Article: Devonian goniatites and stratigraphical correlations in western Canada

A systematic account of available Devonian ammonoids from western Canada is given and the evidence they provide concerning correlations within the Canadian Devonian is reviewed. Most of the material described has been provided by oil companies which have been exploring along the Mackenzie River and adjacent areas, but an attempt has been made in addition to study all goniatite material from this region previously mentioned in the literature.Goniatites probably representing Emsian faunas occur in beds below the Hume Formation on the Ogilvie River and Eifelian goniatites occur in the Funeral Formation of the Northwest Territories. Givetian goniatites occur above the Hume Formation on Francis Creek and the terebratum Zone is represented in the Fort Creek Shale of the Ogilvie and Anderson River areas; it is also present in dark shale immediately overlying the Hume Formation in the Norman Wells area. The basal Frasnian lunulicosta Zone is represented in the Maligne Formation of Alberta and in dark shales overlying the Beavertail Formation at Carcajou Ridge; it is also probably represented in the upper part of the Fort Creek Shale in the Ogilvie and Thunder River areas. Middle and late Frasnian goniatites have been examined from the Perdrix, Mount Hawk, Escarpment, Redknife, and Carcajou Mountain Formations but have not enabled the precise recognition of zones.Famennian faunas are rare, but a fauna of the upper Cheiloceras major Zone is recognized in the lower D5 beds, and the Platyclymenia major Zone may be recognized in the upper D5 beds of the Northwest Territories. A specimen probably referable to Platyclymenia is recorded from the Palliser Formation. No evidence of upper Famennian ammonoids has been found.The following genera are recorded for the first time from Canada: Gyroceratites (Lamelloceras), Teicherticeras, Anarcestes (Latanarcestes), Cabrieroceras, Maenioceras, Ponticeras, Lobotornoceras, Cheiloceras, and Sporado-ceras. A new genus, Sellagoniatites, is erected with S. discoides Waldschmidt as type species. Two new species are described, Sellagoniatites jacksoni and Teicherticeras lenzi. Amongst other revisions it is shown that Manticoceras septentrionale should be regarded as a synonym of M. cordiforme and Timanites occidentalis a synonym of T. keyserlingi.