Kilbuchophyllia

Ben Peach and John Horne were the first to describe material belonging to Kilbuchophyllia. They discovered material belonging to the genus during their 1899 survey of the Ordovician rocks of Scotland and described the specimens from Kilbucho as "shelly fossils". Kilbuchophyllia discoidea Twenty specimens (including the holotype RMS 1989.36.1) were found within the poorly-studied greywackes of Wallace's Cast, Kilbucho during the 1980s which were used as the basis of naming Kilbuchophylla discoidea by Scrutton & Clarkson (1991), This extended the known range to Wallace's Cast, Glenkip Burn, Snar Water, and Duntercleuch. Kilbuchophyllia clarksoni Kilbuchophyllia clarksoni was named by Scrutton (1993) and the holotype of K. clarksoni is GSE9935. == Description ==

Kilbuchophyllia had radially organised septae with a beaded appearance and six-fold cyclic insertion, and it likely attempted to mineralise by forming calcite around a soft body. It had weak bilateral symmetry and was a solitary animal as it did not associate with rugose corals. == Classification ==

The organisation of its septae prompted Scrutton & Clarkson (1991) to place Kilbuchophyllia into Zoantharia by creating the order Kilbuchophyllida and the family Kilbuchophyllidae as a branch of Corallimorpharia. Sepkoski (2002) agreed with the placement of Kilbuchophyllia into Zoantharia. The genus has implications for showing signs of morphological convergence with Scleractinia. == Paleogeography and extinction ==

Kilbuchophyllia is known from the Late Ordovician Kirkcolm Formation (Scotland) and the Bardahessiagh Formation (Northern Ireland). They were deposited in environments which allowed for Kilbuchophyllia to grow near volcanic islands. It is believed that a submarine landslide caused the extinction of the K. discoidea population at Kilbucho. The K. clarksoni population at Craigbardahessiagh was extinct before the Late Ordovician mass extinction. == Notes ==