Tracing Lost Oceans: Conodont Biofacies and mapping Palaeozoic Worlds

This contribution re-evaluates the potential of partly pelagic faunas, most notably conodonts, as tools for palaeogeographical reconstruction through a reassessment of the biofacies concept. By isolating and filtering the ecological component of conodont distributions, ecological associations can be distinguished from those governed by broader palaeogeographical controls. By means of several case studies we show that these palaeogeographical associations, when integrated with the high-resolution chronostratigraphical framework provided by conodonts, may offer a robust means of delineating the configuration and evolution of ancient oceanic domains. The results indicate that conodont biofacies may offer a complementary line of evidence for reconstructing Palaeozoic marine basins and contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at improving the resolution of global palaeogeographical models.