Upper Triassic pyritized bivalve mollusks from the Sentachan orogenic gold–antimony deposit, eastern Yakutia: Mineralogy and sulfur isotopic composition

Abstract

Pyritized bivalve mollusks have been revealed for the first time in upper Norian sedimentary rocks at the large orogenic Sentachan gold–antimony deposit in eastern Yakutia. It has been established that they are related to species of the genus Monotis (M. ex gr. jacutica (Teller) (specimen no. 2077/1, CSGM) and M. pachypleura (Teller) (specimen no. 2077/2, CSGM), which existed during the Monotis densistriata phase of the Norian Age of the Triassic Epoch presumably 211.5–214 Ma ago. The occurrence of two pyrite generations differing in morphology, sulfur impurity, and isotopic compositions corroborates the suggestion that pyritization of fauna was a discrete process. It has been shown that sulfur that formed owing to bacterial sulfate reduction and interaction with organic matter was involved in the pyritization of bivalve mollusks, whereas mixing of magmatic sulfur and sulfur derived from host sedimentary rocks participated in deposition of Au–Sb ore.