Algal Debris Wackstone facies, Upper Coralline Limestone Fm. (Miocene of Malta)

Where: Malta (35.9° N, 14.4° E: paleocoordinates 35.7° N, 14.1° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Upper Coralline Limestone Formation, Messinian (7.2 - 5.3 Ma)

• Messinian or possibly late Tortonian in age

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: perireef or subreef; wackestone

• Bed thicknesses of this sediment range from 0.3 m to 1.8 m and it occurs

•vertically and laterally adjacent to the Crustose Algal Marl. At Tal Merhla these two sediment types interbed. Crustose marls are truncated by low-relief erosion surfaces overlain by Algal Debris Wackestone with large intraclasts of the former facies. Similarly, at Tal Mas 20 cm deep channels are found within the sediment. Compositionally this sediment differs from the Crustose Algal Marl only in the higher percentage of coralline algal crusts (40.3%). These crusts and shell debris are aligned parallel with the bedding and little is seen to be preserved in growth position. Presence of comminuted foraminiferal debris in the marly matrix.

• algal debris wackstone

Size classes: mesofossils, microfossils

Primary reference: D. W. J. Bosence. 1983. Coralline algae from the Miocene of Malta. Palaeontology 26:147-173 [W. Kiessling/M. Krause]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 141546: authorized by Wolfgang Kiessling, entered by Mihaela Krause on 28.03.2013

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Echinoidea
 Camarodonta - Echinidae
Echinus sp.
Echinus sp. Linnaeus 1758 sea urchin
 Clypeasteroida - Clypeasteridae
Clypeaster altus
Clypeaster altus sand dollar
Bivalvia
  -
Bivalvia indet.
Bivalvia indet. Linnaeus 1758 clam
Gymnolaemata
 Cheilostomata - Microporidae
Calpensia nobilis
Calpensia nobilis Esper 1796
Rhynchonellata
 Terebratulida - Terebratulidae
Terebratula terebratula
unclassified
  -
Porifera indet.
Porifera indet. Grant 1836
Florideophyceae
  - Corallinophycidae
Mesophyllum koritzae, Mesophyllum commune, Lithoporella melobesioides, Lithophyllum "sp. A", "Lithophyllum mgarrense" = Lithophyllum nitorum
Mesophyllum koritzae Lemoine 1924
Mesophyllum commune Lemoine 1939
Lithophyllum "sp. A" Philippi 1837
"Lithophyllum mgarrense" = Lithophyllum nitorum Adey and Adey 1973