Morphometric Evolution of Paleozoic Brachiopods - the Effects of Environment and Ecological Interactions on Shell Morphology

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Morphometric Evolution of Paleozoic Brachiopods - the Effects of Environment and Ecological Interactions on Shell Morphology MORPHOMETRIC EVOLUTION OF PALEOZOIC BRACHIOPODS - THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS ON SHELL MORPHOLOGY RITUPARNA BOSE Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University Dec, 2011 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Doctoral Committee ________________________________ P. David Polly, Ph.D. ________________________________ Erika R. Elswick, Ph.D. ________________________________ Claudia C. Johnson, Ph.D. ________________________________ Lindsey R. Leighton, Ph.D. ________________________________ Greg A. Olyphant, Ph.D. __________________________________ Chris L. Schneider, Ph.D. Date of Dissertation Defense – April 11, 2011 ii Copyright © 2011 Rituparna Bose ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my family. Thank you all from afar! iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the course of my graduate studies in the department of geological sciences at Indiana University, I have had the honor to meet and interact with many scholars who have made significant contributions in my doctoral research career. I wish to explicitly thank all of them here and my heartfelt apologies, if I have missed anyone’s contributions in this list. First, I would like to gratefully acknowledge my kind and patient advisor, Dr. P. David Polly, without whose guidance, this work would have never been accomplished. I am indebted to him, for all his valuable contributions towards my education on all fronts. He has always guided me both as a researcher and a teacher. I gratefully acknowledge my internal committee member, Dr. Claudia C. Johnson for her valuable suggestions on my research and for her help in various professional aspects throughout my graduate education. I sincerely acknowledge my internal committee member, Dr. Erika R. Elswick for helpful suggestions. I also sincerely thank my external committee members, Dr. Lindsey R. Leighton and Dr. Chris L. Schneider, for their invaluable advices and vital feedback on my research. Besides, I want to sincerely thank Dr. Erle Kauffman, Dr. Abhijit Basu and Dr. Greg Olyphant for their precious advices throughout my graduate career. My deepest thanks to all of you. I would also like to thank other Professors in the department - Dr. Simon Brassell, Dr. Lisa Pratt, Dr. David Millen, and Dr. Jeremy Dunning (besides Dr. Claudia C. Johnson, Dr. Abhijit Basu and Dr. P. David Polly) under whose supervision I had the privilege of gathering some great learning experience while teaching courses in the department. v I would like to thank everyone who provided useful information in locating field collections in various museum repositories. Not to mention, I am sincerely thankful to Dr. Donald Hattin at Indiana University and Dr. Carlton Brett in University of Cincinnati in this regard. Besides, my sincere thanks to all curators, museum assistants and other members of the North American museums who oversee the paleontological collections housed in these repositories. A special thanks to Dr. Susan Butts and Cope McClintock from Yale Peabody Museum, Dr. Daniel Miller from University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology, Dr. Neil H. Landman and Bushra Hussaini from American Museum of Natural History, Dr. Ed Landing and Linda Hernick from New York State Museum at Albany, and Dr. Peter Wagner, Dr. Doug Erwin, Dr. Thomas J. Dutro and Jann Thompson from National Museum of Natural History for permitting access to the collections. Besides, I am sincerely thankful to Dr. Jed Day from Illinois State University for allowing access to his enormous brachiopod collections housed in his laboratory. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Alex Bartholomew from State University of New York at New Paltz for providing access to his field collections and for loaning me his samples for my dissertation. I would also like to extend my thanks to Dr. Murat Maga at University of Washington, for running CT-scan on a few specimens. In addition, I was fortunate to have invaluable suggestions from my former advisor, Dr. Margaret M. Yacobucci from Bowling Green State University during my work. I sincerely thank her for her enthusiasm and encouragement in my progress that introduced me to the world of research and continued progress. A special thanks to all my Geobiology laboratory colleagues, whose cooperation and support throughout my research was indispensable. I would also like to thank former vi graduate students of Indiana University - Miriam Attenoukon and Liming Zhu for helpful suggestions. I want to specially acknowledge Geosciences staff members - Mary Iverson, Lou Malcomb, Linda Stewart, Terry Stigall, Lindsay Bugher, Ruth Droppo, Ken DeHart, John Bogeman and John M. Day who provided invaluable assistance during the course of my graduate career. Last, but certainly not the least, a big thanks to my husband, Arnab for pitching in with his patient and invaluable feedback. It was his strong support that allowed me to hold my perseverance throughout the end. I am going to remember my PhD dissertation with fond memories and anticipation. Financial support for this research was derived mainly from the Dunbar and Schuchert Grant-in Aid funded