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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE Published in "Facies 53(4): 615-623, 2007" provided by RERO DOC Digital Library which should be cited to refer to this work. Paleoecology of Pennsylvanian phylloid algal buildups in south Guizhou, China Gong Enpu · Elias Samankassou · Guan Changqing · Zhang Yongli · Sun Baoliang Abstract Pennsylvanian phylloid algal reefs are wide- depositional environments and add to the spectrum of these spread and well exposed in south Guizhou, China. Here we partly puzzling biogenic structures. report on reefs ranging from 2 to 8 m thickness and 30– 50 m lateral extension. Algae, the main components, dis- Keywords Phylloid algae · Buildups · Paleoecology · play a wide spectrum of growth forms, but are commonly Guizhou · Pennsylvanian cyathiform (cup-shaped) and leaf-like (undulate plates). The algal reef facies is dominated by boundstone. Algal thalli form a dense carpet whose framework pores are Wlled Introduction with marine cement and peloidal micrite. The peloidal matrix is dense, partly laminated or clotted with irregular Although numerous studies dealt with Pennsylvanian and surfaces and often gravity defying. Algal reefs in Guizhou Permian sequences in southern China (GGMRB 1987), Penn- diVer from examples reported to date by the high biodiver- sylvanian algal buildups so widespread elsewhere—e.g., in sity of organisms other than phylloids: e.g., the intergrowth Northern America (Pray and Wray 1963; Heckel and Cocke of algae with corals (some of which are twice the size of 1969; Toomey 1976, 1983; among others), the Arctic Cana- algal thalli) and numerous large brachiopods. This contrasts dian Archipelago (Beauchamp et al. 1989; Davies et al. to previous views that phylloid algal “meadows” dominated 1989), the Carnic Alps in Austria and Italy (Flügel 1979; the actual seaXoor, excluding other biota. Also, the perva- Samankassou 2003), and North Africa (Toomey 1991)—were http://doc.rero.ch sive marine cements (up to 50%) including botryoidal surprisingly rarely reported from China, which is among the cement are noteworthy. Algal reefs developed at platform largest province for Late Paleozoic carbonate rocks (see margins, a depositional environment similar to that of mod- Wahlman 2002). The short report of phylloid algal reefs by ern Halimeda mounds in Java, Australia and oV Bahamas, Fan and Rigby (1994) is the unique description to date. and to that of time-equivalent examples reported from the The present study focuses on well-exposed phylloid Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Whereas nutrients appear algal reefs in south China, including those previously stud- decisive in the growth of Halimeda reefs, algal reefs ied by Fan and Rigby (1994). The excellent exposure con- reported herein seemingly grew under conditions of low ditions and preservation allow the study of growth nutrient levels. Overall, algal reefs in Guizhou challenge structures, internal features, accessory fossils associated previous views on growth forms, diversity patterns, and with phylloid algae, and possible relationships between phylloid algae and these associated organisms. The habit, growth mode, and ecology of phylloid algae G. Enpu · G. Changqing · Z. Yongli · S. Baoliang Department of Geology, Northeastern University, have experienced new reports and models (e.g., Forsythe Shenyang, 110004, China 2003; Samankassou and West 2002, 2003). The Chinese case thus represents a signiWcant test for the extension of & E. Samankassou ( ) these emerging models. Field observation, and petrography Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland of polished slabs and thin sections furnish the database for e-mail: [email protected] the interpretation and discussion in the present paper. 1 Setting and stratigraphy belong to the Maping Formation (the Tricitites Zone, Gzh- elian, uppermost Pennsylvanian) that overlies the Wining Extended outcrops of Carboniferous and Permian carbonate Formation (Fig. 2). The Maping Formation is part of the rocks characterize the south Guizhou region, southern shallow-water carbonate record that Wlled the Ziyun-Yadu China. Due to the abundant fossils occurring in these rocks, basin. The rock record of this basin can be traced back to the region has been a focus of research on Carboniferous Mid-Devonian (Qin et al. 1996). However, the basin is stratigraphy. The Carboniferous sequences consist of the shallower and smaller during the deposition of the Maping fossiliferous Weining and Maping Formations that include Formation compared to that of the Weining Formation numerous carbonate buildups (GGMRB 1987). (Feng et al. 1998). Reefs crop out extensively close to the village Bianping, about 4 km west