New Mexico Geological Society Downloaded from: http://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/16

Stratigraphy and fusulinids of Naco Group in and , Sabins, Floyd F., Jr. and Charles A. Ross, 1965, pp. 148-157 in: Southwestern New Mexico II, Fitzsimmons, J. P.; Balk, C. L.; [eds.], New Mexico Geological Society 16th Annual Fall Field Conference Guidebook, 244 p.

This is one of many related papers that were included in the 1965 NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebook.

Annual NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebooks Every fall since 1950, the New Mexico Geological Society (NMGS) has held an annual Fall Field Conference that explores some region of New Mexico (or surrounding states). Always well attended, these conferences provide a guidebook to participants. Besides detailed road logs, the guidebooks contain many well written, edited, and peer-reviewed geoscience papers. These books have set the national standard for geologic guidebooks and are an essential geologic reference for anyone working in or around New Mexico.

Free Downloads

NMGS has decided to make peer-reviewed papers from our Fall Field Conference guidebooks available for free download. Non-members will have access to guidebook papers two years after publication. Members have access to all papers. This is in keeping with our mission of promoting interest, research, and cooperation regarding geology in New Mexico. However, guidebook sales represent a significant proportion of our operating budget. Therefore, only research papers are available for download. Road logs, mini-papers, maps, stratigraphic charts, and other selected content are available only in the printed guidebooks.

Copyright Information

Publications of the New Mexico Geological Society, printed and electronic, are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. No material from the NMGS website, or printed and electronic publications, may be reprinted or redistributed without NMGS permission. Contact us for permission to reprint portions of any of our publications. One printed copy of any materials from the NMGS website or our print and electronic publications may be made for individual use without our permission. Teachers and students may make unlimited copies for educational use. Any other use of these materials requires explicit permission. This page is intentionally left blank to maintain order of facing pages. 148 STRATIGRAPI IY AND FUSULINIDS OF NACO GROUP IN CHIRICAHUA AND DOS CABEZAS MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA FLOYD F. SABINS, JR. AND CHARLES A. Ross Chevron Research Company, La Habra, California and Western Washington State College, Bellingham, Washington

INTRODUCTION route are on the crest and north face of AVA Ridge at Portal (Locality 9 of fig. 2) where the complete The final day of the field conference will encounter section is about 1,600 feet. outcrops of the Naco Group which is widespread in Most of the limestones are crinoidal or oolitic, but southeast Arizona and adjacent New Mexico. The some are black and aphanitic with a petroliferous Naco Group in the Chiricahua and Dos Cabezas odor when broken. Fusulinids are abundant in many Mountains was originally studied as part of a Yale of the limestones, but were not found in the shales dissertation and subsequently published by Sabins and siltstones. Brachiopods are abundant, particularly (1957 a,b). Fusulind faunas of the upper part of the in the lower part where silicified shells are conspicuous Naco Group in this area were described by Sabins and on weathered surfaces. Several beds of medium thick- Ross (1963); the fauna of the lower part was described ness are composed almost wholly of colonies of the by Ross and Sabins (1965) . The present paper is a coral Chaetetes embedded in a calcareous shale matrix. summary of these earlier studies. A regional summary Other colonial and horn corals are also present in the of the Pennsylvanian is given by Kottlowski (1960). Horquilla. In the eastern sections, two marker beds are separated by about 100 feet of strata, are locally persistent near the middle of the formation (fig. 3) . STRATIGRAPHY The lower marker bed is formed by an abundance of GENERAL the algae, Komia. The upper one contains an abund- The name "Naco Limestone" was introduced by ance of Staffella. Bryozoans are locally abundant and Ransome (1904, p. 44) in the Bisbee area. In their several thin beds with Prismopora appear to be wide- work in the Dragoon and Little , spread. Gilluly and others (1954, p. 16) elevated the Naco to At Blue Mountain there are at least five cyclic se- group status and subdivided it into the following six quences in the lower Horquilla, each about 13 feet formations in ascending order: Horquilla Limestone, thick and consisting of the following units in ascend- Earp Formation, Colina Limestone, Epitaph Dolo- ing order: limestone, limestone with bedded chert, mite, Scherrer Formation, and Concha Limestone. shaly limestone, limestone conglomerate, and shale. These units are widely recognizable in southeast Ari- Superimposed on these cycles there seems to have been zona and all save the Epitaph Dolomite occur in the a progressive deepening of the depositional basin dur- Chiricahua and Dos Cabezas Mountains, as shown ing early and middle Desmoinesian time. This is in- on the composite stratigraphic section of fig. 1. The dicated by the relatively few beds having fusulinids total thickness is approximately 5,500 feet. The Naco and by the dominance of dark gray, fine-grained lime- Group ranges in age from Lower Pennsylvanian ( Mor- stone in the middle part of the formation. rowan Series) to Middle Permian (Guadalupian Se- At Blue Mountain (Locality 8) and Portal (Local- ries) . In this area there is a disconformity representing ity 9) the Horquilla overlies the Paradise Formation the Missourian and upper part of Desmoinesian Series. of Late Mississippian age. The Paradise Formation is absent in the northern part of the range where the HORQUILLA LIMESTONE Horquilla disconformably overlies the Escabrosa Lime- The Horquilla consists of massive, thick-bedded, stone of Early Mississippian age. The top of the Hor- cherty, gray limestone with shale and siltstone inter- quilla Limestone is a conformable gradational contact beds in the lower part. The lower part forms ledge- with the Earp Formation marked by the change to and-slope topography, but the upper part is more re- interbedded limestone, shale, and siltstone. sistant and forms cliffs. The field conference will ex- The Horquilla ranges in age from Morrowan to amine Horquilla outcrops at Blue Mountain (Local- Virgilian, but there is a disconformity in the upper ity 8 of fig. 2) which are about 1,200 feet thick with part which represents the upper Desmoinesian and the top concealed. Other good exposures along the much or all of the Missourian. The disconformity is NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 1 49

