Malekula [Malua Formation] (Pliocene of Vanuatu)

Where: Vanuatu (16.3° S, 167.5° E: paleocoordinates 16.2° S, 167.5° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Malua Formation (Matamaute Group), Pliocene (5.3 - 2.6 Ma)

• STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONS: From the Malua Fm, which regionally underlies the Tenmaru Limestone (Pleistocene). AGE: Pliocene in Abrard (1946) and supported by Ladd (1966, 1977, 1982), presumably on the basis of foraminiferal and macrofossil affinities to other dated Indo-Pacific faunas (e.g. Fiji).

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: coastal; unlithified, volcaniclastic, argillaceous sandstone

• ENVIRONMENT: Shallow marine, siliciclastic setting.
• SPECIFIC LITHOLOGY: Argillaceous and volcanoclastic sandstone. LITHIFICATION: Unlithified, based on figured specimens.

Size class: macrofossils

Collected by de la Rüe in 1934-1936

• COLLECTOR: E. A. de la Rüe (1934-1936). REPOSITORY: Not stated in text, possibly MNHN, Paris.

Primary reference: R. Abrard. 1946. Fossiles Néogénes et Quaternaires des Nouvelles-Hébrides. Annales de Paléontologie 32:1-112 [A. Hendy/A. Hendy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 77904: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 22.01.2008

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• COVERAGE: Exhaustive for gastropoda and bivalvia. NOMENCLATURE: Rather antiquated, but with species-resolution assignments. Nomenclature updated by Ladd (1966, 1977, 1982) where possible.
Tubothalamea
 Miliolida - Soritidae
Gastropoda
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
Cerithium (Ptychocerithium) rostratum, "Cerithium (Vertagus) turritum" = Rhinoclavis
Cerithium (Ptychocerithium) rostratum Sowerby 1855 cerith snail
"Cerithium (Vertagus) turritum" = Rhinoclavis cerith snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Strombidae
"Strombus (Canarium) dentatus" = Tridentarius dentatus, "Strombus (Canarium) floridus" = Canarium, "Strombus (Canarium) terebellus" = Canarium, "Strombus (Canarium) gendinganensis" = Canarium, "Strombus (Canarium) praegibberulus" = Canarium, Strombus (Canarium) haemastoma, "Strombus (Gallinula) malekulensis" = Strombus (Labiostrombus), "Strombus (Gallinula) minimus" = Strombus (Labiostrombus), "Strombus isabella" = Strombus (Laevistrombus) turturella
"Strombus (Canarium) dentatus" = Tridentarius dentatus Linnaeus 1758 true conch
"Strombus (Canarium) floridus" = Canarium true conch
"Strombus (Canarium) terebellus" = Canarium true conch
"Strombus (Canarium) gendinganensis" = Canarium true conch
"Strombus (Canarium) praegibberulus" = Canarium true conch
Strombus (Canarium) haemastoma Sowerby 1842 true conch
"Strombus (Gallinula) malekulensis" = Strombus (Labiostrombus) conch
"Strombus (Gallinula) minimus" = Strombus (Labiostrombus) conch
SUBSPECIES: Strombus (Gallinula) minimus
"Strombus isabella" = Strombus (Laevistrombus) turturella Röding 1798 conch
 Neogastropoda - Mitridae
Mitra praelavigata mitre shell
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
 Neogastropoda - Nassariidae
"Nassa (Niotha) auberti" = Nassarius (Niotha), "Nassa (Hinia) vitiensis" = Nassarius (Hinia)
"Nassa (Niotha) auberti" = Nassarius (Niotha) snail
"Nassa (Hinia) vitiensis" = Nassarius (Hinia) snail
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
Conus (Lithoconus) sugillatus Reeve 1844 cone shell
Conus (Dendroconus) odengensis Martin 1895 cone shell
Conus (Chleyconus) achatinus Gmelin 1791 cone shell
 Neogastropoda - Drilliidae
"Drillia (Clavus) unizonalis" = Clavus unizonalis
"Drillia (Clavus) unizonalis" = Clavus unizonalis Lamarck 1822 snail
 Neogastropoda - Turridae
"Pleurotoma tigrina" = Turris, "Pleurotoma cingulifera" = Lophiotoma cingulifera
"Pleurotoma tigrina" = Turris turrid
"Pleurotoma cingulifera" = Lophiotoma cingulifera Lamarck 1822 turrid
 Neogastropoda - Costellariidae
"Mitra (Costellaria) exasperata" = Vexillum (Costellaria)
"Mitra (Costellaria) exasperata" = Vexillum (Costellaria) ribbed mitre
 Sorbeoconcha - Ranellidae
"Tritonium (Simpulum) chlorostomus" = Charonia
"Tritonium (Simpulum) chlorostomus" = Charonia triton
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
"Notocochlis gualteriana" = Natica gualteriana
"Notocochlis gualteriana" = Natica gualteriana Récluz 1843 moon snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Rissoidae
 Heterostropha - Ringiculidae
"Auricula actaeoniformis" = Ringicula
"Auricula actaeoniformis" = Ringicula snail
 Opisthobranchia - Bullidae
 Opisthobranchia - Haminoeidae
 Opisthobranchia - Retusidae
"Cylichna (Mnestia) bizona" = Retusa bizona
"Cylichna (Mnestia) bizona" = Retusa bizona Adams 1850 snail
Bivalvia
 Pholadida - Pholadidae
Martesia striata Linnaeus 1758 clam
 Cardiida - Veneridae
"Circe tumefacta" = Circe (Circe) tumefacta, "Meretrix (Amiantis) philippinarum" = Lioconcha (Sulcilioconcha) philippinarum, "Meretrix (Lioconcha) picta" = Lioconcha (Lioconcha) ornata
"Circe tumefacta" = Circe (Circe) tumefacta Sowerby 1851 venus clam
"Meretrix (Amiantis) philippinarum" = Lioconcha (Sulcilioconcha) philippinarum Hanley 1844 venus clam
"Meretrix (Lioconcha) picta" = Lioconcha (Lioconcha) ornata Dillwyn 1817 venus clam
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
"Cardium (Ctenocardia) fornicatum" = Ctenocardia (Ctenocardia) fornicata, "Cardium (Laevicardium) multipunctatum" = Laevicardium multipunctatum
"Cardium (Ctenocardia) fornicatum" = Ctenocardia (Ctenocardia) fornicata Sowerby 1840 cockle
"Cardium (Laevicardium) multipunctatum" = Laevicardium multipunctatum Sowerby 1833 cockle
 Cardiida - Solecurtidae
"Solecurtus (Azor) coarctatus" = Azorinus coarctatus
"Solecurtus (Azor) coarctatus" = Azorinus coarctatus Gmelin 1791 clam
 Cardiida - Tellinidae
"Tellina (Arcopaginula) inflata" = Arcopaginula inflata, "Gastrana (Macoma) candida" = Psammacoma candida
"Tellina (Arcopaginula) inflata" = Arcopaginula inflata Gmelin 1791 tellin clam
"Gastrana (Macoma) candida" = Psammacoma candida Lamarck 1818 tellin clam
 Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
"Leda verconis" = Nuculana (Scaeoleda) verconis Tate 1891 pointed nut clam
Malacostraca
 Decapoda - Callianassidae
Callianassa armata Milne-Edwards 1870 decapod