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Integrated study of the uppermost Ordovician Porkuni Stage in the Stirnas-18 core, western Latvia, has revealed one of the most complete Hirnantian successions in the eastern Baltic region. The interval is characterized by two shallowing upwards depositional sequences that correspond to the Kuldiga and Saldus formations. The whole-rock carbon stable isotope curve indicates a long rising segment of the Hirnantian carbon isotope excursion, with the highest peak in the upper part of the Kuldiga Formation. The bioclast carbon and oxygen curves fit well with the whole-rock carbon data. Micro- and macrofossil data enabled seven combined associations to be distinguished within the Hirnantian strata. The early Porkuni fauna of the Spinachitina taugourdeaui Biozone, with pre-Hirnantian affinities, is succeeded by an interval with a Hindella–Cliftonia brachiopod association, a specific polychaete fauna, the chitinozoan Conochitina scabra, and the conodont Noixodontus girardeauensis. The middle part of the Kuldiga Formation is characterized by a low-diversity Dalmanella testudinaria brachiopod association, high diversity of scolecodonts, and the occurrence of the chitinozoan Lagenochitina prussica. From the middle part of the Kuldiga Formation the youngest occurrence yet known of the conodont Amorphognathus ordovicicus is reported. Also typical of the Kuldiga Formation is the occurrence of the trilobite Mucronaspis mucronata. The uppermost Hirnantian Saldus Formation contains no shelly fauna, but yields redeposited conodonts and at least partly indigenous chitinozoans and scolecodonts. Palaeontological criteria and stable isotope data enable correlation of the Stirnas section with other Hirnantian successions in the Baltic region and elsewhere.

Due to the lack of biostratigraphically useful graptolites in the crinoidal and reefal Chicotte Formation on Anticosti Island (Québec, Canada), the precise chronostratigraphic position of the formation is not known. New stable carbon isotope and conodont data and a comparison with the detailed conodont distribution and d13C development in the Viki core (Estonia) suggest an early Telychian age (Pterospathodus eopennatus to P. a. angulatus zones) for at least the lower half of the formation. This interval is characterized by a small but distinct positive excursion in d13C, with peak values of + 3.2‰ and + 2.8‰ VPDB in the lowermost 10–15 m of the Chicotte Formation on Anticosti and in the Viki core, respectively.

The Hirnantian (late Ordovician) environment was complex and dynamic. Understanding the correct order of events and their precise correlation with a time scale are extremely important for the development of different kinds of environmental interpretations. The lower boundary of the Hirnantian Stage is officially defined by “the lowest occurrence of Normalograptus extraordinarius, the base of major positive carbon-13 isotope excursion, and the beginning of a pronounced sea-level fall associated with onset of a major glaciation” (ICS website). Our aim is to check if these events are synchronous, particularly how the situation is with respect to the Baltic. Thus several sections were analysed using mainly East Baltic data (drill cores), but also data from elsewhere, including brachiopod, chitinozoan, and conodont biostratigraphy combined with graptolite and carbon isotope data. Brachiopod faunas of the Pirgu and Porkuni stages are rather similar to those of the Ellis Bay Formation of Anticosti Island, Quebec, but the Pirgu assemblage, as well as that of the lower Ellis Bay Fm. lack key elements of the Hirnantian faunas. The primary criterion quoted above is stable, but auxiliary data like the isotope curve are less convincing. When the latter is used, it should be specified, e.g. that the carbon isotope excursion begins usually slightly earlier (in the Diceratograptus mirus Biozone), but it might be conventionally placed into the N. extraordinarius Biozone when a biostratigraphical proxy is available. The peak of the excursion is in the lower N. persculptus Biozone, but the main increase in values takes place in the N. extraordinarius Biozone. The Spinachitina taugourdeaui Biozone marks at many localities the bottom of the Hirnantian, and only the recent chitinozoan–graptolite data from the topmost Lousy Cove Member (on Anticosti Island) suggest a mid-Hirnantian age, which is at variance with common correlation schemes.

Several Telychian–Sheinwoodian strata exposed in Estonia are precisely dated using conodont biostratigraphy. The beds in the Valgu-1 section correspond to the uppermost Distomodus staurognathoides and Pterospathodus eopennatus ssp. n. 1 zones. In the Valgu-2 and Valgu-3 sections only the P. eopennatus ssp. n. 1 Zone is exposed. The strata in the Velise-Kõrgekalda section correspond to the Lower subzone of the P. amorphognathoides angulatus Zone. Marlstones in the Jädivere section are assigned to the P. a. lennarti Zone. In the Avaste section part of the P. a. lithuanicus Zone is exposed. On the Saastna Peninsula two stratigraphical intervals, the lower corresponding to the Upper subzone of the P. a. amorphognathoides Zone and the upper to the Upper Kockelella ranuliformis Zone, crop out along the shoreline. In Saastna the exposed strata are separated by a covered interval corresponding to five conodont zones, from the Lower Pseudooneotodus bicornis Zone to the Lower K. ranuliformis Zone.

