The succession of small shelly fossils (especially conoidal microfossils) from English Precambrian–Cambrian boundary beds

Abstract

AbstractSmall shelly fossils, especially conoidal microfossils, have potential for biostratigraphic correlation of Precambrian–Cambrian boundary rocks where evolutionary successions of taxa can be recognized. A succession of hyoliths, brachiopods and species of Sunnaginia, Torellella, Eccentrotheca and Rhombocorniculum can be recognized in the Home Farm Member of Nuneaton and/or the Comley Limestone of Shropshire, England. Revised ranges of taxa are given and Sunnaginia neoimbricata n.sp., S. parva n.sp., S. angulata n.sp., Eccentrotheca grandis n.sp. and several new records are described from Nuneaton and Comley. The similarity in the sequence of small shelly fossils in England and Siberia indicates that a correlation can be achieved between the two areas. It is suggested that the lower Tommotian to lower Atdabanian correlates with the Hartshill Formation of Nuneaton, of which the condensed Home Farm Member spans the mid Tommotian to lowest Atdabanian, while the upper Atdabanian to lower Botomian correlates with the condensed Comley Limestone of Shropshire.