Journal of Paleontology, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 383-389, 8 text figs., July 1945 



KINKAID CORALS FROM ILLINOIS 



WM. H. EASTON 



Illinois State Geological Survey, Urbana 



Abstract — Three species of corals from southern Illinois are discussecL Two are 

 good guide fossils and aid in correlating the Kinkaid limestone of Illinois and the 

 Pitkin limestone of Arkansas. One new genus and one new species are described. 



introduction The coral species occurring in beds 11 and 



C, i , , ,, • i'i v 13 also are present in the upper part of the 



orals are abundant locally in the Kin- _. , . . v . , * , / i 



. ., ,. c ,, T , r • i . Pitkin formation of western Arkansas (col- 



kaid limestone of southern Illinois but , . , , , , _..... v 



, 1-1 u 4-u lections from the base of the Pitkin in west- 



only one place is known where species other ■■ 



,« .i . t -j.7 j^i -n-t ern Arkansas actually are trom the upper 



than the ever-present Tnplophilhtes may ■ . J ■ ^ 



, „ , , / T 1O0C Qn >. a .• part of the lormation as a whole). Other 



be collected (Lamar, 1925, p. 80). A section F . . . _,. , . , '. , 



, ,, / ,, i , inn „i„ corals occurring in the Pitkin have not been 



measured there (a gully about 100 yards . & T „ . ■ 



r ., j o /i -i f-u f r^ ^^^ observed in the Kinkaid. JNevertheless, two 



west of the road, 0.4 mile north ol Cedar . . . , . . ' . 



r ru u - 4-u \TT7i tvt\a7i o^ ^1 oi the species common to both lormations 



Grove Church, in the NK£, JNWt, sec. 31, ^ , , . 



t 1 1 c t? o t? T^«n™ r i «««+„ Tiif' nn ;'o'. are so unusual as to suggest close correla- 



r. 11 S., K. 2 h.., Johnson County, Illinois) . . . && , 



f ., tion ol the zones in which they occur. Corals 



is as follows: ■* 



Thickness 

 Ft. in. 

 Pennsylvanian 



Caseyville group (Wayside formation) 

 17-19. Sandstone and platy shale 

 Mississippian or Pennsylvanian 



14-16. Shale, gray, partly sandy or plastic, pooily exposed 6 9 



Mississippian 

 Elvira group 



Kinkaid limestone 



13. Limestone and shale. Argillaceous, fossiliferous limestone which weathers 

 brown, interbedded with gray and buff shale. Carries abundant Triplophyl- 



lites and Kinkaidia in the limestone 3 6 



12. Shale, dark gray, and blue-gray shale, probably with some thin limestone 



lenses. Partly covered 5 10 



11. Limestone, gray, locally granular or nodular, in 9- to 18-inch beds. Highly 

 fossiliferous; crinoid stems, large Archimedipora, and horned and colonial 



corals especially common. No brachiopods observed 16 — 



Carries abundant Caninostrotion in lower part. 

 10. Shale, dark gray and blue-gray, plastic, with dark gray, granular limestone 



nodules 2 7 



9. Limestone, gray, locally granular, fossiliferous 18 4 



8. Shale, dark gray, partly concealed . . . 1 10 



7. Limestone, thin-bedded, slabby, gray. Profusion of Myalina sp. Also numer- 

 ous brachiopods 1 7 



6. Shale, greenish gray, soft. Partly concealed 4 1 



5. Shale, nodular, hematite-red color 4 3 



4. Shale, green-gray clay shale, the lower part of which contains angular nodules 

 of dense, gray semilithographic limestone, and grades downward into the 



bed below 4 — 



3. Limestone, nodular, dense, gray. Lower portion contains layers of shale and 



dark gray siliceous limestone 10 — 



2. Shale, with nodules of dense gray limestone. Partly concealed 10 6 



1. Limestone, siliceous, dark gray, with irregular cherty banding 2 — 



98 — 



383 



