Analysis of the Effects of Abrasion on the Test of Palaeonummulites venosus: Implications for the Origin of Nummulithoclastic Sediments

Other| April 01, 2004 Analysis of the Effects of Abrasion on the Test of Palaeonummulites venosus: Implications for the Origin of Nummulithoclastic Sediments SIMON J. BEAVINGTON-PENNEY SIMON J. BEAVINGTON-PENNEY 1School of Earth, Ocean & Planetary Sciences, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 914, Cardiff, CF10 3YE, U.K., Beavington-PenneySJ@cardiff.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information SIMON J. BEAVINGTON-PENNEY 1School of Earth, Ocean & Planetary Sciences, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 914, Cardiff, CF10 3YE, U.K., Beavington-PenneySJ@cardiff.ac.uk Publisher: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology Accepted: 25 Nov 2003 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-5323 Print ISSN: 0883-1351 Society for Sedimentary Geology PALAIOS (2004) 19 (2): 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0143:AOTEOA>2.0.CO;2 Article history Accepted: 25 Nov 2003 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation SIMON J. BEAVINGTON-PENNEY; Analysis of the Effects of Abrasion on the Test of Palaeonummulites venosus: Implications for the Origin of Nummulithoclastic Sediments. PALAIOS 2004;; 19 (2): 143–155. doi: https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2004)019<0143:AOTEOA>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract Many early Tertiary nummulitic limestones contain broken Nummulites tests (commonly referred to as nummulithoclastic debris) that display breakage ranging from damage to the terminal chamber, to disintegration into sand- and silt-sized (and probably finer) fragments. Little consideration previously has been given to the processes responsible for this damage, or whether test abrasion can be used as an indicator of the degree of transportation or wave reworking. Studies of modern larger benthic foraminifera suggest that transport-induced abrasion is a likely candidate for the test damage seen in many fossil Nummulites. However, experimental reconstruction of the transportation of Nummulites within a traction carpet of skeletal material, using the structurally similar and related extant form Palaeonummulites venosus, failed to reproduce the degree of test damage seen in fossil forms, despite simulating transport up to approximately 71 km. Evidence from experimental and field observations suggests that the additional damage noted in Eocene Nummulites possibly is the result of transportation within turbidity currents and/or predation by relatively large bioeroders, such as fish and echinoids. Processes such as dissolution and microboring are considered to have played only a minor, if any, role in the comminution of Nummulites.These observations have been used to define a scale of taphonomic features observed in fossil Nummulites, to aid identification of autochthonous and allochthonous Nummulites populations in thin-section studies of nummulitic limestones, and to facilitate comparison between different facies and carbonate-platform environments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.