Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T00:46:21.323Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Ordovician nearshore faunas and depositional environments, northwestern Maine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

Stephen G. Pollock ,
David A. T. Harper  and
David Rohr
Stephen G. Pollock
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Southern Maine, Gorham 04038
David A. T. Harper
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University College, Galway, Ireland
David Rohr
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas 79838
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Little East Lake Formation represents a spectrum of Late Ordovician (Ashgill) nearshore environments. These physical environments are characterized by a variety of quartz- and feldspar-rich sandstone and slate. Depositional environments include neritic nearshore, beach, tidal flat, and alluvial(?). The beach and neritic nearshore environments contain a variety of fossil invertebrates. The majority of the brachiopod fauna is confined to two taxa: Eodinobolus rotundus Harper, 1984, and Dalmanella testudinaria ripae Mitchell, 1978 (in Cocks, 1978). Some of the specimens have been broken and abraded suggesting transport within the beach swash zone. Gastropods include Lophospira cf. L. milleri (Hall), Lophospira(?), Trochonemella cf. T. notabilis (Ulrich and Scofield), and Daidia cerithioides (Salter). Tidal-flat environment contains the trace fossils Palaeophycus and Planolites.

The Late Ordovician (Caradoc and Ashgill) sedimentary basins developed subsequent to the collisional Taconian orogeny, wherein an arc accreted to the eastern Laurentian margin. Prior paleomagnetic reconstructions place the southeastern continental margin of Laurentia at approximately 25° south latitude during the Late Ordovician. Using these reconstructions, the siliciclastic Ashgill rocks discussed here would have been deposited in an elongated, northeast-trending basin on the southeastern Laurentian margin. The fauna developed along this margin, but in contrast to possibly adjacent Irish and Scottish assemblages, was located in much shallower water.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 68 , Issue 5 , September 1994 , pp. 925 - 937
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beland, J. 1962. Ste-Perpetue Area Kamourask and L'Islet Counties. Geological Report 98, Department of Natural Resources, Quebec, 22 p.Google Scholar
Berry, W. N. B. 1960. Graptolite faunas of the Marathon region, West Texas. Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas Publication No. 6005, 103 p.Google Scholar
Billings, E. 1865. Paleozoic Fossils, Volume 1. Geological Survey of Canada, Dawson Brothers, Montreal, 426 p.Google Scholar
Blodgett, R. B., Wheeler Crowder, K. L., Rohr, D. M., Harris, A. G., and Webber, F. R. 1987. A late Ordovician age for the Upper Fossil Creek Volcanics and possible significance for glacioeustacy. U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 998:54–58.Google Scholar
Boone, G. M. 1970. The Fish River Lake Formation and its environments of depostion, p. 27–41. In Shorter Contributions to Maine Geology, Maine Geological Survey, Bulletin 23.Google Scholar
Boone, G. M. 1983. The Hurricane Mountain Formation melange and unconformably overlying Lower to Middle Ordovician volcanics, Brassua Lake and Moosehead Lake quadrangles, p. 31–44. In Caldwell, D. W. and Hanson, L. S. (eds.), New England Intercollegiate Geological Field Conference Guidebook for Field Trips in the Greenville–Millinocket Regions, North-Central Maine.Google Scholar
Boone, G. M., and Boudette, E. L. 1989. Accretion of the Boundary Mountains terrane within the northern Appalachian orthotectonic zone, p. 17–42. In Horton, J. W. and Rast, N. (eds.), Melanges and Olistostromes of the U.S. Appalachians. Geological Society of America, Special Paper 228.Google Scholar
Boucot, A. J., Field, M. T., Fletcher, R. S., Forbes, W. H., Naylor, R. S., and Pavilides, L. 1964. Reconnaissnace bedrock stratigraphy of the Presque Isle quadrangle. Maine Geological Survey, Quadrangle Mapping Series, No. 2, 123 p.Google Scholar
Boucot, A. J., Field, M. T., Fletcher, R. S., Forbes, W. H., Naylor, R. S., and Heath, E. L. 1969. Geology of the Moose River and Roach River synclinoria, northwestern Maine. Maine Geological Survey, Bulletin 21, 117 p.Google Scholar
