TRIASSIC FOSSIL FISH FROM THE SULPHIJR MOUNTAIN FORMpirION,

(931/1) By J. Pel1 and J.L. Hammack

Geological Consultants

KAKWA RECREATION AREA, NORTHEASTERN BRITKHI COLUTdBIA

- ,".""

KEYWORDS: Ver~ebrate paleontology, Triassic fossil fish,

fish, holosteans, coelacanths. Kakwa Recreation A-ea, Wapiti Lake, Osteichthyes, ganoid

INTRODUCTION Fossil fish have been known from the Triassic Sulphur

Mountain Formation i n western Canada since the beginning

near Banff, Alberta (Lambe, 1914, 1916). In 1947, fish of this century, with the first specimens found at a locality

fossils were discovered near Wapiti Lake, in northeastern British Columbia (Figure 1-7-1). by a group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin (Laudon et a/. , 1949). Since that time, a nilmber of expeditions have visited the Wapiti Lake area., which has proved to be a prolific collect- ing locality. More than one thousand specimens, many of

recovered and three distinct faunas recognized. Commercial which are articulated, representing 16 genera have been

collecting occurred in the area in the past; however, it is now considered a, Prwincial Heritage Site and is protected. Six sites from which fossiliferous material was collected in situ have been identlfied within a belt 2.5 kilometres long,

produced most of the specimens (Brinkman and Neuman, south of Wapiti Lake:; however, a single site io this area has

1987; Neuman, io press; Schaeffer and Mangus, 1976). Ichthyosaur reptiles were also found at four of the six sites (Callaway and Brinkman, 1989).

located approximately 50 kilometres south-southeast of A second Triassic fossil fish locality in British Columbia,

Wapiti Lake, was encountered in Kakwa Recreation Area during the course o f a mineral potential study, conducted in the summer of 1'991 (Pel1 et ai., 1992, this volume). It was originally found by Dr. Barry Richards of the Geological Survey of Canada in the early 1980s (A. Neuman and B. Richards, persor.al communication, 1991). but has not previously been reported on. The area is remote and access is most easily attainml by helicopter. Because of its location within a Provincial Recreation Area, the site is protected

British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and and open only to scientific study by application to the

Parks.

fragments were #collected during brief visits to the site. All A number of articulated specimens and numerous fossil

samples were found on a scree slope beneath outcrops of the Sulphur Mountain Formation or in loose blocks scattered amongst the outcrop. In this vicinity, the Sulphur Mountain Formation is exposed in steep to cliffy outcrops that are flaggy weatherintg and unstable. Little time was spent on the outcrops themselve!;. due to their hazardous nature and, as a result, no fossils wcre found in situ.

Geological Fielrln'lwk 1991. Paper 1992-1

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

northwesl-trending belt (Figurr 1-7-11 [hat f ntend; from The Sulphur Mountain Formation is e: posed irl a

north of Wapiti Lake, through Kakwa Recreat~m Area into Alberta, to the southeast of Kakwa (h4cMf chan, l5)?46;

is a moderately resistant, characteristically lark reddi:ih McMechan and Thompson, 1985; Taylor .md S ott, 1979;'. I t

brown to brownish orange weathering unit that mconforna- bly overlies black, lichen-covewd sand:;tone of t t e Frr- mian Mowich Formation and is confonnabl) overlain by buff and grey carbonate rocks of the Late Tr assic Whte- horse Formation. The Sulphur Mountain F, rmation has been subdivided into the Vega-Pllroso, Whist1 :r and Llana members, in ascending order (Table 1 - 7 1).

245 to 270 metres thick and coroprises a sha ey to flal::$y In the Kakwa area, the Vega.Fhroso slltstot e member is

weathering sequence of dolomiti;: and cillcare IUS siltstclrle. fine-grained sandstone, silty 1irnei:tone and sha e that ranges in age from Early Triassic Griesbachian IO S tathian (Ciib- son. 1975). It is platey near the base a i d becomes increasingly flaggy up-section. Ammonitzs are locally c o n -

poorly preserved, occurring as, hint ilrprint on ledcling mon within this member. Hwever , t l ey i re gener;tlly

planes. Well-preserved a m m o r k s wen: rare finds (Plate

common in some strata (Plate 1-7-2) a ld ar : be l i txd to 1-7-1). Chondrichthyian spines lcf. Li:;rraca, thus !.p.~ are

represent some part of the skin of anciea s h rks (.A. h r u -

PERMIAN AND TRIAS!W STRAI'IGRP PHY TARLE 1.7-1

- S

R P

A Y

R I V

R E

G R 0 U P _"

Sulphur

Mountain

Fbrmation

Whistler

Vega- Phraso Siltstone

Late Triasic "_

Ladini tn Middle

Anisia? "_ Spatial _" Srnithian

Triassic *Dini(irsb _ ~ . _" .

Pennian

83

LEGEND

MESOZOIC

PREDOMfNANTLY CRETACEOUS STRATA

PREDOMfNANTLY J U W S f C STRATA

ja,( TRfASSfC WHfTEHORSEFORMATlON

TRfASSfC SULPHUR MOUNTAIN FORMATfON

PALEOZOIC AND OLDER

PREDOMINANTLY UPPER PALEOZOIC STRATA

ILp/ PREDOMfNANTLY LOWER PALEOZOIC AND OLDER STRATA

KILOMETRES

THRUST FAULT - GEOLOGIC CONTACT y:., * L P \. i :x .. . ..

Figure 1-7-1. Distribution of Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation strata in northeastern British Columbia

84 British Columbia Geological S u r v q Branrh

mation in Kakwa. Such well-preserved specimens are a Plate 1-7-1. Ammonite, from the Sulphur Mountain For-

rarity in this a n x

man, personal comn~unication, 199 1 I . Pelecypods were also noted in some :sections. Moderately well preserved fish fossils were found at one locality and fragmented fish were found in two other ueas (Figure 1-7-1 I . Fish-hearing strata are estimated to he approximately 30 to SO metres above the base of the section and probably correlate with similar mala in the Wapiti Lake area, which are Smithian in age (Schaeffer and h4angus, 1976; Tozer, 1967).

The Whistler Member, of Middle Triassic Anisian age,

sists of dark grey t o black-weathering siltstone, silty lime- where present, i!< generally IO to 20 m m e s thick and con-

stone, silty shale, L " n e , phosphorite and phosphatic pebble conglomerale (Gibson, 1975). Ammonites, pelecy- pods and, locally, brachiopods occur in I his member and are commonly phospha:ic. The Llama Member is characterized

thick-bedded dolonlitic quartz siltstones. silty limestones by relatively resistant. orange-brown-weathering, thin to

and dolostones that contain pelecypods, rare ammonite fos- sils and, locally, reptile bones. It ranges from Middle Tri- assic late Anisian to late Ladinian in age. Where it occurs, it is approximately I f ; O to 185 metres thick.

At the best fossil fish site, only the Vega-Phroso siltstone member is exposed It overlies light grey quartz arenites of the Mowich FormaLion that locally fonn small cliffs at the base of the outcrop, above a talus slope. The upper members

Geolofiical Fieldwork 1991. Puper I Y ! J Z - l

such spines are believed to represent ?ome ,an 01' thc Plate 1-7-2. Chondrichthian 'rplne (cf. L,i.srrm rnthus sp );

"skin" (shagreen i s the correc~ term) of an, lent stlarlu; (paper clip scale is 3 centimetrs~.

are eroded away or truncated by a northeas erly c.irwted thNst fault that is located wext of the main outcrop area (Pel1 et a / . , 1992, this volume). The h;.se 01 the expcmsed section i q dark brown to grey-b:own-wl:athe ing and \cry fissile to platey; flaggy, huff I O orange-wc athering 1:al-

the base of the section. The ridge is steep and ~n ly the biial careow siltstone layers crop out few tens of metre:; above

beds were examined closely.

weathering slabs of calcareous siltstone that w i e d f r m :! Fish Snssils were generally iound cn bu f to mn;:e-~

to 30 centimetres in thickness, ,;c,lttered in the talus >ens,:.lth the outcrop. Fossils were also .Found on re xtively fr8:sh. chocolate to dark grey-brown !;il.tstone slabs. '40 fo:;si!l fish

that they are derived from thc Ihicker, flag! y weath<:N:ing were observed in the basal, fissib: shaley beds it is proh131c

beds higher in the section.

