Biostratigraphy and Palaeobiology of Early Neoproterozoic Strata of the Kola Peninsula, Northwest Russia
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Biostratigraphy and palaeobiology of Early Neoproterozoic strata of the Kola Peninsula, Northwest Russia JOAKIM SAMUELSSON Samuelsson, J.: Biostratigraphy and palaeobiology of Early Neoproterozoic strata of the Kola Peninsula, Northwest Russia. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, Vol. 77, pp. 165-192. Oslo 1997. ISSN 0029-196X. Shales and siltstones from the Early Neoproterozoic K.ildinskaya, Volokovaya and Einovskaya Groups and the Skarbeevskaya Fonnation (Kildin Island, Sredni and Rybachi Peninsulas) and the Chapoma Fonnation (Tiersky Coast) on the Kola Peninsula, Northwest Russia yielded assemblages of moderately well-preserved organic-walled acid-resistant microfossils (acritarchs, and prob able cyanobacterial sheaths). The assemblages consist of cosmopolitan taxa recovered from various Early Neoproterozoic (Late and Terminal Riphean) settings in Scandinavia, Russia, Yakutia, North America and elsewhere. Among the recovered taxa, Lopho sphaeridium laufeldii Vida) 1976 comb. nov., Satka colonialica Jankauskas, Simia annulare (Timofeev) Mikhailovna, Tasmanites rifejicus Jankauskas, Valeria lophostriata Jankauskas and Vandalosphaeridium ?varangeri Vida! are regarded as the biostratigraphi cally most significant. One taxon, Trachysphaeridium laufeldi Vida) is transferred to Lophosphaeridium laufeldii (Vida!) Samuelsson comb. nov. The units examined herein are all considered to be Late Riphean in age and are correlated with other units of similar age in northem and southem Scandinavia, Svalbard, East Greenland and the southem Urals. Joakim Samuelsson, Uppsala University, Institute of Earth Sciences, Micropalaeontology, Norbyviigen 22, S-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden. Introduction Neoproterozoic strata worldwide (e.g. Vidal 1976a; Vidal During the Neoproterozoic, the Baltica palaeocontinent 1981a; Knoll 1982a, 1982b; Vidal & Siedlecka 1983; underwent major sedimentological, tectonic and palaeo Knoll 1984; Vidal 1985; Knoll et al. 1989; Jankauskas et geographical changes (Kumpulainen & Nystuen 1985; al. 1989; Vidal & Nystuen 1990a, 1990b; Moczydlowska Vidal & Moczydlowska 1995). In the Late Riphean, 1991; Knoll et al. 1991; Knoll 1992). In addition to sedimentological changes occurred that comprised the biostratigraphy, acritarchs have also been widely used transition from predominantly non-marine into shallow for palaeoenvironmental analyses (e.g. Ivanovskaya & marine sedimentation regimes in a number of basins, Timofeev 1971; Golubic & Hofmann 1976; Knoll et al. including passive margin sequences (e.g. the western 1981, 1991; Mansuy & Vidal 1983; Green et al. 1987, Baltoscandian basins within the Caledonides; Kumpu 1988; Palacios Medrano 1989; Moczydlowska & Vidal lainen & Nystuen (1985)) and intracratonic settings (e.g. 1992; Butterfield & Chandler 1992). the Visingso Group; Vidal (1982)). Associated with these Better understanding of the Neoproterozoic evolu sedimentological changes is the initiation of the break-up tion of Baltica can be achieved through detailed strati of a large supercontinent ('Rodinia') in pre-Varangerian graphic correlation of all preserved successions on the time (Storey 1993). Significant pre-Varangerian events Baltic Shield. The reviews by Kumpulainen & Nystuen include the episodic emp1acement of do1eritic dyke (1985), Føyn (1985), Hambrey (1988) and Vida1 & swarms (Kumpulainen & Nystuen 1985; Vidal & Moczydlowska (1995) dealt with Neoproterozoic (Late Moczydlowska 1995). Palaeomagnetic data show that Riphean and Vendian) successions in the northern and together with Laurentia, Ba1tica was situated at low to western part of Baltica. With the exception of Hambrey equatorial latitudes during most of the Riphean, but it (1988), the important Late Riphean deposits of drifted southward during Vendian times (Gurnis & the Kola Peninsula have not been included in these Torsvik 1994). In Early Vendian ( = Varangerian) time, reviews. glacier ice covered wide areas of Baltica. In Late In this paper I report on the occurrence of organic Varangerian time, the melting of the ice sheet resulted in walled microfossils (acritarchs and probable cyanobacte deposition of glacial material, preserved as tillites in, e.g., rial sheaths) from two areas in the northeastern margin central East Greenland, Svalbard, the Varanger Penin of the Baltic Shield, namely Kil din Island, the Sredni and sula in Norway, the proximity of the Caledonides and Rybachi Peninsulas in the Murmansk Coast of the the Urals (Kumpulainen & Nystuen 1985; Føyn 1985; northern Kola Peninsula, and the Chapoma River, lo Hambrey 1988; Vidal & Moczydlowska 1995). cated on the Tiersky Coast in the southern coast of the Acritarchs, cysts of algal protists, have been success Kola Peninsula (Fig. 1). The purpose of this work is to fully used for establishing stratigraphy and correlation of complement previously presented data on the biostrati- NORSK GEOLOGISK TIDSSKRIFT 166 J. Samuelsson 77 (1997) A \ D KOLA PENINSULA l '( RUSSIA Chapoma River \ ORWAY� l ,_ ,... r -FINLAND '\ ,_.... N� 50 km c N ++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++t!