A PALEONTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BRYOZOA FROM AN OUTCROP OF LOWER TRENTON LIMESTONE, IN SOUTHERN LEWIS COUNTY, NEW YORK

Most research on the Ordovician Trenton Group has been concerned with stratigraphy, stratigraphic correlation and biostratigraphy. With few exceptions, little study has been done on the bryozoans, including the genus Prasopora.

Morphology, size, abundance, orientation and preservation of the bryozoan genus Prasopora, from a single outcrop of Kings Falls Limestone of the Lower Trenton Group in northern New York, may serve as evidence revealing clues to the paleoenvironment, paleoecology and preservational setting of the area. The Kings Falls Formation exhibits a shallow, lagoonal shelf facies, indicative of a shallow, stable depositional environment.

In situ Prasopora were relatively large, properly oriented specimens and were associated with other invertebrate fauna such as brachiopods, gastropods and burrowing worms. Post mortem distortion of many bryozoa was most likely caused by stress associated with storm events and compaction of overlying sediment. Fracturing and alteration of shape is evident in all groups present, not just the bryozoans, although not all specimens sampled show signs of damage.