Showing papers by "Randall F. Miller published in 2007"

Pterygotus anglicus agassiz (chelicerata: eurypterida) from atholville, lower devonian campbellton formation, new brunswick, canada

Abstract: Specimens of the large eurypterid Pterygotus from the Early Devonian Campbellton Formation outcropping at Atholville, New Brunswick, are identified as Pterygotus anglicus Agassiz. The locality, in the Atholville beds near the western end of the Campbellton Formation exposure, is best known for its vertebrate fauna of ostracoderms, arthrodires, acanthodians and chondrichthyans, first described in 1881. Although a significant series of pterygotid fossils was acquired by the Natural History Museum, London, in 1892, it received little attention. A few small specimens from the Geological Survey of Canada collections were named Pterygotus atlanticus by Clarke and Ruedemann, considered here to be an invalid taxon. They suggested that P. atlanticus might turn out to be a small specimen of P. anglicus. The new material described here, including one relatively complete individual, confirms their suspicions and provides evidence of Pterygotus anglicus in the Lower Devonian of North America.

Palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology of the Early Pennsylvanian Lancaster Formation (`Fern Ledges') of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract: The Pennsylvanian Lancaster Formation (‘Fern Ledges’) of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada contains a world-famous fossil biota. Largely unstudied since the works of Hartt, Dawson, Matthew, and Stopes in the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century, we present new data concerning biostratigraphy, taxonomy, palaeoenvironments, and palaeoecology. Megafloral assemblages suggest a mid- to late Langsettian age for the succession, making it approximately coeval with the classic Joggins Formation of nearby Nova Scotia. Facies analysis suggests deposition on a tectonically influenced coastal plain whose braided channels drained into a shallow brackish gulf. Most of the historical fossil collections are derived from flooding surfaces formed by abrupt subsidence events along the coastline. Three communities are recognized. Phoronids, crustaceans, and xiphosurans lived in brackish coastal waters. A lowland community of gastropods, insects, arachnids, and myriapods inhabited coastal forests. Coastal vegetation was dominated by shrubby cordaitaleans and pteridosperms whereas ferns, sphenopsids, and lycopsids were rare. An upland or dryland community, discernible from allochthonous assemblages, comprised forests of giant cordaitaleans, archaic pteridosperms, and plants of uncertain affinity.

Nineteenth century collections of Pterygotus anglicus Agassiz (Chelicerata; Eurypterida) from the Campbellton Formation, New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract: The Devonian fauna from the Campbellton Formation of northern New Brunswick was discovered in 1881 at the classic locality in Campbellton. About a decade later A.S. Woodward at the British Museum (Natural History) (now the Natural History Museum, London) acquired specimens through fossil dealer R.F. Damon. Woodward was among the first to describe the fish assemblage of ostracoderms, arthrodires, acanthodians and chondrichthyans. At the same time the museum also acquired specimens of a large pterygotid eurypterid. Although the vertebrates received considerable attention, the pterygotids at the Natural History Museum, London are described here for the first time. The first pterygotid specimens collected in 1881 by the Geological Survey of Canada were later identified by Clarke and Ruedemann in 1912 as Pterygotus atlanticus , although they suggested it might be a variant of Pterygotus anglicus Agassiz. An almost complete pterygotid recovered in 1994 from the Campbellton Formation at a new locality in Atholville, less than two kilometres west of Campbellton, has been identified as P. anglicus Agassiz. Like the specimens described by Clarke and Ruedemann, the material from the Natural History Museum, London is herein referred to P. anglicus . RESUME La faune devonienne de la Formation de Campbellton dans le Nord du Nouveau-Brunswick a ete decouverte en 1881 a l’emplacement classique de Campbellton. Environ une decennie plus tard, A. S. Woodward, du British Museum (Histoire naturelle) (maintenant le Natural History Museum de Londres) a fait l’acquisition de specimens par l’entremise du negociant de fossiles R. F. Damon. Woodward a figure parmi les premiers a decrire l’assemblage de poissons d’ostracodermes, d’arthrodires, d’acanthodiens et de chondrichthyens. Le musee a egalement fait en meme temps l’acquisition de specimens d’un eurypteride pterygotide de fortes dimensions. Meme si les vertebres ont beneficie d’une attention considerable, les pterygotides du Natural History Museum de Londres sont decrits aux presentes pour la premiere fois. Les premiers specimens de pterygotides recueillis en 1881 par la Commission geologique du Canada ont ulterieurement ete identifies par Clarke et Ruedemann en 1912 en tant que Pterygotus atlanticus , bien que les chercheurs aient avance qu’il pourrait s’agir d’une variante du Pterygotus anglicus Agassiz. On a recupere en 1994 un pterygotide presque complet de la Formation de Campbellton dans un nouvel emplacement situe a Atholville, a moins de deux kilometres a l’ouest de Campbellton, lequel a ete identifie en tant que P. anglicus Agassiz. A l’instar des specimens decrits par Clarke et Ruedemann, l’article du Natural History Museum de Londres est cite aux presentes a titre de P. anglicus .

