The Fezouata brachiopod fauna: an Early Ordovician diversification at high latitudes
Resource type
ConferenceItem Conference poster (unpublished)
Creator (person)
Abstract
Brachiopods are a neglected part of the Fezouata fauna. Brachiopods occur in two distinct horizons: firstly in the lower part of the Fezouata Shale (upper Tremadocian); secondly in the upper part of the Fezouata Shale (lower Floian). The fauna is dominated by a mixture of lingulides, siphonotretides and orthides. The Tremadocian assemblage is more diverse (20 species) than the Floian assemblage (10 species). So far, six new species and three new genera have been identified. The total brachiopod fauna shows high ?-diversity, whereas at a local scale, ?-diversity is low. This is interpreted as a rapid turn-over of short-lived populations of opportunistic taxa, living in shallow-water environments, above the storm-wave base. The Fezouata brachiopod fauna is a relatively abundant and diverse assemblage occurring near Zagora (top left) in the southern SW-NE trending belt of Ordovician outcrops in Morocco (bottom). The rocks are extravagantly exposed (top right) and are best known for their soft-bodied arthropods.
Event title
67th Palaeontological Association annual meeting
Publisher
Palaeontological Association
Rights statement
In Copyright