Integrated conodont biostratigraphy and carbon isotope chemostratigraphy in the Lower–Middle Ordovician of southern Sweden reveals a complete record of the MDICE

Abstract

AbstractOne of the few and most complete records of the MDICE (Middle Darriwilian Isotope Carbon Excursion) is herein documented from Baltoscandia. Based on a core section penetrating the condensed Lower–Middle Ordovician succession (~46 m) on the island of Öland, southeastern Sweden, we provide an integrated scheme for carbon isotope chemostratigraphy (313 samples) and conodont biostratigraphy (29 samples) for this period. The carbonate succession in the Tingskullen core records 12 conodont zones and 6 subzones, including theOepikodus evae, Trapezognathus diprion, Baltoniodus triangularis, B. navis, B. norrlandicus, Lenodus antivariabilis, L. variabilis, Yangtzeplacognathus crassus, Eoplacognathus pseudoplanus(Microzarkodina hagetianaandMicrozarkodina ozarkodellasubzones),E. suecicus, Pygodus serra(E. foliaceus, E. reclinatus, E. robustusandE. lindstroemisubzones) andPygodus anserinuszones in ascending order. The δ13Ccarbrecord reveals an apparently complete record of the MDICE, including a rising limb, a well-defined peak and a falling limb. The anomaly covers a thickness ofc. 27 m in the core and spans theEoplacognathus pseudoplanus, E. suecicus, Pygodus serraandP. anserinusconodont zones. Combined with the new, detailed conodont biostratigraphy, the MDICE in the Tingskullen core can be used for detailed correlation with successions from Baltica, North America, the Argentine Precordillera, South China and North China.