| Studies of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian brachiopod faunas in the United States routinely deal with both taxonomic and stratigraphic problems. However, rarely are difficulties encountered that are as intricate as those confronted in the investigations of the large, semireticulate productids of the Lower to Middle Pennsylvanian Morrowan, Atokan, and Desmoinesian Series. Specifically, I am referring to the confusion in the literature about three things: (1) the exact geologic age and geographic site of the type locality of Productus inflatus var. coloradoensis Girty (1910), now referred to the genus Antiquatonia Milorado-vich (1945) [emend. Sarycheva, 1949, and Sarycheva and Sokolskaya, 1952]; (2) the stratigraphic range and geographic distribution of this distinctive, biostratigraphically diagnostic productid; and (3) the proper taxonomic disposition and assignment of numerous collections from the United States of Morrowan, Atokan, and lower Desmoinesian specimens assigned to Antiquatonia. Like most productid brachiopods, A. coloradoensis is a highly variable taxon. A lack of understanding of its breadth of variability and lingering tendencies toward typologic application have contributed significantly to widespread misinterpretation of this species. This paper clarifies the situation. |
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