Cephalopod associations and palaeoecology of the Cretaceous (Barremian–Cenomanian) succession of the Alpstein, northeastern Switzerland
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_C85ABDCF4E25
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Cephalopod associations and palaeoecology of the Cretaceous (Barremian–Cenomanian) succession of the Alpstein, northeastern Switzerland
Journal
Cretaceous Research
ISSN
0195-6671
Publication state
Published
Issued date
02/2017
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
70
Pages
15-54
Language
english
Abstract
The Alpstein (cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden and St. Gallen, northeastern Switzerland) has been of great interest for geologists over the last decades because of its excellent outcrops. However, there was no comprehensive overview over its Cretaceous fossil content. Here, we describe the cephalopod associations, which are moderately to highly diverse in some strata of the Alpstein. Furthermore, we document the regional palaeoecological changes that occurred during the radiation of heteromorph ammonites (ancyloceratids, scaphitids, turrilitids). To examine the palaeoecological changes, we quantitatively determined the macrofossil content of 11 associations of Barremian to early Cenomanian age. Here, we document 6 species (3 genera) of nautilids and 77 species (45 genera) of ammonoids (29 of the species are recorded from Switzerland for the first time). Our palaeoecological analyses revealed the disappearance of nektoplanktonic forms after the late Barremian to the middle early Aptian in the course of the development of a shallow carbonate platform. The upper lower Aptian to middle Albian strata were eroded due to successive emersion phases and condensation processes. In the late Albian, the number of nektoplanktonic species surged again with some benthos, followed by the Cenomanian fauna, which is dominated by nektoplanktonic elements including ammonites,
belemnites and nautilids with only very little benthos. These results correlate well with the regional sea level fluctuations.
belemnites and nautilids with only very little benthos. These results correlate well with the regional sea level fluctuations.
Keywords
Ammonoids, Nautilids, Palaeoecology, Taxonomy, Alpstein, Switzerland
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Funding(s)
Swiss National Science Foundation / 200021_149119
Create date
15/02/2023 12:25
Last modification date
16/02/2023 7:52