ARCHAEOCYATHA FROM THE COLVILLE AND SALMO AREA
OF
WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
by
ROBERT G. GREGGS B.A., Queen's University, 1955
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE
in the Department
of
GEOLOGY AMD GEOGRAPHY
We accept this thesis as conforming to the
required standard
Members of the Department of
GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY
THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
April, 1957 NOTE
This title page is incorrect. The program of the ceremony of Congregration indicates Master of Science, and the Registrar's Office confirms this.
U.B.C. Library, May 27, 1957. i
ABSTRACT
Archaeocyathids are an extinct group of animals
that lived and thrived in the warm, clear marine waters of the
Lower Cambrian. In general shape, they resemble rugose corals,
but in skeletal details, numerous differences between these
groups exist, i.e. inner and outer walls, central cavities,
parieties, etc. are unique to Archaeocyathids.
The Archaeocyathids which are the subject of this
thesis were collected by Dr. H. Little from the South Fork
of the Salmo River, and from north.of Colville, Washington.
In the Salmo area, they occur in a narrow band of limestone
at the base of the Laib group. The Colville collection is
from an outcrop of Old Dominion limestone. The identification
and description of the species present in these collections
are the main considerations of the thesis. Two new species
are described, Ethmophyllum lineatus and Syringocnema
colvillensis. The former species occurs in the Lower Cambrian
limestone of the Laib group, Salmo area; the latter is repor•
ted from the Old Dominion limestone of the Colville area.
Archaeocyathids may be useful in the correlation of
Lower Cambrian formations, providing further accurately located
(stratigraphically) collections are made. At present, insuf• ficient stratigraphic data are available to erect Archaeocyathid
zones. However, some attempt to correlate the known Archaeo•
cyathid occurrences is made.
In correlating the ten known Archaeocyathid occur•
rences from Washington to the Yukon Territory, it is suggested ii
that the most southerly, Colville, Washington, is stratigra-
phically lower than the Salmo occurrence, and that the latter
is, in turn, stratigraphically lower than the northern
localities. These northern occurrences are considered to be
late Lower Cambrian. The age assigned to the northern
localities is, in general, based on stratigraphic and
paleontological evidence other than that afforded by Archaeo-
cyathids.
The occurrences of Archaeocyathids in the northern
part of the Cordillera are given below with their related
lithologic unit where possible:
1) Colville, Washington - Old Dominion limestone
2) Salmo, B.C. - lower part of the Laib group
3) Dogtooth Range, B.C. - Donald formation
4) Quesnel Lake, B.C. - Cariboo series
5) Sinclair Mills, B.C. -
6) Pine Pass, B.C. - Misinchinka schists
7) Aiken Lake, B.C. - upper Wolverine complex
8) McDame Creek, B.C. - Atan group
9) Wolf Lake, Yukon Territory - Lord's group B and c units
10) Quiet Lake, Yukon Territory -
It is believed that these occurrences outline the western edge of the geosyncline present in this region in
Lower Cambrian time. In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representative. It is under• stood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.
Department of Geology and Geography,
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, Canada,
Date April 1, 1957. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writer wishes to acknowledge the invaluable
assistance given by Dr. V. J. Okulitch in identification of
species, preparation of illustrations, and translation of
several Russian publications.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to Dr. G. E. Rouse
for many thought-provoking discussions on the problems in•
volved.
To Mr. D. W. Angold, many thanks for his many
valuable suggestions.
Finally, thanks are due to Mrs. W. Little and my wife for their constructive criticism of the manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii
ARCHAEOCYATHA FROM THE COLVILLE AND SALMO AREAS OF WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
Introduction 1 Distribution and Morphology of Archaeocyatha . . Morphology 2 Distribution 3
SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ARCHAEOCYATHA FROM THE COLVILLE AND SALMO AREAS OF WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
Faunal List of Archaeocyatha Colville Area 5 Salmo Area 6
Genus Monocyathus Bedford and Bedford 7 Monocyathus sp 7
Genus Archaeopharetra Bedford and Bedford .... 7 Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford . 8
Genus A.jacicyathus Bedford and Bedford 11 A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) ..... 11 Ajacicyathus rimouski"~0kulitch 12
Genus Archaeocyathellus Ford 13 Archaeocyathellus sp 13
Genus Ethmophyllum Meek 14 Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch 15 Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 16 Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp 17
Genus Archaeocyathus Billings 18 Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings 19 Archaeocyathus borealis Okulitch 20
Genus Protopharetra Bornemann 21 Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch 22 Protopharetra sp 23 Page
Genus Pycnoidocyathus Taylor 24 Pycnoidocyathus columbianus (Okulitch) .... 24 Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch) .... 26
Genus Dendrocyathus Okulitch and Roots 28 Dendrocyathus~sp 28
Genus Archaeosycon Taylor 29 Archaeosycon sp 29 Genus Claruscyathus Vologdin .... 30 Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin 30
Genus Syringoenema Taylor 31 Syringoenema colvillensis n. sp 31
Genus Syringocyathus Vologdin 33 Syringocyathus canadensis Okulitch 33
ARCHAEOCYATHID LOCALITIES IN WASHINGTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE YUKON TERRITORY
Colville, Washington 36 Salmo, B.C 39 Dogtooth Mountains, B.C 41 Sinclair Mills, B.C 43 Quesnel Lake and Pine Pass, B.C. 44 Aiken Lake, B.C 45 McDame Area, B.C 46 Wolf Lake, Yukon Territory 47 Quiet Lake, Yukon Territory 4#
CONCLUSION 49
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 50
BIBLIOGRAPHY , 52
EXPLANATION OF PLATES 60
Plate I - Monocyathus sp., Archaeopharetra typica, Claruscyathus solidus, A.jacicyathus nevadensis, Archaeosycon sp., Facing page 60
Plate II - Protopharetra sp., Protopharetra dunbari, Archaeocyathus borealis, Archaeocyathus atlanticus, Ajacicyathus nevadensis, Pycnoidocyathus~cblumbianus, Pycnoidocyathus sp. ". '. '. .Facing page 62 Page
Plate III - Ajacicyathus rimouski, Archaeocyathus borealis, Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp., Ethmophyllum whitneyi, Pycnoidocyathus amourensis, Ethmophyl• lum americanum, Pycnoidocyathus cf. columbianus, Syringocyathus sp.., Facing page 64
Plate IV - Protopharetra dunbari, Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp., Ethmophyllum americanum, Ethmophyllum cf. americanum, Ethmophyllum whitneyi, A.jacicyathus nevadensis, Archaeocyathellus sp. Archaeocyathus atlanticus, Facing page 66 ARCHAEOCYATHA FROM THE COLVILLE AMD SALMO AREAS OF WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
INTRODUCTION
In 1948, Dr. H. Little of the Geological Survey of Canada, made a fine collection of Archaeocyathids from the Lower Cambrian of the Salmo area. The fossils were collected "in the eastern part of the map area, from the 200-foot band of limestone at the base of the Laib group, from a point 1,000 feet south of the International Boundary to a point nearly 5 miles to the north". (Little, 1950). This material was sent to the University of British Columbia for study by Dr. V. J. Okulitch. The faunal list of Archaeo• cyathids from this area was published in Dr. Little's report (Little, 1950), but no detailed descriptions of these Archaeocyathids were made. In the following year, 1949, Dr. Little made another extensive collection of Archaeocyathids from the Colville area, from a west-facing bluff of Old Dominion limestone about 1 mile north of Colville, Washington. This material had not been examined in any detail previous to this thesis. Both of the above collections were later supplemen• ted with material collected by Dr. Okulitch from the same localities. The Archaeocyathids were preserved in limestones of three main types. The limestone containing the best preserved 2
fossils was medium grey, fine-grained, and contained little
argillaceous material. A second limestone contained such
quantities of brown argillaceous material that the latter re•
placed outer portions of the Archaeocyathids. Consequently,
the preservation of fossils in this matrix was poor. The
third limestone was a creamy white, slightly metamorphosed
rock in which the Archaeocyathids appeared as mere shadowy
outlines. The specific determination of fossils in this last
rock type was very difficult.
Sixty thin-sections containing 275 specimens were
made from the Colville material,, and eleven polished rock
samples incorporating some fifty specimens from the Salmo
area were studied. The identification and description of
these specimens comprise the main portion of this thesis. An
attempt to correlate the Lower Cambrian of Washington, British
Columbia and the Yukon is made using Archaeocyathids and
relevant geologic reports. Faunal lists from the above areas
are included, and the problem of zoning the Lower Cambrian on
the basis of Archaeocyathids is discussed briefly.
DISTRIBUTION AND MORPHOLOGY.OF ARCHAEOCYATHA
Morphology
Typical skeletons of Archaeocyathids are cone- or.
cup-shaped, but saucer-like, crenulated forms do occur. The
skeletons are usually preserved as the original calcareous
material, but siliceous skeletons are found, notably in South
Australia. 3
Both single and double walled Archaeocyathids are
known. In the double walled forms, the walls are connected by
regular v/ertical plates - parieties, and/or by synapticulae,
tabulae, taenia and dissepiments - irregular rod- and plate-like
elements. All the skeletal tissues are perforated by pores that
vary in size from fine to coarse. The living tissue is thought
to have been a layer one cell thick, coating most of the
skeletal surfaces. Communication between the various chambers
of the organism and the outside was achieved by numerous pores.
