Biostratigraphic zonation and correlation of Mississippian rocks in Western Europe: some case studies in the late Viséan/Serpukhovian

Abstract

In the Mississippian in Western Europe, biostratigraphic zonation and correlation of sequences has been refined using a combination of faunal and floral groups. In deep-water basins and on shelves advances have been made in recognizing evolutionary lineages of conodonts, particularly in the early Viséan to Serpukhovian, for example the Gnathodus praebilineatus -G. bilineatus bilineatus -G. bilineatus bollandensis lineage, which is closely tied to ammonoid zones in the Culm facies of Western and Central Europe, and the Lochriea saharae -L. commutata -L. nodosa -L. ziegleri lineage. Moreover, progress has been made in recognizing the Upper Viséan/Serpukhovian boundary, based on the first appearance datum (FAD) of Lochriea ziegleri.Greater precision in the dating and correlation of shallow-water platform facies has been achieved using foraminiferans. Although evolutionary developments in the Archaediscidae are still of major importance in terms of biostratigraphic dating, alternative lineages have been proposed recently for the late Asbian/Brigantian (late Viséan) interval, involving the CribrospiraBradyina -Parajanischewskina -Janischewskina lineage. These large cribrate complexed-walled forms are widely recognized throughout Western Europe. The base of the Viséan has recently been defined in South China using foraminiferans with the FAD of Eoparastaffella simplex in the lineage Eoparastaffella ovalis -E. simplex. The same criterion has been used to define the base of the Viséan (base of emended Moliniacian) in Belgium.Recent studies in Britain, Ireland, France, Spain and Poland have demonstrated that in the Upper Viséan many calcareous algal taxa and problematica are widespread in their distribution throughout the western Palaeotethys Realm. Moreover, five algal assemblages can be distinguished, based either on the first appearance of certain taxa or their acme developments, such as Falsocalcifolium punctatum and Calcifolium okense. In addition, there have been new discoveries in the Brigantian and Serpukhovian of algal taxa and problematica such as Archaeolithophyllum, Paraepimastopora and Claracrusta that were regarded previously as being restricted to the Pennsylvanian-Permian interval.Advances in rugose coral biostratigraphy have also been made in the upper Tournaisian and Upper Viséan, particularly using dissepimented taxa which occur in shallow-water platforms. The presence of uraliniids and Keyserlingophyllum in the upper Tournaisian of Western Europe (Belgium) are also recognized in South China and Siberia. In the Upper Viséan, refinements in zonation have been made using well-defined colonial and solitary species and species groups belonging to the families Lithostrotionidae and Axophyllidae and solitary taxa of the families Aulophyllidae and Cyathopsidae which are recognized throughout the western Palaeotethys.

Late Viséan-early Serpukhovian cyanobacteria and algae from the Montagne Noire (France); taxonomy and biostratigraphy

“…Several genera first appear and diversify in the late Viséan and Serpukhovian;e.g., Ungdarella, Kulikia, Neoprincipia, Richella, Archaeolithophyllum, Falsocalcifolium and Calcifolium (see Burgess 1965, Termier et al 1975, Conil et al 1980, Mamet et al 1980, Cózar & Vachard 2003, Vachard & Cózar 2005, Cózar & Somerville 2005a, b, Pille 2008, Somerville 2008. The detailed stratigraphic distribution (Fig.…”

“…It has long been recognized that several cyanobacteria, algae and algosponges are limited to the Mississippian and/or Pennsylvanian (e.g., Garwood 1914;Wood 1940Wood , 1942Wood , 1963Wood , 1964Johnson & Konishi 1956;Maslov 1956;Elliott 1968a;Petryk & Mamet 1972;Emberger 1976;Vachard & Cózar 2010) and the importance of some algae and algosponges at least as regional biostratigraphic markers has been clearly demonstrated (e.g., Mamet & Rudloff 1972;Vachard 1977a, b;Perret & Vachard 1977;Skompski 1981Skompski , 1986Skompski , 1987Mamet & Roux 1983;Skompski et al 1989;Mamet 1991Mamet , 1997Mamet , 2002Mamet , 2006Vachard & Berkhli 1992;Sebbar & Mamet 1996Sebbar 1998;Berkhli & Vachard 2001;Krainer & Vachard 2002;Cózar 2004Cózar , 2005Cózar & Somerville 2004, 2005aCózar et al 2008Cózar et al , 2009Pille 2008;Somerville 2008;Pille & Vachard 2011). Several genera first appear and diversify in the late Viséan and Serpukhovian;e.g., Ungdarella, Kulikia, Neoprincipia, Richella, Archae...…”

Conodont biostratigraphy and microfacies of the Late Devonian to Mississippian Milivojevića Kamenjar section (Družetić, NW Serbia)

“…Conodont biostratigraphy: latest Fammenian and early Tournaisian zones from Sandberg et al (1978) and Corradini (2003Corradini ( , 2008; Viséan and early Serpukhovian zones from Somerville (2008) summarized on the several conodont zonal schemes by Belka (1985), Meischner & Nemyrovska (1999), Nemyrovska (2005) and Nemyrovska et al (2006). Abbreviations: a.a. -ammonoid assemblages separated in the studied section (Korn & Sudar 2016) 2008-DRZ E, 2009-D08 to 2009-D01, 2008-foot of rock, 2010-8 and 2010 The list demonstrates that evidence for a number of the Mississippian conodont zones is missing (Fig. 3).…”

“…-Recognized in the interval of samples 2008-DRZ 4, 2009-D32 to 2009-D28, and 2010 to 2010-1, of the whole unit 1 and subunit 2a (measured thickness of 2.75 m). Moderatelysorted biomicrite consists of mottled micritic matrix with abundant thin-shelled bioclasts.…”

“…For the Viséan and the Serpukhovian, we apply the conodont zonal scheme based on European data of Somerville (2008) in comparison with the zonal scheme by Lane et al (1980).…”