Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the trilobite faunas from the Mount Clark and Mount Cap formations (early and middle Cambrian), eastern Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada

• Published in: Journal of Paleontology
• Main Authors: Neal M. Handkamer, Brian R. Pratt, Robert B. MacNaughton
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The Paleontological Society 2022
• Subjects: Canada; Mount Clark; Northwest Territories; Pratt; Mackenzie mountains
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2022.13

Lower and middle Cambrian strata of the eastern Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada, were deposited in a semi-enclosed basin along the eastern flank of the Mackenzie Arch. The Mount Clark Formation is predominantly composed of nearshore sandstone and is overlain by deeper water siltstone, mudstone, and carbonates of the Mount Cap Formation. The contact between these formations is interpreted as a flooding surface. Trilobite biostratigraphy indicates the presence of the traditional upper Olenellus through Glossopleura zones (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4–Miaolingian, Wuliuan) and suggests the flooding surface is diachronous, spanning the Dyeran-Delamaran boundary. Above the Olenellus Zone, the Amecephalus arrojosensis-Eokochaspis nodosa Zone, the new Aitkenaspis keelensis Zone, the new Albertelloides mischi Zone, and the Glossopleura walcotti Zone are recognized. Whereas the older zones are comparable to those in other areas of Laurentia, the trilobite faunas in the Albertelloides mischi and Glossopleura walcotti zones show a greater abundance of zacanthoidids and dolichometopids. They also have a lower diversity of ptychoparioids and oryctocephalids, and lack agnostoids, eodiscoids, dorypygids, and ogygopsidids. This suggests that zacanthoidids and dolichometopids were able to tolerate conditions that were unfavorable to the other groups, probably related to semi-restricted conditions in the basin. Four endemic species exhibit characteristics that are considered paedomorphic. This developmental process took place in three separate lineages, suggesting that heterochrony was also environmentally provoked. New taxonomic names are authored by Handkamer and Pratt. New genera are Eobathyuriscus, Sahtuia, Mexicaspidella Aitkenaspis, Dodoella, and Mackenzieaspis. New species are Bolbolenellus dodoensis, Eobathyuriscus mackenziensis, E. macqueeni, Glossopleura youngi, Sahtuia carcajouensis, Aitkenaspis keelensis, Albertelloides eliasi, Dodoella kobayashii, Mackenzieaspis parallelispinosa, and M. divergens.