Search

Terra Nova, 22, 330–340, 2010 The youngest Ordovician conodont fauna in SW Europe has been found in the Malaguide Complex of the Betic Cordillera, SE Spain. It is also the first Ordovician conodont fauna in the Western Mediterranean Alpine Orogen. The conodont association, attributed to the Hirnantian (upper part of the Amorphognathus ordovicicus Biozone), is characterized by the predominance of Walliserodus amplissimus and Scabbardella altipes and by the absence of Sagittodontina and Istorinus, typical of the Mediterranean Province. This fauna differs markedly from those of the same biozone recorded in the Spanish Variscan Orogen of the Iberian Massif, which are attributed to the Katian. The Malaguide fauna shows, however, striking similarity to faunas of the Carnic Alps and some resemblance to those of the Pyrenees, Northern England and North Wales. These features suggest that Palaeozoic terranes of the Betic Cordillera were located far to the east of their present location and displaced westward during the Alpine Orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graptolite biostratigraphy is erected for the upper Telychian (upper crenulata Biozone) to lower Sheinwoodian (riccartonensisor dubiusBiozone) strata of the Jabalón River section, Spain. Two unconformities are recognized in the section: one between the lapworthiand murchisonibiozones; the other between the murchisoniand riccartonensisbiozones. These unconformities coincide with intervals of lowered eustatic sea-level. Graptolite assemblages include both cosmopolitan taxa and some which have been recorded previously from Morocco and/or other Spanish sections. At some stratigraphical levels Pristiograptusor Euroclimacisspecies are abundant; Monoclimacis, Streptograptusand Mediograptusspecies are generally uncommon. Conodonts were examined from the upper spiralisthrough to lower murchisoniBiozone; the occurrences of Pterospathodus amorphognathoidesare consistent with the species' known range elsewhere. Four new graptolite species are described: Euroclimacis jabalonensis, E. hamata, Monoclimacis flexaand Stimulograptus pradoi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]