Blueflower Formation

Blueflower Formation
Blueflower Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ediacaran 567.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Formation
Unit of	Rackla Group
Sub-units	Lower and Upper Member
Underlies	Risky Formation
Overlies	Gametrail Formation
Lithology
Primary	Siliciclastic
Other	Limestone, Mudstone, Siltstone, Sandstone
Location
Region	Northwest Territories
Country	Canada

Last updated July 04, 2025

The Blueflower Formation is a geologic formation in the Northwest Territories, and is a part of the Rackla Group.^[1] It preserves fossils dating back to the Ediacaran period.^[3]

Paleobiota

Unlike most other Ediacaran formations, the Blueflower Formation is unique in that is preserves shallow and deep-marine environments, and as it correlates with other Avalonian formations such as those in Newfoundland and Labrador, it allowed scientists to figure out whether the Ediacaran Biota started out in deep-marine environments before making their way into shallower waters.^[1] The forms that can be found across the formation are the familiar Petalonamae such as Charniodiscus, including juvenile petalonamids from the Lower Member, and from the Upper Member tubular forms such as Annulatubus, and the enigmatic Windermeria.^[1]

Color key

Taxon	Reclassified taxon	Taxon falsely reported as present	Dubious taxon or junior synonym	Ichnotaxon	Ootaxon	Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

Proarticulata

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Windermeria ^[4]^[1]	W. aitkeni	Elongated motile organism.

Petalonamae

Genus	Species	Notes
Charniodiscus ^[5]^[1]	Charniodiscus sp.	Frondose organism.
Juvenile Fronds^[1]	Arborea ? Charniodiscus ? Trepassia ?	Juvenile frondose organisms, exact genus affinities unknown.
Pteridinium ^[6]	Pteridinium sp.	Frondose organism.

Cnidarian

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Ediacaria ^[5]^[7]	E. flindersi	Discoid organism.
Kullingia ^[5]^[7]	Kullingia sp.	Discoid organism.

incertae sedis

Genus	Species	Notes
Annulatubus ^[3]	A. flexuosus	Tubular organism.
Aspidella ^[1]^[8]	A. terrinovica	Discoid organism.
Cyclomedusa ^[5]	Cyclomedusa sp.	Discoid organism.
Hiemalora ^[4]	H. pleiomorphus	Discoid organism, possibly holdfasts of petalonamids.
Sekwia ^[7]	S. excentria	Discoid organism.
Sekwitubulus ^[3]	S. annularis	Tubular organism.

Flora

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Beltanelliformis ^[5]^[1]^[8]	B. brunsae	Cyanobacterial colony.

Ichnogenera

Genus	Species	Notes
Archaeonassa ^[3]	Archaeonassa isp.	Burrows.
Gordia ^[5]	G. marina	Burrows.
Helminthoidichnites ^[7]^[3]	Helminthoidichnites isp.	Burrows.
Helminthopsis ^[7]^[3]	H. abeli H. irregularis Helminthopsis isp.	Burrows.
Planolites ^[7]^[3]	P. monatanus	Burrows.
Torrowangea ^[3]	Torrowangea isp.	Burrows.

Undescribed

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
problematicum^[1]	???	Curves and loops around, affinities unknown.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Boag, Thomas H.; Busch, James F.; Gooley, Jared T.; Strauss, Justin V.; Sperling, Erik A. (May 2024). "Deep‐water first occurrences of Ediacara biota prior to the Shuram carbon isotope excursion in the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon, Canada". Geobiology. 22 (3). doi:10.1111/gbi.12597.
1 2 Moynihan, David P.; Strauss, Justin V.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Padget, Colin D. (1 September 2019). "Upper Windermere Supergroup and the transition from rifting to continent-margin sedimentation, Nadaleen River area, northern Canadian Cordillera". GSA Bulletin. 131 (9–10): 1673–1701. doi:10.1130/B32039.1.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carbone, Calla A.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Macdonald, Francis A.; Boag, Thomas H. (March 2015). "New Ediacaran fossils from the uppermost Blueflower Formation, northwest Canada: disentangling biostratigraphy and paleoecology". Journal of Paleontology. 89 (2): 281–291. doi:10.1017/jpa.2014.25.
1 2 Narbonne, Guy M. (May 1994). "New Ediacaran fossils from the Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada". Journal of Paleontology. 68 (3): 411–416. doi:10.1017/S0022336000025816.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Narbonne, Guy M; Hofmann, Hans J. "Ediacaran biota of the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon, Canada" (PDF). Palaeontology.
↑ Sperling, Erik A.; Carbone, Calla; Strauss, Justin V.; Johnston, David T.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Macdonald, Francis A. (March 2016). "Oxygen, facies, and secular controls on the appearance of Cryogenian and Ediacaran body and trace fossils in the Mackenzie Mountains of northwestern Canada". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 128 (3–4): 558–575. doi:10.1130/B31329.1.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Narbonne, Guy M; Aitken, James D. "Ediacaran fossils from the Sekwi Brook area, Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada" (PDF). Paleontology.
1 2 Pyle, Leanne J; Narbonne, Guy M; James, Noel P; Dalrymple, Robert W; Kaufman, Alan J (June 2004). "Integrated Ediacaran chronostratigraphy, Wernecke Mountains, northwestern Canada". Precambrian Research. 132 (1–2): 1–27. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2004.01.004.

Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database" . Retrieved 17 December 2021.

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[Boag-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Boag, Thomas H.; Busch, James F.; Gooley, Jared T.; Strauss, Justin V.; Sperling, Erik A. (May 2024). "Deep‐water first occurrences of Ediacara biota prior to the Shuram carbon isotope excursion in the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon, Canada". Geobiology. 22 (3). doi:10.1111/gbi.12597.

[Moynithan-2] 1 2 Moynihan, David P.; Strauss, Justin V.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Padget, Colin D. (1 September 2019). "Upper Windermere Supergroup and the transition from rifting to continent-margin sedimentation, Nadaleen River area, northern Canadian Cordillera". GSA Bulletin. 131 (9–10): 1673–1701. doi:10.1130/B32039.1.

[Carbone-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carbone, Calla A.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Macdonald, Francis A.; Boag, Thomas H. (March 2015). "New Ediacaran fossils from the uppermost Blueflower Formation, northwest Canada: disentangling biostratigraphy and paleoecology". Journal of Paleontology. 89 (2): 281–291. doi:10.1017/jpa.2014.25.

[Narbonne1994-4] 1 2 Narbonne, Guy M. (May 1994). "New Ediacaran fossils from the Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada". Journal of Paleontology. 68 (3): 411–416. doi:10.1017/S0022336000025816.

[Narbonne-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Narbonne, Guy M; Hofmann, Hans J. "Ediacaran biota of the Wernecke Mountains, Yukon, Canada" (PDF). Palaeontology.

[Sperling-6] Sperling, Erik A.; Carbone, Calla; Strauss, Justin V.; Johnston, David T.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Macdonald, Francis A. (March 2016). "Oxygen, facies, and secular controls on the appearance of Cryogenian and Ediacaran body and trace fossils in the Mackenzie Mountains of northwestern Canada". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 128 (3–4): 558–575. doi:10.1130/B31329.1.

[NarbonneAitken-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Narbonne, Guy M; Aitken, James D. "Ediacaran fossils from the Sekwi Brook area, Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada" (PDF). Paleontology.

[Pyle-8] 1 2 Pyle, Leanne J; Narbonne, Guy M; James, Noel P; Dalrymple, Robert W; Kaufman, Alan J (June 2004). "Integrated Ediacaran chronostratigraphy, Wernecke Mountains, northwestern Canada". Precambrian Research. 132 (1–2): 1–27. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2004.01.004.

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