| The Kettle Point and Antrim Formations of Upper Devonian-Mississippian Age in Southwestern Ontario and Southern Michigan contain pyritized radiolaria and spores. The radiolaria can only be classified into taxonomic families owing to their state of preservation. Liosphaeridae, Dorysphaeridae, Staurosphaeridae and Cubosphaeridae of the suborder Spumellina and Archipillidae of the suborder Nassellina are recognized. The spores belong mainly to the problematical genus Tasmanites although some spores of a "Bennetitales" type are also present. The patterns of spore distribution in the two formations, as studied, cannot be correlated. The radiolarian pattern can, however, be correlated and indicates that the two formations are stratigraphically equivalent. The radiolarian distribution pattern is interpreted to show that the formations were deposited in a barred basin which was cut off from open marine circulation during the early stages of deposition. The lack of similarity between the Tasmanites and radiolarian distribution patterns is believed to indicate that Tasmanites is a subaquatic or terrestrial plant spore. |
