Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T23:12:37.842Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ordovician “sphinctozoan” sponges from Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

J. Keith Rigby ,
Susan M. Karl ,
Robert B. Blodgett  and
James F. Baichtal
J. Keith Rigby
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602-4606,
Susan M. Karl
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, BR Alaskan Geology, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4667,
Robert B. Blodgett
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331,
James F. Baichtal
Affiliation:
U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest, P.O. Box 19515, Thorne Bay, Alaska 99919,
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A faunule of silicified hypercalcified “sphinctozoan” sponges has been recovered from a clast of Upper Ordovician limestone out of the Early Devonian Karheen Formation on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. Included in the faunule are abundant examples of the new genus Girtyocoeliana, represented by Girtyocoeliana epiporata (Rigby and Potter), and Corymbospongia adnata Rigby and Potter, along with rare Corymbospongia amplia n. sp., and Girtyocoelia(?) sp., plus common Amblysiphonella sp. 1 and rare Amblysiphonella(?) sp. 2. The assemblage is similar to that from Ordovician clasts from the eastern Klamath Mountains of northern California. This indicates that the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska is related paleogeographically to the lithologically and paleontologically similar terrane of the eastern Klamath Mountains.

This lithology and fossil assemblage of the clast cannot be tied to any currently known local rock units on Prince of Wales Island. Other clasts in the conglomerate appear to have been locally derived, so it is inferred that the limestone clasts were also locally derived, indicating the presence of a previously undocumented Ordovician limestone unit on northern Prince of Wales Island.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 79 , Issue 5 , September 2005 , pp. 862 - 870
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berg, H. C., Jones, D. L., and Coney, P. J. 1978. Map showing tecton-ostratigraphic terranes of southeastern Alaska and adjacent areas: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report, 78–1085, 2 sheets, scale 1: 1,000,000.Google Scholar
Berg, H. C., Jones, D. L., and Richter, D. H. 1972. Gravina-Nutzotin belt—tectonic significance of an Upper Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic sequence in southern and southeastern Alaska. Geological Survey Research 1972: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 800-D:D1–D24.Google Scholar
Blodgett, R. B., Rohr, D. M., and Boucot, A. J. 2002. Paleozoic links among some Alaskan accreted terranes and Siberia based on megafossils, p. 273–290. In Miller, E. L., Grantz, A., and Klemperer, S. L. (eds.), Tectonic Evolution of the Bering Shelf-Chukchi Sea-Arctic Margin and Adjacent Landmasses. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 360.Google Scholar
Blodgett, R. B., Rohr, D. M., Harris, A. G., and Rong, Jia-yu. 1988. A major unconformity between Upper Ordovician and Lower Devonian strata in the Nanook Limestone, Shublik Mountains, northeastern Brooks Range, p. 18–23. In Hamilton, T. D. and Galloway, J. P. (eds.), Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1987. U.S. Geological Survey Circular, 1016.Google Scholar
Blodgett, R. B., Rohr, D. M., Karl, S. M., and Baichtal, J. F. 2003. Early Middle Devonian (Eifelian) gastropods from the Wadleigh Limestone in the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska demonstrate biogeographic affinities with central Alaskan terranes (Farewell and Livengood) and Eurasia, p. 105–115. In Galloway, J. P. (ed.), Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2001. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1678.Google Scholar
Blodgett, R. B., Wheeler, K. L., Rohr, D. M., Harris, A. G., and Weber, F. R. 1987. A Late Ordovician age reappraisal for the upper Fossil Creek Volcanics, and possible significance for glacioeustacy, p. 54–58. In Hamilton, T. D. and Galloway, J. P. (eds.), Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1986. U.S. Geological Survey Circular, 998.Google Scholar
Churkin, M. Jr., Jaeger, H., and Eberlein, G. D. 1970. Lower Devonian graptolites from southeastern Alaska. Lethaia, 3(2):183–202.Google Scholar
Churkin, M. Jr., Eberlein, G. D., Hueber, F. M., and Mamay, S. H. 1969. Lower Devonian land plants from graptolitic shale in southeastern Alaska. Palaeontology, 12:559–573.Google Scholar
Cossmann, M. 1909. Rectifications de nomenclature. Revue Critique de Paléozoologie, 13:67–68.Google Scholar
De Laubenfels, M. W. 1955. Porifera, p. E21–E112. In Moore, R. C. (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, pt. E, Archaeocyatha and Porifera. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas, Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Eberlein, G. D., and Churkin, M. Jr. 1970. Paleozoic stratigraphy in the northwest coastal area of Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, 1284, 67 p.Google Scholar
