Community succession in small bioherms of algae and sponges in the Lower Permian of New Mexico

Abstract

Toomey. Donald F. & Cys. John M. 1979 01 15: Community succession in small bioherms of algae and sponges in the Lower Permian of New Mexico. Lethaia, Vol. 12. pp. 65–74. Oslo. ISSN 0024–1164. Small organic mounds outcrop in the Lower Permian Laborcita Formation of the northern Sacramento Mountains of southcentral New Mexico. These small organic structures, up to I'm in height and 3 m in diameter, are unique because they show a well developed vertical biolic zonation. This zonation consists of an initial pioneer community composed of small digitate or plumose colonies of algae and foraminifers (Stage 1). This is followed by a climax community that is first dominated by laminar colonies of the red alga Archaeolithophyllum (Stage 2). and followed by a terminal community composed of minor Archaeolithophyllum, erect heliosponges and brachiopods, dominated by the form Composita (Stage 3). Evidence suggests that the mounds initially developed in shallow water within an open lagoon but. with continued transgression and rapid deepening of the depositional environment. the biota responded to the changes. The organic buildups were killed off by sudden influx of clastics from a tectonically active nearby landmass.

Permian Marine Calcareous Algae

“…Phylloid algal mounds are the dominant type of reef in the Wolfcampian ofN ew Mexico and Texas, and mound complexes are major hydrocarbon reservoirs in the region. Ivanovia, Eugonophyllum and Archaeolithophyllum are especially important genera here (Toomey 1976;Toomey and Cys 1979;Cys 1985;Wahlman 1985). Phylloids are also common until the upper Sakmarian in the Canadian Arctic (Mamet et al 1979) and there is a similar stratigraphic distribution in the Southern Alps (FlUgel 1977).…”

“…20,21), and phylloid algae, Tubiphytes and Archaeolithoporella are important additions to sponges in these reef environments. Phylloid algal mounds are welldeveloped in the Wolfcampian (Toomey and Cys 1979;Cys 1985). These Early Permian mounds contrast, in both morphology and algal flora , with the Upper Permian Guadalupian Capitan Reef Complex.…”

“…Archaeolithophyllum is an important component oflimestones, including reefs, in the Pennsylvanian and Permian of the central and south-western USA (OUe and Parks 1963;Wray 1964;Heckel and Cocke 1969;Mazzullo and Cys 1979;Toomey and Cys 1979). James et al (1988, pp.…”

“…Main localities of described marine Permian calcareous algae, with principal references. I Capitan reef complex, Guadalupe Mountains, Texas and New Mexico (Babcock 1977); 2 southern Tatum Basin, southeastern New Mexico (Cys 1985); 3 northern Sacramento Mountains, south-central New Mexico (Toomey and Cys 1979); 4 Motley County, Texas (Wahlman 1985); 5 Apache Mountains, Texas (Johnson 1951); 6 Northern Midland Basin, Texas (Toomey 1985); 7 Kansas (Johnson 1946); 8 Gautemala (Johnson and Kaska 1965); 9 and 10 Sverdrup Basin, Canada (Davies et al 1986); 11 Northern Franklin district, Canada (Mamet et al 1979); 12 Sexten Dolomites, Italy (FliigeI1977 , Fig. I); 13 Carnic Alps (FliigeI1977 , Fig.…”

Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian Buildups of The Carnic Alps, Austria-Italy

“…Furthermore, subaerial exposure directly atop subtidal mound facies implies a rapid sea-level fall. Using the early Permian fossil associations from the Midcontinent North America (Toomey and Cys, 1979;Wahlman, 1988Wahlman, , 2000 for comparison, warm-water conditions can be inferred. The higher diversity may be explained by the general trend of increasing biodiversity from the latest Carboniferous to the early Permian (Wahlman, 2000).…”