Misikella Ultima Kozur & Mock, 1991: First Evidence of Late Rhaetian
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Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana Modena, Novembre 1999 Misikella ultima Kozur & Mock, 1991: first evidence of Late Rhaetian conodonts in Calabria (Southern Italy) Adelaide MASTANDREA Claudio NERI Fabio lETTO Franco Russo Di p. di Scienze della Terra Di p. di Se. Geo!. e Paleomol. Dip. di Scienze della Terra Dip. di Scienze della Terra Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia Università di Ferrara Università di Napoli Federico II Università della Calabria KEY- WORDS- Conodonts, Clusters, Biostratigraphy, Basin deposits, Catena Costiera, Calabria, Rhaetian. ABSTRACT- The succession cropping out in the Fosso Pantanelle area (Mt. S. Giovanni, Calabrian "Catena Costiera'; Upper Trias) provided a rich and well preserved conodont fauna. The basin stratigraphic succession is characterized by cherty lime mudstone with minor fine- grained calciturbidites and suspected tujìtes. Conodont founa is dominated by M. hernsteini and M. posthernsteini in the lower and middle part of the section, and by M. uftima in the uppermost part. Every species is represented by a great number of specimens. On the basis of the chronostratigraphic classification ofKozur & Mock (1991), the whole section may be referred to Rhaetian. Due to the good preservation and the great abundance of conodonts (some occurring in clusters), the calabrian Catena Costiera succession may represent a reference succession for the study ofthe latest Triassic conodont founas and chronostratigraphy. RIASSUNTO- [Misikella ultima Kozur & Mock, 1991: primo ritrovamento di conodonti del Reti co su p. in Calabria (Italia meridionale)] -Recenti ricerche sulla stratigrafia dei terreni triassici affìoranti nella "Catena costiera" calabrese hanno messo in evidenza la presenza di foune a conodonti ricche e ben conservate (talvolta in clusters) che consentono di datare tali terreni all'intervallo Norico - Retico. In particolare, la sezione Fosso Pantanelle (M. te S. Giovanni, Catena Costriera, Calabria, Triassico superiore), oggetto del presente lavoro, appartiene completamente al Retico (Zona a M. posthernsteini e Zona a M. ultima). La successione stratigrafica è rappresentata da depositi carbonatici di bacino (prevalenti micriti scure selciftre con minori intercalazioni di calcitorbiditi fini). Nella parte media della sezione sono presenti mudstone rossastri, interpretati come tujìti. INTRODUCTION of the "Lower Sedimentary Complex" ofletto & Ietto (1998) and the base of the "Upper Sedimentary In Calabria, a carbonate, mainly dolo mi tic, Complex", represented by blackish fine grained successi o n ofLate Triassic age crops out in the so-called dolomites an d marls. Mastandrea et al. ( 1997) recog- "Catena Costierà' (= Coastal Mountain Belt) (Text- nized two biozones: the lower one is characterized by fig. l); it occurs within a few small tectonic windows, Epigondolella slovakensis (Kozur), and may be referred surrounded by the overlying thrust sheets pertaing to to Late Norian (Sevatian); the second o ne is the metamorphic "Calabrian units" (Calabridi) (Ogni- characterized by the association Misikella hersteini- ben, 1969, 1973). posthernsteini, and, according to the zonation ofKozur This carbonate complex has been the object of & Mock (1991), marks the lower part of Rhaetian recent stratigraphic an d sedimentological studies (Ietto stage. The boundary between the two zones is located et al., 1993; 1995; Ietto & Ietto, 1998), but it still in the uppermost part of the so-called "Lower Sedimen- lacks a lithostratigraphic classification according to the tary Complex", about l O below the base of the Upper international stratigraphic rules. According to Ietto & Complex. Ietto (1998), i t may be subdivided into two main units, named respectively "Complesso Sedimentario Inferiore The present study deals with a stratigraphic section (Lower Sedimentary Complex)" and "Complesso Sedi- (Fosso Pantanelle section) exposed in the Mt. mentario Superiore (Upper Sedimentary Complex)": S.Giovanni area and completely pertaining to the both units comprise platform, slope and basin deposits, "Upper Sedimentary Complex" of Ietto and Ietto an d may be frobably regarded as major (second order?) (1998) (Text-fig. l); the section yelded rich conodont depositiona sequences. associations belonging to the Misikella posthernsteini The Late Triassic age of these rocks has been roughly and Misikella ultima zones (Rhaetian). It is worth of established on the base of the Dasycladacean alga noting that this is the first finding of Misikella ultima Gryphoporella curvata (Giimbel) (Barattolo et al., 1993) in Southern Italy. ancf on molluscan macrofauna (namely megalodont Due to the high frequence of conodonts and their bivalves, Posenato & Ietto, 1995). More recendy, a good degree of preservation, the carbonate successions biostratiraphic study based o n Conodonts (Mastandrea of the Calabrian "Catena Costierà' may represent a et al., 1997) allowed an accurate dating of a tract of very important record of the Norian-Rhaetian the carbonate succession cropping out at M t. Cocuzzo boundary and of the conodont assemblages of the (Colle del Crapio section). It comprises the upper part uppermost Triassic. 