LOWER .. CRETACEOUS

am, ... I —I CONCHA I I .I ..I LIMESTONE Dictyoclostus bassi .01 0.8.1 , , 1,1 1b50 feet) .61 .....1 I ...DI I I /SCHERRER : ., —=------•••-_• FORMATION •••■• I—. 1.... :--.....,,,,-,..,....I I COLINA I . I y 1 LIMESTONE Perrinites hilli 1.... I 1 1 (550 feet) I I _ ... ? Z ______4 —77.----.7.-- i Upper part of 1 2 I I 7 Range Zone of ,1 , Pseudoschwagerina II I W I r L EARP (1. i I I 1 I I FORMATION 0_ ,1 , 1 , 12700 feet) D -I.- 141. lo 0 .1...•.:.; Cr 11-1 I Assemblage Zone ( 9 I - I I .-- , I -I of

o === Pseudoschwagerina 0 =- -=--L---i7 . ,4 E=-=-- _= -7, and 1-- 1•••■• I Z 14.1.1•1 Triticites i I I ---.---7,- — ---, Assemblage Zone -c, i i T _ c of Schwagerina ._c ._c I .:- ,.. ,L, - - c, i I I - _c - . - 0-, and Triticites , CD - CO RI C 17 0.1 - ..- - C - Z g.. I I., 1„,,.. -= = •c E = Lower part of RangeRange__ 0 ro ,-)— v, 0.7 u c _ (A - I I 0 Zone of Triticites I-A-1 a, = -o a, ,_ I n , Z -0 Z I_ _I - ,OL.,.. o - _ I_ - ,7, _ , 0., 0- cc c,-, 4 I hiatus c . c --, _ `g - c- - - I ,, .-.! -al nr, n_ > 1 I I HORQU I LLA . - J Range Zone of -= = - Q., ,.., = ,:e >- I 1 LIMESTONE . _._ ,,. Fusulina ,,, c - c N o_ = (/) .... 1 1 _11600 feet) ,,, L = I- ro Z I I -0 Z —I— I- Lower part of a_ W -I-1— a_ T..._ Range Zone of Fusulinella I I I I , i Lower part of Range 1 / Zone of Profusulinella I : Mississippian Part of Range I Zone of 1 I Millerella

FIGURE 1

Composite stratigraphic column of Naco Group, showing fusulinid zones and other guide fossils. NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 150

R.31 E. R.30 E EXPLANATION

CENOZOIC ALLUVIUM

CENOZOIC EXTRUSIVE B INTRUSIVE ROCKS

LOWER CRETACEOUS

PENNSYLVANIAN a PERMIAN DEVONIAN a MISSISSIPPIAN cr, CAMBRIAN a I- ORDOVICIAN PRECAMBRIAN BASEMENT ROCKS MAJOR FAULTS (ALL TYPES)

NATIONAL MONUMENT

FIGURE 2 Geologic sketch map of northeastern showing localities mentioned in text.

8 8 8

z TIVDS 0

z oa 1111,1;

X

111 i 71– .11,11,1 bh 1-=

%.0 os

•

ca c./)

cc!C

f:4

0

• •-•I

• f-.1

C) FT) (4 C

i,j0 r g/ 011 0 ow / 00 C.)

I H I

C 0)

1.1

C4

C cc!

0)

CO

0.)

CO ca

GA C

0

0) 0C

Ca C

C 0

(1.) O c,1

,513 2 0.) 47: 1—■ ‘).> C .Q Nr,4 ,0 n dot ,) .Q C.) I II

th 1 1 LL ct 6t)_ (r) cc) ■INIIMMENIMMIL Lk; us c`L`) co 152 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE recognized on the basis of fusulinids (see fig. 3), and the Scherrer Formation (fig. 1 ). Fusulinids are absent is not apparent on the outcrop. and the restricted Colina fauna is non-diagnostic for determining the age. The only diagnostic Colina fossil EARP FORMATION reported to date is an ammonite, Perrinites hilli, col- lected by Sabins (1957 a, p. 494), which marks the The Earp Formation consists of alternating lime- Leonardian Series. stones, shale, and siltstone in beds 6 to 25 feet thick that form ledge-and-slope topography ( fig. 4) . This contrasts with the cliffs of the underlying Horquilla SCHERRER FORMATION Limestone. The Earp is conformably overlain by the The Scherrer Formation is a thin unit of elastic massive black Colina Limestone. The Field Con- red beds and light-colored sandstones that crops out ference route will pass excellent exposures on the along the north face of Dunn Springs Mountain, the south flank of AVA Ridge (Locality 9 of fig. 2) where ridge south of Fox Canyon, and the head of White- the complete section is approximately 2,700 feet thick. tail Creek. The formation is 120 to 150 feet thick. Other exposures will be seen from a distance on the The red silty sandstone at the base forms cliffs, but south flank of Dunn Springs Mountain. where induration is not so thorough it forms slopes. A wide variety of limestone types occurs in the Earp, The Scherrer rests with apparent conformity on the ranging from light gray crinoidal limestone to black Colina Limestone. aphanitic types. Fusulinids, corals, and brachiopods In the extreme southeastern and southern part of are common in many of the limestones but are absent Arizona the Epitaph Dolomite occurs between the in the shale and siltstone interbeds. Fusulinids were Colina and Scherrer. Cooper and Silver (1964, p. 67) not found in the upper 500 feet of the Earp, although noted that the Epitaph is apparently a wedge that is more intensive searching might be successful. thickest in the southeast corner of Arizona and pinches The shale and siltstone beds are gray to buff colored out to the northwest. Sabins (1957, p. 494) inferred in the lower two-thirds of the Earp, but red beds ap- that the Epitaph is a dolomitized facies of the upper pear in the upper part at the Portal section. Colina and lower Scherrer. The preceding description applies to the Earp along the northeast front of the Chiricahua Mountains. In the central part of the range the individual limestone CONCHA LIMESTONE and elastic units are much thicker as shown by the The Concha Limestone crops out on the north face Indian Creek section ( fig. 4) . Also the limestones are of Dunn Springs Mountain, the ridge south of Fox predominantly black and aphanitic with no fusulinids Canyon, and at Timber Mountain. It consists of thick- except in the basal part of the exposed section. bedded light-colored limestone with abundant pink The Earp ranges from Virgilian through Wolf- chert and silicified fossils in the lower part. campian in age. The Pennsylvanian-Permian boundary The overlying Lower Cretaceous Glance Conglom- occurs about 600 feet above the base of the Earp in erate has cut down deeply into the Concha Limestone. the midst of alternating limestone and elastic beds. The maximum thickness of Concha is 730 feet at Both the stratigraphy and faunal succession are grad- Dunn Springs Mountain. There the upper part is ual across this boundary with no evidence of a break. darker colored, lacks chert, and is nonfossiliferous except for a thin zone of Euornphalus sp., a large COLINA LIMESTONE planispirally coiled gastropod. Bryant and McCly- monds (1961, p. 1330 and fig. 2) assigned the upper The Colina consists of black aphanitic limestone 200 feet of the Dunn Springs Mountain section to with distinctive scaphopods and echinoid spines that stand out on many weathered surfaces. Rare gastro- their Rainvalley Formation. In the Chiricahua Moun- pods, brachiopods, and corals were found, but the tains, there is so little stratigraphic change at this ho- fauna is sparse and restricted, in contrast to the abun- rizon that the present writer sees little justification dant and varied faunas of the Earp and Horquilla. A for extending the term "Rainvalley Formation" into complete Colina section at Timber Mountain is 535 the area. Certainly it would be impractical to map the feet thick. There are good outcrops of the ledge-form- "Rainvalley Formation" separately in the . ing Colina Limestone on the south side of AVA The Concha Limestone lacks fusulinids in the Chiri- Ridge, and the ridge south of Fox Canyon. cahua Mountains, but contains the Peniculauris bassi The Colina conformably overlies the alternating (McKee) —formerly Dictyoclostus bassi—fauna of limestone and elastic sequence of the Earp and is con- Leonardian and Guadalupian (?) age. In the Empire formably overlain by the red beds and sandstone of and where higher parts of the PORTAL-LOCALITY 9 INDIAN CREEK-LOCALITY 7

