Lower Cambrian trace fossils from the Buen Formation of central North Greenland: preliminary observations

Abstract

The trace fossils Cruziana cf. C. stromnessi (Trewin, 1976), Curvolithus Fritsch, 1908, Hormosiroidea Schaffer, 1928, Monomorphichnus cf. M. bilinearis Crimes, 1970, Monomorphichnus lineatus Crimes et al., 1977, cf. Palaeobullia Gotzinger & Becker, 1932, Palaeophycus tubularis Hall, 1847, Phycodes pedum Seilacher, 1955, Psammichnites Torell, 1870, Rusophycus Hall, 1852, Skolithos Haldeman, 1840 and cf. Zoophycos Massalongo, 1855 are recorded and briefly described from the Lower Cambrian Buen Formation, central North Greenland. Interbedded sandstones, siltstones and shales of the Buen Formation were deposited in a tide and storm-dominated shallow marine shelf environment. Ichnofaunal diversity is low in monolithologic cross-bedded sandstones, which characterise the basal portion of the sequence, and considerably higher in heterolithologic sandstones, siltstones and shales, which occur higher in the sequence.