Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T18:40:35.709Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Preservation and paleoecology of a Middle Ordovician hardground community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2016

Carlton E. Brett  and
W. David Liddell
Carlton E. Brett
Affiliation:
Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
W. David Liddell
Affiliation:
Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Limestone beds in the Middle Ordovician (Trentonian) Bobcaygeon Formation, exposed near Kirkfield, Ontario, exhibit irregular, bored and encrusted surfaces indicative of early lithification. These hardgrounds were formed in extensively burrowed carbonate sediments and their hummocky surface topographies were inherited, in part, from a pre-existing pattern of burrow tunnels. A diverse community, including bryozoans, brachiopods, crinoids, edrioasteroids, and paracrinoids, colonized these hard substrates. In addition, most surfaces are riddled with small, cylindrical boreholes (Trypanites) which represent dwellings of soft-bodied organisms. Some hardground surfaces were inhabited by multiple generations of organisms. Remains of the older generations of encrusters were strongly abraded and nearly obliterated. Superimposed upon these worn remnants are well-preserved remains of rather fragile organisms, e.g. complete hybocystitid crinoids and edrioasteroids. Evidently, certain hardground surfaces were rapidly buried by muds, resulting in the in situ preservation of the last generation of attached organisms.

Slightly differing subcommunities of organisms inhabited various microhabitats provided by the irregular hardground surfaces. Thus, the relative abundance of bryozoans and echinoderms encrusting the roofs of small crevices differs from that on the exposed upper surfaces of the hardgrounds. This is the geologically oldest known hardground community in which microhabitat subdivision can be recognized. However, polarity between the subcommunities is not as pronounced as in geologically younger hard substrate faunas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Paleobiology , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , Summer 1978 , pp. 329 - 348
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

Literature Cited

Bassler, R. S. and Moodey, M. W. 1943. Bibliographic and faunal index of Paleozoic pelmatozoan echinoderms. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 45:1–734.Google Scholar
Bathurst, R. 1971. Carbonate Sediments and their Diagenesis. 620 pp. Elsevier; Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Bell, B. M. 1976. A study of North American Edrioasteroidea. N.Y. State Mus. Mem. 21, 447 pp.Google Scholar
Bell, B. M. 1977. Respiratory schemes in the Class Edrioasteroidea. J. Paleontol. 51:619–632.Google Scholar
Bonem, R. M. 1977. Comparison of cavities and cryptic biota in modern reefs with those developed in Lower Pennsylvanian (Morrowan) bioherms. Proc., Third Int. Coral Reef Symp., Miami, Fla., Vol. 1, pp. 75–80.Google Scholar
Bromley, R. G. [1965]. Studies on the lithology and conditions of sedimentation of the Chalk Rock and comparable horizons. 355 pp. Unpubl. Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. London; London.Google Scholar
Bromley, R. G. 1967. Some observations on burrows of thalassinidean Crustacea in Chalk hard-grounds. Geol. Soc. London Q. J. 123:157–182.Google Scholar
Bromley, R. G. 1970. Borings as trace fossils and Entobia cretacea Portlock, as an example. In: Crimes, T. P. and Harper, J. C., eds. Trace Fossils. Geol. J. Spec. Issue 3:49–90.Google Scholar
