LATE DEVONIAN (FRASNIAN) BRACHIOPODS FROM THE WADLEIGH LIMESTONE, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

A brachiopod fauna from the upper part of the Wadleigh Limestone, Alex ander terrane, southeastern Alaska, is of late Frasnian age and includ es the new taxa Gypidula cornuta alaskensis n. subsp., Gypidula upaten sis n. sp., Gypidula perryi n. sp., Gypiduloides craigensis n. gen. an d sp., Parapugnax: schmidti n. sp., Westbroekina chaconenesis n: gen. and sp., Emanuella altus n. sp., Emanuella neumani n. sp., Adolfispiri fer sanjuanensis n. sp., Theodossia albertoensis n. sp., Cyrtospirifer paridaensis n. sp., and Tenticospirifer wadleighensis n. sp. A few ot her taxa are cosmopolitan or conspecific with species known from elsew here in western North America. The fauna overall may have North Americ an affinities but includes an unusual number of previously undescribed forms. This lends support to the view, based on the affinities of Fra snian conodonts from this same locality (Savage, 1992) and Famennian b rachiopods described from nearby (Savage et al., 1978), that these Ale xander terrane faunas were not in general communication with Late Devo nian North American cratonic faunas to the east.