Eberlein, G. D., Churkin, M. Jr., Carter, C., Berg, H. C., and Ovenshine, A. T. 1983. Geology of the Craig quadrangle, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report, 83–91, 53 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:250,000.Google Scholar
Finks, R. M. 1983. Pharetronida: Inozoa and Sphinctozoa, p. 55–69. In Broadhead, T. W. (ed.), Sponges and Spongiomorphs, Notes for a Short Course, organized by J. K. Rigby and C. W. Stearn. University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Google Scholar
Finks, R. M., and Rigby, J. K. 2004. Hypercalcified sponges, p. 585–758. In Kaesler, R. L. (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, pt. E, Porifera (revised). Volume 3. Geological Society of America and The University of Kansas Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Gubanov, A. P., and Rohr, D. M. 1995. Paleobiogeography of the Macluritidae (Ordovician–Gastropoda), p. 461–464. In Cooper, J. D., Droser, M. L., and Finney, S. C. (eds.), Ordovician Odyssey; Short Papers for the Seventh International Symposium on the Ordovician System. Field Trip Guidebook–Pacific Section, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, 77 (Fullerton, California).Google Scholar
Hall, J., and Clarke, J. M. 1893. An introduction to the study of the genera of Palaeozoic Brachiopoda. Natural History of New York, Paleontology, 8(2):1–317.Google Scholar
Kirk, E., and Amsden, T. W. 1952. Upper Silurian brachiopods from southeastern Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 233-C:53–66.Google Scholar
Lamarck, J. B. P. A. 1816. Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Sans Vertèbres, 2. Lamarck, Paris, 432 p.Google Scholar
Lesueur, C. A. 1818. Observations on a new genus of fossil shells. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1:310–313.Google Scholar
Lévi, C. L. 1953. Sur un nouvelle classification des Démosponges. Akadémie des Sciences (Paris), Comptes Rendus de seances, 236:853–855Google Scholar
Meek, F. B., and Worthen, A. H. 1866. Descriptions of invertebrate fossils from the Silurian and Devonian Systems. Ohio Geological Survey, 1(2), Paleontology: 1–243.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K., and Potter, A. W. 1986. Ordovician sphinctozoan sponges from the eastern Klamath Mountains, northern California. Journal of Paleontology, 60, memoir 20, 47 p.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K., Potter, A. W., and Blodgett, R. B. 1988. Ordovician sphinctozoan sponges of Alaska and Yukon Territory. Journal of Paleontology, 62:731–746.Google Scholar
Rigby, J. K., Nitecki, M. H., Soja, C. J., and Blodgett, R. B. 1994. Silurian aphrosalpingid sphinctozoans from Alaska and Russia. Acta Paleontologica Polonica, 39:461–464.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M. 1980. Ordovician–Devonian Gastropoda from the Klamath Mountains, California. Palaeontographica, Abt. A, 171(4–6):141–199.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M. 1988. Upper Ordovician gastropods from the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Journal of Paleontology, 62:551–565.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M., and Gubanov, A. P. 1997. Macluritid opercula (Gastropoda) from the Middle Ordovician of Siberia and Alaska. Journal of Paleontology, 71:394–400.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M., Dutro, J. T. Jr., and Blodgett, R. B. 1992. Gastropods and brachiopods from the Ordovician Telsitna Formation, northern Kuskokwim Mountains, west-central Alaska, p. 499–512. In Webby, B. D. and Laurie, J. R. (eds.), Global Perspectives on Ordovician Geology. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on the Ordovician System. University of Sydney, Australia.Google Scholar
Rohr, D. M., Frýda, J., and Blodgett, R. B. 2003. Alaskadiscus, a new bellerophontoidean gastropod from the Ordovician of Alaska, p. 95–99. In Clautice, K. H. and Davis, P. K. (eds.), Short Notes on Alaska Geology 2003. Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Survey Professional Report, 120.Google Scholar
Senowbari-Daryan, B. 1990. Die systematische Stellung der thalamiden Schwämme und ihre Bedeutung in der Erdgeschichte. Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen (Reihe A, Geologie und Paläontologie), 21:1–325.Google Scholar
Senowbari-Daryan, B., and Ingavat-Helmcke, R. 1994. Sponge assemblage of some Upper Permian reef limestones from Phrae province (northern Thailand). Geologija, 36:3–59.Google Scholar
Soja, C. M. 1991. Origin of Silurian reefs in the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska. Palaios, 6:111–126.Google Scholar
Sollas, W. J. 1875. Sponges. Encyclopaedia Brittanica (ninth edition). Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh, p. 427–446.Google Scholar
Steinmann, G. 1882. Pharetronen-Studien. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, 2:139–191.Google Scholar
Termier, H., and Termier, G. 1955. Contribution à l'étude des Spongiaires permien du Djebel Tebaga (Extrème Sud Tunisien). Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, (6)5:613–630.Google Scholar
Verrill, A. E. 1907. Porifera of the Bermuda Islands. Transactions of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, 12:330–344.Google Scholar