Escuminac Formation

{{For|homonymy|Escuminac (disambiguation){{!}}Escuminac}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Escuminac Formation

| image = Miguasha_affleurement_2.jpg

| caption = Outcrops of the Escuminac Formation in Miguasha National Park

| type = Geological formation

| age = Devonian (Middle Frasnian)

| prilithology =

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Quebec

| country = Canada

| coordinates =

| unitof = Miguasha Group

| subunits =

| underlies = Bonaventure Formation

| overlies = Fleurant Formation

| thickness =

| extent =

| area =

| map =

| map_caption =

|period=Devonian}}

The Escuminac Formation is a geologic formation in Quebec. It preserves fossils dating back to the Frasnian, in the Devonian period.{{cite journal |last1=Cloutier |first1=Richard |last2=Loboziak |first2=Stanislas |last3=Candilier |first3=Anne-Marie |last4=Blieck |first4=Alain |title=Biostratigraphy of the Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation, eastern Québec, Canada: a comparative study based on miospores and fishes |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |date=October 1996 |volume=93 |issue=1–4 |pages=191–215 |doi=10.1016/0034-6667(95)00126-3}}{{cite journal |last1=Matton |first1=Olivier |last2=Cloutier |first2=Richard |last3=Stevenson |first3=Ross |title=Apatite for destruction: Isotopic and geochemical analyses of bioapatites and sediments from the Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation (Miguasha, Québec) |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |date=November 2012 |volume=361-362 |pages=73–83 |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.08.004}}

Description

File:Fauna of the Escuminac formation.png

Miguasha National Park is located within this formation along the estuary of the Restigouche River on the south coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. The fossil biota from the Park is thus referred to as the Miguasha biota.{{Cite journal |last=Cloutier |first=Richard |date=2013-08-24 |title=Great Canadian Lagerstätten 4. The Devonian Miguasha Biota (Québec): UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Time Capsule in the Early History of Vertebrates |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257130506 |journal=Geoscience Canada |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=149 |doi=10.12789/geocanj.2013.40.008 |issn=1911-4850|doi-access=free }} The main Miguasha exposures were named the 'René Bureau Cliffs' after the geologist and paleontologist. This formation is sufficiently rich that some material could be sacrificed for microanatomical and histological study through thin sectioning; this was done, among others, for the actinopterygian Cheirolepis,{{cite journal |last1=Zylberberg |first1=Louise |last2=Meunier |first2=François |last3=Laurin |first3=Michel |title=A microanatomical and histological study of the postcranial dermal skeleton of the Devonian actinopterygian Cheirolepis canadensis |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |date=2015 |doi=10.4202/app.00161.2015 |language=en |issn=0567-7920|doi-access=free }} the actinistian Miguashaia{{cite journal |last1=Mondéjar‐Fernández |first1=Jorge |last2=Meunier |first2=François J. |last3=Cloutier |first3=Richard |last4=Clément |first4=Gaël |last5=Laurin |first5=Michel |title=A microanatomical and histological study of the scales of the Devonian sarcopterygian Miguashaia bureaui and the evolution of the squamation in coelacanths |journal=Journal of Anatomy |date=August 2021 |volume=239 |issue=2 |pages=451–478 |doi=10.1111/joa.13428|pmid=33748974 |pmc=8273612 }} and the tetrapodomorph Euthenopteron.{{cite journal |last1=Zylberberg |first1=Louise |last2=Meunier |first2=François J. |last3=Laurin |first3=Michel |title=A Microanatomical and Histological Study of the Postcranial Dermal Skeleton in the Devonian Sarcopterygian Eusthenopteron foordi |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |date=September 2010 |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=459–470 |doi=10.4202/app.2009.1109|s2cid=56446998 |doi-access=free }}

The formation's depositional environment has been variously considered as lacustrine, estuarine, coastal marine or marine, though evidence from the fossil assemblage, stratigraphic and sedimentological setting, and geochemistry of the sedimentary rocks and bones suggests an estuarine interpretation is most fitting.

