UPPER PALEOZOIC OSTRACODES OF THE HARPER RANCH BEDS (SOUTH-CENTRAL BRITISH-COLUMBIA, CANADA)

88 ostracode species have been found in the Upper Paleozoic Harper Ran ch beds of south-central British Columbia, Canada. They occur with thr ee different conodont associations that are dated as Early Carbonifero us (late Visean-early Namurian) and Early Permian (late Sakmarian, and early Artinskian). The composition of the oldest ostracode fauna sugg ests a younger, Late Carboniferous/Sakmarian age for that fauna, which suggests some stratigraphic admixture has occurred. The ostracodes ar e the first described from the region, and the Permian ostracodes are the first described from Canada. Two genera are new: Valentinia n. gen . and Victoria n. gen.; 7 species are new: Valentinia harperensis n. s p., Valentinia vermiformis n. sp., Valentinia dercourti n. sp., Victor ia hemicircularis n. sp., Victoria pinantonensis n. sp., Victoria post pleta n. sp., and Pseudobeyrichiopsis gerryi n. sp.; 17 species are fi rmly determined, 31 are compared to previously described material, and 40 species are in open nomenclature. Paleoecologically, the Carbonife rous fauna of Pinanton Lake has deep water features, whereas Early Per mian faunas are shallower; the late Sakmarian assemblage is indicative of the shallowest water.