PALEOECOLOGY OF LATE CRETACEOUS RUDIST SETTLEMENTS IN CENTRAL OMAN

Abstract

Rudist associations werenormally destroyed during or shortly after their development Consequently exact paleobiological examinations are very difficultor impossible Theinassociations of Central Oman are often completely preserved and enable a precise paleobiological and paleoeiological description tobe made They developed during atransgression onto theArabian platform Microfacies analysis based on extensive field observations reveal that vigorous turbulent conditions prevailed very frequently throughout theperiod The development and preservation ofinrudist associations are rare As a rule episodic turbulence prevented thedevelopment of such structures In the same way turbulence normally destroyed rudist associations The model of constratal growth Perkins 1974 Gili et al 1995a Skelton etal 1995 is discussed including the question whether thick extensive rudist associations should be named reefs The absenceof vast rudist reefs is believed notto be aconsequence of an inherentinability of vertically growing rudists to build such structures but can be mainly attributed to exogenous abiotic factors The associations investigated here inhabited restrictive shallow environments Rapid growth of a fewrudist species is verified Vertically growing rudist associations of5successiveingenerations represent a period of only two to three hundred years