Geoscience Canada Volume 13 Number 3
Artic
PALEOSCENE #3.
Dual Biostratigraphy:
Zones and biofacies
Rolf Ludvigsen, Stophen R. Westrop'
‘Bran R. Prat, Pamela A, Titel?
‘and Graham A. Young?
Department of Geology
Unversity of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario MES 1A7
present addresses:
* Department of Earth Scioncos
‘Memorial University of Newfoundland
‘St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 3X5
® Dopertment of Geology
University of Alberta
Ecimonton, Alberta T6G 2E1
2 Department of Geology
Unwersity of New Brunswick
Fradeneton, New Brunswick E38 5A3
Introduetion
‘The passage of time can be determined
according to varous dating tectrques and
crdenng cntera in geology. OF these, be-
siuatigraphic study of fossts in rock 1 the
‘mast practical, mast economical, and argu
bly the most accurate means of measuring
gecioge ime, The fssi record extends back
to the early Archean (Schopl, 1983), but be-
stratigraphy is effectively applicable only to
Phanerozoic strata where abuedant
skelotonzed fossis permit a finely divided
relative time scale (Harland et a, 1962),
Blostatigapty has its roots in te classic
‘ompirieal work of Smith, Cuvior, and
Brongniart in tho first docedo of the 1th
S
century (Rudwick, 1972) which demonstrated
that uns of strata could be characterized and
corrolsted on the basis of fossils (Berry,
1968), Recognition that a welkiferentited
{and non-repeating fossil cord was the prod:
ct of, and indeed confirmation of, organic
evolution folowed half @ century later as
stratigraphic paleontology was re-nterpoted
in light of Charles Darwin's revolutionary
theory (Bretsky, 1975).
vary geologist involved in correlating and
mapping Phanerozoic rocks has had lo 25-
sass biosvatigrapne information proviced by
{2 paleontologst. Such data are most com-
‘many in the form of age determinations of
{ossil collections — Early Ordovician,
‘Aronigin,ofTeragraptus ruticosus Zone —
‘he precision depencing on the sie, nature,
_and preservation ofthe collections. Natural
most geologists have assumed that bio-
‘stratigraphy is concerned only wih the tem
poral significance of fossils in rocks: that i,
withthe age of rock units, with the drawing of
time lines in strata, and vith the establish
‘ment of relative time scales, The spatial sig:
‘ileance of fossis in rocks has seldom been
‘salisfactoly Integrated into biotratigraphic
‘analyses, but this aspect is potentially 25
‘Signticant as the traditional temporal aspoct
(Goinpot, 1998, p. 32)
The concept of facies is fundamental to
both biostatigraphy and lthostratigraphy
and forms a strong undying theme, Blo-
Stratigraphic units (zones, biolaces), ke
lithostratigraphic units (formations.
litnolaces), are tree-dimensional mappabia
Ln wese cistnbution in strata is inuenced
‘by environmental factors. Both bots and
lithotacies were clear identitedin Gressiy’s
(6838) onginal formulation ofthe Tacies con-
cept and in Walter's seminal Principle of
Correlation of Facies (see Hancock, 1977,
‘iddleton, 1973). Lithofacies studies have
been central tothe recent resurgence ofinte-
tn siratigraphic models and syntheses —
for example, in the development of facies
‘models (Walker, 1984) and for basin analysis
(ial, 1984) — but biotacios havo rarely been
fuly utiized in stratigraphic contexts, Indeed,
techniques such as “index fossil” bic:
stratigraphy, graphic correlation, and chrono-
sratigcaphy, atfompt nothing less than 19
expurgate facies from biostratigraphy.
139
Hore, we omphasize biostratraghy as a
dual stratigraphic eiscipie that is equivalent
tolthosraigraphy in both scope and applica:
‘ton. Brostraligraphy may be defined as that
‘branch of stratigraphy that is concerned with
recognition and mapping of fossil units in
rock, and with their temporal and spatial sig
nificance. From tis perspective, a major task
‘of biostratigraphy isto separate, as clearly as
possible, he temporal and spatial contals on
the detrbution of fossils in rock. This is best
‘done with separate units — zones and
Diotacies, respectively
Zones aro best defined by species range
‘ata, simply bocause species have the short
‘temporal durations necessary for the estab-
lshmentot fine diisions. For Dostatirapty,
biofacies shous be defines at genenc or
higher levels in order to produce units with
significant stratigraphic ranges which may, in
umn, be used to gauge the degree of environ-
‘menial association of biota, Thus, sogrega-
tion of the spatial and temporal components
is based on analyses of fossil collections at
different taxonomic levels — genera for
biofacies and species for zones.
Watthe's Principle enetges ao an essantia
i= Sot up within a lihofacios
framework and successions of zones are
cetabliched forthe biolacios belts (Figure 1).
‘Que examples are drawn largely from tlo-
bites in Lower Paleozoi rocks, but the dual
Diostratigrannie method we propose is equal
ly applicable to other benthic or nekto-benthic
cexganisms in Phaneroz0% rocks,
“Index Fossil” Blostravgraphy
‘The “index fossi” concept represents the ta-
‘tional approach to isolation of the temporal
‘component of biosraigraty. Text books of
historical gotogy invariably make a distinction
between wo kinds offossis— those wih short
vertical ranges occurring in a vanety of
lihotacies ere given the accolade “excelent
index fossils” wheroas those with ong vertical
Stanley, 1985, p. 15-16). The
‘approach implies that some groups of organ
Jams are immune to eavicnmentalinfuencos,wo
0 that time is the only important control on
thei distrbuion, Such "index fossis” are
supposedly sfelible guides 10 the age of
stata, Groups whose dietnbution indicates
control by environmental factors are
regarded as poor sources of biostatigraphic
dala and, accordingly. they tend to be
avoided. “Index fossil” biostratigeaphy
misses @ vast source of fossil distnbutional
data by emphasizing temporal ranges at the
‘expense of spatial ranges.
“The approach 10 earth history inherent in
index tess” bistraigraphy bears acurious
imiaity to that shown by Abraham Werner's
lobal itnostratigraptic system of the late
1B century (see Bory. 1968). In both sys-
tems, the historcal products (fossils and rock
types) are arranged, ike layerso an onion, in
a single, worlwide, non-repeating ternporal
‘sequence uch that the identticaion of a
Unique element of either sequence provides
fan age determination. Werner's global
litostratgraphic sysiem collapsed when it
‘was demonstrated nats lnologic unts are
‘ot world-wide in extent, but insteaa are the
products of local envionmental conditions
{thats facies). “Index loss” bostatigraphy
|s compromised for the same reason, as iS
any other biostratgraphic technique based
‘onthe promise that tme alone governs the
vertical order of fossils (for example, Shaw's,
1964, graphic correlation mathod)
‘By caling for the dome of “index fossil”
bestratigraphy, we are not ceaying that some
fossil speces have very wise distibutons.
that encompass many continents; merely
that such species are rare. Evidence from
fossil and recent manne invertebrates ind
‘cates an inverse relationship between geo
‘grape and environmental ranges and ries
‘of speciation and extinction Jackson, 1977;
Hansen, 1980). Geographicaly wdesoread
species usually have long stratigraphic
ranges whereas thosa of goographicallyre-
siveted species are invanably short — tho
“pyestraligrapher's paradox” of Scheltoma
1977 p. 106), Moreover, many of the time:
honoured groups of "excellent indox tossis
hhave now been shown to be intuenced by
facies — graptotes (Finney, 984; Lenz and
Chen, 1985), ammonites (Ziegler, 1981; Bayer
‘and MeGhee, 1985) and conadonts (Cark,
1984).
Biostratigraphic Units
A scientifle discipine is, in largo measure,
dolined by the nature and classification ofits
tunis, Thus, the concept of bostatigrahy asa
‘dual discipline is exompliied by a nasied
‘lassification of two types of unis, Temporal
‘and spatial unis serve to partition, to moa-
‘ewe, and to name diferent aspects of biotic
ppaterns in rock. Both are necessary for full
Diostratigraphic analysis.
