The taxonomy and biostratigraphy of the Ordovician and early Silurian articulate brachiopods of ...

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THE TAXONOMY AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY
OF THE ORDOVICIAN AND EARLY SILURIAN
ARTICULATE BRACHIOPODS OF TASMANIA
by
0
John R. Laurie B.Sc.(Hons)
Submitted in partial fulfilment of
the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA
HOBART
1982 (61,4: Iclq3)
Except as stated herein, this thesis
contains no material which has been
accepted for the award of any other
degree or diploma in any university
and, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, this thesis contains no copy
or paraphrase of material previously
published or written by another
person, except when reference is
made in the text of the thesis.
g,
John RR.. Laurie
ABSTRACT
The Ordovician to earliest Silurian rocks of Tasmania
belong to, or are correlates of, one of two subgroups ; the
Denison Subgroup, a 3400 metre clastic sequence ranging in
- --"--
age frorkFranconian to Late Canadian, or the Gordon
Subgroup, a 1200 - 1800 metre carbonate sequence ranging in
age from Late Canadian or Whiterock to Early Llandovery.
The rocks comprising the formations of these subgroups are,
in the main, richly fossiliferous with articulate
brachiopods and trilobites being the most ubiquitous
elements of the fauna. Inarticulate brachiopods are very
rare.
Of the 60 species of brachiopod described herein, 42
are new. These 60 species belong to 42 genera of which 7
are new. Two new families and two new subfamilies are
erected.
A biostratigraphic scheme for the sequence of
brachiopod faunas has been erected. This consists of 20
zones and an uppermost informal assemblage. The zones in
ascending order are:- Apheoorthis humboldtensis zone which
is characterised by the nominal species; Nanorthis,
carinata zone which contains the nominal species and
Apheoorthis humboldtensis Laurie 1980 ; Tritoechia lewisi
zone which contains T. lewisi Brown 1948 and Syntrophopsis
karmbergi Brown 1948 ; Tritoechia florentinensis zone which
contains T. florentinensis Laurie 1980 only ; ?Tritoechia
careyi zone which contains ?T. careyi Brown 1948 only ;
Leptella corbetti zone which contains L. corbetti sp. nov.,
Tritoechia karmbergensis Laurie 1980 and Archaeorthis
subcarinata Laurie 1980 ; Hesperonomiella jurikae zone
which contains H. 'urikae sp. nov. only ; Railtonella
scanloni zone which contains R. scanloni gen.et sp. nov.
and Hesperonomiella 'urikae sp. nov. ; Aporthophyla staiti
zone which contains A. staiti sp. nov., an indeterminate
orthide and an indeterminate porambonitacean; Leptellina
sulcata zone which contains L. sulcata sp. nov. and an
indeterminate strophomenacean; Lepidomena fortimuscula zone
which contains L. fortimuscula gen.et sp. nov.,
Rhynchotrema bailliei sp. nov., Apatomorpha melrosensis sp.
nov., ?Strophomena sp., Bellimurina cf. compressa Cooper
1956, Hesperorthis longirostroides sp. nov., Dactylogonia
rara sp. nov., Chaganella sp., Teratelasmella plicata
gen.et sp. nov., ? Ptychopleurella sp., oepikinid gen.et
sp. indet. and an indeterminate orthide; Lepidomena pulchra
zone which contains L. pulchra gen.et sp. nov., Oepikina
banksi sp. nov., Hesperorthis longirostroides sp. nov.,
? Rhynchotrema sp., Rhynchotrema bailliei sp. nov. Azamella
sp. and Chaganella sp. ; Tasmanorthis calveri zone which
contains T. calveri gen. et sp. nov., Azamella rotunda
gen.et sp. nov. and Rhynchotrema ponderosa sp. nov. ;
Tasmanorthis costata zone which contains T. costata gen.et
sp. nov., Azamella sulcata gen. et . sp. nov. Macrocoelia
stenomuscula sp. nov., Skenidioides alatus sp. nov.,
Ptychopleurella magna sp. nov., Rhynchotrema •crossi sp.
