The Late Cretaceous Cephalopod Haresiceras Reeside and Its Possible Origin By WILLIAM A. COBBAN SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 454-1 Haresiceras, which seems to have been derived from the scaphitid stock of ammonites, provides a means of correlating thin units of strata in the PFestern Interior region UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 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, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract-._ _-_---_____-__--_______---_--______-____ II Sequence of fossils Continued Introduction _______________________________________ 1 Buffalo area in north-central Wyoming.____ 19 Geographic distribution______________________________ 1 Salt Creek oil field in east-central Wyoming. 9 Sequence of fossils. _________________________________ 1 Wind River Basin in west-central Wyoming. 9 Sweetgrass arch in northwestern Montana _________ 4 Green River area in east-central Utah______ 10 Mosby area in east-central Montana ______________ 6 Summary of faunal sequences _____________ 10 Porcupine dome in east-central Montana __________ 6 Age of Haresiceras ___________________________ 11 Black Hills uplift in southeastern Montana and Origin of and evolution within Haresiceras ______ 11 western South Dakota________________________ Elk Basin area in southern Montana and northwest­ Systematic descriptions--_____________________ 13 ern Wyoming ________________________________ Literature cited_________________-__----___-__ 18 Hardin area in south-central Montana___________ Index ______-________-______-__-_--_--______ 21 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates follow Index] Page PLATE 1. Desmoscaphites, Clioscaphites, Haresiceras, and Scaphites. 2. Haresiceras. 3. Haresiceras and Clioscaphites. FIGURE 1. Index map________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 2-4. Stratigraphic relations 2. Between northwestern Montana and the Black Hills_______________________-_____----------_---_----_ 5 3. Between Elk Basin and Albion____________________________________________________________________ 7 4. Between the Wind River Basin and Rawlins___-_________-________-_____-_______---------__-----__ 10 5. Lineages of Clioscaphites, Desmoscaphites, and Haresiceras________________________________________________ 12 6. Sutures of Clioscaphites, Desmoscaphites, and Haresiceras_________________-__-________-_-_---_----_-_----_ 14 7. Cross sections of Haresiceras placentiforme. --___-________________-____________-_____-_-_---__-_-_------_ 15 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Localities at which fossils were collected-___-___-___________________________-_______---___--_--_-------- 13 2. Possible correlation of the zones of Haresiceras to the late Santonian and early Campanian faunal zones in Europe. 11 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY THE LATE CRETACEOUS CEPHALOPOD HARESICERAS REESIDE AND ITS POSSIBLE ORIGIN By WILLIAM A. COBBAN ABSTRACT scribed, H. placentiforme (genotype), H. natronense, The ammonite Haresiceras is known from 43 localities in the and H. fisheri, Reeside, with some reservations, as­ Western Interior of the conterminous United States. The genus signed Haresiceras to the subfamily Hoplitinae of the is represented by at least four species, which are from oldest family Cosmoceratidae [Kosmoceratidae] Haug. In to youngest, Haresiceras mancosense (Reeside), H. montan- aense (Reeside), H. placentiforme Reeside, and H. nntronense addition to these species of Haresiceras, Reeside (1927a, Reeside. A fifth form, H. fisheri Reeside, may be a variant of p. 15, 20) described two other ammonites, which he 'H. natronense. Haresiceras mancosense and H. montanaense named Puzosia (Latidorsella) mancosensis and Acan- are each represented by two forms, an early form and a late thocerasl montanaense. These two ammonites are in­ form. cluded in the present treatment because the writer The older species of Haresiceras are stouter than the younger believes they are early forms of Haresiceras. species and have less complex sutures. These older species have constrictions on the early juvenile whorls, arched to nearly flat Since the publication of Reeside's important paper, venters, and ribbing differentiated into primaries and second­ new collections of fossils that include his species have aries on the adult body chamber; later species lack constrictions, been made from carefully measured stratigraphic sec­ possess flat to slightly concave venters, and have ribbing tending tions by geologists of the U.S. Geological Survey and to be of uniform strength on the adult body chamber. The earliest species, Haresiceras mancosense, which com­ of oil companies. These collections have shed con­ bines characters of CUoscaphites, Desmoscaphites, and Hare­ siderable light on the age relations of the various siceras, is assigned to a new suibgenus Mancosiceras. Inasmuch species of Haresiceras and on the possible origin of the as Haresiceras (Mancosiceras) mancosense is contemporane­ genus. The present investigation was prompted by a ous with Desmoscaphites but younger than CUoscaphites, it need for close zoning of strata adjoining the boundary probably was derived from some species of CUoscaphites that of the Colorado and Montana Groups. The presence trended toward compression of the whorls and flattening of the venter. CUoscaphites platygastrus bridges the gap well between of Haresiceras in rocks assigned to the Colorado Group the stouter and more round-ventered species of CUoscaphites as well as in rocks assigned to the Montana Group has and the more slender H. (M.) mancosense. been pointed out previously (Cobban and others, 1962). Haresiceras (Mancosiceras) mancosense is associated with The figured specimens are in the U.S. National Mu­ Desmoscaphites, Uintacrinus, and Marsupites of late Santonian seum, Washington, D.C. R. E. Burkholder, of the age. Haresiceres placentiforme, H. natronense, H. fisheri, and the late form of H. montanaense are found with Scaphites Geological Survey, photographed the fossils. hippocrepis of early Campanian age. The early form of H. montanaense occurs in rocks older than those containing GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Scaphites hippocrepis and younger than those containing Des­ moscaphites and free-swimming crinoids; a very early Cam­ Haresiceras is known from 43 localities in the West­ panian age seems to be the best choice. ern Interior. The general position of each locality is shown in figure 1. Detailed data concerning the locali­ INTRODUCTION ties, stratigraphic position, and collectors are given in Haresiceras is a rare ammonite known only from table 1. the Western Interior of the conterminous United States. This genus, nrfmed for C. J. Hares, was estab­ SEQUENCE OF FOSSILS lished by Keeside (1927a, p. 17) to include small am­ Reeside recognized as long ago as 1924 (p. 11, 12, pi. monites that have compressed whorls, very narrow 3) a Telegraph Creek fauna and a younger Eagle fauna umbilicus, flat venter bordered by small ventrolateral named for the two oldest formations of the Montana nodes, weak sigmoidal ribs that cross the venter with a Group. Later, Desmoscaphites bassleri Reeside was forward arching, and sutures characterized by a long designated the guide fossil for the Telegraph Creek triangular first lateral lobe. Three species were de­ iauna and /Scaphites hippocrepis (DeKay) the index II 12 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY ;r«£"' r _ > ?_ \Kevin-Sunburst tf\ % -hVx fiome Elgin Creek^' Buffal° C\ 23,24 i Shotgun Butte/\ I \ OSALT LAKE CITY COLOR 50 100 150 200 MILES I I _I FIGURE 1. Index map showing Haresiceras localities and the lines of sections of figures 2-4. Numbers refer to the detailed description of localities in table 1. CRETACEOUS CEPHALOPOD HARESICERAS 13 TABLE 1. Localities at which fossils were collected TABLE 1. Localities af which fossils were collected Continued U.S. Geo­ U.S. Geo­ Locality logical Collector and year of collection, description of locality, Locality logical Collector and year of collection, description of locality, on figure Survey and stratigraphie assignment on figure Survey and stratigraphie assignment Mesozoic 1 Mesozoic locality locality 11995 A. J. Collier, 1923. Three miles northwest 17.__ 21851 J. B. Reeside, Jr., and D. A. Andrews, 1938. of Kevin, in sec. 17, T. 35 N., R. 3 W., Sec. 16, T. 57 N., R. 98 W., Park County, Toole County, Mont. Marias River Wyo. From just below Elk Basin Sand­ Shale, 20 ft below top. stone Member of Telegraph Creek Forma­ 21420 W. A. Cobban, 19'48. Eight miles west of tion. Shelby, in the NE>i sec. 31, T. 32 N., 18_ -_ 9740 C. J. Hares, 1916. Six miles northwest of R. 3 W., Toole County, Mont. Telegraph Lovell, north of Shoshone River, in T. Creek Formation, 24-35 ft above base. 57 N., R. 95 W., Big Horn County, Wyo. D696 W. L. Rohrer, 1955. S#SWtfNW# sec. Elk Basin Sandstone Member of Telegraph 31, T. 32 N., R. 3 W., Toole County, Creek Formation. Mont. Telegraph Creek Formation, 148 19______ 22822 R. K. Hose and W. J. Mapel, 1950. North ft above base. of Elgin Creek in the NEtfNW}* sec. 13, 20774 G. W. Beer, 1946. Sec. 19, T. 30 N., R. T. 49 N., R. 83 W., Johnson County, Wyo. 5 E., Liberty County, Mont. Telegraph Cody Shale, ~From limestone concretions Creek Formation, 49 ft above base. 748 ft below Shannon Sandstone Member. 21405 W. A. Cobban, 1948. About 3.4 miles east 20_.___. 12730 W. W. Rubey, 1924.