Protospongia hicksi Hinde from the Middle Cambrian of western Utah

A large, well preserved fragment of the lyssakid sponge was collected from the Middle Cambrian Marjum Formation in the House Range of western Utah. Molds of articulated spicules occur in a slab of hornfels. The specimen consists of five ranks of cruciform stauract spicules and a layer of rod-like spicules. Spicule rays form roughly rectangular quadrules, averaging 1 cm, 5 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, and 0.5 m…