Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico

Microfossils from an outcrop of the coral reef and rudist-bearing calcareous upper member of the Mal Paso Formation just north of Chumbítaro, State of Michoacán, Mexico, indicate a deepening trend and transition from nearshore through outer shelf depositional environments upward through the sampled...

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Main Authors: Harry F. Filkorn, Robert W. Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2018-01-01
Series:Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas
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Online Access:https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/619
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author Harry F. Filkorn
Robert W. Scott
author_facet Harry F. Filkorn
Robert W. Scott
author_sort Harry F. Filkorn
collection DOAJ
description Microfossils from an outcrop of the coral reef and rudist-bearing calcareous upper member of the Mal Paso Formation just north of Chumbítaro, State of Michoacán, Mexico, indicate a deepening trend and transition from nearshore through outer shelf depositional environments upward through the sampled stratigraphic interval. The microbiota is mostly composed of species of calcareous algae and foraminifera. The identified calcareous algae are: Pseudolithothamnium album Pfender, 1936; Cayeuxia kurdistanensis Elliott, 1957; Acicularia americana Konishi and Epis, 1962; and Dissocladella sp. cf. D. savitriae Rama Rao and Pia, 1936. The species of foraminifera are: Nezzazata sp. cf. N. isabellae Arnaud-Vanneau and Sliter, 1995; Buccicrenata subgoodlandensis (Vanderpool, 1933); Cuneolina parva Henson, 1948; Pseudolituonella sp.; Praechrysalidina sp.; and Rotalipora appenninica (Renz, 1936). In addition, a species of stromatoporoid is illustrated and an indeterminate tube-shaped calcitic microorganism is described as an incertae sedis. From the base of the section upward, four biofacies are defined by the co-occurrences of these taxa: a benthic foraminiferal assemblage, a coral assemblage, a caprinid - dasycladacean assemblage, and a coral - miliolid assemblage. This report documents the first detailed examination of the microbiota of the calcareous upper member of the Mal Paso Formation. Data from this analysis of the microbiota supplement earlier paleoenvironmental interpretations based on studies of macrofossils, mainly scleractinian corals, rudists, and other mollusks, and carbonate facies relationships. The combined stratigraphic ranges of the microfossil species identified from this measured section of the Mal Paso Formation support an age determination of late Albian. The occurrence of Rotalipora appenninica (Renz, 1936), a planktic foraminiferan, in the uppermost portion of the exposed stratigraphic section is especially significant because its presence indicates a marked deepening of the depositional environment which can be correlated with the onset of the global late Albian marine transgression and drowning of Tethyan carbonate platforms that is known as the R. appenninica - event. A late Albian age was also suggested by previous studies of other taxonomic groups that have been discovered in the same stratigraphic section, particularly the species of the rudist bivalve genus Mexicaprina Coogan, 1973.
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spelling doaj-art-90521b1fdc0940d1b7f7ff269dfa28e32025-08-20T02:22:54ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas1026-87742007-29022018-01-01281Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, MexicoHarry F. Filkorn0Robert W. Scott1Physics and Planetary Sciences Department, Los Angeles Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills, California 91371 USA.Precision Stratigraphy Associates and University of Tulsa, 149 West Ridge Road, Cleveland, Oklahoma 74020, USA. Microfossils from an outcrop of the coral reef and rudist-bearing calcareous upper member of the Mal Paso Formation just north of Chumbítaro, State of Michoacán, Mexico, indicate a deepening trend and transition from nearshore through outer shelf depositional environments upward through the sampled stratigraphic interval. The microbiota is mostly composed of species of calcareous algae and foraminifera. The identified calcareous algae are: Pseudolithothamnium album Pfender, 1936; Cayeuxia kurdistanensis Elliott, 1957; Acicularia americana Konishi and Epis, 1962; and Dissocladella sp. cf. D. savitriae Rama Rao and Pia, 1936. The species of foraminifera are: Nezzazata sp. cf. N. isabellae Arnaud-Vanneau and Sliter, 1995; Buccicrenata subgoodlandensis (Vanderpool, 1933); Cuneolina parva Henson, 1948; Pseudolituonella sp.; Praechrysalidina sp.; and Rotalipora appenninica (Renz, 1936). In addition, a species of stromatoporoid is illustrated and an indeterminate tube-shaped calcitic microorganism is described as an incertae sedis. From the base of the section upward, four biofacies are defined by the co-occurrences of these taxa: a benthic foraminiferal assemblage, a coral assemblage, a caprinid - dasycladacean assemblage, and a coral - miliolid assemblage. This report documents the first detailed examination of the microbiota of the calcareous upper member of the Mal Paso Formation. Data from this analysis of the microbiota supplement earlier paleoenvironmental interpretations based on studies of macrofossils, mainly scleractinian corals, rudists, and other mollusks, and carbonate facies relationships. The combined stratigraphic ranges of the microfossil species identified from this measured section of the Mal Paso Formation support an age determination of late Albian. The occurrence of Rotalipora appenninica (Renz, 1936), a planktic foraminiferan, in the uppermost portion of the exposed stratigraphic section is especially significant because its presence indicates a marked deepening of the depositional environment which can be correlated with the onset of the global late Albian marine transgression and drowning of Tethyan carbonate platforms that is known as the R. appenninica - event. A late Albian age was also suggested by previous studies of other taxonomic groups that have been discovered in the same stratigraphic section, particularly the species of the rudist bivalve genus Mexicaprina Coogan, 1973. https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/619foraminferaalgaepaleoenvironmentMal Paso FormationCretaceousAlbian
spellingShingle Harry F. Filkorn
Robert W. Scott
Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas
foraminfera
algae
paleoenvironment
Mal Paso Formation
Cretaceous
Albian
title Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
title_full Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
title_fullStr Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
title_short Microfossils, paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Mal Paso Formation (Cretaceous, upper Albian), State of Guerrero, Mexico
title_sort microfossils paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the mal paso formation cretaceous upper albian state of guerrero mexico
topic foraminfera
algae
paleoenvironment
Mal Paso Formation
Cretaceous
Albian
url https://rmcg.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/619
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