On the occurrence of crinoids in the Lower Carboniferous limestones of Fife

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Introduction. Perhaps one of the most interesting questions connected with the Lower Carboniferous Limestones of Fife, is as to whether the beds exposed at various places in the county can be correlated with any degree of certainty, especially at localities where the stratigraphy is obscured by drift or otherwise. Even on the shore, however, where the strata are exposed in full view, one cannot always answer with confidence. For example, taking the Hurlet and Abden limestones of the Kirkcaldy coast section, what are their equivalents on the eastern shores of Fife at St Monans? Or what positions do the Ardross and Newark limestones occupy in the sequence? In purely local questions like these, lithological, and sometimes structural characters do not help very much, for the Lower Limestones are found to vary greatly over the Fife area. And when one examines the fossils the subject gets complicated, because species which are abundant in one bed may be scarce or entirely absent in another, presumably on the same horizon. Quite obviously certain parts of the Carboniferous sea floor were better adapted than others for the existence of certain species. In an examination of the limestones, however, one rather persistent character may be noted, namely, that no matter the class, or classes, of fossils that may be present or absent, crinoid remains are generally to be found in greater or less abundance. In itself, this feature is, of course, common enough in many Scottish Carboniferous Limestones, but such remains, consisting

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: