Late Cretaceous extinction patterns in Antarctica

J. Alistair Crame, SA Lomas, D Pirrie, A Luther

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    New correlations of marine elastic sedimentary rocks exposed within the James Boss Basin, Antarctica have shown that the mid- to late Cretaceous succession is in excess of 5 km thick. Plotting the ranges of the principal molluscan macrofossils against the revised stratigraphy indicates that inoceramid bivalves are totally absent, and dimitobelid belemnites extremely rare, throughout an extensive 1400 m thick Maastrichtian succession, These early extinction patterns are interpreted to be due to both a regional shallowing event and a pronounced phase of high-latitude, Campanian-Maastrichtian cooling. Cool polar bottom waters may have been forming by as early as mid- to late Campanian times.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)503-506
    Number of pages4
    JournalJournal of the geological society
    Volume153
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jul 1996

    Keywords

    • Antarctica
    • K-T boundary
    • Inoceramidae
    • belemnites
    • extinction
    • JAMES-ROSS-ISLAND
    • PENINSULA REGION
    • STRATIGRAPHY

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