PALEOECOLOGY AMD PALEOENVIEONMENTS of the UPPER DEVONIAN MARTIN FORMATION H the ROOSEVELT DAM-GLOBE AREA, GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA B
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Paleoecology and paleoenvironments of the Upper Devonian Martin formation in the Roosevelt Dam-Globe area, Gila County, Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Meader, Norman Mack, 1951- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 24/09/2021 17:20:32 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/566642 PALEOECOLOGY AMD PALEOENVIEONMENTS OF THE UPPER DEVONIAN MARTIN FORMATION H THE ROOSEVELT DAM-GLOBE AREA, GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA by Norman Mack Meader A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA " 1 9 7 7 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judg ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED , /Vk stj . APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: DIETMAR SCHUMACHER Date Assistant Professor of Geosciences ACKNOWIEDGMENTS In completing this thesis I would like to thank the members of ngr committee, Drs. Joseph F. Schreiber Jr., Richard F. Wilson, and Dr. Dietmar Schumacher for their direction and assistance. I would especially like to thank Dr. Schreiber for his moral support and Dr. Schumacher for his patience in the difficult times preceding its completion. I would also like to thank Professor Terah Smiley for accommodating me in the technical aspects of my degree. Special thanks go to my sister Sally for her companionship in the field and suggestions on shortening the time and energy required to complete this degree. I would also like to thank Don Witter for his enthusiasm and discussion concerning the Devonian of Arizona. I thank the Union Oil Company Foundation for financial assist ance in this study. I lastly would like to thank my mother, Mrs. Ruth Header Foster, for her encouragement in completing this degree and steadfast support in troubled times. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS............................. .. vi LIST OF T A B L E S ........ ................................... .. ix ABSTRACT ....................... ................................. x 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................ 1 1.1 The Problem and. the Objectives 1.2 Location ................. .. 1.3 M e t h o d s ........ ............ to to H 1.4 Previous Work •— Stratigraphy 1.5 Previous Work — Paleo ecology -ovn 2. STRATIGRAPHY-. ......................................... 10 2.1 Nomenclature ................................. 10 2.2 Age of Strata .............. 12 2.3 Beckers Butte Member . .............................. 12 2.4 Jerome M e m b e r ................................... 13 3. PALE O N T O L O G Y ...........' ................. .................. 16 3*1 Introduction............................ 16 3*2 B i a s e s ............. .............................. 16 3*3 Faunal Assemblages at Roosevelt D a m ................... 18 3*3-1 Stromatolite Assemblage ............. 18 3*3-2 Arthrodiran Assemblage ........... ....... 21 3*3-3 Crinoid-Schizophoria and Fenestrate Bryozoan- Stropheodonta Assemblages . ................. 21 3*3-4 Coenites-Spiriferid Brachiopod Assemblage .... 25 3*4 Faunal Assemblages at Pinal Creek ..................... 25 3*4-1 Ostracode-Algal Assemblage ........... ••••• 26 3*4-2 Stropheodonta-Schizophoria Assemblage '...... 26 3*4-3 Atrypa-Cyrtospirifer Assemblage ................. 2? 3*4-4 Atrypa-Theodosia Assemblage.............. 29 3*5 Faunal Assemblages at Globe H i l l s .............. 29 4. SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS .......... 35 4*1 Introduction..................................... 35 4.2 Beckers Butte Member .................................... 39 iv V TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page 4*3 Fetid Dolomite Unit . ..... ................ 41 4.4 Aphanitic Dolomite Unit — Roosevelt D a m .............. 41 4*5 Aphanitic Dolomite Unit — Pinal Creek ................ 47 4.6 Upper U n i t .................... 49 4*6-1 Upper Unit at Roosevelt D a m ................. 51 4.6-2 Upper Unit at Pinal Creek ....................... 55 4*7 Problems............................................... 60 5* PAIEOECOLOGY ................................................ 6l 5*1 Introduction.................... 6l 5*2 Associations........................................... 63 5*2-1 Stromatolite "Association" ..................... 63 5*2-2 Ostracode-Algal Association ........... 65 5*2-3 Coenites-Spiriferid Brachiopod Association * * . 65 5*2-4 Crinoid-Schizophoria Association ............... 65 5*2-5 Fenestrate Bryozoa-Stropheodonta Association * . 66 5*2-6 Stropheodonta-Schizophoria Association . * . * * 66 5*2-7 Disphyllum-Massive Stromatoporoid Association . 67 5*2-8 Atrypa-Cyrtospirifer Association ......... 68 5*2-9 Atrypa-Theodosia Association ••*••........ 68 5*3 Lateral Relationships ........ ................ 69 5*4 Comparison with Other Studies ................ •.*•• 72 5*5 Comparison of Martin and Percha Associations...........* 89 5*6 Summary and Conclusions ............................... 92 6. CONCLUSIONS AND PROBLEMS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION........ 94 6.1 Conclusions • • • ......................... ...... 94 6.2 For Further Investigation ................. 97 APPENDIX: MEASURED STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS ..................... 98 REFERENCES CITED ................... .. 120 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Location Map ......... ....................... 3 2. Stratigraphic Nomenclature for the Devonian of Central A r i z o n a ................... .. ....................... .. 11 3» Vertical Distribution of Rock Types, Sedimentary Structures, and Fossil Occurrences at Roosevelt Dam and Pinal Creek ..................... .. in pocket 4» General Stratigraphic Position of Fossil Assemblages in Units of the Martin Formation..................... 19 5* Algal Laminae in the Fetid Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt Dam • 20 6. Large Head Shield Plate of Dinichthys sp. from the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt D a m ............... 22 7* Large Undetermined Plate of Dinichthys sp. from the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt D a m ............... 23 8. Arthrodiran Plate, Smaller Genus from the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt Dam ........ ........ 23 9* Cruziana Trails and Cross Sections of Inclined Burrows, Upper Unit at Roosevelt Dam ....................... 24 10. Brachiopod Slab, Mostly Schizophoria with Pedicle Valves Convex-up, Upper Unit at Globe Hills .......... 32 11. Abundant Crinoid Columnals Associated with the Stropheodonta- Schizophoria Assemblage • ................................ 32 12. Disphyllum Colony in Growth Position, Upper Unit at Globe H i l l s .................................................... 33 13. Environmental Distribution of Organic Structures............ 37 14. Shaw (1964)-Irwin (1965) Model ............................. 38 15. Interbedded Shale and Dolomite in the Upper Unit of the Beckers Butte Member at Roosevelt Da m ..................... 40 vi VIO LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 16. Laminations in the Fetid Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt Dam • • 42 17• Mudcracks in the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt D a m ...................... 43 18. Intraformational Breccia, Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt Dam ................... 43 19* Acetate Peel of Intraformational Conglomerate, Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt D a m ......................... 44 20. Channels in the Lower Part of the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Roosevelt D a m .................... 46 21. Rounded Intraclasts, Birdseye Structure, and Burrow Remnants in the Aphanitic Dolomite Unit at Pinal Creek . ............ 48 22. Crossbedding in Lower Part of Upper Unit at Roosevelt Dam • 52 23. Close-up of Vertical Burrow in Lower Part of Upper Unit at Roosevelt Dam . ............... ..........* 52 24. Close-up of Crossbedding in the Upper Unit at Roosevelt D a m ...................................................... 53 25. Horizontal Burrows in the Upper Unit at Roosevelt Dam • • • 54 26. Grazing Traces (Chondrites) in the Upper Unit at Roosevelt Dam .......................................... 54 27* Convolute Bedding in the Upper Part of the Upper Unit (Unit 27) at Roosevelt D a m ............................. 56 28. Laminations and Crossbedding in the Upper Part of the Upper Unit (Unit 27) at Roosevelt Dam .......... 56 29* Characteristics of the Upper Unit at Pinal Creek ...... 58 30. Lateral Relationships of Faunal Associations............... 70 31. Placement of Associations in Anderson*s (1971) Scheme . 71 32. Biofacies and Environments of the Middle Devonian Cedar Valley Formation ........................................ 77 VXli LIST