JOURNAL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA Vol.77, March 2011, pp.219-226
Paleobiogeography, Paleoecology and Paleoenvironmental Significance of the Cambrian Trilobites from the Zanskar Region (ZanskarSpiti-Kinnaur Basin), Northwest Himalaya BIRENDRA P. SINGH Center for Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh - 160 014 Email:
[email protected] Abstract: In present study the newly recorded latest Middle Cambrian trilobite fauna from the Cambrian succession of the Zanskar region of Zanskar-Spiti-Kinnaur Basin (Tethyan Himalaya) is analyzed critically to assess relationships with other Cambrian faunal elements of equatorial peri-Gondwanaland. The identification of genus Neoanomocarella, Parablackwelderia, Kunmingaspis, Fuchouia, Damesella and Dorypyge from the Cambrian of the Zanskar region and their comparison with those of South China and Australia is significant. It constitutes the basis for assessing the paleobiogeographic affinities during the Cambrian. The latest Middle Cambrian trilobite fauna from Zanskar shows proximity of Indian margin with that of southwest China “outboard” micro-continent. The recovery of analogous Middle Cambrian species i.e., Dorypyge perconvexlis, Fuchouia bulba, Fuchouia cf. oratolimba, Parablackwelderia sp. and Damesella sp. from the Zanskar region (Tethyan Himalaya) suggests a contiguous close proximity with south China and Australia during the latest Middle Cambrian, which supports the model of Meert and Van der Voo (1997) for assembly of Gondwanaland. The presence of Kunmingaspis in Zanskar and similar reports from northwestern Yunnan-Tibetan region, northern Henan, central and southeastern Hubei, north China, western Xinjiang and Yangtze platform reveal a close affinity between the Indian margin and the Yangtze platform during the Middle Cambrian. The trilobite fauna indicates the deeper shelf-shallow slope environment of deposition under fluctuating conditions of relative sea-level. The faunal elements of the Lejopyge acantha and Proagnostus bulbus zones indicate that the sea inundated the northern margin of Zanskar region during the latest Middle Cambrian time (Teta transgression) which is synchronous with globally recognized eustatic events during Lejopyge laevigata Zone. Keywords: Relative sea-level, Transgression, Lejopyge acantha Zone, Proagnostus bulbus Zone, Cambrian, Zanskar.
CAMBRIAN STRATIGRAPHY AND GEOLOGICAL SETTING
The Zanskar region lies within the Tethyan belt of the Indian Himalaya and is extension of the classical Spiti Basin. It constitutes the most significant part of the northern margin of the Indian plate during the Cambrian period. The Cambrian sediments are well preserved and exposed along the Niri-Tsarap and Kurgiakh valleys in southeastern part of the Zanskar region (Fig. 1). The Cambrian sediments of the Zanskar region are classified under the Haimanta Group, which gradationally overlies the crystallines of the Higher Himalaya (Nanda and Singh, 1976; Srikantia et al. 1980; Fuchs, 1987), however, tectonic contact was also evoked by some workers (Garzanti et al. 1986; Gaetani et al. 1986; Herren, 1987; Dezes, 1999; Myrow et al. 2006; Singh, 2006). The Haimanta Group is divided into the Batal,
Parahio, Karsha and Kurgiakh Formations (= Kunzam La) (Nanda and Singh, 1976; Srikantia et al. 1980; Garzanti et al. 1986; Gaetani et al. 1986; Myrow et al. 2006). The basal Batal Formation rests tectonically along the Zanskar Shear Zone (Herren, 1987; Dezes, 1999) and is represented by argillaceous-arenaceous sedimentary successions (Nanda and Singh, 1976). No type section is assigned for Batal Formation and based on lithological characters it is subdivided into Tsarap and Doda members. The age of this formation is latest Precambrian-?Early Cambrian. Recently, Myrow et al. (2006) proposed Parahio Formation between the Batal and Karsha Formations by coupling of upper Tsarap member (base at the trace fossil horizon of Hughes and Droser, 1992) of the Batal Formation and the lower Mauling member of the Karsha Formation. The Parahio Formation is interpreted as deposited in storm-influenced environment
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Fig.1. Location map of the Niri-Tsarap Chu and Kurgiakh valleys in southeastern part of the Zanskar region, northwest Himalaya, India. Inset image showing the Niri-Tsarap and Kurgiakh valleys of the southeastern part of the Zanskar region.