Fossil content

=Vertebrates=

==Acanthodians==

colspan="6" align="center" \| Acanthodians
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
rowspan=2\|Diplacanthus \|D. ellsi \| \| \| A diplacanthiform. \|
D. horridus \| \| \| A diplacanthiform. \|
Homalacanthus \|H. concinnus \| \| \| \|
Triazeugacanthus \|T. affinis \|Miguasha, Quebec.{{Cite journal \|last1=Chevrinais \|first1=Marion \|last2=Cloutier \|first2=Richard \|last3=Sire \|first3=Jean-Yves \|date=February 2015 \|title=The revival of a so-called rotten fish: the ontogeny of the Devonian acanthodian Triazeugacanthus \|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272489137 \|journal=Biology Letters \|volume=11 \|issue=2 \|pages=20140950 \|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2014.0950 \|pmid=25694507 \|pmc=4360106 \|issn=1744-9561}} \|Thousands of specimens representing multiple ontogenetic stages. \| \|

==Actinopterygians==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" \| Actinopterygians
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Cheirolepis \|C. canadensis \| \| \| \|File:Cheirolepis canadensis.jpg

class="wikitable" align="center"

colspan="6" align="center" | Actinopterygians

Genus

Species

Presence

!Material

Notes

Images

Cheirolepis

|C. canadensis

|File:Cheirolepis canadensis.jpg

==Jawless fish==

colspan="6" align="center" \| Jawless fish
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Endeiolepis \|E. aneri \| \| \| \|
Escuminaspis \|E. laticeps \| \| \| \|
Euphanerops \|E. longaevus \| Miguasha.{{Cite journal \|last1=Chevrinais \|first1=Dr Marion \|last2=MOREL \|first2=Miss CATHERINE \|last3=Renaud \|first3=Dr Claude B. \|last4=CLOUTIER \|first4=Dr RICHARD \|date=9 December 2022 \|title=Ontogeny of Euphanerops longaevus from the Upper Devonian Miguasha Fossil-Fish-Lagerstätte and comparison with the skeletogenesis of the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus \|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences \|volume=60 \|issue=3 \|pages=350–365 \|url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjes-2022-0062 \|access-date=2022-12-14 \|language=en \|doi=10.1139/cjes-2022-0062\|s2cid=254529477 \|url-access=subscription }} \|Over 3,500 specimens. \| A euphaneropid. \|
Levesquaspis \|L. patteni \| \| \| \|

==Placoderms==

colspan="6" align="center" \| Placoderms
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Bothriolepis \|B. canadensis \| \| \| An antiarch. \|File:Bothriolepis canadensis (2024).png
Plourdosteus \|P. canadensis \| \| \|An arthrodire. \|File:Plourdosteus speciesDB15 2.jpg

==Sarcopterygians==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" \| Sarcopterygians
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Callistiopterus \|C. clappi \| \| \| \|
Elpistostege \|E. watsoni \| \| \|A stegocephalian. \|File:Elpistostege watsoni.jpg
Eusthenopteron \|E. foordi \| \| \|A tristichopterid. \|File:Eusthenopteron BW.jpg
Fleurantia \|F. denticulata \| \| \|A lungfish. \|
Holoptychiidae \|Holoptychiidae nov. sp. \| \| \|A porolepiform. \|
Holoptychius \|H. jarviki \| \| \|A porolepiform. \|
Miguashaia \|M. bureaui \| Miguasha, Quebec.{{Cite journal \|last1=Fernández \|first1=Jorge Mondéjar \|last2=Meunier \|first2=François J. \|last3=Cloutier \|first3=Richard \|last4=Clément \|first4=Gaël \|last5=Laurin \|first5=Michel \|date=2022-04-06 \|title=Life history and ossification patterns in Miguashaia bureaui reveal the early evolution of osteogenesis in coelacanths \|journal=PeerJ \|language=en \|volume=10 \|pages=e13175 \|doi=10.7717/peerj.13175 \|pmid=35411253 \|pmc=8994491 \|issn=2167-8359 \|doi-access=free }} \| \| A coelacanth. \|File:Miguashaia DB112.jpg
Quebecius \|Q. quebecensis \| \| \|A porolepiform. \|
Scaumenacia \|S. curta \| \| \|A lungfish. \|File:Scaumenacia curta & Bothriolepis canadensis.JPG

class="wikitable" align="center"

colspan="6" align="center" | Sarcopterygians

Genus

Species

Presence

!Material

Notes

Images

Callistiopterus

|C. clappi

Elpistostege

|E. watsoni

|A stegocephalian.

|File:Elpistostege watsoni.jpg

Eusthenopteron

|E. foordi

|A tristichopterid.

|File:Eusthenopteron BW.jpg

Fleurantia

|F. denticulata

|A lungfish.

Holoptychiidae

|Holoptychiidae nov. sp.

|A porolepiform.

Holoptychius

|H. jarviki

|A porolepiform.

