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Kansas Geological Survey, Guidebook 1, originally published in 1976
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The Late Cenozoic Molluscan Succession in the Meade County, Kansas Area

by Barry B. Miller

Department of Geology, Kent State University

The screen-washing technique developed by Hibbard (1949) for extracting fossils from unconsolidated sediments has produced a diverse record of nonmarine molluscs from the Late Cenozoic sequence of the southern Great Plains. The discussion that follows is limited to the 21 faunas collected in the Meade County area which contain a relatively abundant molluscan assemblage and which have been described in the literature (Table 1).

Table 1--Late Cenozoic molluscan faunas from the Meade County area. The number(s) following each fauna designates the paper in the references that was used to compile the faunal lists presented in Table 2. [Note: The Deer Park local fauna is not included in this list because of the paucity of molluscs. Only Deroceras aenigma has been reported from this fauna (Taylor, 1960).]

Holocene
Recent, Meade County 8, 13
Wisconsinan
Boyd local fauna 13
Roberts local fauna 13
Classen local fauna 13
Bar M II local fauna 13
Bar M I local fauna 13
Jones local fauna 13
Bird local fauna 13
Jinglebob local fauna ? 8
Sangamon
Cragin Quarry local fauna 8
Illinoisan
Mt. Scott local fauna 11
Butler Spring local fauna 4, 11
Adams local fauna 11
Doby Springs local fauna 11
Berends local fauna 11
Kansan
Cudahy fauna 3, 5, 8, 10,* 12
Pliocene
Sanders local fauna 14, 16
Spring Creek local fauna 2
Benders local fauna 14
Rexroad local fauna 16
Saw Rock Canyon local fauna 14
Bius Ranch local fauna 14
* Only localities 34 and 36 of Figure 4, Leonard, 1950,
are included as part of the Cudahy fauna.

One hundred and six taxa of molluscs have been identified from these faunas (Table 2). They range in age from Middle Pliocene (Ogallala Formation) to Late Pleistocene (Vanhem Formation). The compositional differences between these faunas are related to organic evolution which has resulted in extinction of some species, and to climatic changes which permitted migration of some new species into the area, or which in some cases have produced local extirpation of some species.

Organic evolution has resulted in termination of 14 species of molluscs during the Late Cenozoic. Extinction by evolution into new species has been suggested in the cases of Gastrocopta franzenae (Taylor, 1960), Promenetus exacuous kansasensis (Hibbard and Taylor, 1960) and Strobilops sparsicostata (Baker, 1938; Ho and Leonard, 1961). Marstonia crybetes, Vetrigo hibbardi, Gastrocopta rexroadensis, G. paracristata, G. scaevoscala, G. chauliodonta, Omalodiscus pattersoni, Biomphalaria kansasensis, Deroceras aenigma and Strobilops lonsdalei are examples of evolution terminating in extinction with no descendants.

Ninety-two of the species listed in Table 2 are still extant. Their present distributions seem to be controlled by temperature extremes and available moisture (Miller, 1975). Climatic oscillations in the Meade County area during the Late Cenozoic permitted associations of molluscan species which no longer occur (e.g., Gastrocpota cristata and Physa skinneri). Repetitive sympatric occurrences in different age faunas of species which now show allopatric distributions suggests that these associations are probably the results of similar reoccurring climatic conditions rather than the result of evolutionary induced changes in the species environmental tolerances. Hibbard (1963, 1970), Taylor (1960, 1965), Hibbard and Taylor (1960), and Semken (in Zakrzewski, 1975) have proposed models invoking major climatic changes to explain repetitive sympatric occurrences of species. During glacial stages summers were cooler and/or more humid, producing a more equable climate during which time northern and/or eastern species could coexist in the Meade County area with more southernly distributed species. Interglacial climates were characterized by warmer and/or drier summers which brought about local extirpation of many of the northern and/or eastern species from the area. The molluscan assemblages from this area can be harmoniously interpreted within the context of this climatic model.

Table 2--Species list for 21 Late Cenozoic molluscan faunas from the Meade County, Kansas area arranged by climatic group. Extinct species are indicated by *. The list is compiled from the references cited in Table 1.

