Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T05:20:13.918Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A mixed isograptid-didymograptid graptolite assemblage from the Middle Ordovician of west Gondwana (NW Bolivia): Implications for graptolite paleoecology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Charles Mitchell ,
Edsel D. Brussa  and
Jörg Maletz
Charles Mitchell
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, The University at Buffalo, SUNY, New York 14260,
Edsel D. Brussa
Affiliation:
CONICET. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Uruguay 151, (6300) Santa Rosa, Argentina,
Jörg Maletz
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, The University at Buffalo, SUNY, New York 14260,
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Black shales of the Coroico Formation are part of a thick succession of Lower and Middle Ordovician strata that were deposited in the Cordillera Oriental foreland basin along the margin of West Gondwana. The basin was inhabited primarily by a cool-water, Atlantic-type graptolite fauna. Newly discovered material from rocks that crop out near the town of Consata in NW Bolivia include unexpected warm-water or Pacific-type elements such as Parisograptus caduceus and Pseudotrigonograptus within an assemblage dominated by abundant pendent Didymograptus specimens, Cryptograptus schaeferi, and diplograptaceans such as Oelandograptus oelandicus and Hustedograptus bulmani n. sp. Parisograptus caduceus has generally been considered to be restricted to oceanic depths below those of the epipalagic realm that occupied continental shelves, whereas the remainder of the assemblage is more characteristic of relatively shallow water, epicratonic sites. We interpret this mixed assemblage to be the Atlantic Province, West Gondwanan equivalent of the off-shore isograptid biofacies that is much more widely known from low latitude sites around the globe. These results suggest that in this region of West Gondwana, the properties of local water masses (productivity and physical features such as temperature, salinity, or oxygenation) strongly influenced graptolite species distribution and led to biofacies differentiation among coeval assemblages. It also suggests that some isograptids inhabited the epipelagic biotope in mid to high latitude regions. The new species Hustedograptus bulmani is described herein.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 82 , Issue 6 , November 2008 , pp. 1114 - 1126
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

Astini, R. A., Benedetto, J. L., and Vaccari, N. E. 1995. The early Paleozoic evolution of the Argentine Precordillera as a Laurentian rifted, drifted, and collided terrane: A geodynamic model. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 107:253–273.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bahlburg, H., Breitkreuz, C., Maletz, J., Moya, M. C., and Salfity, J. A. 1990. The Ordovician sedimentary rocks in the northern Puna of Argentina and Chile: New stratigraphical data based on graptolites. Newsletters in Stratigraphy, 23(2):69–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, D. 1839. In Murchison, R. I. (ed.), The Silurian System. Murray, London.Google Scholar
Benedetto, J. L., Sanchez, T. M., Carrera, M. G., Brussa, E. D., and Salas, M. J. 1999. Paleontological constraints on successive paleogeographic positions of Precordillera terrane during the early Paleozoic. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 336:21–42.Google Scholar
Bergström, S. M. 1990. Relations between conodont provincialism and the changing palaeogeography during the Early Palaeozoic, p. 105–121. In McKerrow, W. S. and Scotese, C. R. (eds.), Palaeozoic Palaeogeography and Biogeography. Geological Society Memoir 12.Google Scholar
Berry, W. B. N. 1979. Graptolite biogeography: A biogeography of some Lower Paleozoic plankton, p. 105–115. In Gray, J. and Boucot, A. J. (eds.), Historical Biogeography, Plate Tectonics, and the Changing Environment. Oregon State University Press.Google Scholar