THE FOSSIL FISH Seven genera of fish, belongin,g to the Clas: 0steichtl1:yej

(bony fish) have been identifiec to date, fro] 1 the Sull'l>ur Mountain Formation in Kakwa Recrealion 1 .rea (A. Neu- man, personal communication. 1991 :. Sir ce thcir f m t appearance in Early Devonian freshwater I eposits, there have been two major groups of bony fish the :;utdass

65

Plate 1 - 7 3 , Bohosnrruniu runadensis: complete specimen with distinct venebral column. Specimen is 17 centimetres long (paper clip scale is 3 centimetres).

Plate 1-7-4. Boreosnrnus sp.: near-complete specimen; fins. other than caudal (tail) are missing. Specimen is approximately 25 centimetres long.

86 Brirish Columbia Ceo/o,qicu/ Survey Bmnch

Actinopterygii, o r ray-finned, and the subclass Sarcop- terygii, or fleshy finned (Table 1-7-2). The fin structure is fundamentally diffenmt in these two subclasses, as implied by their names. Ray-finned fish have famlike fins with thin, bony rods for support, like most of the modem fish with

have stout fins with a strong internal skeleton and muscles which we are familiar, while the fleshy or lobe-finned fishes

(Dodson and Damdsca, 1976). Both subclasses are repre- sented in the Triassis deposits from Kakwa.

Ray-finned fish can be further subdivided into infra- classes Chondrostci and Neopterygii (Table 1-7-2). Chondrosteans, or ganoid fish, generally have cartilaginous skeletons, a vertebrcd column that is upturned at the pos- terior end and a tail with a heterocercal structure (Le. asym- metrical with a largcr upper lobe). They are characterized by the possession of heavy, rhombic, enamel-coated ganoid scales that f i t togethw edge to edge, with very little overlap, and form a heavy, stiff armour. Lungs were present to supplement the gills and jaw muscles were generally small and weak. Many of the more primitive members, such as the Palaeonisciformes, also had well-ossified (bony) skulls.

only a few specialized members of this group, such as the Chondrosteans were common until the end of the Triassic;

sturgeon (Aripenser, and Scaphirhynchus) and spoonbills (Polyodon), have: survived to the presenl (Dodson and Dod- son, 1976).

tified from the Kakwa area, Lk,basatrania, 3oreo:onws, Four genera of ganoid fish (Table 1-7..::) ha\ 3 beer) i d u -

Australosomus and Suurichtlrys. 'The firit twt I genera .%-e typical or "primitive" chondrost(::ans, while t le latt,:r t'xo are more advanced and sometime!; referrej to a i "subhol',ls-

of the more common genera found at Cakwi v i m teans" (A. Neuman, personal cornmunimtiona I991 j. {Cbe

Bobasatrania; some of the most dist.ncti\e and b'tat- preserved specimens are examples of his g:emJs. Bobasatrania has a distinctive "diamond' shape and exhibits many of the typical chondrostean fea ures $uch as

asymmetrical tail (Plate 1-7-3). Most g o d spec imenz are 15 the curved vertebral column with an uptumec end and. t'le

that may belong to this genus, measuring up o a m1eIn: in to 20 centimetres in length; ho.wver, picces c f indi.iid.u;~ls

size, were found. Members of the other I,, mon; only one specimen of Bor#?osomur (Pla e 1-7-.4) ;and

n'nera were tmcon-

rare examples of the other taxa. were found. Members of infraclass Neopttrygii first aF Jearec. in !he

Permian. One line, the holostean:;, became dc ninant in the Triassic, hut by the Cretaceouz., had passed t leir peak and were on the decline toward their :)resent ow n lmbers 0tla:re are only two surviving membt:r!; of thi;; gro tp, Amia, rhe bowfin and Lepisosreus. the garpike). Ihe h )loste;ms l-lac1 more efficient jaw leverage than chondrost :ans and hac1 swim-bladders rather than lung:;. Their vent bra1 cohnnn!;

I:I.ASSIFICATION O F FISHES, INCLUDING TAXA FOUND IN KAKWA RECREATIOY AREA TABLE 1-7-2

Plate 1-7-5. Alherfoniu cupidinio; near-complete fish with well-developed pectoral fin and poorly preserved skull. Note distinctive. well-preserved ganoid scales. Specimen is 33 centimetres long (paper clip scale is 3 centimetres).