Miguashaia

|M. bureaui

| Miguasha, Quebec.{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández |first1=Jorge Mondéjar |last2=Meunier |first2=François J. |last3=Cloutier |first3=Richard |last4=Clément |first4=Gaël |last5=Laurin |first5=Michel |date=2022-04-06 |title=Life history and ossification patterns in Miguashaia bureaui reveal the early evolution of osteogenesis in coelacanths |journal=PeerJ |language=en |volume=10 |pages=e13175 |doi=10.7717/peerj.13175 |pmid=35411253 |pmc=8994491 |issn=2167-8359 |doi-access=free }}

| A coelacanth.

|File:Miguashaia DB112.jpg

Quebecius

|Q. quebecensis

|A porolepiform.

Scaumenacia

|S. curta

|A lungfish.

|File:Scaumenacia curta & Bothriolepis canadensis.JPG

=Invertebrates=

==Arthropods==

colspan="6" align="center" \| Arthropods
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Asmusia \|A. membranacea \| \| \| A clam shrimp. \|
Pterygotus \|P. sp. \|{{Cite book \|last1=Copeland \|first1=Murray John \|url=https://emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/gsc/bulletins/60.pdf \|title=Canadian Fossil Arthropoda, Eurypterida, Phyllocarida and Decapoda \|last2=Bolton \|first2=Thomas E. \|date=1960 \|publisher=Queen's Printer \|language=en \|chapter=The Eurypterida of Canada}} \| \|An eurypterid. \|File:20201227_Pterygotus_anglicus.png
Petaloscorpio \|P. bureaui \| \| \|A scorpion. \|
Zanclodesmus \|Z. willetti \|{{Cite journal \|last1=Wilson \|first1=Heather M. \|last2=Daeschler \|first2=Edward B. \|last3=Desbiens \|first3=Sylvain \|title=New Flat-Backed Archipolypodan Millipedes from the Upper Devonian of North America \|date=July 2005 \|url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-paleontology/volume-79/issue-4/0022-3360_2005_079_0738_NFAMFT_2.0.CO_2/NEW-FLAT-BACKED-ARCHIPOLYPODAN-MILLIPEDES-FROM-THE-UPPER-DEVONIAN-OF/10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0738:NFAMFT]2.0.CO;2.full \|journal=Journal of Paleontology \|volume=79 \|issue=4 \|pages=738–744 \|doi=10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0738:NFAMFT]2.0.CO;2 \|s2cid=140190612 \|issn=0022-3360\|url-access=subscription }} \| \|A millipede. \|

==Ctenophores==

class="wikitable" align="center"
colspan="6" align="center" \| Ctenophores
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Daihuoides \|D. jakobvintheri \| Miguasha, Quebec.{{Cite journal \|last1=Klug \|first1=Christian \|last2=Kerr \|first2=Johanne \|last3=Lee \|first3=Michael S. Y. \|last4=Cloutier \|first4=Richard \|date=2021-09-24 \|title=A late-surviving stem-ctenophore from the Late Devonian of Miguasha (Canada) \|journal=Scientific Reports \|volume=11 \|issue=1 \|pages=19039 \|doi=10.1038/s41598-021-98362-5 \|issn=2045-2322 \|pmc=8463547 \|pmid=34561497}} \|MHNM 24–01. \| \|

class="wikitable" align="center"

colspan="6" align="center" | Ctenophores

Genus

Species

Presence

!Material

Notes

Images

Daihuoides

|D. jakobvintheri

| Miguasha, Quebec.{{Cite journal |last1=Klug |first1=Christian |last2=Kerr |first2=Johanne |last3=Lee |first3=Michael S. Y. |last4=Cloutier |first4=Richard |date=2021-09-24 |title=A late-surviving stem-ctenophore from the Late Devonian of Miguasha (Canada) |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=19039 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-98362-5 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=8463547 |pmid=34561497}}

|MHNM 24–01.

=Plants=

colspan="6" align="center" \| Plants
class="wikitable" align="center"
Genus	Species	Presence !Material	Notes	Images
Archaeopteris \|A. halliana \| \| \| \|
Barynophyton \| \| \| \| \|
Flabellofolium \| \| \| \| \|
Protobarynophyton \| \| \| \| \|
Spermasporites \| \| \| \| \|

References

{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org|access-date= 17 December 2021|archive-date= 25 March 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220325060448/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=home|url-status= live}}

Category:Devonian Quebec

Category:Devonian southern paleotemperate deposits

Category:Frasnian Stage

Category:Geologic formations of Quebec

Category:Long stubs with short prose