from offshore marine to shoreface to fluvial settings (Myrow et al. 2006). The top 100 m of the Parahio Formation yielded definite Middle Cambrian trilobites (Dungrakoti et al. 1974; Dungrakoti, 1975; Kumar, 1998; Shah et al. 1996; Parcha, 2004) and trace fossils (Shah et al. 1998; Parcha, 1998; Parcha and Singh, 2010; Hughes, 2002; Singh, 2006, 2007, 2009). The overlying Karsha Formation includes the Thidsi and Teta members (Myrow et al. 2006). The top part of the Karsha Formation has yielded well preserved agnostids and polymerids trilobites of Lejopyge laeivigata and Proagnostus bulbus zones of the latest Middle Cambrian (Singh, 2008; Hughes et al. 2008) and Lejopyge acantha and Proagnostus bulbus zones of the latest Middle Cambrian (Peng et al. 2009). The Karsha Formation is interpreted to have been deposited under shallow water carbonate platform condition (Garzanti et al. 1986; Myrow et al. 2006). The shale (Surichun member) and sandstone (Kuru member) units of the Kurgiakh Formation overlie the Karsha Formation. The latest Middle Cambrian trilobites have been reported from the basal part of the Surichun member (Whittington, 1986; Jell and Hughes, 1997; Hughes and Jell, 1999; Singh, 2008; Peng et al. 2009). The top part of the Kurgiakh Formation is truncated by the regional angular unconformity (Cambro-Ordovician) and unconformably overlain by the sandstone-conglomeratic successions of Thango (Thaple) Formation dated as early Middle Ordovician. There are various views regarding the depositional environment for the coarse conglomeratic alluvial-fan and proximal fluvial deposits of the Thango Formation, which generally form adjacent to basin-margin
faults, as deepening foreland basin in front of subduction zone (Gaetani et al. 1986; Garzanti et al. 1986). Possibly Late Cambrian uplift took place south of the present day STD (Myrow et al. 2006) and Early Ordovician normal faulting and uplift along the STD (Azmi, 2007). . CAMBRIAN FAUNA AND P ALEOBIOGEOGRAPHIC AFFINITY
The record of diagnostic trilobite taxa from the Zanskar region (Tethyan Himalaya), that have been recorded from the equatorial peri-Gondwanian regions, is significant in determination of palaeogeographic position of the Indian block during the Cambrian time. These diagnostic taxa have a narrow palaeogeographic range and they were apparently unable to cross the open sea. The Zanskar region of Zanskar-Spiti Basin (Tethyan Himalaya) preserves complete section spanning from Neoproterozoic to Cambrian and consequently offers excellent opportunity for constraining the faunal paleobiogeography and paleoecology on one hand and earliest Phanerozoic history of the Himalayan margin and their relation with adjacent parts of the core Gondwanaland on the other. The Neoproterozoic through Cambrian interval was a time of drastic reshuffle of tectonic plates after the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia and succeeding assembly of the core Gondwanaland comprising South America, Africa, Madagascar, Greater India, Australia and Antarctica (Dalziel 1992; Powell et al. 1993; Dalziel et al. 1994). Adjacent to the eastern margin of the core Gondwanaland existed numerous “outboard” JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.77, MARCH 2011
