Table Of ContentPaleontological Research, vol. 6. no. 4. pp. 385-389. December 31. 2002
©
by the PaJaeontologicaJ Society ofJapan
SHORT NOTES
Permian orthoconic cephalopods of the Ochiai Formation
in the Southern Kitakami Mountains, Northeast Japan
SHUJI NIKO' AND MASAYUKI EHIRO:
'Department ofEnvironmental Studies, Faculty- ofIntegratedArts and Sciences,
Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima. 739-8521, Japan (e-mail: [email protected])
The Tohoku University Museum, Tohoku University. Sendai. 980-8578, Japan
{e-mail: [email protected])
Received May 9. 2002: Revised manuscript accepted September 10, 2002
Key words: Brachycycloceras, Lopingoceras, Middle Permian, Ochiai Formation, Orthocerida, Southern
Kitakami Mountains
Introduction and geologic setting Member (Ehiro, 1977), consisting ofsandstone interbedded
with calcareous shale and impure limestone layers, repre-
Middle to Upper Permian strata in the Southern Kitakami sents the middle part of the formation, whereas the un-
Mountains, Northeast Japan, contain a relatively diverse named lower and upper members are mainly massive shale
orthoconic cephalopod assemblage. Although they were with minor amounts of conglomerate, sandstone and lime-
the subject of investigations by Hayasaka (1924), Shimizu stone.
and Obata (1936), Ouchi (1971) and Koizumi (1975), infor-
mation from the Southern Kitakami Mountains has been ig- Systematic paleontology
nored in modern cephalopod taxonomy owing to a lack of
adequate illustrations and descriptions. Knowledge of Order Orthocerida Kuhn, 1940
Middle to Late Permian orthoconic cephalopods is very Superfamily Orthoceratoidea M'Coy, 1844
limited and comes mainly from the Peri-Gondwana region Family Brachycycloceratidae Furnish, Glenister
that includes Iran (e.g., Teichert and Kümmel, 1973), and Hansman, 1962
Oman (Niko et al, 1996), the Salt Range (Waagen, 1879), Genus Brachycycloceras Miller,
Timor (Haniel, 1915), and the South China region (e.g., Dunbar and Condra, 1933
Zhao et al., 1978). Revision ofthe Kitakami fauna, there- —
fore, may be of phylogenetic and paleobiogeographic im- Type species. Brachycycloceras normale Miller,
portance. In view of this, the present study focuses on Dunbar and Condra, 1933.
orthocerid species from the Kamiyasse area, Miyagi
Prefecture, and an adjoining area to the north in Iwate Brachycycloceras sp.
Prefecture (Figure 1). The repository for these specimens
is the University Museum of the University of Tokyo Figure 2.1, 2.2
—
(UMUT). Description. Single, deformed orthocone, 56 mm in
In an earlier geologic study, Tazawa (1973) investigated length, consisting of annulated, apical phragmocone with
the Kamiyasse area, and elucidated the detailed litho- gently curved (exogastric?) apical shell; shell expansion
stratigraphy of the Permian deposits as the Sakamotozawa, rapid for orthoceratids. Prominent annulations form
Kanokura and Toyoma series. With the exception of the rounded to bluntly pointed crests and deep interspaces that
lowest, carbonate-rich strata assigned to the Nakadaira appear as rounded concavities in longitudinal profile;
Formation, most of these series were synthesized and as- annulations quite oblique, slope toward dorsal (?) side.
signed in the subsequent works ofEhiro (1974, 1977) to the Except for weak dorsal (?) sinus, sutures run roughly paral-
Ochiai Formation (Onuki. 1969), from which the present lel to annulatio—ns.
cephalopod specimens were collected. The Ochiai Discussion. No siphuncular structure is preserved in
Formation is divisible into three members: the Toyazawa this specimen. However, its rapidly expanded shell with
386 Shuji Niko and Masayuki Ehiro
;—;——— , v »—r~~—' 1 »»*'. - Discussion.—A deformed body chamber of an ortho-
mm
~ Loc. KA- conic shell, 115 in length, is available for this study.