A previously unknown outcrop of the Kinnekulle K-bentonite (metabentonite) is reported from the Põõsaspea cliff, NW Estonia. The bed has a sharp lower and a gradational upper contact and comprises ca 28 cm of clay overlain by ca 10 cm of hard K-feldspar-rich variety. The latter contains a layer of breccia, which indicates early onset of recrystallization and hardening of volcanic material. The discovery shows that the Põõsaspea cliff section is younger than previously thought and includes rocks of both Haljala and Keila stages.

The distribution of five groups of fossils in the upper Llandovery (Telychian) and Wenlock of the Viirelaid core section, Estonia, is presented and discussed in terms of their biozones (conodonts and chitinozoans) and mutual positions (scolecodonts, ostracods, and brachiopods). Graphical correlation of the Viirelaid and Paatsalu sections shows a stronger linear correlation for zonal conodonts than for chitinozoans and scolecodonts. In the given case, this is caused by different nature of zones: chitinozoan zones are based on appearances and/or disappearances of ordinal taxa whereas conodont zonation corresponds, as a rule, to evolutionary succeeding species in the Pterospathodus lineage. At the same time, the positions of chitinozoan zones in the Viirelaid, Ruhnu, Aizpute, and Paatsalu cores are oscillating with respect to conodont zones.

The current state of and the latest developments in the conodont-based biostratigraphical studies of Upper Ordovician and lower Silurian strata in Estonia are discussed. An updated conodont zonation is proposed, based on successive first and/or last occurrences of taxa as interpreted from the stratigraphical record of Estonia as well as of other parts of the world. The zonation includes mainly units proposed by different authors at different times, with some revision by the author. Currently, 32 zones (with 14 subzones) and 3 informal units can be recognized in the Upper Ordovician to upper Wenlock (Homerian) of Estonia.

Conodonts are an important biostratigraphic tool for many Phanerozoic stages. Along with graptolites, they define all global Ordovician Stage boundaries. Within the Upper Ordovician interval, a known species of Amorphognathus tvaerensis (Bergström) is present in both Sandbian and Katian stratotype sections. Study of changes in the succession of A. tvaerensis revealed that elements in the upper part of its range differ morphologically quite distinctly from those in its lower part. Here, they are described as a new conodont species, A. viirae sp. nov. This new species is recognized in several Estonian and Swedish sections, with apparent occurrence also in Mójcza Quarry, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland and Black Knob Ridge, Oklahoma, USA. Detailed analysis of early Amorphognathus elements from Estonian and Swedish sections revealed the absence of A. inaequalis (Rhodes) in both regions, although a conodont subzone based on this species was identified earlier by some authors. Both the absence of A. inaequalis (Rhodes) and recognition of the new species A. viirae sp. nov. resulted in the revision of the conodont zonation, and a new version of it is proposed for the Sandbian Stage in the Atlantic Realm. The new zonation includes (from below) Pygodus anserinus , Baltoniodus variabilis , A. tvaerensis , B. gerdae , A. viirae and B. alobatus Conodont zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conodonts and chitinozoans were studied from the Neitla section, which exposes the boundary between the Porkuni and Juuru regional stages. This level, although not proved biostratigraphically, has been traditionally considered to correspond to the Ordovician–Silurian boundary. However, stable carbon isotope data indicate that the system boundary lies higher in the succession, in the lower part of the Juuru Regional Stage. Rare conodonts and chitinozoans discovered in the section do not provide any criteria for locating the boundary. Although conodonts are represented by taxa characteristic of the Silurian, all of them are known to have already appeared elsewhere in the Upper Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Multiproxy correlation is used to address the boundary of the Kukruse and Haljala regional stages across the Estonian part of the Baltoscandian Ordovician Palaeobasin. New biostratigraphic information on conodonts, chitinozoans and ostracods from the Peetri outcrop, northwestern Estonia, integrated with micropalaeontological data from five core sections all over Estonia, allows justification of the position of the stage boundary and correlation between conodont and chitinozoan biozones. In the Peetri outcrop a marked stratigraphic hiatus was recognized at the Kukruse-Haljala boundary - the Baltoniodus gerdae conodont Subzone and the Armoricochitina granulifera, Angochitina curvata, Lagenochitina dalbyensis and Belonechitina hirsuta chitinozoan zones are missing in the section. The lowermost part of the Tatruse Formation in central Estonia and the Adze Formation in southern Estonia are older than previously thought, and the results show a principal advantage of the multiproxy method over singlegroup studies. The lower boundary of the Haljala Regional Stage is tied to the interval with gaps that are common all over the stratotype region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]