Cap Staratschin (Paleocene to of Svalbard and Jan Mayen)

Where: Svalbard and Jan Mayen (78.1° N, 14.2° E: paleocoordinates 71.6° N, 10.3° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Firkanten Formation, Danian to Danian (66.0 - 59.2 Ma)

• Taxodium layers were originally assumed to be of Miocene age but are now thought to be Paleocene. Fossils come from basal part of formation, probably Danian or Selandian.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: delta plain; lithified, black shale

• "The lower, coal-bearing part is deltaic in origin and represents a stacked series of units interpreted as deltaic lobes. The upper part is more thoroughly marine and apparently represents a series of barrier shoreline developments. The overall transgressive trend in the unit, with coastline retreat towards the east and northeast, is typical for the earliest infill of foreland basins."

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: adpression

Collected by A.E. Nordenskiold in 1868

• Materials at Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet in Stockholm

Primary reference: O. Heer. 1870. Die Miocene flora und fauna Spitzbergens. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar, Ny Följd 8(7):1-98 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 122011: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 14.12.2011

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Specimens originally named as Blatta hyperborea, Chrysomelites lindhageni, Chrysomelites thulensis, Curculionites costulatus, Curculionites thoracicus, Donacia parvula, Donacia smittiana, Elytridium deplanata, Hydrobius nauckhoffi, Laccophilus parvulus, Phytonidium metallicum, and Sipha? deplanata are considered to be nomina relicta by Birket-Smith because they are either plant fragments or dubiofossils.
Pythonidium metallicum
  -
Pythonidium metallicum n. gen. n. sp.
Pythonidium metallicum n. gen. n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 52a(b)
Donacia parvula
  -
Donacia parvula n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 42a,b
Blatta hyperborea
  -
Blatta hyperborea n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 33
Donacia smithiana
  -
Donacia smithiana n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 43
Curculionites thoracicus
  -
Curculionites thoracicus n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 41
Laccophilus parvulus
  -
Laccophilus parvulus n. sp. Heer 1870
Silpha deplanata
  -
Silpha deplanata n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 45
Hydrobius nauckhoffi
  -
Hydrobius nauckhoffi n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 44a(b)
Curculionites costulatus
  -
Curculionites costulatus n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 38a,b
Chrysomelites lindhageni
  -
Chrysomelites lindhageni n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 36a,b
Chrysomelites thulensis
  -
Chrysomelites thulensis n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 37a,b
Elytridium deplanatum
  -
Elytridium deplanatum n. sp. Heer 1870
NRM Ar. 51
Insecta
 Coleoptera - Carabidae
"Carabites nitens n. sp." = Harpalus nitens
"Carabites nitens n. sp." = Harpalus nitens Heer 1870 ground beetle
NRM Ar. 35
 Coleoptera - Buprestidae
"Carabites hyperboreus n. sp." = Stigmodera hyperboreus
"Carabites hyperboreus n. sp." = Stigmodera hyperboreus Heer 1870 jewel beetle
NRM Ar. 34
 Coleoptera - Elateridae
"Curculionites taxodii n. sp." = Lissomus taxodii, "Elater holmgreni n. sp." = Athous holmgreni, "Elater ehrenswaerdi n. sp." = Semiotus ehrenswaerdi
"Curculionites taxodii n. sp." = Lissomus taxodii Heer 1870 click beetle
NRM Ar. 40
"Elater holmgreni n. sp." = Athous holmgreni Heer 1870 click beetle
NRM Ar. 53
"Elater ehrenswaerdi n. sp." = Semiotus ehrenswaerdi Heer 1870 click beetle
NRM Ar. 54a(b); c and d are plant fragments
 Coleoptera - Chrysomelidae
"Elytridium scabriusculum n. sp." = Coelocassida scabriusculum
"Elytridium scabriusculum n. sp." = Coelocassida scabriusculum Heer 1870 leaf beetle
NRM Ar. 48
 Coleoptera - Scarabaeidae
"Elytridium rugulosum n. sp." = Onthophagus spitsbergeniensis
"Elytridium rugulosum n. sp." = Onthophagus spitsbergeniensis Krell 2010 scarab beetle
NRM Ar. 49
 Coleoptera - Hydrophilidae
"Elytridium undecimstriatum n. sp." = Helochares undecimstriatum
"Elytridium undecimstriatum n. sp." = Helochares undecimstriatum Heer 1870 water scavenger beetle
NRM Ar. 47
 Coleoptera - Hydraenidae
"Curculionites nitidulus n. sp." = Ochthebius nitidulus
"Curculionites nitidulus n. sp." = Ochthebius nitidulus Heer 1870 minute moss beetle
NRM Ar. 39
 Hymenoptera - Ichneumonidae
"Myrmicium boreale n. sp." = Promyrmicium boreale
"Myrmicium boreale n. sp." = Promyrmicium boreale Heer 1870 ichneumon wasp
NRM Ar. 50
 Hemiptera - Reduviidae
Hymenopterites deperditus n. gen. n. sp. Heer 1870 assassin bug
NRM Ar. 46