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Sponge-microbial build-ups from the lowermost Triassic Chanakhchi section in southern Armenia: Microfacies and stable carbon isotopes

Friesenbichler, Evelyn ; Richoz, Sylvain LU ; Baud, Aymon ; Krystyn, Leopold ; Sahakyan, Lilit ; Vardanyan, Sargis ; Peckmann, Jörn ; Reitner, Joachim and Heindel, Katrin (2018) In Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 490. p.653-672
Abstract
The end-Permian mass extinction was the most severe biotic crisis in Earth's history. In its direct aftermath
microbial communities colonized some of the space left vacant after the severe decline of skeletal metazoans.
The Permian-Triassic boundary microbialites were peculiarly abundant on low-latitude shallow-marine carbonate
shelves of central Tethyan continents. Armenia features particularly well preserved and diverse basal
Triassic sponge-microbial build-ups (BTSMBs), which were not studied in detail to date. Here, the Chanakhchi
section in southern Armenia is described petrographically and by means of stable isotope analyses. The
Armenian BTSMBs formed in a distally open marine setting on a pelagic carbonate... (More)
The end-Permian mass extinction was the most severe biotic crisis in Earth's history. In its direct aftermath
microbial communities colonized some of the space left vacant after the severe decline of skeletal metazoans.
The Permian-Triassic boundary microbialites were peculiarly abundant on low-latitude shallow-marine carbonate
shelves of central Tethyan continents. Armenia features particularly well preserved and diverse basal
Triassic sponge-microbial build-ups (BTSMBs), which were not studied in detail to date. Here, the Chanakhchi
section in southern Armenia is described petrographically and by means of stable isotope analyses. The
Armenian BTSMBs formed in a distally open marine setting on a pelagic carbonate ramp in the course of two
phases of microbial growth during the Induan (Lower Triassic). The BTSMBs are represented by predominantly
thrombolitic but also dendrolitic and digitate stromatolite biostromes and mounds that vary in height between
5 cm to 12 m. The digitate stromatolites are associated with calcium carbonate crystal fans (CCFs). Microfacies
analyses revealed that the BTSMBs exhibit a number of different growth forms and internal fabrics. The formation
of CCFs was apparently not devoid of biological influence and took place above the sediment surface. The
abundance of sponges in the BTSMBs reveals that ecologically complex metazoan-microbial reefs have been
present already early after the end-Permian mass extinction. However, the formation of biostromes and mounds
did not depend on sponges or other metazoans. BTSMBs that formed during the second microbial growth phase
revealed similar δ13C-values like the surrounding sediment. In contrast, the δ13Cmicrobialite and δ13Csediment values
from the BTSMBs and CCFs of the first growth phase show a difference of up to +2.3‰, suggesting a significant
influence of photoautotrophy during microbially induced carbonate precipitation. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
volume
490
pages
653 - 672
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85040967228
ISSN
0031-0182
DOI
10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.11.056
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
93e38c78-6130-4a28-9cde-abf565e92031
alternative location
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0031018217308829
date added to LUP
2018-05-02 17:05:15
date last changed
2022-04-25 07:09:22
@article{93e38c78-6130-4a28-9cde-abf565e92031,
  abstract     = {{The end-Permian mass extinction was the most severe biotic crisis in Earth's history. In its direct aftermath<br/>microbial communities colonized some of the space left vacant after the severe decline of skeletal metazoans.<br/>The Permian-Triassic boundary microbialites were peculiarly abundant on low-latitude shallow-marine carbonate<br/>shelves of central Tethyan continents. Armenia features particularly well preserved and diverse basal<br/>Triassic sponge-microbial build-ups (BTSMBs), which were not studied in detail to date. Here, the Chanakhchi<br/>section in southern Armenia is described petrographically and by means of stable isotope analyses. The<br/>Armenian BTSMBs formed in a distally open marine setting on a pelagic carbonate ramp in the course of two<br/>phases of microbial growth during the Induan (Lower Triassic). The BTSMBs are represented by predominantly<br/>thrombolitic but also dendrolitic and digitate stromatolite biostromes and mounds that vary in height between<br/>5 cm to 12 m. The digitate stromatolites are associated with calcium carbonate crystal fans (CCFs). Microfacies<br/>analyses revealed that the BTSMBs exhibit a number of different growth forms and internal fabrics. The formation<br/>of CCFs was apparently not devoid of biological influence and took place above the sediment surface. The<br/>abundance of sponges in the BTSMBs reveals that ecologically complex metazoan-microbial reefs have been<br/>present already early after the end-Permian mass extinction. However, the formation of biostromes and mounds<br/>did not depend on sponges or other metazoans. BTSMBs that formed during the second microbial growth phase<br/>revealed similar δ13C-values like the surrounding sediment. In contrast, the δ13Cmicrobialite and δ13Csediment values<br/>from the BTSMBs and CCFs of the first growth phase show a difference of up to +2.3‰, suggesting a significant<br/>influence of photoautotrophy during microbially induced carbonate precipitation.}},
  author       = {{Friesenbichler, Evelyn and Richoz, Sylvain and Baud, Aymon and Krystyn, Leopold and Sahakyan, Lilit and Vardanyan, Sargis and Peckmann, Jörn and Reitner, Joachim and Heindel, Katrin}},
  issn         = {{0031-0182}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  pages        = {{653--672}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology}},
  title        = {{Sponge-microbial build-ups from the lowermost Triassic Chanakhchi section in southern Armenia: Microfacies and stable carbon isotopes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.11.056}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.11.056}},
  volume       = {{490}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}