Control of Terrestrial Stabilization on Late Devonian Palustrine Carbonate Deposition: Catskill Magnafacies, New York, U.S.A.

1999 ◽  
Vol Vol. 69 (1999), ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan P. Dunagan (*), Steven G. Drie
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Carbonate Deposition

Successful complete digestion of well lithified shale and extraction of microfossils from Devonian beds in western New York

Stratigraphy ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 205-212
Author(s):  
Kimberly C. Meehan ◽  
Cody Kowalski ◽  
Kimberly Bartlett ◽  
Isabelle Li ◽  
Paul Bembia
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Quaternary Ammonium ◽  
Sedimentary Rock ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Devonian Shale ◽  
Complete Digestion ◽  
Quaternary Ammonium Surfactants ◽  
Traditional Approaches

ABSTRACT: Researchers in paleontological and paleoecological sciences often need complete disaggregation of rock materials for certain lines of investigation. However, complete disaggregation of more lithified sedimentary rock is known to be problematic. A complete shale disaggregation method implementing quaternary ammonium surfactants,widely used in paleontological sciences for poorly lithified shale and mudstone, was successfully used on well lithified Devonian shale in the Appalachian Basin ofWestern New York. Over 50 Devonian gray and black shale samples were collected from multiple localities in western New York (Cashaqua, Rhinestreet, Skaneateles, Windom, and Ludlowville), coarsely crushed, and fully immersed in a quaternary ammonium surfactant until complete disaggregation was achieved (5–14 days); aliquots were run through a series of nested sieves. The sieved sediments contained hundreds of well-preserved microfossils released from the shale: ostracods, dacryoconarids, and previously unreported palymorphs, charophytes, agglutinated foraminifera, miospores, and other microspherules. These microfossils were easily found within disaggregated and sieved samples but were unrecognizable on the shale surface and destroyed in prior investigations of whole rock thin sections. In addition to more traditional approaches, inclusion of this complete rock disaggregation method may assist in a more complete analysis of material, increase our understandings of ancient basin systems and have important implications on our understanding of the paleoecology during the Late Devonian marine biotic crises.

scholarly journals Evidence of wildfires and elevated atmospheric oxygen at the Frasnian–Famennian boundary in New York (USA): Implications for the Late Devonian mass extinction

2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 2043-2054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeyang Liu ◽  
David Selby ◽  
Paul C. Hackley ◽  
D. Jeffrey Over
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Mass Extinction ◽  
Atmospheric Oxygen ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Volcanic Event ◽  
Extinction Events ◽  
Climate Cooling

Abstract The Devonian Period experienced significant fluctuations of atmospheric oxygen (O2) levels (∼25–13%), for which the extent and timing are debated. Also characteristic of the Devonian Period, at the Frasnian–Famennian (F–F) boundary, is one of the “big five” mass extinction events of the Phanerozoic. Fossilized charcoal (inertinite) provides a record of wildfire events, which in turn can provide insight into the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems and the atmospheric composition. Here, we report organic petrology, programmed pyrolysis analysis, major and trace element analyses, and initial osmium isotope (Osi) stratigraphy from five sections of Upper Devonian (F–F interval) from western New York, USA. These data are discussed to infer evidence of a wildfire event at the F–F boundary. Based on the evidence for a wildfire at the F–F boundary we also provide an estimate of atmospheric O2 levels of ∼23–25% at this interval, which is in agreement with the models that predict elevated pO2 levels during the Late Devonian. This, coupled with our Os isotope records, support the currently published Osi data that lacks any evidence for an extra-terrestrial impact or volcanic event at the F–F interval, and therefore to act as a trigger for the F–F mass extinction. The elevated O2 level at the F–F interval inferred from this study supports the hypothesis that pCO2 drawdown and associated climate cooling may have acted as a driving mechanism of the F–F mass extinction.

The youngest styliolines and nowakiids (Late Devonian) currently known from New York

1986 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 689-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis L. Yochelson ◽  
William T. Kirchgasser
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
North America ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Appalachian Region ◽  
The West ◽  
First Report

This is the first report of styliolines in the Angola Shale Member of the West Falls Formation in western New York. These specimens are of late Frasnian age and are the youngest individuals known from the Appalachian Region. This upward extension of range places the extinction of styliolines in eastern North America more in accord with their time of extinction in Europe. Nowakiids have also been found in the younger Hanover Shale Member, in the upper part of the Java Formation, also of late Frasnian age. These are the youngest known nowakiids from the Appalachians. Within the limits of preservation, the external characters and wall structure of the Angola styliolines are comparable with those of older specimens. The associated rare small annulated nowakiids and homotcenids have a laminated wall structure fundamentally different from that of the styliolines.

Paleoecology and Predominance Facies of Late Devonian Foraminifera in Successions of the Catskill Delta Complex, Western New York, U.S.A.

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-45
Author(s):  
Isabelle Li ◽  
Kimberly Bartlett ◽  
Cody Kowalski ◽  
Paul Bembia ◽  
Kimberly C. Meehan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Depositional Environment ◽  
Appalachian Basin ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Feeding Mode ◽  
Mode Identification ◽  
Crisis Events ◽  
Depth Zonation

ABSTRACT Beyond yielding signals of extinction or stressed ecological conditions, modern and ancient foraminiferal assemblages reflect specific marine depositional environments and depths. Foraminiferal predominance facies and benthic foraminiferal depth zonation has been successfully used to identify specific marine environments dating back to the Carboniferous. Using insights from modern equivalents, correlative assemblages allow for paleoecological analysis and insights. Middle to Late Devonian (Frasnian) black and gray shale beds of western New York contain hundreds of diminutive calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera. The genera within these beds are reminiscent of shallow modern predominance facies. These foraminiferal assemblages and their associated predominance facies correlate well with prior lithologic and geochemical investigations that establish this portion of the Appalachian Basin as a deltaic setting but suggest it is likely inner neritic zone. Dominant genera include several species of Ammobaculites and Saccammina which suggest that paleodepths did not exceed 50 m throughout the Frasnian. Opportunistic genera reflect a muted crisis associated with the punctata isotopic event (Rhinestreet Event) and Lower Kellwasser (Pipe Creek) events. While there are definite shifts in the diversity of assemblages between gray and black shale, the foraminiferal type and feeding mode, indicative of depth and oxygen availability respectively, there is little variation between the distinct shale units. No significance was found between total organic carbon and foraminiferal type of feeding mode. Identification at the species level is problematic but assemblages at the genus-level suggest that the depositional environment was stressed. However, the effects of these marine crisis events were not significant for these foraminifera in comparison to those frequently reported; we found no local extinction for foraminifera at least through the lower Hanover Shale, just prior to the Hangenberg marine crisis event, within this deltaic complex of the Appalachian Basin in western New York.

Fossil soils as grounds for interpreting the advent of large plants and animals on land

1985 ◽  
Vol 309 (1138) ◽  
pp. 105-142 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Late Miocene ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Chemical Study ◽  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Subtropical Climate ◽  
Gallery Forest ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
Early Results

A little-explored line of evidence for the antiquity and nature of early vegetation on land is the soils in which they grew. Vegetation is one of a number of factors known to play an important role in forming modern soils and soil features. As in studies of the role of organisms in modern soil formation, what are needed are fossil soils that supported different ancient ecosystems, but for which other soil-forming factors, such as palaeoclimate, palaeogeographical setting, parent materials and duration of formation, were closely comparable. This preliminary petrographic and chemical study compares four palaeosols; three are from the states of Pennsylvania and New York, U.S.A., and the fourth from the Potwar Plateau region of northern Pakistan. All appear to have formed in a subhumid, seasonally dry, subtropical climate, on the alluvial outwash of major mountain ranges, largely formed of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and over periods of only a few thousand years. These palaeosols are here named the Potters Mills clay (late Ordovician), Lehigh Gap clay (late Silurian), Peas Eddy clay (late Devonian) and Lal clay (late Miocene). Successively younger palaeosols show increasing degree of weathering, more clayey texture and better soil structure. Deep burrows are abundant in late Ordovician palaeosols, and are evidence of sizeable (3-16 mm diameter) soil animals. Bioturbation in the surface of the late Silurian palaeosol may have been produced by animals or vascular land plants. Large root traces and remains of leaf litter are indications that the late Devonian palaeosol supported a low diversity, streamside gallery forest. Weak redistribution of iron in this palaeosol may have been produced by phenolic and other herbivore suppressant toxins from these early trees. The late Miocene palaeosol is extensively bioturbated, presumably by termites and other creatures. Judging from its root traces and associated sediments and fossils, it supported gallery forest in a region of grassy savanna groveland. These early results encourage the belief that fossil soils may provide useful evidence for the nature of early ecosystems on land, not only complementary to that of early terrestrial fossils, but also in sedimentary sequences too oxidized and acidic to allow preservation of fossil plants and animals.

scholarly journals An examination of the Devonian fishes of Michigan

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5636
Author(s):  
Jack Stack ◽  
Lauren Sallan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Middle Devonian ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Late Devonian ◽  
Accessible Region ◽  
Recent Collection ◽  
Reef Fauna

We surveyed the taxa, ecosystems, and localities of the Devonian fishes of Michigan to provide a framework for renewed study, to learn about the diversity and number of these fishes, and to investigate their connection to other North American faunas. Nineteen genera of fishes have been found in the Middle and Late Devonian deposits of Michigan, of which thirteen are ‘placoderms’ represented by material ranging from articulated head shields to ichthyoliths. As expected from the marine nature of these deposits, ‘placoderms’ are overwhelmingly arthrodire in nature, but two genera of ptyctodonts have been reported along with less common petalichthyid material. The remaining fish fauna consists of fin-spines attributed to ‘acanthodians’, two genera of potential crown chondrichthyans, an isolated dipnoan, and onychodont teeth/jaw material. There was an apparent drop in fish diversity and fossil abundance between Middle and Late Devonian sediments. This pattern may be attributed to a paucity of Late Devonian sites, along with a relative lack of recent collection efforts at existing outcrops. It may also be due to a shift towards open water pelagic environments at Late Devonian localities, as opposed to the nearshore reef fauna preserved in the more numerous Middle Devonian localities. The Middle Devonian vertebrate fauna in Michigan shows strong connections with same-age assemblages from Ohio and New York. Finally, we document the presence of partially articulated vertebrate remains associated with benthic invertebrates, an uncommon occurrence in Devonian strata outside of North America. We anticipate this new survey will guide future field work efforts in an undersampled yet highly accessible region that preserves an abundance of fishes from a critical interval in marine vertebrate evolution.

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