Early Devonian conodonts from Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska

Abstract

Early Devonian conodonts from 11 localities on Prince of Wales Island and adjacent small islands, southeastern Alaska, include Pandorinellina optima (Moskalenko), Pandorinellina exigua philipi (Klapper), Pandorinellina exigua exigua (Philip), Pandorinellina? boucoti (Klapper), Pelekysgnathus serratus Jentzsch, Pelekysgnathus cf. P. klamathensis Savage, Pelekysgnathus n. sp., Eognathodus sulcatus sulcatus Philip, Eognathodus sulcatus kindlei Lane and Ormiston, Eognathodus sulcatus n. ssp. A, Eognathodus sulcatus n. ssp. B, Ozarkodina eberleini Savage, Kimognathus alexeii Mashkova, Kimognathus n. sp. A, and Kimognathus n. sp. B. The occurrences indicate that Lower Devonian deposits are widespread on Prince of Wales Island. On Wadleigh Island, Zlichovian, and probably older, deposits underlie Eifelian beds of the Wadleigh Limestone, previously thought to include limestone only of Middle and Late Devonian age. The Early Devonian faunas of this part of southeastern Alaska contain species characteristic of Cordilleran North America. There are strong affinities with Nevada, eastern Australia, and central Asia, but lesser affinities with central and eastern Europe. Affinities with eastern North America and western Europe are relatively weak. Regional variations in conodont color alteration indices suggest that the southern half of Prince of Wales Island has a different post-Devonian thermal history from the northern half.

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