Plate 1-7-6. Alherronia sp.; complete fish. Pectoral fin is not as well preserved as in previous specimen. “Loony” fnr scale is 2.5 centimetres in diameter.

88 British Columbia Geological Survey Branch

Plate 1-7-7. C'odacanthidac W'hirriu sp.: nrarcurnplete fish, pan of caudal (tail) fin missing. Note ddicate 'wale p [tern and small , llcshy lobe at bare of pelvic fin. Specimen is 35 centimetrcs long (paper clip scale is 1 centinlctres .

Plate I-7-X. Coelacanthidae Whirvia sp.; skull (paper clip scale i s 3 centime1re:s).

Geological Fie1Awr.k 1991. Paper- 1YY2-1 89

were ossified and, although still slightly upturned at the posterior end, terminated in a more symmetrical tail. Primi- tive holosteans still retained the ganoid scales, while the more advanced members lost their ganoine covering (Dod- son and Dodson, 1976). The other main line, the teleosts, first appeared in the Jurassic, were dominant in the Cre- taceous and today comprise more than 95 per cent of the fishes of the world. They are characterized by an entirely bony skeleton, thin, flexible scales that are chips of hone, a

conducive to fast swimming. versatile jaw mechanism and a symmetrical tail that is

Two genera of holostean fish, Albertonia and Watsonulus have k e n identified from samples collected in the Kakwa area (A. Neuman, personal communication, 1991). Speci- mens of Albertonia are quite abundant; a number of well- preserved individuals were collected. Only one poorly pre- served specimen of Watsonulus was found. Alherronia is one of the largest fish commonly found in the area, individ- uals measuring 30 to 35 centimetres in length are not uncommon. It has a distinctive form, with a deep body, well-developed ganoid scales, a slightly upturned vertebral column, a large tail and, commonly, elongated pectoral fins (Plates 1-7-5 and 6). It is a unique fish that is fairly easily

fins are well preserved. recognized by the layperson, particularly when the pectoral

Lobe-finned fish of subclass Sarcopterygii originated in fresh water in Early Devonian times and from the very

and the Crossopterygii (Table 1-7-2). Two orders of beginning comprised two groups, the Dipnoi, or lungfish

Crossopterygii exist, the rhipidistians, from which amphih- ians are believed to have evolved and the coelacanths. From the Devonian to the Permian, coelacanths existed in fresh water; in the Triassic they spread into shallow seas where they persisted until the Cretaceous. They were believed to have been extinct for 75 million years until 1939, when a living coelacanth was caught by a fisherman off the coast of Madagascar. Coelacanths, like other sarcopterygeans, have

fishes and have cosmoid scales, with a dentine-like inner skull patterns that are completely different from ray-finned

layer rather than the superficial enamel layer present in ganoid scales. Coelacanths generally do not have ossified vertebrae (Dodson and Dodson, 1976).

One genus of coelacanth, Whiteia, has been identified from the Triassic deposits in the Kakwa area (A. Neuman, personal communication, 1991 j. Articulated specimens are between 35 and 75 centimetres long: numerous fragments of coelacanth fossils were also found. Whiteia is unique in that the scales, when preserved, are more delicate and less dis- tinct, and tassel-like adornments are common around the tail. The skull structure is different from the actinop- terygeans, with the eye socket set farther back. The fleshy nature of the fins can also he discerned in some specimens (Plates 1-7-7 and X).

CONCLUSIONS

Triassic deposits in Kakwa Recreation Area may he signifi- The discovery of well-preserved fish fossils within the

cant as there are fewer than 20 areas throughout the world in which similar fossils have been found and only six localities which have yielded more than five genera (Neuman, in

90

press: Schaeffer and Mangus, 1976). Already seven genera from the Class Osteichthyes and one from Chondrichthyes have been identified from Kakwa; more specimens are currently being studied and it is possible that additional taxa will he recognized. It also must he reiterated that specimens were all obtained from a scree slope and that no extensive, systematic sampling effort has yet been made at this site.

