Late Triassic, US and CA) Based on Data from the Bristol Channel (UK) and North Germanic (DE) Basins

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Falsification of Hypotheses of a Major Hiatus in the Newark Supergroup Rhaetian (Late Triassic, US AND CA) Based on Data From the Bristol Channel (UK) and North Germanic (DE) Basins

Paul E. Olsen Dennis V. Kent September 26, 2016 GSA Annual Meeng in Denver, Colorado, USA - 2016 Paper No. 137-3: Presentaon Time: 2:05 PM

FALSIFICATION OF HYPOTHESES OF A MAJOR HIATUS IN THE NEWARK SUPERGROUP RHAETIAN (LATE TRIASSIC, US AND CA) BASED ON DATA FROM THE BRISTOL CHANNEL (UK) AND NORTH GERMANIC BASINS (DE)

OLSEN, Paul E., Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-1000 and KENT, Dennis, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Wright-Rieman Labs, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, [email protected] x Ri basins of eastern North America and Morocco arguably preserve the temporally most ghtly constrained record of abrupt connental bioc change through the end-Triassic mass-exncon (ETE) based on astrochronology and U-Pb dates (1). However, two biostragraphic hypotheses have been proposed for these secons requiring a mul-million- year hiatus or unconformity spanning most of the Rheaan that we show here are falsified. Van Veen (2) hypothesized a hiatus based on European records where vesicate pollen (Panasporites-Enzonalasporites-Vallisporites complex) disappear in the early Rhaean while connuing up to the Newarkian ETE, and therefore implying the Newark succession is very condensed, consistent with a major hiatus. This is falsified by the presence of the vesicate forms in late Rhaean strata of the Bristol Channel Basin (3). This paern is more simply explained by a me-transgressive disappearance (in present geography) of the low-latude vesicate pollen group as central Pangae translated north (4) prior to their ETE exrpaon (5). Similarly, Kozur & Weems (6) hypothesized that the absence of several Germanic basin clam shrimp zones in the Newark Supergroup indicate a hiatus spanning most of the Rhaean. Their key observaons are, “…the upper Norian faunas were dominated by very large conchostracans, while the Rhaean (and Heangian) conchostracan faunas are everywhere composed of very small forms.” The lack of these zones and the presence of the large Shipingia just below the ETE in Newark Supergroup strata led to the hypothesis of a major hiatus. This hypothesis is falsified by our discovery of abundant large cf. S. olseniin late Rhaean, largely marine strata in the North Germanic Basin. Both hypotheses for a significant hiatus are thus falsified; moreover, no physical evidence for a significant hiatus at this crical level exists. There is instead compelling physical and magnetostragraphic evidence of completeness at the 20 kyr level (e.g., chron E23r). The most parsimonious interpretaon is that the Newarkian records through the ETE are connuous. 1, Blackburn+ 2013 Science 340:941; 2, Van Veen 1995 Tectonopysics 245:93; 3, Bonis+ 2010 JGS Lond 167:877; 4, Kent & Tauxe 2005 Science 307:240; 5, Olsen+2011 EESTRSE 101:201; 6, Kozur & Weems 2011 NMMNHS Bull 53:295. Pangea @ Newark 201.6 Ma Basin

Newark Supergroup

LI THOLOGI C LI THOLOGI C POLARI TY LI THOLOGI C COM POSI TE SECTI ON COM POSI TE BI OSTRATI GRAPY UNI TS SECTI ONS AND CORES COM POSI TE SECTI ON AGES & EPOCHS (DEPTHM) (TIMEMyr) (TIMEMyr) PALEOLATI TUDE Color (c) or Depth Rank (dr) Water depth Proxy Co l o r ( c : 1 - 3 ) o r McL 405 Kyr Sp o r o m o r p h HARTFORD NEWARK and Magnetic Polarity c Depth Rank (dr : 0- 5) Ma Cy cl e Cy c l e Ma Chr on LVA Zo ne Ma # # 0510152025°N 2600m c H27 CL A SSOPOL L I S H25 dr 2600 m TOROSUS