Archaeocyathids are assumed to have reproduced sex•
ually and by budding. The former method produced motile larvae
-which resulted in saucer-, cup-, and cone-like forms. The
latter produced various arborescent structures.
Distribution
At the peak of their development, Archaeocyathids were
present in nearly all the warm, clear, shallow seas of the Lower
Cambrian. A very low tolerance to silty or muddy water, and
their inability to cope with encrusting algae probably prevented
a complete pervading of all the seas. Nevertheless, the
cosmopolitan nature of Archaeocyathids and their explosive type
of evolution indicate they were well suited for the environment
they did inhabit.
Some of the more important localities where Archaeo•
cyathids occur are in Australia, Siberia, the Yukon, British
Columbia, Nevada, Washington, California, Virginia, Mexico,
Newfoundland, Labrador, Spain, and Sardinia. All these locali•
ties are Lower Cambrian in age. Reports by Vologdin (1939) 4 and Bornemann (1886) of the occurrence of Archaeocyathids in rocks of Middle Cambrian have been since refuted by Zhuravleva (1951a). It is now accepted that they are confined solely to the Lower Cambrian. 5
SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ARCHAEOCYATHA
FROM THE
COLVILLE AND SALMO AREAS'OF WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
Faunal List of Archaeocyatha from the Colville Area
PHYLUM ARCHAEOCYATHA
CLASS MONOCYATHEA
ORDER MONOCYATHIDA
Family Monocyathidae
Monocyathus sp.
ORDER ARCHAEOPHYLLIDAE
Family Archaeophyllidae
Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford
CLASS ARCHAEOCYATHEA
ORDER AJACICYATHIDA
Family Ajacicyathidae
A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) Ajacicyathus rimouski"
Family Ethmophyllidae
Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek
ORDER METACYATHIDA
Family Archaeocyathidae
Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings Archaeocyathus borealis Okulitch Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch Protopharetra sp. 6
Family Pycnoidocyathldae.
Pycnoidocyathus columbianus (Okulitch) Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch) Pycnoidocyathus sp. Dendrocyathus sp.
Family Metacoscinidae
Archaeosycon sp. Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin
ORDER SYRINGOCNEMIDA
Family Syringocnematidae
Syringocnema colvillensis n.sp. Syringocyathus sp.
Faunal List of Archaeocyatha from the Salmo Area
PHYLUM ARCHAEOCYATHA
CLASS ARCHAEOCYATHEA
ORDER AJACICYATHIDA
Family Ajacicyathidae
A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) A.jacicyathus rimouski Okulitch Archaeocyathellus sp.
Family Ethmophyllidae
Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp.
ORDER METACYATHIDA
Family Archaeocyathidae
Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch Protopharetra sp. 7
Family Pycnoidocyathidae
Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch)
ORDER SYRIFGOCNEMIDA
Family Syringocnematidae
Syringocyathus canadensis Okulitch
PHYLUM ARCHAEOCYATHA Vologdin, 1937
GLASS MONOCYATHEA Okulitch, 1943
ORDER MONOCYATHIDA Okulitch, 1935
\ Family Monocyathidae Bedford and Bedford, 1934
Genus Monocyathus Bedford and Bedford, 1934
Monocyathus sp.
Plate I-l: i
This very simple form is represented by one specimen
in transverse section from the Colville area. The specimen is
slightly elliptical in section, diameters of 1.2 mm. and 0.9 mm.
The single wall is approximately 0.1 mm. thick and perforated by fine pores. The only other known occurrence of this genus
is in Lower Cambrian rocks of South Australia.
ORDER ARCHAEOPHYLLIDA Okulitch, 1943
Family Archaeophyllidae Vologdin, 1931
Genus Archaeopharetra Bedford and Bedford, 1936 8
Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford 1936
Plate I - 2, 3, 4, 5:
A problem exists in the precise distinction between
the ontogeny of the genera Archaeopharetra and Protopharetra.
The two genera resemble each other in their simplicity and lack
of well-organized skeletal tissue. They differ in that
Archaeopharetra lacks an inner wall and central cavity. Other
differences are the imperforate tissues and generally smaller
size of Archaeopharetra spp., particularly A. typica, and the
development in Protopharetra of more-pronounced mesh-like
structures. It is still open to question, however, whether
Archaeopharetra is a valid genus, or merely a variation in
growth stages of Protopharetra. Differentiation of tissue
into the poorly developed inner wall and central cavity charac• teristic of Protopharetra could be accomplished in
Archaeopharetra by very minor changes in the skeletal structure.
This organization could occur in the adult stage, with accom• panying development of perforate walls and mesh-like structures to produce specimens identical to those of Protopharetra.
This confusion in the ontogeny of Archaeopharetra and Proto• pharetra will be clarified only when abundant, perfect
specimens of their various species are found. Until that time,
it can only be suggested that they may be congeneric.
This is the first time specimens have been referred to A. typica since Bedford and Bedford described it in 1936.
The species is represented by five well-preserved specimens from the Salmo locality. These were studied as thin-sections, 9
four transverse and one longitudinal.
General Shape: A blunt, cone-like form; small; circular'to
elliptical in transverse section; specimens vary from 2.5 to
6 mm. in diameter; the specimen studied as a longitudinal
section has a length of 15 mm., a greatest diameter of 2.5 mm.,
tapering down to a diameter of 1 mm.; annulations of the outer
wall were observed in this longitudinal section.
Outer Wall: Thick; well-defined; imperforate.
Interior of Cup: No inner wall or central cavity; flattened,
rounded bars more or less fill the cup; all skeletal structures
in the cup are imperforate.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian of Colville, Washington;
and Lower Cambrian of South Australia.
Remarks: It was at first thought that the specimens designated
as A. typica might well be referred to Rhizacyathus radix.
However, on close examination of Bedford and Bedford's (1936,
1937, 1939) original descriptions and plates of these species, it was felt that they are actually conspecific. They differ only in that Rhizacyathus radix has slightly stouter skeletal
structures than A. typica. This thickening could be caused by secondary calcification or by some minor environmental factor. Since Archaeopharetra has priority, the specimens are referred to this genus.
If we accept the present classification and consider
Archaeopharetra and Protopharetra as distinct, valid genera, 10
we are faced with the contradictory procedure of including
Archaeopharetra in the Metacyathida. By definition
Metacyathida are Archaeocyathids with two perforate walls.
A. typica has only one wall, and that is imperforate. This
fact is mentioned in the original description of A. typica. where Bedford and Bedford (1936) state that "the outer wall
is coated with silica and pores are not visible". Also in
their later publications of 1937 and 1939, numerous plates of Archaeopharetra appear, none of which shows perforate outer walls. The specimens of A. typica from the Colville collection are well-preserved calcareous skeletons, yet even these show no pores in the outer wall. It can be only con• cluded that the outer wall of A. typica is imperforate. It is therefore suggested that Archaeopharetra be referred to the family Archaeophillidae of the class Monocyathea, a family whose genera are characterized by the possession of one imperforate wall. This proposed change in classification has been followed in this thesis. The genus Protopharetra is acceptable in the present taxonomic location within the family Archaeocyathidae of the class Archaeocyathea.
One exception to the above suggestion might be noted. Archaeopharetra vologdini, described by Bedford and
Bedford (1939), does not comply with the defined limits of the genus in that it possesses a porous inner wall and a central cavity. No redescription or redesignation of this species is proposed here, but it should be probably referred to genus
Protopharetra. 11
CLASS ARCHAEOCYATHEA Okulitch, 1943 ORDER AJACICYATHIDA Bedford and Bedford, 1939 Family Ajacicyathidae Bedford and Bedford, 1939 Genus A.jacicyathus Bedford and Bedford, 1939 A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch, 1943) Plate 1-7; Plate 11-10, 11; Plate IV - 6:..
This species is represented by numerous specimens from the Colville area, but by two only from the Salmo area. With the exception of one specimen, they are all smaller than the type i.e. 2 mm. in diameter as compared with 3 mm. Intervallum coefficient varies from 0.7 to 0.85, in this res• pect agreeing well with the type intervallum coefficient of 0.8 to 1.0. The parietal coefficient varies from 5 to 6.8, which is slightly higher than that of the type. This may be due to the small size of the specimens. Further growth could increase the diameter without increasing the number of parieties present. In substantiation of this, the specimen of greatest diameter has the lowest parietal coefficient.
Outer Wall: Thin to moderately thick in places, with numerous pores perforating, and partly perforating the wall. These lat• ter pores are located in the thicker portions of the outer wall and may be upwardly inclined tubes.
Parieties: Regularly arranged; usually straight, although some are gently curved; perforated by large pores; but many parieties are imperforate in thin-section, suggesting that the pores are widely spaced. . Number of parieties varies from 10 12
to 13 where the diameter of the specimen is 2 mm.
Inner Wall: Stout, thick, simple; perforated by large pores.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian at Colville, Stevens
County, Washington; and on the south fork of the Salmo River at the base of the Laib Group, B.C. This species has pre• viously been reported from Caborca, Northwestern Sonora,
Mexico; Inyo County, Calif.; Silver Peak, Nevada; the Purcell
Range, British Columbia; and from the McDame area, British
Columbia.
