San Nicholas Island (SN-8) (Quaternary of the United States)

Also known as Vedder & Norris (1963) SN-8

Where: Ventura County, California (33.2° N, 119.5° W: paleocoordinates 33.2° N, 119.2° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Unnamed Formation, Quaternary (2.6 - 0.0 Ma)

• Dune sand and fossiliferous marine terrace deposits of Quaternary age. These overlie Eocene strata. Fossils come from seven well-developed wave-cut platforms at altitudes of 25 to 990 feet. Several submerged terraces are present on the shelf adjacent to the island., the lowest being 400 ft below sea-level. Presumably all the terrace platforms on San Nicholas Island were cut later than the middle Pleistocene diastrophism recognized elsewhere in southern California. Terrace platforms are covered with a variety of sediments of marine and non-marine origin and range in thickness from a few inches to many feet.

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: coastal; pebbly, shelly/skeletal, conglomeratic, calcareous sandstone

• Higher emergent terraces may represent wave-abraded platforms that were eroded during eustatic changes in sea level combined with tectonic uplift. The lowest emergent terrace may have been cut during eustatic sea-level changes followed by very slight regional seaward warping. Presumably all the terrace platforms on San Nicholas Island were cut later than the middle Pleistocene diastrophism recognized elsewhere in southern California
• Generally comprise poorly sorted calcareous sand and gravel composed primarily of mollusc shell fragments, echinoid plates and spines, calcareous algae, and bryozoans.

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: quarrying,

• Collections made by Vedder et al (1955-1956). Earlier collections by Cooper (1894), and Howard (1955)

Primary reference: J. G. Vedder and R. M. Norris. 1963. Geology of San Nicolas Island, California. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 369:1-65 [A. Miller/A. Hendy/P. Wagner]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 37942: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 27.03.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Comprehensive for invertebrates
Gastropoda
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
"Mitrella cf. carinata" = Alia carinata
"Mitrella cf. carinata" = Alia carinata Hinds 1844 dovesnail
 Sorbeoconcha - Hipponicidae
Hipponix cf. tumens Carpenter 1864 hoof shell
 Trochoidea - Turbinidae
"Astraea gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa
"Astraea gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa Dillwyn 1817 red turban
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
"Tegula ? funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale, "Tegula ? brunnea" = Chlorostoma brunnea
"Tegula ? funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale Adams 1855 top snail
"Tegula ? brunnea" = Chlorostoma brunnea Philippi 1849 top snail
 Lepetellida - Haliotidae
Haliotis cf. cracherodii Leach 1814 abalone
 Patellida - Lottiidae
"Acmaea cf. limatula" = Lottia limatula, "Acmaea ? scabra" = Lottia scabra, Acmaea sp. n. sp.
"Acmaea cf. limatula" = Lottia limatula Carpenter 1864 limpet
"Acmaea ? scabra" = Lottia scabra Gould 1846 limpet
Acmaea sp. n. sp. Eschscholtz 1830 limpet
Bivalvia
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
Epilucina californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Carditida - Carditidae
"Glans subquadrata" = Glans carpenteri
"Glans subquadrata" = Glans carpenteri Lamy 1922 clam
Echinoidea
 Camarodonta - Strongylocentrotidae
Strongylocentrotus ? purpuratus Stimpson 1857 sea urchin