Bromley, R. G. 1972. On some ichnotaxa in hard substrates, with a redefinition of Trypanites, Mägdefrau. Palaeontol. Z. 46:93–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bromley, R. G. 1975. Trace fossils at omission surfaces. Pp. 399–428. In: Frey, R. W., ed. The Study of Trace Fossils. Springer-Verlag, New York.Google Scholar
Brookfield, M. E. 1974. Hardgrounds in the Middle Ordovician of Central Ontario. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Abstr. Annu. Mtg. 1974, San Antonio, Texas. 1:11–12.Google Scholar
Brower, J. C. 1966. Functional morphology of Calceocrinidae with description of some new species. J. Paleontol. 40:613–634.Google Scholar
Brower, J. C. 1973. Crinoids from the Girardeau Limestone (Ordovician). Paleontol. Am. 7:263–499.Google Scholar
Ehrenberg, K. 1928. Festhaftung und Wurzelbildung bei Pelmatozoën. Palaeontol. Z. 10:42–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ehrenberg, K. 1929. Pelmatozoan root forms (fixation). Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 59:1–76.Google Scholar
Franzén, C. 1977. Crinoid holdfasts from the Silurian of Gotland. Lethaia. 10:219–234.Google Scholar
Goldring, R. and Kaźmierczak, J. 1974. Ecological succession in intraformational hardground formation. Palaeontology. 17:949–962.Google Scholar
Hallam, A. 1969. A pyritised limestone hardground in the Lower Jurassic of Dorset (England). Sedimentology. 12:231–240.Google Scholar
Hallam, A. 1975. Preservation of trace fossils. Pp. 55–63. In: Frey, R. W., ed. The Study of Trace Fossils. Springer-Verlag; New York.Google Scholar
Halleck, M. S. 1973. Crinoids, hardgrounds and community succession: the Silurian Laurel-Waldron contact in southern Indiana. Lethaia. 6:239–252.Google Scholar
Hecker, R. F. 1935. Phenomena of overgrowth and attachment in Upper Devonian fauna and flora of the Main Devonian Field. Trudy Paleo. Inst. Acad. Sci. U.S.S.R. 4:149–280.Google Scholar
Jaanusson, V. 1961. Discontinuity surfaces in limestones. Bull. Geol. Inst. Univ. Uppsala. 40:221–241.Google Scholar
Jackson, J. B. C. 1977. Competition on marine hard substrates: the adaptive significance of solitary and colonial strategies. Am. Nat. 111:743–767.Google Scholar
Jackson, J. B. C. and Buss, L. 1975. Allelopathy and spatial competition among coral reef invertebrates. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72:5160–5163.Google Scholar
Jackson, J. B. C., Goreau, T. F., and Hartman, W. D. 1971. Recent brachiopod-coralline sponge communities and their paleoecological significance. Science. 173:623–625.Google Scholar
James, N. P., Kobluk, D. R., and Pemberton, S. G. 1977. The oldest macroborers: Lower Cambrian of Labrador. Science. 197:980–983.Google Scholar
Kennedy, W. J. and Klinger, H. C. 1972. Hiatus concretions and hardground horizons in the Cretaceous of Zululand. Palaeontology. 15:539–549.Google Scholar
Kobluk, D. R., Pemberton, S. G., and James, N. P. 1977. Possible origin of the reef macroboring fauna: diversification and radiation of lower Paleozoic hardground borers. Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. with Programs. 9:285–286.Google Scholar
Koch, D. C. and Strimple, H. L. 1968. A new Upper Devonian cystoid attached to a discontinuity surface. Iowa Geol. Surv. Rep. of Invest. 5:1–49.Google Scholar
Liberty, B. A. 1969. Palaeozoic geology of the Lake Simcoe area, Ontario. Geol. Surv. Can. Mem. 355:1–201.Google Scholar
Liddell, W. D. 1975a. Recent crinoid biostratinomy. Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. with Programs. 7:1169.Google Scholar
Liddell, W. D. [1975b]. Ecology and biostratinomy of a Middle Ordovician echinoderm assemblage from Kirkfield, Ontario. Unpubl. M.A. Thesis, Univ. Mich.; Ann Arbor, Michigan.Google Scholar
Lindström, M. 1963. Sedimentary folds and the development of limestone in an early Ordovician sea. Sedimentology. 2:243–292.Google Scholar
