Crittenden Springs, Unit D (Triassic of the United States)

Also known as Dinner Springs Canyon

Where: Elko County, Nevada (41.5° N, 114.2° W: paleocoordinates 12.1° N, 37.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Meekoceras gracilitatis ammonoid zone, Thaynes Formation, Smithian (251.3 - 247.2 Ma)

• STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONS: Unknown bounding lithostratigraphic units. Within the Thaynes limestone this unit overlies the 18 ft thick limestone of unit c, and underlies another 48 ft thick limestone of unit e. THICKNESS: Stratigraphic section of 175 ft. AGE: Meekoceras graciliatus zone, Scythian stage. Assigned here to the Olenekian by the enterer. STRATIGRAPHIC POSITION: Collection is from "Unit d", a 15 ft thick limestone. LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY: No lithostratigraphic units named in Kummel and Steele (1962). Assignment to the Thaynes Fm is based on more recent publications from the same sections, including Gardner and Mapes (2000).

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: deep subtidal shelf; lithified, fine-grained, medium, shelly/skeletal, gray limestone

• ENVIRONMENT: No environmental data reported in text. According to Gardner and Mapes (2000).. "inner slope to basin facies, depths ranging from 75 to 125 m" and was assigned to a carbonate shallow subtidal environment. However, I assign a carbonate deep subtidal shelf environment based on this description. TECTONIC SETTING: No tectonic data reported in text. SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY: No sequence stratigraphic data reported.
• SPECIFIC LITHOLOGY: Limestone, gray, fine to medium crystalline, massive, with slabby partings, very fossiliferous with ammonites and few pelecypods. LITHIFICATION: Lithified, on the basis of observation of figured specimens.

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: cast, mold/impression

Reposited in the MCZ

Collection methods: quarrying,

• COLLECTOR: G. Steele (late 1950's). REPOSITORY: MCZ.

Primary reference: B. Kummel and G. Steele. 1962. Ammonites from the Meekoceras graciliatus zone at Crittenden Spring, Elk County, Nevada. Journal of Paleontology 36(4):638-703 [A. Miller/A. Hendy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 62097: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 12.07.2006

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• COMPLETENESS: Limited to cephalopods, although exhaustive for that group. NOMENCLATURE: Authoritative publication, though historic nomenclature.
Cephalopoda
 Ceratitida - Prionitidae
"Meekoceras gracilitatus" = Meekoceras gracilitatis
"Meekoceras gracilitatus" = Meekoceras gracilitatis White 1879 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Dieneroceratidae
Wyomingites cf. aplanatus White 1879 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Melagathiceratidae
Paranannites mulleri Kummel and Steele 1962 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Xenoceltitidae
"Inyoites stokesi" = Subvishnuites stokesi
"Inyoites stokesi" = Subvishnuites stokesi Kummel and Steele 1962 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Kashmiritidae
Preflorianites toulai Smith 1932 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Meekoceratidae
 Ceratitida - Paranannitidae
Owenites koeneni Hyatt and Smith 1905 ceratite
 Ceratitida - Aspenitidae
Aspenites acutus Hyatt and Smith 1905 ceratite