148-2 Critical Role of Benthic Foraminifera in Age Control, Depositional Environment Analysis, and Stratigraphic Mapping of Mississippian Successions: Case Studies from Oklahoma and Kansas
Session: Insights from Microfossils and Their Modern Analogs: From Traditional to Emerging Approaches (Posters)
Poster Booth No.: 189
Presenting Author:
Belkasim KhameissAuthors:
Khameiss, Belkasim Kh.1, Stanley, Thomas2, Lewis, Carter3(1) Oklahoma Geological Survey Sarkeys Energy Center 100 E. Boyd St., Suite, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman OK, Oklahoma, USA, (2) Oklahoma Geological Survey, Sarkeys Energy Center, 100 E. Boyd St., Suite N131. Norman, OK 73019, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman OK, ok, USA, (3) Oklahoma Geological Survey, Sarkeys Energy Center, 100 E. Boyd St., Suite N131., Oklahoma Geological Survey,, Norman,, OK, USA,
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 Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-6789
© Copyright 2025 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved.
Critical Role of Benthic Foraminifera in Age Control, Depositional Environment Analysis, and Stratigraphic Mapping of Mississippian Successions: Case Studies from Oklahoma and Kansas
Category
Discipline > Paleontology, Diversity, Extinction, Origination
Description
Session Format: Poster
Presentation Date: 10/20/2025
Presentation Room: HBGCC, Hall 1
Poster Booth No.: 189
Author Availability: 3:30–5:30 p.m.
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