  Bius Ranch Saw Rock Canyon Rexroad Bender Spring Creek Sanders Cudahy Berends Doby Springs Adams Butler Spring Mt. Scott Cragin Quarry Jinglebob Bird Jones Bar M I Bar M II Classen Robert Boyd
GROUP I
Northern Aquatics
Stagnicola caperata x - x x - x x x x x x x x x x x x x - x x
Pramenetus umbilicatellus - x x x - x x - x - x x x - x x x - x - x
Ferrissia parallela - - x - - - x - - - - - - - x - - x - - -
Physa skinneri - - cf - - x x x x - x x - - - - x x - - -
Sphaerium simile - - x - - - - x x - - x - x - - - - - - -
Stagnicola exilis - - x - - - x x - - - x x - - - - - - - -
Stagnicola reflexa - - x - - - x x x - x x - - - - - - - - -
Aplexa hypnorum - - - - - x x x x - x x - x - x x x - - -
Gyraulus circumstriatus - - - - - - x x x - x x x x x x x x x x x
Gyraulus deflectus - - - - - - x - x - - - - - - - - - - - -
Planorbula campestris - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Pisidium ventricosum fm. rotundatum - - - - - - x x x - - x - x - - - - - - -
Pisidium nitidum - - - - - - x x x - x x - x x x - x - - -
Stagnicola palustris - - - - - - x - - - - - - x x x x x x - x
Pisidium variable - - - - - - - x x - - x - - - - - ? ? - -
Valvata tricarinata - - - - - - - x x x x x - x - x x - x x x
Armiger crista - - - - - - - x x - - x x - - x x x x - -
Lymnaea stagnalis jugularis - - - - - - - - x - x - - - - x x x - - x
Sphaerium occidentale - - - - - - - - x - - x - x - - - - - - -
Sphaerium rhamboideum - - - - - - - - x - - x - - - - - - - - -
Lasmigona complanata - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - -
Pisidium walkeri - - - - - - - - - - ? x - x - x - - - - -
Promenetus exacuous exacuous - - - - - - - - - - - x - x x x - - - - x
Pisidium subtruncatum - - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - -
Pisidium lilljeborgi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - -
Pisidium ferrugineum - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - -
Totals 1 1 7 2 0 4 13 12 16 3 10 18 5 11 7 13 9 10 6 3 7
Northern Terrestrial
Gastrocopta holzingeri - x x - x - x x x - x x x x - - - - x x -
Strobilops labyrinthica - x - - - - x x x - - x - x - - x x x x x
Cionella lubrica - - x - - - x - x - - x - - - - - x x x -
Nesovitrea electrina - - x - - - x - x - - x x x - - x x x x -
Pupoides inornatus - - x - - - - - - - x - - - - x - - - - x
Vallonia gracillicosta - - x - x - x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Vallonia cyclophorella - - - - - - x - - x x - - - - - - - - - -
Discus cronkhitei - - - - - - x - x x x x - - - - x x x x x
Punctum minutissimum - - - - - - x - - - - x - x - - - - x x -
Pupilla blandi - - - - - - x - x x x x x x x x - x x x x
Pupilla muscorum - - - - - - x - x x x - - - - - x x x - x
Pupilla sinistra - - - - - - x - - x x - - - - - x - - - -
Vallonia pulchella - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vertigo elatior - - - - - - x - x - x - - - - - x - x x -
Zonitoides nitidus - - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - -
Totals 0 2 5 0 2 0 13 3 9 6 9 9 4 6 2 3 7 7 10 9 6
GROUP II
Southern Aquatics
Physa anatina - x x x - x - x x x x x x x x - x x x x x
Stagnicola bulimoides techella - x x x - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ligumia subrostrata - - ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Uniomerus tetralasmus - - - - - - - - x - - x - - - - - - - - -
TOTALS 0 2 3 2 0 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Southern Terrestrials
Helicodiscus singleyanus - x x x x x - - - x x x x - - x x x - x x
Vallonia perspectiva - x x - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - x -
Gastrocopta cristata - - cf cf x x - x x x x x x x x x x - x x x
Gastrocopta pellucida hordeacella - - x - - - - - - - - x x - - - - - - - -
Gastrocopta procera - - - - x - - x x x x x - x - x x - - x x
Totals 0 2 4 2 3 3 0 2 2 3 3 4 3 2 1 3 3 1 1 4 3
GROUP III
Eastern Aquatics
Planorbula armigera - - - - - - x x - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Laevapex fuscus - - - - - - - - x - x x - x - x - - - - x
Quadrula quadrula - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - -
Ligumia recta - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - -
Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Eastern Terrestrial
Gastrocopta tappaniana - x x x x x x x x x x x x x - - x x x x x
Cargchium exiguum - - x - - - x x x - x x x x - - x - x x x
Gastrocopta armifera - - x - x - x x x - x x x x - x x x x x x
Helicodiscus parallelus - - x - x - - x x - - x x x - - x x x x x
Retinella rhoadsi - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Retinella wheatleyi - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Stenotrema leai - - - - - - x x x - x x x x x - x - - x -
Gastrocopta contracta - - - - - - x - x - x x x x - - x x x - -
Strobilops affinis - - - - - - ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Succinea ovalis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x -
Totals 0 1 6 1 3 1 6 5 6 1 5 6 6 6 1 1 6 4 5 6 4
GROUP IV
General Aquatics
Pisidium casertanum x x x - - - x x x - x x x x x - x x x x -
Ferrissia rivularis ? x x - - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - -
Marstonia decepta - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Marstonia crybetes* - x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Promenetus exacuous kansasensis* - x x - - x x x x x x - x - - - - - - - -
Fossaria dalli - x x x - x x x x x x x x x - x x x x x x
Gyraulus parvus - x x - - x x x x x x x - x x x x x x - x
Helisoma anceps - x x - - - - x x - x x - x - - - - - - -
Sphaerium striatinum - x - - - - - - x - x x - x - - - x x x x
Omalodiscus pattersoni* - - x - - - x - - - x - - - - - - - - - -
Ferrissia fragilis - - x - - - - - x - x x x x - - - x - x x
Fossaria obrussa - - x - - - - x x - x x - x - x - x - x -
Sphaerium partumeium - - cf - - - - - - - - x x x - - - - - - -
Biomphalaria kansasensis* - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Stagnicola cockerelli - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - x x x x - x
Helisoma trivolvis - - - - x - x x x - x x x x x x x x x x x
Pisidium compressum - - - - - - x x x - x x - x x x x x x -
† Reported in error (Miller, 1975) from Bar M I.
Sphaerium lacustre - - - - - - x x - - - x - - - - - - - - -
Physa gyrina - - - - - - ? x x - x x x x x x x x - x -
Sphaerium securis - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sphaerium transversum - - - - - - - x - - x x - - - - - - - - -
Probythinella lacustris - - - - - - - - x - x - - - - - - - - - -
Anodonta grandis - - - - - - - - x - x - ? - - - - - - - -
Totals 2 9 11 1 3 3 9 12 13 3 15 13 7 13 5 7 6 10 7 8 6
General Terrestrial
Stobilops sparsicostata* x - x - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vertigo ovata x - - - - x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Vertigo hibbardi* - x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gastrocopta franzenae* - x x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gastrocopta rexroadensis* - x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gastrocopta paracristata* - x x x - x - - - - ? - - - - - - - - - -
Deroceras aenigma* - x x x x x x x x - - x x x - - - - - - -
Hawaiia minuscula - x x x x x x x x x x x x x - x x x x x x
Pupoides albilabris - x x x x x x x x - x x x x x x x x x x x
Vertigo milium - x x x - x x x x x x x x x x x x - x x x
Zonitoides arboreus - - ? ? - - x - x - x x x x - - - x x x x
Polygyra rexroadensis* - - x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vallonia parvula - - - x x - - x x - x x x x - - - - x - x
Gastrocopta scaevoscala* - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gastrocopta chauliodonta* - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Euconulus fulvus - - - - - - x x x - - x x x - - x x x x -
Strobilops lonsdalei* - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Deroceras laeve - - - - - - - - - - - - - x - - x - x x x
Vertigo gouldi paradoxa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
Totals 2 8 11 10 4 7 9 7 8 3 7 8 8 9 3 4 6 5 8 7 8
  Bius Ranch Saw Rock Canyon Rexroad Bender Spring Creek Sanders Cudahy Berends Doby Springs Adams Butler Spring Mt. Scott Cragin Quarry Jinglebob Bird Jones Bar M I Bar M II Classen Robert Boyd

