A Conulariid Fauna from the Fort Payne Formation, (Mississippian, Osagean) of Central Tennessee

Conulariids have rarely been reported or identified in the Mississippian of Tennessee. This report documents more than 13 well preserved specimens collected from a single locality of the upper Fort Payne Formation near Ashland City Tennessee. Additional specimens have been collected form the St. Louis and Warsaw Formations. The conulariid fauna is dominated by Paraconularia chesterensis with a few specimens of Paraconularia c.f. byblis. Associated with the conulariids is a well preserved typical Early Mississippian, Osagean fauna, including Trilobites, Crinoids and Brachiopods. The number of specimens in this locality suggests that either conulariids were abundant in the Osagean, the paleoenvironmental setting enhanced preservation or both. The Fort Payne conulariids were collected from thin bedded shales and limestones. The presence of siliclastic sediment likely played an important role in the preservation and discovery of the conulariids. However, the number of specimens from this locality indicates that despite a lack of documentation conulariids were likely to have been moderately abundant in the Early Mississippian of Tennessee.