Article: Lower Cretaceous sclerosponge from the Slovakian Tatra Mountains

The first fossil sclerosponge with well-preserved spicules is described as Murania lefeldi gen. et sp. nov. It comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Muran Limestone of the Slovakian Tatra Mountains. The relationship of this sponge with recent sclerosponges is discussed and the affinities of the sclerosponges with the Palaeozoic stromatoporoids are briefly reviewed.