rately identify all taxa present and to locate the stratigraphic More work is needed at the Kakwa fossil locality, to accu-

position of the fossiliferous horizons; a museum collecting expedition appears to he warranted.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller for identi- We would like to thank Andy Neuman of the Royal

fying specimens collected in Kakwa and his colleague Don

both Andy and Don also provided helpful discussion as did Brinkman for supplying background reference material;

Petroleum Geology in Calgary. Betsy Fletcher and Wade Barry Richards of the Institute of Sedimentary and

Harris provided excellent assistance in the field and helped in the collection of specimens. A special thanks goes to Bob Batchelor and Northern Mountain Helicopters who provided us with excellent support: also Bob, thanks to his keen eyes, patience and interest, found quite a few of the specimens that are the basis of this collection.

REFERENCES Brinkman, D.B. and Neuman. A.F. (1987): Lower Triassic

Vertebrates from the Sulphur Mountain Formation, Wapiti Lake, British Columbia (abstract); Geological Association of CanadalMineralagical Association of Canada , Joint Annual Meeting, Program with Abstracts, Volume 12, page 26.

Callaway, J.M. and Brinkman, D.B. (1989): Ichthyosaurs (Reptilia, Ichthyosauria) from the Lower and Middle Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation, Wapiti Lake Area, British Columbia, Canada; Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 26, pages 1491-1500.

Dodson, E.O. and Dodson, P. (1976): Evolution: Process and Product; D. Van Nostrand Company, New York, 440 pages.

Gibson, D.W. (1975): Triassic Rocks of the Rocky Moun- tain Foothills and Front Ranges of Northeastern British

of Canada, Bulletin 241, 61 pages. Columbia and West-central Alberta; Geological Survey

Lambe. L.M. (1914): Description of a New Species of Platysomus from the Neighborhood of Banff, Alberta; Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Series 3, Section 4, Volume X, pages 17-23.

Lambe, L.M. (1916): Ganoid Fish from near Banff, Alberta; Transactions of the Royal Sociery of Canada, Series 3,

Laudon, L.R., Deidrick, E., Grey, E., Hamilton, W.B., Section 4, Volume 10, pages 35-44.

Lewis, P.J., McBee, W., Spreng, A.C. and Stonebumer, R. (1949): Devonian and Mississippian Stratigraphy, Wapiti Lake Area, British Columbia. Canada; Bulletin of the Americnn Association of Petroleum Geology. Volume 33, pages 1502-1552.

British Columbia Geological Survey Branch

McMechan, M.E. I 19x6): Geology of the Northeast McBride Map-area (93H/15. 16). British Columbia; Geo/ogi~.uI Surwy of Canada, Open File 1229.

McMechan, M.E. and Thompson, R.1. (19x5): Geology of

Columbia: Ceolo~ir.ul S u r w y /f Canudu, Open File Southeast Monkman Pass Area (931/SE), British

1150. Neuman, A.G. (in pr(:ss): Summary of Geology and Update

of Faunal List w th Emphasis on Fishes: Lower Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation, Wapiti Lake Area, Brit- ish Columbia: hoyal BI-itish Columbia Museum, Con- tribution Serlec.

Pell, I., Hammack, J.L., Fletcher, B. and Harris, W.D. ( I 992): Kakwa Recreation Area, Northeastern British

GeoloRicul Fieldwork 1991, Paper- 19!>2-1

Columbia: Geology and R?!ource F'oteni la1 (9:!H/I 5 ,

and Newell, J.M.. Editors. I3.C. Mhistr ' of Enerqy, 16, 931/1, 2): in Geological Fieldwotk 19' I , Gr:rnt, B.

Miner and Pet]-oleum Resorwces, Paper 1992.1, this

Schaeffer, B. and Mangus, M. (1976): 4n E rrly Triassic volutne.

Fish Assemblage from Bnti:;h Cohmhi? Bull,?tin of the American Museum il~N~lrirrulHi:.fory, Volun~e 156, Article 5 , pages 515-564.

Taylor, G.C. and Stott, D.F. (15'7'J): Geology )f Monknun Pass Map-area (931). North?astern Briti! 1 Colmt ia : Geological Survey ofCand!r , Open File 630.

Tozer, T.N. (1967) A Standard for Triasric Ti ne: G,?o/~~>:i - cal Survey of Canada, Bullelin 156, 103 >ages.

NOTES