Fauna i, Section AV2, Whittaker Fm., Mackenzie Mts.: Llandovery - Wenlock, Canada

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Rhynchonellata - Orthida - Hesperorthidae
Jin and Chatterton 1997
unclassified
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Orthida - Dicoelosiidae
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Dicoelosia parvifrons Johnson et al. 1976
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Cyrtiidae
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Reticulariidae
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Atrypida - Atrypidae
Atrypa (Gotatrypa) variabilis Johnson et al. 1976
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Atrypida - Atrypinidae
Gracianella lissumbra Johnson and Boucot 1967
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Atrypida - Septatrypidae
Septatrypa zelia Barrande 1879
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Atrypoidea linguata (von Buch 1834)
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Rhynchonellata - Athyridida - Meristellidae
Jin and Chatterton 1997
Trilobita - Phacopida - Cheiruridae
Deiphon sp. Barrande 1846
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Contracheirurus sp. Chatterton and Perry 1984
Chatterton and Perry 1984
Trilobita - Odontopleurida - Odontopleuridae
see common names

Geography
Country:Canada State/province:Northwest Territories
Coordinates: 62.4° North, 127.0° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:1.4° North, 106.7° West (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period: Silurian Epoch: Llandovery - Wenlock
10 m.y. bin: Silurian 1 - Silurian 2
*Epoch:Late/Upper Llandovery - Early/Lower Wenlock
Key time interval: Llandovery - Wenlock Zone:  Pterospathodus amorphognathoides
Age range of interval: 443.1 - 426.7 m.y. ago
* legacy (obsolete) database fields
Stratigraphy
Formation:Whittaker
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: Zonation based on conodonts present in AV sections 1, 2, and 4. (AV 3 and DR sections correlated with these on basis of trilobite faunal assemblages.)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:red or brown "shale"
Lithology description: Whittaker Fm. in general: "Beneath a distinctive buff-brown coloured shale unit, assigned to the base of the Delorme Fm., the strata consist of interbedded argillaceous limestones, calcareous shales, and cherty dolomites...The more carbonate-rich horizons contain rich silicified trilobite, conodont, and ostracode faunas. They also contain sparser coral, bryozoanb, brachiopod, mollusc, and other invertebrate faunas..." SEP adjusted lithofacies to match sample location in section as indicated on page 7 of primary ref.
Environment:basinal (siliciclastic) Tectonic setting:passive margin
Glacial or sequence phase:highstand systems tract
Geology comments: "The strata assigned to the Whittaker Formation in these sections are largely deeper water platform margin or upper slope limestones and shales." Grand Cycle 2-3 transition.
SEP environmental call: this is sort of tough to fit into given classification because of the hard-and-fast distinction made between carbonate and siliciclastic environments. Basically, this sample comes from buff brown shales that appear to be just above the base of the MFS in this basin and it may even be from the MFS itself. I have classified this sample in the siliciclastic framework, but it is within a carbonate-dominated system
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:replaced with silica
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Metadata
Database number:26041
Authorizer:M. Foote Enterer:M. Foote
Modifier:M. Foote Research group:marine invertebrate
Created:2002-10-01 10:10:00 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2002-10-01 10:10:00
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
7215. B. D. E. Chatterton and D. G. Perry. 1983. Silicified Silurian odontopleurid trilobites from the Mackenzie Mountains. Palaeontographica Canadiana 1:1-55 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]

Secondary references:

7216 B. D. E. Chatterton and D. G. Perry. 1984. Silurian cheirurid trilobites from the Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 184(1-4):1-78 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]
7218 J. Jin and B. D. E. Chatterton. 1997. Latest Ordovician-Silurian articulate brachiopods and biostratigraphy of the Avalanche Lake area, southwestern District of Mackenzie, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana 13:1-62 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]