Early Paleozoic (Late Cambrian–Early Ordovician) acritarchs from the metasedimentary Baden-Baden–Gaggenau zone (Schwarzwald, SW Germany)

Abstract

The metasediments of the low-grade metamorphosed Baden-Baden–Gaggenau zone of the northern Schwarzwald (southwestern Germany) have been analyzed palynologically. From 133 samples representing different metasedimentary units, only three samples of the upper part of the Traischbach Serie provide extremely poorly-preserved palynomorphs. The assemblage consists of the galeate acritarch genera Caldariola, Cymatiogaleaand Stelliferidium, as well as specimens of diacromorph and polygonomorph acritarchs. Although determinations are difficult at the generic level and essentially impossible at the specific level, the assemblage can be attributed to an interval between the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician. This is the first biostratigraphical age assignment for the metasediments of the Baden-Baden–Gaggenau zone, which can possibly be correlated with the Villé Unit of the northern Vosges Mountains (eastern France).