Population Paleoecology of Neochonetes granulifer in the Foraker Formation, Hughes Creek Shale Member (Carboniferous), Richardson County, Nebraska.
Keywords:
Carboniferous, Brachiopoda, Paleoecology, NebraskaAbstract
The chonetid brachiopod, Neochonetes granulifer is an abundant member of the fauna from the Carboniferous Foraker Formation, Hughes Creek Shale (HCS) Member (Carboniferous, Gzhelian – 303-299 million years old) throughout midcontinent North America. Three localities of the Member in Southeastern Nebraska were sampled for N. granulifer for population characteristics in order to infer paleoecology. Taphonomic conditions of the specimens (articulation and pedicle valve percentages) suggest that the original living populations have been altered by pre-burial removal and destruction of shell material, a potential bias for interpreting original ecologies. Statistical comparison of length measures of N. granulifer from three localities reveal that one locality is significantly different from the other two. Potential explanations for this difference include: 1) different paleo-environments related to water depth and paleo-latitude and, 2) different stratigraphic levels (= different time intervals) within the HCS. Differentiating the two explanations is made difficult due to the spotty nature of preserved outcrops in the region.
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