Ajacicyathus rimouski Okulitch 1943
Plate III - 1, 2, 3:
This species is well represented by several specimens from both the Colville and Salmo localities. In contrast to
A. nevadensis, A. rimouski is more abundant in the collection from the Salmo area.
General Shape: A. rimouski resembles A. nevadensis, but dif• fers in the number of parieties and relative width of the intervallum. The ratio of intervallum to diameter of central cavity varies from 1.1 to 1.4, and the parietal coefficient varies from 7.1 to 8.8.
Outer Wall: Moderately thick, simple; two or three large pores per intersept, such that pore area nearly equals area of skeletal material.
Parieties: Numerous; straight, or gently curved; slender, 13 long, rarely perforated by large pores, which tend to appear in the parieties close to the inner wall.
Inner Wall: Stout, thick, occasionally perforated by large pores.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian of "Colville, Washington, and on the south fork of the Salmo River. A. rimouski has been also reported from Caborca, Mexico; and from the type locality at Bic Harbour, Rimouski County, Quebec.
Genus Archaeocyathellus Ford, 1873 Archaeocyathellus sp. Plate IV - 8: This species is represented by one very minute specimen from the Salmo locality. Preservation of this specimen is sufficiently good so that definite allocation to the genus Archaeocyathellus could be made. However, since the species are distinguished by pore pattern, not visible in the specimen, specific identification is impossible.
General Shape: Specimen was studied as a transverse section on a polished surface; slightly oval in section, diameters of I mm. and 0.6 mm; intervallum about 0.2 mm. wide; central cavity 0.4 mm. in diameter; intervallum coefficient of 0.5; II parieties were counted in an average diameter of 0.8 mm., giving a parietal coefficient of 13.8.
Outer Wall: Longitudinally fluted, furrows coinciding with 14 the junction of the parieties and the outer wall; pores not visible; thick; secondary calcification possible.
Parieties: Short, stout, regularly arranged; imperforate.
Inner Wall: Not furrowed or fluted; pores not visible; thick.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian from the south fork of the Salmo River, B.C. Numerous other occurrences are cited in the literature: Rocky Mountain Cordillera; New York State, U.S.A.; Australia, Spain and Russia.
Family Ethmophyllidae Okulitch, 1943 Genus Ethmophyllum Meek, 1868
The genus Ethmophyllum is well represented in the collections from the Colville and Salmo areas. The Salmo locality is especially abundant in specimens of the three species described below. This genus is considered to be one of the most highly organized genera of the Archaeocyatha (Okulitch, Zhuravleva). The mathematical regularity observed in the arrangement of parieties, the pore distribution in the outer wall, and the complex inner wall confirm this impression. As a result of this high degree of organization, and from the findings of Zhuravleva (1955), the occurrence of Ethmophyllum is regarded as indicative of late Lower Cambrian horizons. Thus Ethmophyllum is of great importance in zoning the Lower Cambrian by Archaeocyatha. 15
Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch, 1952,
Plate III - 11; Plate IV - 5, 9, 1.2:
Only two specimens of this species are present in the collection from the Colville area, but it is a common
species from the Salmo locality. It is easily distinguished from E. whitneyi by its very large central cavity, relatively narrow intervallum, and numerous parieties. The inner wall of E. americanum is usually slightly less complex than that of E. whitneyi.
In general shape, it is a long cone-like structure similar to other Ethmophyllum species. One incomplete specimen was 55 mm. long and 7 mm. in diameter at the larger end. The parietal coefficients of the specimens varied from 7«4 to 8.8; type specimen has parietal coefficient of 7.6. The intervallum coefficient was more variable, ranging from 0.18 to 0.4. This coefficient in the type material varies from 0.14 to 0.16.
Outer Wall: Moderately thick to thin; finely perforate by 3 to 4 pores per intersept in some specimens, 6 to 8 pores per intersept in others.
Parieties: Numerous, short, stout; apparently imperforate; straight, simple.
Inner Wall: Complex, consisting of one row of shallow cup• like processes projecting into the central cavity; these processes appear to be arranged in vertical as well as horizon• tal rows; occasionally fragments of a smaller, secondary row 16
are visible; perforated by coarse pores; skeletal material
very thick in comparison with parieties and outer wall.
Horizon and Locality: From the Lower Cambrian of Sonora,
Mexico, the type locality; and from the Lower Cambrian of
Colville, Washington, and Salmo, B.C.
Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 1868
Plate III - 7, S; Plate IV - 7, 10: -
The collection of Archaeocyathids from the Salmo
locality is rich in well-preserved specimens of this species.
So prolific and numerous are they that the fauna is virtually
dominated by them. E. whitneyi also occurs at the Colville
locality, but to a very minor extent.
In general shape, E. whitneyi is slender, tapering
and cone-like, with occasional annulations on the surface.
Outer Wall: Moderately thick; 4 to 6 slit-like pores per
intersept, the number of pores being constant for any one
specimen, but varying from specimen to specimen.
Parieties: Numerous, short, thick elements; regularly ar•
ranged; 36 parieties in one specimen of 6 mm. diameter; very rarely perforated by pores, but occasionally pores do occur
in the parieties near the inner wall.
Inner Wall: Complex arrangement in rows, one or two, of vesicles apparently derived from fusion and waving of the ends of parieties; in longitudinal section, vesicles appear 17
to be attenuated cup-like projections opening upward; struc• tural elements of the inner wall are stronger, stouter than those of the parieties or outer wall; occasional large pores perforate all inner wall components.
Horizon and Locality: E. whitneyi occurs in the Lower Cambrian at the South Forks of the Salmo River, B.C. and from the
Colville area. Other North American localities are: Silver
Peak District, Nevada; Inyo County,. California; and Caborca,
Mexico.
Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp.
Plate IV - 2, 3, 4-
This new species is represented by seven specimens from the Salmo locality. All the specimens were studied in polished section. The species is characteristic of Ethmophyllum in possessing a complex inner wall, and fine, regularly arranged parieties, but atypical in its bowl-like conformation.
General Shape: A flattened, saucer-like form with a very narrow intervallum; the intervallum width varies from 1 mm. to 1.75 mm., with 2.4 to 2.8 parieties per millimeter. Since only fragmental specimens are available, the parietal and intervallum coefficients cannot be accurately determined.
Estimates of these are; parietal coefficient - 200:30, inter• vallum coefficient - 1.5:27.
Outer Wall: Thin; perforated by 6 to 8 fine pores per inter• sept in some specimens, 9 to 11 in others. IB
Parieties; Very short, straight, slender; numerous; apparent•
ly imperforate; slightly shorter than those of E. americanum.
Inner Wall: Complex, consisting of 1 to 2 rows of fine,
narrow vesicles; the vesicles are similar to those of E. whitneyi,
but with shorter diameters; perforate by occasional large
pores; thick skeletal material composes the inner wall.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian at the South Forks of
the Salmo River, near the International Boundary, in B.C.
Holotype: University of British Columbia Paleontology Collec•
tion - No. SB-14.
Paratype: University of British Columbia Paleontology Collec•
tion - No. SC-9.
ORDER METACYATHIDA Bedford and Bedford, 1936
Family Archaeocyathidae Taylor, 1910
Genus Archaeocyathus Billings, 1861
This genus is very common in the Colville collection,
but only two specimens of Archaeocyathus occur in material
from the Salmo locality. The majority of the specimens, in•
cluding the two from the Salmo collection, is referred to the
species, A. atlanticus. This is a common species, being almost world-wide in distribution. One other species of Archaeocyathus
described here is A. borealis. It is not well-represented in
the collection from Colville, and is absent from the Salmo
collection. 19
The relative scarcity of Archaeocyathus, as well as
Protopharetra, in the Salmo collection further suggests that the Cambrian rocks of the Salmo area are relatively high in the Lower Cambrian. This problem will be discussed- later in the correlation of various Archaeocyathid zones in the Yukon,
British Columbia, and Washington.
A. atlanticus Billings, 1861
Plate II - 7, S, 9; Plate IV - II:
This species is represented by numerous well-preserved
specimens. They are particularly abundant in the Colville col• lection. ,
General Shape: Gently tapering, cone-like form; circular in transverse section, but occasionally showing minor undulations of the outer margin; diameters of the specimens range from
5.0 to 7.5 mm., with corresponding intervallum widths from
1.3 to 2.4 mm.; the central cavity diameters vary from 1.4 to
3.6 mm.; these measurements give an average intervallum co• efficient of O.65, the actual coefficients vary from 0.5 to
0.92. This variation in the intervallum coefficient is typical of the general variability of the species.
Outer Wall: Relatively thick; well-defined; perforated by numerous coarse pores; in transverse section these pores in some portions of the wall resemble canals; this appearance is due directly to the thick wall.
Intervallum: Wide; filled by irregular skeletal tissue which 20
forms the walls of very irregular curving canals; the whole
intervallum resembles a closely knit mesh of tissue enclosing
anastomosing, polygonal canals; the canal walls are perforate by abundant large pores.
Inner Wall: Of variable thickness, but thick even in the thinner portions; perforated at frequent intervals by large pores; these pores may represent the inner terminal ends of the intervallum canals opening into the central cavity.
Central Cavity: Moderately large; elliptical to circular in transverse section; contains no skeletal tissue.