1-11111•1-• COL I NA LIMESTONE IMMEUD FEET EARP FORMATION ■■■■■•••.. 3000—

w■me■mr 11-1•11M-D

•■■ ROCK SYMBOLS .--ate 11=■■• 1.11■1 ■1■1■1•1 •■■■ ■■•■• 7R/N$ WEN EU OW 2800— LIMESTONE SANDSTONE M■11■11■MIIM Pseudoschw sp. A ■••=sc:11 11:701:=IN .--ate—. acmosz:3 k4P a NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 153

Concha are preserved, it contains early Guadalupe The lowest subzone of the Fusulinella Assemblage fusulinids. Zone, the Fusulinella devexa Assemblage Subzone, is characterized by species such as Fusulinella devexa FUSULINID ZONES AND CORRELATIONS Thompson, F. protensa Thompson, F. velmae Thomp- The major fusulinid zones of the Naco Group are son, Fusulinella? cochisensis Ross and Sabins, and shown on fig. 1. Details of the Lower and Middle Profusulinella walnutensis Ross and Sabins. Many of Pennsylvanian are shown on figs. 3 and 5. Upper these species of Fusulinella have a wall structure con- Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian zones are detailed sisting of a tectum and a thin diaphanotheca that are on fig. 4. The base of each fusulinid zone is deter- differentiated from discontinuous inner and outer mined by the first appearance of the species for which tectorial layers. the zone is named. The middle subzone, the Fusulinella prospectensis Assemblage Subzone, is characterized by species such Millerella ASSEMBLAGE ZONE as Fusulinella prospectensis Ross and Sabins, F. ajax- ensis Ross and Sabins, F. oakensis Ross and Sabins. The Millerella Assemblage Zone extends downward The species in this subzone have a tectum, well-de- into rocks of Mississippian age and the top of the veloped diaphanotheca, well-developed tectorial de- zone is drawn at the base of the first occurrence of posits, and septa folded only near the poles. Profusulinella, although Millerella and closely related The highest subzone, the Fusulinella whitensis As- and associated genera, such as Paramillerella, extend semblage Subzone, has species such as Fusulinella considerably higher into Middle and Late Pennsyl- cabezasensis Ross and Sabins, F. whitensis Ross and vanian strata. The basal part of the Horquilla Lime- Sabins, and F. dosensis Ross and Sabins. These species stone is barren of fusulinids except at the Portal sec- are transitional in many features with primitive species tion (fig. 3) where the basal 80 feet contains Miller- of Fusulina, and have a tectum, well-developed dia- ella marblensis Thompson, associated with species of phanotheca, well-developed tectorial deposits, and Staffella. septa that are folded near the poles and are irregularly and gently undulated across the chambers of the outer Profusulinella ASSEMBLAGE ZONE one or two volutions. Species of Fusulinella in this This is the lowest zone that contains fusiform fusu- highest subzone are more diverse in size and shape linids and was encountered only in the Dos Cabezas than species in the lowest subzone (fig. 3) . Represen- section where the zone is approximately 70 feet thick tatives of Fusulinella, such as F. dosensis Ross and and is characterized by Profusulinella walnutensis Ross Sabins, F. whitensis Ross and Sabins, and F. famula and Sabins. In the other sections, such as at Blue Thompson having this advanced stage of evolution, Mountain, the equivalent stratigraphic interval ap- overlap upward with early species of Fusulina, and parently is barren of fusulinids. In the Horquilla Lime- many transitional species between Fusulinella and stone advanced species of Profusulinella range upward Fusulina are difficult to assign to either of these two into the basal 200 feet of the Fusulinella Assemblage genera. Zone where they are associated with primitive species of Fusulinella. Fusulina RANGE ZONE The base of this zone is marked by the first appear- Fusulinella ASSEMBLAGE ZONE ance of Fustilina, which also defines the base of the This is the lowest zone that is represented by abun- Desmoinesian Series. In the Chiricahua and Dos Ca- dant and widely distributed fusulinid faunas in the bezas Mountains the Fusulina Range Zone is termi- Horquilla Limestone in the Chiricahua Mountains. nated by the disconformity that truncates part of the This zone is thicker and has a more diverse fusulinid Desmoinesian Series. This zone is widespread and is fauna than the lower zones. The lower limit of the about 600 feet thick, except at the Dunn Springs Fusulinella Assemblage Zone is marked by the first Mountain section where it is only 380 feet thick. The occurrence of primitive species of Fusulinella, which thinner section may be due to greater pre-Virgilian is generally about 100 feet above the base of Horquilla truncation in the Dunn Springs Mountain area be- Limestone. The upper limit of this zone is marked cause there the Wedekindellina euthysepta Assem- by the first appearance of Fusulina. The zone ranges blage Subzone is the highest subzone. in thickness from 70 feet at Dos Cabezas to 370 feet The lowest subzone of the Fusulina Range Zone in at Blue Mountain and can be subdivided into three the Chiricahua Mountains is the Fusulina hayensis subzones based on the evolutionary stage of the wall Assemblage Subzone, which contains small and primi- construction and the intensity of septal folding. tive species of Fusulina that are in many aspects transi-

154 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE tional with Fusulinella. These species include F. hay- Group, Virgilian Series. At Dunn Springs Mountain, ensis Ross and Sabins, F. arizonensis Ross and Sabins, T. cullomensis is found a few feet above Wedekindel- F. portalensis Ross and Sabins, and Fusulinella fain ula lina henbesti (Skinner), indicating that here the upper Thompson, which is possibly a descendant of F. iowen- subzones within the Triticites Assemblage are missing. sis Thompson (which marks a lower and persistent At Blue Mountain and at Portal the top of the F. subzone in the Illinois Basin). In Illinois, Dunbar and eximia Subzone is separated from the lowest occur- Henbest (1942, p. 30) called a similar subzone the rence of T. cullomensis by about 100 feet of non- "Subzone of Fusulina leei" and included species such fusulinid-bearing beds and possibly strata of Missou- as F. leei Skinner, F. pumilla Dunbar and Henbest, rian age may be present but not represented by fusu- and F. serotina (Thompson). linid faunas. The following fusulinid faunas are ab- The Wedekindellina euthysepta Assemblage Sub- sent: ( 1 ) the highest subzone of the Fusulina Range zone is marked by the first appearance of that species, Zone, the Wedekindellina ultimata Assemblage Sub- although the associated species W. cabezasensis Ross zone with Fusulina fallensis Thompson, Verville, and and Sabins and W. henbesti (Skinner) range down- Lokke; and (2) the lower subzones within the Triti- ward almost to the base of the underlying Subzone cites Assemblage Zone including T. ohioensis Thomp- of Fusulina hayensis (fig. 5). Wedekindellina henbesti son at the base through Triticites joensis (Thomp- also ranges well up into the overlying Fusulina girtyi son). In the Midcontinent these missing Triticites subzone. Within the Subzone of Wedekindellina eu- subzones form the Missourian Series. thysepta, small species of Fusulina such as F. pristina Thompson and F. cedarensis Ross and Sabins appear Triticites ASSEMBLAGE ZONE to be characteristic (figs. 3, 5). The Virgilian part of the Horquilla Limestone (fig. A subzone of larger species, the Fusulina girtyi As- 4) is dominantly dark, fine-grained calcarenite and semblage Subzone (Dunbar and Henbest, 1942) over- calcilutite and contains Triticites cullomensis Dunbar lies the Wedekindellina euthysepta Subzone and in and Condra, Triticites cf. T. callosus Dunbar and southeast Arizona includes such species as Fusulina Henbest and - Waeringella chiricahuensis Sabins and hayworthi (Beede), F. novamexicana Needham, and Ross as distinctive early Virgilian species. F. bowiensis Ross and Sabins. These species have Near the top of the Horquilla Limestone and in the thickly fusiform tests and regularly folded septa. lower part of the Earp Formation (fig. 4) Triticites The highest subzone of abundant Fusulina is the cuchilloensis Needham, T. rhodesi Needham, Triti- Fusulina eximia Assemblage Subzone designated by cites cf. T. plummeri Dunbar and Condra, T. ventri- Dunbar and Henbest (1942, p. 30). It includes two cosus sacramentoensis Needham, and Triticites sp. A types of Fusulina: those having a subcylindrical shape and Triticites sp. B are well advanced in their mor- and those having a larger more thickly fusiform shape. phologic features and indicate a middle to late Vir- The subcylindrical type is represented in southeast gilian age. This assemblage in part shows close sim- Arizona by Fusulina sulphurensis Ross and Sabins; ilarity with that from the upper part of the Magda- elsewhere it is represented by F. acme Dunbar and lena Limestone of south central New Mexico (Need- Henbest, F. eximia Thompson, and F. bellatula Ste- ham, 1937), that form the Thrifty Formation of north wart. Thickly fusiform fusulinids were not found in central Texas (Myers, 1958, 1960), and it has marked the F. eximia Subzone in southeast Arizona, but else- similarities with fusulinids described from the higher where F. megista Thompson, F. mysticensis Thomp- part of the Oquirrh Formation of Utah (Thompson, son. F. pseudochomata Stewart, and F. gordonensis Vervillc and Bissell, 1950). T. cuchilloensis Needham Stewart together with numerous other species, such as is closely comparable in stage of evolution to T. comp- those described by Alexander (1954) from Oklahoma, tus Ross (1959) from the upper part of the Gaptank appear in this zone. Formation, Glass Mountains, west Texas. The highest occurrence of this Virgilian fusulinid CONTACT BETWEEN MIDDLE AND LATE PENNSYLVANIAN assemblage (fig. 4) is found in the lower 20 feet of the In the Chiricahua Mountains, the lowest species of Earp Formation in the section near Portal (Locality Triticites, T. cullomensis Dunbar and Condra and 9). However, the assemblage extends 235 feet above Triticites sp. have high, thick-walled early volutions the base of the Earp Formation in the section at Dunn which characterize Virgilian species of Triticites in Springs Mountain (Locality 5). This suggests that the contrast to the low, thin-walled early volutions of transitional lithologies of the Horquilla-Earp contact most Missourian species. In the Midcontinent region, noted in the field are possibly a lateral facies change T. cullomensis first appears in the Lecompton Lime- and do not necessarily mark a time plane. The asso- stone (Dunbar and Condra, 1927) of the Shawnee ciation of species in the two sections differs signifi- NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY—SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 155

