Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T06:37:34.171Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Trace fossils from the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary candidate at Meishucun, Jinning, Yunnan, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

T. P. Crimes  and
Jiang Zhiwen
T. P. Crimes
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Liverpool University, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX, U.K.
Jiang Zhiwen
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological Sciences of Yunnan Province, Kunming, People's Republic of China
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Precambrian–Cambrian boundary candidate section at Meishucun, China, has yielded trace fossils which are abundant at some horizons. The earliest occur in Unit 3 of the Zhongyicun Member approximately 8 m above the lower selected stratotype reference point for the boundary and include Arenicolites sp., Asteriacites sp., Neonereites biserialis, N. uniserialis and Sellaulichnus meishacunensis. The next trace-fossil-bearing horizon is in Unit 6 of the Zhongyicun Member where Cochlichnus sp., Monomorphichnus sp., Neonereites biserialis and N. uniserialis occur. Immediately above, in Unit 7, are Cruziana sp., Didymaulichnus miettensis, Monomorphichnus sp. and Rusophycus sp. In the Badaowan Member at the top of the section there are Didymaulichnus sp. and Taphrhelminthopsis circularis in Unit 9, Arenicolites sp., Diplocraterion sp., Gordia molassica, Skolithos sp. and T. circularis in Unit 11, and Gordia meandria, ? Plagiogmus sp., Skolithos sp. and T. circularis in Unit 12.

Comparison of this trace-fossil distribution with that in key Precambrian–Cambrian boundary sections in other countries indicates that the ranges of a few trace fossils cross the boundary (e.g. Didymaulichnus, Neonereites, Planolites) but most appear only in the Cambrian. Different ichnogenera seem to appear at various levels above the boundary. Arenicolites and Asteriacites are among the first, while Taphrhelminthopsis circularis is only encountered higher in all sequences. Some have only been recorded at much higher levels and relatively close to the first appearance of trilobites (e.g. Cruziana, Diplocraterion, Rusophycus). This suggests that the first appearance of specific trace fossils or groups of trace fossils may be valuable for locating the boundary in some sections and for correlating late Precambrian and early Cambrian strata.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 123 , Issue 6 , November 1986 , pp. 641 - 649
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alpert, S. P. 1976. Trilobite and star-like trace fossils from the White-Inyo mountains, California. Journal of Paleontology 50, 226–39.Google Scholar
Alpert, S. P. 1977. Trace fossils and the basal Cambrian boundary. In Trace Fossils 2 (ed. Crimes, T. P. Harper, J. C.), pp. 1–8. Geological Journal Special Issue no. 9. Liverpool: Seel House Press.Google Scholar
Bhargava, O. N. & Srikantia, S. V. 1982. Taphrohelminthopsis [sic] circularis from ?Cambrian sediments of southeast Kashmir Valley. Journal of the Geological Society of India 23, 406–7.Google Scholar
Cowie, J. W. 1985. Continuing work on the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary. Episodes 8, 93–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowie, J. W. & Rozanov, A. Yu. 1983. Precambrian–Cambrian boundary candidate, Aldan River, Yakutia, U.S.S.R. Geological Magazine 120, 129–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crimes, T. P. (in prep.) The early evolution of behaviour patterns.Google Scholar
Crimes, T. P. & Anderson, M. M. 1985. Trace fossils from late Precambrian–early Cambrian strata of S.E. Newfoundland (Canada). Journal of Paleontology 59, 310–43.Google Scholar
Crimes, T. P. & Germs, G. J. B. 1982. Trace fossils from the Nama Group (Precambrian–Cambrian) of southwest Africa (Namibia). Journal of Paleontology 56, 890–907.Google Scholar
Crimes, T. P., Legg, I., Marcos, A. & Arboleya, M. 1977. ?Late Precambrian–low Lower Cambrian trace fossils from Spain. In Trace Fossils 2 (ed. Crimes, T. P. Harper, J. C.), pp. 91–188. Geological Journal Special Issue no. 9. Liverpool: Seel House Press.Google Scholar
Fedonkin, M. A. 1977. Precambrian–Cambrian ichnocoenoses of the eastern European platform. In Trace Fossils 2 (eds. Crimes, T. P. Harper, J. C.) pp. 183–94. Geological Journal Special Issue no. 9. Liverpool: Seel House Press.Google Scholar
Fedonkin, M. A. 1980. Early stages of evolution of Metazoa on the basis of paleoichnological data. Akademii nauk SSSR, series geologie 2, 226–33.Google Scholar
Fritz, W. H. & Crimes, T. P. 1985. Lithology, trace fossils, and correlation of Precambrian–Cambrian boundary beds, Cassiar Mountains, north-central British Columbia, Canada. Geological Survey of Canada Paper no. 83–13.Google Scholar
Glaessner, M. F. 1969. Trace fossils from the Precambrian and basal Cambrian. Lethaia 2, 369–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
HÄNtzschel, W. 1975. Trace fossils and problematica. In Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part W, Miscellanea, Supplement 1. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press.Google Scholar
Heer, O. 1865. Die Urwelt der Schweiz. 622 pp.Google Scholar
Jiang, Zhiwen, Luo, Huilin & Zang, Shishan, 1982. Trace fossils of the Meishucun Stage (Lowermost Cambrian) from the Meischucun section in China. Geological Review 28, 7–13.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. J. F., Ford, C. H. & Gheling, J. G. 1983. The Ediacara Member of the Rawnsley Quartzite: the context of the Ediacara assemblage (late Precambrian, Flinders Ranges) Journal of the Geological Society of Australia 30, 101–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keller, B. M. & Rozanov, A. 1979. Upper Precambrian and Cambrian Palaeontology of the East-European platform. U.S.S.R. Academy of Science, 212 pp.Google Scholar
Ksiakiewicz, M. 1977. Trace Fossils in the Flysch of the Polish Carpathians. Palaeontologica Polonica, no. 36, 208 pp.Google Scholar
Paul, C. R. C. & Smith, A. B. 1984. The early radiation and phylogeny of echinoderms. Biological Review 59, 443–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seilacher, A. 1977. Pattern analysis of Paleodictyon and related trace fossils. In Trace Fossils 2 (eds. Crimes, T. P. Harper, J. C.), pp. 289–334. Geological Journal Special Issue no. 9. Liverpool. Seel House Press.Google Scholar
Xing, Yusheng & Luo, Huilin, 1984. Precambrian–Cambrian boundary candidate, Meishucun, Jinning, Yunnan, China. Geological Magaxine 121, 143–54.Google Scholar
Yang, Zunyi, Yin, Jicheng & He, Tinggui, 1982. Early Cambrian trace fossils from the Emei–Ganluo region, Sichuan, and other localities. Geological Review 28, 291–8.Google Scholar
Young, F. G. 1972. Early Cambrian and older trace fossils from the southern Cordillera of Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 9, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar