Lowermost Ordovician (basal Tremadoc) radiolarians from the Little Port Complex, western Newfoundland

Lowermost Ordovician (basal Tremadoc) cherts from the Little Port Complex, western Newfoundland, contain a distinctive, moderately well-preserved, radiolarian assemblage. The fauna differs from those reported from the Arenig, suggesting that some of the earliest radiolarian forms may have biostratig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geological Magazine
Main Authors: AITCHISON, JONATHAN C., FLOOD, PETER G., MALPAS, JOHN
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1998
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s001675689800867x
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S001675689800867X
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Summary:Lowermost Ordovician (basal Tremadoc) cherts from the Little Port Complex, western Newfoundland, contain a distinctive, moderately well-preserved, radiolarian assemblage. The fauna differs from those reported from the Arenig, suggesting that some of the earliest radiolarian forms may have biostratigraphic potential. The abundance of radiolarians in chert and the ease with which they can be extracted suggest that they are a potentially valuable tool for use in investigations of the timing and development of early Palaeozoic orogenic systems. A previously undescribed radiolarian Beothuka terranova sp. nov., belonging to a new genus Beothuka gen. nov. and of uncertain higher-level affinity is formalized herein.