60

the late Norian zone of Pinacoceras is equivalent to that of Monotis sub-
circularts. The Rhaetic zone of Choristoceras marsht Hauer and Pteria
aff. contorta Portlock, present in the Gabbs formation, is not known in the
Peace River Foothills, nor anywhere else in North America.

The lower part of the Pardonet beds, with Tropites, is correlated with
the lower part of the Hosselkus limestone of California. The upper part,
with Monotis subcircularis, is correlated with the Brock shale of California.

Correlation with Europe and Asia has been attempted by McLearn
(1947) and will receive more attention in a forthcoming report on the
Triassic of northeastern British Columbia. It is probable that the
Stikinoceras, Tropites, and ‘Styrites’ ireneanus faunas are of late Karnian,
or Tropitan age in Spath’s chronology. The Cyrtopleurites cf. bicrenatus
or Drepanites tauna, including Juvavites biornatus and Pterotoceras caurinum,
and the Himavatites fauna are of Norian age. The Monotis subcircularis
fauna may be of late Norian time. No evidence of Rhactic age has been
found. Thus in terms of European nomenclature the Pardonet beds may
range in time from late Karnian to late Norian or fairly early to fairly late
Upper Triassic.

JURASSIC

The Jurassic system has not been thoroughly studied in northeastern
British Columbia. Beds comparable with those of the Fernie group of the
central and southern Foothills of Alberta have been observed, and it is
possible that a lower part of the Bullhead group is of Jurassic age.

FERNIE GROUP
Definition

Spieker (1921) evidently intended that the formational name ‘Pine
River’ should apply to the Jurassic shales lying between the Triassic beds
below and the sandstone of the Bullhead group above, in Pine River Valley
and, presumably also, in all of northeastern British Columbia. Wickenden
and Shaw (1943), however, have pointed out that the shales of the Pine
hiver formation at the type locality are not of Jurassic but of Lower
Cretaceous age, and comparable with the Moosebar shales of the Peace
River section. As a result, Hage (1944) has recommended that the name
‘Fernie’, long used for Jurassic strata in the southern and central Foothills,
be applied to the Jurassic shales in northeastern British Columbia.

Pine River Valley

Spieker (1921) and Williams and Bocock (1932) record Jurassic shales
in several parts of Pine River Valley. Stelck (1941) describes 835 feet of
shale, siltstone, and some fine sandstone on Le Moray Mountain, on the
nope part of Pine River. He also collected Jurassic fossils from Gold

reek.

Peace River Foothills

Dark shales, with sandy and clay ironstone layers at some horizons,
outcrop on the southern slope of Branham Ridge west of Adams Creek
(See Figure 8). They are mostly concealed and disturbed by landslides,
but are exposed in a small creek draining the south slope of this ridge, and