Blastoidea from the Ponta Grossa Formation (Devonian, Paraná Basin), Paraná State, Brazil

Abstract

Blastoids were abundant marine organisms in Paleozoic seas; therefore, in Brazil, few information is known about this group from previous works. The analysis of an outcrop of the Ponta Grossa Formation known as Rio Caniú (Devonian, Paraná Basin), State of Paraná, allowed the recognition of blastoids calices and stems, which are described in this paper. From the study of several specimens, it was possible to identify two taxa as Pachyblastus? sp. and Fissuculata indet., and a third one related to the Pentremitidae family (order Spiraculata). The samples were compared with other Devonian occurrences of blastoids in South America and South Africa, showing that at least one taxon presents a wide geographic distribution in the Malvinokaffric Realm.