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Fossil evidence for the location of the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary in Morocco

Nature volume 344, pages 752–754 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

THE Precambrian/Cambrian boundary is one of the most important points of the geological rimescale, yet it remains stratigraphi-cally undefined1. Most of the candidate sections are in carbonate rocks2, so their carbon isotope stratigraphy can be used to infer the timing of changes in ocean chemistry3. These δ 13C profiles have been used to correlate Precambrian/Cambrian boundary sections where palaeontological information is scarce4–7. In the Anti-Atlas mountains of Morocco, two distinct positive δ 13C excursions, about 1,200 m apart in the sequence, have been detected8. On the basis of minimal palaentological information the lower of these two excursions was correlated with the base of the Vendian (latest Precambrian), and the upper with the Tom-motian/Atdabanian boundary8. We present here new palaeontological data, from calcified cyanobacteria9 and trace fossils, indicating that the consensus view on the position of the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary in this sequence is about 1,000 m too high (Fig. 1).

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  1. Department of Geology, University of Wales College of Cardiff, Cardiff, CF1 3YE, UK

    Andrew Latham & Robert Riding

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Latham, A., Riding, R. Fossil evidence for the location of the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary in Morocco. Nature 344, 752–754 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/344752a0

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