by Yale Peabody Museum, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant funded by American Museum of Natural History, BP Global Energy group, and Galloway Horowitz research funds granted by the Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University. Additional support was made available by the Indiana University School of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Year Research fellowship which assisted in continuing my research and dissertation writing. vii Rituparna Bose MORPHOMETRIC EVOLUTION OF PALEOZOIC BRACHIOPODS - THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS ON SHELL MORPHOLOGY Atrypida (Brachiopoda, Rhynchonellata) are ancient marine invertebrate fossils that are well preserved, abundant and diverse in the mid-Paleozoic (ecological evolutionary unit (EEU) P3). Atrypides thus serve as useful tools for morphological shape study. While qualitative studies have been performed for solving problems in brachiopod taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and ecology, quantitative studies have been lacking. After qualitative taxonomic identifications, morphological shape of the Silurian- Devonian Eastern North American atrypids was analyzed using geometric morphometrics, placing the results in evolutionary and ecological perspectives. Landmark analysis was performed on dorsal valves, ventral valves, anterior and posterior regions. These data were used for comparison with morphological distances, calculated as pairwise Procrustes distances. Evolutionary divergence times were determined from atrypide phylogeny and from stratigraphic zonations in the Michigan Traverse Group. Maximum likelihood tests were performed to determine evolutionary rates and modes of morphological divergence within and between genera. Episkeletobionts on hosts were examined to determine how morphological variation affected these assemblages. Morphometric results suggest that morphological distances within each genus was as large as those observed between genera. Thus, referring individuals to a particular genus, based on shell shape alone is challenging. Diversifying selection has been acting viii on morphological divergence of these generic pairs and morphometric distances are consistent with the prior phylogenetic arrangement. Short term changes observed in individual lineages, that gets averaged out in time when compared to other genera, together with considerable morphological overlap observed between genera in P3 EEU, suggests a pattern consistent with stasis, as expected in EEUs. The Traverse Group atrypid species lineage, which represents a 5 m.y. time span, exhibited lightly constrained morphological evolution, reflecting a stasis-like pattern. Greater encrustation preferences on one of two morphotypes on the dorsal valve and posterior region, suggest greater surface area facilitated by relatively deeper profile hosts in their reclining life orientation. Overall, the integration of various paleontological datasets reveal that the seemingly homogenous group of atrypide brachiopods exhibit subtle but significant evolution in their shell shape that is correlated with several kinds of ecological differences. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ACCEPTANCE ................................................................................................................. ii DEDICATION.................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................................v ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER I. A geometric morphometric approach in assessing paleontological problems in atrypid taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and ecology .....................................1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................2
Recommended publications
  • The Oseberg Project: in This Issue !Vikings in Memphis the Oseberg Project P
    MEMPHIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MAGS Rockhound News ◊ A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS Volume 63 ! Number 02 ! February 2017 ! A monthly newsletter for and by the members of MAGS The Oseberg Project: In this issue !Vikings in Memphis The Oseberg Project" P. 1 Rendy Hunt!!!!!February Program Countdown to Show" P. 1 MAGS And Federation Notes"" P. 2 President’s Message" P. 3 New Members"" P. 3 Membership Renewal Drawing Winner" P. 3 February Field Trip" P. 3 Can You Dig It?" P. 3 NASA Loves Lucy" P. 4 December Board Minutes"" P. 4 December Meeting Minutes"" P. 5 February Birthdays" P. 5 Fabulous Tennessee Fossils"" P. 6 A brief introduction and participates in the Society for Jewelry Bench Tips" P. 7 explanation of the Oseberg burial Creative Anachronism, (SCA) February 6 Deadline" P. 8 and the ongoing project to recre- which has led her on a journey Parsons Trip ate the burial grave goods using through History. Having Rescheduled" P. 8 materials sourced from Memphis researched the Vikings in depth, The Collision That and the surrounding areas. she is now embarking on a project Made the Moon" P. 8 to recreate the grave goods found Rendy Hunt is an Information Binomial Nomenclature P. 9 Systems Specialist from Memphis, in the Oseberg burial. Her research into this MAGS At A Glance" P. 10 Tennessee. In her spare time, she Continued, P.4 COUNTDOWN TO SHOW Memphis Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Show volunteer before, during, and at cleanup. The The Earth Wide Open only way we can put on such a large show is with your help.
