Upper Silurian (Upper Wenlock- Lower Pridoli) Chitinozoa and biostratigraphy of Skåne, southern Sweden

Late Silurian (late Wenlock‐early Pridoli) chitinozoans from the Colonus Shale and the Öved‐Ramsåsa Group are described from 46 localities in the province of Skåne and, in addition, from one reference locality on Gotland (Närbormingen 1). The Pterochaenia Shale and the slightly older Odarslöv Sandstone are local varities of the Colonus Shale within the Colonograptus colonus Zone. The Odarslöv Sandstone may reflect the margins of a shallow trough during earliest Ludlow. The lithology of the Colonus Shale and the Öved‐Ramsåsa Group is outlined, and a chitinozoan biozonation for the late Silurian of Sweden with six zones, is compared with the graptolite zonation. Altogether 44 chitinozoan species are present, of which two, Bursachitinal abnormalis and Sphaerochitina scanicus, are described as new, and eight species left in open nomenclature are commented upon.