Boucot, A. J., Field, M. T., Fletcher, R. S., Forbes, W. H., Naylor, R. S., and Yochelson, E. L. 1966. Paleozoic Gastropoda from the Moose River synclinorium, northern Maine. U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 503–A:1–20.Google Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M. 1978. A review of British lower Palaeozoic brachiopods, including a synoptic revision of Davidson's monograph. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, 256 p.Google Scholar
David, J., Chabot, N., Marcotte, C., Lajoie, J., and Lesperance, P. J. 1985. Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Cabano, Point aux Trembles and Lac Raymond Formations, Temicouata and Rimouski Counties, Quebec, p. 491–497. In Current Research Part B, Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 85–1B.Google Scholar
Davidson, T., and King, W. 1872. Remarks on the genera Trimerella, Dinobolus, and Monomorella . Geological Magazine, 9:442–445.Google Scholar
Dobkins, J. E. Jr., and Folk, R. E. 1970. Shape development on Tahiti-Nui. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 40:1167–1203.Google Scholar
Gorman, W. A. 1961. Estcourt–Baker Lake Area. Ministere des Richesses Naturelle Exploration Geologique, Quebec, DP–472, 1977, 29 p.Google Scholar
Hall, B. A. 1970. Stratigraphy of the southern end of the Munsungun anticlinorium, Maine. Maine Geological Survey, Bulletin 22, 63 p.Google Scholar
Hall, J. 1847. Paleontology of New York, Volume 1, Containing descriptions of the organic remains of the lower division of the New York System. Albany.Google Scholar
Hall, J., and Clarke, J. M. 1892. An introduction to the study of the genera of Paleozoic brachiopods. New York State Survey, Paleontology, 8:1–367.Google Scholar
Hanken, N. M., and Harper, D. A. T. 1985. The taxonomy, shell structure and paleoecology of the trimerellid brachiopod Gasconsia Northrop. Palaeontology, 28:243–254.Google Scholar
Harper, D. A. T. 1982. The stratigraphy of the Drummuck Group (Ashgill), Girvan. Geological Journal, 17:251–277.Google Scholar
Harper, D. A. T. 1984. Brachiopods from the Upper Ardmillan succession (Ordovician) of the Girvan district, Scotland. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, Part 1:1–78.Google Scholar
Harper, D. A. T. 1989. Brachiopods from the Upper Ardmillan succession (Ordovician) of the Girvan district, Scotland. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, Part 2:79–128.Google Scholar
Jansa, L. F. 1975. Tidal deposits in the Monkman Quartzite (Lower Ordovician), northeastern British Columbia, Canada, p. 153–162. In Ginsburg, R. N. (ed.), Tidal Deposits. Springer-Verlag, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koken, E. 1896. Die Leitfossilien. C. H. Tarchnitz, Leipzig, 848 p.Google Scholar
Koken, E. 1925. Die Gastropoden des Baltischen Untersilurs (Perner, J., ed.). Academie Science Russie Memoire, Classe physico-mathematique, Series 8, Volume 37, No. 1, 326 p.Google Scholar
Lesperance, P. J., and Tripp, R. P. 1985. Encrinurids (Trilobita) from the Matapedia Group (Ordovician), Perce, Quebec. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 22:205–213.Google Scholar
Li, L.-Z., and Han, N. R. 1980. Discovery of Ordovician Trimerellidae (Brachiopoda) from western Zhejiang and its significance. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 19:8–22.Google Scholar
Ludman, A. 1991. The Fredericton trough and Norumbega fault zone in eastern Maine, p. 186–208. In Ludman, A. (ed.), Geology of the Coastal Lithotectonic Block and Neighboring Terranes, Eastern Maine and Southern New Brunswick. New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference Guidebook.Google Scholar
M'Coy, F. 1851. On some new Silurian Molluska. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, including Zoology, Botany, and Geology, 2nd Series, 7:45–63.Google Scholar
Mitchell, W. I. 1977. The Ordovician Brachiopoda from Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, 138 p.Google Scholar
Nemec, W., and Steel, R. J. 1984. Alluvial and coastal conglomerates: their significant features and some comments on gravelly mass flow deposits, p. 1–32. In Koster, E. H. and Steel, R. J. (eds.), Sedimentology of Gravels and Conglomerates. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 10.Google Scholar
Neuman, R. B. 1967. Bedrock geology of the Shin Pond and Stacy ville quadrangles Penobscot County, Maine. U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 524–I, 37 p.Google Scholar
Neuman, R. B. 1973. Late Ordovician (Ashgillian) age of volcanic rocks, north-central Maine. U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 850:165.Google Scholar
Neuman, R. B. 1993. Late Ordovician micromorphic Foliomena brachiopod assemblage northeastern Maine. Geological Society of America, Programs with Abstracts, 25:67.Google Scholar
Nicholson, H. A. 1873. Contributions to the study of the errant annelides of the older Paleozic rocks. Royal Society of London, Proceedings, 21:205–213.Google Scholar
Norford, B. S., and Steele, H. M. 1969. The Ordovician trimerellid brachiopod Eodinobolus from south-east Ontario. Palaeontology, 12:161–171.Google Scholar
Okulitch, V. J. 1935. Fauna of the Black River Group in the vicinity of Montreal. Canadian Field Naturalist, 49:96–107.Google Scholar
Osberg, P. H., Hussey, A. M., and Boone, G. M. 1985. Bedrock geologic map of Maine. Maine Geological Survey, Augusta, 1:500,000.Google Scholar
Pollock, S. G. 1989. Melanges and olistostromes associated with ophiolitic metabasalts and their significance in Cambro-Ordovician forearc accretion in the northern Appalachians, p. 43–64. In Horton, J. W. and Rast, N. (eds.), Melanges and Olistostromes of the U.S. Appalachians. Geological Society of America, Special Paper 228.Google Scholar
Portlock, J. E. 1837. Ordnance survey of the county of Londonderry, Volume 1, p. 3–6. In Larcum, T. (ed.), Memoir of the city and northwestern liberties of Londonderry: Parish of Templemore. Dublin.Google Scholar
Reineck, H. E. 1967. Layered sediments of tide flats, beaches and shell bottoms of the North Sea, p. 191–206. In Lauff, G. (ed.), Estuaries. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Publication 83.Google Scholar
Reineck, H. E., and Singh, I. B. 1980. Depositional Sedimentary Environments, 2nd ed. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 549 p.Google Scholar
Rickards, R. B., and Riva, J. 1981. Glytograptus? persculptus (Salter), its tectonic deformation, and its stratigraphic significance for the Carys Mills Formation of N.E. Maine, U.S.A. Geological Journal, 16:219–235.Google Scholar
Riva, J., and Malo, M. 1988. Age and correlation of the Honorat Group, southern Gaspé Peninsula. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 25:1618–1628.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M. 1980. Ordovician–Devonian Gastropoda from the Klamath Mountains, California. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 171:141–199.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M. 1988. Upper Ordovician gastropods from the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Journal of Paleontology, 62:551–565.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M., and Blodgett, R. B. 1985. Upper Ordovician Gastropods from west-central Alaska. Journal of Paleontology, 59:667–673.Google Scholar
Ross, R. J., and Bergstrom, S. M. 1982. The Ordovician System in the United States. International Union of Geological Sciences, Publication 12, 73 p.Google Scholar
Rowell, A. J. 1963. Some nomenclature problems in the inarticulate brachiopods. Geological Magazine, 100:33–43.Google Scholar
Roy, D.C. 1989. The Depot Mountain Formation: transition from syn- to post-Taconian basin along the Baie Verte-Bromton Line, p. 85–100. In Tucker, R. D. and Marvinney, R. G. (eds.), Studies in Maine Geology, Volume 2, Structure and Stratigraphy. Maine Geological Survey, Augusta, Maine.Google Scholar
Roy, D.C., and Menscher, E. 1976. Ordovician and Silurian stratigraphy of northeastern Aroostook County, Maine, p. 25–52. In Page, L. R. (ed.), Contributions to the Stratigraphy of New England. Geological Society of America, Memoir 148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, D.C., Pollock, S. G., and Hanson, L. S. 1991. Bedrock geology of the upper Saint John River Valley, northern Maine. Maine Geological Survey, Open File Map 91–8.Google Scholar
St-Julien, P., and Hubert, C. 1975. Evolution of the Taconian orogen in the Quebec Appalachians. American Journal of Science, 275A:337–362.Google Scholar
St-Julien, P., Slivitzky, A., and Feninger, T. 1983. A deep structural profile across the Appalachians of southern Quebec, p. 103–112. In Hatcher, R. D., Williams, H., and Zietz, I. (eds.), Contributions to the Tectonics and Geophysics of Mountain Chains. Geological Society of America, Memoir 158.Google Scholar
