First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina

Articulated fossil ophiuroids from South America were reported for the Devonian, Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene. Here we report the first Jurassic record of an articulated ophiuroid from the Sierra Chacaicó Formation (early Pliensbachian– Sinemurian) in Neuquén Basin, Argentina, and discuss the t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: DÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA, EVANGELINA E. PALÓPOLO, MAXIMILIANO N. RODRÍGUEZ, BEN THUY, JUAN J. PONCE, NOELIA B. CARMONA, SILVIO CASADÍO
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Paleobiology PAS 2023-03-01
Series:Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app68/app010322022.pdf
_version_ 1827975562374676480
author DÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA
EVANGELINA E. PALÓPOLO
MAXIMILIANO N. RODRÍGUEZ
BEN THUY
JUAN J. PONCE
NOELIA B. CARMONA
SILVIO CASADÍO
author_facet DÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA
EVANGELINA E. PALÓPOLO
MAXIMILIANO N. RODRÍGUEZ
BEN THUY
JUAN J. PONCE
NOELIA B. CARMONA
SILVIO CASADÍO
author_sort DÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA
collection DOAJ
description Articulated fossil ophiuroids from South America were reported for the Devonian, Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene. Here we report the first Jurassic record of an articulated ophiuroid from the Sierra Chacaicó Formation (early Pliensbachian– Sinemurian) in Neuquén Basin, Argentina, and discuss the taphonomic processes that allowed its preservation. The Sierra Chacaicó Formation represents the onset of the Early Jurassic extensive marine transgression in the basin. The basal section comprises shoreface and offshore Gilbert-type delta system, which was affected by hyperpycnal discharges. The middle and upper sections are represented by offshore deposits, affected by storms and eroded by hyperpycnal channel-levee systems. The ophiuroid specimen was found in levels of massive, fine, tuffaceous sandstone beds and covered by coarse sandstone containing a large amount of plant debris and organic matter. It was preserved articulated, with a complete disc and almost complete arms. Based on the microstructure of the spine-bearing lateral arm plates, the ophiuroid is assigned to Sinosura, an extinct genus of the family Ophioleucidae, widespread in the Lower Jurassic deposits of Europe but previously unknown from other parts of the world. The posture of the ophiuroid, with one arm curved distally and extended in one direction and the other four arms symmetrically oriented in the opposite direction, suggests a walking or escape movement frozen in time. This implies that the ophiuroid was buried alive by sediment thick enough to prevent successful escape. The taphonomic and sedimentologic evidence indicates that the fossil material was found in hyperpycnal deposits accumulated in offshore positions, which carried a high concentration of sediment in suspension.
first_indexed 2024-04-09T20:13:43Z
format Article
id doaj.art-dc1998b6f8a047d8afba8a1d9a074296
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0567-7920
1732-2421
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T20:13:43Z
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Institute of Paleobiology PAS
record_format Article
series Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
spelling doaj.art-dc1998b6f8a047d8afba8a1d9a0742962023-03-31T13:34:54ZengInstitute of Paleobiology PASActa Palaeontologica Polonica0567-79201732-24212023-03-0168114315310.4202/app.01032.2022First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, ArgentinaDÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA0EVANGELINA E. PALÓPOLO1MAXIMILIANO N. RODRÍGUEZ2 BEN THUY3JUAN J. PONCE4NOELIA B. CARMONA5SILVIO CASADÍO6Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Estados Unidos 750, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Department of Paleontology, Research & Collections, Natural History Museum Luxembourg. 25, rue Münster, L-2160 Luxembourg.Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR), Centro General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.Articulated fossil ophiuroids from South America were reported for the Devonian, Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene. Here we report the first Jurassic record of an articulated ophiuroid from the Sierra Chacaicó Formation (early Pliensbachian– Sinemurian) in Neuquén Basin, Argentina, and discuss the taphonomic processes that allowed its preservation. The Sierra Chacaicó Formation represents the onset of the Early Jurassic extensive marine transgression in the basin. The basal section comprises shoreface and offshore Gilbert-type delta system, which was affected by hyperpycnal discharges. The middle and upper sections are represented by offshore deposits, affected by storms and eroded by hyperpycnal channel-levee systems. The ophiuroid specimen was found in levels of massive, fine, tuffaceous sandstone beds and covered by coarse sandstone containing a large amount of plant debris and organic matter. It was preserved articulated, with a complete disc and almost complete arms. Based on the microstructure of the spine-bearing lateral arm plates, the ophiuroid is assigned to Sinosura, an extinct genus of the family Ophioleucidae, widespread in the Lower Jurassic deposits of Europe but previously unknown from other parts of the world. The posture of the ophiuroid, with one arm curved distally and extended in one direction and the other four arms symmetrically oriented in the opposite direction, suggests a walking or escape movement frozen in time. This implies that the ophiuroid was buried alive by sediment thick enough to prevent successful escape. The taphonomic and sedimentologic evidence indicates that the fossil material was found in hyperpycnal deposits accumulated in offshore positions, which carried a high concentration of sediment in suspension.https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app68/app010322022.pdfechinodermataophiuroideasinosurapliensbachiansierra chacaicó formationneuquén basinargentina
spellingShingle DÉBORA M. CAMPETELLA
EVANGELINA E. PALÓPOLO
MAXIMILIANO N. RODRÍGUEZ
BEN THUY
JUAN J. PONCE
NOELIA B. CARMONA
SILVIO CASADÍO
First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
echinodermata
ophiuroidea
sinosura
pliensbachian
sierra chacaicó formation
neuquén basin
argentina
title First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
title_full First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
title_fullStr First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
title_short First Jurassic brittlestar from Neuquén Basin, Argentina
title_sort first jurassic brittlestar from neuquen basin argentina
topic echinodermata
ophiuroidea
sinosura
pliensbachian
sierra chacaicó formation
neuquén basin
argentina
url https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app68/app010322022.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT deboramcampetella firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT evangelinaepalopolo firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT maximilianonrodriguez firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT benthuy firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT juanjponce firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT noeliabcarmona firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina
AT silviocasadio firstjurassicbrittlestarfromneuquenbasinargentina