Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2002 Taxonomic revision and paleoecology of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) fishes of the Onondaga, Columbus and Delaware limestones of the eastern United States Robert Lewis Martin West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Martin, Robert Lewis, "Taxonomic revision and paleoecology of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) fishes of the Onondaga, Columbus and Delaware limestones of the eastern United States" (2002). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 1678. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1678 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Taxonomic Revision and Paleoecology of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Fishes of the Onondaga, Columbus and Delaware Limestones of the eastern United States. Robert L. Martin Dissertation submitted to the College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology Thomas Kammer, Ph.D. Chair Robert Behling, Ph.D. Robert Carr, Ph.D., Ohio University Steven Kite, Ph.D. Richard Smosna, Ph.D. Department of Geology Morgantown, West Virginia 2002 Keywords: Eifelian, fishes, ptyctodont, Deinodus, Onondaga ABSTRACT Taxonomic Revision and Paleoecology of Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Fishes of the Onondaga, Columbus and Delaware Limestones of the eastern United States. Robert L Martin The Eifelian stage of eastern North America has produced the remains of a substantial number of fish taxa, mostly from the Onondaga Limestone of New York and the Columbus and Delaware limestones of Ohio. Fish specimens in rock matrix from the Buffalo Science Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were compared to rock samples taken from quarries in Cheektowaga, New York and Warrensburg, Ohio, in order to determine the units from which the fish specimens originally came. This method allowed reasonable inference into the provenance of the museum specimens. The stratigraphy indicates that the seas of New York and Ohio were deepening throughout the Eifelian, terminating in the dark shale beds of the Givetian stage. The rock units of both areas are characterized by a series of aggradations and inundation events. Of the 41 taxa of fish originally found in the two museums, only nine are considered valid as a result of this study. Macropetalichthys sullivanti was a benthic dweller found in the deeper units of the upper Moorehouse and Seneca members of the Onondaga Formation and the Delaware Limestone as well as the shallower units of the upper Columbus. M. rapheidolabis is considered a junior synonym of M. sullivanti. Palaeomylus and Ptyctodus were both durophagous fishes that probably stayed near the bottom of the sea. Ptyctodus was found only in the upper Moorehouse, but Palaeomylus was found in the upper Columbus, Delaware and the upper Moorehouse. Rhynchodus was found in the same units, but was a predator with shearing dentition. Deinodus bennetti was a common element of the upper Moorehouse and was a ptyctodont. It is likely, based on dental elements in the Buffalo Museum of Science, that D. bennetti was durophagous. Deinodus ohioensis, n. sp., a shallow water fish very similar to D. bennetti is formally described. Little can be theorized about its feeding strategy because most of the dental elements studied were imbedded in matrix. Onychodus and Machaeracanthus were large, mobile predators that moved in and out of deeper waters, perhaps into shallow waters to feed. Both possess large tooth whorls and elongate jaws. Machaeracanthus is formally placed in the family, Ischnacanthidae, based on these whorls and Machaeracanthus major is considered a junior synonym of M. peracutus. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS One must always begin acknowledgements by thanking their parents. Mine have been very supportive and never hesitated when I came to the conclusion that I would need still more schooling. I thank them for their understanding, interest and support.. No research project could be completed without assistance, and I certainly exploited mine. I would like to thank the following museum collection managers and quarry managers: Dr. Richard Laub of the Buffalo Museum of Science, Gary Jackson and Dr. Michael Williams of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ron Hope of the Buffalo Crushed Stone Quarry in Cheektowaga, New York, Danny Workman of the Martin Marietta Quarry, the Martin Marietta office in Xenia, Ohio and Martin Jones of the Wagner Quarry in Sandusky, Ohio. The completion of the dissertation went as smoothly as possible thanks to my wonderful committee. Dr. Thomas Kammer, my advisor, set the project in motion and helped me throughout the entire time with logistics, protocol and critique. Dr. Richard Smosna helped to hash out the sedimentological aspects of the work, a much stronger component of the dissertation that I had originally expected it to be. Dr. Robert Carr solidified the taxonomy and nomenclature of the fish sections. Dr. Steven Kite, editor extraordinaire, made certain that the tome flowed well and corrected innumerable grammatical mistakes. Dr. Robert Behling, who I think knows everything about everything, was invaluable in working out the methods for the project. Without a supporting staff, no university department could progress. I would like to thank Donna Titus for her help in everything from registration to paychecks. Hope Stewart was always there for advise and help in departmental matters and kept the department running smoothly. Randy Crowe was constantly repairing my computer account and helping me with page set–ups, printer problems, etc. Without him, I would still be working on logging in. Above all, I’d like to thank my wife, Nancy, who supported me (mentally, emotionally, and financially) from the onset of this degree to (thankfully) its completion. She certainly made the experience much more pleasant and worthwhile. iii Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………...………...ii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………......iii List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………..….ix List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………..….x List of Plates……………………………………………………………………………........xii INTRODUCTION....................…..…………………………..………………...…..………....1 Purpose of this Study.......………………………………………………......................1 METHODS....................………………………..…………………….……...…………..…....2 PREVIOUS WORK-ONONDAGA LIMESTONE...…………..……………………......…....3 GEOLOGICAL SETTING-ONONDAGA LIMESTONE..............................…..………........4 Thickness.........………………………………………………………..……...….........5 Lithology…………………………………………………………………..………..…5 Depositional History.………………………………………………..……...............…6 Faunal Studies....…………………………………………………………..….....….…8 Paleoecology………………..……………………………..……………….........….…9 Edgecliff Member……………….....………………………………........…………...10 Lithology…………………………………………..……………...………….10 Depositional History…………………………………………………..……..10 Faunal Studies…………………………………………………..…………....11 Zones……………………………………………………..…………………..14 Nedrow-Clarence Member........……………………….......…………………............15 Lithology………………………………………...……..…………………….15 Depositional History…………………………………………………………16 Faunal Studies……………………………...…………………………..…….16 Zones…………………………..………………………..……………………17 Moorehouse Member………………………………………………………...………18 Lithology…………………………………………………..……………...….18 Depositional History…………………………….…………………………...18 Faunal Studies…………………………………………………………..……18 Zones………………………………………………..…………..……………19 Seneca Member...............…………………………………..……………......…..…...20 Lithology………………………………………...…………..……………….20 Depositional History……………….………………………………………...20 Faunal Studies……………………………………………………..…………21 Zones……………………………………………..……..……………………21 Corals..........................……………………………..………..……………………….22 HISTORICAL STUDIES-COLUMUBS/DELAWARE...................………………..…........23 Stratigraphy.....…………………………………...………………………………......23 Depositional History..........................……………..……...……...………...….…......24 Faunal Studies......................……………………..………..………..……………......26 RESULTS............................………………………………….….…..……………..……......27 Research Sites-Onondaga Limestone Site..............…….…………………..………..27 Stratigraphy and Lithology………................…………………………..…....27 Thin Sections..…………………………..……………………………...…....30 iv Research Sites-Columbus Limestone Site......………………..……………..…........31 Stratigraphy and Lithology.............…………………..………………….......31 Thin Sections..................…………………………….....……………….…...34 Fishes of the Eifelian...................………………………..…..…………………..…..35 Classification of Eifelian Fishes…………………………………………......36 Petalichthyids (Macropetalichthys).....................………………..………..………....37 Ptyctodonts………………………………………………………..……………….....38 Ptyctodus........…………………………………………………..…………....39