Brussa, E. D., Mitchell, C. E., and Astini, R. A. 1998. Late Yapeenian to Early Darriwilian graptolite faunas from Nazareno Creek, Guandacol region, Precordillera, Argentina, p. 158–160. In Gutiérrez-Marco, J. C. and Rábano, I. (eds.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Graptolite Conference of the GWG (IPA) and the SW Iberia Field Meeting 1998 of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy (ICS-IUGS). Instituto Tecnológico Geominero de España, Temas Geológico-Mineros, 23, Madrid.Google Scholar
Brussa, E. D., Mitchell, C. E., Ortega, G., Maletz, J., and Astini, R. A. 2003. Middle Ordovician graptolite biostratigraphy from the Los Azules Formation at Los Gatos Creek, Central Precordillera, Argentina. p. 21–25. In Ortega, G. and Aceñolaza, G. F. (eds.), Proceedings of the Seventh International Graptolite Conference. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológia, Serie Correlación Geológica, 18, Argentina.Google Scholar
Brussa, E. D. and Toro, B. 2005. Isográptidos en el Ordovícico de la Puna Oriental Argentina. Reunión Anual de Comunicaciones de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina. Ameghiniana. Suplemento 42(4):18R.Google Scholar
Bulman, O. M. B. 1931. South American graptolites with special reference to the Nordenskjöld collection. Arkiv för Zoologi, 22A(3):31–334.Google Scholar
Bulman, O. M. B. 1933. On the Graptolites of the Quitari Area, p. 308–356, pl. 327–328. In Douglas, J. A. (ed.), The Geology of the Marcapata Valley in Eastern Peru. Volume 89.Google Scholar
Bulman, O. M. B. 1936. On the graptolites prepared by Holm 7. The graptolite fauna of the Lower Orthoceras limestone of Hälludden, Öland, and its bearing on the evolution of the Lower Ordovician graptolites. Arkiv för Zoologi, 28A(17):1–107.Google Scholar
Bulman, O. M. B. 1947. A monograph of the Caradoc (Balclatchie) graptolites from limestones in Laggan Burn, Ayrshire. Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, 3:i–xi, 59–78, 10 pls.Google Scholar
Bulman, O. M. B. 1963. On Glyptograptus dentatus (Brongniart) and some allied species. Palaeontology, 6(4):665–689.Google Scholar
Chen, X. and Daquan, Y. 1987. Early Ordovician graptolite faunal differentiation and correlation based on the material from Yushan, NE Jiangxi. Advances in Science of China. Earth Sciences, 2:129–139.Google Scholar
Chen, X. and Yuandong, Z. 1996. Isograptids of China, p. 82–89. In Wang, H. and Wang, X. (eds.), Centennial Memorial volume of Prof. Sun Yunzhu, Palaeontology and Stratigraphy. China University of Geosciences Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Chlupáč, I., Havlíček, V., Kříž, J., Kukal, Z., and Štorch, P. 1998. Palaeozoic of the Barrandian (Cambrian to Devonian). Czech Geological Survey. Prague. 183 pp.Google Scholar
Cooper, R. A. 1971. The identity of Isograptus caduceus (Salter) sensu stricto. Journal of Paleontology, 45(5):902–909.Google Scholar
Cooper, R. A. 1973. Taxonomy and evolution of Isograptus Moberg in Australasia. Palaeontology, 16(1):45–115.Google Scholar
Cooper, R. A. 1990. Interpretation of tectonically deformed fossils. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 33(2):321–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. A. 1998. Towards a general model for the depth ecology of graptolites, p. 161–163. In Gutiérrez-Marco, J. C. and Rábano, I. (eds.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Graptolite Conference of the GWG (IPA) and the 1998 Field Meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy (ICS-IUGS). Instituto Tecnológico Geominero de España, Temas Geológico-Mineros, 23, Madrid.Google Scholar
Cooper, R. A. 1999. Ecostratigraphy, zonation and global correlation of earliest Ordovician planktic graptolites. Lethaia, 32:1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. A. and Fortey, R. A. 1982. The Ordovician graptolites of Spitsbergen. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Geology series, 36(3):157–302, pls. 151–156.Google Scholar
Cooper, R. A. and Fortey, R. A. 1983. Development of the graptoloid rhabdosome. Alcheringa, 7(3–4):201–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. A., Fortey, R. A., and Lindholm, K. 1991. Latitudinal and depth zonation of early Ordovician graptolites. Lethaia, 24(2):199–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. A. and Lindholm, K. 1990. A precise worldwide correlation of early Ordovician graptolite sequences. Geological Magazine, 127(6):497–525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. A. and Yunan, N. 1986. Taxonomy, phylogeny and variability of Pseudisograptus Beavis. Palaeontology, 29(2):313–363.Google Scholar