1\
This specimen is tentatively considered to be a geisono-
ceratid, because of the characteristic ornamentation of its
transverse ridges that indicates asymmetrical (steep side to-
wards aperture) longitudinal profiles, and because of the
absence of a shell constriction. Similar ornamentation is
also known to occur in some Carboniferous bactritoids,
such as Ctenobactrites isogramma (Meek, 1871; Sturgeon
et al, 1997, pi. 1-1, figs. 8-11, pi. 1-42, fig. 3) and
Bactrites peytonensis Mapes (1979, pi. 8, figs. 7, 11), al-
though characteristic dorsal carina and/or well-developed
wrinkle-layer ofornamented bactritoids are not recognized
in this specimen.
Materialexaminedandoccurrence.—UMUTPM 28066.
This specimen was recovered as float in talus deposits of
shale located on atributary ofthe Kuro-sawa Valley (local-
ity KA-2), where the upper member is exclusively distrib-
uted. Based on ammonoids collected near this locality,
Ehiro and Araki (1997) inferred a late Capitanian (Middle
Permian) age for the cephalopod-bearing shale ofthe lower
part of the upper member of the Ochiai Formation.
Superfamily Pseudorthoceratoidea Flower
and Caster, 1935
Family Pseudorthoceratidae Flower and Caster, 1935
Subfamily Spyroceratinae Shimizu and Obata, 1935
Genus Lopingoceras Shimanskiy in Ruzhentsev, 1962
Figure 1. Index map of fossil localities in the Southern
Kitakami Mountains (inset), using the 1:25,000 map of "Shishiori" —
published by the Geographical Survey Institution. Type species. Orthocera—s lopingense Stoyanow, 1909.
Other included species. Lopingoceras acutanolatum
Zhao, Liang and Zheng, 1978; L. cf. acutanolatum (this
gently curved apical part and strongly prominent annula- report); L. bicinctum (Abich, 1878); L. cyclophorum
tions warrant generic assignment to Brachycycloceras. In (Waagen, 1879); L. guangdeense Zhao, Liang and Zheng,
addition toBrachycycloceras sp. from the Early Permian of 1978; L. hayasakai Niko and Ozawa, 1997; L. margarita-
western Australia (Teichert, 1951) and B. rustaqense Niko, tum (Abich, 1878); L. maubesiense (Haniel, 1915); L. ?
Pillevuit and Nishida, 1996, from the Wordian (Middle obliqueannulatum (Waagen, 1879); L. sp. (Teichert et ai,
Permian in a three-fold division) of the central Oman 1973), and L. sp. (Zheng, 1984).
—
Mountains, this discovery represents the third Permian oc- Range. Known from the late Gzhelian (Late Carbon-
currence of the genus. iferous)-early Asselian (Early Permian) boundary through
Materialexaminedandoccurrence.—UMUT PM 28065. the Changhsingian (Late Permian).
—
This specimen was recovered as float from shale in the Diagnosis. Early juvenile shell gently curved, nonan-
Funaochi-zawa Valley at locality KA-1 (Figure 1). nulated with transverse surface lirae. See Shimanskiy in
Judging from the lithofacies of the matrix, the geology Ruzhentsev (1962, p. 90) fordiagnosis ofadultshell, which
around this locality, and the associated ammonoid fauna, it we accept.
—
was probably derived from the middle-upper portion Discussion. The distinction between Lopingoceras and
(Roadian-Wordian; Middle Permian) ofthe lower member the Early Carboniferous genus Cycloceras (M'Coy, 1844;
of the Ochiai Formation. type and only reliably included species, Orthoceras
laevigatum M'Coy, 1844, see Histon, 1991, and BZN 50,
Family Geisonoceratidae Zhuravleva, 1959 1993, opinion 1720) has long been plagued by an inade-
cf. Geisonoceratid, genus and species uncertain quate description ofthe latter's type species. Exceptfordif-
ferences in age range, the former differs from the latter
Figure 2.4, 2.7
only in the shape of annulations, i.e., Cycloceras having
Permian cephalopods from Kitakami Mountains 387
Figure 2. 1. 2. Brachycyclocerassp., UMUT PM 23065. 1, lateral view ofsilicone rubbercast, venteron left (?), x2; 2, external mold with
steinkern ofapical shell, note gently curved shell and sutures, venteron right (?), x3. 3. Orthocerid, superfamily, family, genus and species uncer-
tain. UMUT PM 28068, side view, x2. 4, 7. Cf. geisonoceratid, genusand species uncertain, UMUT PM 28066. 4, details ofsurface ornamenta-
tion, silicone rubber cast. x2; 7, steinkem, side view, xl. 5. 6, 8, 9. Lnpingoceras cf. acutanolutum Zhao, Liang and Zheng, 1978, UMUT PM
28067. silicone rubbercast. 5, details ofearlyjuvenile shell, x4; 6, details ofornamentation ofnonannulated part, x5; 8, side view, x2; 9, details of
annulations, note triangular longitudinal profiles, x5.
