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Nebraska's Invertebrate Fossils - Fossils from the Bonner Springs Shale

The Bonner Springs Shale derives its' name from Bonner Springs, Wyandotte County, Kansas, where the type section was located in the Lone Star Cement Company Quarry (Newell, 1932, p. 93). Its average thickness in Kansas is about 20 feet (6 m), but it may reach 60 feet (19 m) locally. The Bonner Springs Shale ranges in thickness from about 8 to 10 feet (2.5 m -3.2 m) in the Lower Platte River Valley in Cass and Sarpy counties, Nebraska. In Nebraska, the unit consists of gray to yellow shale, slightly sandy shale with plant fossils in the lower part (Whitcomb, 1966). The upper foot (0.3 m) may contain slabby limestone that contains a diverse, near shore marine fauna near Cedar Creek, Nebraska, east of Louisville. West of Louisville, the limestone at the top of the Bonner Springs Shale is dolomitized (calcium carbonate altering to calcium magnesium carbonate), and most of the marine fossils have been destroyed by this natural process. Whitcomb (1966) described in detail several localities of Bonner Springs outcrops in the Lower Platte River Valley, and in northeastern Kansas.

The late W. D. "Ted" White of Omaha made some of the earliest collections of fossils from the Bonner Springs Shale from the quarries near Cedar Creek, and Mr. White led this writer, Roger Pabian, and his paleontology professor, J. A. Fagerstrom, and fellow student, John Boellstorff, to the site. The site proved to be important for the abundance of fossils it provided, and several papers on fossil communities (Fagerstrom, 1964), trilobite biometrics (Pabian and Fagerstrom, 1968), and brachiopod evolution (Fagerstrom and Boellstorff, 1964) resulted from the research completed on fossils from the Bonner Springs Shale by the above authors. More recently, Leighton and Maples (2002) have worked with productoid brachiopods from the Bonner Springs Shale of Cass County, Nebraska.

In the mid continent cyclothemic model proposed by Heckel (19--) and Heckel and Baesemann (19--), the Bonner Springs Shale is a near shore shale, as indicated by the fossil plants near its base and the presence of large, thick-shelled invertebrates near its top. The overlying Merriam Limestone Member of the Plattsburg Formation is probably the transgressive limestone of the overlying cyclothem. Cyclothemic sedimentary deposits are important in the interpretation of late Pennsylvanian and early Permian sedimentary history of the entire North American mid-continent.

Fossil Slab

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: The upper 35 cm (12 inches) of the Bonner Springs Shale exposed east of Louisville, Cass County, contains a fossil assemblage that includes bryozoans, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, trilobites, and crinoids. The abundance of immature brachiopods in this assemblage led Fagerstrom (1964) to conclude that this interval in the Bonner Springs Shale contained a fossil community.
  • Database ID: 277
Fossil Slab

Echinoderms - Crinoids

Echinoderms from the Bonner Springs Shale are mostly known from loose plates or ossicles. This is likely due to the fact that the Bonner Springs Shale was deposited in a relatively high energy environment in very near shore conditions where wave action and currents were sufficient to break up the exoskeletons that were made up of plates that were attached together by muscuesr or ligaments.

More in the Collection

Aglaocrinus sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Aglaocrinus sp." - Radial and primibrachial plates.
  • Database ID: 299
Aglaocrinus sp.

Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister" (Miller and Gurley) - Summit view of doral cup and anterior view of partial crown.
  • Database ID: 300
Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister" (Miller and Gurley) - Summit and basal view of cup.
  • Database ID: 301
Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister" (Miller and Gurley) - Infrabasal circlet (below), basal plate, and radial plate (above).
  • Database ID: 302
Ethelocrinus sp. cf. magister

Echinoderms - Catacrinids

Delocrinus sp. cf. subhemisphericus

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Delocrinus sp. cf. subhemisphericus" (Shumard) - Summit and basal views of dorsal cups.
  • Database ID: 303
Delocrinus sp. cf. subhemisphericus

Echinoderms - Pirasocrinids

Undetermined pirasocrinid genus

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Pirasocrinid - Sac spines from undetermined genus of pirasocrinid.
  • Database ID: 304
Undetermined pirasocrinid genus

Echinoderms - Cymbiocrinids

Halogetocrinus sp. cf. paucus

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Halogetocrinus sp. cf. paucus" (Strimple and Moore)
  • Database ID: 305
Halogetocrinus sp. cf. paucus

Cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, sea anemones, conularids) from the Bonner Springs Shale

Lophophyllidium proliferum

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Corals of any kind are rare in the Bonner Springs Shale, and only a single example of the small species, "Lophophyllidium proliferum" (McChesney). This species is more commonly found close to the transgressive limestone-offshore shale contact, where it may be abundant such as in the Kiewitz Shale bed of the Stanton Cyclothem or the Burr Oak shale bed of the Ervine Creek Cyclothem.
  • Database ID: 230
Lophophyllidium proliferum

