Episodes 2000; 23(2): 102-109
Published online June 1, 2000
https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2000/v23i2/003
Copyright © International Union of Geological Sciences.
Stig M. Bergström1, S. C. Finney2, Chen Xu3, Christian Pålsson4, Wang Zhi-hao3, Yngve Grahn5
1Department of Geological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
2Department of Geological Sciences, California State University at Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
3Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, 39 Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China
4Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 13, Se-22362 Lund, Sweden
5Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Rua Sao San Francisco Xavier 524, 20559-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
A world-wide search for stratigraphic sections exposing the base of the Nemagraptus gracilis Biozone, the level selected to define the base of the global Upper Ordovician Series, resulted in the recognition of three potential boundary stratotypes, namely the Fågelsång, Calera, and Dawangou sections, all of which have been restudied during the last four years. These sections fulfill most of the requirements for a GSSP, and their biozone boundaries can be correlated precisely with each other. Based on an assessment of all information now available, it is concluded that the Fågelsång section is slightly superior to the others as a global boundary stratotype. It has excellent and well-known graptolite and conodont biostratigraphy in a stratigraphically continuous succession of uniform lithology, is readily accessible, and the key interval is not affected by faulting. The boundary interval is exposed in two natural outcrops that have not changed substantially for more than a century, and the same interval is also present in two drill-cores from the Fågelsång region. Although having some drawbacks, the Calera and Dawangou boundary sections are likewise excellent in most significant respects and they are proposed to be selected as auxiliary stratotypes.
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