Horizon and Locality: As previously stated, A, atlanticus is an extremely common species. The more important localities are in Australia, Russia, Spain, and North America. In North
America, A. atlanticus occurs in Lower Cambrian rocks of
Labrador; Silver Peak, Nevada; the McDame area, Purcell Range,
Aiken Lake area, and the Salmo area, of British Columbia; and in the Colville area, Washington.
Archaeocyathus borealis Okulitch, 1955
Plate II - 6; Plate III - 4:
Two specimens from the Colville area represent this species. Both specimens appear as transverse sections; one is complete, the other has a portion of the outer wall and intervallum missing. Despite the scarcity of good specimens, the narrow central cavity, fine intervallum tissue, and thin outer wall characteristic of A. borealis are unmistakable. The specimens are quite small. The diameter of the larger is
5.0 mm., with a central cavity diameter of 1.0 mm. This yield
an intervallum coefficient of 2.0, which differs only slightly
from the type coefficient of 1.66.
Outer Wall: Appears as a thin film; perforated by numerous
small pores.
Intervallum: Very wide; similar to A. atlanticus in general
appearance of skeletal tissues and canals, but differs in the
finer and more delicate construction of the skeletal elements,
and in the reduction in diameter of the canals; numerous small
pores perforate the canal walls and other tissues of the
-intervallum.
Inner Wall: Relatively thin; perforated by frequent moderate
sized pores; these perforations produce a ragged appearance,
such that the intervallum tissues seem to protrude through
the inner wall into the central cavity.
Central Cavity: Very narrow; well-defined; circular to
elliptical in outline; clear of any skeletal elements.
Horizon and Locality: From the Lower Cambrian of the McDame
area, British Columbia, and from the Colville area, Washington
Genus.; Protopharetra Bornemann, 1886
Of all the Archaeocyathid genera from the Lower
Cambrian of the Colville locality, Protopharetra is probably
the most abundant in terms of actual number of specimens. Thi 22
abundance of a simple, unspecialized genus suggests that this
zone is one of the lowermost Archaeocyathid horizons in the
Cambrian. Protopharetra also occurs in the Lower Cambrian
of the Salmo area but in fewer numbers.
Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch, 1943
Plate II - 4,5; Plate IV - 1:
Several specimens of this species occur in the
collections from the Colville and Salmo localities. The
specimens studied were transverse sections in polished rock fragments or in thin-sections. Preservation was excellent
in most cases, although some secondary calcification had occurred, particularly in the outer walls.
General Shape: Almost circular in transverse section; diameters of the specimens varied from 3.0 mm. to 4.5 mm.; intervallum widths of 1.3 mm. to 1.9 mm., with corresponding central cavity diameters from 0.4 mm. to 0.6 mm., resulting in an average intervallum coefficient of 3.0.
Outer Wall: Relatively thick, spongy structure with a few large pores.
Intervallum: Very wide; filled by a mesh of stout, perforate, anastomosing rods and curved bars, which form more or less complete lacunae. There is no decrease in the size of these cells near the inner wall, differing in this respect from similar structures in Syringocnema. Inner Wall: Hot clear or distinct in most specimens, but sufficient is observed to outline the central cavity; where present, the inner wall is thick and perforated by rare, large pores.
Central Cavity: Very narrow, circular in transverse section; not well-marked in most specimens.
Horizon and Locality: Found in the Lower Cambrian of Labrador Inyo County, California; probably Aiken Lake area, B.C.; Salmo area, B.C.; and Colville area, Washington.
Protopharetra sp. Plate II - 1, 2, 3: This species includes a variety of Protopharetra forms which represent the bulk of the Archaeocyathid specimens from the Colville area. They exhibit the characteristics of the genus, and, in addition, some minor features that are not truly typical. Only one specimen of this generalized Protopharetra species occurred in material from the Salmo River locality.
General Shape: The large number of thin sectioned specimens available show all views and orientations of the species. The cup varies in shape from turbinate to cylindrical; sometimes within irregular outline, but generally circular. The speci• mens range from 3.5 mm. to 11.5 mm. in diameter, and from 9.0 to 30 mm. in length.
Outer Wall: Consistently thin, and finely perforate in all 24
specimens; smooth outer surface; inner surface with rods and
bars fused to it at irregular intervals.
Intervallum: Wide; crossed by a thick, irregular mesh of
bars, rods, and also in some specimens by curved, thin dis-
sepimental tissue; in some, the mesh is very roughly organized
into pariety-like structures; all the thick rods, bars, and
pariety-like elements are perforated by coarse, large pores;
the dissepimental tissues are never perforated.
Inner Wall: Poorly developed or absent in nearly all specimens;
in others, the inner wall is formed by fusion of bars and rods.
Central Cavity: Completely absent, or an ill-defined zone in
the center of the cup where skeletal tissue is absent or
scarce.
Horizon and Locality: Protopharetra is a very cosmopolitan
genus. It has been reported from the Lower Cambrian of Spain,
Sardinia, Russia, Australia, and North America. Protopharetra
sp., as described above, occurs in the Lower Cambrian rocks
of Colville area, Washington, and from the Salmo area, B.C.
Family Pycnoidocyathidae Okulitch, 1950
Genus Pycnoidocyathus Taylor, 1910
Pycnoidocyathus columbianus (Okulitch, 1943) „
Plate II - 12; Plate III - 12, 14:
This common species of the northern Cordilleran geosyncline is represented in the Colville collection by two
specimens: a transverse section and an oblique longitudinal 25
section. None of the specimens from the Salmo locality can
be assigned, with any certainty, to this species.
General Shape: A short, turbinate cone; occasional transverse
annulations; circular in transverse section; largest specimen
is 15 mm. in diameter; width of central cavity, 5.5 mm., giving, an intervallum coefficient of 0.71, which is slightly
larger than that of the type.
Outer Wall: Thin; perforated by numerous, fine pores; par• tially replaced in both specimens by brown argillaceous mater•
ial.
Intervallum: Wide; crossed by fairly regular parieties carry•
ing synapticulae and dissepiments; numerous, large pores per• forate the parieties; 30 parieties occur in a diameter of
15 mm., yielding a parietal .coefficient of 2.0.
Inner Wall: Not well-preserved in the transverse section, and, of course, not visible at all in the oblique longitudinal sec• tion; apparently rather thin, and perforated by large pores.
Central Cavity: Wide; well-defined, and free of skeletal tissue.
Horizon and Locality: Reported from Lower'Cambrian rocks of the Dogtooth Range, and from the McDame area of British
Columbia, and from Colville, Washington. 26
Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch, 1943)
Plate III - 9, 10:
Several poorly preserved specimens from the Colville and Salmo collections are referred to this species. These specimens resemble the type in the development of a narrow central cavity, a wide intervallum filled with numerous, fairly regular, stout, perforate parieties, and in the presence of short dissepiments and synapticulae. No accurate estimates of the intervallum and parietal coefficients can be made since the outer walls have been either replaced by ar• gillaceous material, or removed by fracturing of the rock.
Outer Wall: Absent in all specimens, except for a small por• tion in one specimen; moderately thick; finely perforate.
Intervallum: Wide; contains numerous, coarsely perforate parieties crossed by dissepiments and synapticulae.
Inner Wall: Well-defined; perforated by small pores.
Horizon and Locality: P. amourensis is known from the Lower
Cambrian of Labrador, at Point Amour and Taylor's Gulch;
McDame area, B.C.; and from the Dogtooth Range, near Golden,
B.C. The specimens described above occur in rocks of Lower
Cambrian age from Salmo, B.C., and from Colville, Washington.
Pycnoidocyathus sp.
Plate 11-13:
The single specimen of this species was found in a 27
fairly pure, white, crystalline limestone fragment from the
Colville locality. In the course of preparing a thin-
section for study, all but the actual thin-section was des• troyed. The specimen now appears on a glass slide as an incomplete transverse section.
In general shape, the specimen is long, attenuated, and saucer-like. From estimations of the curvature of the incomplete specimen, this saucer may have been from 10 to 12 cms. in diameter. Parietal and intervallum coefficients are relatively meaningless for specimens with this shape, but the number of intersepts per millimeter is a useful ratio. In this specimen there are approximately three parieties per millimeter. The total length, in transverse section, of the specimen is over 2.6 cms.; the width is constant at 1.5 mm.
Outer Wall: Fairly thick; simple; appears perforate by large pores.
Intervallum; Extremely narrow; crossed by very short, numerous parieties, which are perforated by abundant, medium-sized pores; the parieties are joined by short, thin, curved dissepiments and occasional synapticulae; in general, the parieties are more regular, and better defined than is typical of
Pycnoidocyathus.
Inner Wall: Thick; perforated by numerous, large pores.
Central Cavity: This is not visible as such, but must have been very large and wide. The area of the slide that corresponds 28
to the central cavity is covered by many small specimens of
other Archaeocyathids.
Remarks: P. sp. appears to be related to Pycnoidocyathus in
much the same manner as A.jacicyathus undulatus is to Ajacicya-
thus. Both species possess saucer-like shapes with numerous
short parieties, very narrow intervallums, and wide central
cavities. P. sp. differs from A.jacicyathus undulatus in the
development of synapticulae and dissepiments; otherwise the
two species are very similar.
Horizon and Locality: From the Lower Cambrian of the Colville
area, Washington.
Genus Dendrocyathus Okulitch and Roots, 1947
Dendrocyathus sp.
