A new genus of nevadiid trilobite from the Buen Formation (Early Cambrian) of Peary Land, central North Greenland

A new genus of nevadiid trilobite is described from the Lower Cambrian of Peary Land, central North Greenland, from the same horizon and locality from which a non-skeletised fauna has been recently reported. The new genus, BuenelIus, is tentatively assigned to the Nevadiidae Hupe, 1953, and comparisons are made with the genera Nevadia Walcott, 1910, Nevadella Raw, 1936, Callavia Matthew, 1897, Holmia Matthew, 1890 and Kjerulfia Kiaer, 1917.</jats:p

Notes on the trilobite faunas of the Henson Gletscher Formation (Lower and Middle Cambrian) of central North Greenland

Cambrian trilobite faunas collected from a 90 m section of the Henson Gletscher Formation in southern Freuchen Land are described. Nineteen species are discussed, six of which are new. Aspects of the ontogenies of two species of Ogygopsis Walcott, 1889 are outlined, and initial correlations of Ogygopsis made with North America and Siberia. The first occurrenees outside China of species assigned to Arthricocephalus Bergeron, 1889 and Changaspis Lee, 1963 are reported. Problems of ptychopariid classification for the early Cambrian are covered, and proposals for a new approach to understanding ptychopariid relationships are outlined.</jats:p

The small shelly fossil Mongolitubulus from the Lower Cambrian of central North Greenland

The problematic small shelly fossil Mongolitubulus Missarzhevsky, 1977 is reported from the Henson Gletscher Formation of late Early Cambrian age (Bonnia-Olenellus Zone) in southem Freuchen Land, central North Greenland. Mongolitubulus is described from strata of similar Early Cambrian age (Botomian) in Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and is also reported from Antarctica. The Greenland Mongolitubulus is the first record of the genus from the North American continent.</jats:p

Anatase and Hadimopanella

Shells of the agmatan Salterella from the Kap Troedsson Formation (Cambrian Series 2) of North Greenland are filled with cemented grains of authigenic anatase (TiO2) associated with the palaeoscolecidan sclerite Hadimopanella apicata. Selection of the heavy grains, both recognized for the first time in Salterella, added ballast to an organism which was probably motile and lived by selective deposit feeding.</p

Bromalites from the Cambrian (Series 2 and 3) of North Greenland

Six assemblages of phosphatized bromalites from the Cambrian (Series 2 and 3) of North Greenland provide added insight into community structure in fossil assemblages otherwise dominated by microscopic skeletonized organisms. The bromalites, picked from acetic acid residues, display a wide range of morphologies, including pellets, segmented rods, wrinkled, smooth and segmented convoluted strings. Most are interpreted as extruded faecal material (coprolites) but moulds from the digestive tract (cololites) are also recognized. Most of the coprolites probably were produced by deposit-feeding invertebrates but rare specimens dominated by carapace fragments of bradoriid? arthropods are coprolites from predators. Zigzag-folded bromalites are interpreted as cololites of orthothecid hyoliths and are also recognized in inequivalent strata in China. Longitudinally wrinkled forms may be cololites of unknown origin. Minute spheres (Arenigiapella) forming one coprolite are interpreted as microcrystalline phosphatic coatings of bacteria. Post-diagenetic boring attributed to endolithic cyanobacteria is widespread.</p

Sponge spicule assemblages from the Cambrian (Series 2?3) of North Greenland (Laurentia) : systematics and biogeography

Isolated microscopic spicules from disarticulated scleritomes demonstrate the presence of a diverse sponge fauna otherwise not evident from the macrofossil record in carbonate successions deposited during the un-named Cambrian Series 2 and Cambrian Series 3 (Miaolingian) in North Greenland. Most of the spicule morphotypes are not recognised from faunas of articulated sponges known from contemporaneous siliciclastic strata elsewhere. Assemblages are described in terms of four Cambrian stages and contain numerous spicule morphotypes not previously recorded from Laurentia. Many of the spicules can be correlated worldwide, however, extending current knowledge of the biogeographic distribution of sponge spicule-based taxa in the Cambrian. In particular, similar Cambrian Stage 4 (Series 2) and Miaolingian assemblages (Wuliuan, Drumian and Guzhangian stages) faunas are recorded from tropical palaeolatitudes in Australia, South China, Siberia and Laurentia, although this may in part reflect a methodology focused on the preparation of the carbonate samples that dominate these successions. New spicule-based taxa: Eiffelia floriformis n. sp., Australispongia? inuak n. sp., Celtispongia dorte n. gen. n. sp., Sanningasoqia borealis n. gen. n. sp., Speciosuspongia inughuitorum n. sp., Sulukispicula gelidae n. gen. n. sp