GENERALIZED COLUMNAR SERIES ZONE SUBZONE STRATIGRAPHIC RANGE OF FUSULINID SPECIES SECTION . VIRGILIAN 1, liificItes MIN= c cu//omens CISCOAN 1..._ 70/cites cullomensis (TS I-- N not used in this report MISSOURIAN -6-E cn // ,,/ // , A9 D or CANYONIAN / STRATA OF THIS AGE ARE ABSENT IN CHIRICAHUA AND DOS CABEZAS MOUNTAINS Wedekix/e/hiv s i ottimoto

nil!!! Fusul/na eXI/77/0 Mr =OM approximate position of Staffello marker bed • • , MOD MIMEO NCR. 111=111•• 1 tl: ■..... IMINNIII■ I I i j Fusuhno •approximate position of Komio marker bed MI6% girtyi , ..... Z (.„ . ; 3 =MP Z < .- `,. ■Iinil 11 (7) Lk. I MUMS Z W cia=sw  MIAMI •-,•1• 1-,- _ 0 0 z 7 IMP cr ...... H 2 1,, a .1 3, INIIMIIII u) .(1) W -c , O .?...,,,, ummir 0 0 z. - "4" "s- o H NNW NI Wedettindellino ..f2 -,-,N $: 1,. ONINIMIN „,.. ,,, 4- u) =MOM euthysepla 12 ,,, ,- -, t -,,, z; -, <4. ;,...--.. .Q z :5: z ,e; o W -1. .8 -, g , , •Imiii. -,, .,,, ,,,o, ..., .t. ,IS: •,,i, ...,,S. 2 mummy t, E -,-. .% .., 6- -,,, 0, ..... si,z ti moos a .,. , % =‘, ,,,t, ONO -,=,:i t • ,z, .., .,;, k -:1 ,” , 1 b INZ=ZIM Fusu/kro a i; o Z., t., 4 4 ?, L? :2 .; ,:z IM=1=or hayensis -1.-,, z z -s," 8 u. . -,`- 2 L 1111=111■ i --ii ?. ,i`} Li o l --,. •Z I , 2 . --o- %I -% ..,-., Ci %, . C. v, I L.... S. Kilf ,c, , •,. — , MEMO. •`-• --1. Q.. -6 . ,i, ,ti •---, J NM= 0 Fast/Met/a 3.-; o, o , `O : whttens/s Z - , mz t 1" , 6 Z Z- - ,.2 1 J I alb. 1 l I I i i i IMMINEW : -? D -‘. k , D jt L Li. j — =eta . 0 S- - ---.1 -.. .11 ,3- °E I • ., - .c 0 0 it ,_ b .-- mm7=Azgo ---1 Faso/met/a o 3 -O, .c. , , o o L.-1 prospeclensis b k o .===. ,1".. El mmul -P. 1 `,,,- t L., l ¢, ,I, --I 1 li (t. -,2, 1 Nb I t co ,..,E; initi-u=s° ,,z ,. I BIMINI ,t >- < cii. 1.11.1P 0- , ii=ii MD 2 -•. • Faso/the/la -_MIMI a_j devexa Li. 01=P 0_1 11=IIII Z ClIO• 0 NA IMO. MIIIIIIP 1 II =MS 11-1. ZONE OF EMI=MIC-711 ..... 9 PROFUSUL/NELLA IMOD BENDIAN =IMP Or ZONE MORROWAN OF ? PENNSYLVANIAN 41 Paradise M/LLERELLA MISSISSIPPIAN ■■■• Formation

