The putative earliest Cambrian trilobite-brachiopod association in southern Sichuan Basin of South China

Parabadiella is considered the earliest trilobite representative in South China and was originally recovered from the mid-upper part of the Guojiaba Formation, in Liangshan section. Previous studies suggested that the earliest brachiopod co-occurred with the oldest trilobite, and the Parabadiella-Eoobolus association from the Xihaoping Member (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3), in southern Shaanxi was considered the first trilobite-brachiopod assemblage zone in South China. Therein, brachiopods occur together with trilobites recovered in Well JS103 seemingly extending the First Appearance Datum deeply in the lower Cambrian at the central Yangtze Platform. Well JS103 is a shale gas exploration well that targets the lower Cambrian Jiulaodong Formation in southern Sichuan Basin. The uppermost fossiliferous layers are siliciclastic rocks nearly 10 metres thick. Here, two distinct trilobite zones are found, including the lower Parabadiella Zone and the upper Wutingaspis-Eoredlichia Zone. Additionally, the lowermost part of the Guojiaba Formation is poorly fossiliferous, and ranges from 200 to 250 metres in thickness. Thus, the discovery of the brachiopod-trilobite assemblage provides new insights into the biostratigraphy in Sichuan and is of great potentials for biostratigraphic correlation of the siliciclastic rocks in the western margin of the Yangtze Platform.

Automated summary

This study discovered the earliest trilobite-brachiopod assemblage zone in South China, providing new insights into biostratigraphy in Sichuan and potential for correlation of siliciclastic rocks in the western margin of the Yangtze Platform.