Wuliuan
~509 – ~504.5 Ma
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Chronology
Etymology
Name formalityFormal
Name ratified2018[2]
Former name(s)Cambrian Stage 5
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitAge
Stratigraphic unitStage
First proposed byZhao et al., 2018[3]
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionFAD of Oryctocephalus indicus.
Lower boundary GSSPWuliu-Zengjiayan, Guizhou, China
26°04′51″N 108°24′50″E / 26.0807°N 108.4138°E / 26.0807; 108.4138
Lower GSSP ratified2018[2]
Upper boundary definitionFAD of the Trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus
Upper boundary GSSPDrumian section, Wheeler Shale, Utah, U.S.A.
39°30′42″N 112°59′29″W / 39.5117°N 112.9915°W / 39.5117; -112.9915
Upper GSSP ratified2006[4]

The Wuliuan stage is the fifth stage of the Cambrian, and the first stage of the Miaolingian Series of the Cambrian. It was formally defined by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in 2018.[5] Its base is defined by the first appearance of the trilobite species Oryctocephalus indicus; it ends with the beginning of the Drumian Stage, marked by the first appearance of the trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus around 504.5 million years ago.[6]

The 'golden spike' that formally defines the base of the age is driven into the Wuliu-Zengjiayan (乌溜-曾家崖) section of the Kaili formation, near Balang Village in the Miaoling Mountains, Guizhou, China.[7]

GSSP

Three sections were discussed as GSSP candidates: the Wuliu-Zengjiayan section near Balang in Guizhou province (China), a section on Split Mountain in Nevada (USA)[8] and the "Molodo river section" along the Molodo river (Sakha Republic, Russia).[9] The Wuliu-Zengjiayan section is an outcrop of the Kaili Formation in the Wuliu quarry. The first candidate for the beginning of the Wuliuan was the trilobite Oryctocephalus indicus, the second candidate was the trilobite Ovatoryctocara granulata.[10]

The Wuliu-Zengjiayan section was chosen as the formal base in 2018, with the first appearance of Oryctocephalus indicus being chosen as the defining marker for the GSSP.[2]

Major events

The base of Wuliuan stage (and, accordingly, the entire Miaolingian Series) is characterized by the first major extinction of trilobites, known as the Olenellid Biomere boundary. This event is linked by a sudden negative carbonate carbon excursion.[11]

Paleontology

Benthic graptolites have reached a considerable diversity im the Wuliuan. The most common graptolite genus of this age is Sphenoecium, whose robust colonies were found all over the world.[12] Numerous panarthropods, including trilobites, agnostoids, hurdiids and bradoriids, are known from Wuliuan deposits.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Chart/Time Scale". stratigraphy.org. International Commission on Stratigraphy.
  2. ^ a b c Yuanlong Zhao; Jinliang Yuan; Loren E. Babcock; Qingjun Guo; Jin Peng; Leiming Yin; Xinglian Yang; Shanchi Peng; Chunjiang Wang; Robert R. Gaines; Jorge Esteve; Tongsu Tai; Ruidong Yang; Yue Wang; Haijing Sun; Yuning Yang (June 2019). "Global Standard Stratotype-Section and Point (GSSP) for the conterminous base of the Miaolingian Series and Wuliuan Stage (Cambrian) at Balang, Jianhe, Guizhou, China" (PDF). Episodes. 42 (2): 165–184. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2019/019013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  3. ^ Yuanlong, Zhao; Jinliang, Yuan; Babcock, Loren; Qingjun, Guo; Jin, Peng; Leiming, Yin; Xinglian, Yang; Chunjiang, Wang; Gaines, Robert; Esteve, Jorge; Ruidong, Yang; Yuning, Yang; Haijing, Sun; Tongsu, Tai. "Global Standard Stratotype-Section and Point (GSSP) for the conterminous base of the Miaolingian Series and Wuliuan Stage (Cambrian) at Balang, Jianhe, Guizhou, China" (PDF). Epizodes. 42 (2): 1–20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-04.
  4. ^ Babcock, Loren; Robison, Richard; Rees, Margaret; Peng, Shanchi; Saltzman, Matthew (June 2007). "The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Drumian Stage (Cambrian) in the Drum Mountains, Utah, USA" (PDF). Episodes. 30 (2): 84–94. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2007/v30i2/003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  5. ^ "ChronostratChart2018-08" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2018.
  6. ^ "GSSP Table - Paleozoic Era". Archived from the original on 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  7. ^ Ahlberg, Per; Babcock, Loren E. "Subcommission on Cambrian Stratigraphy Annual Report 2017" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  8. ^ F. M. Gradstein, J. G. Ogg, M. D. Schmitz, G. M. Ogg. "The Geologic Time Scale 2012". The Geologic Time Scale.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "The 13th International Field Conference of the Cambrian Stage Subdivision Working Group" (PDF). Episodes. 31 (4): 440–441. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  10. ^ Sundberg, F.A.; Zhao, Y.L.; Yuan, J.L.; Lin, J.P. (22 September 2011). "Detailed trilobite biostratigraphy across the proposed GSSP for Stage 5 ("Middle Cambrian" boundary) at the Wuliu-Zengjiayan section, Guizhou, China" (PDF). Bulletin of Geosciences. 86 (3): 423–464. doi:10.3140/bull.geosci.1211. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-04-07.
  11. ^ Jih-Pai Lin, Frederick A. Sundberg, Ganqing Jiang, Isabel P. Montañez, Thomas Wotte (22 November 2019). "Chemostratigraphic correlations across the first major trilobite extinction and faunal turnovers between Laurentia and South China". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 17392. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53685-2. PMC 6874646.((cite journal)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Jörg Maletz (8 December 2023). "Benthic graptolites (Graptolithina, Pterobranchia) in the Miaolingian (Cambrian Series 3)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. doi:10.1007/s12549-023-00595-x.
  13. ^ Julien Kimmig, Stephen Pates, Rhiannon J. LaVine, L. J. Krumenacker, Anna F. Whitaker, Luke C. Strotz, Paul G. Jamison, Val G. Gunther, Glade Gunther, Matt Witte, Allison C. Daley, Bruce S. Lieberman (2023). "New soft-bodied panarthropods from diverse Spence Shale (Cambrian; Miaolingian; Wuliuan) depositional environments". Journal of Paleontology. 97 (5): 1025–1048. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.24.((cite journal)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

Cambrian Period
Geological history of Earth
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