Supplementary File 2: Fossil Reports
Report on 14 fossils from western Tay River and northeast Glenlyon areas.
Upper Earn Group
Report prepared by: Charles Henderson; June 4, 2019 (revised June 11)
Map Number: 105K12 Sample Number: 1299-6; RC-13-233-1 LAT: 62.629263 LONG: -133.762432 Lithology: Fossil: conodonts Taxa: one specimen with low CAI: Icriodus cf. iowaensis CAI: 2.0
Age: Probably Famennian (not younger)
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Map Number: 105K12 Sample Number: 1299-8; RC-13-230-1 LAT: 62.62633 LONG: -133.743984 Lithology: Fossil: conodonts Taxa: 2 fragmented specimens plus a ramiform element: Polygnathus cf. P. spicatus CAI: 5.5
Age: Tournaisian (Mississippian) ~ with lower Banff Formation
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Report prepared by: Robert Blodgett; November 22, 2016
Map Number: 105L16 Sample Number: 16RC052-3-1 Lat: 62.879271 Long: -134.329839 Lithology Taxa: Schizophoria sp. (one valve, same species as in your 16RC053-1) Athyris sp. (three valves) Cyrtospirifer sp. (two valves, one is close to Cyrtospirifer cf. C. thalattodoxa Crickmay from 16RC056-3-3 in external shape) indeterminate, very small, low-spired gastropod fenestellid bryozoans stenoporoid bryozoans numerous crinoid ossicles of varying size and morphology, mostly isolated columnals, but some still articulated into stem segments
Age: Famennian (same unit as 16RC053-1 and 16RC056-3-3). Similar fauna of abundant small crinoid ossicles.
Ecology: shelfal depths
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Map Number: 105L16 Sample Number: 16RC053-1 Lat: 62.87806 Long: -134.330534 Lithology: Fossils: All are brachiopods, except for the crinoid ossicles Taxa: Schizophoria sp. (3 specimens, one is opposing part and counterpart) indeterminate orthoid brachiopod (1 specimen) indeterminate rhynchonellid brachiopod (1 specimen) Cyrtospirifer sp. (1 specimen, a dorsal valve) abundant isolated crinoid ossicles (mostly very small)
Age: Famennian (Upper Devonian), but I would lean toward a Famennian age based on the lack of characteristic Frasnian elements, as well as the similarity of matrix and associated fauna with that found in 16RC056-3-3, which I would date as Famennian.
Comments: The Cyrtospirifer sp. is a different species from the Cyrtospirifer cf. C. thalattodoxa Crickmay, 1952, from 16RC056-3-3. It is much coarser ribbed than the former, and I would like a more complete specimen to even attempt species comparison with other species.
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Map Number: 105L16 Sample Number: 16RC087-1-1 Lat: 62.906047 Long: -134.14892 Lithology: calcareous sandstone Fossils: This sample contains two brachiopod species: Taxa: Eleutherokomma sp., Cyrtospirifer sp.
Age: The stratigraphic overlap of the two genera clearly indicate an Early Late Devonian (Frasnian) age.
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Report prepared by: Fabrice Cordey in March, 2014
Map Number: 105K12 Sample Number: 13RC100-1 Lat: 62.647998 Long: -133.546539 Lithology: black chert Fossils: radiolarians, large sponge spicules, silica fragements, clays, conodonts Taxa: ? Bientactinosphaera sp., ? Palacantholithus sp., silica spheres
Age: Late Devonian – Mississippian
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Map Number: 105K11 Sample Number: 13RC029-1 Lat: 62.518393 Long: -133.149941 Lithology: black chert Fossils: radiolarians, sponge spicules (non diagnostic), silica fragments, clays, rare pyritized spheres Taxa: entactiniids, Palacantholithus sp., ? Scharfenbergia concentrica, ? Scharfenbergia turgida
Age: Devonian – Carboniferous, possibly Mississippian
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Map Number: 105K12 Sample Number: 13RC153-1 Lat: 62.686263 Long: -133.671585 Lithology: black chert Fossils: radiolarians, sponge spicules, silica fragments, conodonts Taxa: entactinids, ? Scharfenbergia sp., ? Sprongothrochus sp. (pyritized)
Age: Devonian – Carboniferous, possibly Mississippian
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Report prepared by: Michael Orchard on August 31, 2016
Map Number: 105K12 GSC CURATION NO. V- 003543 Sample Number: 15-RC-162-1-2 Lat: 62.7091 Long: -133.9122 Lithology: Fossiliferous limestone Fossils: conodonts Taxa: Apatognathus provarians Nicoll, 1980 (14) Bispathodus stabilis (Branson and Mehl, 1934) (1) Pelekysgnathus? sp. (1) ramiform elements indet. (15) CAI: 5 - 5.5
Assessed age: Late Devonian, late Famennian, upper marginifera Zone or younger.
Comments: Apatognathus is known from the Upper Devonian of Europe, USA, and Australia. Varker (1967) also described 6 additional species from the Lower Carboniferous of England, but Nicoll (1980) regarded these as belonging to a separate genus. A. provarians from the Canning Basin of Australia differs in its dentculation from the more common A. varians but both co-oocur through the mid-late Famennian (crepida through costatus Zone); there may be more than one species represented here too. In western Canada, Orchard (1987) recorded Apatognathus from the late Fammenian Harper Ranch Group and both it and Bispathodus are common in the Palliser Formation of the Rocky Mountains (Johnson and Chatterton, 1991, 2001). In the latter, the appearance of B. stabilis defines the base of the Upper marginifera Zone, giving a maximum age for the collection. Pelekysgnathus? is represented by a single drepanodiform coniform element.
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Map Number: 105K11 GSC CURATION NO. V- 003544 Sample Number: 15-RC-179-1 Lat: 62.5438 Long: -133.0454 , 12 km south of Barwell Lake, @1445 m. Lithology: Fossiliferous limestone Fossils: conodonts Taxa: Pinacognathus inornatus (Branson, 1934) (2) Siphonodella sp. (1) ramiform element indet. (1) CAI: 5 – 5.5
Assessed age: Early Carboniferous, early – middle Tournaisian.
Comments: Very small collection. Particularly useful here is the single anterior platform fragment of a Siphonodella in which anterior parapets are preserved but the posterior platform and lower surface pit is lost. This excludes specific assignment but the genus is known to be confined to the early – middle Tournaisian. The Pinacognathus species is a rather generalized and variable Tournaisian species whose phylogeny was discussed by Dzik (1997).
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Report prepared by Michael Orchard on June 15, 2017
Map Number: 105L16 GSC CURATION NO. S-000553 Sample Number: 16-RC-044-1-1 Lat: 62.7204 Long: -134.3006 Lithology: calcareous quartz arenite Processing comments: Large insoluble residue. Fossils: conodonts, ichthyoliths, sphaeromorphs Taxa: Icriodus sp. indet. (P, S) (2, 1) Palmatolepis sp. indet. (6) Polygnathus sp. indet. (4) ramiform elements (20) CAI: 5
Assessed age: Late Devonian, probably Frasnian
Comments: A small microfauna consisting entirely of fragments. The Palmatolepis represents the most useful taxon although none of them are even half complete, possibly reflecting transportation or reworking of the elements. Nevertheless, the fragments are broad, and somewhat ornate in the style of Frasnian (e.g. P. subrecta) or early Famennian (e.g. P. triangularis) species rather than the typical Famennian narrow and smooth species (e.g. P. glabra). The polygnathids and icriodids range throughout the Middle and Upper Devonian.
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Lower Earn Group
Report prepared by: Robert Blodgett, 2013
Map Number: 105K11 Sample Number: 13-RC-012-1 Lat: 62.536201 Long: -133.058432 Lithology: limestone Fossils: brachiopod, crinoid ossicles Taxa: stringocephalid brachiopod (one good ventral valve - this is probably the listed bivalve one productid brachiopod (looks like Stelckia Crickmay or possibly Spinulocosta Imlay)
Age: Givetian (Late Middle Devonian)
Comment: I see the packing list indicates this to be the Triassic age Jones Lake Formation. This does not jive with the fauna listed above, which indicates a Givetian (Late Middle Devonian) age. Stringocephlids are found only in the Middle Devonian, but usually much more common in the Givetian. The productid brachiopod, if Stelckia, also fits with a Givetian age. Spinulicosta (a less likely possiblity) ranges from late Emsian to Givetian. The abundance of crinoid ossicles does not fit with a Mesozoic age (I know of only one horizon where crinoids are common in the Mesozoic of the Arctic - in the basal Kingak Formation in NE Alaska). I know only one other stringocephalid locality in the Yukon, at Mount Burgess in the Ogilvie Formation.
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Map Number:105K12 Sample Number: 13-RC-108-2 Lat: 62.666796 Long: -133.473756 Lithology: siltstone Fossils: primitive plant debris and stem fragments [comments: these appear to represent very primitive land plants, and have seem very similar forms in the late Silurian lower member of Cedar Cove Formation on Chichagof Island, Southeast Alaska]
Age: probably Silurian-Early Devonian
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Report prepared by: Robert Blodgett; October 12, 2015
Unit: Lower Earn Group Map Number: 105K11 Sample Number: 15-RC-178-1 Lat: 62.543026 Long: -133.042 Lithology: siltstone and chert Fossils: brachiopods, trilobite pygidium, crinoid ossicles, bryozoans Taxa: Johnsonetes cf. filistriatus (Walcott, 1884) [common], Warrenella? sp. (probably a juvenile) (one specimen), Schizoproetoides sp. (one pygidium)
Age: Pragian-Emsian
Ecology: A shallow shelfal environment is indicated.
Comments: After searching the literature, I have decided your strophomenoid brachiopod from this locality 15-RC-178-1 is close to, if not conspecific with Johnsonetes filistriatus (Walcott,1884), a species known from Nevada, Yukon (Michelle Formation), and Canadian Arctic Islands. I would for the time being list it as: Johnsonetes cf. filistriatus (Walcott, 1884). Its age is Pragian-Emsian, and based on the co-occurrence with Schizoproetoides sp. (trilobite), and a reticulariid brachiopod (probably a juvenile Warrenella). The single spiriferid brachiopod is a reticularid, probably a juvenile Warrenella. This is conformable with a Emsian age suggested here for the fauna (though the genus also extends higher up to even the Frasnian).
The Devonian dechenellid trilobite pygidium appears to belong to the genus Schizoproetoides Ormiston, 1967, which is known from several species from the Canadian Arctic Islands, and there have also been reports of this genus from the Emsian of SE Alaska and NE Russia.
Three views of the same specimen of the trilobite Schizoproetoides sp. from locality 15-RC-178-1.
Johnsonetes cf. filistriatus (Walcott, 1884), three views of part and counterpart, B&W and in color
Johnsonetes cf. filistriatus (Walcott, 1884), another specimen in color.
Latex replica of the internal mold of a reticulariid brachiopod, probably a juvenile of Warrenella? sp. from RC-178-1
CITED REFERENCES
Crickmay, C.H., 1952, Discrimination of Late Upper Devonian. Jour. Paleontology, v. 26, no. 4, p. 585- 609.
Dzik, J. 1997. Emergence and succession of Carboniferous conodont and ammonoid communities in the Polish part of the Variscan sea. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 42 (1): 57-170.
Johnston, D.I. & Chatterton, B.D.E. 2001. Upper Devonian (Famennian) conodonts of the Palliser Formation and Wabamun Group, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana 19: 154 pp.
Johnson, J.G. and Lane, N.G., 1969. Two new Devonian crinoids from central Nevada. Journal of Paleontology, 43(1), pp.69-73.
Nicoll, R.S. 1980. The multielement genus Apatognathus from the Late Devonian of the Canning Basin, Western Australia. Alcheringa, 4(2): 133-152.
Orchard, M.J. 1987. Conodont biostratigraphy and correlation of the Harper Ranch Group (Devonian - Permian), Ashcroft map area (92I), southern British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research, Paper 87-1A: 743-749.
Ormiston, A.R., 1967, Lower and Middle Devonian trilobites of the Canadian Arctic Islands. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 153, 148 p., 17 pls.
Walcott, C.D., 1884, Paleontology of the Eureka district [Nevada]: U.S. Geological Survey Monograph 8, 298 p.