FIGURE 5 Generalized stratigraphic section of the lower and middle parts of the Horquilla Limestone divided into series, zones, and subzones, and the stratigraphic range of fusulinid species. From Ross and Sabins (1965, fig. 3). 156 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE cantly and adds support to the interpretation that lowed in the type Wolfcampian region in the Glass there was a difference in the depositional environments Mountains, Texas (Ross, 1959 and 1963). In the in the two areas. Glass Mountains the Wolfcampian Series is divided into two formations, the Neal Ranch Formation at Triticites-Schwagerina ASSEMBLAGE ZONE the base containing the fusulinid assemblage zone of Pseudoschwagerina-Triticites and the Lenox Hills From 20 to 600 feet above its base the Earp Forma- Formation above containing the fusulinid assemblage tion near Portal (Locality 9) has a varied assemblage zone of Pseudoschwagerina-Monodiexodina. Individ- of large species of Triticites and very primitive species ual species of these genera and other genera are with of Schwagerina. Species, such as T. creekensis Thomp- few exceptions restricted to one or the other of these son, T. pinguis Dunbar and Skinner, S. emaciata (Bee- two zones and provide useful guides where only a de) , and S. silverensis Sabins and Ross, have long small number of species are present. stratigraphic ranges in this section and are closely In the Chiricahua Mountains the Zone of Pseudo- similar to fusulinids common in the Bursum Forma- schwagerina-Triticites includes most of the upper fusu- tion of New Mexico (Thompson, 1954). In the sec- linid-bearing limestones of the Earp Formation, from tion at Dunn Springs Mountain (Locality 5), this just above Locality 9-14 as high as Locality 9-23 in post-Virgilian sequence begins about 235 feet above the measured section near Portal (fig. 4). The species the base of the Earp Formation and includes the re- of fusulinids from the Zone of Pseudoschwagerina- mainder of the formation in this measured section Triticites show a close similarity with those from the (fig. 4) . Primitive species of Schwagerina, such as S. Council Grove Group in Kansas, the Neal Ranch For- dunnensis Sabins and Ross have well developed pseu- mation, Glass Mountains, Texas (Ross, 1959, 1963) dochomata in which secondary deposits thicken the and from the upper part of the Bird Springs Lime- edges of the septa adjacent to the tunnel but do not stone, southern California (Thompson, Wheeler and form continuous ridges along the sides of the tunnel Hazzard, 1946). and are indicative of the early differentiation of Schwagerina from a lineage within Triticites. These species and Triticites cellamagnus Thompson and Bis- Pseudoschwagerina-Monodiexodina ASSEMBLAGE ZONE sell, add support to the placement of these beds as The youngest Wolfcampian zone, the Zone of mainly Bursum equivalents. Pseudoschwagerina-Monodiexodina, is believed to be These fusulinids represent the assemblage zone of represented in the Chiricahua Mountains only by Triticites-Schwagerina as set forth by Ross and Ross Schwagerina loringi (Thompson), Pseudoschwagerina (1962) and Ross (1963) and apparently are equivalent sp. A, and the upper part of the range of Schubertella in age to the Admire Group of Kansas, the Pueblo kingi Dunbar and Skinner. In the section near Portal Formation of north central Texas, and part of the this zone includes the upper 300 to 400 feet of lime- Oquirrh Formation of Utah. In the southern Ural stones, and here S. loringi occurs at about the same po- region of the U.S.S.R. a similar assemblage of fusu- sition beneath the red shales as it does in the Swiss- linids occurs in the upper part of the Orenbergian helm Mountains to the southwest (Thompson, 1954, Series at the top of the Carboniferous. In north central p. 26), although it occurs considerably lower in the Texas, New Mexico and Kansas, the first appearance section near Indian Creek (Locality 7). of Schwagerina is commonly used as defining the base of this assemblage zone and here in the Chiricahua Parafusulina RANGE ZONE Mountains the base of this zone would be placed at the first appearance of Schwagerina silverensis Sabins The upper part of the Concha Limestone has been and Ross, the oldest Schwagerina in which the pseudo- removed by pre-Cretaceous erosion in the Chiricahua chomata are small and discontinuous throughout the Mountains, and no fusulinids have been found from test (Locality 9-13) . In the lower 300 feet of the Earp the top of the Earp Formation to the top of the Formation there appears to be a complete transition Concha Limestone in this area. Higher beds of the from typical Virgilian species of Triticites into primi- Concha are preserved in Whetstone Mountains, from tive species of Schwagerina. which Ross and Tyrrell (1965) report Parafusulina sullivanensis Ross and P. boesei Dunbar and Skinner, and in the Empire Mountains, from which Sabins and Pseudoschwagerina-Triticites ASSEMBLAGE ZONE Ross (1963) report P. empirensis. P. sullivanensis and In the Ural region of the U.S.S.R. the first occur- P. boesei are indicative of an early Guadalupian age rence of Pseudoschwagerina is generally used as the and, as P. empirensis occurs stratigraphically higher, base of the type Permian and this criterion was fol- it also is of Guadalupian age. NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY-SIXTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE 157

