San Nicholas Island (SN-5) (Quaternary of the United States)

Also known as Vedder & Norris (1963) SN-5

Where: Ventura County, California (33.2° N, 119.6° 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 37945: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 27.03.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Comprehensive for invertebrates
unclassified
  -
Echinoidea
 Camarodonta - Strongylocentrotidae
Strongylocentrotus cf. franciscanus Agassiz 1863 sea urchin
Polyplacophora
 Neoloricata - Mopaliidae
Mopalia muscosa Gould 1846 chiton
Gastropoda
 Neotaenioglossa - Calyptraeidae
Crepidula cf. onyx Sowerby 1824 slipper shell
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
"Bittium eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii
"Bittium eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii Middendorff 1849 cerith snail
Subspecies: Bittium eschrichtii montereyense
 Sorbeoconcha - Cerithiopsidae
Cerithiopsis sp. Hanley 1849 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Littorinidae
"Lacuna ? unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata
"Lacuna ? unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata Carpenter 1857 periwinkle
 Sorbeoconcha - Barleeiidae
Barleeia cf. subtenuis Carpenter 1864 snail
""Diala" cf. marmorea" = Pseudodiala acuta Carpenter 1864 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Rissoidae
Alvania sp. n. sp., "Alvania purpurea" = Alvinia purpurea
Alvania sp. n. sp. Risso 1826 snail
"Alvania purpurea" = Alvinia purpurea Dall 1871 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Vermetidae
Petaloconchus anellum, "Spiroglyphus cf. lituellus" = Dendropoma lituella
"Spiroglyphus cf. lituellus" = Dendropoma lituella Morch 1861 worm shell
 Neogastropoda - Olividae
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata Sowerby 1825 olive snail
 Neogastropoda - Mitridae
"Mitra idae" = Mitra (Atrimitra) idae
"Mitra idae" = Mitra (Atrimitra) idae Melville 1893 mitre shell
 Neogastropoda - Siphonaliidae
Calicantharus fortis Carpenter 1866 snail
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
"Searlesia" dira Reeve 1846 true whelk
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
"Mitrella carinata" = Alia carinata, "Mitrella cf. carinata" = Alia carinata
"Mitrella carinata" = Alia carinata Hinds 1844 dovesnail
"Mitrella cf. carinata" = Alia carinata Hinds 1844 dovesnail
Subspecies: Mitrella carinata gausapata
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
"Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida
"Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida Middendorff 1848 murex snail
 Neogastropoda -
"Barbarofusus ? arnoldi" = Harfordia arnoldi
"Barbarofusus ? arnoldi" = Harfordia arnoldi Cossmann 1903 snail
 Neogastropoda - Pseudomelatomidae
Pseudomelatoma ? torosa Gabb 1864 snail
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
"Conus cf. californicus" = Californiconus californicus
"Conus cf. californicus" = Californiconus californicus Reeve 1844 cone shell
 Neogastropoda - Mangeliidae
"Mangelia cf. variegata" = Tenaturris variegata
"Mangelia cf. variegata" = Tenaturris variegata Carpenter 1864 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Caecidae
Caecum californicum Dall 1885 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Procerithiidae
"Bittium cf. attenuatum" = Lirobittium attenuatum
"Bittium cf. attenuatum" = Lirobittium attenuatum Carpenter 1864 snail
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
"Tegula funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale, ""Tegula" ? montereyi" = Chlorostoma montereyi
"Tegula funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale Adams 1855 top snail
""Tegula" ? montereyi" = Chlorostoma montereyi Kiener 1850 top snail
 Trochoidea - Phasianellidae
"Tricolia cf. pulloides" = Eulithidium pulloides
"Tricolia cf. pulloides" = Eulithidium pulloides Carpenter 1865 snail
 Trochoidea - Turbinidae
"Homalopoma ? carpenteri" = Homalopoma (Homalopoma) luridum, "Astraea cf. gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa
"Homalopoma ? carpenteri" = Homalopoma (Homalopoma) luridum Dall 1885 snail
"Astraea cf. gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa Dillwyn 1817 red turban
 Lepetellida - Fissurellidae
Diodora cf. aspera Rathke 1833 snail
 Lepetellida - Haliotidae
Haliotis cf. cracherodii Leach 1814 abalone
 Patellida - Lottiidae
"Acmaea limatula" = Lottia limatula, "Acmaea scabra" = Lottia scabra, "Acmaea pelta" = Lottia pelta, Acmaea sp. n. sp., Acmaea mitra
"Acmaea limatula" = Lottia limatula Carpenter 1864 limpet
"Acmaea scabra" = Lottia scabra Gould 1846 limpet
"Acmaea pelta" = Lottia pelta Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
Acmaea sp. n. sp. Eschscholtz 1830 limpet
Acmaea mitra Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
Bivalvia
 Cardiida - Lasaeidae
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni Gmelin 1791 clam
 Cardiida - Veneridae
"Transennella tantilla" = Nutricola tantilla
"Transennella tantilla" = Nutricola tantilla Gould 1853 venus clam
 Cardiida - Semelidae
Cumingia californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
"Clinocardium nuttallii" = Clinocardium (Clinocardium) nuttallii
"Clinocardium nuttallii" = Clinocardium (Clinocardium) nuttallii Conrad 1837 cockle
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
Epilucina californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Mytilida - Mytilidae
Mytilus californianus Conrad 1837 mussel
Thecostraca
 Balanomorpha - Balanidae
Anthozoa
 Scleractinia - Dendrophylliidae
Balanophyllia elegans Verrill 1864 stony coral