The Wootton Bassett Mud Springs (Wiltshire, UK): an unusual Lagerstatten for Jurassic Foraminifera

• Autorzy: Hart M. , Henderson A. , Frayling T.
• Konferencja: International Congress on the Jurassic System (7 ; 06-18.09.2006 ; Kraków, Poland)
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

On the 6th January 1997 the mud springs at Templars Firs, Wootton Bassett (Wiltshire) were designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). The springs are notified as an SSSI on the basis of their hydrogeological interest. Water seeping through the Lower Calcareous Grit and Coral Rag (of Oxfordian age) liquefies the Ampthill Clay Formation (uppermost Oxfordian) which then migrates to the surface in a series of mud springs. Many of the fossils brought to the surface still display their aragonitic shells and are quite beautifully preserved. An Autumn 2003 and again in Spring 2005 we have collected a series of samples with the permission of English Nature (Wiltshire Team) and these have been washed for foraminifera and ostracods. The microfauna have been described in a previous BGS report, although it is much more extensive and yields all the taxa associated with this stratigraphical interval. Many aragonitic taxa (epistominids) are present and beautifully preserved, including some of the stratigraphically significant taxa. Large agglutinated foraminifera appear to dominate one of the five active vents and are in an exceptional state of preservation. In the literature, many of these Jurassic taxa have been referred to modern, extant taxa, although this is almost certainly incorrect. The material from Wootton Bassett should allow for a more appropriate determination of these taxa. Also recorded are small planktic Foraminifera which extend our knowledge of the early evolution of the poorly-known Jurassic plankton.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

foraminifera; Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian; mud springs; Wiltshire; UK

• Wydawca: Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
• Czasopismo: Volumina Jurassica
• Rocznik: 2006
• Tom: Vol. 4, no. 1
• Strony: 236--236

Twórcy

autor

Hart M.

autor

Henderson A.

autor

Frayling T.

• School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK,