Taxonomic and biostratigraphical significance of the Tremadoc graptolite fauna from northern Yukon Territory, Canada

Abstract

Twenty-two graptolite species are described from the Tremadoc portion of the Road River Group. In a 220 m thick, graptolite-rich section on Peel River, six graptolite biozones are recognized which in ascending order are: Staurograptus dichotomus, Anisograptus matanensis, Adelograptus cf. A. tenellus, Adelograptus antiquus, Kiaerograptus pritchardi and Paradelograptus kinnegraptoides. The Psigraptus fauna appears to be confined to a single bedding-plane within a thick interval dominated by Adelograptus cf. A. tenellus, and for this reason we propose a new zone characterized by the latter species rather than identify a Psigraptus Biozone as in China. The Adelograptus cf. A. tenellus Biozone has yielded Adelograptus? bulmani Spjeldnaes 1963, which we propose as the type species for the new genus Ancoragraptus. Graptolites recorded from the Tremadoc of the Yukon for the first time are: Ancoragraptus bulmani, Clonograptus magnificus, C. cf. C. multiplex, C. cf. C. rigidus, Hunnegraptus copiosus, Kiaerograptus? bulmani and K? kutchini sp. nov.