Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 7-7-2000 Ammonite biostratigraphy, lithofacies variations, and paleoceanographic implications for barremian- aptian sequences of northeastern Mexico Ricardo Barragan Florida International University DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI14050434 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Barragan, Ricardo, "Ammonite biostratigraphy, lithofacies variations, and paleoceanographic implications for barremian-aptian sequences of northeastern Mexico" (2000). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1402. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1402 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida AMMONITE BIOSTRATIGRAPHY, LITHOFACIES VARIATIONS, AND PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS FOR BARREMIAN-APTIAN SEQUENCES OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in GEOLOGY by Ricardo Barragan 2000 To: Dean Arthur W. Herriott College of Arts and Sciences This dissertation, written by Ricardo Barragan, and entitled Ammonite Biostratigraphy, Lithofacies Variations, and Paleoceanographic implications for Barremian-Aptian Sequences of Northeastern Mexico, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved Matlre, onnelly renville Draper Luis Batolucci Florentin Maurrasse, Major Professor Date of Defense: July 7, 2000 The dissertation of Ricardo Barragan is approved. Dean Arthur W. Herriott College of Arts and Sciences Dean Richard L. Campbell Division of Graduate Studies Florida International University, 2000 ii ©Copyright 2000 by Ricardo Barragan All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family. Special appreciation is given to my parents, Margarita and Justo. Their support, encouragement, and inspiration were fundamental in the completion of this work. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my advisor and major professor, Dr. Florentin Maurrasse for his continuous encouragement and wise counseling in the completion of this research. I would also like to express my gratitude to the other three members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Mauren Donelly, Dr. Grenville Draper, and Dr. Luis Bartolucci for their insightful scientific and editorial comments that served to improve this dissertation. I am specially grateful to Dr. Celestina Gonzalez Arreola, who suggested the topic for my dissertation and who was an important supporter during difficult times throughout the completion of this research. Special appreciation is given to the "Direccion General de Asuntos del Personal Academico" and the "Instituto de Geologia" of the Autonomous National University of Mexico, which provided me with a full scholarship throughout my doctoral studies, and helped me with the financial support for the field research campaigns respectively. Special thanks go to my cousins Alejandro and Gilberto Nieto. The countless hours that they spent with me in the arduous field work are worthy to mention. I am sincerely grateful to Diane Pirie and Lois Geier from the FIU Geology Department. Their tremendous help in providing me with all the necessary materials for the completion of this research is truly appreciated. I wish to give a special mention to Dr. Laurel Collins. Her comments about some of the paleoecological aspects of this research are gratefully acknowledged. Finally, I want to thank my friends Alfredo Cordova Martinez, Liliana Lara Morales, and Jose Alberto Alarcon Diaz. Their support and understanding were crucial for the completion of this work. To all of them, Thanks! v ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION AMMONITE BIOSTRATIGRAPHY, LITHOFACIES VARIATIONS, AND PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS FOR BARREMIAN-APTIAN SEQUENCES OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO by Ricardo Barragan Florida International University, 2000 Miami, Florida Professor Florentin Maurrasse, Major Professor Two Barremian-Aptian sequences studied in Durango and Nuevo Leon States, northeastern Mexico include three lithic units which have been described as the Cupido Formation of Barremian-early Early Aptian age, its lateral equivalent, the Lower Tamaulipas Formation, and the La Pena Formation extending through the early Albian. The present work improves the existing ammonite Aptian biozonation by considering constraints associated with a discontinuous spatial and temporal record of the different taxa within the La Pena Formation. Four ammonite biozones are established: 1) The Dufrenoyiajustinae Zone for the late Early Aptian, 2) The Burckhardtites nazasensis/Rhytidoplites robertsi Zone for the middle Aptian, 3) The Cheloniceras inconstans Zone for the early Late Aptian, and 4) The Hypacanthoplitescf. leanzae Zone for the late late Aptian. Also, a detailed sedimentological analysis of the sections shed further light on the possible causes that controlled intermittent occurrences of the ammonites in relation to the prevailing paleoceanographic and paleoecologic conditions in northeastern Mexico during the late Barremian-Aptian. vi Microfacies analyses show that the upper part of the Cupido facies are represented by biocalcirudite with rudists, biocalcarenites with oolites and algae, and rich benthonic foraminifera assemblages with ostracods. These facies are related to paleoceanographic conditions of sedimentation within a shallow-marine carbonate platform. Its lateral equivalent, deep-water facies extended to the southeast and it is represented by the Lower Tamaulipas Formation, which includes planktonic foraminifera, ostracods, and mollusk and echinoid fragments. The beginning of deposition of the La Pena Formation in the late Early Aptian is characterized by an increase in terrigenous materials and significant decrease in the abundance of benthic fauna. The La Pena Formation is recognized by an alternation of marls and shale limestones containing ammonites, planktonic foraminifera, ostracods, and radiolaria toward the top. Accumulation of the La Pena continued throughout the end of the Aptian and records changes in conditions of sedimentation and productivity in the water column, which abruptly terminated the carbonate deposition in the Cupido Platform. Results of carbon/carbonate content analyses show that changes from the Cupido to the La Pena facies are also characterized by an increase of organic carbon, which indicate the onset of enhanced dysoxic/anoxic conditions in the lower water column. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................1 2. GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SETTING.......................................7 3. STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK............................................... 11 4. METHODS AND TECHNIQUES .................................................. 19 F ield W ork........................................................................... 19 Laboratory Analyses................................................................. 20 Microfacies Analysis .............................................................. 20 Carbon/Carbonate Analyses........................................................21 Ammonite Biostratigraphy.......................................................... 25 Ammonite Biochronology ....................................................... 25 5. LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY.............................................................27 6. CARBON/CARBONATE ANALYSES..............................................42 7. BIOSTRATIGRAPHY.................................................................52 8. SYSTEMATIC AMMONITE PALEONTOLOGY..................................60 O rder N autiloidea .............................................................. 66 Family Cymatoceratidae Spath, 1927...................................... 66 Genus ParacymatocerasSpath, 1927........................................ 66 Paracymatocerasmilleri Humphrey, 1949 .............................. 66 Order Ammonoidea Zittel, 1884 .............................................. 68 Suborder Ammonitina Hyatt, 1889 ......................................... 68 Superfamily Desmocerataceae Zittel, 1895 ............................... 68 Family Desmoceratidae Zittel, 1895...................................... 68 Subfamily Puzosiinae Spath, 1922.................................... 68 Genus PseudohaplocerasHyatt, 1900............................... 68 Pseudohaplocerasaguilerae (Burckhardt, 1925)................... 69 Pseudohaplocerasjacobi (Burckhardt, 1925) ...................... 71 Pseudohaplocerasreesidei (Humphrey, 1949)..................... 75 Suborder Ancyloceratina Wiedmann, 1966 ................................ 79 Superfamily Ancylocerataceae Gill, 1871................................. 79 Family Ancyloceratidae Gill, 1871...................................... 79 Subfamily Ancyloceratinae Gill, 1871 ................................ 79 Genus PeltocriocerasSpath, 1924 .................................... 79 Peltocrioceras(?) sp ..................................................... 79 viii Subfamily Helicancylinae Hyatt, 1894................................. 81 Genus