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microcontinents i.e. the South China, the North China, the Tarim, the Indo-China, the Sibumasu, the Lhasa block, and the Qiangtang block. There are varied views concerning the assembly of the “core” Gondwanaland and the position of the “outboard” microcontinents with relation to the Indian margin (Jell 1974; Cocks and Fortey 1988; Burrett et al. 1990; and McKerrow 1990; Dalziel 1992; Metcalfe, 1992, 1993, 1996; Powell et al. 1993, Scotese Yang and Tong 1993; Dalziel et al. 1994; Stern, 1994; Trompette, 1994; Meert and Van der Voo 1997; Rushton and Hughes, 1997). The northern margin of the Indian plate (Tethyan Himalaya) owing to its position in the core Gondwanaland constitutes significant link to decipher the evolution of the Phanerozoic history during the assembly of the Gondwanaland. Precise biostratigraphic constraints on the Cambrian of the Himalaya show that the Tethyan and the Lesser Himalayan regions are closely comparable to the southwest China Basin, strengthening the recent suggestion for close geographic proximity between the Himalaya and the Yangtze block during late Neoproterozoic through Early Cambrian time (Hughes et al. 2005). During the Cambrian period, the Indian continent lay 20° N of the equator and formed the western part of the Gondwana surrounded by the perigondwanian microcontinents. The paleobiogeographic distribution of common taxa (numbered 1-20) in India (Zanskar-Spiti),
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China, Australia and Antarctica are illustrated in Table 1 and Fig. 2. Early Cambrian
The identification of the distinctive late Early Cambrian trilobites Dolerolenus (Malungia) laeivigata, Drepanopyge, and Protolenella from the Lesser Himalaya (Hughes et al. 2005) and their correlation with Yangtze block of southwest China (Luo, Jiang and Tang, 1994) and Kunming region (Zhou and Yuan, 1980) is also significant as it shows proximity of the Indian block with that of Yangtze platform during the Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian time (Hughes et al. 2005). In the Zanskar region so far no body fossils of Early Cambrian have been recorded, therefore, the paleogeographic reconstruction of this region is uncertain for the Early Cambrian stage. Middle Cambrian
The Cambrian trilobite fauna of the Zanskar region in its paleontological aspect is also multi-provincial i.e. AcadoBaltic and Pacific-American to a lower degree and Chinese or Australian to a higher degree. The record of latest Middle Cambrian trilobites from the Tethyan Himalaya, particularly of Zanskar, is significant as they may become potential marker for the regional and global correlation. The record
Table 1. Paleogeographic distribution of some common taxa from India (Zanskar-Spiti), China, Australia and Antarctica Sl. No.
Common trilobite taxa (Polymerid)
India Tethyan Himalaya (Zanskar-Spiti)
China South China, North China and Eastern China
Australia Western Australia Eastern Australia
Antarctica
Age
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Neoanomocarella Parablackwelderia Fuchouia Dorypyge Ptychoparia Blackwelderia Lisania Painaspis Demesella Eoshengia Torifera Chatiania Anomocarella Kunmingaspis Solenoplenra Hundwarella Iranolessia Pagetia Tonkinella Oryctocephalus
Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Latest Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian Middle Cambrian
— —
— — — — — — — —
— — — — — — — — — — — — —
Present
— Absent
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Fig.2. Map showing the distribution of common polymerid trilobite taxa (numbered 1-20) in Indian Himalay (Zanskar-Spiti), China, Australia and Antarctica.