to the town Houchang, Ziyun County in the Guizhou province (Fig. 1). Reefs occur in a thick, cyclic Reef description appearing sequence of bedded and massive Pennsylvanian and Permian limestones. Stratigraphically, the algal reefs Shape and size of reefs Reefs vary in their size, ranging from 2 to 8 m thickness 106° 107° and 30–50 m lateral extension. They are isolated, lens-like 27° (mound-shape) or, locally, superposed on each another to form composite bodies. Due to vegetation cover and agri- GUIYANG culture, the size and forms are, however, partly diYcult to C H I N A Zhijin trace accurately in the Weld. Anshun Huishui Growth mode of algae 26° 26° G u i z h o u Algae in the studied reefs display a wide spectrum of Panxian Qinglong Ziyun growth forms. However, cyathiform (cup-shaped) and leaf- like (undulate plates) interpreted by Samankassou and West Houchang Xingren Luodian (2003) as constructional or accumulational growth forms, n a respectively, dominate (see also Baars and Torres 1991; Zhenfeng n n Anlong Baars 1992; Torres et al. 1992; Torres 1995). u Wangmo 25° Y Xingyi The often curled or undulating leaves are 0.8 mm thick 25° Ceheng and 10 cm long in average (Fig. 3). Thalli are overall Leye obliterated by the pervasive recrystallization, precluding Longlin http://doc.rero.ch 60 k m description of their internal structure. The rarely better- G u a n g x i 105° 106° 107° FORAMINIFERA CORALS P Pseudoschwagerina Nephelophyllum simplex 2 uldeni Sub-zone Sub-Zone L. PERMIAN T 1 MAPING T. schwageriniformis Triticites FORMATION mosquensis Pseudotimania- Zone P Sub-Zone Antheria Assemblage 1 Zone Bianping T. paramontiparus Sub-Zone Montiparus Kabutang Lumazhai Study area Zone Wengdao C U.PENNSYLVANIAN Zhongxinzhai 2 0 500m WEINING Fusulina-Fusulinella FORMATION Assemblage Zone Fig. 1 a Location of the studied area west of Houchang, South Guiz- hou Province. b C2, P1, P2, and T1 represent the Upper Pennsylvanian, Fig. 2 Stratigraphic scheme of Upper Pennsylvanian and Lower Lower Permian, Upper Permian, and Lower Triassic rock series, Permian rocks in the studied area, based on fusulinid and coral assem- respectively blages. The dark bar indicates the stratigraphic position of algal reefs 2 Fig. 3 Photographs of polished slabs of the reef facies. a Boundstone in a). Note that the algal thalli were encrusted prior to marine cemen- of large, curled phylloid algal thalli (arrows), botryoidal cement (BC), tation (arrow). c Cementstone including fragments of algal thalli. The radiaxial Wbrous cement (RFC), inhomogeneous peloidal micrite latter are partly encrusted prior to precipitation of marine cements (see (PM), and voids Wlled with mosaic cement (MC). b Boundstone of Figs. 5d, 7b) phylloid algal thalli and multiple generations of cements (cements as http://doc.rero.ch preserved specimens showing cortical pores (Fig. 5c) sug- Reef composition gest that some might belong to Neoanchicodium and Eug- onophyllum (Konishi and Wray 1961; Kirkland et al. 1993). The algal reef facies is dominated by boundstone. Algal Some of the thalli are broken, but obviously not transported thalli form a dense carpet whose framework pores are Wlled far from the life habitat because of their size (Fig. 3b, c) and with marine cement and peloidal micrite (Fig. 5a, b). The the collapse brecciation indicated by thalli that are only peloidal matrix is dense, partly laminated or clotted with slightly oVset. irregular surfaces and often gravity defying. Individual peloids, some of which are surrounded by thin marine Reef substrate Wbrous cements, are in average 0.1 mm in diameter. The peloidal matrix includes foraminifers, bryozoan fragments, The substrate of reefs consists of packstone and grain- Tubiphytes/Shamovella, and undeWned tubes (0.2–0.3 mm stone, passing over into clotted wackestone toward the long and 0.1 mm in diameter). reefs. Brachiopods, crinoids, fragments of algal thalli, In distinct layers, algal thalli are draped by conspicuous fusulinids, and smaller foraminifers (calcitornellids, marine cements (Fig. 3c) or encrusted prior to the precipita- Tuberitina sp., Bradyina sp.) and peloids are common. tion of marine cements in interstitial space (Fig. 3b). Further components include bryozoan fragments and rare Secondary encrusters including Tubiphytes and smaller gastropods (Fig. 5a, b). Coating and micritization of algal foraminifers (Tuberitina and endothyrids) commonly thalli occur. occur. 3 http://doc.rero.ch Fig. 4 Photographs of polished slabs of coral-dominated facies. a co-occurring phylloid algal thalli (PH). b Boundstone composed of au- Section through a large solitary coral. Such corals, not conWned to loporid coral colonies (arrows) and phylloid algal thalli (upper part). framework cavities of phylloid algal boundstone,