Macurda, D. B. Jr. and Meyer, D. L. 1976. The identification and interpretation of crinoids (Echinodermata) from deep-water photographs. Bull. Mar. Sci. 26:205–215.Google Scholar
Meek, F. B. 1873. Description of invertebrate fossils of the Silurian and Devonian Systems. Ohio Geol. Surv. Rep. 1(2):1–243.Google Scholar
Meyer, D. L. 1971. Post mortem disarticulation of Recent crinoids and ophiuroids under natural conditions. Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. with Programs. 3:654.Google Scholar
Noble, J. P., Logan, A., and Webb, G. R. 1976. The Recent Terebratulina Community in the rocky subtidal zone of the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Lethaia. 9:1–18.Google Scholar
Palmer, T. J. 1978. Burrows at certain omission surfaces in the Middle Ordovician of the upper Mississippi Valley. J. Paleontol. 52:109–117.Google Scholar
Palmer, T. J. and Fürsich, F. T. 1974. The ecology of a Middle Jurassic hardground and crevice fauna. Palaeontology. 17:507–524.Google Scholar
Palmer, T. J. and Palmer, C. D. 1977. Faunal distribution and colonization strategy in a Middle Ordovician hardground community. Lethaia. 10:179–200.Google Scholar
Parks, W. A. 1908. On an occurrence of Hybocystites in Ontario. Ottawa Nat. 21:232–236.Google Scholar
Pojeta, J. and Palmer, T. J. 1976. The origin of rock boring in mytilacean pelecypods. Alcheringa. 1:167–179.Google Scholar
Rice, M. E. 1969. Possible boring structure of sipunculids. Am. Zool. 9:803–812.Google Scholar
Rice, M. E. and Macintyre, I. G. 1972. A preliminary study of sipunculan burrows in rock thin sections. Caribb. J. Sci. 12:41–44.Google Scholar
Rosenkranz, D. 1971. Zur Sedimentologie und Ökologie von Echinodermen-Lagerstäten. N. Jb. Geol. Palaeontol. Abh. 138:221–258.Google Scholar
Sardeson, F. W. 1908. Discoidal crinoid roots and Camarocrinus. J. Geol. 16:239–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shinn, E. A. 1969. Submarine lithification of Holocene carbonate sediments in the Persian Gulf. Sedimentology. 12:109–144.Google Scholar
Sinclair, G. W. 1951. The occurrence of cystids in the Ordovician of Ontario and Quebec. Can. Field Nat. 65:176–179.Google Scholar
Springer, F. 1905. Cleiocrinus. Harvard Univ. Mus. Comp. Zool. Mem. 25:93–112.Google Scholar
Springer, F. 1911. On a Trenton echinoderm fauna at Kirkfield, Ontario. Can. Dept. Mines, Geol. Surv. Mem. 15-9, 55 pp.Google Scholar
Surlyk, F. and Christensen, W. K. 1974. Epifaunal zonation on an Upper Cretaceous rocky coast. Geology. 2:529–534.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vasseur, P. 1977. Cryptic sessile communities in various coral formations on reef flats of Tulear. Proc. Third Int. Coral Reef Symp., Miami, Fla., Vol. 1, pp. 85–100.Google Scholar
Warme, J. E. 1975. Boring as trace fossils, and the processes of bioerosion. Pp. 181–227. In: Frey, R. W., ed. The Study of Trace Fossils. Springer-Verlag; New York.Google Scholar
Warn, J. and Strimple, H. L. 1977. The disparid inadunate superfamilies Homocrinacea and Cincinnaticrinacea (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) Ordovician-Silurian, North America. Bull. Am. Paleontol. 72:1–138.Google Scholar
Weaver, T. R. 1976. Adaptive strategies of disparid inadunate crinoids of the type Cincinnatian (Upper Ordovician). Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. with Programs. 8:516–517.Google Scholar
Winder, G. C. 1960. Paleoecological interpretation of Middle Ordovician stratigraphy in southern Ontario, Canada. 21st Int. Geol. Congress. Rep. 7:18–27.Google Scholar
Ziegler, A. M. and Ginsburg, R. N. 1974. Hardgrounds. Pp. 6.1–6.19. In: Ziegler, A. M., Walker, K. R., Anderson, E. J., Kauffman, E. G., Ginsburg, R. N., and James, N. P., eds. Principles of Benthic Community Analysis: Notes for a Short Course. Sedimentia IV, Comparative Sed. Lab., Univ. Miami, Miami, Florida.Google Scholar