    [Show full text]
  • Para Conhecer a Terra: Memórias E Notícias De Geociências No Espaço Lusófono Autor(Es): Lopes, F.C. (Coord.); Andrade, A. I
    Para conhecer a Terra: memórias e notícias de Geociências no espaço lusófono Lopes, F.C. (coord.); Andrade, A. I. (coord.); Henriques, M. H. (coord.); Autor(es): Quinta-Ferreira, M. (coord.); Reis, R. Pena dos (coord.); Barata, M. T. (coord.) Publicado por: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra URL persistente: URI:http://hdl.handle.net/10316.2/24406 DOI: DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/978-989-26-0534-0 Accessed : 11-Oct-2021 03:52:55 A navegação consulta e descarregamento dos títulos inseridos nas Bibliotecas Digitais UC Digitalis, UC Pombalina e UC Impactum, pressupõem a aceitação plena e sem reservas dos Termos e Condições de Uso destas Bibliotecas Digitais, disponíveis em https://digitalis.uc.pt/pt-pt/termos. Conforme exposto nos referidos Termos e Condições de Uso, o descarregamento de títulos de acesso restrito requer uma licença válida de autorização devendo o utilizador aceder ao(s) documento(s) a partir de um endereço de IP da instituição detentora da supramencionada licença. Ao utilizador é apenas permitido o descarregamento para uso pessoal, pelo que o emprego do(s) título(s) descarregado(s) para outro fim, designadamente comercial, carece de autorização do respetivo autor ou editor da obra. Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso. pombalina.uc.pt digitalis.uc.pt 9 789892 605111 Série Documentos A presente obra reúne um conjunto de contribuições apresentadas no I Congresso Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra Internacional de Geociências na CPLP, que decorreu de 14 a 16 de maio de 2012 no Coimbra University Press Auditório da Reitoria da Universidade de Coimbra.
    [Show full text]
  • BRAGEN LIST Established by Rex Doescher JAN 19,1996 13:38 GENUS AUTHOR DATE RANGE
    BRAGEN LIST established by Rex Doescher JAN 19,1996 13:38 GENUS AUTHOR DATE RANGE SUPERFAMILY: ACROTRETACEA ACROTHELE LINNARSSON 1876 CAMBRIAN ACROTHYRA MATTHEW 1901 CAMBRIAN AKMOLINA POPOV & HOLMER 1994 CAMBRIAN AMICTOCRACENS HENDERSON & MACKINNON 1981 CAMBRIAN ANABOLOTRETA ROWELL & HENDERSON 1978 CAMBRIAN ANATRETA MEI 1993 CAMBRIAN ANELOTRETA PELMAN 1986 CAMBRIAN ANGULOTRETA PALMER 1954 CAMBRIAN APHELOTRETA ROWELL 1980 CAMBRIAN APSOTRETA PALMER 1954 CAMBRIAN BATENEVOTRETA USHATINSKAIA 1992 CAMBRIAN BOTSFORDIA MATTHEW 1891 CAMBRIAN BOZSHAKOLIA USHATINSKAIA 1986 CAMBRIAN CANTHYLOTRETA ROWELL 1966 CAMBRIAN CERATRETA BELL 1941 1 Range BRAGEN LIST - 1996 CAMBRIAN CURTICIA WALCOTT 1905 CAMBRIAN DACTYLOTRETA ROWELL & HENDERSON 1978 CAMBRIAN DEARBORNIA WALCOTT 1908 CAMBRIAN DIANDONGIA RONG 1974 CAMBRIAN DICONDYLOTRETA MEI 1993 CAMBRIAN DISCINOLEPIS WAAGEN 1885 CAMBRIAN DISCINOPSIS MATTHEW 1892 CAMBRIAN EDREJA KONEVA 1979 CAMBRIAN EOSCAPHELASMA KONEVA & AL 1990 CAMBRIAN EOTHELE ROWELL 1980 CAMBRIAN ERBOTRETA HOLMER & USHATINSKAIA 1994 CAMBRIAN GALINELLA POPOV & HOLMER 1994 CAMBRIAN GLYPTACROTHELE TERMIER & TERMIER 1974 CAMBRIAN GLYPTIAS WALCOTT 1901 CAMBRIAN HADROTRETA ROWELL 1966 CAMBRIAN HOMOTRETA BELL 1941 CAMBRIAN KARATHELE KONEVA 1986 CAMBRIAN KLEITHRIATRETA ROBERTS 1990 CAMBRIAN 2 Range BRAGEN LIST - 1996 KOTUJOTRETA USHATINSKAIA 1994 CAMBRIAN KOTYLOTRETA KONEVA 1990 CAMBRIAN LAKHMINA OEHLERT 1887 CAMBRIAN LINNARSSONELLA WALCOTT 1902 CAMBRIAN LINNARSSONIA WALCOTT 1885 CAMBRIAN LONGIPEGMA POPOV & HOLMER 1994 CAMBRIAN LUHOTRETA MERGL & SLEHOFEROVA
