Emmanuelle Vennin

High‐latitude pelmatozoan–bryozoan mud‐mounds from the late Ordovician northern Gondwana platform

Mud-mound complexes identified within the early to middle Ashgill Cystoid Limestone Formation of northeastern Spain are the first fossil build-ups to be described in the high latitude north-facing margin of Gondwana. Mud-mound complexes comprise individual lenticular mounds (composed of floatstones, cephalopod-rich mudstones and cementstones), flanks and intermound deposits (including pelmatozoan packstones and floatstones). The small mounds are mainly composed of bryozoans, cystoids and crinoids, and were developed on outer ramp environments. Mound initiation depended upon the stabilization and colonization of densely packed lenses of pelmatozoan-rich sediments. In a mid-ramp setting, pelmatozoan–bryozoan meadows were episodically degraded by common wave- and storm-induced processes, the development of semi-consolidated substrates, and the periodic influx of terrigenous material. Finally, during the Hirnantian regression, the Iberian mixed (carbonate–siliciclastic) platform was exposed to subaerial conditions sufficiently for erosion and karstification to occur. From a palaeogeographical point of view, the pattern of the Ashgill Iberian platform deposition is characterized by episodic exclusion of carbonates from most nearshore environments by a shoreline source of siliciclastic sediments. A similar interpretation to that made on the Iberian Cystoid Limestone Formation, in terms of gradual proximality–distality changes, is proposed for comparable facies types in Ashgill limestones described in southwestern Europe.

Palaeozoic Reefs and Bioaccumulations: Climatic and Evolutionary Controls.

The geological record contains a fascinating diversity of reefs and shell accumulations. As my other biosedimentary structures, their facies characterization requires careful observation at outcrop and sample scale, and in thin-section to provide information about the global geometries, fabrics and textures respectively. This collection of papers encompasses the breadth of sedimentary geometries and facies displayed by Palaeozoic reefs, shell accumulations, and transitional composite deposits. The definition of reefs and shell concentrations has given rise to variations in nomenclature. The papers in this volume cover specific problems regarding the nomenclature and facies characterization of reefs, shell accumulations and transitional composite deposits. However, rather than attempt a complete revision of terms, the authors have touched on some of the important issues at this stage of development in the field: the main climatic, environmental and evolutionary factors that controlled the Palaeozoic development of shell accumulation and reefs.

Sedimentary patterns across the Lower–Middle Cambrian transition in the Esla nappe (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain)

In the carbonate platforms of the western Gondwana margin, the extinction recorded at the Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary is accompanied by a profound change in the style of carbonate deposition. The Lancara Formation of the Esla nappe (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain) contains a distinct sedimentary turnover due to a combination of tectonism, eustatic fluctuations, and immigration and colonization of new benthic communities, such as the youngest archaeocyathan assemblage of the entire Iberian Peninsula. During latest Early Cambrian times, a regressive trend is recorded in the Lancara Formation. This regression was recorded on a peritidal-dominant, homoclinal ramp that is topped by a tectonically induced discontinuity (D1). The latter surface marks the beginning of a last prograding, regressive tendency recorded on an intra-shelf ramp with ooidal/bioclastic shoals protecting archaeocyathan-microbial patch reefs. The overlying discontinuity (D2) corresponds to a major erosive unconformity, which coincides with the Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary in the Cantabrian Mountains. The subsequent, long-term, earliest Middle Cambrian rise in relative sea-level allowed deposition of low-relief, bioclastic shoals bearing a diverse and cosmopolitan assemblage of benthic fauna. Finally, the previous evolution is bounded by a third discontinuity (D3), which marks the beginning of a rhythmic sedimentation indicative of a major phase of tectonic breakdown and drowning of platforms recognised throughout southwestern Europe. Two associations of calcimicrobes occur in the latest Early Cambrian regressive trend of the Lancara Formation: (i) Proaulopora and Subtiflora are identified in peritidal, high-energy settings, lacking self-supported structures, whereas (ii) intergrowths of Epiphyton, Renalcis and Girvanella encrusted branching colonies and solitary archaeocyaths in protected (back-shoal) patch reefs. The latest Early Cambrian regression is correlated in southwestern Europe in both siliciclastic (Iberian Chains and Ossa–Morena) and carbonate-dominant platforms (Cantabrian Mountains, Montagne Noire and Sardinia). Its tops are recognised as diachronous unconformities ranging in age from early Bilbilian to the Bilbilian–Leonian or Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary.