For purposes of climatic analyses it is convenient to categorize the Late Cenozoic molluscan assemblages of the Meade County area into climatic groupings based on distribution patterns. The rationale for these groupings is discussed in Miller (1975).

Group I includes northern species which are generally distributed in an east to west direction and that have their southern limits in the Great Plains controlled by high summer temperatures. Group II includes southernly distributed species that are apparently restricted in their northward range in the Great Plains by length and severity of the winters. Group III includes species with distributions that generally occur in the eastern United States but which range varying distances westward into the Great Plains. The westward range of this group appears to be related to available moisture. In general, the species included in Group IV cannot be used for making climatic interpretations. This group includes species for which there are either inadequate distribution data; which are extinct; or which are so widely distributed that they appear to be rather catholic in their climatic tolerances. Table 3 summarizes the distribution of species within each fauna by climatic group.

Table 3--Group I, II, III and IV percentage distributions within faunas.

  Bius Ranch Saw Rock Canyon Rexroad Bender Spring Creek Sanders Cudahy Berends Doby Springs Adams Butler Spring Mt. Scott Cragin Quarry Jinglebob Bird Jones Bar M I Bar M II Classen Robert Boyd Recent
Group I
Northern
20 12 23 11 13 20 51 35 44 43 36 44 26 35 45 48 43 45 42 32 36 7
Group II
Southern
0 16 15 22 20 25 0 7 7 19 8 10 12 6 10 12 8 5 5 13 11 28
Group III
Eastern
0 4 13 5 20 5 14 14 12 9 13 11 18 14 5 6 16 10 13 16 14 17
Group IV
General
80 68 47 61 47 50 35 44 37 29 42 34 44 45 40 33 32 39 39 39 39 48
Group IV +
Group II
80 84 62 83 67 75 35 51 42 47 50 44 56 51 50 45 40 44 44 52 50 76

Group IV provides little if any information on climate and tends to mask the climatically significant groups, because of the relatively large number of species included within this group. Changes in the northern, southern and eastern climatic groups show through more readily when Group IV species are excluded from consideration (Table 4). When the data from Table 4 are plotted on a ternary diagram (Fig. 1), they produce two faunal groupings which represent glacial and nonglacial molluscan assemblages. With the possible exception of the Jinglebob local fauna, the glacial grouping includes those faunas which had previously been interpreted as "glacial" on the basis of the total biota and lithology of the enclosing sediments (Zakrzewski, 1975). These assemblages are characterized by containing more than 50% Group I (northern) molluscs.

Figure 1--Ternary plot showing percentages distributions of northern (N), southern (S), and eastern (E) species (based on data from Table 4).

most site located in Northern part of ternary diagram; Sanders, Saw Rock Canyon, Bender, Recent Meade Co. in Southern area; Spring Creek in botton half, partway between Eastern and Southern.

Table 4--Normalized percentage distributions for Group I, II, and III species. Bius Ranch data not included because of small sample size.

  Saw Rock Canyon Rexroad Bender Spring Creek Sanders Cudahy Berends Doby Springs Adams Butler Spring Mt. Scott Cragin Quarry Jinglebob Bird Jones Bar M I Bar M II Classen Robert Boyd Recent
Group I
Northern
37 48 28 25 40 79 62 69 60 63 67 47 63 75 73 64 74 69 52 59 13
Group II
Southern
50 28 57 37 50 0 12 11 27 13 15 21 11 17 18 12 9 9 22 18 53
Group III
Eastern
12 24 14 37 10 42 25 19 13 23 17 31 26 8 9 24 17 22 26 23 33

The second grouping contains all of the Late Cenozoic molluscan assemblages from the study area which had previously been considered to be nonglacial. These faunas are characterized by containing less than 50% Group I (northern) molluscs.

It is interesting to note that the Jinglebob local fauna in this plot clusters with the glacial faunas and seems to support the reassignment of the Jinglebob to the Wisconsinan Stage, an alternative placement discussed by Zakrzewski (1975). By contrast, the modern molluscan fauna of the Meade County area (Miller, 1975) plots as a nonglacial assemblage.

The Cudahy fauna marks a major and significant change in the composition of the molluscan faunas. The pre-Cudahy nonglacial assemblages are dominated by (climatically catholic and/or extinct) Group IV and (southern) Group II species that occur in percentages that range from a low of 62% in the Rexroad local fauna to a high of 84% in the Saw Rock Canyon local fauna. In the Cudahy and younger glacial faunas the percentages of Group IV and II species decreases to a low of only 35% in the Cudahy Fauna and to a high of only 52% in the Robert local fauna.

The diminution in the importance of Group IV and II species was brought about by a large influx of (northern) Group I species into the Meade County area. Fourteen northern (and 4 eastern Group III) taxa make their first appearance in the Cudahy fauna and represent the first evidence for glacial climate. With the possible exception of the Cragin Quarry local fauna, all of the Pleistocene faunas of the area indicate a more equable climate which is expressed in an increase in species diversity. The glacial faunas in general are more diverse than the pre-Cudahy nonglacial assemblages because of the addition of northern (and some eastern) forms to the molluscan fauna of the area. The modern fauna of the Meade County region marks a return to the less equable pre-Cudahy nonglacial climatic conditions. Most of the northern species have become locally extirpated, thus increasing the relative importance of the more climatically tolerant species. Group IV and II species now form 76% of the molluscs surviving in the Meade County area. This final depauperization of the molluscan fauna occurred within the last 10,500 years (Miller, 1975).