contiguous annulations with equally rounded crests and rank seems questionable in modern taxonomy. The
interspaces, whereas in Lopingoceras the annulations are Kitakami material described herein includes the first known
more or less distant in spacing and have triangular profiles. example of an early juvenile shell of Lopingoceras, whose
Whether these external differences are of supraspecific characters add to the generic concept. The taxonomic
388 Shuji Niko and Masayuki Ehiro
—
problem will be solved when the apical shell morphology Discussion. A fragmentary specimen of a deformed
and internal structure of Cycloceras laevigatum are known orthoconic shell, 22 mm in length, shows transverse lirae
well enough forcomparison with the newly refined diagno- that consist of alternating strongly prominent and less
sis of Lopingoceras. prominentridges. Similar ornamentation occurs in several
post-Carboniferous orthocerid genera; such as the
Lopingoceras cf. acutanolatum Zhao, orthoceratid Trematoceras (Eichwald, 1851), the
Liang and Zheng, 1978 geisonoceratid Pseudotemperoceras (Stschastlivtseva,
1986), and the pseudorthoceratid Dolorthoceras (Miller,
Figure 2.5, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9
— 1931). No internal structures are preserved in the present
Compare with. specimen, so itcannotbe identifiedeven to the superfamily
Lopingoceras acutanolatum Zhao, Liang and Zheng, 1978, p. 63, level.
64, pi. 31, figs. 11, 12, pi. 33, figs. 3, 4. Materialexaminedandoccurrence.—UMUTPM 28068.
Same as the specimen above assigned to cf. geisonoceratid,
—
Description. This species represented by a single exter- genus and species uncertain.
mm
nal mold of gradually expanded shell, 65 in length,
whose adorai part is strongly deformed, with no internal Acknowledgments
mm
structure preserved; adorai end attains approximately 4
(reconstructed as circular cross section) in shell diameter. We thank Yukihiro Takaizumi and Akihiro Misaki for
Nonannulated early juvenile shell gently curved, with cir- collecting the present cephalopods. Helpful comments pro-
cular cross section and transverse lirae; this nonannulated vided by Royal H. Mapes and an anonymous reviewer are
mm
part, approximately 21.5 in length, followed by mo- also appreciated.
notonously annulated shell where lirae disappear; embry-
onic shell maybe cone-shaped; annulations may be roughly
References
transverse with wide spacing for genus, with triangular
longitudinal profiles and pointed crests; there are 1-2
Abich, H., 1878: Geologische Forschungen in den Kaukasischen
annulations in corresponding reconstructed shell diameter;
Ländern.I. Theil.,EineBergkalkfaunaausderKraxesengebei
interspaces pro—bably weakly depressed. Djoulfa inArmenien, 126p., 11 pis. Alfred Holder, Wien.
Discussion. The annulation shape and spacing of the Ehiro, M., 1974: Geologicaland structural studies oftheareaalong
present specimen strongly resemble Lopingoceras the Hizume-Kesennuma Tectonic Line, in Southern Kitakami
acutanolatum from the Wuchiapingian (Late Permian) Massif. Journal ofthe GeologicalSociety ofJapan, vol. 80,
Laoshan Shale in South China. Nevertheless, since L. Ehirop,.M4,571-947774:.T(hienJHaipzaunmees-eKweistehnEnnugmlaisFhaualbts—trawcitt)hspecialrefer-
acutanolatum is describedfrom fragmentary specimens and enceto its characterandsignificance on the geologic develop-
its apical shell morphology is unknown, the Kitakami ment. ContributionsfromtheInstituteofGeologyandPaleon-
specimen is only provisionally assigned to this species. tology, Tohoku University, no. 77, p. 1-37. (inJapanese with
Comparison between Lopingoceras cf. acutanolatum and English abstract)
figured specimens from the Ochiai Formation cited as Ehiro, M. and Araki, H., 1997: Permian cephalopods ofKurosawa,
Kesennuma City in the Southern Kitakami Massif, Northeast
Lopingoceras ? sp. by Koizumi (1975) is impossible. Japan. PaleontologicalResearch, vol. 1, p. 55-66.