St-Peter, C. 1982. Geology of the Juniper–Knowlesville–Carlies area map areas I-16, I-17, I-18 (Parts of 21J/11 and 22 J/06). Map Report 82-1, Department of Natural Resources, New Brunswick, 52 p.Google Scholar
Salter, J. W. 1859. Figures and descriptions of Canadian organic remains, Decade 1. Geological Survey of Canada, Montreal, 47 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schuchert, C. 1913. Systematic paleontology of the Lower Devonian deposits of Maryland, p. 290–449. In Maryland Geological Survey, Stratigraphical Memoir.Google Scholar
Schuchert, C., and Cooper, G. A. 1930. Upper Ordovician and lower Devonian stratigraphy and paleontology of Perce, Quebec, Part 1, Stratigraphy and fauna (C. Schuchert). American Journal of Science, 20:161–176. Part 2, New species from the upper Ordovician of Perce (G. A. Cooper). American Journal of Science, 20:365–392.Google Scholar
Sheehan, P. M., and Coorough, P. J. 1990. Brachiopod zoogeography across the Ordovician–Silurian extinction event, p. 181–187. In McKerrow, W. S. and Scotese, C. R. (eds.), Palaeozoic Palaeogeography and Biogeography. Geological Society of London, Memoir 12.Google Scholar
Slivitzky, A., and St-Julien, P. 1987. Compilation geologique de la region de l'Estrie-Beauce. Ministere de l'Energie et des Ressources, MM 85-04, 40 p.Google Scholar
Stanley, R. S., and Ratcliffe, N. M. 1985. Tectonic synthesis of the Taconian orogeny in western New England. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 96:1227–1250.Google Scholar
Swainson, W. 1840. A Treatise on Malacology; or, Shells and Shell Fish. Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, London, 419 p.Google Scholar
Thompson, A. M. 1975. Clastic coastal environments in Ordovician molasse, central Appalachians, p. 135–144. In Ginsburg, R. N. (ed.), Tidal Deposits. Springer-Verlag. New York.Google Scholar
Tofel, J. E., and Bretsky, P. W. 1987. Middle Ordovician Lophospira (Archaeogastropoda) from the upper Mississippi Valley. Journal of Paleontology, 61:700–723.Google Scholar
Tripp, R. P. 1967. The trilobite Encrinurus multisegmentatus (Portlock) and allied middle and upper Ordovician species. Palaeontology, 1:60–72.Google Scholar
Ulrich, E. O., and Scofield, W. H. 1897. The Lower Silurian Gastropoda of Minnesota. Geology of Minnesota. Paleontology, Volume 3, Pt. 2:813–1081.Google Scholar
van der Pluijm, B. A., Johnson, R. J. E., and Van der Voo, R. 1990. Early Paleozoic paleogeography and accretionary history of the New Foundland Appalachians. Geology, 18:898–901.Google Scholar
Van der Voo, R. 1988. Paleozoic paleogeography of North America, Gondwana, and intervening displaced terranes: comparisons of paleomagnetism with paleoclimatology and biogeographical patterns. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 100:311–324.Google Scholar
Van Staal, C. 1987. Tectonic setting of the Tetagouche Group in northern New Brunswick: implications for plate tectonic models of the northern Appalachians. Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 24:1329–1351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waagen, W. H. 1882–1885. Salt Range fossils, Part 4 (2), Brachiopoda, p. 329–770. In Palaeontologia Indica, Memoir 1.Google Scholar
Webby, B. D., and Percival, I. G. 1983. Ordovician trimerallacean brachiopod shell beds. Lethaia, 16:215–232.Google Scholar
Wenz, W. 1938. Handbuch der Palaozoologie, Band 6, Gastropoda. Berlin, 1639 p.Google Scholar
Whitfield, R. P. 1886. Notice of geological investigations along the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, conducted by Prof. H. M. Seely and Prest. Ezra Brainerd of Middlebury College, with descriptions of the new fossils discovered. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 1:293–345.Google Scholar
Williams, A. 1962. The Barr and Lower Ardmillan Series (Caradoc) of the Girvan district, south-west Ayrshire, with descriptions of the Brachiopoda. Memoir of the Geological Society of London, 3:1–267.Google Scholar
Wilson, A. E. 1951. Gastropoda and Conularida of the Ottawa Formation of the Ottawa–St. Lawrence Lowland. Geologia Survey of Canada, Bulletin 17, 149 p.Google Scholar
Wright, A. D. 1979. Brachiopod radiation, p. 235–252. In House, M. R. (ed.), The Origin of Major Invertebrate Groups. Special Volume of the Systematics Association 12.Google Scholar
Ziegler, A. M. 1981. Paleozoic paleogeography, p. 31–37. In McElhinney, M. W. and Valencio, D. A. (eds.), Paleozoic Reconstruction of the Continents. American Geophysical Union Geodynamic Series, Volume 2.Google Scholar