Egenhoff, S. O., Maletz, J., and Erdtmann, B.-D. 2004. Lower Ordovician graptolite biozonation and lithofacies of southern Bolivia: relevance for palaeogeographic interpretations. Geological Magazine, 141(3):287–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finney, S. C. 1980. Thamnograptid, dichograptid and abrograptid graptolites from the Middle Ordovician Athens Shale of Alabama. Journal of Paleontology, 54(6):1184–1208.Google Scholar
Finney, S. C. 1984. Biogeography of Ordovician graptolites in the southern Appalachians, p. 167–176. In Bruton, D. L. (ed.), Aspects of the Ordovician System. Volume 295. Norsk, Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.Google Scholar
Finney, S. C. and Berry, W. B. N. 1997. New perspectives on graptolite distributions and their use as indicators of platform margin dynamics. Geology, 25(10):919–922.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finney, S. C. and Berry, W. B. N. 1998. An Actualistic Model of Graptolite Biogeography, p. 183–185. In Gutiérrez-Marco, J. C. and Rábano, I. (eds.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Graptolite Conference of the GWG (IPA) and the 1998 Field Meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy (ICS-IUGS). Instituto Tecnológico Geominero de España, Temas Geológico-Mineros, 23, Madrid.Google Scholar
Finney, S. C., Peralta, S. H., Gehrels, G., and Marsaglia, K. 2005. The Early Paleozoic history of the Cuyania (greater Precordillera) terrane of western Argentina: Evidence from geochronlogy of detrital zircons from Middle Cambrian sandstones. Geologica Acta, 3(4):339–354.Google Scholar
Finney, S. C. and Skevington, D. 1979. A mixed Atlantic-Pacific province Middle Ordovician graptolite fauna in western Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 16(9):1899–1902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortey, R. A. 1984. Global earlier Ordovician transgressions and regressions and their biological implications, p. 37–50. In Bruton, D. L. (ed.), Aspects of the Ordovician System. Palaeontological Contributions from the University of Oslo 295. Universitetsvorlaget, Oslo.Google Scholar
Fortey, R. A., Beckly, A. J., and Rushton, A. W. A. 1990. International correlation of the base of the Llanvirn Series, Ordovician System. Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 22(2/3):119–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortey, R. A. and Cocks, L. R. M. 1986. Marginal faunal belts and their structural implications, with examples from the Lower Palaeozoic. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 143:151–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortey, R. A. and Owens, R. M. 1987. The Arenig Series in South Wales. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History, Geology Series, 41(3):69–307.Google Scholar
Gutiérrez-Marco, J. C. 1982. Descubrimiento de nuevos niveles con graptolitos ordovicos en la unidad “Pizarras con Didymograptus” – Schneider 1939 – (Prov. Huelva, SW. de Espana). Comunicacoes dos Servicos Geologicos de Portugal, 68(2):241–246.Google Scholar
Hall, J. 1865. Figures and descriptions of Canadian organic remains. Decade II, Graptolites of the Quebec Group. Dawson Brothers, Montreal, 151 pp., 121 pls.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hammer, Ø. and Harper, D. A. T. 2006. Paleontological Data Analysis. Blackwell Publishing, New York, 351 pp.Google Scholar
Hammer, Ø., Harper, D. A. T., and Ryan, P. D. 2001. PAST: Palaeontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4(1): 9 pp. http://palaeo-electronica.org/2001_1/past/issue1_01.htm.Google Scholar
Harris, W. J. 1933. Isograptus caduceus and its allies in Victoria. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, New Series, 46:79–114.Google Scholar
Harris, W. J. and Keble, R. A. 1932. Victorian graptolite zones, with correlations and descriptions of species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 44:25–48.Google Scholar
