the Donets Basin. The priority of the generic name Protolonsdaleia over Eolithostrotionella is discussed. The lower Visean rugose coral assemblage of the Donets Basin differs from those of the upper Tournaisian and upper Visean. Global and regional events may have led to abrupt changes in sedimentation conditions at the end of the Tournaisian time and at the beginning of the late Visean. The colonial rugose corals Siphonodendron, Dorlodotia, Protolonsdaleia and Ceriodotia appear in the early Visean of the Donets Basin as in many other regions of Eurasia. The similarity of the lower Visean coral assemblage of the Donets Basin with that of the Western Paleotethys is noted but at the same time, there are significant differences with the regions of the Eastern Paleotethys. This is due to the presence of a possible paleogeographic barrier located to the eastern part of Laurussia hindering the migration of corals.