Conularia sp. Cf. crustula

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Conularids are rare in any part of the Pennsylvanian-Permian section of southeastern Nebraska, and on a few individuals have been collected here. Although conularids have a range from Ordovician through Jurassic, their numbers appear to have peaked in slightly older Pennsylvanian strata of the Desmoinesian series, none of which are exposed in southeastern Nebraska.
  • Database ID: 231
Conularia sp. Cf. crustula

Class Bivalvia (Clams, Scallops)

Aviculopinna peracuta

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Aviculopinna peracuta" (Shumard) - Partial shell from approximate mid-section of "Aviculopinna peracutus" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 278
Aviculopinna peracuta

Wilkingia

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Wilkingia terminale" (Hall) (=Allorisma terminale Hall)
  • Database ID: 279
Wilkingia

Wilkingia

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Wilkingia terminale" (Hall) (=Allorisma terminale Hall)
  • Database ID: 280
Wilkingia

Myalina sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Myalina" - A valve of "Myalina sp." that is heavily encrusted by spirorbid worms.
  • Database ID: 281
Myalina sp.

Arthropods (jointed-legged animals) - Trilobites from the Bonner Springs Shale

Ameura missouriensis (Shumard) is a very common trilobite in the Bonner Springs Shale. This is an exception to the rule that Ditomopyge scitula (Meek & Worthen) is the most common trilobite in the Pennsylvanian of the North American miccontinent. This may reflect the differences in environments that the two trilobite species preferred. Current collections show that A. missouriensis is most common in sediments that were deposited in warmer, shallow water, and D. scitula is most common in sediments that were deposited in cooler, deep water. The two species above are rarely found together in the same horizon and locality.

Fagerstrom (1964) found the occurrence of A. missouriensis in the Bonner Springs Shale instrumental in constructing the nature of fossil assemblages. Samples of A. missouriensis and the brachiopod Juresania nebrascensis contained numerous immature specimens and this suggested that the fossil assemblage in the Bonner Springs exposure near Louisville was indeed a fossil community. That is, the assemblage typified the many species that lived together on a small area of substrate, and that the assemblage had not been winnowed of small specimens by prevailing currents.

Pabian and Fagerstrom (1967) completed a biometric study of A. missouriensis and they showed rectilinear growth patterns when points of measurements were plotted on scatter diagrams. They also computed Bartlett's "Best Fit" lines for several pairs of measurements on the cranidia (part of the head) and pygidia (tails). Scans of several of these scatter diagrams are included here.

Ameura missouriensis

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Ameura - Cephalon (head) of enrolled specimen of "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 306
Ameura missouriensis

Ameura missouriensis

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Ameura - Cephalon (head) of enrolled specimen of "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 307
Ameura missouriensis

Ameura missouriensis

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Ameura - Pygidium (tail) of enrolled specimen of "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 308
Ameura missouriensis

Scatter Diagram

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Scatter - Cranidial, pygidial, and free cheek measurements for "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard). From Shaw (1957) and Pabian and Fagerstrom (1968).
  • Database ID: 309
Scatter Diagram

Scatter Diagram

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Scatter - Scatter diagram showing observed measurements on cranidia of "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 310
Scatter Diagram

Scatter Diagram

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: Scatter - Scatter diagram showing observed measurements on pygidia of "Ameura missouriensis" (Shumard).
  • Database ID: 311
Scatter Diagram

The snails listed below are compared to (cf.) the most recently recorded or describes species found in the Pennsylvanian-Permian section of Nebraska. In many cases, the most recent works on fossil Paleozoic gastropods from Nebraska are quite old. Thus, you will see each gastropod with the name Genusname sp. cf. speciesname Author. The author's name may or may not be in parentheses. In the latter case, the species was originally attributed to a different genus. The gastropods are grouped into ones with symmetric shells, ones with low-spired shells, ones with medium-spired shells, and ones with high spired shells. Gastropods are relatively scarce in the strata of the Missouri Series of the Pennsylvanian, but they tend to be quite common in the strata of the younger Virgil Series where they commonly occur as limonitic steinkerns (internal casts). Backlund (1953) described many gastropods from the younger (Virgilian) strata in Cass County, Nebraska. Although Backlund described several new species, his names have appeared only in his MS thesis and have never been published in a professional journal; thus, they should not be used.

Low to Medium-Spired Gastropods

Anonphalus sp. cf. umbilicatus

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Anonphalus sp. cf. umbilicatus" (Knight)
  • Database ID: 282
Anonphalus sp. cf. umbilicatus

Naticopsis sp cf. scintilla

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Naticopsis sp cf. scintilla" (Girty)
  • Database ID: 283
Naticopsis sp cf. scintilla

Platyceras sp. cf. parvum

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Platyceras sp. cf. parvum" (Swallow)
  • Database ID: 284
Platyceras sp. cf. parvum

Straparrolus sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Straparrolus sp."
  • Database ID: 285
Straparrolus sp.

Medium-spired Gastropod

Baylea sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Baylea" - Apertural and adapertural views of shells.
  • Database ID: 286
Baylea sp.

Dictyomaria sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Dictyomaria" - Adapertural and apertural views of shells.
  • Database ID: 287
Dictyomaria sp.

Hypselentoma sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Hypselentoma" - Apertural view of shell.
  • Database ID: 288
Hypselentoma sp.

Hypselentoma sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Hypselentoma" - Adapertural views of shell.
  • Database ID: 289
Hypselentoma sp.

Ianthinopsis sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Ianthinopsis" - Damaged, partial shell with cut near aperture.
  • Database ID: 290
Ianthinopsis sp.

High-spired Gastropods

Goniasma sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Goniasma" - Adapertural and apertural views of shells.
  • Database ID: 291
Goniasma sp.

Pseudozygopleura sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Pseudozygopleura" - Adpertural view of shell.
  • Database ID: 292
Pseudozygopleura sp.

Pseudozygopleura sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Pseudozygopleura" - Adpertural view of shell.
  • Database ID: 293
Pseudozygopleura sp.

Pseudozygopleura sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Pseudozygopleura" - Adpertural view of shell.
  • Database ID: 294
Pseudozygopleura sp.

Worthenia sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Worthenia" - Overhead view of shell.
  • Database ID: 295
Worthenia sp.

Both straight- and coiled-shelled cephalopods have been found in the Bonner Springs Shale in Nebraska. Only pseudorthoceratids (straight) and nautiloids (coiled) have been recovered. No ammonoids have been observed in the Bonner Springs, as this group appears to have preferred the deeper, dysaerobic (oxygen deficient) water of maximum transgressions, a situation where the offshore shales sere deposited rather than nearshore shales.

Cephalopods (head foot) are strong swimmers and modern nautiloids are carnivores. The modern cephalopod has tentacles, well developed eyes, and a sharp beak for slashing its' prey. Some also have ink sacs.

Nautiloidea Cephalopods

Tainoceras sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Tainoceras" - Shell of an immature specimen of "Tainoceras sp."
  • Database ID: 297
Tainoceras sp.

Tainoceras sp.

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Tainoceras" - Steinkern of a mature specimen of "Tainoceras sp."
  • Database ID: 298
Tainoceras sp.

Orthoceratids

Pseudorthoceras

  • Date Posted: 07/24/06
  • Description: "Pseudorthoceras?" sp. Chambered shells of "Pseudorthoceras sp."
  • Database ID: 296
Pseudorthoceras

The Brachiopod porition of this collection is founds on it's own separate webpage.

  • Condra, G. E., 1949, The Nomenclature, Type Localities, and Correlation of the Pennsylvanian Subdivisions in Eastern Nebraska and Adjacent States: Nebraska Geological Survey, Bulletin 16, 67 p.
  • Condra, G. E., and Reed, E. C., 1959, The Geological Section of Nebraska: Nebraska Geological Survey, Bulletin 14a, 82 p.
  • Fagerstrom, J. A., 1964, Fossil communities in paleoecology---their recognition and significance: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 75, no. 10, p. 1197-1216.
  • Fagerstrom, J. A., and Boellstorff, J. D., 1964, Taxonomic criteria in the classification of the Pennsylvanian productoid Juresania nebrascensis: Paleontology, v. 7, p. 23-28, pl.
  • Heckel, P. H., 1977, Origin of phosphatic black shale in Pennsylvanian cyclothems of Mid-Continent North America: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 61, no. 5, p. 1045-1068.
  • Heckel, P. H., and Baesemann, J. F., 1975, Environmental interpretation of conodont distribution in Upper Pennsylvanian (Missourian) megacyclothems in eastern Kansas: American Association of Petroloeum Geologists Bulletin, v. 59, no. 3, p. 486-509.
  • Kabat, A. R., 1990, Predatory ecology of naticid gastropods with a review of shell boring predation: Malacologistm v. 32, no. 1, p. 155-193.
  • Leighton, L. R., and Maples, C. G., 2002, Evaluating internal versus external characters: phylogenetic analyses of the Echinoconchidae, Buxtoniinae, and Juresaniinae (Phylum Brachiopoda): Journal of Paleontology, v. 76, no. 4, p. 659-671.
  • Miller, A. K., Dunbar, C. O., and Condra, G. E., 1933, The nautiloid cephalopods of the Pennsylvanian System in the mid-continent region: Nebraska Geological Survey, Bulletin 9, Second Series, 240 p.
  • Newell, N. D., 1935, Geology of Johnson and Miami Counties, Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey Bulletin 21, p. 1-120.
  • Pabian, R. K., and Fagerstrom, J. A., 1968, Biometrical Study of Morphology and Development of the Pennsylvanian Trilobite Ameura sangamonensis (Meek and Worthen): University of Nebraska State Museum Bulletin, v. 8, no. 2, p. 189-207
  • Shaw, A. B., 1957, Quantitative trilobite studied II. Measurement of the dorsal shell of non-agnostidean trilobites: Journal of Paleontology, v. 31, p. 193-207.
  • Strimple, H. L., and Moore, R. C., 1971, Crinoids from the La Salle Limestone (Pennsylvanian) of Illinois: University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions, Article 55, 48 p.
  • Whitcomb, C. W., 1966, Sedimentology of Bonner Springs Formation (Pennsylvanian), southeastern Nebraska and Adjacent Regions: University of Nebraska, Department of Geology, unpublished MS Thesis, 64.