Havlíček, V. 1970. Heterorthidae (Brachiopoda) in the Mediterranean Province. Sbornik Geologickych Ved Paleontologie, 12:7–40.Google Scholar
Jaanusson, V. 1960. Graptoloids from the Ontikan and Viruan (Ordov.) Limestones of Estonia and Sweden. Bulletin of the Geological Institute of the University of Uppsala, 38(3–4):289–366.Google Scholar
Jaanusson, V. 1995. Confacies differentiation and upper Middle Ordovician correlation in the Baltoscandian Basin. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Science, Geology. 44:73–86.Google Scholar
Jenkins, C. J. 1982. Isograptus gibberulus (Nicholson) and the Isograptids of the Arenig series (Ordovician) of England and Wales. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 44(11, Part 2):219–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, C. J. 1983. Ordovician graptolites from the Great Paxton Borehole, Cambridgeshire. Palaeontology, 26(3):641–653.Google Scholar
Lapworth, C. 1880. On new British graptolites. Annals and Magazine of natural History, 5(5):149–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maletz, J. 1994. Pendent didymograptids (Graptoloidea, Dichograptacea), p. 27–43. In Chen, X., Erdtmann, B.-D., and Ni, Y. (eds.), Graptolite Research Today. Nanjing University Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Maletz, J. 1997. Graptolites from the Nicholsonograptus fasciculatus and Pterograptus elegans Zones (Abereiddian, Ordovician) of the Oslo Region, Norway. Greifswalder geowissenschaftliche Beiträge, 4:5–100.Google Scholar
Maletz, J. 1998. The Ordovician succession of Rügen: palaeontological data from a Lower Palaeozoic accretionary wedge. Schriften des Staatlichen Museums für Mineralogie und Geologie zu Dresden, 9:164–165.Google Scholar
Maletz, J. and Egenhoff, S. O. 2003. Lower to Middle Ordovician graptolite biostratigraphy of southern Bolivia. Revista Técnica de YPFB, 21:103–115.Google Scholar
Maletz, J. and Mitchell, C. E. 1996. Evolution and phylogenetic classification of the Glossograptidae and Arienigraptidae (Graptoloidea): New data and remaining questions. Journal of Paleontology, 70(4):641–655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maletz, J. and Yuandong, Z. 2003. Proximal structure and development in the Ordovician graptolite Parisograptus Chen and Zhang, 1996. Palaeontology, 46:295–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, C. E. 1987. Evolution and phylogenetic classification of the Diplograptacea. Palaeontology, 30(2):353–405.Google Scholar
Mitchell, C. E. 1992. Evolution of the Diplograptacea and the international correlation of the Arenig-Llanvirn boundary, p. 171–184. In Webby, B. D. and Laurie, J. R. (eds.), Global Perspectives on Ordovician Geology. Balkema, Rotterdam.Google Scholar
Mitchell, C. E. and Maletz, J. 1995. Proposal for Adoption of the base of the Undulograptus austrodentatus Biozone as a Global Ordovician Stage and Series Boundary Level. Lethaia, 28(4):317–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monsen, A. 1937. Die Graptolithenfauna im Unteren Didymograptus Schiefer (Phyllograptusschiefer) Norwegens. Norsk geologisk Tidsskrift, 16(2–4):57–267.Google Scholar
Mu, E., Meiyu, G., Xu, C., Yunan, N., and Yaokun, L. 1979. Lower Ordovician graptolites of Southwest China. Palaeontologica Sinica (New Series B), 156(13):1–192.Google Scholar
Ortega, G. and Albanesi, G. 1999. Graptolite biostratigraphy of the Gualcamayo Formation (Middle Ordovician) at the Los Sapitos Creek section, Argentina Precordillera. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica, 43:49–52.Google Scholar
Ortega, G. and Rickards, R. B. 2003. A Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) graptolite fauna of the Lower Member of the Los Azules Formation, Cerro Viejo, San Juan Precordillera, Argentina. p. 87–92. In Ortega, G. and Aceñolaza, G. F. (eds.), Proceedings of the Seventh International Graptolite Conference. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológia, Serie Correlación Geológica, 18, Argentina.Google Scholar
Ortega, G., Toro, B., and Brussa, E. 1993. Las zonas de graptolitos de la Formacion Gualcamayo (Arenigiano tardio – Llanvirniano temperano) en el norte de la Precordillera (Provincias de La Rioja y San Juan), Argentina. Revista Española de Paleontologia, 8:207–219.Google Scholar
