NOWAKIA (DACRYOCONARIDA) IN THE HALIHAN HILL BED (OATKA CREEK FORMATION, NEW YORK)

The Middle Devonian Halihan Hill Bed (HHB) of New York lies at the base of the Chittendango Member of the Oatka Creek Formation. The HHB was deposited during the time interval in which the Emsian and Eifelian Schoharie/Onondaga fauna was replaced by the Givetian Hamilton fauna. Samples of the HHB, the underlying Berne Member, and the overlying Chittenango Member were collected at a streambed exposure in Manlius, New York, and investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The HHB was studied in successive sub-samples to assess the temporal dynamics of an as yet undescribed Nowakia dacroconarid. This nowakid, tentatively referred to as N. halihanensis and known to exist throughout the entire regional extent of the bed, was found to be unique to the HHB and present throughout its entire thickness. This species is significant as it the first known occurrence of Nowakia above the Cherry Valley Member of the Oatka Creek Formation. The HHB was determined to be undisturbed and unbioturbated with clear cyclic fluctuations between high and low fossilferous content.