Redescription of Three Species of Corals from the Lockport Dolomite in New York GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 414-G Redescription of Three Species of Corals from the Lockport Dolomite in New York By WILLIAM A. OLIVER, JR. SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 414-G Descriptions of the syntypes of some corals named by James Hall, 1852 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. WASHINGTON : 1963 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEW ART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Page Abstract. _ _________________________________________ G 1 Palaeophyllum makicaule (Hall)_________-____-____--- G-5 Introduction. ---____--__-_-___.-_-_____-____-______- 1 Genus Cladopora HalL______________________________ 6 Genus Diplophyllum Hall-__-_______--____-______-___ 1 Cladopora seriata HalL__________________________ 6 Diplophyllum caespitosum HalL__________________ 2 References cited_-_ _________________________________ 6 Genus Palaeophyllum Billings-_______________________ 4 Index-________________________---________--------- 9 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates follow index] PLATE 1. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. PLATE 4. Palaeophyllum multicaule (Hall). 2. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. 5. Cladopora seriata Hall. 3. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY REDESCRIPTION OF THREE SPECIES OF CORALS FROM THE LOCKPORT DOLOMITE IN NEW YORK By WILLIAM A. OLIVER, JR. ABSTRACT Order RTTGOSA Family ACERVTTLARIIDAE Three species of rugose and tabulate corals that were origi­ nally described by Hall (1852), from the Silurian Lockport Genus Diplophyllum Hall, 1852 Dolomite at Lockport, N.Y., are redescribed. Two of the 1851. Diplophyllum Hall, p. 399. species, Dipl-ophylUtm caespitosum and Cladopora, seriata, are 1852. Diplophyllum Hall. Hall, p. 115. the type species of their respective genera. The type specimens 1901. Diplophyllum Hall. Grabau, p. 139. of these and the third species, Palaeophyllum multicaule (Hall), 1906. [not] Diplophyllum Hall. Grabau and Shinier, p. 210. have not previously been sectioned and the three species have 1909. [not] Diplophyllum Hall. Grabau and Shinier, p. 73. been frequently misinterpreted in the literature. 1931. Acervularia {Diplophyllum} Hall. Smith and Lang, p. 86. 1939. [not] Diplophyllum Soshkina, p. 39-40 (homonym). INTRODUCTION 1940. Diplophyllum Hall. Lang, Smith, and Thomas, p. 53. 1944. [not] Diplophyllum Hall. Shimer and Shrock, p. 99. The three species here considered, Diplophyllum 1956. Diplophyllum Hall. Hill, p. 277. caespitosum, Syringoporal muUicautis, and Cladopora Type species. By monotypy, D. caespitosum Hall seriata., were originally described by Hall (1852) from (1852, p. 116-117), "* * * lower part of the limestone the Lockport Dolomite of Silurian age at Lockport, of the Niagara group at Lockport * * *" (lower part N. Y. Subsequent descriptions of these species were not of the Lockport Dolomite, Lockport, N.Y.). based on the syntype collections and Hall's specimens Diagnosis. Compound rugose corals with a distinct have not previously been sectioned. inner wall of septal origin, separating the tabularium D. caespitosum and C. seriata are the type species of from a narrow, peripheral dissepimentarium. The Diplophyllum and Cladopora respectively, and knowl­ tabulae are mostly complete; dissepiments are flat to edge of the Hall specimens is important in stabilizing gently arched, forming a single series in each space the usage of these names. D. caespitosum and 8. ? bounded by the inner and outer walls and two adjacent multicaulis (here assigned to Palaeophyllum,} have at septa. Increase is commonly peripheral or lateral. times been confused with the Devonian genus Acino- Remarks. Hall first described and illustrated the phyllum (Synapt-ophyUvm of authors). Precise knowl­ type species of Diplophyllum in 1852, although a ge­ edge of these species is needed in studies of both neric diagnosis was published in 1851. He considered Silurian and Devonian corals. the division into inner and outer zones by the wall to Thin sections of Hall's original specimens are here be diagnostic, and he emphasized the differences be­ described and illustrated for the first time, and lecto- tween Diplophyllum and corals with a single periph­ types are selected. eral row of normal dissepiments which may give All specimens from the Hall type lots are in the the superficial appearance of a wall. Later, however, collection of the American Museum of National History Hall (1859, p. 80) stated that Diplophyllum^ was (AMNH). Additional topotype material of Diplo­ "* * * probably identical with the genus Diphyphyl- phyllum caexpitosum is in the U.S. National Museum lum * * *v to which many Silurian and Devonian (TJSNM). I am indebted to Dr. Donald F. Squires of corals with normal dissepiments were then assigned. the American Museum and Dr. Richard S. Boardman Grabau (1901, p. 139) followed Hall's earlier inter­ of the National Museum for permission to section and pretation and used his illustrations, but later (Grabau redescribe the material. and Shimer, 1906, p. 210; 1909, p. 73) followed Lambe's Thin sections were prepared by William C. Pinckney, (1901, p. 158, pi. 13, fig. 3, a-b) erroneous description Jr. Photographs of exteriors are by R. H. McKinney; and illustration of the type species and suggested that thin section photographs are by the author. Diplophyllum differed from Synaptophyllum (now G-l G-2 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY Acinophyllum,} only in the lack of lateral connections Diplophyllum integumentum (Barrett), Grabau (1910, p. 106, between corallites. pi. 10, fig. 1; pi. 15, fig. 9-10; pi. 16, fig. 15, 17) was re­ assigned in part to Synaptophyllum grabaui by Fager- Shinier and Shrock (1944, p. 99) followed Grabau strom (1961, p. 13). The balance of Grabau's material and Shinier in erroneously diagnosing the genus. has normal dissepiments and may be a disphyllid. Smith and Lang (1931, p. 86, 91-92) based their re- Diplophyllum panicum (Rominger). Grabau and Shimer, (1906, description of Diplophyllum on a topotype fragment p. 212, 1909, p. 75), is a Cylindrophllum as stated by from the U.S. National Museum (erroneously stated to Enters and Stumm (1949, p. 27). be a piece of one of Hall's types). They correctly Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall, 1852 diagnosed the genus and one variety of the type species. Plates 1-3 However, Smith and Lang considered DiplopJiyllum to be a 'genomorph' of Acervularia, for all practical 1851. DiplopJiyllum caespitosum Hall, p. 399 (nomen nudum?. purposes placing Diplophyllum in synonymy with 1852. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall, p. 116-117, pi. 33, figs. Acervularia. la-r. 1859. Diphyphyllum caespitosum (Hall). Hall, p. 80. Hill (1956, p. 2TT) followed Smith and Lang's di­ 1890. [?not] Diphyphyllum caespitosum (Hall). Foerste, agnosis and used their illustrations but considered p. 343. Diplophyllum as a genus distinct from Acervularia, in­ 1899. [not] Diphyphyllum caespitosum (Hall). Lambe, p. 240. cluded in the Acervulariidae. According to Hill, 1901. [not] Diphyphyllum caespitosum (Hall). Lambe, p. 158, Acervularia differs in the possession of a zone of convex pi. 13, fig. 3 a-b. 1901. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. Grabau, p. 139-140, dissepiments outside of the zone of flat dissepiments. fig. 33. The generic diagnosis of this paper is based primarily 1903. [?not] Diplophyllum, caespitosum Hall. Clarke and on the type species, but is broadened to include cerioid Ruedemann, p. 25. species as well. Smith and Lang included two species 1906. [not] Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. Grabau and in Acervularia {Diplophyllum} in addition to D. caespi- Shimer, p. 211-212, fig. 117. 1909. [not] Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. Grabau and tosum. One of these, Rhabdophyllum conglomeration Shimer, p. 74, fig. 117. Wedekind is a subcerioid Diplophyllum which differs 1928. [not] Diphyphyllum caespitosum. (Hall). Twenhofel, p. from D. caespitosum in its irregular sagging tabulae 120. and broader outer zone of flat dissepiments. The other, 1931. Acervularia {Diplophyllum} caespitosa (Hall). Smith Acervularia luseuxrians var. breviseptata Weissermel, is and Lang, p. 91, pi. 2, fig. 6-10. 1944. [not] Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. Shimer and a cerioid Diplophyllum with short septa and flat tabulae Shrock, p. 99, pi. 32, fig. 11-12. and dissepiments. Increase in the first species is in- 1956. Diplophyllum caespitosum Hall. Hill, p. 277, fig. 188, termural (lateral), but in the second, both intermural 6a,b. (lateral) and axial increase occurs. Both of these in­ Diagnosis. Phaceloid Diplophyllum with periph­ terpretations are based on the author's study of Smith eral or lateral increase. The internal structure consists and Lang's illustrations of material which they sub­ of a wall separating an inner tabularium from an outer jectively identified as the species indicated. Their zone of flat or gently arched dissepiments. Normal illustrations demonstrate the existence of cerioid and dissepiments are rare. phaceloid-subceriorid corals with the DiplophyHum External features. Corallum large and phaceloid structure in addition to the phaceloid type species. with peripheral or lateral offsets occurring 1 to 3 or Search of the literature indicates that D. caespitosum more at a time. Corallites cylindrical, as much as 8 is the only North American species that can be assigned mm (average 5 to 6.2 mm)