Middle–Upper Cambrian Trilobites of the Genus Nganasanella Rosova, 1963 and Their Stratigraphic Significance

Abstract

Abstract —This paper presents a revision for the genus Nganasanella Rosova, 1963, first described in the stratotype of the Kulyumbean Regional Stage of the Kulyumbe River section (northwest of the Siberian Platform). This section is typical of the upper Cambrian sediments of the Kotuy–Igarka facies region, formed in a shallow marine shelf. As shown by the study, the genus comprises seven species. The species N. nganasanensis Rosova, 1963 (type species), N. tavgaensis Rosova, 1963, N. glabella (Kobayashi), 1943, N. granulosa Rosova et Makarova, 2009, and N. vernacula Rosova et Makarova, 2009 are found in the Siberian Platform. The species N. australica sp. nov. occurs in northeastern Australia. The species N. trisulcatus (Ergaliev), 1980 is widespread in southern Kazakhstan. Some species (N. granulosa and N. vernacula) are found in open marine facies sediments along with the cosmopolitan agnostid species Glyptagnostus reticulatus (Angelin), 1851, serving as a marker of the lower boundary of upper Cambrian strata in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart and the General Stratigraphic Chart of Russia. The species N. trisulcatus and N. australica are found slightly above Glyptagnostus reticulatus. Representatives of the genus Nganasanella are a link between strata of different facies containing different trilobite associations. Their stratigraphic position can serve as an argument for the correlation of the Kulyumbean Regional Stage with units containing Glyptagnostus reticulatus, i.e., the Omnian and Idamean regional stages, the lower parts of the Kutugunian Horizon and the Sakian Regional Stage, and the Paibian Stage of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart.