Late Devonian benthic marine communities of the central Appalachian Allegheny Front

摘要: Four benthic marine communities occur in the clastic facies of prograding Upper Frasnian-Lower Famennian (Upper Devonian) Foreknobs Formation Central Appalachians along Allegheny Front Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Deep-water, rapidly environments were inhabited by Ambocoelia-Chonetes Community, dominated an epifauna unattached brachiopods. Offshore bar Cyrtospirifer-Camarotoechia exhibiting adaptations to shallow-water, high-energy conditions probably lowered salinities. Shallow-water, sublittoral Atrypa-Cypricardella a community which existed variety life habitats diverse epifaunal infaunal association brachiopods bivalve molluscs. The Leptodesma-Tylothyris Community flourished nearshore bar-protected southern region study area, whereas north conjunction with onshore development large fluviodeltaic system.