Trinidad [Melajo Clay Mbr, Springvale Fm] (Miocene of Trinidad and Tobago)

Where: Trinidad and Tobago (10.6° N, 61.1° W: paleocoordinates 10.5° N, 59.6° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Melajo Clay Member (Springvale Formation), Late/Upper Miocene (11.6 - 5.3 Ma)

• LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY: The Melajo Clay Member of the Springvale Formation, which is correlated with the Savaneta Glaconitic Sandstone Member of the Springvale Formation, although part of it may be younger. AGE: Late Miocene in Woodring (1973, 1982). STRATIGRAPHIC POSITION: Composite list for member.

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: offshore; unlithified, black claystone

• The Melajo fauna can be divided into two assemblages: one occurring the limestone and coarse sand near the base of the Melajo Clay, the other on in the overlying clay and silty clay. The difference of the two assemblages is facies controlled. The basal assemblage represents a typical, tropical, near-shore fauna, whereas the overlying assemblage points to a deeper environment. This collection is derived from the clay assemblage, a siliciclastic and deeper water environment and is hence assigned to a siliciclastic - offshore environment.
• LITHOLOGY: Clay. LITHIFICATION: Unlithified, on the basis of figured specimens.

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: COLLECTORS: Unknown. REPOSITORY: Unknown.

Primary reference: W. P. Woodring. 1957. Geology and Paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 306(A) [A. Miller/A. Hendy/A. Hendy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 96514: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 10.06.2010

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• COVERAGE: Limited to taxa miscellaneously mentioned in text. NOMENCLATURE: Authoritative publication, with modern nomenclature, and species-resolution identifications.
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Bivalvia
 Ostreida - Pinnidae
Atrina (Serratrina) serrata10
Atrina (Serratrina) serrata10 Sowerby 1825 oyster
 Pholadida - Corbulidae
Corbula (Juliacorbula) fossilis1, Varicorbula islatrinitatis11
Varicorbula islatrinitatis11 Maury 1925 clam
 Cardiida - Tellinidae
Tellidora cristata11
Tellidora cristata11 Récluz 1842 tellin clam
 Cardiida - Semelidae
Semele laevis11
Semele laevis11 Sowerby 1833 clam
SUBSPECIES: Semele laevis costaricensis
Gastropoda
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
Parametaria prototypus3, Sincola (Dorsina) melajoensis2, Sincola (Sincola) crassilabrum2
 Neogastropoda - Cancellariidae
Euclia codazzii5, Narona semota5
Euclia codazzii5 Anderson 1929 snail
Narona semota5 Jung 1969 snail
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
"Chicoreus (Chicoreus) cornurectus" = Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus7, "Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus" = Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus4, Haustellum chrysostoma6
"Chicoreus (Chicoreus) cornurectus" = Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus7 Guppy 1876 murex snail
"Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus" = Chicoreus (Triplex) cornurectus4 Guppy 1876 murex snail
 Neogastropoda - Terebridae
Strioterebrum spiriferum9
Strioterebrum spiriferum9 Dall 1895 auger snail
 Naticoidea - Naticidae
Polinices stanislasmeunieri
Polinices stanislasmeunieri Maury 1917 moon snail
 Cypraeoidea - Cypraeidae
"Cypraea (Muracypraea) henekeni" = Muracypraea henekeni8
"Cypraea (Muracypraea) henekeni" = Muracypraea henekeni8 Sowerby 1850 cowry
 Vermetoidea - Vermetidae
Serpulorbis papulosus8
Serpulorbis papulosus8 Guppy 1866 worm shell
 Calyptraeoidea - Calyptraeidae
Crucibulum (Dispotaea) springvalensis
1Anderson 1996; 2Jung 1989; 3Jung 1994; 4Landau and Marques da Silva 2010; 5Landau et al. 2012; 6Vokes 1990; 7Vokes 1998; 8Woodring 1959; 9Woodring 1970; 10Woodring 1973; 11Woodring 1982