Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Spherical phosphatic microfossils from the Silurian of North Greenland

Abstract

We report here that during routine micropalaeontological processing of Silurian limestone samples from North Greenland, a large number of small spherical, spinose microfossils have been isolated. These are comparable with forms studied in thin section by Sannemann1, which have been referred to the group Acritarcha, erected by Evitt2 to accommodate hollow, organic-walled microfossils whose affinities are uncertain. Our material suggests that the walls of the spherical bodies were minerialized rather than organic, throwing doubt on an assignment to the Acritarcha.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sannemann, D. Senckenberg. leth. 36, 321–346 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Evitt, W. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 49, 298–302 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Christie, R. L. & Peel, J. S. Rapp. Grønlands geol. Unders. 82, 1–48 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hurst, J. M. Bull Grønlands geol. Unders. 138, 1–95 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Aldridge, R. J. Rapp. Grønlands geol. Unders. 91, 7–23 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  6. McClellan, G. H. J. geol. Soc. Lond. 137, 675–681 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A. & Zussman, J. An Introduction to the Rock-Forming Minerals (Longman, Oxford, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  8. McArthur, J. M., Coleman, M. L. & Bremner, J. M. J. geol. Soc. Lond. 137, 669–673 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hewitt, R. A. J. geol. Soc. Lond. 137, 661–667 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Eisenack, A. Neues Jb. Geol. Paläont. Abh. 106, 383–422 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Downie, C. & Sarjeant, W. A. S. Paleontology 6, 83–96 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eisenack, A. Katalog der fossilien Dinoflagellaten, Hystrichosphären und verwandten Microfossilien Vol. 3, Pt. 1 (Schweizerbartsche, Stuttgart, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kling, S. A. in Introduction to Marine Micropalaeontology (eds Haq, B. U. & Boersma, A.) 203–244 (Elsevier, New York, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Loeblich, A. R. & Tappan, H. in Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology C (ed. Moore, R. C.) (University of Kansas Press and the Geological Society of America, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kaźmierczak, J. Acta palaeont. polon. 21, 245–255 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Stanton, R. J. Jr Micropalaeontology 13, 465–472 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aldridge, R., Armstrong, H. Spherical phosphatic microfossils from the Silurian of North Greenland. Nature 292, 531–533 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292531a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/292531a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing