Pioche Shale Explained

Pioche Shale
Period:Cambrian
Namedby:Charles Doolittle Walcott, 1908

The Pioche Shale is an Early to Middle Cambrian Burgess shale-type Lagerstätte in Nevada.[1] It spans the Early–Middle Cambrian boundary; fossils from the Early Cambrian are preserved in botryoidal hematite, whereas those from the Middle Cambrian are preserved in the more familiar carbon films, and very reminiscent of the Chengjiang County preservation.[1]

It preserves arthropods and worms familiar from the Burgess Shalel[2] and the kerygmachelid Mobulavermis was described from fossils found in the Pioche Shale in December 2023. [3]

It spans the early Cambrian Olenellus and basal Middle Cambrian Eokochaspis nodosa trilobite zones.

The eastern version of this shale can be found eastwards in Grand Canyon, as the Bright Angel Shale.[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. R. A.. B. S.. Preservation of Early and Middle Cambrian soft-bodied arthropods from the Pioche Shale, Nevada, USA. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 277. 57–62. 2009. Moore. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.02.014. Lieberman . 1–2. 2009PPP...277...57M.
  2. Lieberman . B. S.. A New Soft-Bodied Fauna: the Pioche Formation of Nevada. Journal of Paleontology. 77. 4. 674–690. 2003. 0022-3360. 10.1666/0022-3360(2003)077<0674:ANSFTP>2.0.CO;2.
  3. McCall . Christian . A large pelagic lobopodian from the Cambrian Pioche Shale of Nevada . Journal of Paleontology . 13 December 2023 . 10.1017/jpa.2023.63 . 13 December 2023.
  4. Geology graphic of Pioche Shale & Bright Angel Shale at 3dpards.wr.usgs.gov http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/lame/html/lame_history.htm