The Growth and Ecology of Upper Cambrian Microbialite Biostromes from the Notch Peak Formation in Utah

<p>Exposure of carbonate rocks within the uplifted mountains of southwestern Utah presents a unique opportunity to study the growth, morphology and ecology of two upper Cambrian microbialite reefs located within the Hellnmaria Member of the Notch Peak Formation. The first reef contains meter-length, strongly elongate microbialites that grew in a deep, subtidal marine environment. These elongate microbialites formed as a result of coalescence of round ‘algal’ heads, a process known to produce compound microbialite structures in shallow water, but seldom explored as a key factor in the elongation of deep, subtidal forms that grew in ancient environments. The second reef contains lithistid sponge-microbial ‘stromatolites,’ a new type of metazoan bio-structure that has only been described from the Carboniferous and Triassic periods. This discovery has important implications when reconstructing middle to upper Cambrian reef-building communities, as these periods are assumed to have a very low diversity of metazoan reefal components. Taken together, both reefs shed light on the paleoecology and paleoenvironment of upper Cambrian microbialite reef-building communities.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Basic Sciences

Year

2016

Author dc:creator

• Coulson, Ken P.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brand, Leonard R.
• Awramik, Stanley M.
• Boskovic, Danilo
• Buchheim, H. Paul
• Nalin, Ronald
• Nick, Kevin E.

• Earth Sciences
• Geology
• Paleontology
• Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• Geomicrobiology; Geology; Stratigraphic -- Cambrian; Geology -- Utah
• Upper Cambrian microbialite reefs; Microbialites; Metazoan Bio-structures; Paleoecology; Paleoenvironments

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/367

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1370