Judging from his illustrations (Koizumi, 1975, pi. 4, figs. 4, Eichwald,E. von, 1851: NaturhistorischeBemerkungen,alsBeitrag
5), the specimens are inadequate for systematic treatment zurvergleichendenGeognosie,aufeinerReisedurchdieEifel,
because ofpoor preservation. Tyrol, Italien, Sizilien und Algier gesammelt. Nouveaux
Materialexaminedandoccurrence.—UMUTPM 28067. MémoiresdelaSociétéImpérialedesNaturalistesdeMoscou,
vol. 9, p. 1-464, pis. 1-4. (not seen)
This specimen was collected from a float block of shale in Flower, R.H. and Caster, K.E., 1935: The stratigraphy and paleon-
the riverbed of the Nidano-sawa Valley at locality KA-4. tology of northeastern Pennsylvania. Part II: Paleontology.
The exact stratigraphie horizon from which this block was Section A: The cephalopod fauna ofthe Conewango Series of
derived is unknown, but it is highly likely that this block theUpperDevonianinNewYorkandPennsylvania. Bulletins
came from the middle part ofthe Toyazawa Member ofthe ofAmerican Paleontology, vol. 22, p. 199-271.
Furnish, W.M., Glenister, B.F. and Hansman, R.H., 1962: Brachy-
Ochiai Formation, based on its lithofacies and collected lo- cycloceratidae, novum, deciduous Pennsylvanian nautiloids.
cality. Thus, this specimen is considered to be ofWordian JournalofPaleontology, vol. 36,p. 1341-1356, pis. 179-180.
(or Capitanian) age. Haniel, CA., 1915: Die Cephalopoden der Dyas von Timor.
Paläontologie von Timor, Lieferung3, p. 1-153, pis. 46-56.
Superfamily, family, genus and species uncertain Hayasaka, I., 1924: Fossils in the roofing slate of Ogachi, Prov.
Rikuzen. Japanese Journal ofGeologyand Geography, vol.
Figure 2.3 3, p. 45-53, pi. 6.
Histon, K., 1991: CyclocerasM'Coy, 1844(Mollusca, Nautiloidea):
—
Permian cephalopods from Kitakami Mountains 389
proposeddesignationofC. laevigatumMXToy. 1844asthetype Institute, Section 2, Geology, Palaeontology, Mineralogy and
species, and proposed designation of a neotype for C. Petrology, vol. 2, p. 1-10.
laevigatum. Bulletin ofZoologicalNomenclature, vol. 48, p. Shimizu, S. and Obata, T., 1936: Remarks on Hayasaka's
97-99. Protocycloceras cfr. cyclophorum and the Permian and
Koizumi. H.. 1975: PaleozoicCephalopodsofJapan. 149p.Teiseki Carboniferous orthoconic nautiloids of Asia. (Résumé.).
Bunko. Tokyo, (ûi Japanese) Journalofthe Geological Society ofJapan, vol. 43, p. 11-29.
Kuhn. O. 1940: Puliiozoologie in Tabellen. 50 p. Fischer, Jena. (in Japanese with English abstract)
Mapes. RH.. 1979: Carboniferous and Permian Bactritoidea Stoyanow, A.A., 1909: On the character of the boundary of
(Cephalopoda) in North America. Tlie University ofKansas Paleozoic and Mesozoic near Djulfa. The Diary ofthe Xllth
Paleontological Contributions.Article 64. p. 1-75, pis. 1-41. Congress ofRussian Naturalists and Physicians in Moscow,
MCoy.F.. 1844:A SynopsisoftheCharactersoftheCarboniferous no. 4, p. 142. (not seen)
Limestone FossilsofIreland. 274 p. Privately published, (reis- Stschastlivtseva, N.P., 1986: Nekotorye Triasovye ortotseratidy i
sued by Williams and Norgate. London. 1862) nautilidy Severo-Vostoka SSSR (Some Triassic orthoceratids
Meek. FB.. 1871: Descriptions ofnew speciesoffossils from Ohio andnautilidsfromNorth-EastUSSR). BiulletenMoskovskogo
and other western states and territories. Proceedings ofthe Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody Oldel Geologicheskii, Novaia
Academy ofNatural Sciences ofPhiladelphia. 1871, p. 159- Seriia, vol. 61, p. 122-129. (in Russian with English abstract)
184. Sturgeon, M.T., Windle, D.L., Mapes, R.H. and Hoare, R.D., 1997:
Miller. A.K.. 1931: Two newgeneraofLate Paleozoiccephalopods Part 1, nautiloid and bactritoid cephalopods. OhioDivisionof
from Central Asia. American JournalofScience. Fifth Series, GeologicalSun'ey, Bulletin 71 (Pennsylvanian cephalopodsof
vol. 22. p. 417-425. Ohio), p. 1-191.
