148 Insights from Microfossils and Their Modern Analogs: From Traditional to Emerging Approaches (Posters)

Traditional applications of microfossils are central to many studies, while novel approaches (especially geochemistry) utilizing microfossils have expanded recently. This session highlights traditional and innovative microfossil applications in terrestrial and marine environments, including modern analogs.

Monday, 20 October 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, Hall 1

Critical Role of Benthic Foraminifera in Age Control, Depositional Environment Analysis, and Stratigraphic Mapping of Mississippian Successions: Case Studies from Oklahoma and Kansas

Paper number: 148-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Benthic foraminifera are critical microfossils for refining stratigraphic correlations, establishing chronostratigraphic frameworks, and reconstructing depositional environments in Paleozoic successions. This study integrates detailed micropaleontological, palaeoecological, and lithofacies analyses from two contrasting Mississippian cores: the BKB- Core (Caney Shale, Ardmore Basin, Oklahoma) and the Rebecca K. Bound Core (Gilmore City Limestone, Greeley County, Kansas). In the BKB- Core, a low-diversity foraminiferal assemblage dominated by the rare presence of Endothyra macra, alongside phosphate nodules and pyrite, indicates a deep, anoxic to suboxic, low-energy marine setting consistent with distal shelf or basin-floor deposition. Conversely, the Rebecca K. Bound Core contains a high-diversity, well-preserved assemblage including Endothyra macra, Endothyra symmetrica, and Plectogyra irregularis. These taxa, especially the diagnostic occurrence of Plectogyra irregularis, serve as biostratigraphic markers for the Osagian Stage of the Lower Mississippian, providing critical age control. Their distribution, in conjunction with abundant echinoderms, corals, bryozoans, and algae, reflects a high-energy, shallow marine carbonate platform with well-oxygenated conditions in the photic zone.

Comparative analysis highlights how foraminiferal assemblages respond sensitively to gradients in water depth, oxygen availability, and depositional energy, making them indispensable tools for paleoenvironmental interpretation. Furthermore, the presence of index foraminifera allows for precise correlation of Mississippian units across state boundaries, contributing to improved geological mapping and resource assessment in the Midcontinent region. This integrated approach enhances our understanding of Mississippian stratigraphy, depositional systems, and basin evolution in both Kansas and Oklahoma.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-412449

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