    [Show full text]
  • Carboniferous Formations and Faunas of Central Montana
    Carboniferous Formations and Faunas of Central Montana GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 348 Carboniferous Formations and Faunas of Central Montana By W. H. EASTON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 348 A study of the stratigraphic and ecologic associa­ tions and significance offossils from the Big Snowy group of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1962 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as follows : Eastern, William Heyden, 1916- Carboniferous formations and faunas of central Montana. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1961. iv, 126 p. illus., diagrs., tables. 29 cm. (U.S. Geological Survey. Professional paper 348) Part of illustrative matter folded in pocket. Bibliography: p. 101-108. 1. Paleontology Montana. 2. Paleontology Carboniferous. 3. Geology, Stratigraphic Carboniferous. I. Title. (Series) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, B.C. CONTENTS Page Page Abstract-__________________________________________ 1 Faunal analysis Continued Introduction _______________________________________ 1 Faunal relations ______________________________ 22 Purposes of the study_ __________________________ 1 Long-ranging elements...__________________ 22 Organization of present work___ __________________ 3 Elements of Mississippian affinity.._________ 22 Acknowledgments--.-------.- ___________________
    [Show full text]
  • Storm-Dominated Shelf and Tidally-Influenced Foreshore Sedimentation, Upper Devonian Sonyea Group, Bainbridge to Sidney Center, New York
    413 STORM-DOMINATED SHELF AND TIDALLY-INFLUENCED FORESHORE SEDIMENTATION, UPPER DEVONIAN SONYEA GROUP, BAINBRIDGE TO SIDNEY CENTER, NEW YORK DANIEL BISHUK JR. Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) 300 Gateway Park Drive North Syracuse, New York 13212 ROBERT APPLEBAUM and JAMES R. EBERT Dept. of Earth Sciences State University of New York College at Oneonta Oneonta, New York 13820-4015 INTRODUCTION The Upper Devonian paleoshoreline of the Catskill clastic wedge in New York State has been interpreted for nearly a century as a complex deltaic sequence (Barrel, 1913, 1914; Chadwick, 1933; Cooper, 1930; Sutton, Bowen and McAlester, 1970; and many others). Friedman and Johnson (1966) envisioned this deltaic complex as a series of coalescing deltaic lobes that progressively filled the Catskill epeiric sea and existed as an uninterrupted deltaic plain from New York to West Virginia. In addition, some geologists believe that such epeiric seas were tideless owing to rapid tidal wave attenuation (Shaw, 1964; and Mazzullo and Friedman, 1975). Others presume that storm (wave) processes were dominant with little or no tidal influence (Dennison, 1985). This study offers significant departures from these interpretations, by documenting nondeltaic environments with significant tidal influence along the Catskill paleo-shoreline. The purpose of this study (Fig. 1) is to delineate sedimentary environments spanning the nonmarine to marine transition in the Upper Devonian Sonyea Group and to test and challenge previous deltaic models of the Sonyea Group (Sutton, et al., 1970). Recent publications have introduced evidence for non-deltaic shoreline environments within the Catskill clastic wedge (Walker and Harms, 1971 ; 1975; Bridge and Droser, 1985; VanTassel, 1986; also see Seven, 1985, Table 1, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Paleozoic Rocks Antelope Valley Eureka and Nye Counties Nevada
