A Bajocian event of global coral reef growth: Record from northern Switzerland

Abstract

Following the extinction event at the Triassic – Jurassic boundary and during the Pliensbachian – Toarcian events, coral reef builders were severely affected, and the number of reef domains during the early Middle Jurassic was at an all-time low. However, new and updated data seem to show that corals were more widespread than previously thought, particularly during the Bajocian (170–168 Ma), but biostratigraphic markers are lacking to constrain the precise timing of reef evolution of this interval. A recently discovered 40 m-thick carbonate unit in northern Switzerland, on the northern Tethys margin, documents this rapid growth. Two cores from this unit display a reef with a high number of specimen but a low coral diversity, dated as Bajocian, which likely grew at a considerable water depth (upper limit of the mesophotic zone or 20–30 m). Additionally, it developed on top of clay mineral-rich accumulation characterised by low relief. Twelve different coral genera were identified, with a strong predominance of Periseris, Isastrea, Thamnasteria and Dendraraea. In the absence of other biostratigraphic markers, palynomorphs were used to provide accurate dating, which shows that palynology is a powerful tool for dating reef deposits. The results show reef growth during the early Bajocian, in the Sauzei and Humphriesianum ammonite zones, based on the palynological data, yielding similar ages to other Bajocian reef localities in the Eastern Paris Basin in France and Luxembourg dated simultaneously. These results indicate that the Middle Jurassic and more specifically the last two ammonite zones of the early Bajocian were periods suitable for coral reef builders, and that global regrowth of coral reefs occurred more rapidly than expected. A new Bajocian reef distribution is presented, showing no reefs at latitudes below 15°. This distribution pattern is probably due to the fact that water temperature was too elevated (> 25 °C) towards the equator for corals, which prevented reef growth. This would tend to favour a scenario in which the global climate, in particular temperature, is a determining factor for coral reef growth.