Geology of the Ozarks, part 5
Bruce Stinchcomb
Middle and Upper Ordovician strata are mentioned.
Very little Silurian or Devonian strata
are represented in the uplift. Localized Silurian and Devonian strata are
present, usually
where they have been preserved in ancient sinkholes (paleokarsts). Uppermost
Devonian
strata with some placoderm teeth are found just below Mississippian (Lower
Carboniferous)
strata. Extensive Mississippian strata is represented containing world class
crinoids as well as
other fossil echinoderms. Upper Mississippian strata (mentioned as muddy and
murky with
strange organisms) includes the Fayetteville Shale, a prolific source of natural
gas now being
produced by "fracking".
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Ozarks Paleontology