CL A SSOPOL L I S MEYERIANIA H

dr 0m

0m dr

0m M

dr 0m

1200m W dr 0m

800m S

dr 0m

900m

dr 0m

900m T

E11

dr 100m

900m

1000m

1100m Kent et al., 2016 2012 Olsen et al, 2002 Schaller et al, 2011 Blackburn et al, 2013 Olsen & Kent, 1999 LI THOLOGI C LI THOLOGI C POLARI TY LI THOLOGI C COM POSI TE SECTI ON COM POSI TE BI OSTRATI GRAPY UNI TS SECTI ONS AND CORES COM POSI TE SECTI ON COM POSI TE SECTI ON COM POSI TE AGES & EPOCHS (DEPTHM) (TIMEMyr) (TIMEMyr) PALEOLATI TUDE Color (c) or Depth Rank (dr) Water depth Proxy Color (c: 1- 3) or McL 405 Kyr Sporomorph HARTFORD NEWARK and Magnetic Polarity c Depth Rank (dr: 0- 5) Ma Cy cl e Cy c l e Ma Ch r o n LVA Zo ne Ma # # 0 5 10 15 20 25°N 2600m c H27 CLASSOPOLLIS H25 dr 2600 m TOROSUS

CLASSOPOLLIS Supposed M EYERI ANI A H Hiatus of dr 3-4 Myr 0m 0m dr

0m M

dr 0m

1200m W dr 0m

800m S

dr 0m

900m

dr 0m

900m T

E11

dr 100m

900m

1000m

1100m Kent et al., 2016 Two hypotheses for a hiatus: 1) The presence of vessicate pollen and the absence of key European Rhaetian sporomorphs in the latter Triassic of Eastern North America and Morocco directly below strata dominated by Classopollis indicates a Norian age in contact with Jurassic strata and therefore therefore a multi- million year hiatus must be present (Van Veen, 1995 etc).

2) The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age. This along with the absence of two supposedly latest Norian and early Rhaetian zones that are present in western US and Europe indicates a major hiatus in the eastern US where these zones are absent (Kozur, Weems, Lucas, Tanner, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015 etc.). Two hypotheses for a hiatus:

1)!The presence of vessicate pollen and the absence of key European Rhaetian sporomorphs in the latter Triassic of Eastern North America and Morocco directly below strata dominated by Classopollis indicates a Norian age in contact with Jurassic strata and therefore therefore a multi- million year hiatus must be present (Van Veen, 1995 etc).

2)!The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age. This along with the absence of two supposedly latest Norian and early Rhaetian zones that are present in western US and Europe indicates a major hiatus in the eastern US where these zones are absent (Kozur, Weems, Lucas, Tanner, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015 etc.). Vessicate Pollen

Patinasporites densus

Enzonalasporites vigens

Vallasporites ignacii

Cirilli, 2010 EXETER SECTION MARTINSVILLE NO. 1 WOODLAND PARK 112 km (STOP 1.1) 44 km (STOP 1.7)

20 m ft m m 201.573±0.053 Ma 1120 340 0 0 10 1130 1140 11501150 350350 0 1100 10 ETE 1160 1170

1180 360 -10 20 20 1190 2000 -20 2010 370 30 0 100 30 fsssltmdcly -30 fsssltmdcly

40 -40 !"#$%&'(")"$*+#%$,'" md fss css fcg -50 clyslt mss grv mcg Pangea @ 201.6 Ma