Only one fragmental specimen of this genus was found
in material from the Colville locality. The specimen is a
segment of a transverse section comprising the outer wall,
intervallum, and the entire inner wall and central cavity.
Diameter of the complete specimen was probably 3.5 mm.
General Shape: Circular in transverse section, presumably a
conical, cup-like form.
Outer Wall: Smooth exterior; thick; coarsely perforate.
Intervallum: Wide, approximately four times wider than the
central cavity; crossed by numerous, complex parieties which
branch from inner to outer wall; parieties appear bead-like in transverse section because of the many large pores; no synapticulae or taenia typical of the genotype, D. unexpectans are present.
Inner Wall: Thick, perforated by medium-sized pores.
Central Cavity: Very narrow; elliptical in transverse section free of any skeletal tissue.
Horizon and Locality: From the Lower Cambrian of Colville,
Washington. Genotype is from the Lower Cambrian of Aiken Lake area, B.C.
Family Metacoscinidae Bedford and Bedford, 1936
Genus Archaeosycon Taylor, 1910
Archaeosycon sp.
Plate I - 10:
Two specimens from the Colville collection are ten• tatively assigned to this genus. Positive identification can• not be made since both specimens are oblique longitudinal sections that do not show the inner wall and central cavity.
Tentative identification is based on the occurrence of convex, perforate tabulae; porous, loosely arranged parieties; and the presence of some vesicular tissue in the remaining open spaces
General Shape: Cylindrical, with transverse ambulations occur' ring 4 to 5 mm. apart; length of incomplete specimen, 17 mm.; diameter of same specimen, 5 to 6.5 mm.
Outer Wall: Thick, coarsely perforate; partially removed from 30 both specimens.
Intervallum: Numerous thick parieties; parieties appear as rows of bead-like elements, a result of numerous coarse pores; fine, rarely perforate, downward (?) arching tabulae occur in both specimens; tabulae are. fairly numerous; vesicular tissue partially fills the central area of one specimen.
Inner Wall: Not visible.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian of Colville, Washington; and the type locality of L'Anse au Loup, Labrador.
Genus Claruscyathus Vologdin, 1932
Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin, 1937
Plate I - 8, 9, 11, 12: More than thirty specimens have been identified as C. solidus, all from the Lower Cambrian of Colville, Washington. This species was first reported by Vologdin (1932) from Middle Cambrian rocks of Siberia. Zhuravleva (1955) has since shown this to be erroneous, and the Siberian strata in question are actually of Lower Cambrian age.
General Shape: Irregularly shaped, but in general a cylindrical form; one specimen measured 30 mm. in length with a diameter of 8 mm.
Outer Wall: Thick, irregular in outline; perforate.
Intervallum: Very wide; numerous, fairly well-defined, coarsely 31 perforate parietiesj the numerous tabulae are relatively thin, perforate, and appear to be upwardly convex, but difficult to be certain of this since the irregular shape of the specimens renders it difficult to determine with precision their orienta• tion; the central cavity is not well-defined, but merely a zone where skeletal structures are absent.
Horizon and Locality: Lower Cambrian of Colville, Washington. This is the first report of this species from North America. Other localities are in Siberia and Antarctica.
ORDER SYRINGOCNEMIDA Okulitch, 1935 Family Syringocnematidae Taylor, 1910 Genus Syringocnema Taylor, 1910 Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp. Plate III - 5, 6: This species is represented by two transverse views in thin-section from the Colville collection. Both specimens are well preserved, except that the outer wall and portions of the intervallum of one specimen have been removed by fracturing of the rock. Despite the lack of a longitudinal section, there is no difficulty in definitely identifying the specimens as belonging to a new species of Syringocnema. The characteristic tube-filled intervallum, the relatively large size of these tubes, and the narrow central cavity are the main distinguish• ing features of the species.
General Shape: Other Syringocnema species possess a long cone• like form, and in the absence of longitudinal sections, it is 32
assumed that this species has a similar shape. In transverse section, the outer margin of the cup is deeply indented or crenulated, about 20 crenulations occurring in a diameter of
5 mm. Both specimens are roughly elliptical in section with diameters of 5.5 mm. and 3.5 mm. Width of intervallum varies from 1.3 mm. to 2.6 mm. in the type specimen, with a diameter of 0.9 mm. This yields an average intervallum coefficient of
2.5. In comparison, the intervallum coefficient of the geno• type, S. favus, is 0.75.
Outer Wall; Thick; irregular outline; apparently perforated by coarse pores, which are probably the constricted ends of the tube-like cells of the intervallum.
Intervallum: Very wide; well-defined; bridged from outer to inner wall by long, polygonal, tube-like cells; these cells are inclined gently downwards from the outer to inner wall, but curve sharply down in the vicinity of the inner wall; in trans• verse section, this cell structure appears as elongated, narrow cells near the outer wall, shorter, narrow cells in the central parts of the intervallum, and at the inner wall the cells be• come abruptly polygonal and considerably smaller; diameters of the tube-like cells decrease from 0.3 mm. at the outer wall to
0.1 mm. at the inner wall; all cells are perforated by occasion• al large pores.
Inner Wall: Thick; well-defined; perforated by abundant large pores; as in the outer wall, this is probably a result of the 33
penetration of the inner wall by the tube cells.
Central Cavity: Marrow; circular, even when outer margin of
cup is elliptical; free of any skeletal tissue.
Horizon and Locality: From the old Dominion formation, Lower
Cambrian of the Colville area, Washington.
Remarks: Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp. differs from S. favus
in the possession of a considerably narrower central cavity,
and coarser, fewer tube cells in the intervallum. It is similar
to S. eleganta and S. minuta in the polygonal shape of the tube
cells, but has coarser textured intervallum structures.
Holotype: University of British Columbia Paleontology
Collection No. CL2a-l.
Paratype: University of British Columbia Paleontology
Collection No. C018b-1.
Genus Syringocyathus Vologdin, 1937
Syringocyathus canadensis Okulitch, 1955
One specimen of this species was discovered in the
Salmo material. The precise identification of the specimen
was made possible by exposure of both transverse and longitu• dinal views on polished surfaces. The longitudinal section was slightly oblique, but sufficiently centered to show the
inner wall and central cavity.
General Shape: Cylindrical, tapering; smooth exterior; great•
est diameter, 6.6 mm.; length, 12 mm.; intervallum width, 34
1.4 mm., and diameter of central cavity, 1.0 mm., thus an intervallum coefficient of 1.5. This agrees well with the type intervallum coefficient i.e. 1.3.
Outer Wall; Thick, spongy; perforated by numerous, large coarse pores.
Intervallum: Relatively wide; filled by upward and outwardly inclined tubes or pipes, producing a coarse honeycomb effect in transverse section; the tubes are inclined at an angle of 30° with the axis of the cup, and vary in diameter from 0.2 to 0.3 mm.; all tube walls are perforated by coarse pores.
Inner Wall: Thick; coarsely perforated by terminations of the inclined tubes.
Central Cavity: Narrow; clear of vesicular tissue; tendency to be elliptical in transverse section.
Horizon and Locality: The type specimen is reported from the Lower Cambrian of the McDame area, B.C. The specimen des• cribed above is from the south fork of the Salmo River, B.C.
Syringocyathus sp. Plate III - 13: One of the specimens of Syringocyathus from the Col• ville area differs slightly from the previous species described. The differences are in the intervallum coefficient, and the angle between the inclined tubes and the cup axis. In all other respects, the specimen is very similar to S. canadensis. Since 35
the species is only represented by one fragmental longitudinal
section, it is not recorded as a new species. Further study
of Syringocyathus may, in fact, show this specimen to be a
variation of S. canadensis.
General Shape: Elongated, tubular cup; smooth exterior; inter• vallum width variable, but generally about 1.75 mm., central cavity diameter of 2.5 mm., thus an intervallum coefficient of
0.9; length of fragment, 20 mm.
Outer Wall: Thick, perforated by inclined tubes; very similar to S. canadensis.
Intervallum: Narrow; crossed by upwardly inclined tubes, the angle between the tubes and the cup axis varying from 45° to o °
50 , in contrast to the 30 angle in S. canadensis; tube diameters vary from 0.2 to 0.3 mm.; the tube walls are per• forated by coarse pores.
Inner Wall: Thick; perforated by large pores, the terminal ends of the inclined tubes.
Central Cavity: Wide; free of any skeletal tissue.
Horizon and Locality: From the Lower Cambrian of Colville,
Washington. 36
ARCHAEOCYATHID LOCALITIES IF WASHINGTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA,
AND THE YUKON TERRITORY
Archaeocyathids are known to occur at ten localities
from Washington to the Yukon in the North American Cordillera.
In nearly every locality they are found in relatively pure
limestones which indicate their preference for environment in
clear shallow marine seas. The Lower Cambrian sea of Western
North America is thought to have been geosynclinal in nature.
The Archaeocyathids appear to be restricted to the western
shore of this geosyncline, since none have been yet reported from its eastern limits.
