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The Oldest Bryozoans: New Evidence From the Late Tremadocian (Early Ordovician) of East Yangtze Gorges in China
- Feng-Sheng Xia, Sen-Gui Zhang, Zong-Zhe Wang
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- Journal:
- Journal of Paleontology / Volume 81 / Issue 6 / November 2007
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 14 July 2015, pp. 1308-1326
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Previous reports of Cambrian bryozoans have proved not to be bryozoans. No pre-Ordovician bryozoans have been recognized. The oldest unequivocal bryozoans known from North America, Britain, and Russia are evidently of early Arenigian age. New bryozoans recently collected from the Fenxiang Formation in the Daping and Guanzhuangping sections, situated in the area east of the Yangtze Gorges, are described here, including one new genus, Orbiramus, and six new species, Nekhorosheviella nodulifera, N. semisphaerica, Orbiramus normalis, O. ovalis, O. minus, and Prophyllodictya prisca. These are assigned to the Trepostomida, apart from the last species which belongs to the Cryptostomida. The new bryozoans are from the conodont Paltodus deltifer deltifer Zone of the late Tremadocian age, the first three species possibly being present in the P. deltifer pristinus Subzone at the base. Therefore, they are the oldest bryozoans known from anywhere in the world. Extensive reefs resulting from a major regression in the late Tremadocian were dominated by bryozoans in the upper Fenxiang Formation. The bryozoans lived in a shoal environment and accumulated essentially in situ, showing no signs of significant transportation.
Sm—Nd isotopic age of Precambrian—Cambrian boundary in China
- Yang Jie-Dong, Sun Wei-Guo, Wang Zong-Zhe, Wang Yin-Xi
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- Journal:
- Geological Magazine / Volume 133 / Issue 1 / January 1996
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 May 2009, pp. 53-61
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By the new method of Sm—Nd isotopic dating on phosphatic small skeletal fossils and collo-phanite minerals, the Zhongyicun Member of the earliest Cambrian Meishucun Stage at Meishucun in Yunnan, southern China, has been dated at 562.8 ± 7.9 Ma and 562.1 ± 5.7 Ma. Another Sm—Nd age, 570.3 ± 17.1 Ma, has been obtained with samples from the Zhongyicun Member in Yunnan and its stratigraphic equivalents in Sichuan and Xinjiang. These data tend to suggest that the best age estimate of the Precambrian—Cambrian boundary is very likely within the range of 560–570 Ma. As biophosphates and sedimentary phosphates are widely distributed in sequences of the Precambrian—Cambrian transition, the Sm-Nd isotopic method is recommended as an effective approach for precise dating of the initial Cambrian boundary.
The recommended Cambrian–Ordovician global Boundary stratotype of the Xiaoyangqiao section (Dayangcha, Jilin Province), China
- Chen Jun-Yuan, Qian Yi-Yuan, Zhang Jun-Ming, Lin Yao-Kun, Yin Lei-Ming, Wang Zhi-Hao, Wang Zong-Zhe, Yang Jie-Dong, Wang Ying-Xi
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- Journal:
- Geological Magazine / Volume 125 / Issue 4 / July 1988
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 May 2009, pp. 415-444
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This paper provides a brief outline of the current, detailed inter-disciplinary work on the Xiaoyangquiao section, trying to expose all the aspects for reference tied to the Global Single Stratigraphic Point (GSSP) Concept for defining the Cambrian–Ordovician Boundary. The 45 m critical interval of this section outcrops very well along the steep bank of a stream and is free from folding, faulting, intrusions, and has not been affected by weathering. Colour alternation of conodonts and acritarchs, and crystallinity indices of illite all indicate a maximum thermal grade of 100 °C. The lithofacies, being of great lateral persistence for a hundred kilometres, consists mainly of a rhythmical sequence of lime mudstone and shales deposited in a moderately deep outer shelf environment of quiet water, well below the normal storm wave base. Chemical investigation of the rocks demonstrates strong positive correlation between A12O3 content and those of K2O, MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2, Be, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn and Ba, indicating these components are tied to the clay fractions. A stable depositional environment is demonstrated by the uniform chemistries through the boundary interval. Close to the boundary itself P2O5 contents are low, indicating continuous sedimentation at fairly substantial rates.
The major biological events, the biostratigraphic framework, and the stratigraphic range of conodont, graptolite, trilobite, and acritarch taxa are illustrated briefly with diagrams. Following the majority views of the Calgary Plenary Session, the boundary level is to be chosen at a point marked by the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the selected conodont taxon or taxa in the vicinity of the level close to, but below, the first influx of nematophorous graptolites. The following four points marked by the incoming of conodont taxon or taxa are recommended for consideration of the ‘Golden Spike'‘: (1) FAD of Cordylodus intermedius at 5.28 m below the first influx of nematophorous graptolites; (2) FAD of Hirsutodontus simpler–Cordylodus drucei–Albiconus postcostatus at 5.23 m; (3) FAD of Semiacontiodus lavadamensis–Utahconus utahensis–Monocostodus sevierensis at 3.85 m; (4) FAD of Cordylodus lindstromi at 2.23 m. For the following reasons the FAD of H. simplex–C. drucei–A. postcostatus is favoured: (1) the taxa are all distinct and widely dispersed; (2) intensive evolutionary change took place in conodonts, graptolites, trilobites and acritarchs prior to or after this point; all the fossil groups occur together, providing correlation with many regions throughout the world; (3) the point is in a position between the previously widely accepted boundary levels based on graptolites and trilobites; (4) the proposed point lies within a thin, laterally persistent, rhythmical sequence. The FAD of Cordylodus lindstromi is also a favourable point, sharing many advantages mentioned above. But this point is less satisfactory in being defined by the FAD of a single taxon C. lindstromi which also has an extremely small population size.
An isochron age of 500.7 ± 7.4 Ma is determined from clay fractions of mudstones 8.5 m below the proposed point by means of the Rubidium–Strontium method.
The ɛND signature determined from conodonts, trilobites hyolithids and acrotretid brachiopods has a mean value of −6.7, comparable with that of the coeval oceanic water mass occupying southeastern North America and Europe, and indicating that northeastern China bordered the same ocean. The mean Tdm model age determined was 1.26 Ga at the time of sedimentation, compatible with the mean Tdm model age of approximately 1.1 Ga for the Pacific Ocean today. The relatively low value of the Tdm model age indicates a substantial input from young orogenic volcanic island arcs and terranes.