of Neoanomocarella asiatica, Parablckwelderia luoensis, Fuchouia sp. Fuchouia bulba, Fuchouia cf. oratolimba, Lisania cf. yuanjiangensis, Eoptychoparia cf. jinshanensis, Damesella sp., Dorypyge perconvexalis, from Zanskar and other regions is significant and constitutes the basis for assessing the paleobiogeographic affinities of the northern region of Indian plate during the Cambrian time. The recovery of Middle Cambrian genus i.e., Eoshengia, Fuchouia, Damesops (Whittington, 1986; Jell and Hughes, 1997; Singh, 2008) and Parablackwelderia, Damesella, Dorypyge, (Singh, 2008), from the Zanskar region and their correlation with that of China and Australia suggests a contiguous margin in the Middle Cambrian, as proposed by Meert and Van der Voo (1997). The Cambrian trilobite faunas also occur in western Yunnan (Leng, 1983), which show basinal lithofacies similar to those found in the Tethyan Himalaya (Hughes et al. 2002). The western Yunnan constitutes the structural part of the Kunlun-Tibet-western Yunnan geosyncline (Zhang, 1988), and forms an extension of the Qiangtang terrane and possibly part of the continuous “Cimmerian” continent of Metcalfe (1996). The presence of Kunmingaspis in Zanskar (Singh, 2006), Yinchangou, northwestern Yunnan-Tibetan region (Hughes et al. 2002),
Songshan region of northern Hunan (Zhou et al. 1977), Dahongshan region of central Hubei and southeastern Hubei (Sun, 1982, 1984), southern Liaoning in north China (Nan and Chang, 1982), western Xinjiang (Zhang, 1981) and Yangtze platform (Zhang et al. 1980) shows close affinities between these areas during the Middle Cambrian. Recent report of faunal elements of Lejopyge laeivigata Zone-III and Proagnostus bulbus Zone from the Zanskar region (Singh, 2008; Hughes et al. 2008) shows close relation with the Hunan province of the South China during the latest Middle Cambrian. This faunal element consists of Parablackwelderia, Fuchouia, Dorypyge, Neoanomocarella asiatica and other cosmopolitan agnostids i.e. Lejopyge calva, Lisogoragnostus hybus, Ammagnostus sp., Diplagnostus planicauda, Utagnostus neglectus, etc. The genus Parablackwelderia has been mainly reported from the upper Middle Cambrian (Blackwelderia, Drepanura, and Paradamesops jimaensis-Cyclolorenzella tuma Zones) of China (Walcott, 1905, Resser and Endo, 1937; Lu, 1957; Chu, 1959; Yang, 1978; Yin and Li, 1978; Qiu et al. 1983; Zhang and Jell, 1987; Zhu and Wittke, 1989; Zhang et al. 1995). The Fuchouia cf. oratolimba is reported from Parablackwelderia [=Paradamesops] jimaensis–Torifera JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.77, MARCH 2011
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[=Cyclorenzella] tuma Zone, in Jiudiantang, Xinhuang (Zhou et al. 1977; Yin and Li, 1978; Yang, 1978; Lu and Lin, 1989) and in Huaqiao Formation in the Paibi and Wangcun sections of northwestern Hunan (Peng et al. 2004). The Fuchouia bulba is reported from the Huaqiao Formation in the Paibi and Wangcun sections (Peng et al. 2001, 2004) where it occurs with trilobites indicative of the Pianaspis sinensis Zone. It has been also reported from south central China (Zhou et al. 1977), western Hunan and eastern Guizhou (Yang, 1978), Hunan (Liu, 1982). The Neoanomocarella asiatica has been mainly reported from Wangcun and Paibi sections of northwestern Hunan (Peng et al. 2004) where it occurs in the Wanshania wanshanensis Zone to middle of the Liostracina bella Zone which is equivalent to upper part of Proagnostus bulbus Zone to base of the Glyptagnostus stolidotus Zone. The genus Dorypyge is reported from the Antarctica (Nelson Limestone), Iran, Hunan and Australia (very late Middle Cambrian) and presently also from very late Middle Cambrian succession of Zanskar Basin. The genus Damesella occurs in southeastern Asia late in the Middle and early in the Late Cambrian. The Damesellacea in Queensland, China, Korea and Indochina correlate the Australian Mindyallan and the Kushanian of eastern Asia. As regards the Damesellacea, their known province extended from the North China to Tasmania. The abundance of Damesellacea in Mindyallan of Queensland indicates close and continuous connection with eastern Asia. In China, Blackwelderia genus have a wider span and being recorded in the Blackwelderia Zone (below) and in the Drepanura Zone (above), which is the equivalent of the G. stolidotus Zone (early Late Cambrian). Blackwelderia also reported from early Late Cambrian succession of Trahagam Formation of the Northwest Kashmir (Jell, 1986). In Zanskar it appears in late Middle Cambrian succession. The associated agnostid and polymerids trilobites like Lejopyge