The molluscs support the stratigraphic succession proposed by Zakrzewski (1975, Fig. 4), in which the Jinglebob is considered a Wisconsinan Stage glacial fauna, and the Sanders and Spring Creek local faunas become Pliocene. The proportions of northern, southern and eastern taxa in the Jinglebob indicate strong climatic similarities to known glacial molluscan faunas from this area. Based on these similarities the Jinglebob probably should be considered a glacial fauna and be assigned to the Wisconsinan Stage.

The one remaining unequivocal interglacial fauna, the Cragin Quarry local fauna, appears to be significantly distinct from the Sanders and Spring Creek assemblages (Figure 1). The Sanders and Spring Creek local faunas, in contrast, appear to be most closely related to the Pliocene Age Saw Rock Canyon, and Benders local faunas (Figure 1). These climatic affinities would appear to be most easily explained by considering the Sanders and Spring Creek to be part of the pre-Pleistocene (Pliocene) sequence of faunas.

References

Baker, F.C., 1938, New land and freshwater mollusca from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas and new species of Gyraulus from early Pleistocene strata, Nautilus, 51(4): 126-131.

Berry, E., and Miller, B.B., 1966, A new Pleistocene fauna and a new species of Biomphalaria (Basommatophora: Planorbidae) from southwestern Kansas: Malacol.ogia, 4(1): 261-267.

Couri, C.C., 1973, A new Pleistocene faunule from Meade County, Kansas: Sterkiana, 51:1-9.

DeVore, C.H., 1975, The molluscan fauna of the Illinoian Butler Spring Sloth locality from Meade County, Kansas; in, Studies in Cenozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy, G.R. Smith and N.E. Friedland, eds.: C.W. Hibbard Mem. Vol. #3: Univ. Mich. Ms. Paleontol. Papers on Paleontol. #12, 19-28.

Herrington, H.B., and Taylor, D.W., 1958, Pliocene and Pleistocene Sphaeriidae (Pelecypoda) from the central United States, Occ. Pap. Univ. Mich. Mus. Zool. 596:1-28.

Hibbard, C.W., 1949, Techniques of collecting microvertebrate fossils, Contrib. Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleontol. 8(2):7-19.

Hibbard, C.W., 1970, Pleistocene mammalian local faunas from the Great Plains and Central Lowlands Provinces of the United States; in, Pleistocene and recent environments of the central Great Plains, W. Dort, Jr. and J.K. Jones, eds.: University Press of Kansas, Spec. Publication 3, 395-409.

Hibbard, C.W., and Taylor, D.W., 1960, Two late Pleistocene faunas from southwestern Kansas: Contrib. Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleontol. 16(l):1-223.

Ho, T., and Leonard, A.B., 1961, Two new strobilopids from the Pleistocene of the High Plains: Nautilus, 75(2):43-49.

Leonard, A.B., 1950, A Yarmouth molluscan fauna in the midcontinent region of the United States: Univ. Kans. Paleontol. Contrib. Mollusca, Art. 3:1-48. [available online]

Miller, B.B., 1966, Five Illinoian molluscan faunas from the southern Great Plains: Malacologia, 4(l):173-260.

Miller, B.B., 1968, Planorbula campestris (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) from the Cudahy fauna (Kansan) of Meade County, Kansas, with notes on the status of the subgeneric categories of Planorbula: Malacologia, 6(3):253-265.

Miller, B.B., 1975, A sequence of radiocarbon dated Wisconsinan nonmarine molluscan faunas from southwestern Kansas-northwestern Oklahoma; in, Studies on Cenozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy, G.R. Smith and N.E. Friedland, eds.: C.W. Hibbard Memorial Vol. 3, Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleontol. Papers on Paleontol. 12, 9-18.

Taylor, D.W., 1960, Late Cenozoic molluscan faunas from the High Plains: U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 337:1-94. [available online]

Taylor, D.W., 1965, The study of Pleistocene nonmarine mollusks in North America; in, The Quaternary of the United States, H.E. Wright and D.G. Frey, eds.: Princeton Univ. Press: 597-611.

Taylor, D.W., 1966, Summary of North American Blancan nonmarine mollusks: Malacologia, 4(1):1-173.

Zakrzewski, R.J., 1975, Pleistocene stratigraphy and paleontology in western Kansas: The state of the art, 1974; in, Studies on Cenozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy, G.R. Smith and N.E. Friedland, eds.: C.W. Hibbard Mem. Vol. 3, Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleontol. Papers on Paleontol. 12, 121-128.


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Kansas Geological Survey, Guidebook 24th Annual Meeting Midwestern Friends of the Pleistocene
Placed on web Nov. 17, 2010; originally published in 1976.
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