A new Burgess Shale–type assemblage from the “thin” Stephen Formation of the southern Canadian Rockies

Abstract

Research Article| September 01, 2010 A new Burgess Shale–type assemblage from the "thin" Stephen Formation of the southern Canadian Rockies Jean-Bernard Caron; Jean-Bernard Caron 1Department of Natural History-Palaeobiology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert R. Gaines; Robert R. Gaines 2Pomona College, Geology Department, 185 E. Sixth Street, Claremont, California 91711, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. Gabriela Mángano; M. Gabriela Mángano 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael Streng; Michael Streng 4Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Allison C. Daley Allison C. Daley 4Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2010) 38 (9): 811–814. https://doi.org/10.1130/G31080.1 Article history received: 31 Jan 2010 rev-recd: 09 Apr 2010 accepted: 14 Apr 2010 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jean-Bernard Caron, Robert R. Gaines, M. Gabriela Mángano, Michael Streng, Allison C. Daley; A new Burgess Shale–type assemblage from the "thin" Stephen Formation of the southern Canadian Rockies. Geology 2010;; 38 (9): 811–814. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G31080.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A new Burgess Shale–type assemblage, from the Stephen Formation of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, is described herein. It occurs near Stanley Glacier in Kootenay National Park, 40 km southeast of the type area near Field, British Columbia. While at least a dozen Burgess Shale localities are known from the "thick" Stephen Formation, the Stanley Glacier locality represents the first discovery of Burgess Shale–type fossils from the "thin" Stephen Formation. The Cathedral Escarpment, an important regional paleotopographic feature, has been considered important to the paleoecologic setting and the preservation of the Burgess Shale biota. However, the Stanley Glacier assemblage was preserved in a distal ramp setting in a region where no evidence of an escarpment is present. The low-diversity assemblage contains eight new soft-bodied taxa, including the anomalocaridid Stanleycaris hirpex n. gen., n. sp. (new genus, new species). Nektonic or nektobenthic predators represent the most diverse group, whereas in relative abundance, the assemblage is dominated by typical Cambrian shelly benthic taxa. The low diversity of both the benthic taxa and the ichnofauna, which includes diminutive trace fossils associated with carapaces of soft-bodied arthropods, suggests a paleoenvironment with restrictive conditions. The Stanley Glacier assemblage expands the temporal and geographic range of the Burgess Shale biota in the southern Canadian Rockies, and suggests that Burgess Shale–type assemblages may be common in the "thin" Stephen Formation, which is regionally widespread. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.