Cores from four wells in mid-southern Alberta have yielded diverse and abundant conodont faunas. Large numbers of specimens were recovered from Upper Devonian strata assigned to the Wabamun Group (Famennian) and the stratigraphically lower Winterburn Group, Woodbend Group, and Beaverhill Lake Formation (Frasnian). Included in the Wabamun Group are the Big Valley Limestone and the lower evaporitic and dolomitic Stettler Formation. Named units of the Winterburn Group include, in descending order, the Graminia, Calmar, and Nisku. The upper two units of the Winterburn Group did not yield conodonts; the Nisku contained a sparse fauna. In descending order, the Woodbend Group includes shale of the Ireton, limestone of the Duvernay, and limestone and dolomite of the Cooking Lake nits. These last units are in juxtaposition with the reefs of the Leduc Formation. All Woodbend strata contain well-preserved and diagnostic conodont faunas which are markedly different from the forms of the Famennian Wabamun rocks above. Below the Woodbend Group lies the Beaverhill Lake Formation, which is predominantly limestone and contains a moderately abundant conodont fauna.

Comparison of faunas recognized in the Alberta subsurface with other described faunas reveals correspondence with forms known in North America and western Europe. Alberta subsurface strata contain significant forms representing widely distributed species of Apatognathus, Ancyrodella, Ancyrognathus, Enantiognathus, Falcodus, Hibbardella, Icriodus, Nothognathella, Palmatodella, Palmatolepis, Pelekysgnathus and Polygnathus. These species, among other characteristically Devonian conodonts, are present in sufficient quantities to demonstrate a typically Late Devonian faunal sequence.

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