498 A. MASTANDREA eta/ii LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTOLOGY considerable tracts affected by soil cover (Text-fig. 2). OF THE FOSSO PANTANELLE SECTION The outcropping base of the section is located above the boundary between the Lower and the Upper As already stated, the investigated stratigraphic Complex; however, the above quoted boundary crops section pertains to the so-called "Upper Sedimentary out in a small quarry (Quarry ofMt.S. Giovanni) qui te Complex" o fletto & letto (1998). The Fosso Pantanelle near to the sampled section (Text-figs. l, 2). Although section, about 96 m thick, is badly exposed, with it is not possible to state how much stratigraphic Falconara Albanese • • Pietraferruggia 1239 • Fiumefreddo o • z Domanico w a: a: f- a: <( :2 • Belmonte M. Lucerna 1256 Calabro • Grimaldi AMANTEA o 5Km A Calabrian (Calabridi) D crystalline·metamorphic units Carbonate complex Border of the tectoniç • window Sampled outcrop a Fosso Pantanelle section ' Ouarry of the b Mt. Giovanni Texr-fìg. l -A, Srrucrural unirs and location of the outcrops sampled; B, Location map of the Fosso Pantanelle an d the Quarry of rhe M t. S. Giovanni sections. Text-fìg. 2- Composite stratigraphic section including che Quarry of che M t. S. Giovanni an d che Fosso Pantanelle sections. The geometrical- stratigraphic relationships have not been clearly defìned, bue may consist in a thin vertical separation or in a very moderate overlap. The vertical range of ramiform elemenrs is not shown and che zona! scheme is from Kozur & Mock (199l).Key: l , covered tracts; 2, carbonate breccia (debrites and high-densiry turbidites); 3, coarse-grained calciturbidites; 4, alternating lime mudstone and fìne-grained, thin-bedded calcirurbidites; 5, red-coloured mudstone and siltstone, interpreted as pyroclastic deposit; 6, neptunian dykes; 7, chert; 8, conodont samples. OUARRY Mt. S. GIOVANNI FOSSO PANTANELLE SECTION r----..-----___r= ___D>_=--=r .. O" l "LOWER "UPPER SEDIMENTARY COMPLEX" SED. le - c c c COMPLEX " .L-- • _..l._ J l l __ __!_______ l /o ' :p; , ·'\) · • , · . · \ P'{) · A · . : \ :::: : :: ·. o :. : /) : --- -- . --- ----- - - .. ------ . • , ·' . _P : [J : l • t>, . f, . j) f> : P!J t.:l • . 6 . t ,1 · ' . • • • • • • • • • • • • o o "T1"T1 "T1 ,, "T1 ., "T1 ., ., 1\) 1\) W 01 Ol ...._, CD <D "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' -o "'o ;:l <ì M. hernsteini n liJ M. posthernsteini O •-o • -o------------------- - - - -D g M. ultima 1iiiJ ;:;j •liiiJD ::>p - · l /\) - · barren interval - · Assemblages l l l "' /\) 3 l 8 g; g <1> :;:l M. posthernsteini Zone Cl> l M. hernsteini - ·-.) M. ultima Zone M. posthemsteini M. Kossenensis Subzone l Subzone l L l 1f TflìTIJ:: l LMrJ . l'i:TlSJE!) -- sJ CJ) Ul ,t.. W N -4 \D"" B \D 500 A. MASTANDREA et alii thickness occurs from the base of "Upper Complex" both from rurbidites and mudstone, occur through exposed in the above quoted quarry and the base of the whole unir. Fosso Pantanelle section, their conodont associations pertain to the same M. hernsteini Subzone of the M. The above described sedimenrary features indicate posthernsteini Zone. a deep sea (basin-floor) depositional setting for most The succession exposed in the quarry is represented of the exposed section, and a possible toe-of-slope to by about 30 m of carbonate breccia, with clast ranging slope environment for uni t (c). The frequent occurrence in size from l cm to several decimetres, pardy deriving of neptunian dykes in unit (c) suggests the onset of from a carbonate platform, alternated to minor even- signifìcant syn-depositional extensional tectonics. The laminated calcarenites. This succession is abrupdy abrupt overlying of blackish dolomitic mudstone on overlain by a uni t, about l O m rhick, consisting of thin- the coarse breccia of the "Lower Complex", interpreted bedded aphanitic dolostone alternated to minor as a carbonate slope deposi t, may be due to a signifìcant laminated doloarenites (Text-fìg.2). The same litho- retreat of the platform margin. facies characterize the lower tract (unita) of the Fosso Pantanelle section. CONODONT FAUNA This section consists of the following units: a) (0-30 m): dark-grey to blackish fìne-grained The occurrences, vertical range and abundance of dolostone and dolomitic limestone derived from the conodonrs in the Fosso Pantanelle section (included dolomitization of originary mudstone and wackestone, the