Bear Gulch (Carnegie Museum Collection): Arnsbergian, Montana
collected by J. Lund, W. G. Melton, J. R. Horner, D. Melton, B. Snyder

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Asteroidea
Lepidasterella montanensis n. sp. Welsh 1984
Welsh 1984 9 specimens
Coelacanthimorpha - Coelacanthiformes
Lochmocercus aciculiodontus n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Lund 1984
Lund and Lund 1984
Coelacanthimorpha - Coelacanthiformes - Rhabdodermatidae
Caridosuctor populosum n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Lund 1984
Lund and Lund 1984
Coelacanthimorpha
Polyosteorhynchus simplex n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Lund 1984
Lund and Lund 1984
Hadronector donbairdi n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Lund 1984
Lund and Lund 1984
unclassified
Beagiascus pulcherrimus n. gen., n. sp. Mickle et al. 2009
Mickle et al. 2009
Palaeonisciformes - Rhadinichthyidae
Wendyichthys n. gen. dicksoni Lund and Poplin 1997
Lund and Poplin 1997
Cyranorhis bergeraci n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Poplin 1997
Lund and Poplin 1997
Actinopteri - Tarrasiidae
Paratarrasius n. gen. hibbardi Lund and Melton 1982
Lund and Melton 1982
Aesopichthyidae
Aesopichthys erinaceus n. gen., n. sp. Poplin and Lund 2000
Poplin and Lund 2000
Proceramala montanensis n. gen., n. sp. Poplin and Lund 2000
Poplin and Lund 2000
unclassified
Lineagruan snowyi n. sp. Mickle et al. 2009
Mickle et al. 2009
Lineagruan judithi n. gen., n. sp. Mickle et al. 2009
Mickle et al. 2009
Kalops monophrys n. sp. Poplin and Lund 2002
Poplin and Lund 2002
Chondrichthyes - Debeeriiformes - Debeeriidae
Debeerius ellefseni n. gen., n. sp. Grogan and Lund 2000
Grogan and Lund 2000
Chondrichthyes - Chondrenchelyiformes - Chondrenchelyidae
Harpagofututor volsellorhinus n. gen., n. sp. Lund 1982
Lund 1982
Chondrichthyes - Petalodontiformes - Pristodontidae
Petalorhynchus beargulchensis n. sp. Lund 1989
Lund 1989
Chondrichthyes - Petalodontiformes - Belantseidae
Netsepoye hawesi n. gen., n. sp. Lund 1989
Lund 1989
Belantsea n. gen. montana Lund 1989
Lund 1989
Chondrichthyes - Iniopterygia - Iniopterygidae
Papilionichthys stahlae Grogan and Lund 2009
Grogan and Lund 2009
Rainerichthys zangerli n. gen., n. sp. Grogan and Lund 2009
Grogan and Lund 2009
Chondrichthyes - Symmoriiformes - Falcatidae
Damocles serratus n. gen., n. sp. Lund 1986
Lund 1986
includes material earlier compared to Physonemus attenuatus
Falcatus falcatus (St. John and Worthen 1883)
Lund 1985
some material earlier attributed to Physonemus
Chondrichthyes - Symmoriiformes - Symmoriidae
Stethacanthus altonensis (St. John and Worthen 1875)
Lund 1985
Chondrichthyes - Squatinactiformes - Squatinactidae
Squatinactis caudispinatus n. gen., n. sp. Lund and Zangerl 1974
Lund 1988
Polychaeta - Eunicida - Lumbrinereidae
Phiops aciculorum Schram 1979
Schram 1979 2 specimens
CM 33944, 33945
Polychaeta - Phyllodocida - Goniadidae
Carbosesostris megaliphagon Schram 1979
Schram 1979 2 specimens
CM 33988, 33989
Xiphosura - Xiphosurida - Belinuridae
? Euproopidae indet. Eller 1938
Schram 1979 2 specimens
synonym of Belinuridae
CM 33986, 33987 ("may also be euproopids")
Xiphosura - Xiphosurida - Austrolimulidae
Paleolimulus longispinus Schram 1979
Schram 1979 12 specimens
recombined as Boeotiaspis longispinus
CM 33946, 33947, 33983-33985, 33994-34000
unclassified
Nemavermes mackeei Schram 1973
Schram 1979 10 specimens
CM 33990, 33993 (x9)
    = Metazoa indet. Haeckel 1874
McCoy et al. 2023
synonym of Animalia
Examined specimens belong to multiple taxa, so identity of others is unclear
Archisymplectes rhothon Schram 1973
Schram 1979 2 specimens
CM 33941, 33942
see common names

