Brachiopods from the Río del Peñón Formation. Río Blanco Basin, Upper Palaeozoic of Argentina.

This paper reviews the brachiopod fauna from the Ríoo de! Peñón Formation, Río Blanco Basin, Upper Palaeozoic of La Rioja province, Argentina. Traditionally, this unit was referred to the Carboniferous, however the braquiopod fauna here studied suggests a new biostratigraphical interpretation, indicating an age range from the latest Carboniferous to Early Permian. Three different brachiopod assemblages can be identified in the section: Assemblage I, from the lower member, includes Streptorhynchus? sp., Dyschrestia? sp., Costatumulus sp. A, Trigonotreta sp., Spiriferellina sp., Orbiculoidea sp., and unidentifiable productids and strophomenids.Assemblage II, from the middle member, includes Tivertonia jachalensis (Amos), Kochiproductus riojanus (Leanza), Costatumulus sp. B, Trigonotreta riojanensis (Lech and Acefiolaza) and Orbiculoidea sp. Assemblage III, from the highest part of the middle member, includes Neochonetes pegnonensis sp. nov., Costatumulus sp. C, Rhynchopora sp., Septosyringothyris jaguelensis Lech, and Orbiculoidea sp. These brachiopod assemblages demonstrate close affinities with faunas from the lower Permian of Western Australia and India. Affinities with faunas from Peru and Texas are less close.

Accelerated mass extinction in an isolated biota during Late Devonian climate changes

The fossil record can illuminate factors that contribute to extinction risk during times of global environmental disturbance; for example, inferred thermal tolerance was an important predictor of extinction during several mass extinctions that corresponded with climate change. Additionally, members of geographically isolated biotas may face higher risk because they have less opportunity to migrate to suitable climate refugia during environmental disturbances. Here, we investigate how different types of risk intersect in the well-preserved brachiopod fauna of the Appalachian Foreland Basin during the two pulses of the Frasnian–Famennian mass extinction (Late Devonian, ~ 372 Ma). The selectivity of extinction is consistent with climate change (cooling) as a primary kill mechanism in this fauna. Overall, the extinction was mild relative to other regions, despite the many endemic species. However, vulnerable taxa went extinct more rapidly, during the first extinction pulse, such that the second pulse was insignificant. These results suggest that vulnerable taxa in geographically isolated biotas face heightened extinction risk at the initiation of environmental stress, but that taxa in other regions may eventually see elevated extinction risk if environmental stress repeats or intensifies.

BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND CORRELATION OF DEVONIAN DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTH-WEST SEGMENT OF THE EAST-EUROPEAN PLATFORM BY BRACHIOPODS

