APPLY PALEONTOLOG

PORIFERA : SPONGE

Pre Cambrian Recent group of poriferans

characterised by primitive, essentially cellul
ar, structure
All are aquatic & almost all marine
Consisting part of the sessile benthos
Most are shallow marin; some deep marine
Aktive filter-feeders

Paleobiology

Construction of reef in the Paleozoic, less so

in the Mesozoic, & not at all in the Cenozoic
Characteristic of Permian, temperate-water,
as opposed to tropical, reef

Paleobiogeography

Essentially cosmopolitan paleobiogeographi

c distribution

Paleoclimatology

Sponges are of some use in

paleoclimatology

Biostratigraphy

Fisrt appeared : PreCambrian

Rose to prominence : Cambrian
Diversity : Ordovician
Progressively less : Mesozoic & Cenozoic
At least 5000 living species

Petroleum Industry :

Sponge have proved of some use in stratigra

phic subdivision & correlatioan,
Paleoenvirontmental interpretation

Poriferans : Stromatoporoids

Extinct, Paleozoic Mesozoic ? Cambrian?

Flat & encrusting, domal & hemispherical, b
ulbous & columnar

Paleobathymetry

Associated fossils & sedimentary facies as

having been mostly shallow marine
Active filter-feeders
Construction of reef, including core frameworks

Paleobiogeography

Cosmopolitan paleobiogeographic distributi

on, although only in low to moderate paleol
atitudes

Biostratography

First appeared in rock record in the Cambrian

Diversity : Ordovician
Losses in the Late Ordovician mass extinction

Silurian to recover
Diversified again in the Devonian
Almost eliminated in the Late Devonian
Jurassic to stage a partial recovery
Finally disappeared during the End-Cretace
ous
Stromatoporoids have proved of some use i
n stratigraphic subdivision & correlatioan,
Paleoenvirontmental interpretation

Corals :

Extant
Ordovician Recent group of Cnidarians
Hexacorals as only important as fossils
Octocorals are important contributors to the const
ruction of reefs in modern times
Suxually
Living corals are exclusively marine, essentially be
nthic, epifaunal & sessile
Although they also have planktonic or medusoid d
evelopmental stages in their life cycles

Less than 500 m

More than 10C
Practically all coral reefs are found in depths
of less than 100-150 m
T = more than 16-17C

Paleobathymetry

Typically shallow marine

Contributors to the construction of reef in s
hallow marine environtments to a lesser ext
ent in the Paleozoic, & to greater extent in t
he Mesozoic & Cenozoic

Paleobiogeography

Characterisation of paleobiogeographic pro

vinces & in turn in the constraint of plate tec
tonic reconstructions in the Paleozoic, Meso
zoic & Cenozoic

Paleoclimatology

Paleoclomatic as well as in
paleobiogeographic interpretation

Biostratigraphy

Coral-like organisms or coralimorphs first ap

pared in the Cambrian
Tabulate & Rugose corals didnt appear unti
l the Ordovician
Corals have proved of some use in stratigra
phic subdivision & correlatioan,
Paleoenvirontmental interpretation

Brachiopods

Extant, Cambrian Recent

Passive filter-feeding
Marine; marginally fully marine; intertidal had
al
Equator the poles
Locally abundant
Most are epifaunal, atteched directly or indirectly
Some are unattached
Few are infaunal

Secreted calcitic or horny chitinophosphatic

bivalved shell
Valves : Pedicle or ventral; Brachial or dorsa
l
Shallow marine, deeper marine fossil forms
are also known
Construction of reefs, as in Permian

Paleobathymetry

Many fossil brachiopods appear to have had

restricted bathymetric distribution use in
paleobathymetric zones

Paleobiogeography

Many fossil brachiopods appear to have had restricted

or endemic biogeographic distribution use in
palegeographic provinces, & in turn in the constraint of
plate tectonic reconstructions, in the Paleozoin &
Mesozoic

Biostratigraphy

First appeared in the rock record in the Early Cambrian

There are some 12.000 fossil but only 350 living species
Post Paleozoic decline of the brachiopods is due to pre
dation pressure
They are of some use in stratigraphic subdivision & corr
elation
Biozonation inter-regional applicability throughout the
Silurian cosmopolitan province
Locally important in the identification of marine bands i
n the coal measures as in Durham
Paleoenvirontmental interpretation