    :It k 'I! ' Paleozoic Rocks Antelope Valley Eureka and Nye Counties Nevada GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 423 Paleozoic Rocks of Antelope Valley Eureka and Nye Counties Nevada By CHARLES W. MERRIAM GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 423 P,rinciples of stratigraphy applied in descriptive study of the Central Great Basin Paleozoic column UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1963 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Page Silurian system ____________________________________ _ Abstract------------------------------------------- 1 36 Introduction. _____________________________________ _ 2 General features-------------------------------- 36 Geologic setting ______________ ------ ___ --------- 2 Roberts Mountains formation ___________________ _ 37 History of investigation ________________________ _ 5 Lone Mountain dolomite ______ ---_-------------- 39 Purpose and scope _____________ -- ______ ------ --- 6 Devonian system ______________ ---- __ - _- ___ - _------- 41 Acknowledgments ______________________________ _ 6 General features _____________ - ___________ -_----- 41 Geologic structure as related to stratigraphy __________ _ 6 Western Helderberg age limestones of the Monitor Paleontologic studies ______ ..:. _______ ~ ________________ _ 9 · Range ______ - _.- ___ --------------------------- 42 The Paleozoic column at Antelope Valley
    [Show full text]
  • View of What Is Now Known About
    A PHASE OF THE UPPER DEVONIAN OF WESTERN HIGHLAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA By Helen F. Pulver A. B., Berea College, 1946 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Oberlin College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Geology 1948 PLATE I Chemung formation, Alleghany Mountain locality, 3145 A fossiliferous bed of arenaceous shale, containing predominantly Douvillina cayuta; Schizophoria stria tula in the upper and lower right hand corners, and a part of Tylothyris mesacostalis and Camarotoeehia eximia in the center. PLATE 1 PREFACE '!his paper is a study of the Brallier and Chemung formations - of west Highland County, Virginia. '!he limits of the Brallier forma­ t.ion are determined on the basis ot faunal and lithological evidence, and correlations made with format.ions in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. 'Ihe field work was carried on during the lat ter part of the summer of 1947 and the identification and correlations worked out in the winter of 1947 and the spring of 1948. I wish to thank Mr. Minor B. Long and 1fr. Bruce Weber for help in measuring .the section of the field. I am. grateful to Dr. E. C. Stumm for his interest and original suggestion of the problem. ~ Dr. C.W• .Carlston I should like to express my thanks for valuable suggestions in the field and in the preparation of this manuscript. Above all I should. like to express my deep appreeiation to Dr. Fred Foreman under whose direction this problem was completed, for his continued encouragement and constant assistance.