Geography
Country:United States State/province:Montana County:Fergus
Coordinates: 46.9° North, 109.0° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:5.4° North, 35.1° West
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period:Carboniferous Epoch:Mississippian
Stage:Serpukhovian 10 m.y. bin:Carboniferous 3
Key time interval:Arnsbergian
Age range of interval:327.40000 - 324.00000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Big Snowy Formation:Heath Member:Bear Gulch
Stratigraphic resolution:member
Stratigraphy comments: "Namurian E2b" (E2 = Arnsbergian)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:planar lamination,concretionary lithified "limestone"
Lithology description: "rhythmically alternating sets of microturbidite beds and laminar beds" (Grogan and Lund 1997)
Environment:open shallow subtidal
Geology comments: "shallow, marine tropical bay" (Lund 1985)
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,adpression,concretion,soft parts
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:mechanical,peel or thin section,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:CM
Collectors:J. Lund, W. G. Melton, J. R. Horner, D. Melton, B. Snyder
Collection method comments: material is prepared by taking thin sections
Metadata
Database number:90681
Authorizer:J. Alroy, M. Clapham, L. Villier Enterer:J. Alroy, M. Clapham, L. Villier
Modifier:M. Clapham Research group:vertebrate
Created:2009-08-12 11:27:27 Last modified:2024-02-05 00:05:05
Access level:the public Released:2009-08-12 11:27:27
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
37552. W. G. Melton. 1969. A new dorypterid fish from central Montana. Northwest Science 43:196-206 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]

Secondary references:

30522 E. D. Grogan and R. Lund. 1997. Soft tissue pigments of the Upper Mississippian chondrenchelyid, Harpagofututor volsellorhinus (Chondrichthyes, Holocephali) from the Bear Gulch Limestone, Montana, USA. Journal of Paleontology 71(2):337-342 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
37536 E. D. Grogan and R. Lund. 2000. Debeerius ellefseni (Fam Nov, Gen Nov, Spec Nov), an autodiastylic chondrichthyan from the Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana (USA), the relationships of the Chondrichthyes, and comments on gnathostome evolution. Journal of Morphology 243:219-245 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
42310 E. D. Grogan and R. Lund. 2009. Two new iniopterygians (Chondrichthyes) from the Mississippian (Serpukhovian) Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana with evidence of a new form of chondrichthyan neurocranium. Acta Zoologica 90(Suppl. 1):134-151 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
30523 P. Janvier, R. Lund, and E. D. Grogan. 2004. Further consideration of the earliest known lamprey, Hardistiella montanensis Janvier and Lund, 1983, from the Carboniferous of Bear Gulch, Montana, USA. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(3):742-743 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
30512 R. Lund. 1982. Harpagofututor volsellorhinus new genus and species (Chondrichthyes, Chondrenchelyiformes) from the Namurian Bear Gulch Limestone, Chondrenchelys problematica Traquair (Visean), and their sexual dimorphism. Journal of Paleontology 56(4):938-958 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Clapham]
30517 R. Lund. 1985. The morphology of Falcatus falcatus (St. John and Worthen), a Mississippian stethacanthid chondrichthyan from the Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 5(1):1-19 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
30519 R. Lund. 1986. On Damocles serratus, nov. gen. et sp. (Elasmobranchii: Cladodontida) from the Upper Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 6(1):12-19 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
30520 R. Lund. 1988. New information on Squatinactis caudispinatus (Chondrichthyes, Cladodontida) from the Chesterian Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 8(3):340-342 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
30521 R. Lund. 1989. New petalodonts (Chondrichthyes) from the Upper Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone (Namurian E₂b) of Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 9(3):350-368 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
37551 R. Lund and W. Lund. 1984. New genera and species of coelacanths from the Bear Gulch limestone (Lower Carboniferous) of Montana (U.S.A.). Geobios 17:237-244 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
37538 R. Lund and W. G. Melton Jr. 1982. A new actinopterygian fish from the Mississippian Bear Gulch limestone of Montana. Palaeontology 25(3):485-498 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
37540 R. Lund and C. Poplin. 1997. The Rhadinichthyids (paleoniscoid actinopterygians) from the Bear Gulch limestone of Montana (USA, Lower Carboniferous). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(3):466-486 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
87342 V. E. McCoy, J. Wittry, H. Sadabadi and P. Mayer. 2023. A reappraisal of Nemavermes mackeei from the Mazon Creek fossil site expands Carboniferous cyclostome diversity. Journal of Paleontology 97:1116-1132 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
37539 K. E. Mickle, R. Lund, and E. D. Grogan. 2009. Three new palaeoniscoid fishes from the Bear Gulch limestone (Serpukhovian, Mississippian) of Montana (USA) and the relationships of lower actinopterygians. Geodiversitas 31(3):623-668 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
37537 C. Poplin and R. Lund. 2000. Two new deep-bodied palaeoniscoid actinopterygians from Bear Gulch (Montana, USA, Lower Carboniferous). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20(3):428-449 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/S. Fasey]
43569 C. M. Poplin and R. Lund. 2002. Two Carboniferous fine-eyed palaeoniscoids (Pisces, Actinopterygii) from Bear Gulch (USA). Journal of Paleontology 76(6):1014-1028 [S. Peters/S. McMullen/M. Clapham]
55010 F. R. Schram. 1979. Worms of the Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of central Montana, USA. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 19:107-120 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]
51729decapod F. R. Schram. 1979. Limulines of the Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of Central Montana, USA. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 19(6):67-74 [C. Schweitzer/L. Baltzly]
30532 J. R. Welsh. 1984. The asteroid, Lepidasterella montanaensis n sp, from the Upper Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana. Journal of Paleontology 58(3):843-851 [L. Villier/L. Villier]
42944 M. E. Williams. 1985. The "Cladodont level" sharks of the Pennsylvanian black shales of central North America. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 190:83-158 [M. Clapham/P. Vazquez]