Abstract
The Dapingian to Darriwilian Kanosh Formation is one of the most fossiliferous units of the Pogonip Group (Great Basin, western US). It records a critical phase of the so-called Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) during which many marine clades diversified on lower systematic levels. However, a comprehensive palaeoecological analysis has not been presented for this unit so far. Based on newly collected material from three sections in the type area at Ibex, we reconstruct benthic marine communities, analyse diversity patterns, and discuss its significance for the GOBE. We find no differences in species’ composition across the formation with respect to brachiopods. Benthic assemblages are dominated by Shoshonorthis michaelis , alongside the presence of Anomalorthis lonensis and Anomalorthis utahensis across the whole unit. Trilobites show a more pronounced facies restriction with species of Kanoshia and Pseudomera being observed in more proximal limestone whereas Bathyurellus and Pseudoolenoides occur in fine-grained, low-energy deposits. The skeletal limestone also records abundant bioclasts of bryozoans, echinoderms, and receptaculitids, suggesting an ecologically diverse and tiered community being present in the inner shelf zone. However, most of these groups are not particularly diverse in terms of species richness. This implies that principle establishment of typical members of the “Palaeozoic Fauna” is not associated with a local diversification of clades. The comparably low habitat diversity of the Kanosh Fauna likely reflects environmental constraints such as high rates of siliclastic input. Additionally, these mainly Dapingian communities still represent a base-line fauna before the principal diversification took place.