Fish otoliths from the lower Tertiary of Ellesmere Island

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Author: Schwarzhans, Werner
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1986
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ellesmere Island; Strathcona; Strathcona Fiord
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e86-080; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e86-080

Fish otoliths of five species are present in lower Tertiary (Paleocene to Lower Eocene) rocks at Strathcona Fiord, Ellesmere Island. Two species are new, one is conspecific with a species known from the Lower Eocene of southern England, and two remain in open nomenclature.Paleobiogeographic and other implications of the fauna are that first, there is no resemblance to central European faunas; second, there is a resemblance to northern European faunas from Great Britain and the Soviet Union, pointing to cooler climatic conditions; and third, composition of the fauna suggests the prevalence of deeper shelf conditions.