Miller. A.K.. Dunbar, CO. and Condra. G.E., 1933: The nautiloid Tazawa. J., 1973: Geology of the Kamiyasse area. Southern
cephalopodsofthe Pennsylvaniansystem intheMid-Continent Kitakami Mountains. Journal of the Geological Society of
region. NebraskaGeologicalSurvey,Bulletin 9. SecondSeries, Japan, vol. 79, p. 677-686. {inJapanese with English abstract)
p. 1-240. pis. 1-24. Teichert, C, 1951:The marine Permian faunasofwestern Australia
Niko. S. and Ozawa. T.. 1997: Late Gzhelian (Carboniferous) to (an interim review). Paläontologische Zeitschrift, vol. 24, p.
early Asselian (Permian) non-ammonoid cephalopods from the 76-90.
Taishaku Limestone Group. SouthwestJapan. Paleontological Teichert, C, and Kümmel, B., 1973: Nautiloid cephalopods from
Research, vol. 1. p. 47-54. the Julfa beds, Upper Permian, Northwest Iran. Bulletin
Niko. S.. Pillevuit. A. and Nishida. T.. 1996: Early Late Permian Museum ofComparative Zoology, vol. 144, p. 409-434.
(Wordian) non-ammonoid cephalopods from the Hamrat Duru Teichert, C, Kümmel, B. and Sweet, W., 1973: Permian-Triassic
Group, central Oman Mountains. Transactions and strata. Kuh-e-Ali Bashi, northwestern Iran. Bulletin Museum
Proceedings of the Palaeontological Society ofJapan, New ofComparative Zoology, vol. 145, p. 359-472.
Series, no. 183, p. 522-527. Waagen,W., 1879: Salt-range fossils. I. Productus-Limestonefos-
Ouchi. K., 1971: Some Permian orthoconic cephalopods from the sils. I.-Pisces-Cephalopoda. Memoirs of the Geological
Abukuma and the Kitakami Massif. Chigakukenkyu, vol. 22, Sun'ey ofIndia. Palaeontologia Indica. Series 13, pt. 1, p.
p. 133-141. (inJapanese) 1-72, pis. 1-6.
Onuki. Y., 1969: Geology ofthe Kitakami Massif, NortheastJapan. Zhao, J.,Liang, X. andZheng, Z., 1978: Late Permiancephalopods
Contributionsfrom the Institute ofGeologyandPaleontology, ofSouthChina. PalaeontologiaSinica, NewSeriesB, no. 12,
Tohoku University, no. 69, p.1-239. (inJapanese with English 194 p., 34 pis. (in Chinese with English abstract)
abstract) Zheng, Z., 1984: Late Permian nautiloids from western Guizhou.
Ruzhentsev, V.E., 1962: Fundamentals of Paleontology (Osno\y Acta PalaeonlologicaSinica, vol. 23, p. 239-253, pis. 1-4. (in
Paleontologii). Volume V.Mollusca-CephalopodaI. 425 p.,32 Chinese with English abstract)
pis Izdatel'stvo Akademii Nauk SSSR, Moskva, (translated Zhuravleva, FA., 1959: O semeistve Michelinoceratidae Flower,
from Russian. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, 1945 (On the family Michelinoceratidae Flower, 1945).
Jerusalem, 1974) Materialy k "Osnovarn Paleontologii"", part 3, p. 47-48. (in
Shimizu, S. and Obata. T.. 1935: New genera of Gotlandian and Russian)
Ordovician nautiloids. Journal of the Shanghai Science
