The microfauna of the Early-Middle Cambrian boundary interval of Nevada and south-east California (western Laurentia)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thomas Wotte
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 256048258

Small shelly fossils (SSFs) offer a fundamental potential for bio- and ecostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, and the correlation of sedimentary successions covering the Cambrian Series 2 and Cambrian Series 3 interval (the traditional Early-Middle Cambrian boundary interval). Especially in sedimentary succession characterized by the absence of biostratigraphical relevant taxa (archaeochyathans or trilobites) they deliver important and often the only paleobiogeographic and biostratigraphic information. Whereas the knowledge in SSFs has been fundamentally increased for most of worldwide Early-Middle Cambrian successions, its data base is still very poor for Laurentian sections. Central to the proposed project is the first detailed investigation of SSFs of the Early-Middle Cambrian boundary interval of Nevada and south-eastern California. This region is characterized by the most complete and well exposed Early-Middle Cambrian successions of the United States, thus offering an abundant and diverse microfauna. An exceptional increase in knowledge about taxonomy, paleobiology, and regional and stratigraphical distribution patterns of Early-Middle Cambrian SSFs is expected. The collection of taxa in a database will support the aim to achieve a biostratigraphic correlation and help to reconstruct migration pathways.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Participating Persons: Dr. Linda B. McCollum; Dr. Frederick A. Sundberg