New Data on Ammonites and Stratigraphy of the Volgian Stage in Spitzbergen M
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ISSN 08695938, Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation, 2010, Vol. 18, No. 5, pp. 505–531. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2010. Original Russian Text © M.A. Rogov, 2010, published in Stratigrafiya. Geologicheskaya Korrelyatsiya, 2010, Vol. 18, No. 5, pp. 42–59. New Data on Ammonites and Stratigraphy of the Volgian Stage in Spitzbergen M. A. Rogov Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyshevsky per. 7, Moscow, 119017 Russia email: russianjurassic@gmail. com Received January 19, 2010; in final form, March 3, 2010 Abstract—The stratigraphy of the Volgian in Spitzbergen is refined based on the new fossil collections. The lower Volgian is poorly characterized by ammonites being not subdivided into zones, and the only recognized stratigraphic unit within it are the Beds with Paravirgatites sp. in the upper part of the lower Volgian. The Pav lovia rugosa, Dorsoplanites ilovaiskii, Crendonites anguinus, and Praechetaites exoticus zones, the antiquus, erschovae, sachsi, sokolovi, laevigatus, and lambecki faunal horizons, and Beds with Laugeites cf. groenlandi cus are recognized for the first time in the middle Volgian of Spitzbergen. Two successive levels are identified in the upper Volgian Craspedites okensis Zone characterized by differing morphotypes of Craspedites okensis. The Craspedites taimyrense Zone is proposed instead of the Craspedites nodiger Zone. No ammonites of the terminal Volgian Chetaites chetae Zone have so far been found in Spitzbergen. New species of Epivirgatites sokolovi sp. nov., E. laevigatus sp. nov., Praechetaites erschovae sp. nov., and P. confusus sp. nov. are described. The diagnosis of the genus Praechetaites is expanded. Key words: Volgian, Spitzbergen, ammonites, zonal scale. DOI: 10.1134/S0869593810050047 INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF STUDIES OF THE VOLGIAN IN SPITZBERGEN The Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary beds have been The first data on the presence of equivalents of the extensively studied in recent years. There are a number Volgian in Spitzbergen were published in the 1860s of reasons for the increased interest in this strati when Lindström (1865) published a small paper on the graphic interval, including the considerable hydrocar Triassic and Jurassic of this region. He also indicated bon potential of synchronous beds in the Barents Sea the presence of equivalents of the two upper stages of shelf, the recent discovery of numerous Jurassic the Moscow Basin Jurassic (i.e., Middle and Upper marine vertebrates in the Volgian of Spitzbergen, and Volgian in their modern understanding) in different the search for a geochemical anomaly near the Juras regions of Spitzbergen, figured and described several sic–Cretaceous boundary. fossils of this age including Ammonites triplicatus (=Dorsoplanites cf. sachsi Michlv.) found in the Sas However the succession of ammonite zones of the senfjord and in the vicinity of the Agard Bay. Shortly Volgian of Spitzbergen used at present is only partly after, Lundgren (1883) described Volgian Buchia from based on detailed data from sections, because it is the Advent Bay and recorded, but did not figure largely based on random fossil occurrences during Ammonites triplicatus from Dunerbukhta. geological mapping, which have not been revised for New data on the Volgian of Spitzbergen were over 25 years. The zonal scheme of the Volgian of obtained during the expedition of Martin Conway in Spitzbergen developed by Russian stratigraphers 1896. Ammonites collected on this expedition were examined by Spath (1921), who recorded the Volgian (Ershova, 1969, 1983; Ershova and Pchelina, 1979) is species Virgatites cf. polygyratus, V. cf. scythicus, V. cf. composed of a succession of ammonite zones in vari nikitini, Craspedites sp. cf. nodiger, Craspedites sp. ous regions: in Greenland, Eastern Europe and in the 1 Subpolar Urals. In the present paper, a detailed strati nov.(?) from the Starostin Cape . Later Spath (1924) graphic scheme of the Volgian is proposed based on the concluded that these Craspedites can be dated as infra results of field work in 2006–2007 at Festningen Cape Valanginian, and later (Spath, 1947, p. 60) he again and Agard Bay (Myklegardfjellet Mountain), analysis 1 The fossils were likely to have been collected in the vicinity of of published data and reexamination of collections Festningen Cape, because only Carboniferous and Permian (see below). rocks are exposed near the Starostin Cape. 505 506 ROGOV did not assign the Spitzbergen taxa to Virgatites. I re remained undescribed and unfigured, and Zhirmun examined Spath’s collection in the Natural History 4 sky’s collection is likely to have been lost . Museum, London and showed that the majority