++++++++++++ ·+++++. ++++++++++ 4+•• +�+++++++ �- . .........+ o 2 4 6 8 10 km NORSK GEOLOGISK TIDSSKRIFT 77 (1997) Early Neoproterozoic strata, Kola Peninsula 167 graphy and palaeobiology of these successions that oc Sea Region in Norway with the successions in Sredni cupy a key position in relation to the East European Rybachi and Kildin. They suggested that the Kildin Platform and the Varanger Peninsula. Further investiga skaya Group could be time-equivalent with the tions on stable isotope geochemistry are also in progress Kongsfjord and Båsnæring Formations of the Barents (Samuelsson et al. in prep.). Sea Group. In a review paper on the Late Proterozoic Stratigraphy of the Barents Shelf, Hambrey (1988) in cluded a discussion on the geology, age and correlation Research history of the Early Neoproterozoic settings in the Kola Penin sula. Lyubtsov et al. (1989) presented a synthesis on the The geology and stratigraphy of Neoproterozoic succes lithostratigraphy and micropalaeontology of the succes sions on the Sredni-Rybachi Peninsula, on the Kildin sions on the Murmansk and Tiersky Coast of the Kola Island and of the Chapoma River were dealt with in Peninsula. A guide to Neoproterozoic sections on the numerous Russian and some Finnish papers (see Murmansk coast and Tiersky Coast was published by the Siedlecka 1975 and references therein). Timofeev (1969) Kola Science Centre, Russia (Lyubtsov et al. 1991a, reported a poor, but typically Upper Riphean microfossil 1991b). Vidal et al. (1993) discussed the biostratigraphic assemblage from the Kildinskaya Group on Sredni and time-stratigraphic implications of a Chuaria/Tawuia Peninsula. He also reported a taxonomically more di assemblage and accompanying acritarchs from the verse assemblage from the Volokovaya Group on Sredni. Neoproterozoic of Yakutia and forwarded suggestions Negrutsa (1971) outlined the geo1ogy of the Sredni upon age relationships with the Kildinskaya Group. Peninsula and subdivided the Kildinskaya and Voloko Various aspects of the Neoproterozoic of the northeast vaya Groups into several formations. Siedlecka (1975) ern part of Baltica in Norway and Russia were dealt with published a review article (based largely on Russian recently in a number of papers in NGU Special Publica data) on the Neoproterozoic geology of the northeastern tion 7 (Roberts & Nordgulen, eds. 1995). Drinkwater et margin of the Fennoscandian Shield including Northern al. (1996) evaluated the Late Proterozoic stratigraphy in Norway (Varanger Peninsula), the Sredni-Rybachi northern Norway and northern Russia and presented a Peninsulas, the Aynov and Kildin Islands, Kanin Penin palaeogeographical reconstruction of these units. sula and the Timan Ridge. Konopleva (1977) discussed the age of the rocks on Rybachi and interpreted them as Middle Riphean. Ragozina & Stepkin (1979) examined the biostratigraphy of rocks on Sredni and Kildin. On Geological setting mainly biochronological evidence, Vidal & Siedlecka (1983) discussed the possible age relationships of the The Baltic Shield comprises northwestern Russia, Fin largely Upper Riphean Barents Sea Group in the Barents land, parts of northern and southern Norway and almost RYBACHI PENINSULA SREDNI PENINSULA KILDIN ISLAND Bargoutnaya Group \blokovaya Group Kildinskaya Group • Tsypnavolokskaya Formation 9 Pumanskaya Formation [JJ] Slantzevoozerskaya Formation [TI Zubovskaya Formation f'� 'd Kuyakanskaya Formation (22l Pridorozhnaya Formation � Maiskaya Formation Kildinskaya Group m Pestzovozerskaya Formation Einovskaya Group ffi Karuyarvinskaya Formation � Chernorechenskaya Formation D Perevalnaya Formation Jfll Zemlepakhtinskaya Formation � Bezymyannaya Formation E::::::J Lonskaya Formation f----1 Poropelonskaya Formation � Motovskaya Formation § Palvinskaya Formation ITITJ Korovinskaya Formation f.,......... 1 lernovskaya Formation O Skarbeevskaya Formation !IHII Kutovaya Formation � Archaean Basement Fig. I. Maps showing outcrop areas and sampling localities. A: Map of northern Fennoscandia showing position of map B. B: Map showing the inferred relationship between the Varanger Peninsula, Norway, and the Sredni-Rybachi Peninsula, Russia. C: Geological map of the Sredni-Rybachi Peninsula and Kildin Island. Arrows and numbers within frames refer to sampled fossiliferous localities. D: Map of the Kola Peninsula showing position of the Sredni-Rybachi Peninsula and the Chapoma River. Figures JA-C modified from Siedlecka et al.