‘The relatonship of temporal biosratigrahy
‘and eviutionary paleobiology on one hand,
‘and spatial biostratigraphy and paleogcology
‘on the other, equires explanation. Elredge
land Gould (1877) noted that the estabish
ment of @ zonal scheme (temporal bio:
straigraphy) is a purely empirical procedure
that oes nct depend on an understanding of
the processes of spaces ongin. Simiary, the
festablchment of 2 sequence of biotacies
(spatial bistraigrapy) is @ procedure wich
‘demands no prior knowledge of he varous
‘physical and biological factors responsble for
limting te estioutionof taxa. Inather words,
there exisis a pattern-process linkage
betwoan the pais of cscipines: wih tem-
oral an spatial biostrtigraphy datning the
Vertical and lateral distributional patterns,
‘and evolutionary paleobiology and paleo:
‘ecology dealing with the underlying
provesses.
Temporal biostratigraphle units. The
zone, the traditional uit of biostratgraphy.
was lst concewed by Albert Oppel (1856 for
2 sequence of strata characterized by
' unique association of species. Oppor's
Walther's
Principle
lithostratigraphy
Spatial
BIOFACIE:
biostratigraphy
BIOFACIES
Wh ae
Mines
temporal
_ ZONE 3
Wily ie
Zone
elds
ZONE 1
ee
Figure 1 Ovalblosratgrapny sts with iostaigraphic analysis using Waters rnc ane proceeds
to he spatal and temporal Dostatgraonc components. Bafaces are deine by abundance of genera
zones by species presenceGeoscience Canada Volume 13 Number 3
biostratigraphic mothod was remarkably
rmadern and involved documentation of the
vertical ranges ofall specie in a umber of
sections, Zones wore defined to include per-
Sstent and exclusive cooccutrence of the
‘same species in dfferent sections. Oppel set
{up 33 Jurassic zones in western Europe and
‘aimed that each was the same age at al
locales, AS Hancock (1977) noted, Oppa’s
S tweecimersare! ostatgrhe landscape
Nom seovorssaitenciowand ENVIRONMENT ———=
correlation chartGeoscience Canada Volume 13 Number 3 vr
—
TYPICAL TRILOBITES
OF EACH BIOFACIES
ZONES |s:senvie S|} ‘Lona
iunia
65%
Olenidae &
Agnostinae
Loganellidae .
Wil:
mmr
Plethopeltidae
I
a
Natt
BIOFACIES Caer peer (Foo FT]
LITHOFACIES 2
Uj
LAtainstoner
Yori
PLATFORM
L
Figure 11 Meny zones are ithotacas specie. Five carbonate laholacios n Sunweptan (Upper Cembvian| stata of Laurens support lve dierent triode
‘elec. The distoution of ichvauals belonging to diferent families ncicates that @ numberof zone! successions are required 10 capture the spat
ferentoton of theso niodtes, and ha each Zonal succession wil bo inked fo a separate lhotaces, (Data om Ludvasen and Westrep. 1983)Most zones andi biotacos are estabishad or,
‘and are applicable wihin, one or, al most. a
{ow ithofacies on a portion of a biotic
provinee, A stage is typically applicable ony
to 2 single province, subprovince. oF Cont
rent whore lt may incorporate ciferent zonal
successions for separate regions and for var
‘us fossi groups.
Figure 121s @ cortelation chart of ragional
Upper Cambran stages established on five
separate continents, Each of these tnlobte-
‘based stages comprises a diferent stack of
zones as an expression ofthe unique stra
‘graphic succession and faunas of each of
these Cambran provinces (Ludvigsen and
‘westrop, 1985), Blackwelder’ 1981, Textig.
3) correlation chart of regional Upper
‘Cenazoe moltuscan-based stages for diferent
Provinces provides @ comparable example.
‘The international Commission on Sira
tigraphy has been dealing much differently
with global biostetigraprc nomenclature
With the laudabse intent of improving com
‘munication between geologist. tis now pro-
‘motinga "common language” in siatgraphy
(Besser, 1985) — thats, the development ofa
‘ingle global chronaetraigraphic scale of
stages and eevee to replace all prowl
romenciatures, Docssions are coming down
{at an impressive rate, For the Silurian Sys:
tem, boundary delintions and statolypes o!