Přibyl, A. and Vanek, J. 1980. Ordovician trilobites of Bolivia. Rozpravy Ceskoslovenske Akademie ved, Rada Matematickych a prirodnich ved, 90(2):1–90, 26 pls.Google Scholar
Reimann, C., Spiske, M., Bahlburg, H., and Carlotto, V. 2005. Initial results of a facies analysis of the Ordovician siliciclastic successions of southern Peru. 19. Latein-Amerika Kolloquium, Potsdam, Zusammenfassungen.Google Scholar
Sedgwick, A. and McCoy, F. 1851. British Pal. Fossils, Fasc. 1:9.Google Scholar
Skevington, D. 1963. Graptolites from the Ontikan Limestones (Ordovician) of Öland, Sweden. I: Dendroidea, Tuboidea, Camaroidea, and Stolonoidea. Bulletin of the Geological Institution of Uppsala, 42(6):1–62.Google Scholar
Skevington, D. 1965. Graptolites from the Ontikan limestones (Ordovician) of Öland, Sweden. 2. Graptoloidea and Graptovermida. Bulletin of the Geological Institute of the University of Uppsala, 43(3):1–74.Google Scholar
Skevington, D. 1973. Ordovician graptolites. p. 27–35. In Hallam, A. (ed.), Atlas of Paleobiogeography. Elsevier, Amsterdam, London, New York.Google Scholar
Skevington, D. 1974. Controls influencing the composition and distribution of Ordovician graptolite faunal provinces. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 13:59–73.Google Scholar
Spjeldnaes, N. 1953. The Middle Ordovician of the Oslo Region, Norway. 3. Graptolites dating the beds below the Middle Ordovician. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, 31:171–184.Google Scholar
Strachan, I. 1985. The significance of the proximal end of Cryptograptus tricornis (Carruthers) (Graptolithina). Geological Magazine, 122(2):151–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strachan, I. 1994. The Ordovician genus Thamnograptus Hall 1859 (Graptolithina). Scottish Journal of Geology, 30(2):159–162, Edinburgh.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suárez Soruco, R. 1975. Zonas graptolitiferas de Boivia. Actas I Congreso Argentino de Paleontología y Biostratigraphía, Tucumán, 1:133–148.Google Scholar
Suárez Soruco, R. 1976. El Sistema Ordovícico en Bolivia. Revista Técnica de Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos, 5(2):111–223.Google Scholar
Suárez Soruco, R. 1992. El Paleozoico Inferior de Bolivia y Perú. p. 119–148. In Gutiérrez Marco, J. C., Saavedra, J., and Rábano, I. (eds.), Paleozoico Inferior de Iberoamérica. Universidad de Extremadura, España.Google Scholar
Suárez Soruco, R. 2000. Compendio de Geología de Bolivia. Revista Técnica de Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos, 18(1–2):1–144.Google Scholar
Sweet, W. C. 1988. The Conodonta: morphology, taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolutionary history of a long-extinct animal phylum. Clarendon Press, New York, 212 p.Google Scholar
Toro, B. A. and Brussa, E. D. 2003. Graptolites, p. 441–506. In Benedetto, J. L. (ed.), Ordovician Fossils of Argentina. Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba.Google Scholar
Toro, B. A., Brussa, E. D., and Rodríguez, G. 2003. Middle Ordovician graptolites from the Sierra de Rinconada, northern Puna, Argentina. 7th International Graptolite Conference, Argentina, 18:99–103.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C. M. 1960. Faunas graptoliticas de America del Sur. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina, 14(1–2):1–180.Google Scholar
Vandenberg, A. H. M. and Cooper, R. A. 1992. The Ordovician graptolite sequence of Australasia. Alcheringa, 16(1–2):33–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webby, B. D., Cooper, R. A., Bergström, S. M., and Paris, F. 2004. Stratigraphic Framework and Time Slices, p. 41–47. In Webby, B. D., Paris, F., Droser, M. L., and Percival, I. G. (eds.), The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Columbia University Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wellman, H. W. 1962. New graptolite localities in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 5(4):642–645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, S. H. and Stevens, R. K. 1988. Early Ordovician (Arenig) graptolites from the Cow Head Group, western Newfoundland. Palaeontographica Canadiana, 5:1–167.Google Scholar