PL3004, NW Buckley Point (Paleocene of Australia)

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

• coordinate based on political unit

• small collection-level geographic resolution

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

Environment/lithology: coastal; poorly lithified, shelly/skeletal 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.
• shelly 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 6268: authorized by Arnold Miller, entered by Karen Layou on 15.02.2000

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Cephalopoda
 Nautilida - Hercoglossidae
Aturoidea distans Teichert 1943 nautiloid
 Nautilida - Nautilidae
Eutrephoceras victorianum Teichert 1943 nautiloid
Gastropoda
  -
Gastropoda indet. Cuvier 1795 snail
 Trochoidea - Solariellidae
 Trochoidea - Colloniidae
 Seguenzioidea - Eucyclidae
 Epitonioidea - Epitoniidae
Opalia ? sp. Adams and Adams 1853 wentletrap
 Cerithioidea - Turritellidae
Colposigma uniangulata n. sp. turret shell
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
? Austrofusus crassiaulatus n. sp. true whelk
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
Fusinus sp. Rafinesque 1815 snail
fragmentary specimen
 Neogastropoda - Melongenidae
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
Marshallaria tumefacta n. sp. cone shell
 Neogastropoda - Columbariidae
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
Naticidae indet. Guilding 1834 moon snail
Naticid sp. a (1), Naticid sp. b (1)
Euspira saxosulensis n. sp. moon snail
 Heterostropha - Acteonidae
 Heterostropha - Ringiculidae
 Heterostropha - Pyramidellidae
Odostomia sp. Fleming 1817 snail
Bivalvia
 Pectinida - Limidae
Limea multicostulifera n. sp. file clam
 Poromyida - Cuspidariidae
Cuspidaria obbata n. sp. clam
Scaphopoda
 Gadilida -
Compressidens laticornuata n. sp. tusk shell
 Dentaliida - Dentaliidae