Late Mississippian (Chesterian)-Early
Pennsylvanian (Morrowan) Conodont
Biostratigraphy of East-Central Idaho and Southwest Montana
Jason M. Abplanalp1, Peter
E. Isaacson2, and Anna S. Gilmore2. (1) University of Idaho, University
of Idaho, Department of Geological
Sciences, Moscow, ID
83843, phone: (814) 574 4121,
[email protected], (2) Department of Geological Sciences, University of Idaho,
Moscow, ID
83844-3022
Biostratigraphic investigation and biofacies analysis of Late Mississippian (Chesterian) to Early Pennsylvanian (Morrowan)
conodonts in east-central Idaho
and adjacent Montana
were required to delineate sequences on a platform to foreland basin transect.
Three conodont biozones
were encountered and time lines through thin and thick successions are evident.
Formations containing these zones are interpreted to represent westward
thickening shelf margin, cratonic trough or
embayment, shallow shelf, and near-shore deposition on the basis of associated conodont biofacies, faunal
correlatives, and lithology. Conodont
faunas present within the boundary interval are dominated by species of Cavusgnathus, Adetognathus, Gnathodus, and Rhachistognathus,
which compose nearly 95% of conodonts recovered. Late
Mississippian (Chesterian) conodonts
recovered include Cavusgnathus naviculus,
C. altus, C. regularis, C. windsorensis, C. convexus Adetognathus unicornis, Gnathodus bilineatus, and G. commutatus commutatus. Several broadly occurring and correlatable biostratigraphic
zones are delineated for the Chesterian and include:
1) the mid-Chesterian Cavusgnathus
sp. zone; 2) the upper Chesterian Adetognathus
unicornis/Cavusgnathus naviculus
zone; 3) the uppermost Chesterian Rhachistognathus
muricatus/Gnathodus bilineatus-commutatus
commutatus zone. Early Pennsylvanian (Morrowan) conodonts recovered
include Adetognathus lautus,
A. spathus, A. gigantus, Rachistognathus muricatus, and R.
primus. The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary is marked by the overlapping
occurrence of Rachistognathus primus, Adetognathus lautus, and A. spathus with the concurrent decimation of Cavusgnathus sp. and Gnathodus bilineatus–commutatus commutatus. These defined biostratigraphic
zones allow for the accurate correlation of shallow marine strata across the
study area.