Gesner’s Museum of Natural History, An Early Canadian Geological Collection

Abstract: In 1842, on the fifth of April, Abraham Gesner opened the doors of his museum in Saint John, New Brunswick to the public. The museum displayed part of his collection of almost 4,000 specimens. His published catalogue included more than 1,200 rocks, minerals and fossils along with a smaller number of invertebrate and vertebrate animals and artefacts. It survives today as one of Canada’s oldest geological collections. This national treasure documents the earliest days of the study of the geological sciences in Canada including specimens from Gesner’s surveys of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Although Gesner’s collection moved through three institutions, it has remained partly intact and is accompanied by a catalogue of the museum’s contents. SOMMAIRE Le 5 avril 1842, Abraham Gesner ouvrait au public son musee a Saint-Jean, Nouveau-Brunswick. Le musee exposait alors une partie de sa collection de pres de 4 000 specimens. Le catalogue qu'il a publie alors comprenait plus de 1 200 roches, mineraux et fossiles ainsi qu'un nombre moindre de specimens de vertebres, d'invertebres et d'artefacts. Il a survecu jusqu'a nos jours et constitue l'une des plus anciennes collections geologiques au Canada. Ce tresor canadien qui temoigne des premieres etudes scientifiques de la geologie au Canada comprend des specimens tires de leves effectues par Gesner au Nouveau-Brunswick et en Nouvelle-Ecosse. Bien que la collection de Gesner ait ete deplacee dans trois institutions, elle demeure encore partiellement intacte et comporte un catalogue de ses specimens.

A Mississippian trackway (Pseudobradypus ichnosp.) from the Enragé Formation, New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract: A tetrapod trackway, identified as Pseudobradypus ichnosp., from the Upper Mississippian Enrage Formation represents one of the few occurrences of fossil vertebrate tracks documented in New Brunswick. It was collected from red mudstone near Green Creek, Upper Rockport, New Brunswick on the Maringouin Peninsula. The Enrage Formation is Namurian age and is the top of the Mabou Group in New Brunswick. As Pseudobradypus is often attributed to a captorhinomorph reptile trackmaker, this specimen may be considered among the early evidence for reptiles (amniotes). RESUME Un sillon de tetrapode, identifie a titre de Pseudobradypus ichnosp., de la Formation du Mississippien superieur d’Enrage, represente l’un des rares cas de presence d’empreintes de vertebre fossile documentes au Nouveau-Brunswick. On a preleve ces empreintes dans du mudstone rouge pres de la crique Green, a Upper Rockport (Nouveau-Brunswick), sur la peninsule de Maringouin. La Formation d’Enrage remonte au Namurien et se trouve au sommet du groupe de Mabou au Nouveau-Brunswick. Comme on rattache souvent le Pseudobradypus a un reptile captorhinomorphe auteur d’empreintes, ce specimen peut etre considere comme l’un des premiers signes de la presence des reptiles (amniotes).

Sir Charles Lyell's travels in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1852

Abstract: Geologist Sir Charles Lyell made a brief visit to New Brunswick, Canada, during his 1852 visit to North America. Lyell traveled to Albert Mines during the peak of the albertite controversy, visited the Reversing Falls and graphite mines in Saint John, and took a steamboat trip up the Saint John River to Fredericton where he visited his friend, Lieutenant Governor Sir Edmund Head. Lyell’s friendship with Head likely had a long-term effect on the development of geological sciences in New Brunswick and Canada. New Brunswick newspapers followed Charles Lyell’s travels through the province and expressed hope that Lyell’s observations on the geology of New Brunswick would cast a favourable opinion on the province’s geological wealth and foster economic development. Resume Le geologue Sir Charles Lyell a effectue un bref arret au Nouveau-Brunswick, Canada, au cours de sa visite de 1852 en Amerique du Nord. Lyell s’est rendu a Albert Mines au moment culminant de la controverse au sujet de l’albertite; il a visite les chutes reversibles et les mines de graphite de Saint-Jean; et il a remonte en vapeur le fleuve Saint-Jean jusqu’a Fredericton, ou il a rendu visite a son ami, le lieutenant-gouverneur Sir Edmund Head. L’amitie de Lyell et Head a probablement eu un effet de longue duree sur l’essor des sciences de la terre au Nouveau-Brunswick et au Canada. Les journaux du Nouveau-Brunswick ont suivi les deplacements de Charles Lyell a l’interieur de la province; ils ont exprime l’espoir que les observations de Lyell sur la geologie du Nouveau-Brunswick engendreraient une opinion favorable sur la richesse geologique de la province et qu’elles favoriseraient le developpement economique.

A Late Devonian Porolepiform fish ( Holoptychius ) and the age of the Kennebecasis Formation, southern New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract: The occurrence of Holoptychius from southern New Brunswick, Canada, adds a new locality to eastern North America and suggests the assignment of a Late Devonian age for the Kennebecasis Formation. The formation has been considered Early Carboniferous based on a plant assemblage including Lepidodendron corrugatum and Aneimites acadica . Plant fossils likely originate from rocks overlying the Kennebecasis Formation, and are part of an unmapped westward extension of the Carboniferous Albert Formation to the Saint John area. The palaeobiogeographic implications of Holoptychius suggest the cryptic presence of a classic Late Devonian fish assemblage in southern New Brunswick and the possibility that tetrapod or near-tetrapod remains may be recovered from fossil-bearing horizons within the Kennebecasis Formation. RESUME La manifestation de l’Holoptychius dans le Sud du Nouveau-Brunswick, Canada, ajoute un nouvel emplacement dans l’Est de l’Amerique du Nord et permet d’attribuer l’âge du Devonien tardif a la Formation de Kennebecasis. La Formation etait consideree comme une unite du Carbonifere precoce d’apres un assemblage vegetal comprenant le Lepidodendron corrugatum et l’Aneimites acadica . Les fossiles vegetaux proviennent probablement de roches recouvrant la Formation de Kennebecasis et font partie d’un prolongement non cartographie de la Formation carbonifere d’Albert en direction ouest jusqu’a la region de Saint-Jean. Les repercussions paleobiogeographiques de la manifestation de l’Holoptychius laissent supposer la presence cryptique d’un assemblage de poissons classique du Devonien tardif dans le Sud du Nouveau-Brunswick et la possibilite d’une recuperation de restes de tetrapodes ou de quasi-tetrapodes des horizons fossiliferes a l’interieur de la Formation de Kennebecasis.