Glyptograptus? persculptus (Salter), its tectonic deformation, and its stratigraphic significance for the Carys Mills Formation of N.E. Maine, U.S.A.

Abstract

AbstractThe Carys Mills Formation of NE Maine represents the SW extension of the Matapedia Group and the White Head Formation of southern Gaspé, Quebec. This formation has yielded two main collections, one hitherto considered of Middle Ordovician age (zone 13 of Berry's 1960 Marathon, Texas, zonation) with 7 species referred to 4 genera, and one of the Early Silurian age. A revision of the supposed Middle Ordovician collections reveals that the graptolites are basal Silurian and consist of only one species, Glyptograptus? persculptus. Several hundred specimens, preserved both flattened and in three dimensions, the latter in iron pyrites, allow an analysis of both the rhabdosome changes wrought by diagenetic flattening and those caused by severe tectonic deformation. It is shown that those specimens lying parallel to the bedding plane lineation caused by a high‐angle main cleavage have a silhouette appearance close to Glyptograptus tamariscus (Nicholson), whilst those at right angles to this direction superficially resemble robust Amplexograptus spp., or Diplograptus s.s., or Diplograptus s.l. spp., thus explaining the stratigraphic assignment of earlier workers. An analogue video reshaper confirms the above conclusions.This determination assigns the whole Carys Mills Formation to the Lower Silurian, but the possibility that part of the formation is of Late Ordovician age cannot be excluded. This much is suggested by the Matapedia Group and the White Head Formation which are of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian age, and the Honorat Group, which has yielded graptolites of late Middle Ordovician age.