The Malvern Lower Cambrian Strata

• Published in: Nature (London) 1966-01, Vol.209 (5028), p.1121-1121, Article 1121
• Main Author: STUBBLEFIELD, C. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Humanities and Social Sciences; letter; multidisciplinary; Science
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/2091121a0

IN a recent communication R. St. John Lambert and D. C. Rex 1 imply that the palaeontological evidence is insufficient for any claim to be made that Lower Cambrian strata are exposed in the Malvern Hills. Whereas there is some doubt concerning the presence there of Middle Cambrian rocks, there is little doubt about the existence of Lower Cambrian. The earliest fossiliferous strata in Shropshire, which occur above the Wrekin Quartzite but at least 450 ft. below the Olenellid Callavia Limestone, were described by Cobbold 2 as yielding two of the brachiopod species described by Matley 3 from the Malvern. Quartzite of the Malverns, namely, Micromitra (Paterina) phillipsi (Holl) [olim Kutorgina cingulata auct. ] and Obolella groomi Matley 4 . Later, a third brachiopod species known elsewhere only in the Shropshire O. groomi fauna, Micromitra (Paterina) rhodesi Cobbold, was collected by H. F. Metcalfe from the Malvern Quartzite in association with the previously recorded forms 5 . It is significant to learn that the “last major isotopic event in the Malvernian occurred 590 ± 20 m.y. ago” 1 , for this has an important bearing on the problem of the date of the base of the Cambrian. It would be of even greater interest to learn the isotopic age of the palaeontologically dated Lower-Cambrian Comley Sandstone glauconitic rocks from Shropshire which are being investigated by the Oxford group.