Episodic development of Cambrian eocrinoid-sponge meadows in the Iberian Chains (NE Spain)

SummaryThe Lower-Middle Cambrian transition in the Iberian Chains (NE Spain) records a transgressive deposition from peritidal to open-shelf environments. This overall trangressive trend took place across an interval of syndepositional tectonic processes. which have been illustrated during late Bilbilian to Leonian times.The scarcity of building organisms in this areas seems to be directly related to a rhythmic influence of fine terrigenous decantation, which inhibited and interrupted the carbonate production. Only in the more proximal and quiet environments, the episodic establishment of stromatolitic boundstones is evidence.Eocrinoid-sponge meadows were developed in shallow subtidal environments, and were completed by the presence of trilobites, inarticulate brachiopods, hyoliths and Chancelloriid sclerites. The biggest accumulation rates associated to these complex meadow communities seem to be reflected by differential synsedimentary faulting processes.

Smithian ammonoid faunas from Utah: implications for Early Triassic biostratigraphy, correlation and basinal paleogeography

Intensive sampling of the lower portion of the Thaynes and Moenkopi Groups (Lower Triassic) at separate localities within the Confusion Range, Pahvant Range, Mineral Mountains, Star Range, Kanarraville, Cedar City, Torrey and San Rafael Swell areas (mainly central and southern Utah, USA) leads to the recognition of a new key regional Smithian ammonoid succession. The new biostratigraphical sequence, which is more precise than the long-recognized Meekocerasgracilitatis and Anasibiriteskingianus Zones, comprises twelve subdivisions, thus resulting in a sequence with much higher resolution that can be correlated not only with other western USA sites, but also with major worldwide localities as well. Middle and late Smithian faunas contain many taxa with wide geographic distribution, thus enabling long-distance correlation with faunal successions from other regions (e.g., British Columbia, Canadian Arctic, South China, Spiti and Oman). New assemblages from the lowermost beds are the least diversified and poorest preserved; they represent the earliest early/middle Smithian ammonoid faunas reported from the western North American basin. They highlight (a) the sudden Smithian advancement of the marine transgression within this epicontinental sea, (b) that this event is diachronous, and (c) that the paleotopography of the basin most likely was highly irregular. The newly obtained ammonoid succession also allows us to date and follow the transgression from the northern and central part of the basin to the southwesternmost and southeasternmost parts, which were reached during the late Smithian (Anasibiriteskingianus beds). In addition, we briefly discuss the now-limited previous regional biozonation in the light of these new results. One new genus (Minersvillites) and nine new species (Kashmirites utahensis, Kashmirites confusionensis, Kashmirites stepheni, ?Xiaoqiaoceras americanum, Minersvillites farai, Inyoites beaverensis, Meekoceras olivieri, Meekoceras millardense, Vercherites undulatus) are also described.

Trilobite diversity patterns in the Middle Cambrian of southwestern Europe: a comparative study

Abstract This paper describes the pattern of trilobite diversity throughout the Middle Cambrian in two fossiliferous basins of the western Gondwana margin: the Iberian Chains (northeastern Spain) and the Montagne Noire (southern France). The documented fluctuations of species diversity allow us to recognize: (1) a substantial extinction event recorded in latest Early Cambrian times (named Valdemiedes event), which separates the culmination of a widespread decline of trilobites and the stepwise immigration of cosmopolitan invaders; (2) a major trilobite radiation occurring in the earliest Leonian and culminating across the Caesaraugustian/Languedocian transition, in which a peak in diversity of trilobites and carpoids was close to a major flooding surface; (3) a major reduction of trilobite taxa across the early/middle Languedocian transition related to a well-documented regressional trend; and (4) a second immigration of trilobite fauna in the late Languedocian which coincided with trangressional pulses and the establishment of suitable shaly substrates. In addition, we summarize the known trilobite occurrences from the Middle Cambrian of southwestern Europe. Maps of the distribution of some relevant taxa (genera and species) over the western Gondwana margin are documented.

Microbial and diagenetic steps leading to the mineralisation of Great Salt Lake microbialites

Microbialites are widespread in modern and fossil hypersaline environments, where they provide a unique sedimentary archive. Authigenic mineral precipitation in modern microbialites results from a complex interplay between microbial metabolisms, organic matrices and environmental parameters. Here, we combined mineralogical and microscopic analyses with measurements of metabolic activity in order to characterise the mineralisation of microbial mats forming microbialites in the Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA). Our results show that the mineralisation process takes place in three steps progressing along geochemical gradients produced through microbial activity. First, a poorly crystallized Mg-Si phase precipitates on alveolar extracellular organic matrix due to a rise of the pH in the zone of active oxygenic photosynthesis. Second, aragonite patches nucleate in close proximity to sulfate reduction hotspots, as a result of the degradation of cyanobacteria and extracellular organic matrix mediated by, among others, sulfate reducing bacteria. A final step consists of partial replacement of aragonite by dolomite, possibly in neutral to slightly acidic porewater. This might occur due to dissolution-precipitation reactions when the most recalcitrant part of the organic matrix is degraded. The mineralisation pathways proposed here provide pivotal insight for the interpretation of microbial processes in past hypersaline environments.

Stratigraphie sequentielle de l'Aptien du sous-bassin de Galve (Province de Teruel, NE de l'Espagne)

A correlation is established in a north-south transect based on continuous outcrops. Considering the different reference surfaces and the geometry, three major depositional sequences can be distinguished which can be subdivided into a complex arrangement of parasequences. These third-order sequences are composed of a lower retrogradational and an upper progradational trends. The first sequence contains orbitolinid bioaccumulations in the retrogradational trend and oolitic-bioclastic shoals in the progradational trend. The second sequence exhibits, from bottom to top, a transgressive, a regressive and a forced-regressive trends. Ammonite-rich marls characterise the transgressive trend, whereas bioconstructions rich in coral-chaetetids-microbialites are abundant in both regressive and forced-regressive trends. The maximum flooding of this sequence is widely distributed across the whole Iberian platform. Finally, the third sequence shows the installation of homogeneous rudistid bioaccumulations in a retrogradational and a progradational trends. Each major sequence boundary marks a community replacement, whose respective fossil associations are dominated by (1) orbitolinids, (2) corals-microbialites, (3) corals-chaetetids-microbialites, and (4) rudists.

Unexpected Early Triassic marine ecosystem and the rise of the Modern evolutionary fauna.

A new marine fossil assemblage from the Early Triassic shows unexpected phyletic diversity and functional complexity. In the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction, the Early Triassic (~251.9 to 247 million years ago) is portrayed as an environmentally unstable interval characterized by several biotic crises and heavily depauperate marine benthic ecosystems. We describe a new fossil assemblage—the Paris Biota—from the earliest Spathian (middle Olenekian, ~250.6 million years ago) of the Bear Lake area, southeastern Idaho, USA. This highly diversified assemblage documents a remarkably complex marine ecosystem including at least seven phyla and 20 distinct metazoan orders, along with algae. Most unexpectedly, it combines early Paleozoic and middle Mesozoic taxa previously unknown from the Triassic strata, among which are primitive Cambrian-Ordovician leptomitid sponges (a 200–million year Lazarus taxon) and gladius-bearing coleoid cephalopods, a poorly documented group before the Jurassic (~50 million years after the Early Triassic). Additionally, the crinoid and ophiuroid specimens show derived anatomical characters that were thought to have evolved much later. Unlike previous works that suggested a sluggish postcrisis recovery and a low diversity for the Early Triassic benthic organisms, the unexpected composition of this exceptional assemblage points toward an early and rapid post-Permian diversification for these clades. Overall, it illustrates a phylogenetically diverse, functionally complex, and trophically multileveled marine ecosystem, from primary producers up to top predators and potential scavengers. Hence, the Paris Biota highlights the key evolutionary position of Early Triassic fossil ecosystems in the transition from the Paleozoic to the Modern marine evolutionary fauna at the dawn of the Mesozoic era.

Timing and progression of the end-Guadalupian crisis in the Fars province (Dalan Formation, Kuh-e Gakhum, Iran) constrained by foraminifers and other carbonate microfossils

The Middle-to-Upper Permian in the Kuh-e Gakhum anticline (southeastern Iran) has rarely been studied due to its structural complexity and the difficult access. Rich Permian fusulinid assemblages varying in age from Wordian to Changhsingian were found in a thick carbonate succession corresponding to the Dalan Formation. Three new species of foraminifers are described and a new biostratigraphic framework including five biozones is proposed. One of these, described and defined for the first time in the Dalan Formation, is based on the presence of Praedunbarula simplicissima n. gen. n. sp. When compared to the fossil content of existing bioprovinces, the floro-faunal biota of the Dalan Formation shows an affinity with Central and Western Tethys. A mass extinction of fusulinids and small foraminifers (70%) occurred concomitantly with the onset of a relative sea-level fall. This event led to a change in the carbonate factories from biologically induced carbonate production to ooid-rich chemically induced precipitation. The morphology of the platform at the Guadalupian/Lopingian transition evolves from a bioclastic ramp to a shelf. This transition is also characterized by a major sequence boundary and morphological anomalies in foraminifers. Therefore, as the regression and the changes in floro-faunal contents have been observed at the Guadalupian/Lopingian boundary, the extinction event is considered as end-Guadalupian. It is followed by a Lopingian transgression yielding renewed foraminiferal assemblages.