    [Show full text]
  • 76-9949 CHAPEL, James David, 1948- PETROLOGY and DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY of DEVONIAN CARBONATES in OHIO
    76-9949 CHAPEL, James David, 1948- PETROLOGY AND DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY OF DEVONIAN CARBONATES IN OHIO. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1975 Geology Xerox University Microfilms,Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 PETROLOGY AND EEPOSITIONAL HISTORY OF. DEVONIAN CARBONATES IN OHIO DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Chio State University bY Janes David Chapel, B.A, * * * * * The Ohio State University Reading Coirmittee: Approved Ey Professor Charles H. Summerson Professor Kenneth 0. Stanley //?//? Professor James W. Collinson v Adviser Department of Geology and Mineralogy ACKNOWIEDGMENTS ivy deepest thanks go to Dr. C. H. Summerson for his guidance and encouragement during the course of the research and for his critical reading of several drafts of the manuscript. I also wish to thank Dr. J. W. Collinson and Dr. K. 0. Stanley for their discussion and criticism of material presented in this dissertation. Special thanks go to Mr. A. Janssens of the Ohio Division of Geological Survey who discussed stratigraphic problems with the author on several occasions and provided access to unpublished stratigraphic data. I am especially indebted to the owners and officials of numerous stone companies who permitted me to study the sections in their quarries and who, in some cases, provided access to drill cores. In this regard \ special thanks are. extended to Mr. B. Mascn of the Prance Stone Company and Mr. R. Annesser of the National lime and Stone Company without whose cooperation and assistance this study would have been impossible. I also acknowledge financial support provided by the Friends of Ortcr.
    [Show full text]
  • Brachiopods from the Mobarak Formation, North Iran
    GeoArabia, 2011, v. 16, no. 3, p. 129-192 Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain Tournaisian (Mississippian) brachiopods from the Mobarak Formation, North Iran Maryamnaz Bahrammanesh, Lucia Angiolini, Anselmo Alessandro Antonelli, Babak Aghababalou and Maurizio Gaetani ABSTRACT Following detailed stratigraphic work on the Mississippian marlstone and bioclastic limestone of the Mobarak Formation of the Alborz Mountains in North Iran, forty-eight of the most important brachiopod taxa are here systematically described and illustrated. The ranges of the taxa are given along the Abrendan and Simeh Kuh stratigraphic sections, located north of Damgham. The examined brachiopod species date the base of the Mobarak Formation to the Tournaisian, in absence of age-diagnostic foraminifers. Change in brachiopod settling preferences indicates a shift from high energy, shallow-water settings with high nutrient supply in the lower part of the formation to quieter, soft, but not soppy substrates, with lower nutrient supply in the middle part of the Mobarak Formation. Brachiopod occurrence is instead scanty at its top. The palaeobiogeographic affinity of the Tournaisian brachiopods from North Iran indicates a closer relationship to North America, Western Europe and the Russian Platform than to cold-water Australian faunas, confirming the affinity of the other biota of the Alborz Mountains. This can be explained by the occurrence of warm surface-current gyres widely distributing brachiopod larvae across the Palaeotethys Ocean, where North Iran as other peri- Gondwanan blocks acted as staging-posts. INTRODUCTION The Mississippian Mobarak Formation of the Alborz Mountains (North Iran) has been recently revised by Brenckle et al. (2009) who focused mainly on its calcareous microfossil biota and refined its biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy and paleogeography.
    [Show full text]
  • Devonian Brachiopods of the Tamesna Basin (Central Sahara; Algeria and North Niger)
    Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae, Series B, Natural History, 60 (3–4): 61–112 issued December 2004 Sborník Národního muzea, Serie B, Přírodní vědy, 60 (3–4): 61–112 DEVONIAN BRACHIOPODS OF THE TAMESNA BASIN (CENTRAL SAHARA; ALGERIA AND NORTH NIGER). PART 1 MICHAL MERGL Department of Biology, University of West Bohemia, Klatovská 51, Plzeň, 30614, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] DOMINIQUE MASSA Universite de Nice 6, Rue J. J. Rousseau, Suresnes, 92150, France Mergl, M., Massa, D. (2004): Devonian Brachiopods of the Tamesna Basin (Central Sahara; Algeria and North Niger). Part 1. – Acta Mus. Nat. Pragae, Ser. B, Hist. Nat. 60 (3-4): 61-112. Praha. ISSN 0036-5343. Abstract. The Devonian brachiopod fauna from samples collected by the late Lionel Lessard in the sixties from several secti- ons of the Lower Palaeozoic bordering the Tamesna Basin (Algeria and North Niger, south of the Ahaggar Massif) is descri- bed. The fauna is preserved in siliciclastic rocks, often lacking fine morphological details that are necessary for the determination of the fauna. Despite this difficulty, in total 40 taxa have been determined to generic, species or subspecies le- vels. One new chonetoid genus Amziella is defined on newly described species A. rahirensis. The new species Arcuaminetes racheboeufi, Montsenetes pervulgatus, Montsenetes ? drotae, Pustulatia lessardi, Pustulatia tamesnaensis, Eleutherokomma mutabilis, Mediospirifer rerhohensis and the new subspecies Tropidoleptus carinatus titanius are described. The Pragian age is suggested for the earliest brachiopod association, with maximum spread and diversity of the brachiopod fauna in Late Em- sian – Early Eifelian interval. The youngest Devonian brachiopod fauna in the available samples is probably of the Givetian age.
