Late Paleozoic radiolarians from the Bentong‐Raub suture zone, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Radiolarians extracted from marine siliceous sediments from the Bentong-Raub suture zone, Peninsular Malaysia have indicated a range of ages for olistostromal blocks of bedded chert, siliceous argillite and tuffaceous argillite, and chert clasts and lenses within the mdange from the suture zone. Late Devonian (Faniennian), Early Carboniferous (Tournaisian and Viskan) and Early Permian (Wolfcampian and Leonardian) ages are represented by seven radiolarian zones from ten localities along the suture zone. In stratigraphic order these include Holoeciscus 2-3 Assemblage Zones, Albaillella paradoxa Zone, Albaillella dejendrei Zone, Albaillella cartalla Zone, Pseudoalbaillella lomentaria Zone, Albaillella sinuata Zone and Pseudoalbaillella longtanensis Zone. Fifteen genera are represented by 35 species. The range of ages from Late Devonian to Early Permian suggests that an ocean existed between the Sibumasu and East Malaya terranes from at least Late Devonian to late Early Permian time and that closure of the ocean between the two terranes could not have occurred until after late Early Permian time. The range of ages and rock types from different depositional environments, indicate that the Bentong-Raub suture zone includes a disrupted accretionary complex.

Ocean Plate Stratigraphy in East and Southeast Asia

“…They range in age from Devonian to Permian, and up to Middle Triassic (Fig. 10) if Semanggol foredeep cherts are included (Metcalfe, 1992;Spiller andMetcalfe, 1993, 1995a,b;Sashida et al, 1993Sashida et al, , 1995Metcalfe and Spiller, 1994;Basir Jasin 1994Spiller, 1996;Basir Jasin and Che Aziz Ali, 1997;Metcalfe et al, 1999).…”

Tobler's oyster and the age of the Tabir Formation, Jambi Province, central Sumatra

“…The Tabir Formation was compared by Tobler (1922, table 2) with the Lower Cretaceous Tembeling Series of Pahang, eastern Malaysia (Scrivenor 1913). Tobler (1922, table 2) proposed an alternative correlation of the Sungei Isah radiolarite with the Upper Palaeozoic 'Chert Series' of Malaysia (Scrivenor 1913;Spiller 2006). It is evident that Tobler was aware of the ambivalence of the correlation of the Tabir Formation by emphasizing the temporary and local name of the formation which he had mapped as interleaved within his 'Porfierformatie' (Neodyas or Upper Permian).…”

“…The Upper Jurassic position followed from Professor Frech's non-specific identification of the oyster and the Triassic lower limit was based on the radiolarites found in an outlier of the Tabir Formation in the Sungei Isah, a tributary of the Batang Palepat, to the north of the Batang Tabir (Figure 1). The Tabir Formation was compared by Tobler (1922, (Scrivenor 1913;Spiller 2006). It is evident that Tobler was aware of the ambivalence of the correlation of the Tabir Formation by emphasizing the temporary and local name of the formation which he had mapped as interleaved within his 'Porfierformatie' (Neodyas or Upper Permian).…”

Discovery of some Early Carboniferous Radiolarians from North Perak and their significance

“…The age of the cherts from the Setul and the Mahang Formations is Early Silurian based on the occurrence of graptolites (Jones, 1981;Burton, 1988). The oldest radiolaria identified are from the Late Devonian chert of the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002;. Early Carboniferous radiolarian cherts were reported from the Langkap chert unit (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002;Basir Jasin & Che Aziz Ali, 1997b), the Kubang Pasu Formation (Basir Jasin, 1995: Basir Jasin andZaiton Harun 2001b) the Kenny Hill Formation (Zaiton Harun & Basir Jasin, 2003) and some chert blocks from the Bentong-Raub suture zone (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002).…”

“…The oldest radiolaria identified are from the Late Devonian chert of the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002;. Early Carboniferous radiolarian cherts were reported from the Langkap chert unit (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002;Basir Jasin & Che Aziz Ali, 1997b), the Kubang Pasu Formation (Basir Jasin, 1995: Basir Jasin andZaiton Harun 2001b) the Kenny Hill Formation (Zaiton Harun & Basir Jasin, 2003) and some chert blocks from the Bentong-Raub suture zone (Spiller & Metcalfe, 1995;Spiller, 1996;Spiller 2002). Permian and Triassic cherts are found in the Semanggol Formation, the Pos Blau chert, and the Genting Serampang chert and the Kodiang Limestone ( Basir Jasin, 1994;Sashida et al, 1993;Spiller, 1996;Spiller, 2002;Basir Jasin et al 1995: Basir Jasin, 1997Basir Jasin & Zaiton Harun 2001a).…”