Lead Bell Shale, Liberty (Cambrian of the United States)

Also known as Spence Shale

Where: Idaho (42.0° N, 112.0° W: paleocoordinates 5.7° S, 89.7° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Glossopleura trilobite zone, Spence Tongue Member (Lead Bell Shale Formation), Delamaran (511.2 - 506.5 Ma)

• Listed as Lower to Middle Cambrian; Glossopleura zone

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: offshore shelf; poorly lithified, concretionary, shelly/skeletal, argillaceous, sandy shale

• Liddell, Wright, and Brett (1997) note that Langston Fm. (Spence Shale) deepens from Antimony Canyon (primarily outer carbonate belt) to Miners Hollow [both Utah] to Oneida Narrows [Idaho] (outer detrital belt/deep ramp)
• Argillaceous and sandy shale with occasional fossiliferous lime nodules

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Primary reference: C. E. Resser. 1939. The Spence Shale and its fauna. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 97(12):1-29 [P. Novack-Gottshall/P. Hearn/M. Hopkins]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 76096: authorized by Phil Novack-Gottshall, entered by Paul Hearn on 13.11.2007

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Glossopleura zone; All species described except for the "most obscure ones"; Tongue is only 30 feet thick
Show authors, comments, and common names
Morania
  -
Morania sp.
Morania sp. Walcott 1919
Archaeocyatha
 Archaeocyathida - Archaeocyathidae
Archaeocyathus sp.
Archaeocyathus sp. Billings 1861 archaeocyath sponge
Eocrinoidea
 Gogiida - Eocrinidae
Eocrinus longidactylus
Paterinata
 Paterinida - Paterinidae
Iphidella grata, Micromitra lepida
Iphidella grata Resser 1939
Micromitra lepida Resser 1939
Lingulata
 Acrotretida - Acrotretidae
Acrotreta levata, Acrotreta definita
Acrotreta levata Resser 1939
Acrotreta definita Walcott 1902
 Lingulida - Obolidae
Lingulella eucharis
Lingulella eucharis Resser 1939
 Lingulida - Acrothelidae
Acrothele affinis
Acrothele affinis Resser 1939
Rhynchonellata
 Orthida - Bohemiellidae
Wimanella spencei, Wimanella nautes, Wimanella rara
Wimanella spencei Walcott 1912
Wimanella nautes Walcott 1912
Wimanella rara Walcott 1908
Hyolitha
 Orthothecida - Orthothecidae
Orthotheca sola
Orthotheca sola
1 specimen found
 Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes ornatellus, "Hyolithes cecrops" = Haplophrentis carinatus
"Hyolithes cecrops" = Haplophrentis carinatus Matthew 1899
"Abundant"
Trilobita
 Corynexochida - Dolichometopidae
"Clavaspidella bithus" = Bathyuriscus bithus, Bathyuriscus atossa, Glossopleura bion, Glossopleura similaris, Poliella anteros, "Poliella caranus" = Bathyuriscus (Poliella) caranus
"Clavaspidella bithus" = Bathyuriscus bithus Walcott 1916 trilobite
Bathyuriscus atossa Walcott 1916 trilobite
Glossopleura bion Walcott 1916 trilobite
Glossopleura similaris Resser 1939 trilobite
Poliella anteros Walcott 1916 trilobite
"Poliella caranus" = Bathyuriscus (Poliella) caranus Walcott 1916 trilobite
 Corynexochida - Oryctocephalidae
Oryctocara geikei, "Oryctocephalus walcotti" = Oryctocephalites reynoldsi
Oryctocara geikei trilobite
"Rare" Originally "Oryctocare geikei" Assumed spelling error.
"Oryctocephalus walcotti" = Oryctocephalites reynoldsi Reed 1899 trilobite
"Common"
 Corynexochida - Zacanthoididae
? Vistoia minuta, Zacanthoides idahoensis, Zacanthoides serratus, Zacanthoides adjunctus, Zacanthoides gradatus, Zacanthoides holopygus, Zacanthoides abbreviatus
? Vistoia minuta Resser 1939 trilobite
Zacanthoides idahoensis Walcott 1908 trilobite
Zacanthoides serratus Resser 1939 trilobite
"Relatively uncommon"
Zacanthoides adjunctus Resser 1939 trilobite
Zacanthoides gradatus Resser 1939 trilobite
Zacanthoides holopygus Resser 1939 trilobite
"Most common Spence Shale species"
Zacanthoides abbreviatus Resser 1939 trilobite
"Represented by fewer specimens than most other species in the
 Corynexochida - Dorypygidae
Kootenia idahoensis, Kootenia spencei
Kootenia idahoensis Resser 1939 trilobite
Kootenia spencei Resser 1939 trilobite
"Only two incomplete pygidia have been found"
 Ptychopariida - Alokistocaridae
Chancia ebdome, Chancia evax, Chancia angusta, Clappaspis spencei, Clappaspis idahoensis, Clappaspis coriacea, Clappaspis dotis, Clappaspis lanata, "Alokistocare laticaudum" = Amecephalus laticaudum, "Alokistocare idahoense" = Amecephalus idahoense, Elrathia offula, Elrathia spencei, Elrathia rara, Bythicheilus alveatum, Bythicheilus typicum, Alokistocarella spencei, Alokistocare spencense, Alokistocare septum
Chancia ebdome trilobite
Chancia evax trilobite
Chancia angusta Resser 1939 trilobite
Clappaspis spencei Resser 1939 trilobite
Clappaspis idahoensis Resser 1939 trilobite
"Three complete individuals"
Clappaspis coriacea Resser 1939 trilobite
Clappaspis dotis Resser 1939 trilobite
"This species is represented by the largest number of specimens"
Clappaspis lanata Resser 1939 trilobite
"Single cranidium"
"Alokistocare laticaudum" = Amecephalus laticaudum Resser 1939 trilobite
"Alokistocare idahoense" = Amecephalus idahoense Resser 1939 trilobite
Elrathia offula trilobite
"Represented by only a few cranidia"
Elrathia spencei Resser 1939 trilobite
Elrathia rara Resser 1939 trilobite
"Single individual, consisting of the cranidium and 17 segments"
Bythicheilus alveatum Resser 1939 trilobite
Bythicheilus typicum Resser 1939 trilobite
Alokistocarella spencei Resser 1939 trilobite
Alokistocare spencense Resser 1939 trilobite
"Abundant"
Alokistocare septum Resser 1939 trilobite
 Ptychopariida - Ptychopariidae
Spencia plena, Stauroholcus typicalis
Spencia plena Resser 1939 trilobite
Stauroholcus typicalis Resser 1939 trilobite
  - Utiidae
Utia curio
Utia curio Walcott 1924 trilobite
"Several hundred specimens"
Artiopoda
 Agnostida - Peronopsidae
"Agnostus bonnerensis" = Pentagnostus bonnerensis
"Agnostus bonnerensis" = Pentagnostus bonnerensis Resser 1938
"Abundant"
 Agnostida - Eodiscidae
Pagetia clytia
Pagetia clytia Walcott 1916
"Abundant"
 Selkirkiimorpha - Selkirkiidae
Selkirkia spencei
Selkirkia spencei Conway Morris and Robison 1986