A REVISED CONODONT BIOZONATION FOR THE KINDERHOOKIAN (LOWER MISSISSIPPIAN)

The Devonian-Carboniferous Boundary Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) is currently under revision by the International Commission on Stratigraphy-Subcomissions on Devonian (SDS) and Carboniferous (SCS) Stratigraphy. This revision is especially important for North American sections where there is a roughly continuous and greatly expanded record of the D-C boundary interval. Recent work in the Mid-continent has focused on improving the global correlation of this boundary by utilizing integrated high-resolution conodont biostratigraphy and carbon isotope chemostratigraphy.

Recent collaborative work in North America, combined with a synthesis of previous work, has led to the need for modifications to the Kinderhookian zonations that address regional miscorrelations, and to explain some of the more useful biostratigraphic markers and trends documented in this interval. Here, we introduce a revised conodont biozonation for the Kinderhookian based on the genus Siphonodella that is globally applicable and defined by a series of evolutionary events within the genus. First occurrence datums from other taxa are also incorporated but a clear distinction in priority is provided to allow workers to rely on the same criteria to assign strata to a particular zone.