PL3001, Dilwyn Cove (Paleocene of Australia)

Where: Victoria, Australia (38.7° S, 143.2° E: paleocoordinates 61.5° S, 147.0° E)

• coordinate based on political unit

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Pebble Point Formation, Thanetian (59.2 - 56.0 Ma)

Environment/lithology: coastal; poorly lithified, gray sandstone

• Some sedimentologists have characterized the Pebble Point Formation as having been deposited in marginal rather than open marine environments, based on the presence of the foram Cyclammina. Yet, the common presence of echinoderms as well as nautilid cephalopods, both intolerant of salinity much higher or lower than open ocean values argues against this. While numerous clasts are present, other evidence suggests quiet sedimentation rather than high energy. Pebble Point Formation thought to have been deposited during a series of channeling and channel abandonment episodes. Mud rip-up clasts and mud drapes indicate times of channel abandonment. Shelly fauna mostly come from the upper half, which may represent a change from estuarine conditions to more open marine conditions.
• collection from boulders on beach derived from 0.5m grey (weathered) sandstone

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: T. A. Darragh. 1997. Gastropoda, Scaphopoda, Cephalopoda, and new Bivalvia of the Paleocene Pebble Point Formation, Victoria, Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 109(1):57-108 [A. Miller/K. Layou]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 6266: authorized by Arnold Miller, entered by Karen Layou on 15.02.2000

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Cephalopoda
 Nautilida - Hercoglossidae
Aturoidea distans Teichert 1943 nautiloid
 Nautilida - Nautilidae
Eutrephoceras victorianum Teichert 1943 nautiloid
Gastropoda
  -
Gastropoda indet. Cuvier 1795 snail
2 fragments of last whorl
 Trochoidea - Solariellidae
 Trochoidea - Colloniidae
 Seguenzioidea - Eucyclidae
 Cerithioidea - Turritellidae
Turritellidae indet. Lovén 1847 turret shell
Colposigma uniangulata n. sp. turret shell
 Neogastropoda - Mitridae
? Mitra rhytidata n. sp. mitre shell
9 reasonably complete and 12 fragmentary specimens
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
Pseudoliva sp. Swainson 1840 true whelk
Pseudofax cf. ordinarius Marshall 1917 true whelk
? Austrofusus crassiaulatus n. sp. true whelk
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
Fusinus sp. Rafinesque 1815 snail
fragmentary specimens
 Neogastropoda - Melongenidae
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
Marshallaria tumefacta n. sp. cone shell
Marshallaria sp. Finlay and Marwick 1937 cone shell
M. sp. a (1), M. sp. (1)
 Neogastropoda - Borsoniidae
Zemacies procerior n. sp. snail
 Neogastropoda - Turridae
 Neogastropoda - Volutomitridae
 Neogastropoda - Columbariidae
 Neogastropoda -
 Sorbeoconcha - Ranellidae
Sassia sp. Bellardi 1872 triton shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
Naticidae indet. Guilding 1834 moon snail
Naticid sp. a
Euspira saxosulensis n. sp. moon snail
 Heterostropha - Acteonidae
Tenuiactaeon sp. Aldrich 1921 snail
Acteon sp. Montfort 1810 snail
A. sp. b
 Heterostropha - Ringiculidae
 Pteropoda - Spiratellidae
 Heterostropha - Pyramidellidae
Odostomia sp. Fleming 1817 snail
 Opisthobranchia - Cylichnidae
Cylichnania sp. Marwick 1931 snail
 Opisthobranchia -
Bivalvia
 Arcida - Glycymerididae
Glycymeris sp. Da Costa 1778 clam
one specimen and one fragment
 Pectinida - Limidae
Limea multicostulifera n. sp. file clam
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
? Jagolucina psephenata n. sp. clam
2 left valves
 Poromyida - Cuspidariidae
Cuspidaria obbata n. sp. clam
Scaphopoda
 Gadilida -
Compressidens laticornuata n. sp. tusk shell
 Gadilida - Gadilidae
Gadila laguncula n. sp. tusk shell
 Dentaliida - Dentaliidae