feur global series anc seven global stages
have alteacy been rated (Holand, 1985)
and, for the Devonian, seven global stage
‘names have been agraed upon and arenow
[awaiting ratiication of boundary stratotyDes
(Giogler ans Ktapper, 1985). Other portons of
the Phanecczos are curently beng prepared
for Semlar“ehronostratigraphic” atenton,
‘Such nomenclature cannot be applied rea:
‘steally on a global scale and 10 all faces
Zones and stages are temporal bio
‘Satigraphe units naturally tinted in thee ap-
Dication by the finte distribution of their
charactenstic fossils, Nomenclature be:
‘comes artifical and misleading it those unis
{are extended beyond the range ofthe fossis
into different facies and provinces (Watson
land Wnght, 1980, p. 159). Two examples wil
sufice
The Llandovery Soties (Lower Silurian) is
divided into tree global stages on the basis
Of graptolie zonal bostratgraphy at bound:
ary atratotypes 19 Wales (Holland, 1985)
‘These stage names ace clearly applicable to
many successions in Europe, Asia, and even
to basinal shals flanking Laurentian which
the definitive graptotte zones are developed
(Lenz, 1982). They have no relevance,
however for Lower Sinan carbonate rocks:
ol for example, Anticosti Ista (Lespérance.
1981) that lack characters: graptoltes and
which should be classifies biostrati
jtaphealy sto regional stages of the Ant
cost) Senes (Barnes and McCracken, 196%)
accorsing to prevalent bictic elements such
‘as conodom's, tnlobtes, brachiopods. 0:
ostracodes.
‘Almest all biostatigaphers have treated
te dozen stages af te Cretaceous System
as i mey were global units. However, exam
ination of the stadia boundary criteria re
cently proposed by a group of Cretaceous
‘speciaisis (Bkkelund ef al. 1864) reveals
that, of the eleven stages above the
Beniasian, rine are defined basally by zones
established for species of cephalopods that
are found ia either the Boreal Realm or the
Tethyan Reaim; notin both, Thus, the Albian
Stage of Boreal North Ameria, for example,
‘cennot be corsigered the samo unt asthe
‘Avian Stage of Tethyan France, regardless
ff how heir boundaries are thought to corre
fate, bocause they are defined by diferent
boundary ofteria and characterzod by di
ferent fossils in wholly different ones (soe
Kaufman, 1979, fg. 3), Not all Cretaceous
biostratigraphers have accepted tase godal
‘stages a¢ applicable to all faces. For some
years, verabrate paloontobgiss nave used
aperoprately a soquence of regional stages
based on mammalian faunas in western
North Amanca Russell, 1975: For, 1976).
“The slages ofthe Llandovery Series and ot
the Cretaceous Sysiem are acceptable re-
ional bostraigraphic unis but. Conary 1
the International Commission on Stra
‘igraphy. they are neither global units nor
Cchronostatigcahic unts. We do not need an
aril “common language” in order to com-
rmuneate with ofher sraigraphers, What
needed are accurate twoway “interpreters
‘of blostatigraptic data trom diferent regions
= that's, correlaton charts of zones. ard
stages. Such charis provide detailed infor
‘mation on composition and sequence of
ilerent sets of regional biosiratigraphic
Units and indicate fevels of confidence of
correlations. A single chronostratigraphic
nomenclature shows nosher.
Biostratigraphic units form a hierarchy.
‘The temporal bistatigaphic unis ofa sin-
dle province compnee a herarchic arrange.
ment thal rest upon the fist occurrence of a
Single species at tho base of a zone. Ths
{zone then detinas the base of a stage. Both
Units are best standardized by objective
TAURENTIA mastmacia—] [wont cniwa] [KAZAKHSTAN BALTIOA
exam oarsoman YEHU raewaooe
PayNTONIAN Fewostan
sunwarran potcettian
z feng MALYKARATAUIAN
i ‘CHANGSHAN
2
3] sterroran aa sackian
rs maewTwnocian
i MINDYALLAN = AJUSOCKANIAN
wansuman BOOMERANGIAN
omen canna waANIAN van
FLORAN "7 AMGINIAN
T TEMPLETONIAN HSveHuAnG! SouvaN
igure 12 Bustatigraphie ort ae agonal unde A stadia name's typical apphcable othe fossis and strate ofa single prownce. The afrent ramus and
‘Dounders of Uppor Cambrian stage o lve separate continents and provces rect the unique sragrapic Mstory andthe cshnct fan o! each area
(rom Lutigeen and isto. 1985),