Stratigraphic significance of Cruziana: New data concerning the Cambrian-Ordovician ichnostratigraphic paradigm

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<0729:SSOCND>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:6212864

Magwood, J P.A.; Pemberton, S G ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)

The classic Cambrian-Ordovician ichnostratigraphic paradigm originally developed in Europe is based on the assumption that Cruziana - ichnofossils presumably produced by trilobites - can be used in much the same way as trilobite body fossils have been used in chronostratigraphy. That these ichnofossils can be found in many otherwise unfossiliferous, shallow-marine siliciclastic deposits has made them extremely valuable as correlation tools. The paradigm has been used to date lower Paleozoic units in eastern Canada and Europe. It has also been used as supporting evidence to show close affinities between (1) eastern North America, Wales, and Spain and (2) Spain, northern Africa, and southern Asia. Ichnospecies indicative of the Lower Ordovician (Tremadocian and Arenigian), according to the paradigm, have been recovered from the Lower Cambrian (Atdabanian) Gog Group, near Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. This discovery indicates that these ichnospecies cannot be used as global Lower Ordovician index fossils.

• OSTI ID: 6212864
• Journal Information: Geology; (USA), Vol. 18:8; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
FOSSILS
RELIABILITY
GEOLOGIC STRATA
AGE ESTIMATION
AFRICA
ASIA
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
CANADA
CLASSIFICATION
CORRELATIONS
ERRORS
EUROPE
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
SPAIN
STRATIGRAPHY
UNITED KINGDOM
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
PALEOZOIC ERA
WESTERN EUROPE
580000* - Geosciences