of ammonites dated by Spath as Volgian (and some Kim Shortly after that, Frebold (1930) figured other meridgian specimens) are in fact Volgian, although two Volgian ammonites from various regions of Spitzber ammonites identified by Spath as Craspedites, appar gen. These were middle Volgian taxa, which he identi ently represent Valanginian Polyptychitidae. Among the fied as similar to “Perisphinctes” (Dorsoplanites) pan Volgian ammonites of Spath’s collection, I identified deri. These ammonites mainly belong to the Arctic Dorsoplanites spp., Crendonites sp. and Glaucolithites sp. species of Dorsoplanites, which had not been described also important to panboreal correlation. prior to Frebold’s paper. These are D. flavus Spath (Perisphinctes cf. panderi in Frebold, 1930, pl. XII, These were shortly followed by the reports on the fig. 1), Dorsoplanites sp. nov. (Perisphinctes cf. panderi material collected by Norwegian expeditions led by in Frebold, 1930, pl. XI, fig. 2). Some “Perisphinctes Hoel (19081915), mainly on Festningen Cape. Juras panderi” figured by Frebold belong to other middle sic fossils collected on this expedition were transferred Volgian genera Taimyrosphinctes (Perisphinctes cf. for examination to Sokolov (1922), who was able to panderi in Frebold, 1930, pl. XIII, fig. 1) and ?Epivir make only preliminary identifications. Concluding gatites (Perisphinctes cf. panderi in Frebold, 1930, 2 the paper, Sokolov noted that Beds 17–20 of the pl. X, figs. 2 ⎯ 6, pl. XI, fig. 1; these ammonites also Festningen Cape section containing Aucella pallasi resemble Dorsoplanites ilovaiskii Mesezhn.). In addi and Perisphinctes scythicus belong to the Portlandian, tion, Frebold described and figured Perisphinctes sp. whereas the overlying beds contained unidentifiable indet. aff. nikitini (Frebold, 1930, pl. XIV. fig. 3), ammonites. In his opinion, the higher portion of the which can tentatively be identified as Dorsoplanites Portlandian with Amm. triplicatus Lundgr. non Sow. gracilis Spath or D. subovalis Mesezhn. was present only near the Delta Cape. After the death Sokolov and Bodylevsky (1931) published a paper of D.N. Sokolov the collections were considered lost, based on an incomplete manuscript by Sokolov on and in 1921 a new expedition was organized, Mesozoic Mesozoic fossils of Spitzbergen, which was supple material from which was examined by H. Frebold. In mented and prepared for publication by the Festningen section, Frebold (1928) recognized the V.I. Bodylevsky. The paper contained descriptions and lower Portlandian with Virgatites cf. scythicus (Vischn.) illustrations of some Volgian ammonites, such as 3 Perisphinctes aff. panderi Orb. (Sokolov and Bodylevsky, (Frebold, 1928, p. 13, level 17 =? Praechetaites sp. 1931, p. 88, pl. VIII, fig. 2 =Dorsoplanites or Epivirga upper Portlandian with Perisphinctes cf. polygyratus tites), P. ex gr. scythicus Vischn. (Sokolov and Pavl. non Trautsch. (Frebold, 1928, p. 13, pl. 1, fig. 3 Bodylevsky, 1931, p. 89, pl. VIII, fig. 6 =Praechetaites =Praechetaites cf. exoticus, level 19; fig. 4 = Glau cf. tenuicostatus (Shulg.), level 18 of the Festningen sec colithites sp., level 18) and upper Volgian (Aquilo tion), Perisphinctes sp. A (Sokolov and Bodylevsky, nian)–Ryazanian with Craspedites sp. cf. pressulum 1931, p. 90, pl. IX, fig. 3 =Epivirgatites sokolovi (Bogosl.) (this ammonite remained unfigured, but 5 level 20, where it came from, is of Volgian age). Later Bodylevsky in Rogov, sp. nov. Perisphinctes sp. A Frebold and Stoll (1937) positively dated this level as (Sokolov and Bodylevsky, 1931, p. 91, pl. IX, fig. 4 Upper Jurassic (Portlandian). =Dorsoplanites sp. nov., pl. XIV. fig. 1 =Glaucolithites sp. Almost at the same time with the Frebold’s paper or Taimyrosphinctes sp.) and Perisphinctes sp. sp. Zhirmunsky (1927) published results of identifications (Sokolov and Bodylevsky, 1931, p. 93, pl. IX, fig. 5 of fossils from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Creta =Laugeites cf. biplicatus Mesezhn., level 18 of the Fest ceous from the eastern coast of Spitzbergen collected ningen section). From a higher level 20 of the Festnin by the expedition of the Marine Research Institute, in gen section Frebold (1928) recorded Craspedites sp. cf. summer 1925. Among Volgian fossils, he mainly indi pressulus and subpressulus (these species with a high cated bivalves, but also mentioned ammonites identi branching coefficient are readily distinguished from fied as Olcostephanus lomonossovi Vischn. and early members of Craspedites; these ammonites were Perisphinctes sp. Unfortunately, these ammonites found considerably lower than Craspedites, found by the present author and possibly belong to Laugeites ex gr. 2 Later publications did not mention beds, but indicated levels from where the fossils of Hoel’s expedition, and later by Orvin’s 4 The Marine Research Institute later became the Russian