nov. and Murinella magna sp. nov.; Strophomena cf.
oklahomensis zone which contains S. cf. oklahomensis Cooper
1956, Tasmanorthis costata gen.et sp. nov., Ptychopleurella
cf. magna sp. nov., Azamella sulcata gen.et sp. nov. and an
indeterminate atrypide ; Dinorthis westfieldensis zone
which contains D. westfieldensis sp. nov, Strophomena
burretti sp. nov., Rhynchotrema ?iowense Wang 1949,
Protozyga aseptata sp. nov., Hallina inconspicua sp. nov.,
Macrocoelia brownae sp. nov., Tasmanella nova gen.et sp.
nov., Ptychopleurella cf. magna sp. nov., Hesperorthis
benjaminensis sp. nov., Sowerbyites vesciseptus Percival
1979, Holtedahlina sp., Sowerbyella (Sowerbyella) cf.
anticipata Percival 1979 and Sowerbyella (Sawerbyella) ?
lepta Percival 1979; ?Plectorthis dinorthoides zone which
contains ?P. dinorthoides sp. nov. and Tasmanella nova
gen.et sp. nov, ; Dinorthis holdenoides zone which contains
D. holdenoides sp. nov., Rhynchotrema sp., Ptychopleurella
sp., Hesperorthis sp. and two indeterminate atrypides ;
Isorthis (Ovalella) arndellensis zone which contains I. (0)
arndellensis sp. nov., Hirnantia enorme sp. nov. ;
?Onniella perplexa zone which contains ?O. perplexa so.
nov., Isorthis (Ovalella) arndellensis sp. nov.,
?Eospirifer sp., Hirnantia sp. and an indeterminate
leptaenid. At the top of the Gordon Subgroup in the
Florentine Valley is a single horizon, designated herein
the Kinnella ?kielanae assemblage which contains K.
?kielanae (Temple) and an indeterminate leptaenid.
A brachiopod fauna associated with a small
stromatoporoid mound in the Cashions Creek Limestone of the
Florentine Valley was examined and found to be much more
diverse than, and generically distinct from, that found in
the surrounding sediments.
C ONTENTS
Chapter * Page
1 Introduction 1
2 Florentine Valley Area 9
, 3 Railton and Eugenana Areas 26
4 Mole Creek Area 35
5 South Coast and Picton River Areas 42
6 Biostratigraphy 43
7 Biogeography 67
8 Brachiopod Fauna Associated with a 72
,
Stromatoporoid Mound

9 Systematic Palaeontology
Introduction 81
Systematic Method 82
Systematic Descriptions 84
Order Orthida 84
Suborder Orthidina 84
Superfamily Orthacea 84
Family Eoorthidae 84
Family Hesperonomiidae 84
Family Orthidae 90
Subfamily Orthinae 90
Family Dolerorthidae 90
Subfamily Hesperorthinae 90
Subfamily Glyptorthinae 97
Family Plaesiomyidae 101
Subfamily Plaesiomyinae 101
Superfamily Plectorthacea 108
Family Plectorthidae 108
Subfamily Plectorthinae 108
Subfamily Tasmanorthinaes nov. 113
Family Skenidiidae 120
Suborder Dalmanellidina 123
Superfamily Dalmanellacea 123
Family Schizophoriidae• 123
Subfamily Draboviinae 123
Family Dalmanellidae 132
Subfamily Isorthinae 132
Subfamily Dalmanellinae 135
Suborder Clitambonitidina 138
Family Polytoechiidae 138
Family Clitambonitidae 140
Subfamily Clitambonitinae 140
Page
Chapter
Order Strophomenida 142
Suborder Strophomenidina 142
Superfamily Plectambonitacea 142
Family Taffiidae 142
Family Leptestiidae 146
Subfamily Titanambonitinae nov.149
Family Sowerbyitidae nov. 157
Family Leptellinidae 166
Subfamily Leptellinae 166
Subfamily Leptellininae 170
Family Anoptambonitidae 179
Family Sowerbyellidae 184
Subfamily Sowerbyellinae 184
Superfamily Strophomenacea 192
Family Oepikinidae 192
Family Leptaenidae 208
Subfamily Murinellinae 208
Family Strophomenidae 215
Subfamily Strophomeninae 215
Subfamily Furcitellinae 223
tribe Furcitellini 223
tribe.Teratelasmini 228
Order Pentamerida 231
Suborder Syntrophiidina 231
Superfamily Porambonitacea 231
Family Parastrophinidae 231
Subfamily Anastrophiinae 231
Order Rhynchonellida . 235
Superfamily Rhynchonellacea 235
Family Rhynchotrematidae 235
Subfamily Rhynchotrematinae 238
Family Tasmanellidae nov. 258
Order Atrypida 263
Superfamily Atrypacea 263
Family Zygospiridae 263
Subfamily Zygospirinae 263
?Family Zygospirinae 269
273
10 Concluding Remarks
Bibliography 277
" Appendix 1 back pocket
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
318
Appendix 4
Plates
following page
Plates 1 - 26 321
Figures
Figure following page
No.