REFERENCES Ransome, F. L., 1904, The Geology and Ore deposits of the Bisbee Quadrangle, Arizona: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 21, 168 p. Alexander, R. D., 1954, Desmoinesian fusulinids of northeastern Ross, C. A., 1959, The Wolfcamp Series (Permian) and new species Oklahoma: Okla. Geol. Surv. Circ. 31, 67 p. of fusulinids, Glass Mountains, Texas: Jour. Wash. Acad. Sci., v. Bryant, D. L. and McClymonds, N. E., 1961, Permian Concha 49, p. 299-316. Limestone and Rainvalley Formation, southeastern Arizona: Am. , 1963, The Wolfcampian Series (Permian), Glass Moun- Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 45, p. 1324-1333. tains, Texas: Geol. Soc. America Mem. 88. Cooper, J. R. and Silver, L. T., 1964, Geology and ore deposits of and Ross, J. P. 1962, Pennsylvanian, Permian rugose cor- the Dragoon Quadrangle, County, Arizona: U.S. Geol. als, Glass Mountains, Texas: Jour. Paleontology, v. 36, p. 1163- Survey Prof. Paper 416, 196 p. 1188, pls. 160-163. and Sabins, F. F., 1965, Early and Middle Pennsylvanian Dunbar, C. 0. and Condra, G. E., 1927, The Fusulinidae of the fusulinids from southeast Arizona: Jour. Paleontology, v. 39, p. Pennsylvanian System in Nebraska: Nebraska Geol. Survey Bull., 173-209. v. 2, 2nd ser., 135 p., 15 pls. and Tyrrell, W. W., 1965, Pennsylvanian and Permian Dunbar, C. 0., and Henbest, L. G., 1942, Pennsylvanian Fusu- fusulinids, Whetstone Mountains, southeast Arizona: Jour. Pale- linidae of Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 67, 218 p., ontology, v. 39, p. 615-635. 23 pls. Sabins, F. F., 1957a, Stratigraphic relations in Chiricahua and Dos Gilluly, James, Cooper, J. R., and Williams, J. S., 1954, Late Paleo- Cabezas Mountains, Arizona: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists zoic Stratigraphy of central Cochise County, Arizona: U.S. Geol. Bull., v. 41, p. 466-510. Survey Prof. Paper 266, 149 p. , 1957b, Geology of the Cochise Head and western part of Kottlowski, F. E., 1960, Summary of Pennsylvanian sections in the Vanar Quadrangles, Arizona: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 68, southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona: New Mex- p. 1315-1342. ico Bur. of Mines and Mineral Res. Bull. 66, 187 p. and Ross, C. A., 1963, Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian fusulinids from southeast Arizona: Jour. Paleontology, v. 37, p. Myers, D. A., 1958, Stratigraphic distribution of some fusulinids 323-365. from the Thrifty Formation, Upper Pennsylvanian, central Texas: Thompson, M. L., 1954, American Wolfcampian fusulinids: Univ. Jour. Paleontology, v. 32, p. 677-681, pls. 92, 93. Kansas Paleont. Contrib. 14, Protozoa, Art. 5, 225 p. , 1960, Stratigraphic distribution of some Pennsylvanian , Wheeler, H. E., and Hazzard, J. C., 1946, Permian fusu- Fusulinidae from Brown and Coleman Counties, Texas: U.S. linids of California: Geol. Soc. America Mem. 17, 77 p. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 315c, p. 37-53, pls. 15-24. Verville, G. J. and Bissell, H. J., 1950, Pennsylvanian Needham, C. E., 1937, Some New Mexico Fusulinidae: New Mex. fusulinids of the south-central Wasatch Mountains, Utah: Jour. Sch. Mines Bull. 14, 88 p., 13 pls. Paleontology, v. 24, p. 430-465, pls. 57-64.