The ten Archaeocyathid localities are:
1 Colville, Washington - Old Dominion limestone
2 Salmo River, B.C. - lower part of the Laib group
3 Dogtooth Range, B.C. - Donald formation
4 Quesnel Lake, Turk's Nose, B.C. - Cariboo Series
5 Sinclair Mills, B.C.•
6 Pine Pass, B.C. - Misinchinka schists
7 Aiken Lake, Osilinka Valley, B.C. - upper group of the Wolverine Complex
8 McDame Creek, B.C. - Atan group
9 Wolf Lake, Yukon - Lord's (1944) Group B and Group C sediments
10 Quiet Lake, Yukon - rocks of the Kay group of claims
COLVILLE, WASHINGTON
The Archaeocyathids of the Colville area were 37
collected from a west-facing bluff of Old Dominion limestone,
about 1 mile north of the village of Colville (Little, 1950).
Because of the extensive faulting that has occurred in this
area, this outcrop of Old Dominion limestone could not be
located relative to the underlying Addy quartzite or to any
other stratigraphic horizon.
Faunal List from the Colville Locality
Ajacicyathus nevadensis xx A. rimouski . ~. ". '. '. ~ xx Ethmophyllum whitneyi x E. americanum~ '. T\ o Archaeocyathus atlanticus .... xxx A. borealis . ". ". '. ! ". T . . . . o rare — o Archaeopharetra typica x few — x Pycnoidocyathus amourensis . . . x common — xx P. columbianus x abundant — xxx P. n. sp o Claruscyathus solidus . xxx Protopharetra dunbari xx P. sp. xxx Dendrocyathus sp o Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp. o Monocyathus sp. '. '. ". T . . . . o
This Archaeocyathid fauna is unique in abundant
specimens of Archaeocyathus atlanticus, Protopharetra sp., and
Claruscyathus solidus. These species resemble one another in
possessing relatively poorly organized skeletal structures.
They cannot be considered as very primitive forms, however,
since some degree of organization is present in the development
of an inner wall and central cavity. Comparison of these
species with Ethmophyllum whitneyi emphasizes their inferior
organization and suggests that they may be early forms in the
evolution of Archaeocyatha. Thus, the impression is received that the Old Dominion of the Colville area, is in part at least, 33
low or middle Lower Cambrian in age. This impression is further
borne out by the work of Zhuravleva and Zelenov (1955). They
report that the lower 'bioherms' of the Loxver Cambrian of Russia
are characterized by the genera Archaeocyathus, Monocyathus,
and A.jacicyathus, all of which are present in the collection
from the Colville locality.
A further indication of the approximate position in
the Lower Cambrian of this Archaeocyathid zone is afforded by
fossil evidence from the underlying Addy quartzite formation.
This formation was discovered to be fossiliferous in 1949 and
the following species have been since identified (Okulitch, 1951):
Micromitra (Paterina) sp. Kutorgina cf. cingulata (Billings) Kutorgina sp. Rustella cf. edsoni Walcott Hyolithellus sp. Nevadia addyensis Okulitch
In regard to this last species, Dr. Okulitch states that
"the presence of the rare genus Nevadia, with its very primitive
characteristics, suggests the lower portion of the Lower
Cambrian".
From the above evidence it can be tentatively con•
cluded that the Archaeocyathid zone of the Old Dominion lime•
stone is early Lower Cambrian in age. It may now be possible
to compare other Archaeocyathid collections with that of the
Old Dominion and to suggest their probable stratigraphic
positions in the Lower Cambrian. 39
SALMO, B.C.
In the eastern part of the Salmo map area there is a long narrow band of limestone that comprises the basal unit of the Laib group. The band trends almost due north, and extends from the International Boundary to a point five miles north. In 194$ Dr. Little discovered Archaeocyathids in the limestone band. Collections were made from two or more localities in the limestone unit. The collection of Archaeocyathids from the area studied by the writer was contained in a greenish-grey, fine-grained limestone. The list appearing in Dr. Little's report is a compilation of all the Archaeocyathids identified by Dr. Okulitch from the limestone band. This explains the variation between the two faunal lists given below;
Faunal Lists from the Salmo Locality
Little, 1950 This thesis Ajacicyathus nevadensis . . x A.jacicyathus. nevadensis . .x A. undulatms . ~ '. \ T~ . . x A. purcellensis x Ethmophyllum wh'itneyi . . . xxx Ethmophyllum whitneyi . . .xxx E. americanum ...... xx E. americanum xx E. sp. ". ". T x E. lineatus x (Toscinocyathus dentocanis . o C. sp o CT cf. miniporosus . . . . o Archaeocyathus atlanticus . x Archaeocyathus atlanticus .x Pycnoidocyathus amourensis x Pycnoidocyathus amourensis.x P. columbianus '. '. ". '. ~. o P. donaldi. T~ o P^ sp o Syringocyathus canadensis .o Copleicyathus ? laminosus . o Claruscyathus obliquus. 7 . o Protopharetra sp...... x Protopharetra sp x Little, 1950 This thesis
P. dunbari x Archaeocyathellus sp. . . . o Archaeocyathellus sp. . . . o Paracoscinus sp o
rare —• o, few — x, common — xx, abundant — xxx
The dominant genus in this Archaeocyathid zone of
the Laib group is Ethmophyllum, particularly the species
E. whitneyi. This species is present in limited numbers in
the Archaeocyathid zone of the Old Dominion. Thus the position
of E. whitneyi in the Laib supplants that occupied by Claruscya•
thus solidus, Archaeocyathus atlanticus, and Protopharetra sp.
in the Old Dominion. The faunal differences between these
lithologic units are: the presence of Archaeocyathus borealis,
Archaeopharetra typica, Pycnoidocyathus sp., Archaeosycon sp.,
Claruscyathus solidus, Dendrocyathus sp., Syringocnema
colvillensis and Monocyathus sp. in the Old Dominion and their
absence in the Laib group; and the presence of A.jacicyathus undulatus, A. purcellensis,. Coscinocyathus dentocanis, C. sp.,
C. cf. miniporosus, Pycnoidocyathus donaldi, P. sp., Coplei- cyathus (?) laminosus, Claruscyathus obliquus, Archaeocyathel• lus sp., and Paracoscinus sp. in the Laib group and their absence in the Old Dominion.
If only the variations in the frequencies of
Ethmophyllum whitneyi, Claruscyathus solidus, Archaeocyathus atlanticus, and Protopharetra sp are considered, the faunal differences are still marked. These faunal differences may be ecological in nature. At present, little is known of the ecology of Archaeocyatha. Their restriction to limestones 41
indicates a preference for a marine environment of moderately- shallow, clear water, but the ecological requirements of particular species are unknown. The faunal differences be• tween the Laib and the Old Dominion may be due to ecology. It would seem more probable, however, from the limited information available that different Archaeocyathid zones are being cor• related. The zones may be stratigraphically only several hundred feet apart. Because of the presence of Coscinocyathus dentocanis, C. cf. miniporosus, Archaeocyathellus sp.,
Paracoscinus sp., and abundant Ethmophyllum whitneyi in the basal Laib, it is suggested that the base of the Laib might be correlated with some horizon stratigraphically above the
Archaeocyathid zone of the Old Dominion limestone. How far above cannot be determined, since neither the stratigraphic position of the Old Dominion Archaeocyathid zone nor the stratigraphic interval between the two Archaeocyathid zones,
Colville and Salmo, are known.
DOGTOOTH MOUNTAINS, B.C.
The Archaeocyathids from the Dogtooth Mountains were collected from the Donald formation where the latter outcrops in the canyons of Holt and Canyon Creeks. The specimens were systematically collected (Okulitch, 194$) and located with reference to Evans' stratigraphic section of the Donald formation (Evans, 1932). 42
Faunal List from the Donald Formation
A.jacicyathus nevadensis . . .x A. purcellensis ...... xx A. undulatus x Coscinocyathus dentocariis . .o rare — 0 C. rhyacoensis o few — x C. sp o common — xx Archaeocyathus atlanticus . .x abundant xxx A. taeniatus . .o Copleicyathus (?) laminosus .o Pycnoidocyathus donaldi . . ,x P. columbianus xx P. septimus x JR. sp o Archaeosycon evansi o Claruscyathus obliquus . . .o Pycnoidocoscinus rectiporus .o
The specimens representing four of the species,
Coscinocyathus dentocanis, C. rhyacoensis, C. sp., and
Pycnoidocyathus columbianus were collected by C. Evans in
1928. The remainder were collected by Dr. V. J. Okulitch in
1946. All the specimens, except those collected by C. S. Evans, are stratigraphically located with reference to the Donald -
St. Piran contact. Claruscyathus solidus is the lowest specimen, stratigraphically, occurring in Evans' Bed 2, 25 feet to 175 feet above the base of the Donald formation. Ajacicya- thus nevadensis, A. purcellensis, A. undulatus, Archaeocyathus atlanticus, A. taeniatus, Copleicyathus (?) laminosus,
Pycnoidocyathus sp., Archaeosycon evansi, and Pycnoidocoscinus rectiporus occur in Bed 5 of the Donald formation, 330' to 370' above the St. Piran contact. Pycnoidocyathus septimus from
Bed 7 is the highest reported species. This faunal suite is remarkable for its abundant species of Ajacicyathus, 43
Coscinocyathus, and Pycnoidocyathus, and for the absence of
Ethmophyllum species.
