ROW: Paleoecologic and Paleobiogeographic Analysis of the Heceta Limestone, Alexander Terrane, Southeastern Alaska

该项目将调查Heceta石灰岩， 早-晚志留世时期的存款保存在一个古老的 阿拉斯加东南部岛弧层序。 这阵法 发生在亚历山大地体内， 加积岩，构成大陆边缘的一部分 北美洲西部 这项研究的主要目的是 确定沉积环境中所代表的 赫西塔石灰岩 记录岩相和 生物相将基于岩石学、岩相学和 从岩石样本和化石中提取的古生物学数据 主要采集于Heceta、科修斯科、Marble、Orr、Tuxecan、 威尔士亲王群岛 另一个主要目标是 项目是确定保存的古生态学 大型无脊椎动物种群，特别是腕足动物， 占主导地位的社区，和古生物地理的亲和力， 这些动物群 开发一个模型，解释省级 赫塞塔地区化石组合的亲缘关系 石灰岩与古环境演化 动物群应该有助于我们更好地理解 阿拉斯加东南部的岛弧系统。 的 拟议研究的结果还应有助于确定 更完整地了解该地区的大地构造历史， 更好地评估古地理和古生物地理 重建亚历山大地体

This project will investigate the Heceta Limestone, which is a deposit of Early-Late Silurian age preserved within an ancient island arc sequence in southeastern Alaska. This formation occurs within the Alexander Terrane, which is one of the many accretionary terranes forming part of the continental margin of western North America. A main objective of this research is to determine the depositional environments represented in the Heceta Limestone. Documentation of the lithofacies and biofacies will be based on petrologic, petrographic, and paleontologic data derived from rock samples and fossils collected mainly on Heceta, Kosciusko, Marble, Orr, Tuxecan, and Prince of Wales Islands. Another major goal of this project is to determine the paleoecology of the preserved macroinvertebrate populations, in particular the brachiopod- dominated communities, and the paleobiogeographic affinities of these faunas. The development of a model that explains the provincial affinities of the fossil assemblages that occur in the Heceta Limestone and the evolution of the paleoenvironments these faunas inhabited should aid in refining our understanding of the island arc system preserved in southeastern Alaska. The results of the proposed research should also help to define more completely the geotectonic history of the region and lead to a better assessment of paleogeographic and paleobiogeographic reconstructions of the Alexander Terrane.