Complexity in benthic-pelagic marine ecosystems in the late Ordovician (central New York)
Cisne and Chandlee (1982) outlined a paleogeographic model for marine invertebrates collected from Middle Ordovician strata in central New York. Subsequent interpretations of their stratigraphic and geographic distributions were based on control by levels of oxygen. Especially critical were the presumed distribution of the trilobite Triarthus and three graptolites, Orthograptus, Climacograptus, and Corynoides, which were supposed to have occupied vertically stratified habitats in the water column. In order to test this general thesis 42 stratigraphically discrete samples were collected from continuously exposed Late Ordovician mudstones in central New York, which contained taxa virtually identically to those employed by Cisne. The sampling interval spanned about 1.5 million years and over 1/4 of the samples contained relatively large numbers of graptolites. Over 3000 graptolite rhabdosomes were identified. The later Ordovician Orthograptus are preserved both with and without Climacograptus and with various benthic taxa. However neither Orthograptus nor Climacograptus display a consistent stratigraphic pattern, and Triarthus co-occurred with both graptolites, introducing a discordant note into any attempt at a simple modeling of early Paleozoic benthic/pelagic ecosystems.
- Research Organization:
- State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6645432
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NEW YORK
SHALES
PALEONTOLOGY
STRATIGRAPHY
BENTHOS
ECOSYSTEMS
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DISTRIBUTION
FEDERAL REGION II
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)