Biostratigraphy and palaeontology of the lower Cambrian Duolbagáisá Formation on the Digermulen Peninsula, Arctic Norway

• The lower Cambrian sequence on the Digermulen Peninsula (Finnmark, Arctic Norway) is the northernmost extension of the Cambrian deposits along the Caledonian front. It is exceedingly thick compared to cratonal successions typical of most of Baltica. The Duolbagáisá Formation represents the youngest lower Cambrian unit on the peninsula with the first trilobite-bearing strata, a plethora of trace fossils including diverse arthropod traces and Plagiogmus arcuatus, and abundant and wellpreserved organic walled microfossils (OWM). Extensive field work by the Digermulen Early Life Research Group allows for the first time a detailed appreciation of the age and faunal composition of the unit. The lower member is ~250 m thick with thin-bedded siltstone, sandstone and mudstone. A single unidentifiable holmiid thorax region occurs alongside arthropod trace fossils. OWM indicate the S. ornata-F. membranacea Zone. The upper member is ~390 m thick and consist of several upward shallowing parasequences with fine-grained sandstone, siltstone and mudstone followed by thick mature quartzite. The trace fossil Syringomorpha occurs throughout the upper member and Cruziana and Rusophycus are especially abundant in the upper parts. The first identifiable olenellid trilobites occur in a thick mudstone/siltstone interval at the middle of the member, along with an elliptocephalid trilobite and other arthropods. Abundant OWM indicate the H. dissimilare-S. ciliosa Zone with the higher levels belonging to the Volkovia-Liepaina Zone. The entire sequence thus span the Cambrian Series 2, stages 3–5.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Annan geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Cambrian

Digermulen Peninsula

trilobites

biostratigraphy

Earth Science with specialization in Historical Geology and Palaeontology

Geovetenskap med inriktning mot historisk geologi och paleontologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)