From previous stratigraphic studies the Donald formation is considered to be Lower Cambrian in age and is directly overlain by the Middle Cambrian Canyon Greek forma• tion. The stratigraphic position of the Donald has been established on paleontological evidence other than that of
Archaeocyathids, i.e. Kutorgina, Olenellus, Dorypyge, Rustella etc. On the evidence afforded by these genera it is possible to establish the Archaeocyathids of the Donald as late Lower
Cambrian in age. The upper part of the Laib group and the
Donald formation are correlated at present, and so it is relatively certain that the Donald Archaeocyathid fauna is younger than the Laib fauna.
The absence of Coscinocyathus, Pycnoidocoscinus, and a more abundant Pycnoidocyathus assemblage in the Donald con• stitute the main differences between the faunal of these two lithologic, units. The Laib Archaeocyathid fauna contains numerous Ethmophyllum , and Pycnoidocyathus amourensis,
Archaeocyathellus sp., and Paracoscinus sp. not present in the
Donald formation. It is possible that Coscinocyathus,
Pycnoidocoscinus, and abundant Pycnoidocyathus species are characteristic Archaeocyatha of late Lower Cambrian.
SINCLAIR MILLS, B.C.
A small number of well-preserved Archaeocyathids were collected from this area by Dr. K.D. Watson in the summer of 1950. The fossil locality is four miles southeast of 44
Sinclair Mills on the southwest bank of the Fraser River.
The specimens are preserved in a light grey, fine-grained limestone.
The following species have been identified from the
Sinclair Mills Archaeocyathid collection:
A.jacicyathus a.jax Pycnoidocyathus cf. donaldi A. nevadensis P^ sp. Ethmophyllum whitneyi Protopharetra sp. Coscinocyathus dentocanis Archaeofungia sp. C. sp.
This Archaeocyathid fauna has not been studied in any detail, but it bears some similarity to the Donald fauna.
The following species are common to both faunae: Protopharetra sp., Pycnoidocyathus cf. donaldi, Coscinocyathus dentocanis and Ethmophyllum whitneyi. Archaeosycon sp. and A.jacicyathus ajax are found only in the Sinclair Mills fauna. In most respects, however, the Sinclair Mills fauna resembles that contained in Bed 5 of the Donald formation. It is probable, then, that the Sinclair Mills fauna is stratigraphically high in the Lower Cambrian succession.
QUESNEL LAKE AND PINE PASS, B.C.
These Archaeocyathid localities are considered together because very little is known of either. In the
Quesnel Lake area, Archaeocyathids are known to occur in
Lower Cambrian rocks that outcrop on the southeast slope of
Turk's Nose Mountain, at the bend of the Cariboo River, between Sandy Lake and Spectacles Lake. These outcrops of the
Cariboo Series are located just below fossiliferous Middle 45
Cambrian strata. No species have been described from these
outcrops.
The specimens from the Pine Pass area were so poorly
preserved that it was possible to state only that they were
Archaeocyatha. The specimens were found in an outcrop of
badly sheared Misinchinka schists. The fossiliferous outcrop
is located at a low elevation in the valley of the Misinchinka
Creek, west of Pine Pass.
AIKEN LAKE, B.C.
The Archaeocyathids of the Aiken Lake area occur in
a small limestone lens in the upper portion of the Wolverine
Complex. This Complex is lithologically similar to and is
probably a north-west extension of the belt of "Proterozoic"
rocks of the Cariboo district. The outcrop containing the
Archaeocyathids is located approximately six miles north of
Wasi Lake near the Osilinka River. The specimens from this locality were collected by F. Roots in 1946.
Faunal List from Aiken Lake Area
A.jacicyathus purcellensis . . xx A. cf. purcellensis 0 A. clarus 0 A. osilinka 0 rare — 0 Coscinocyathus sp 0 few — x Archaeocyathus cf. atlanticus 0 common — xx Protopharetra rootsi 0 abundant — xxx L sp 0 Pycnoidocyathus sp 0 Dendrocyathus unexpectans . . 0
This fauna does not appear to have any close affinity with other Archaeocyathid faunae of the Lower Cambrian. Certain 46
similarities to the Colville fauna are apparent in the presence of Archaeocyathus cf. atlanticus, Protopharetra sp., and Dendrocyathus sp. in both faunae. The Aiken Lake fauna is also similar to that of the Donald, since Coscinocyathus sp.,
Pycnoidocyathus sp., and A.jacicyathus purcellensis are common to both. Thus the Aiken Lake fauna may occur stratigraphically between the Colville and Salmo Archaeocyathid zones, but no definite correlation is possible.
McDAME AREA, B.C.
The Archaeocyathids from this area were collected by Dr. H. Gabrielse during the summers from 1950 to 1953.
Collections were made at nine separate localities from the
Lower Cambrian limestones of the Atan group, (Gabrielse, 1954).
These collections may be from one general zone, but no stratigraphic data to determine this is available.
Faunal List from the McDame Area
Ajacicyathus nevadensis . . ,o Ajacicyathus undulatusT . . ,x Ethmophyllum s'p...... o Ethmophyllum cf. ratam . . , .x Thalamocyathus sp. . . . . ,o Coscinocyathus dentocanis . .xxx ¥p~. '. ". '. . .. ". '. T . .xx Archaeocyathus atlanticus . ,x rare -- o A. cf. latus. I ii ii r~ii T . .o few — x XT loculiformis o common — xx A. borealis . T . o abundant xxx Archaeopharetra sp. x Pycnoidocyathus amourensis. ,x P. columbianus" ii '. '. ". T~. .xx Archaeofungia "obliqua . . . .o A. sp. . .. . '. ". TT ... .o Metacoscinus gabrielensis . ,o M. deasensis .x Archaeosycon sp o Syringocyathus canadensis . .o 47
This fauna, assuming it to be from one zone, has remarkable similarities to the Donald fauna of the Purcell
Range. Species common to both are: Ajacicyathus nevadensis,
A.jacicyathus undulatus, Coscinocyathus dentocanis, C. sp.,
Archaeocyathus atlanticus, Pycnoidocyathus columbianus and
Archaeosycon sp. The Coscinocyathus species are the most abundant in the McDame fauna, whereas the Pycnoidocyathus species predominate in the Donald fauna.
Since the Atan group is assigned a Lower and Middle
Cambrian age, and no correlation with it and other Cambrian formations has yet been attempted, no adequate correlation of its Archaeocyathid fauna can be made. It is suggested, however, that the Archaeocyathid zone of the Atan group may be cor• relative with that of the Donald.
WOLF LAKE, YUKON TERRITORY
Archaeocyathids, comprising four separate collections, were collected from two localities in the Wolf Lake area.
These were collected by W.H. Poole in 1955 from Lord's group
B and group C sediments. The fossiliferous outcrops occur south of Rancheria River in the. southeastern corner of the map area (Poole, 1955). No stratigraphic information is available for the various collections and the species listed below are grouped according to their occurrence in Lord's group B or group C sediments. Faunal List from Wolf Lake Area
Group B sediments Group C sediments
A.jacicyathus purcellensis xx Coscinocyathus tubicornis o A.jacicyathus yukonensis . o C_;_ sp o Coscinocyathus dentocanis xxx Pycnoidocyathus amourensis o C. multiporosus o P. occidentalis . '. ". ~. 7~ xx C. cassiarensis ..... x C. veronicus o Carinacyathus perforatus. x Archaeocyathus atlanticus o rare — o L sp o few — x Pycnoidocyathus solidus . o common — xx Loculiformis ellipticus . xx abundant — xxx Metacoscinus poolensis. . x
The preponderance of Coscinocyathus species, and to
a lesser extent, Pycnoidocyathus suggests an affinity between
the Wolf Lake fauna and that of the Donald. This relation
indicates a late Lower Cambrian age for the Archaeocyathids
of the Wolf Lake occurrence.
QUIET LAKE, YUKON TERRITORY
A small collection of Archaeocyathids was made from
Lower Cambrian strata of this area in 1955 by Dr. Aho and
Mr. Padgham. These fossiliferous strata outcrop on a ridge
"which separates the head waters of the White Creek and Ketza
River in the Pelly Mountains " (Kawaze, 1956). More
precisely, "the fossil locality is approximately 1000' north•
west from the northwest corner of the Kay No. 31 claim"
(Kawaze, 1956). Mr. Padgham (personal communication) reports
that two or more Archaeocyathid zones are present in the area.
The upper (?) zone occurs in a massive limestone, the lower,
in a calcareous, shaly rock. The fossils in this latter zone are very numerous, well-preserved and easily collected. 49
Faunal List from the Quiet Lake Area
Ethmocoscinus (?) sp. . . o Coscinocyathus inequivallus xx C. serratus o Pycnoidocyathus columbianus x rare -- o P. cf. dissepimentalis x few — x Metacoscinus sp. ... o common — xx Claruscyathus ketzaensis . xx abundant -- xxx
The fauna is very similar to those of the Wolf Lake and Dogtooth Range. The presence of the genus Claruscyathus is suggestive of the lower part of the Donald formation, but the Coscinocyathus - Pycnoidocyathus assemblage is more typical of the stratigraphically higher Archaeocyathid zone in Bed 5 of the Donald. The Quiet Lake fauna is probably late
Lower Cambrian in age.
CONCLUSION
From the preceding descriptions of the Archaeocyathid localities, their faunae, and their known stratigraphic posi• tions, several conclusions are possible. It must be emphasized, however, that any conclusions are necessarily tentative, since the stratigraphic evidence on which they are based lacks detail or is otherwise incomplete.
