MIDDLE TO LATE TRIASSIC BRACHIOPOD FAUNA FROM THE AUGUSTA MOUNTAIN FORMATION, NEW PASS RANGE, WEST-CENTRAL NEVADA
Hernandez, Edween and Bonuso, Nicole
Department of Geological Sciences, California State University - Fullerton
ABSTRACT - Here we present a systematic description of the brachiopod taxa present in the Augusta Formation from South Canyon, New Pass Range. The Augusta Mountain Formation comprises three members: the Lower Member, the Middle Member and the Upper Member. This site preserves an unusually rich ammonoid, conodont, and pelagic bivalve record and has thus been studied extensively for biostratigraphic revision of the Ladinian-Carnian boundary. Researchers studied the systematics of ammonoid and bivalve; however, brachiopods systematics has not been accomplished. We collected, described and illustrated six brachiopod species from the Lower and Upper Member of the the Augusta Mountain Formation. A comparison with Tethyan taxa reveals a unique eastern Panthalassan brachiopod fauna.