Conodont biostratigraphy, paleoecology & isotope geochemistry applied to models of early paleozoic palegeography, paleoceanography & tectono-eustacy; cenozoic offshore basins, BC

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One long-term objective is to contribute toward the understanding of biological and physical processes operating on the Earth during the Early Paleozoic (550-350 million years), especially the events and controls that led to the profound replacement of the Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna by the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna and the early diversification of the latter. The principal approach is to use conodont microfossils through integrated, sequential studies of taxonomy, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, biogeography, and isotope geochemistry, using collections from the principal paleoplates. Many projects are designed to establish faunal changes along environmental gradients (e.g. platform to basin transects) with studies in the Appalachians, Cordillera and Innuitian margins now to be integrated with new ones on intracratonic and foreland basins of the interior craton. These will allow a refined analysis of the bioevents and related stratigraphic, tectonic and sea level events for the Laurentian plate during much of the Early Paleozoic. Projects will be expanded that deal with strontium and oxygen isotopes and Ca/Mg ratios from conodonts; geochemical research is investigating changes in seawater history and testing existing models of paleogeography. Particular consideration is given to exotic terranes as well as the main paleoplates. The research will lead to significant advances in conodont phylogeny, cladistics, biostratigraphy, paleoecology and paleobiogeography and will link the existing large faunal database to paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic models to interpret the nature and changes in the Early Paleozoic biosphere-ocean-climate system. Similar basin studies are underway for the Tofino Basin, offshore BC, and will be expanded to the Queen Charlotte basin, using foraminifera and ichthyolith micropaleontology and isotope geochemistry to understand the complex Cenozoic basin evolution.