The Archaeocyathid zone of the Old Dominion limestone of the Colville area appears to be stratigraphically lower than that of the Laib group. The Laib fauna may be stratigraphic• ally lower than any of the Archaeocyathid zones north of the
Salmo area, i.e. Dogtooth, Sinclair Mills, Aiken Lake etc.
Thus the middle (or lower) Lower Cambrian zones are character• ized by abundant specimens of Archaeocyathus atlanticus, 50
Protopharetra sp., and Claruscyathus solidus. The next
stratigraphically higher zone is marked by numerous species
of Ethmophyllum, and an absence of Claruscyathus solidus,
Archaeopharetra typica, and Monocyathus sp. The highest
Lower Cambrian Archaeocyathid zone bears a fauna characterized by species of Coscinocyathus and Pycnoidocyathus.
It is worth noting at this point that there appears
to be a trend for the known Archaeocyathid zones to become
higher stratigraphically within the Lower Cambrian from south to north. The significance of this trend has not been con•
sidered in this thesis, and further study of these Lower
Cambrian zones may show the trend to be due solely to insuf• ficient stratigraphic data.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
For satisfactory accurate correlation of the Lower
Cambrian by Archaeocyatha, it is necessary to know precisely the horizons at which they occur, the type of occurrence, i.e. reef, lens, or bed. The collections should be sufficiently large to permit estimates of the relative abundance of the various species present. It is suggested that the recommenda• tions given below be considered in the collection of
Archaeocyathids.
1) Collections from separate zones be kept distinct, and
stratigraphic intervals between the zones noted.;
2) Collections be accompanied by detailed lithologic
descriptions of the enclosing sediments; 51
3) Collections should be referred to some known horizon,
i.e. formation boundary, Olenellus zone etc.
It is appreciated that it is not always possible to follow the above suggestions in the field. Faulting, poor or discontinuous outcrop, and a shortage of time all tend to prevent adequate collection of fossil material.
Further laboratory study of the phyllum, if suitable collections were available, might result in the erection of several Archaeocyathid zones. Ecological studies might also be profitably pursued to determine environmental controls of certain species, i.e. their tolerance to turbidity, depth of water required etc. It is known that Archaeocyathids preferred an environment that was unsuitable for trilobites. Where trilobites occur in the sediments, Archaeocyathids are absent.
Thus a system of zoning the Lower Cambrian on the basis of these two groups of animals would provide a method of cor• relation applicable to a variety of sedimentary facies. 52
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EXPLANATION OF PLATES
Plate I Page Figure 1 - Monocyathus sp . 7 X 13.0, Oblique transverse section illus• trating single thick inner wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLlld - 22. Figure 2 - Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford. . . 8 X 7.5. Oblique transverse section. Note coarse texture of skeletal tissue. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL2d - 1.
Figure 3 - Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford. . . 8 X8.2. Oblique transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. C018a - 1.
Figure 4 - Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford. . . 8 X5.1. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL3b - 2.
Figure 5 - Archaeopharetra typica Bedford and Bedford. . . 8 X5.4. Longitudinal section showing tendency of skeletal tissues to curve downward in the central region of the cup. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL2b - 1. Figure 6 - Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin 30 X4.3. Longitudinal section. Note upwardly curved tabulae, and coarsely perforated parieties. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLllb - 3. Figure 7 - Ajacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) . 11 X8.5. Transverse section showing simple walls and straight regular parieties. U.B.C. Paleo Coll. No. C017b - 2. Figure 8 - Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin 30 X5.4. Transverse section illustrating thin tabulae and stout perforate parieties. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL10b-4. Figure 9 - Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin . 30 X5.4. Transverse section.. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL9b - 6.
Figure 10- Archaeosycon sp 29 X4.6. Transverse section. Poorly preserved specimen showing fine curved tabulae. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLla - 2. run, j 61 Plate I Page Figure 11 - Claruscyathus solidus. Vologdin . . 30 X4.9; Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL9b - 9.
Figure 12 - Claruscyathus solidus Vologdin 30 X4.9. Oblique longitudinal section illus• trating parieties and curved tabulae. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL2d - 7. 62
Plate II Page Figure 1 - Protopharetra sp. .... 23 X3.0. Transverse section. Poorly preserved specimen illustrating fine irregular skeletal tissue. U.B.C. Paleo Coll. No. CL20b - 3.
Figure 2 - Protopharetra sp...... 23 X3.4. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo Coll. No. CL8a - 4.
Figure 3 - Protopharetra sp 23 X5.7. Oblique longitudinal section. Note mesh-like skeletal tissue. U.B.C. Paleo Coll. No. CL4b - 2.
Figure 4 - Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch ... 22 X8.1. Transverse section. Stouter skeletal tissues than in Protopharetra. sp. and very narrow central cavity. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL7b - 8.
Figure 5 - Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch . ... 22 X9.3. Transverse section. Note narrow central cavity. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLlla - 6.
Figure 6 - Archaeocyathus borealis Okulitch . 20 X6.6. Transverse section. Fragmental specimen illustrating wide intervallum. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20f - 2.
Figure 7 - Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings 19 X6.6. Transverse section. Note well-defined inner wall and central cavity. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20c - 3.
Figure 8 - Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings 19 X7.3. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20e - 2. Figure 9 - Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings 19 X5.0. Transverse section, Mote wide central cavity and thick inner wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20c - 2.
Figure 10- A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) 11 X13.2. Transverse section. Illustrates regular parieties and coarsely perforate inner wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLllc - 6.
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Plate II Page Figure 11 - A.jacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) 11 X13.1. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo Coll. No. CL7b - 7.
Figure 12 - Pycnoidocyathus columbianus (Okulitch) .... 24 X2.8. Transverse section showing thin parieties perforate by large pores. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLlla - 11.
Figure 13 - Pycnoidocyathus sp 26 X5.0. Transverse section. Note short parieties and thin connecting dissepiments. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. C017b - 6. 64
Plate III Page Figure 1 - Ajacicyathus rimouski Okulitch . 12 X13.2. Transverse section. Note abundant parieties. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL6b -7.
Figure 2 - A.jacicyathus rimouski Okulitch 12 X12.4. Transverse section of poorly preserved specimen. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL7b - 3.
Figure 3 - A.jacicyathus rimouski Okulitch ...... 12 X13.1. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL3a - 2.
Figure 4 - Archaeocyathus borealis Okulitch 20 X6.4. Transverse section. Note wide inter• vallum, fine loculi. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL3a - 2.
Figure 5 - Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp 31 X10.0. Transverse section. Illustrates wide intervallum, thick inner wall. Paratype. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. C018b - 1.
Figure 6 - Syringocnema colvillensis n. sp 31 X7.5. Transverse section. Holotype. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL2a - 1.
Figure 7 - Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 16 X10.1. Oblique transverse section. Note complex inner wall, and slit-like pores of the outer wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLIOb - 6.
Figure 8 - Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 16 X10.7. Oblique transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL5a - 2.
Figure 9 - Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch) 26 X7.4. Transverse section. Outer wall corroded. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLlle - 6.
Figure 10- Pycnoidocyathus amourensis (Okulitch) 26 Xo.0. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLllb - 1.
65 Plate III Page Figure 11 - Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch ...... 15 X5.2. Transverse section illustrating the wide central cavity and narrow intervallum. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20e - 9.
Figure 12 - Pycnoidocyathus cf. columbianus 24 X2.4. Longitudinal section, slightly oblique. Note elliptical pores of inner wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL12a - 2.
Figure 13 - Syringocyathus sp 34 X4.2. Oblique longitudinal section. Note downward and inwardly inclined tubes in the intervallum. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CL20e - 2.
Figure 14 - Pycnoidocyathus cf. columbianus 24 X2.4. Longitudinal section. Illustrates horn• like shape of complete cup. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. CLllc - 7. 66
Plate IV Page Figure 1 - Protopharetra dunbari Okulitch 22 X4."0. Oblique transverse section. Note irregular mesh-like tissue. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SC - 6.
Figure 2 - Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp. . . 17 X6.1. Transverse section. Illustrates complex inner wall, short parieties, and attenuated form of the species. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SC - 9. Holotype.
Figure 3 - Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp 17 X6.7• Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SB - 14. Paratype.
Figure 4 - Ethmophyllum lineatus n. sp. 17 X6.3. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SE - 1.
Figure 5 - Ethmophyllum americanum Okulitch 15 X5.7. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SC - 7.
Figure 6 - Ajacicyathus nevadensis (Okulitch) 11 X8.7. Transverse section, illustrating fine, regular parieties. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SB - 4.
Figure 7 - Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 16 X5.4. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SK - 1.
Figure 8 - Archaeocyathellus sp. . 13 X5.5« Transverse section, showing longitudinal furrows of outer wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SC - 14a.
Figure 9 - Ethmophyllum cf. americanum 15 X5.7. Longitudinal section. Portion of specimen illustrates shelf-like projections of the inner wall. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SC - 12.
Figure 10- Ethmophyllum whitneyi Meek 16 X6.4. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SA - 10.
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Plate IV Page Figure 11 - Archaeocyathus atlanticus Billings 19 X5.5. Transverse section. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. No. SB - 7.
Figure 12 - Ethmophyllum cf. americanum 15 X3.7. Transverse section. Wider central cavity than is typical of E. americanum. U.B.C. Paleo. Coll. 'No. SK - 3.