The main aim of the paper is to study the detailed distribution of the brachiopod fauna throughout the entire Devonian section from the Silurian-Devonian boundary at the Podilla region to the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary at the SW slope of the Dnipro-Donets Depression (DDD). The Devonian brachiopods (mainly Productids, Spiriferids and Rhynchonellids) of the south-west segment of the East-European Platform (EEP) are reviewed from the DDD, Volhyn-Podilla monocline (VPM) including the L’viv Paleozoic Trough, and Fore-Dobrogea Paleozoic Depression (FDPD). The faunas of these regions are mutually related and compared to the Devonian faunas of the EEP (Russia) and Pripyat’ Depression (Belarus). In recent years several paleontological investigations have broadened and deepened our knowledge of the Devonian biostratigraphy of Ukraine. Based on systematic studies of brachiopods from the SW segment of the EEP we recognize four successive faunas corresponding to four great marine transgressions — Early Devonian (Tiwer Series, the Monograptus uniformis Zone), Middle Devonian (Givetian Stage, the conodont varcus Zone), Late Frasnian (the conodont Upper rhenana — linguiformis Zone), and Early Famennian (the conodont triangularis-crepida Zone). The Early Devonian association includes Howellella angustiplicata, Plectodonta maria, and Daiya navicula and others which are similar to late Silurian brachiopods by their generic features (represented the genus common with the Upper Silurian). The Middle Devonian assemblages contain: Emanuella volhynica, Atrypa (Desquamatia) ventricosa, Chonetes sarcinulata, and Poloniproductus productoides at VPM sections (Givetian Stage, the varcus Zone), as well as Variatrypa sokolovae (Eifelian Stage), but in the DDD sections the impoverished association with Stringocephalus cf. burtini (Eifelian Stage) and Atrypa uralica (Givetian Stage) occur. The Late Frasnian association is represented by dominance of Theodossia tanaica, T. evlanensis, T. livnensis at all regions — VPM, DDD and FDPD (the Upper rhenana — linguiformis zones). The Early Famennian association is represented by ex Cyrtospirifer archiaci = Cyrtospirifer asiaticus and Cyrtospirifer ljachovichensis, Cyrtiopsis sp., Ptychomaletoechia zadonica, Iloerhynchus tichomirovi, Ardiviscus ex gr.herminae, Steinhagella annae etc. at DDD and by the same association plus Dmitria angustirostris at VPM (the triangularis-crepida zones). Brachiopods near the D-C boundary have been recorded so far from the black shales fossiliferous deeper water facies only in DDD: Spinocarinifera nigra, S. fallax, Sphenospira julii, Parallelora sp. (the Siphonodella praesulcata Zone). The result of our systematic study of productids, spiriferids, rhynchonellids, atrypids, and athyrids from Ukrainian sections are in perfect agreement with, and supplement to the previous investigations of Middle and Upper Devonian deposits at VPM and DDD, suggesting their important role for precising boundaries between the Devonian stages and horizons in SW segment of EEP. The essential role of brachiopods for the Devonian biostratigraphy and correlations with the East-European biozonation is confirmed.

A late Cisuralian (early Permian) brachiopod fauna from the Taungnyo Group in the Zwekabin Range, eastern Myanmar and its biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic, and tectonic implications

The tectonic evolution of the Sibumasu Block during the Permian remains controversial, and Permian faunas and their paleobiogeographic affinities provide some insight into its paleogeographic and tectonic evolutionary histories. In this paper, a new brachiopod fauna dominated by Spinomartinia prolifica Waterhouse, 1981 is described from the uppermost part of the Taungnyo Group in the Zwekabin Range, eastern Myanmar. This brachiopod fauna includes 23 species and its age is well constrained as late Kungurian by the associated conodonts, i.e., Vjalovognathus nicolli Yuan et al., 2016 and Mesogondolella idahoensis (Youngquist, Hawley, and Miller, 1951), contrary to the late Sakmarian age given to the same brachiopod faunas previously reported from southern Thailand and Malaysia. Based on comprehensive comparisons of the Cisuralian brachiopod faunas and other data in different parts of the Sibumasu Block, we consider that they are better subdivided into two independent stratigraphic assemblages, i.e., the lower (earlier) Bandoproductus monticulus-Spirelytha petaliformis Assemblage of a Sakmarian to probably early Artinskian age, and the upper (younger) Spinomartinia prolifica-Retimarginifera alata Assemblage of a late Kungurian age. The former assemblage is a typical cold-water fauna, mainly composed of Gondwanan-type genera, e.g., Bandoproductus Jin and Sun, 1981, Spirelytha Fredericks, 1924, and Sulciplica Waterhouse, 1968. The latter assemblage is strongly characterized by an admixture of both Cathaysian and Gondwanan elements, as well as some genera restricted to the Cimmerian continents. Notably, the spatial distribution pattern of these two separate brachiopod assemblages varies distinctly. The Sakmarian cold-water brachiopod faunas have been found in association with glacial-marine diamictites throughout the Sibumasu Block including both the Irrawaddy and Sibuma blocks. In contrast, the Kungurian biogeographically mixed brachiopod faunas are only recorded in the Irrawaddy Block, unlike the Sibuma Block that contains a contemporaneous paleotropical Tethyan fusuline fauna. Thus, it appears likely that by the end of Cisuralian (early Permian), the Sibumasu Block comprised the Irrawaddy Block in the south with cool climatic conditions, and the Sibuma Block in the north with a temperate to warm-water environment, separated by the incipient Thai-Myanmar Mesotethys.

