14 
THE OCCURRENCE AND CORRELATION OF A DEVONIAN 
FAUNA FROM PEACE RIVER, ALBERTA 
By E . M. Kindle 
CONTENTS 
Pagb 
Stratigraphi c relations 14 
Devonian fauna 16 
Illustrations 
Plate I. Silurian strata, gypsum cliffs, lower Peace river 33 
II. Figure l f Silurian strata; figure 2, pocket in Silurian limestone filled with 
fossilifsrous Devonian shale 35 
III. Slab of fossiliferous Devonian limestone. 37 
STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONS 
The Devonian fauna which occurs along lower Peace river at Peace 
point, above the gypsum cliffs in both banks of the stream, presents some 
noteworthy features both from the viewpoint of correlation and manner of 
occurrence. 
Precambrian Base 
The schistose and granitic rocks of Precambrian age which are so 
conspicuous along Slave river, above and below the mouth of the Peace, 
are represented only by a few low, rounded island knobs on the lower 25 
miles of Peace river. With the exception of these low granitic islands 
no consolidated beds outcrop along the lower 80 miles of the Peace. 
Above the islands for nearly 50 miles the Palaeozoic rocks are concealed 
along the river by a heavy mantle of river and lacustrine deposits. 
Silurian Section 
About 80 miles above the mouth of Peace river the banks are bordered 
by cliffs of gypsum, anhydrite, and magnesian limestone. These cliffs 
extend, with occasional breaks, for a distance of approximately 12 miles, 
rising from 20 to 80 feet above the river. They are first seen in descending 
the river about 10 miles below the mouth of Jackfish river. At this point 
the cliffs exposed on the south bank are about 35 feet high and consist 
mainly of nearly white gypsum and anhydrite interstratified with thin 
bands of blue clay. At this and other points on the south side of the river 
where these beds were examined the gypsum cliffs are capped with Quater- 
nary deposits. The strata of this horizon are nearly everywhere disturbed 
by local folds having generally a lateral extent of not more than a few 
hundred feet. These folds are doubtless, as stated by Camsell, 1 the 
1 Camsell, Chas,: “Salt sad Gypsam Deposits of the Region Between Peace and Slave Rivers, Northern 
Alberta”; Geol. Surv., Canada, Sum. Rept. 1910, p. 135 (1917). 
