Atrypoidea zonation of the Upper Silurian Read Bay Formation of Somerset and Cornwallis Islands, Arctic Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Author: Jones, Brian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1979
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Arctic; Canada; Cornwallis; Somerset Island; Read Bay; Pressure Point; Goodsir Creek; Cornwallis Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e79-208; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e79-208

Species of the brachiopod genus Atrypoidea have a distinct distribution in carbonate rocks of the late Silurian Read Bay Formation of Arctic Canada. Atrypoidea phoca occurs in the basal part of the formation and this species is succeeded by Atrypoidea foxi forma B at higher levels. The ranges of the two species overlap, defining a third useful zone. Locally, as in the Pressure Point area of northwestern Somerset Island, Atrypoidea foxi forma B is succeeded by Atrypoidea foxi forma A. Atrypoidea foxi forma A is generally restricted to carbonates with a low content of detrital material and has a significantly larger shell than Atrypoidea foxi forma B. A higher zone is defined by Atrypoidea erebus which occurs in the basal part of the Somerset Island Formation on Somerset Island and in the basal part of member C of the Read Bay Formation at Goodsir Creek on Cornwallis Island. At the latter locality, Atrypoidea foxi forma A is found with Atrypoidea erebus, thereby demonstrating their overlapping ranges.The overlapping ranges of Atrypoidea phoca and Atrypoidea foxi forma B occur in the middle to late Ludlovian ploeckensis–siluricus conodont zones. On Somerset Island, Atrypoidea foxi forma B and Atrypoidea foxi forma A range through the ploeckensis–siluricus conodont zone. Atrypoidea erebus occurs in late Ludlovian and (or) early Pridolian strata.