Role of Climate and Sea Change on Early Cambrian Evolution
Principal Investigator: Pope, Michael (3)
Licence Number: 13218
Organization: Washington State University
Licensed Year(s): 2003 2002 2001
Issued: Jul 02, 2001
Project Team: Dr. Mario Coniglio, Dr. Bruce Lieberman

Objective(s): The Early Cambrian period is an important time in Earth history, as it records the widespread radiation of animals during significant climatic, sea level, and tectonic changes. This project will be a stratigraphic, geochemical, and paleontological study of highly fossiliferous late Early Cambrian rocks in the Selwyn Basin, Mackenzie Mountains, Canada. This remote field area is an important location because it preserves shallow water carbonates and basinal equivalents which make it possible to evaluate the nature and frequency of sea level and climate changes through sequence stratigraphy and chemostratigraphy. The research team will then use evolutionary studies of trilobites to consider how sea level, climate, and tectonic change affected evolutionary patterns during this critical interval of Earth history.

Project Description: The research team will fly to Norman Wells by commercial airline, and then travel to the field by helicopter or Twin Otter. Travel in the field will be by canoe, or on foot. Field camps will be low impact, and will be occupied for less than 14 days. All human waste will be buried, and all non-burnable garbage will be packed out. The research team will measure, describe and sample the Early Cambrian Sekwi Formation from 10 July - 1 August, 2001. Small (fist sized) limestone, shale and sandstone samples will be collected from rock outcroppings with a hammer. Samples collected will be returned to laboratory facilities for detailed analysis.