Advances in the Ordovician graptolite biostratigraphy of the St Petersburg area, Russia

The Ordovician shallow-water shelf deposits rich in benthic fauna are exposed along the Russian part of the Baltic/ Ladoga Klint. Graptolites occur only at some stratigraphic levels, being comparatively numerous in marls and clays and very rare in carbonate layers. Since the 19th century graptolites have been collected from exposures of the Pakerort, Hunneberg, Billingen, and Volkhov regional stages (Tremadocian/Dapingian), while in the Uhaku/Idavere stratigraphic interval (Darriwilian/lower Sandbian) rare graptolites have been found in boreholes. Up to now, only some collections have been systematically studied. On the basis of new graptolite finds, recently the Pterograptus elegans Biozone was established in the upper Aseri Stage and the Nemagraptus gracilis Biozone in the lower Kukruse Stage. Detailed sampling of the Shundorovo Formation (upper Idavere Stage) resulted in the discovery of numerous diplograptids at five stratigraphic levels, in association with various dendroids. These diplograptids were provisionally assigned to ?Archiclimacograptus antiquus lineatus Elles & Wood. A systematic description of the late Darriwilian and early Sandbian diplograptids is under preparation.