Bristol Channel Basin Vessicate taxa missing from European Rhaean

Ladin. Carnian Norian Rhaetian Hett. late early late early late early Callialasporites dampieri Camerosporites secatus Cerebropollenites macroverrucosus Cerebropollenites thiergartii Classopollis meyerianus Classopollis murphyae Classopollis torosus Duplicisporites granulatus Enzonalasporites vigens Granuloperculatipollis rudis Heliosporites reissingeri "Lueckisporites" cf. L. singhii Lunatisporites rhaeticus Paracirculina quadruplicis Partitisporites novimundanus Patinasporites densus Pinuspollenites minimus Porcellispora longdonensis Pseudoenzonalasporites summus Retitriletes semimuris Rhaetipollis germanicus Ricciisporites tuberculatus Samaropollenites speciosus Trachysporites fuscus Tsugaepollenites pseudomassulae Cirilli, 2014 Vallasporites ignacii Triassic-Jurassic, Bristol Channel Basin, St, Audrie’s Bay, Somerset, UK Enzonalasporites vigens

Bonis & Kürschner, 2010 Newark-Hartford APTS St. Audrie’s Bay

H27 H26 H25 200 Ma H24 SA6n E24 20 Lilstock Fm ??SA5r Langport E23 Cotham 10 SA5n ? E22 Enzonalasporites 0 vigens @ SAB Williton Mbr

E21 ? -10 205 LAD vessicate pollen SA4r Europe E20 -20 Van Veen, 1995

4.1n E19 -30

SA4n E18 -40

SA3r

E17 -50

210 -60 SA3n E16 -70

SA2r -80 E15 SA2n

-90 SA1r

215 E14 -100

Modified from Kent et al., 2016 Ladin. Carnian Norian Rhaetian Hett. late early late early late early Callialasporites dampieri Camerosporites secatus Cerebropollenites macroverrucosus Cerebropollenites thiergartii Classopollis meyerianus Classopollis murphyae Classopollis torosus Duplicisporites granulatus Enzonalasporites vigens Granuloperculatipollis rudis Heliosporites reissingeri "Lueckisporites" cf. L. singhii Lunatisporites rhaeticus Paracirculina quadruplicis Partitisporites novimundanus Patinasporites densus Pinuspollenites minimus Porcellispora longdonensis Pseudoenzonalasporites summus Retitriletes semimuris Rhaetipollis germanicus Ricciisporites tuberculatus Samaropollenites speciosus Trachysporites fuscus Tsugaepollenites pseudomassulae Cirilli, 2014 Vallasporites ignacii Rhaetipollis germanicus

Bonis & Kürschner, 2010 “Typical Rhaean” taxa missing from Newark Supergroup

A+F"G*D%.&H'"I/;J" I%.'+$<" B7/22&<" I/'.2"

Kent et al., 2016 Classopollis-dominated Two hypotheses for a hiatus:

1) The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age; therefore, the presence of large spinocaudatans up to the level of last spinocaudatan zone of (late Rhaetian age) in the eastern US indicates a hiatus.

2) The absence of two supposedly latest Norian and early Rhaetian zones that are present in western US and Europe indicates a hiatus in the eastern US where these zones are absent. EXETER SECTION MARTINSVILLE NO. 1 WOODLAND PARK 112k kmm (STOP 1.1) 44 km (STOP 1.7)

20 m Euestheriaftft m brodieanam " 201.573±0.053 Ma 112011 340 0 0 10 113011 1140 1150 350 0 10 10 ETE 1160 1170

1180 360 -10 20 20 1190 2000 -20 201020 370 30 0 100 30 fsssltmdcly -30 fsssltmdcly

40 -40

Shipingia olseni md fss css fcg -50 clyslt mss grv mcg Euestheria brodieana Midland Fm (Kozur & Weems, 2005) Shipingia olseni holotype ♀ detail microsculpture Passaic Fm (Weems & Kozur, 2005)

Shipingia olseni ♂ detail microsculpture Bull Run (Weems & Kozur, 2005) Two key assertions:

1)!The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age; therefore, the presence of large spinocaudatans up to the level of last spinocaudatan zone of (late Rhaetian age) in the eastern US indicates a hiatus.

2)!The absence of two supposedly latest Norian and early Rhaetian zones that are present in western US and Europe indicates a hiatus in the eastern US where these zones are absent. “The beds immediately below a distinct sporomorph spike, documented a few meters below the oldest lava flow (Orange Mountain basalt) in the Newark Basin in Exeter, Pennsylvania and previously assigned to the TJB, instead belong to the Sevatian (late Norian) rather than the Rhaetian as previously assumed. This is indicated by the abundant occurrence of Shipingia olseni nov. sp., which is found throughout the entire Sevatian section of the Newark Supergroup and in the Sevatian Stubensandstein 3 of Baden-Württemberg in the Germanic Basin. No species belonging to the Norian conchostracan genus Shipingia is known to range as high as the Rhaetian anywhere in the world.”

Kozur & Weems, 2005 p. 21 “…the upper Norian faunas were dominated by very large conchostracans, while the Rhaetian (and Hettangian) conchostracan faunas are everywhere composed of very small forms.” (Kozur & Weems, 2011, p. )

“No species belonging to the Norian conchostracan genus Shipingia is known to range as high as the Rhaetian anywhere in the world.” (Weems & Lucas, 2015, p. 315) Pangea @ 201.6 Ma

North Germanic Basin “Westbury equivalent” Bonenburg, Germany

Hettangian large Lias with Psiloceras Latest Rhaetian spinocaudatans

Rhaetavicula! contorta!

Middle-Late Rhaetian 1 mm 200 µ m

Bonenburg (Late Rhaetian) Shipingia cf. S. olseni Shipingia olseni, Passaic Fm. (Kozur & Weems, 2007) Two key assertions:

1)!The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age; therefore, the presence of large conchostracans up to the level of last conchostracan zone of (late Rhaetian age) in the eastern US indicates a hiatus.

3-4 Myr Hiatus “The co-occurrence of these two species [S. gerbachmanni nor G. polonica] is characteristic of the uppermost Norian (upper Sevatian).” (Weems & Lucas, 2015, p. 308)

It remains notable that neither S. gerbachmanni nor G. polonica have ever shown up in the Newark Supergroup, even though both species occur abundantly in uppermost Norian strata in Europe (Kozur and Weems, 2011). Conchostracans collected by Paul Olsen (Lamont-Doherty) from the Bigoudine Formation in Morocco and provided to us for identification now document the presence and co- occuence of S. gerbachmanni and G. polonica in northwest Africa. Therefore, the absence of both of these upper Norian-lower Rhaetian conchostracans in the Newark Supergroup continues to support the conclusion that a significant unconformity of 3-5 million years duration separates the Norian strata of the upper Chatham Group from the upper Rhaetian strata of the basal Meriden Group.” (Weems & Lucas, 2015, p. 315) Weems & Lucas, 2015

“Stratigraphic column showing the conchostracan zonation for the Norian stage of the Upper Triassic as shown in Kozur and Weems (2010) as updated here, with demonstrated ranges of the conchostracan species found in the Norian column.” Shipingia gerbachmanni “upper Norian” (Hauschke & Kozur, 2011)

Gregoriusella polonica Bigoudine Fm S. gerbachmanni Bigoudine Fm (Weems & Lucas, 2015) (Weems & Lucas, 2015)" Pangea @ 201.6 Ma

Argana Basin P+QR" Middle Bigoudine Fm., near Argana Lower Bigoudine Formation, Hassein Mb., Argana Basin

Near Argana, Morocco

Et-Touhami et al, in prep. Weems and Lucas, 2015 Two key assertions are falsified:

1) The presence of large spinocaudatans in the latter Triassic indicates a Norian age and their absence indicate a Rhaetian age; therefore, the presence of large conchostracans up to the level of last conchostracan zone of (late Rhaetian age) in the eastern US indicates a hiatus.

2) The absence of two supposedly latest Norian and early Rhaetian zones that are present in western US and Europe indicates a hiatus in the eastern US where these zones are absent. Two hypotheses for a hiatus are falsified: 1) The presence of vessicate pollen and the absence of key European Rhaetian sporomorphs in the latter Triassic of Eastern North America and Morocco directly below strata dominated by Classopollis indicates a Norian age in contact with Jurassic strata and therefore therefore a multi- million year hiatus must be present (Van Veen, 1995 etc).