Pitkin Formation Explained

Pitkin Formation
Type:Formation
Age:Upper Visean-Serpukhovian[1]
Period:Mississippian
Prilithology:Limestone
Otherlithology:Shale
Namedfor:Pitkin post office, Washington County, Arkansas[2]
Namedby:George Irving Adams and Edward Oscar Ulrich
Region:Arkansas
Country:United States
Subunits:Imo Shale
Underlies:Hale Formation
Overlies:Fayetteville Formation
Thickness:up to and over 400 feet[3]

The Pitkin Formation, or Pitkin Limestone, is a fossiliferous geologic formation in northern Arkansas that dates to the Chesterian Series of the late Mississippian.[4] This formation was first named the "Archimedes Limestone" by David Dale Owen in 1858, but was replaced in 1904.[2] The Pitkin conformably overlies the Fayetteville Shale and unconformably underlies the Pennsylvanian-age Hale Formation. Some workers have considered the shales at the top of the Pitkin Formation to be a separate formation called the Imo Formation. More recently, others have considered the Imo to be informal member of the Pitkin Formation.

Paleofauna

Early work aimed at creating a comprehensive list for all fossils found in the Pitkin Formation was done by Easton in 1943.[1] Unless otherwise stated, all species below can be found in his 'Fauna of the Pitkin Formation.'

Formanifera

A. stilus[5]

A. rugosus[5]

E. kleina[6]

E. phrissa[5]

E. explicata[5]

E. rugosa[5]

P. priscus[5]

T. corona[6]

Z. designata[5]

Z. discoidea[5]

Porifera, Sponges

Scyphozoa

Anthozoa, Corals

A. gracilis

C. variablilis

L. major

L. minor

M. macerimuris[8]

P. eugenei

P. meekanum

Blastoidea

P. elongatus[9]

P. godoni[9]

P. laminatus[9]

P. obesus[9]

P. platybasis[1]

Crinoidea, Sea Lilies

A. patulus [10]

A. planus[10]

B. figuratus[10]

C. stevensi[10]

C. eventus[10]

L. floweri[10]

O. pulaskiensis[10]

P. aptus[10]

P. durus[10]

P. pitkini[10]

P. stereostoma[10]

P. modulus[10]

P. cooksoni[10]

P. irregularis[10]

P. tridecibrachiatus[10]

S. braggsi[10]

S. dunlapi[10]

S. garfieldi[10]

T. whitfieldi[10]

T. caespes

T. residuus

Z. foveatus

Ophiuroidea, Brittle Stars

This group was originally place under Stelleroidia in early studies.[1]

A. singulatus

Echinoidea, Sea Urchins

Worms

Previous studies have grouped these diverse animals into a single, obsolete taxon: Vermes.[1]

Bryozoa, "Moss-animals"

A. solida [1]

A. communis [1] [11]

A. compactoides [11]

A. compactus [11]

A. distans [1] [11]

A. fosteri [11]

A. fragilis [11]

A. intermedia (A. intermedius) [1] [11]

A. invaginata (A. invaginatus) [1] [11]

A. lunatus [11]

A. magnus [11]

A. meekanus [11]

A. moorei [11]

A. pitkinensis [11]

A. proutana (A. proutanus) [1] [11]

A. sublaxus [11]

A. swallovana (A. swallovanus) [1] [11]

A. terebriformis [11]

C. distans [11]

C. regularis [1]

D. levis [1] [11]

F. cumingsi [11]

F. matheri [11]

F. rectangularis [11]

F. serratula [11]

F. tenax [11]

F. introspinosa [1] [11]

G. crassa [1] [11]

G. michilinia [1] [11]

L. solida [1] [11]

M. abrupta [1] [11]

M. tenuis [1] [11]

P. whitei [1]

S. biserialis [1]

S. cestriensis [1]

S. subquadrans [1]

T. cestriensis [1] [11]

T. microfistulata [1] [11]

T. poculoformis [1] [11]

T refiexa [1] [11]

T. subtilis [1] [11]

Brachiopoda

A. suspectum

A. cestriensis

B. arkansana

C. cestriensis

C explanata

C. oklahomensis

C. sericeus

C. tumescens

Cliothyridina

C. subquadrata

C. trinuclea

C. infimbriata

D. arkansanum

D. formosum

D. illinoisensis

D. shumardanum

D. whitfieldi

E. alternatus

E. costata

E. pitkinensis

E. vera

G. indianensis

H. multicostata

K. lucerna

L. newberryi var. moorefieldana and ovata

L. pileiformis

O. kaskaskiensis

O. stenopsis[12]

O. subglobosus (var. protensa)

O. uspectum

P. cestriensis

P. fasciculatus

R. setigera

S. leidyi

S. pellaensis

S. spinosa

S. aequalis

T. neogenes

Bivalvia, Bivalves

This group was also referred to by another name in earlier studies: Pelecypoda.[1]

A. walkeri

A. batesvillensis

A. eurekensis

A. keoughensis

A. morrowensis

A. multilineatus

A. pitkinensis

C. peculiare

E. crassa (Along with E. crassa var. suborbiculoidea)

E. pitkinensis

L. vaseyana

M. compressa

M. longicardinalis

N. illinoisensis

S. arkansanus

S. chesterensis

S. depressus

S. insignis

S. cherokeense

S. gibsonense

S. quadriplicatum

Scaphopoda, Tusk Shells

Gastropoda, Snails

E. incarinatus

H. reticulatus

H. newtonensis

M. angulata

P. subrotundum

S. subcorpulenta

S. planidorsatus

S. triliris

Cephalopoda

A. furnishi[13]

C. hesperium

C. richardsonianum[13]

C. randolphensis

C. equoyahensis

D. eurekensis

E. globosus

E. bisulcatum[13]

Trilobita

G. pustulosus

K. chesterensis

K. pitkinensis[14]

P. mucronatus

Ostracoda

G. optina

P. fayettevillensis

Vertebrata

Plantae, Plants

"Encrusting Algae" has been reported but not assigned to any genus.[1]

A. cordillerensis[5]

Unidentified

Following is a list of fossils also found in the Pitkin by Easton in 1943 that have gone unidentified.[1]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Easton, William H., The Fauna of the Pitkin Formation of Arkansas., Journal of Paleontology: vol. 17:2. March, 1943.
  2. Adams. G.. Ulrich. E.. Zinc and lead deposits of northern Arkansas. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. 1904. 24. 27,109.
  3. McFarland. John David. Stratigraphic summary of Arkansas. Arkansas Geological Commission Information Circular. 2004. 1998. 36. 12–13. 2018-05-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221195953/http://www.geology.ar.gov/pdf/IC-36_v.pdf. 2016-12-21. dead.
  4. Web site: Fossilworks: Gateway to thefix Paleobiology Database. ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database)). 17 December 2021.
  5. Brenckle. Paul. Foraminifers and other calcareous microfossils from Late Chesterian (Mississippian) strata of northern Arkansas. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 73–87. 3 February 2018.
  6. Nodine-Zeller. Doris E.. Microfauna from Chesterian (Mississippian) and Morrowan (Pennsylvanian) rocks in Washington County, Arkansas, and Adair and Muskogee Counties, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 89–99. 3 February 2018.
  7. Webb, Gregory., 1987., The Coral Fauna of the Pitkin Formation (Chesterian), Northeastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas. Journal of Paleontology vol. 61:3
  8. Webb., Gregory., 1990., A New Tabulate Coral Species from the Pitkin Formation (Chesterian) of north-central Arkansas. Journal of Paleontology vol. 64:4.
  9. Horowitz. Alan S.. Macurda Jr. D. B.. Late Mississippian and Early Pennsylvanian blastoids from northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 169–170. 31 January 2018.
  10. Strimple. Harrell L.. Chesterian (Upper Mississippian) and Morrowan (Lower Pennsylvanian) crinoids of northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 171–176. 30 January 2018.
  11. Horowitz. Alan S.. Late Mississippian and Early Pennsylvanian bryozoan faunas of Arkansas and Oklahoma: a review. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 101–105. 3 February 2018.
  12. Henry. Thomas W.. Gordon Jr.. Mackenzie. Chesterian davidsoniacean and orthotetacean brachiopods, Ozark region of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Journal of Paleontology. January 1985. 59. 1. 32–59. 1304826.
  13. Saunders. W. Bruce. Manger. Walter L.. Gordon Jr.. Mackenzie. Upper Mississippian and Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian ammonoid biostratigraphy of northern Arkansas. Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook. 1977. 18. 117–137. 1 February 2018.
  14. Brezinski. David K.. Some New Late Mississippian Trilobites from Oklahoma and Arkansas. Annals of Carnegie Museum. 31 March 2017. 84. 2. 173–178. 10.2992/007.084.0203.