BRYOZOANS

Extant, Ordovician Recent

Solitary exception of monobryozoon
Individual animals typically less than 1 mm i
n diameter
Most living bryozoans are marine, some are
brackish or freshwater
Almost all of the marine forms are comparati
vely shallow marine, although a few are asso
ciated with deep marine

Almost all living are benthic, epifaunal & ses

sile, although some are motile
Important contributors to the formation of s
ediments (carbonate sediment)
Especially true in temperate-as opposed tro
pical waters
Ancient as well as modern- temperate-wat
er carbonate

Paleobiogeography

Resticted or endemic biogeographic distrib

ution paleobiogeographic provinces pl
ate tectonic reconstructions, in the Paleozoi
c & in the Cenozoic

Biostratigraphy

First appeared in the Ordovician

Diversity : ordovician
Stratigraphic subdivision & correlation
Paleoenvironmental interpretation

Molluscs : Bivalves

Passive filter feeding

Entirely aquatic in habit, freshwater, more c
ommonly brackish & marine env.
Virtually all re benthic, although some such
as scallops are nectobenthic capable of fr
ee swimming
Many are infaunal, some are epifaunal
Highest in tropical & temperate latitudes

Paleobathymetry

Indicators of paleobathymetry, or proximity t

o shoreline in marine env.

Paleoclimatology

Also in the Cenozoic, bivalve distributions point

toward the paleogeographic & paleoclimate
evolution of the Tethyan & Paratethyan realms

Biostratigraphy

Evolved in the Cambrian

Significant diversification in the Ordovician
Useful in the stratigraphic subdivision & corr
elation paleoenv. interpretation

Gastropods

Diverse; extant, Cambrian Recent

Live in terrestrial & aquatic, fresh water,
brackish & marine env.
Almost all are benthic; most epifaunal & either
motile or sessile; some infaunal

Paleobiogeography

Many fossil gastropods appear to have had r

estricted or or endemic biogeographic distri
bution constrain plate tectonic in Paleoz
oic, Mesozoic & Cenozoic

Paleoclimatology

In the Cenozoic, gastropod distributions

point toward the paleogeographic &
paleoclimatic evolution of the Tethyan &
paratethyan realms

Garstropod distributions & turnovers also point to

ward the paleoclimatic evolution of the North Pac
ific over the critical transition from Eocene to Olig
ocene
The exacting ecological requirements & tolerance
s of many gastropod species, their rapid response
to changing environmental & climatic condition,
Render them especially useful in Quaternary pale
oclimatology & climatostratigraphy & in archaeolo
gy

Biostratigraphy

Evolved in the Cambrian

Diversity : Ordovician
Local to regional applicability, as in the Cen
ozoic of the onshore parts of the North Sea
basin in North-West Europe

Ammonoids

Extinct, Late Paleozoic Mosozoic, Devonia

n Cretaceous group of Cephalopod
Large heads
Marine & Nectonic
Interpreted to have fed on plankton or alowswimming animals in the water column
The abundance of ammonites has been use
d as a measure of Carbonate dilution or Pal
eoproductivity in the Early Cretaceous

Paleobathymetry

Sea level changes have been inferred on the

basis of ammonite distribution

Paleobiogeography

Restricted or endemic biogeographic

distributions constrain plate tectonic
in the Late Paleozoic and in the
Mesozoic

Tectonic as well as eustatic effects were an i

mportant factor in ammonite paleobiogeogr
aphy, example : associated with the rifting o
f the south & equatorial Atlantic & the driftin
g apart of Africa & South America

Belemnites

Extinct, Mesozoic, Jurassic - Cretaceous

Paleobathymetry

Concentration by sedimentological processes,

such as winnowing in shallow water & gravity flow
in deep water
Paleocurrent

Paleoclimatology

Importantly, belemnites are of considerable

use in paleotemperature & paleoclimatic as
well as in paleobiogeographic interpretatio
n, paleobathymetric complications notwiths
tanding
The Pee Dee belemnite standard is that a
gaints which such measurements are calibra
ted