A Micropalaeontological Study of Two Jurassic Sequences in the Neuquén Basin, Central-West Argentina
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AMEGHINIANA (Rev. Asoc. Paleontol. Argent.) - 41 (3): 331-345. Buenos Aires, 30-09-2004 ISSN 0002-7014 A micropalaeontological study of two Jurassic sequences in the Neuquén Basin, central-west Argentina Sara C. BALLENT1 Abstract. An example of application of calcareous microfossils to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction is presented. Foraminifers and Ostracoda from across the Aalenian-Bajocian boundary at the Picún Leufú section and Mid Callovian at the María Rosa Curicó section, both in Neuquén Basin, in central western Argentina, are analysed. The resulting data are presented as the following parameters: faunal density and specific diversity in both groups; test composition and vertical distribution of morphogroups in foraminifers; carapace morphology, adult valves to carapaces ratio and population age-structures in Ostracoda. Conclusions from the microfossils agree with those proposed by other authors based on sedi- mentological and palynological data. Additionally, two new Jurassic species (Middle Callovian) are de- scribed as new: the attached foraminifer Ammovertellina simeonae sp. nov. and the ostracod Cytherella mediodepressa sp. nov. Resumen. ESTUDIO MICROPALEONTOLÓGICO DE DOS SECUENCIAS DE LA CUENCA NEUQUINA, CENTRO OESTE DE ARGENTINA. Se analizan las asociaciones de foraminíferos y ostrácodos en las secciones Picún Leufú (límite Aaleniano-Bajociano) y María Rosa Curicó (Caloviano medio), ambas en la cuenca Neuquina. Los datos fueron organizados de acuerdo a los siguientes parámetros: densidad faunística y diversidad específica en ambos grupos; composición de la conchilla y distribución vertical de morfogrupos en foraminíferos; mor- fología del caparazón, relación en adultos entre valvas y caparazones y estructura poblacional en ostráco- dos. Las conclusiones obtenidas a partir de los microfósiles coinciden con aquéllas provenientes de estu- dios sedimentológicos y palinológicos. Se describen como nuevos para el Caloviano medio, el forami- nífero adherido Ammovertellina simeonae sp. nov. y el ostrácodo Cytherella mediodepressa sp. nov. Key words. Calcareous microfossils. Palaeoenvironmental interpretation. Jurassic. Neuquén Basin. Argentina. Palabras clave. Microfósiles calcáreos. Interpretación paleoambiental. Jurásico. Cuenca Neuquina. Argentina. Introduction groups of calcareous microfossils in palaeoenviron- mental reconstructions. Foraminifera are an order of single-celled aquatic protists, which have a protective shell enclosing the soft body. They live on the sea floor or amongst the Geological setting and ammonite marine plankton. Ostracods are small bivalved crus- biostratigraphy taceans found today in all marine, brackish and fresh The Neuquén Basin, in central-western Argen- water aquatic environments. Both groups have a tina, has provided most of the Jurassic micro- long and well-documented fossil record and are par- palaeontological assemblages known at present in ticularly useful in palaeoenvironmental analysis. this country. The abundant and diverse microfaunas The present contribution aims to provide pala- are associated with well-known ammonite zones and eoecological information about two Jurassic locali- have been described and figured in several papers ties, across the Aalenian-Bajocian boundary and Mid (Musacchio 1979; Ballent 1985, 1987, 1991, 1999; Callovian, of the Neuquén basin, in central western Kielbowicz 1987; Simeoni 1985, 2001). An integrated Argentina, based on the analysis of benthic dinoflagellate and spore-pollen zonation of the area foraminifer and ostracod assemblages. The study has been presented by Quattrocchio and Sarjeant demonstrates once again the importance of both (1992) and Quattrocchio et al. (1996). The area of study is located approximately 35 km south of Za- pala city, central-south Neuquén province (figure 1). 1CONICET- Departamento Paleontología Invertebrados, Museo The first section to be investigated is part of the de Ciencias Naturales de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Picún Leufú profile and comprises the upper 220 m Plata, Argentina. [email protected] of the Los Molles Formation which encompasses the ©Asociación Paleontológica Argentina AMGHB2-0002-7014/04$00.00+.50 332 S.C. Ballent Material and methods The studied material consisted of 35 samples from the Picún Leufú section (figure 2) and 8 samples from the María Rosa Curicó section (figure 3). The samples were processed with concentrated hydrogen perox- ide, washed through a 74 µm sieve, and oven dried. Specimens were picked out manually. Generic and specific determinations were performed and the re- sulting data were analyzed taking into account the parameters referred to below. Because