Oxfordian brachiopods from the ammonitico rosso-type Fonyászó Limestone formation at Zengővárkony, Mecsek Mountains, Hungary and their palaeoecological, palaeobiogeographical and palaeopathological significance

Recent discovery of a previously unknown outcrop in the vicinity of the Zengővárkony lime-kilns (Mecsek Mountains, Hungary) provided a few identifiable upper Oxfordian brachiopods that exhibit a truly Mediterranean (Tethyan) character. Dating of the outcrop is based on a rich ammonite fauna: Benetticeras benettii; Trimarginites ex gr. trimarginatus; Orthosphinctes (Orthosphinctes) ex gr. tiziani clearly indicate the Late Oxfordian. The brachiopod fauna indicates a deep-water marine environment and well-oxygenated sea floor. Nucleata bouei and Pygope catulloi are recorded for the first time from the Mecsek Mountains. A pathologic specimen of Pygope catulloi is also recognized. Its ventral valve was injured in an early developmental stage that caused deformation of the left side, which was overgrown by the healthy right side and created an asymmetric adult shell shape. Cause of the injury is unclear but it provides further evidence for subsequent healing of brachiopods after being injured. This is the first description and illustration of Oxfordian brachiopods from the Mecsek Mountains, Hungary. The occurrence of Tethyan originating pygopid brachiopods in the Oxfordian strengthens earlier observations that from the Bathonian/Callovian Tethyan influence became overwhelming in the Mecsek Mountains fauna. Pygope catulloi strengthens records from Algeria that pygopid brachiopods may have occurred very early on the periphery of the Western Tethys.

Climate Change and Mass Extinction Risk in an Endemic-Rich Late Devonian Fauna

The fossil record can illuminate factors that contribute to extinction risk during times of global environmental disturbance; for example, inferred thermal tolerance is an important predictor of extinction during several mass extinctions that corresponded with climate change1,2. Additionally, members of geographically isolated biotas may face higher risk because they have less opportunity to migrate to suitable climate refugia during environmental disturbances. Here, we investigate how these two types of risk intersect in the well-preserved brachiopod fauna of the Appalachian Foreland Basin during the two pulses of the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction (Late Devonian, ~372 Ma3,4). The selectivity of extinction supports climate change (cooling) as the primary kill mechanism in this fauna, with warm-adapted taxa going extinct preferentially. Overall, the extinction was mild relative to other regions, despite the many endemic species. However, taxa that were vulnerable to climate change went extinct more rapidly, during the first extinction pulse, such that the second pulse was insignificant. These results suggest that vulnerable taxa in geographically isolated biotas face heightened extinction risk at the initiation of environmental stress, but that other regions may “catch up” if environmental stress repeats or intensifies.

Early Cambrian (Stage 4) brachiopods from the Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of South China

Diverse and abundant fossil taxa have been described in the lower Cambrian Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province, South China, but the taxonomy and diversity of the co-occurring brachiopod fauna are still far from clear. Here we describe the brachiopod fauna recovered from the Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of South China, including representatives of the subphylum Linguliformea: linguloids (Lingulellotreta ergalievi, Eoobolus malongensis, and Neobolidae gen. indet. sp. indet.), and an acrotretoid (Linnarssonia sapushanensis); and representatives from the subphylum Rhynchonelliformea: the calcareous-shelled Kutorginates (Kutorgina sinensis, Kutorgina sp., and Nisusia liantuoensis). This brachiopod assemblage and the first occurrence of Linnarssonia sapushanensis shell beds permit correlation of the Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province with the Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation in the Wuding area of eastern Yunnan. This correlation is further strengthened by the first appearance datum (FAD) of the rhynchonelliform brachiopod Nisusia in the upper silty mudstone of both the Shipai and Wulongqing formations. The new well-preserved material, derived from siliciclastic rocks, also gives critical new insights into the fine shell structure of L. sapushanensis. Microstructural studies on micromorphic acrotretoids (like Linnarssonia) have previously been restricted to fossils that were acid-etched from limestones. This is the first study to carry out detailed comparative ultrastructural studies on acrotretoid shells preserved in siliciclastic rocks. This work reveals a hollow tube and solid column microstructure in the acrotretoid shells from the Shipai Formation, which is likely to be equivalent of traditional column and central canal observed in shells dissolved from limestones.