1. Fishes from the Lower Triassic portion of the Sulphur Mountain formation in Alberta, Canada: geological context and taxonomic composition
- Author
-
Neuman, Andrew G.
- Subjects
Zoology -- Identification and classification ,Fish populations ,Earth sciences - Abstract
The Sulphur Mountain Formation in Alberta, Canada, comprises shales, siltstones, and limestones laid down on the continental shelf and shoreline along the western margin of the North American Craton during the Early and Middle Triassic. At least 13 taxa of fossil marine fishes have been found at a number of Triassic localities along the Front Ranges and foothills in Alberta. Common taxa (Boreosomus, Birgeria, Bobasatrania, Australosomus, Saurichthys, parasemionotids, and coelacanths) found at localities in Alberta are similar to those found at the classic Lower and Middle Triassic localities near Wapiti Lake, British Columbia, and in East Greenland, Spitzbergen, Madagascar, and China. The occurrence of Lower Triassic fishes in western Alberta shows that this fauna was widespread, occurring over at least 1000 km of shoreline, and that ecological and environmental factors were similar along the western edge of the Panthalassic Ocean during the Early Triassic. La Formation de Sulphur Mountain en Alberta (Canada) comprend des shales et calcaires deposes sur la plateforme continentale et le littoral le long de la marge occidentale du craton nord-americain, durant le Trias precoce et moyen. Au moins 13 taxons de poissons marins fossiles ont ete trouves en differentes localites triasiques le long des chainons frontaux et des contreforts des Rocheuses en Alberta. Des taxons repandus (Boreosomus, Birgeria, Bobasatrania, Australosomus, Saurichthys, parasemionotides et crelacanthes) trouves dans des localites en Alberta sont semblables a ceux observes dans les localites classiques du Trias inferieur et moyen pres du lac Wapiti (Colombie-Britannique) et dans l'est du Groenland, au Spitzberg, a Madagascar et en Chine. La presence de poissons du Trias inferieur dans l'ouest de l'Alberta montre que cette faune etait repandue, couvrant au moins 1000 km de littoral, et que des facteurs ecologiques et environnementaux semblables prevalaient le long de la bordure ouest de l'ocean Panthalassique durant le Trias precoce. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction For over 100 years well-preserved Triassic fishes have been collected from Alberta, Canada, beginning with the first specimen discovered by E.W. Peyto from Banff, and sent by the curator [...]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF