The uppermost Rhuddanian and Aeronian succession in the El Pintado 5 section (Valle syncline, SW Spain): graptolites, organic carbon, and stratigraphy

The uppermost Rhuddanian to upper Aeronian largely black-shale succession exposed in section 5 on the northeastern shore of El Pintado reservoir in northern Seville Province, Spain is described with particular reference to graptolites and graptolite biostratigraphy. It complements published data from the neigh
bouring El Pintado section 1 ratified by the IUGS in 2024 as the base Telychian GSSP. The uppermost Rhuddanian part of the continuously graptolitic, but stratigraphically incomplete section is assigned to the Coronograptus cyphus Biozone. Black-shale sedimentation continued across the Rhuddanian-Aeronian boundary, but the succession is interrupted by a significant stratigraphical gap commencing in the middle of the lower Aeronian Demirastrites triangulatus Biozone. Largely uniform black-shale sedimentation revived in the lower part of the middle Aeronian Pribylograptus leptotheca Biozone and continued through the Lituigraptus convolutus and Stimulograptus sedgwickii biozones to the latest Aeronian Stimulograptus halli Biozone. A short gap in sedimentation may potentially be present in the lower-middle sedgwickii Biozone, suggested by a rusty, pyrite-rich silty layer and the atypical course of the Late Aeronian Carbon Isotope Excursion (LACIE) in the local δ¹³C_org curve. Eighty-five graptolite species have been recorded in this succession, including six new taxa: Neodiplograptus nanus sp. nov., Pernerograptus roquei sp. nov., P.? praecipuus sp. nov., Torquigraptus cracens sp. nov., T. pilatus sp. nov. and Aeronites circinatus gen. et sp. nov., with twelve left in open nomenclature. The new genus and new species are described here.