21. BRYOZOA from SITE 282 WEST of TASMANIA Robin E
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21. BRYOZOA FROM SITE 282 WEST OF TASMANIA Robin E. Wass and J. J. Yoo, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Sydney, Australia ABSTRACT More than 15,000 bryozoan fragments have been identified from 17 samples in the late Miocene and late Pleistocene sediments at Site 282, Leg 29, Deep Sea Drilling Project, off the west coast of Tas- mania (lat 42°14.76'S, long 143°29.18'E). Bryozoa are referable to the Orders Cyclostomata and Cheilostomata and represent 79 species belonging to 48 genera. Both late Miocene and late Pleisto- cene assemblages are closely related to assemblages found in the Tertiary of southern Australia, and the Recent of the southern Aus- tralian continental shelf. INTRODUCTION The bryozoan fauna is small relative to that found in the late Pleistocene sediments and relative to records of Recent and Tertiary bryozoan faunas from southern late Miocene Bryozoa from southeastern Australia. The Australia have been documented for more than a late Miocene Bryozoa in the Tertiary of southeastern century. The dominant works have been by MacGilli- Australia are also greatly diminished when compared vray (1879, 1895), Maplestone (1898), Stach (1933), and with the middle Miocene faunas. Few studies have been Brown (1958). Brown's monograph (1952) on the New made of Pliocene bryozoa in southeastern Australia, but Zealand Tertiary Bryozoa, recorded genera and species apparently bryozoans are fewer in number than in the from the Recent and Tertiary of southern Australia. late Miocene. While a great deal of work has been done, there are still The fauna observed at Site 282 is composed almost a large number of studies which have to be completed entirely of four zoarial types—catenicelliform, cellari- before the bryozoan faunas are properly understood. iform, adeoniform, and vinculariiform. All four are rep- Recently, Wass and Yoo (1973) completed strati- resented by erect, delicate colonies which seems to graphic lists for some species of Tertiary Bryozoa from indicate quiet conditions. The catenicelliform and southeastern Australia, supplementing the compilation cellariiform zoaria, because their zooecia have nodose of Cockbain (1971). The bryozoan fauna of Recent age connections, can tolerate increased sedimentation. The on the southern Australian continental shelf is enor- paucity of specimens in the late Miocene fauna makes mous and preliminary studies of the fauna are any deductions on environmental conditions tenuous proceeding (Wass, 1973, in press). A comparison of the but it appears that Sample 282-1-6, 23 cm was probably Tertiary fauna described by Brown (1958), and that associated with increased sedimentation and shallower presently being studied on the continental shelf reveals depth whereas the rest of the samples indicate quiet, many similarities, and it may be that the Recent fauna is non-agitated conditions in deeper water. A feature of all a relict fauna lingering on from the Tertiary. the samples is the absence of membraniporiform zoaria, A preliminary study of Bryozoa from Site 282 shows a which is probably caused by sediment being too fine marked change in species diversity between the late grained for bryozoan encrustation. Micoene and late Pleistocene, as well as a marked The initial accumulation of the bryozoan fauna increase in the percentages of catenicelliform and cellari- almost certainly took place at shallower depths than iform zoaria above the unconformity (Table 1). This is those at present for Site 282 (4207 m). The bryozoan related to two factors: (1) in both forms, connection fauna has been displaced from the continental shelf to a between zooecia is by means of nodes, and hence on depth of 4200 meters. death, the zoaria break into many zooecial fragments and (2) a change in environmental conditions which may LATE PLEISTOCENE BRYOZOA have occurred. FROM SITE 282 The dominant fauna at Site 282 represents the late LATE MIOCENE BRYOZOA OF SITE 282 Pleistocene. Seventy-nine species belonging to 48 genera Bryozoan fragments of both species and genera are have been recorded from Cores 282-1 to 282-4. The rare in the late Miocene sediments. Twenty-three species sediments in this interval fall within the Globorotalia belonging to 12 genera are present and all of these species truncatulinoides Zone. The quantity of bryozoan are found in the late Pleistocene sediments. The late specimens increased immediately above the un- Miocene sediments of Core 1 are referred on foram- conformity with 39 species being found in Sample 282-1- iniferal evidence to the Globorotalia miotumida mio- 4, 127 cm. This represents an increase from only 10 tumida Zone. species in Sample 282-1-5, 39 cm, immediately below the 809 oo o TABLE 1 Late Pleistocene and Late Miocene Bryozoa from Site 282 i 3 5 o o o g acG ) i y g cG O a i § o (Busk I § vin ! 1 s s • , si a ε ^ C « α <+H acG I •s £ acGillivra 3 a 5 o I "I § i § .*= t3 ! i agiostoma &> ε to ö. δ -S ^ S I I 1 =3 •S 0 •ü <«• .§) <*; I o o ^ Sample c •g * o C o elon (Interval •S •S .3 S =S O O I 1 I I •s •a r r in cm) <u <o U Crib 1-1, 84 1 2 2 6 1 1-1, 144 1 2 4 1 2 2 1-2, 10 1 1 1 1 1 2 1-2, 64 1 37 1 27 2 1 2 35 1 8 2 1 27 13 34 1-2, 126 5 1 2 1 4 1-3, 10 14 1 9 1 12 1 1 1 1 4 7 1 4 1-3, 84 2 423 15 3 4 130 15 13 476 22 57 9 27 54 8 15 163 182 20 139 71 33 1 1-3, 132 45 513 50 14 38 659 45 20 532 67 37 37 4 71 3 3 178 221 13 100 60 26 1 14,30 7 151 4 2 9 121 7 8 183 10 9 9 36 25 1 1 68 53 4 35 30 1 1-4,90 21 659 59 30 134 683 35 5 62 5 283 117 13114 169 26 1 15 434 1 32 32 6 809 884 37 117 585 39 2 14, 127 15 327 8 6 61 787 52 9 205 38 20 52 101 9 226 3 16 16 451 373 32158 30 5 1-5, 39 7 10 7 2 2 8 7 5 6 1-5, 77 13 2 20 l 6 2 1 6 21 10 2 8 1-5, 130 4 9 4 3 2 10 11 1 5 1-6, 23 3 131 2 8 93 6 67 12 9 1 1 17 1 1 79 90 27 1-6, 85 8 1 1 1 2 10 1 5 1-6,113 3 1 1 3 No. of Specimens 94 2287 139 26 2 57 257 2566 164 9 8 116 5 1816 270 156 224 346 39 5 1 16 851 4 62 74 3 6 1831 1 1870 75 462 945131 9 10 1 in a Species TABLE 1 - Continued •^ ^ I 2 § .2 s δ s •S % 8 I δ u I 8 ^ 2 =a Sample I! I I I (Interval 1 I i 1™ δ. in cm) G <3 ^ i? ^ 5 § ε 1 1 on to Co &0 Co •s 1-1,84 5 8 19 1-1,144 8 17 1-2,10 6 7 1-2, 64 20 182 1-2, 126 6 14 1-3,10 14 58 1-3,84 6 1 8 2 2 2 36 1917 1-3, 132 4 3 1 4 20 14 1 3 17 44 2846 1-4,30 2 6 1 3 1 36 806 1-4, 90 1 16 2 6 2 1 19 2 4 1 3 3 57 9 1 1 1 6 1 1 100 2 1 17 74 5735 1-4, 127 4 2 46 4 1 2 11 39 3106 1-5, 39 1 10 55 1-5, 77 12 92 1-5, 130 10 50 1-6,23 7 3 22 563 1-6,85 9 34 1-6,113 4 8 No. of Specimens 15 1 36 2 13 4 6 1 21 4 4 13 7 2 3 13 3 43 16 144 33 1 1119 1 1 1 106 6 8 1 1 48 15,509 5ö in a Species i H oo W to R. E. WASS, J. J. YOO unconformity. The maximum number of species (74) is the regression which took place in southern Australia found in Sample 282-14, 90 cm. This cored interval also during late Miocene time. This, associated with a contains the maximum number of bryozoan fragments reduction in temperature, diminished the fauna greatly identified: Sample 282-1-4, 30 cm (36 species), Sample from that found in the middle Miocene. The great 282-1-3, 132 cm (44 species), and Sample 282-1-3, 84 cm increase in species in the late Pleistocene signifies an (36 species). Samples from higher in the cored interval influx of bryozoan fauna into the Tegion and probably show a sudden decline in species numbers: Sample 282- relates to a Pleistocene transgression. There is no way 1-3, 10 cm (14 species) and Sample 282-1-2, 126 cm (6 for us to differentiate between a late Pleistocene and a species). The number of fragments identified also Recent fauna and some of the fauna herein called late decreases gradually from Sample 282-1-4, 90 cm to the Pleistocene may, in fact, be Recent. It is interesting to top of the hole, except for a sudden decrease at Sample note that many of the species identified, range back into 282-1-4, 30 cm, and an increase again at Sample 282-1-3, the Tertiary giving credence to an idea expressed earlier 132 cm.