    [Show full text]
  • Coevolution of Global Brachiopod Palaeobiogeography and Tectonopalaeogeography During the Carboniferous Ning Li1,2*, Cheng-Wen Wang1, Pu Zong3 and Yong-Qin Mao4
    Li et al. Journal of Palaeogeography (2021) 10:18 https://doi.org/10.1186/s42501-021-00095-z Journal of Palaeogeography ORIGINAL ARTICLE Open Access Coevolution of global brachiopod palaeobiogeography and tectonopalaeogeography during the Carboniferous Ning Li1,2*, Cheng-Wen Wang1, Pu Zong3 and Yong-Qin Mao4 Abstract The global brachiopod palaeobiogeography of the Mississippian is divided into three realms, six regions, and eight provinces, while that of the Pennsylvanian is divided into three realms, six regions, and nine provinces. On this basis, we examined coevolutionary relationships between brachiopod palaeobiogeography and tectonopalaeogeography using a comparative approach spanning the Carboniferous. The appearance of the Boreal Realm in the Mississippian was closely related to movements of the northern plates into middle–high latitudes. From the Mississippian to the Pennsylvanian, the palaeobiogeography of Australia transitioned from the Tethys Realm to the Gondwana Realm, which is related to the southward movement of eastern Gondwana from middle to high southern latitudes. The transition of the Yukon–Pechora area from the Tethys Realm to the Boreal Realm was associated with the northward movement of Laurussia, whose northern margin entered middle–high northern latitudes then. The formation of the six palaeobiogeographic regions of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian brachiopods was directly related to “continental barriers”, which resulted in the geographical isolation of each region. The barriers resulted from the configurations of Siberia, Gondwana, and Laurussia, which supported the Boreal, Tethys, and Gondwana realms, respectively. During the late Late Devonian–Early Mississippian, the Rheic seaway closed and North America (from Laurussia) joined with South America and Africa (from Gondwana), such that the function of “continental barriers” was strengthened and the differentiation of eastern and western regions of the Tethys Realm became more distinct.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Patterns Across the Late Paleozoic Ice Age
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Biodiversity patterns across the Late Paleozoic Ice Age Barbara Seuss, Vanessa Julie Roden, and Ádám T. Kocsis ABSTRACT The Late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA, Famennian to Wuchiapingian) witnessed two transitions between ice- and greenhouse conditions. These alternations led to drastic alterations in the marine system (e.g., sea-level, habitat size, sea-surface temperature) forcing faunal changes. To reassess the response of the global marine fauna, we ana- lyze diversity dynamics of brachiopod, bivalve, and gastropod taxa throughout the LPIA using data from the Paleobiology Database. Diversity dynamics were assessed regarding environmental affinities of these clades. Our analyses indicate that during the LPIA more taxa had an affinity towards siliciclastic than towards carbonate environ- ments. Deep-water and reefal habitats were more favored while grain size was less determining. In individual stages of the LPIA, the clades show rather constant affinities towards an environment. Those bivalves and brachiopods with an affinity differ in their habitat preferences, indicating that there might have been little competition among these two clades. Origination and extinction rates are similar during the main phase of the LPIA, whether environmental affinities are considered or not. This underlines that the LPIA marine fauna was well adapted and capable of reacting to changing environ- mental and climatic conditions. Since patterns of faunal change are similar in different environments, our study implies that the changes in faunal composition (e.g., diversity loss during the LPIA; strong increase of brachiopod diversity during the Permian) were influenced by the habitat to only a minor degree but most likely by yet unknown abiotic factors.
    [Show full text]