Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Heterophrentis prolifica coral from the Onondoga formation

One of the more common rugose corals I found in the Edgecliff member of the Onondoga Formation (Devonian, Eifelian stage), in rocks exposed in a quarry south of Syracuse, are the specimens below that I think are Heterophrentis prolifica. They are relatively small and highly curved which indicates to me that they were near the wave base and could easily get knocked over. Considering that the Edgecliff member is considered a Biostrome (an area that surrounds a reef but is not the reef itself) this is not too surprising.

Specimen #1





Specimen #2







I used the paper - STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ONONDAGA LIMESTONE (DEVONIAN) IN CENTRAL NEW YORK By William A. Oliver, Jr (Bulletin of the Geological Society of America VOL. 66. PP. 621-662. JULY 1954). to ID these fossils.

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