About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

GCAGS Transactions

Abstract


Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions
Vol. 27 (1977), Pages 437-437

Abstract: Early and Middle Cretaceous Hippuritacea (Rudists) of the Gulf Coast

Alan H. Coogan (1)

ABSTRACT

A rich and diverse Early and Middle Cretaceous (Aptian-Cenomanian) rudist fauna of five stocks, the requienids, monopleurids, caprotinids, radiolitids, and coalcomaninid caprinids, built the widespread and often thick bank and Previous HitreefNext Hit deposits of the Gulf Coast area of the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands.

Provincialism in the Early and Middle Cretaceous fauna, especially among the coalcomaninid caprinids in the Western Hemisphere, limits the use of caprinid genera for interhemispherical correlation. Late Cretaceous (Turonian-Maastrichtian) provincialism is more pronounced in both hemispheres among the rudists involving caprinid, radiolitid, and hippuritid genera.

Biostratigraphically, the coalcomaninid caprinids are as useful for dating the Early and Middle Cretaceous strata of the Western Hemisphere Previous HitreefNext Hit and bank facies as are the large arenaceous foraminifers. Establishment of an interrelated stratigraphic framework based on surface and subsurface control allows the Previous HitrecognitionNext Hit of Aptian, early, middle and late Albian, and Cenomanian stages using genera and species of rudists and arenaceous foraminifers of the Previous HitreefTop and bank facies. The rudist faunas, described here, are correlated to the Gulf Coast Cretaceous stages and less precisely to the established ammonite zonation.

Further biostratigraphic and palentologic work is necessary to fully elucidate the composition of Early and Middle Cretaceous rudist faunas. Nevertheless, at this time, morphologically distinct and widespread genera can be used.

End_of_Record - Last_Page 437-------

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ASSOCIATED FOOTNOTES

(1) Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Copyright © 1999 by The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies