Some Bryozoans from the Beil Limestone Member of the Lecompton Limestone (Virgilian) of Kansas

Abstract

A profusely fossiliferous limestone bed in the Beil Member of the Lecompton Limestone near Grover Station, Douglas County, Kansas, contains essentially in situ remains of an ancient community of organisms. The extremely diversified faunal assemblage, rock texture, and cyclothemic position of the bed suggest offshore deposition in relatively warm, quiet marine water of normal salinity. The Beil bryozoan fauna, as evaluated on collections from the Grover Station locality and three other exposures, is dominated by fenestrate cryptostomes, Fistulipora decora (Moore and Dudley), and Rhombopora lepidodendroides Meek; the latter species is probably the more abundant. Other bryozoan faunal elements described herein include two new species of Tabulipora Young and three new species distributed among the genera Fistulipora M'Coy, Eridopora Ulrich, and Stenopora Lonsdale. The collections include a single specimen that is assigned to the genus Meekopora Ulrich. Fenestrate bryozoans are not described.