acantha, Diplagnostus planicauda, Clavagnostus trispinus; Neoanomocarella asiatica; Fuchouia bulba; Fuchouia cf. oratolimba also indicate the Changhian age. Thus the Cambrian faunal elements of the Zanskar region show close paleogeographical proximity with southwest China and Australia. Thus the new paleontological data from Cambrians of Lesser Himalaya and the Zanskar (Tethyan Himalaya) regions show close relation with the Yangtze block during the Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian and south China (outboard microcontinent), Antarctica and Australia during the Middle Cambrian period, and hence supports the view of close proximity of China and Australia during the Cambrian period (Meert and Van der Voo, 1997). JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.77, MARCH 2011
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Late Cambrian
So far no Late Cambrian trilobites are recorded from the Zanskar region. It is assumed that the Late Cambrian succession was eroded before the deposition of Ordovician Thango Formation. PALEOECOLOGY AND PALAEOENVIRONMENT
In the Zanskar region the Cambrian rocks are well preserved and contain fossiliferous horizons intermittently with barren zones. Lack of significant analysis of factors having bearing on the diversification, radiation and extinctions of the Cambrian fauna is due to limited biostratigraphic investigations in the Cambrian successions of the Tethyan Himalaya. No direct study on paleoclimatic reconstruction has been carried out to investigate the proliferation of biological communities and their subsequent disappearance or extinction events (Singh, 2008). Paleontological, stratigraphical and sedimentological studies revealed that the Zanskar area was affected by the flooding and marine transgression/regression events during the Cambrian time (Garzanti et al. 1986; Gaetani et al. 1986; Myrow et al. 2006). The Cambrian rocks in the Zanskar region are also variably interpreted in terms of depositional environment from tidal, sub-tidal flats to shallow marine conditions in the lower part and carbonate-platform to intermingling flooding fluvio-deltaic, deeper water to deltaic environment in the middle-upper part (Myrow et al. 2006). In Cambrian successions two ichnofacies have been are identified (Singh, 2006, 2007, 2009). The Arenicolites ichnofacies dominated by Skolithos and Planolites is well preserved in thin wavy laminated shale, shale-silty shale facies. Along this facies it is observed that burrowing activity was shallow and restricted only at the sediment-surface interface boundary. The Cruziana ichnofacies dominates in upper part of the Cambrian successions. The rigorous bioturbation activity, well-sorted silt and sands to interbedded muddy layers and associated faunal elements of the Cruziana ichnofacies represent shifting to stable substrate condition. The increase in ichnofaunal diversity in upper part of the lower Cambrian reveals abundance of oxygen and organic matter, and infrequent mixing of waves and progressive deepening of the basin. The transition from low to high diversity is confined to only few tens of meters at the top part of the Parahio Formation, where the ichnofossils tiers are very shallow and restricted at the sediment-surface interface boundary only (Singh, 2006, 2009). The trilobite fauna indicates the shelf-slope environment under the fluctuating conditions of transgressive
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sequences. The identification of faunal elements of the Lejopyge laevigata (=Lejopyge acantha) biozone in Teta Member of the Karsha Carbonate platform in Zanskar (Singh, 2008; Hughes et al. 2008; Peng et al. 2009) indicates that the sea inundated the northern margin or smaller fluctuations of relative sea level of the Zanskar region occurred during the latest Middle Cambrian time (Teta transgression) which was synchronous with globally recognized eustatic events during Lejopyge laevigata time (Singh, 2008).
Acknowledgements: I am grateful to Profs. Jim Jago, Johan Laurie, Meert, J.G., Thomas Hegana and Tae-Yon Park for supplying the relevant literature. I thank Profs. Sanchi Peng and Nigel Hughes for help in identification of fauna. Dr. K.P. Juyal and Dr. D.S.N. Raju acknowledged for critical evaluation of the earlier drafts of the manuscript. I am thankful to anonymous reviewers for their critical and constructive comments and to my wife Alka for her help and encouragement.
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(Received: 9 August 2010; Revised form accepted: 18 November 2010)
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