of the low numbers involved, the results must be treated with some caution. Particularly in the case of ostracods, the number of specimens is low. However, the gen- eral trends of their distribution through the studied sections may be observed and the results are useful to arrive at paleoenvironmental conclusions. Foraminifers 1) Faunal density and specific diversity. The faunal densi- ty is the number of specimens in 10 grams of sample for the Picún Leufú section and in approximately 5 Figure 1. Location map showing the position of fossiliferous sec- tions in Neuquén Province, Argentina / Mapa de localización de las grams of sample for the María Rosa Curicó section; the secciones fosilíferas en la provincia del Neuquén, Argentina. specific diversity corresponds to the number of species per sample. Figures 2 and 3 show the relation between Aalenian-Bajocian boundary in this region, near the these two parameters for the studied sections. south-eastern margin of the basin. The section is 2) Species richness. One of the most used measure is the downstream of the arroyo Picún Leufú, near the α index first described by Fisher et al., 1943. One ad- junction of arroyo Picún Leufú and Ruta Nacional 40 vantage of this index is that values can be read off a and is mainly composed of greenish and greyish base graph by plotting the number of species against shallow marine siltstones with sporadic intercalated the number of specimens (cf. Murray, 1973). According shallow marine sandstones; fluvial sandstones are to this author, α=5 is a boundary separating normal more frequent towards the top of the section. These marine environment (α>5) from abnormal environ- levels are transitional to the Lajas Formation (figures ments (α<5). Hyposaline and hypersaline environ- 1 and 2). Contemporary ammonoids found in the ments all have low diversity. Normal shelf seas and same levels correspond to the Puchenquia malarguen- normal marine lagoons have diversity values of α>5. In sis Zone which has been correlated with the late gi- the case of the María Rosa Curicó section, the number gantea and early discites Zones and are considered to of specimens is too low to calculate this parameter (100 be late Aalenian to early Bajocian in age (cf. Riccardi individuals has been chosen as the minimum accept- et al., 1999). able for use in numerical analyses by Murray, 1973). The second locality, María Rosa Curicó (see figu- 3) Test composition-percentage of relative abundance. In the res 1 and 3), is 4 km north-east of the junction of arro- present accounts foraminifers have been grouped with- yo Picún Leufú and Ruta Nacional 40 (150 m west in their natural divisions, based primarily upon wall from the pithead of the same name). It comprises structure (cf. Loeblich and Tappan, 1987). These are: some 40 m of greenish and brownish marine silt- Calcareous: lagenids, polymorphinids, miliolids, stones with sporadic intercalated sandstones referred spirillinids, involutinids and others. Polymorphinids to the Lotena Formation. The section coincides with belongs to the lagenid group, but are separated here those described by Dellapé et al., 1979 as the middle since their response to environmental conditions is term (Unit D-E, p. 492) of the Lotena Formation in different from other lagenids. Picún Leufú area. Contemporary ammonoids corres- Agglutinated: all have the ability to create their pond to the Rehmannia patagoniensis Horizon which own test by cementing grains of clastic material from has been referred to the Middle Callovian (cf. their immediate environment. Riccardi et al., 1999). In this area, the continental con- The distribution of the major foraminiferal group- glomerates of the Quebrada del Sapo Formation ings, showing relative abundance in number of spec- overlie the Lotena Formation. imens is indicated in the figures 2 and 3. AMEGHINIANA 41 (3), 2004 A micropalaeontological study in the Neuquén Basin 333 4) Triangular plot of suborders. Modern forms with marine environments this figure is less than 50%, hard tests fall into six suborders, Textulariina (agglu- while in brackish and freshwater the percentage is tinated), Miliolina (porcellaneous) and Spirillinina, much higher, usually 70 to 90%. Lagenina, Robertinina and Rotaliina (hyaline wall) 5) Ratio between adult valves and carapaces. Fluctua- (cf. Loeblich and Tappan, 1987). They lend them- tions in the percentage of articulated adult carapaces selves to plotting on a triangular diagram (cf. have been used as a palaeoenvironmental indicator Murray, 1973) and they prove to be particularly use- (cf. Oertli, 1971, Whatley, 1988). If a high percentage ful for differentiating shallow-water environments. of adult specimens are articulated, the same have not Figure 4 shows triangular plots for the studied sec- been subject to any great amount of post-mortem tions, where the fossil