Mistaken Point - Fossil Ecosystems of North America: A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas - page 18

S TRATIGRAPHIC SETTING AND
TAPHONOMY OF THE M ISTAKEN
P OINT BIOTA
The late Neoproterozoic sediments and
interbedded volcaniclastics exposed along
the Avalon Peninsula in southeastern
Newfoundland comprise a conformable
succession more than 7.5 km (4.7 miles)
thick. They thus constitute an outstanding
record of this crucial period of geological

time immediately following the severe
global glaciation referred to as the
'Snowball Earth'.
This thick succession has been divided
into three stratigraphic groups, further
subdivided into several formations ( 18 ).
Above the massive glacial deposits of the
Gaskiers Formation, the Conception Group
consists dominantly of thick-bedded,
coarse-grained turbidites (greywackes and

18

18 Diagram to show the
stratigraphy of the late
Neoproterozoic succession
of the Avalon Peninsula,
southeast Newfoundland
after Gehling et al., 2000;
Narbonne et al., 2001.

Stratigraphical
Units

Fossil
Assemblages

Cape Ballard Fm
Cuckold Fm
Ferryland Head Fm

Gibbett Hill Fm

Cappahayden Fm

Renews Head Fm

Fermeuse
Assemblage

Fermeuse Fm

Trepassey Fm

Mistaken Point Fm

Mistaken Point
Assemblage

Briscal Fm

Drook Fm

Gaskiers Fm

Mall Bay Fm