BIOSTRATIGRAPHY: Age Dating & Correlation GEOL 3213+ GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE Know the: periods eras eons Ma: 1.6 65 251 410 344 2500 4000 4650 ee age at start 0 Length time division Eon Era Period Epoch x108Years x 10Syear Quatemary Recent oo 0.01 Pleistocene | 1.58 16 Cenozoic Tertiary Pliocene a7 53 Miocene WI 23 Oligocene 138 365 Eocene 16.5 33 o Paleocene | 12 65 8 Cretaceous: Fry 140 & | Mesozoic Jurassic 6 205 291 s Triassic 45 250 251 2 Permian 40 290 Carboniterous 6 355 Dileondin: Devonian 55 410 Silurian 28 438 Ordovician n 510 Cambrian a 544 ° Vendian (120) 680 $ | Neoproterozoic Sa g 460' | 1000 3 | Mesoproterozoic ‘600 1600 e & —_ | Paleoproterozoic 900 | 2500 Archean not subdivided 1460 | 3960 Hadean no rock record 590 | 45504650Simplified evolutionary chart based on wall structure « 5 major wall types: — Pseudochitinous — Arenaceous — Microgranular — Porcelaneous — Hyaline « Higher taxa have long ranges ¢ Higher taxa = 1* approximations of agesNumber of Genera Per Epoch * 2 major acmes ¢ 4 extinctions: — End Ordovician — End Devonian — End Permian — End Triassic OCMULMULMULMULMULMULMULMU Cam. Ord. Sil. Dev, Miss. Penn. Perm. Tri. Figure 20.30. Approximate numbers of genera of conodonts that appeared in each period (solid line) compared with total umber that became extinct during the same period (dashed line). Genera ae based on discret elements rather han com lete apparatuses but are representative of evolution of group. Frrom Clark, D. L. In: Lindserém, M.; Ziegler, W., editors. Geologica et Palacontologica SB1: 151; 1972.)Biostratigraphic Zonation + Some conodont zones represent only about 1 Ma, while others may be 2-3 Ma long. ¢ This is good for the Paleozoic Era. Pennsylvanian isin || 16 Cave [ CambrianConodont Index Fossil Genera ¢ Many conodont genera have short time ranges! € | On Sil Dal Ct | Pm [TH i a Epigondolella Mosher Neospathodus Mosher Neogondolella Bender and Stoppel Adetognathus Lane Gondoleila Staufer and Plummer Idiognathodus Gunnel Scaliognathus Branson and Mehl ‘Siphonodella Branson and Mehl Gnathodus Pander Pseudopolygnathus Branson and Mehl Palmatolepis Ulrich and Bassler Ancyrodella Ulrich and Bassler ‘Ancyrognathus Branson and Mehl Bispathodus Miiller Polygnathus Hinde Ieriodus Branson and Mehl Kockelella Walliser Pterospathodus Walliser Apsidognathus Walliser Spathognathodus Branson and Meh! Ieriodina Branson and Branson Panderodus Ethington Belodina Ethington Pygodus Lamont and Lindstrém Amorphognathus Branson and Mehl Paroistodus Lindstrom Cordylodus Pander Acontiodus Pander Scolopodus Pander Westergaardodina Miiller Furnishina MillerAcmes of Diversity « Late Devonian to Carboniferous ¢ Ordovician (especially Medial Ordovician) ramiform elements platformsRanges of Fossils + Indicate time 3 | Tertiary + Experience * Evolution 998 Wadsworth Publishing Company/ITP © 1998 Wadsworth Publishing Company/ITPINDEX FOSSILS * Used for dating — rocks — geologic events concurrent- + Biozones range zone — different kinds | — range zones are very commo | > — named for 1 or 2 fossils in zone + Excellent index fossil: time ‘ — 1) narrow time range assemblage — 2) wide geographic distribution zone — 3) abundant — 4) easily recognized — 5) microscopic for petroleum geologists who use “well cuttings”End of File* Tree rings:Kinds of Biozones Taxon range zone — Named after the taxon Acme zone — Great abundance of a species — Restricted to only a short part of its total duration Concurrent-range zone — Overlapping range is the biozone — Named usually after both taxa, e. g., 2 species Assemblage zone — Makes use of almost every species in the assemblage — Hard to work with because involves many taxa — May be the best kind of biozone because data richWhy Microfossils for Correlation? Short geologic range. Widespread distribution. Many microscopic organisms are part of the floating plankton in the oceans. These species are readily distributed over large areas by ocean currents. [Facies independence (not restricted to one particular rock type; present in many rock types). For example, plankton falls into any sediment that is forming on the sea floor. ] Distinctive & easily recognized forms by non-specialists. Abundance: Because microfossils are so tiny, hundreds to thousands of specimens may be present in small sediment samples. [Preservable (fossilizable) hard part fossils should be abundant enough to be collected in sufficient quantity for thorough study. (Petroleum geologists like them because many can survive the rigors of the drill bit.)]