1.1 Locality Map of Tasmania 2
1.2 Stratigraphy of Denison & Gordon 3
Subgroups & Tiger Range Group
2.1 Locality Map of Florentine Valley Area 9
2.2 Geological Map of Florentine Valley Area 11
2.3 Stratigraphy of Junee Group 12
2.4 Revised Stratigraphy of Junee Group 12
2.5 Location of Florentine Valley Formation 15
Sections
2.6 Sunshine Road Section 17
2.7 Location of Manning Road Section 18
2.8 Manning Road Section 19
2.9 Location of Settlement Road Section 21
2.10a Lower Portion of Settlement Road Section 22
2.10b Upper Portion of Settlement Road Section 22
2.11 Location of Westfield Road Section 23
2.12 Westfield Road Section 23
2.13 Location of Eleven Road Section 24
2.14 Eleven Road Section 24
2.15 Locality Map of Stan Murray Road Area 25
3.1 Location of Railton and Eugenana Areas 26
3.2 Locality Map of Railton Area 28
3.3 Caroline Quarry and Blenkhorn's Quarry 30
Sections
3.4 Locality Map of Eugenana Area 31
3.5 Denny Gorge Sections 33'
4.1 Locality Map of Mole Creek Area 35
4.2 Stratigraphy of Gordon Subgroup in 37
Mole Creek Area
4.3 Location of Mole Creek Sections 40
4.4 Eastern Section of Chudleigh Limestone 41
4.5 Western Section of Chudleigh Limestone 41
5.1 Location of Picton River Outcrops 42
5.2 Picton River Section 42
6.1 Zonal Distribution of Brachiopods 60 ,
• 6.2 Correlation of Biostratigraphic Schemes 63
6.3 Correlation of Tasmanian Sequences 65
8.1 Faunal Abundance Associated with 73
Stromatoporoid Mound
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
The major aims of this study are to describe the
brachiopods contained in, and to erect a brachiopod
biostratigraphy for, the upper Denison Subgroup and the
entire Gordon Subgroup based largely upon sections in
and adjacent to the Florentine Valley of southwestern
Tasmania. Correlation of these sequences with sequences
elsewhere in Tasmania, other parts of Australia and in
other continents will also be attempted.
GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY
The Denison Subgroup (Corbett,1975), in its type
area (Denison Range, southwestern Tasmania) is a 3 400
metre thick clastic sequence ranging in age from
Franconian (Late Cambrian) to Late Canadian (Early
Ordovician). The overlying Gordon Subgroup (Corbett &
Banks 1974, 1975), in its type area (southern Florentine
Valley), is a 1 200-1 800 metre thick (Corbett & Banks
1974 7p.220), predominantly carbonate sequence ranging in
age from Late Canadian or Whiterock (Early Ordovician)
to Early Llandovery (Early Silurian).