Conodont biostratigraphy of the latest Cambrian - Early Ordovician upper McKay Group, southeastern British Columbia

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1713-1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne J Pyle ◽  
Christopher R Barnes ◽  
Lee McKenzie McAnally

The age of the upper McKay Group based on conodont biostratigraphy is latest Cambrian (Cordylodus proavus Zone) to late Early Ordovician (middle Floian; Oepikodus communis Zone). A collection of 12 940 conodont elements was recovered from 306 samples of upper McKay Group strata exposed in the Western Main Ranges of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, southeastern British Columbia. The conodont fauna is assigned to 53 species representing 30 genera. Twelve zones are recognized, two of which are cosmopolitan: Cordylodus proavus Zone and Iapetognathus Zone. Seven Midcontinent Realm zones, in ascending order, include Polycostatus falsioneotensis, Rossodus tenuis, Rossodus manitouensis, low diversity interval, Scolopodus subrex, and Acodus kechikaensis zones, and Tropodus sweeti Subzone (of the Oepikodus communis Zone). Three Atlantic Realm zones, in ascending order, include Cordylodus angulatus, Acodus deltatus, and Paroistodus proteus zones. The zonation for the upper McKay Group establishes correlation with the Survey Peak Formation and lower Outram Formation of the Bow Platform, and with the Kechika Formation and lower Skoki Formation of the Macdonald Platform and Kechika Trough in the northern Rocky Mountains. The McKay Group represents deposition during post-rift thermal subsidence of the margin, although its thickness, abrupt transition to black shale of the overlying Glenogle Formation, and intercalation of volcanogenic rocks imply a history of differential subsidence similar to that of the northern Cordillera, probably related to periodic extension.

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1688-1704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell L. Hall

New ammonite faunas are described from sections along Bighorn and Scalp creeks in central-western Alberta where Lower Jurassic parts of the Fernie Formation are exposed. The first record of the upper Sinemurian Obtusum Zone from the Fernie is based on the occurrence of Asteroceras cf. stellare and Epophioceras cf. breoni in the basal pebbly coquina on Bighorn Creek. The overlying Red Deer Member has yielded Amaltheus cf. stokesi, representing the upper Pliensbachian Margaritatus Zone; in immediately superjacent strata the first North American examples of ?Amauroceras occur together with Protogrammoceras and ?Aveyroniceras. In the basal parts of the overlying Poker Chip Shale a fauna including Harpoceras cf. falciferum, Harpoceratoides, Polyplectus cf. subplanatus, Hildaites cf. serpentiniformis, and Dactylioceras cf. athleticum is correlated with the lower Toarcian Falciferum Zone.The upper parts of the Poker Chip Shale on Fording River in southeastern British Columbia contain a fauna representing some part of the upper Toarcian, but owing to poor preservation, generic identifications are only tentatively made.


1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1093-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Blundon ◽  
D. A. MacIsaac ◽  
M. R. T. Dale

A study of nucleation during primary succession was carried out on age sequences of communities at two sites in the Canadian Rocky Mountains: one at the Mount Robson moraines, British Columbia, the other at Southeast Lyell Glacier, Alberta. The study concentrated on the associations of species with the nitrogen-fixing plants Hedysarum boreale var. mackenzii at Mount Robson moraines and Dryas drummondii at Southeast Lyell Glacier because those plants might serve as nuclei for colonization by other species, thus facilitating succession. The data show that recruitment of later successional species is greater in patches of the two pioneer species, but the fact that recruitment takes place away from the plants also suggests that although there is nucleation, it is not necessary for succession at these sites. Key words: colonization, nitrogen fixation, nucleation, succession.


1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Raeside ◽  
Philip S. Simony

The Scrip Nappe, a large recumbent anticline that occupies the northern Selkirk and northern Monashee Mountains, has an inverted lower limb, some 50 km in length across strike, and comprises stratigraphic divisions of the Hadrynian Horsethief Creek Group, which can be traced southward with decreasing metamorphic grade through the Selkirk Mountains to the northern Purcell Mountains. The Scrip Nappe has a southwesterly vergence and it formed that way during the first folding phase of the Mesozoic Columbian Orogeny. Metamorphism no greater than biotite zone accompanied that first deformation. The nappe was subsequently refolded into tight northeast verging folds. Metamorphism rose to upper amphibolite facies late in the second deformation phase. After the metamorphic climax, northeast verging buckle folds and associated crenulation cleavage formed locally during a third folding episode. The entire nappe complex was then carried northeastward, on the Purcell thrust, over the folds and thrusts of the western Rocky Mountains.


2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 1673-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle P Larson ◽  
Raymond A Price ◽  
Douglas A Archibald

The Mt. Haley and Lussier River stocks are located northeast of Cranbrook, B.C. near the south end of the Western Main Ranges of the Southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Both are multiphase, potassium-feldspar porphyritic monzonite plutons that intrude lower Paleozoic miogeoclinal strata. They crosscut and thermally overprint the Lussier River fault and the thrust and fold structures in the east flank of the Purcell anticlinorium and the west limb of the Porcupine Creek anticlinorial fan structure. Muscovite from the Mt. Haley stock yielded a 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 108.2 ± 0.7 Ma (2σ), and a single-crystal, step-heating analysis of muscovite from a skarn in the metamorphic aureole adjacent to the Lussier River stock gave a plateau date of 108.7 ± 0.6 Ma (2σ). These dates constrain the timing of thrusting and folding in this portion of the western Rocky Mountains and of the displacement along the Lussier River – St. Mary fault to pre-middle Albian.


2012 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 71-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malyssa K. Maurer ◽  
Brian Menounos ◽  
Brian H. Luckman ◽  
Gerald Osborn ◽  
John J. Clague ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Cathy Barnosky

The late-Quaternary vegetation history of the northern Rocky Mountains has thus far been inferred largely from isolated records. These data suggest that conifer forests were established early in postglacial time and were little modified thereafter. The similarity of early postglacial vegetation to modern communities over broad areas gives rise to two hypotheses: (1) that glacial refugia were close to the ice margin, and (2) that vegetation soon colonized the deglaciated areas and has been only subtly affected by climatic perturbations since that time. It is the goal of this project to test these two hypotheses in the region of Grand Teton National Park.


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