San Nicholas Island (SN-2) (Quaternary of the United States)

Also known as Vedder & Norris (1963) SN-2

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: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 37948: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 27.03.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Comprehensive for invertebrates
unclassified
  -
Anthozoa
 Scleractinia - Dendrophylliidae
Balanophyllia elegans Verrill 1864 stony coral
Echinoidea
 Camarodonta - Strongylocentrotidae
Strongylocentrotus cf. franciscanus Agassiz 1863 sea urchin
Polyplacophora
 Neoloricata - Mopaliidae
Mopalia cf. muscosa Gould 1846 chiton
Gastropoda
 Patellida - Lottiidae
Acmaea sp. n. sp., Acmaea mitra, "Acmaea digitalis" = Lottia digitalis, "Acmaea scabra" = Lottia scabra, "Acmaea scutum" = Lottia scutum
Acmaea sp. n. sp. Eschscholtz 1830 limpet
Acmaea mitra Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
"Acmaea digitalis" = Lottia digitalis Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
"Acmaea scabra" = Lottia scabra Gould 1846 limpet
"Acmaea scutum" = Lottia scutum Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
 Trochoidea - Turbinidae
"Astraea gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa, "Homalopoma cf. carpenteri" = Homalopoma (Homalopoma) luridum
"Astraea gibberosa" = Pomaulax gibberosa Dillwyn 1817 red turban
"Homalopoma cf. carpenteri" = Homalopoma (Homalopoma) luridum Dall 1885 snail
 Trochoidea - Phasianellidae
"Tricolia cf. pulloides" = Eulithidium pulloides
"Tricolia cf. pulloides" = Eulithidium pulloides Carpenter 1865 snail
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
"Tegula funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale, "Tegula brunnea" = Chlorostoma brunnea, "Pupillaria cf. parcipicta" = Lirularia parcipicta, "Pupillaria cf. optabilis" = Lirularia optabilis
"Tegula funebralis" = Chlorostoma funebrale Adams 1855 top snail
"Tegula brunnea" = Chlorostoma brunnea Philippi 1849 top snail
"Pupillaria cf. parcipicta" = Lirularia parcipicta Carpenter 1864 top snail
"Pupillaria cf. optabilis" = Lirularia optabilis Carpenter 1864 top snail
 Lepetellida - Fissurellidae
Diodora aspera Rathke 1833 snail
 Lepetellida - Haliotidae
Haliotis cf. rufescens Swainson 1822 abalone
Haliotis cracherodii Leach 1814 abalone
 Vanikoroidea - Eulimidae
"Balcis cf. prefalcata" = Vitreolina macra
"Balcis cf. prefalcata" = Vitreolina macra Bartsch 1917 snail
 Neotaenioglossa - Calyptraeidae
Crepidula onyx Sowerby 1824 slipper shell
Crepidula adunca Sowerby 1824 slipper shell
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
"Bittium eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii
"Bittium eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii Middendorff 1849 cerith snail
Subspecies: Bittium eschrichtii montereyense
 Sorbeoconcha - Rissoidae
Rissoina cf. hannai, ""Rissoina" aequisculpta" = Alvinia aequisculpta, "Alvania cf. acutelirata" = Actonia compacta, "Rissoina aff. dalli" = Zebina dalli
""Rissoina" aequisculpta" = Alvinia aequisculpta Keep 1887 snail
"Alvania cf. acutelirata" = Actonia compacta Carpenter 1864 snail
"Rissoina aff. dalli" = Zebina dalli Bartsch 1915 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Barleeiidae
""Diala" marmorea" = Pseudodiala acuta Carpenter 1864 snail
Barleeia cf. oldroydi Bartsch 1920 snail
Barleeia cf. subtenuis Carpenter 1864 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Vermetidae
Petaloconchus complicatus Dall 1908 worm shell
"Spiroglyphus lituellus" = Dendropoma lituella Morch 1861 worm shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Hipponicidae
Antisabia panamensis2 Adams 1852 hoof shell
 Neogastropoda - Olividae
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata Sowerby 1825 olive snail
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
Ceratostoma cf. foliatum, "Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida, "Ocenebra cf. interfossa" = Paciocinebrina interfossa
Ceratostoma cf. foliatum Gmelin 1791 murex snail
"Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida Middendorff 1848 murex snail
"Ocenebra cf. interfossa" = Paciocinebrina interfossa Carpenter 1864 murex snail
 Neogastropoda - Cystiscidae
"Gibberulina pyriformis" = Granulina margaritula
"Gibberulina pyriformis" = Granulina margaritula Carpenter 1857 snail
 Neogastropoda - Mitridae
"Mitra idae" = Mitra (Atrimitra) idae
"Mitra idae" = Mitra (Atrimitra) idae Melville 1893 mitre shell
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
"Searlesia" dira Reeve 1846 true whelk
 Neogastropoda - Siphonaliidae
Calicantharus fortis Carpenter 1866 snail
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
Amphissa ? versicolor, "Mitrella carinata" = Alia carinata
Amphissa ? versicolor Dall 1871 snail
"Mitrella carinata" = Alia carinata Hinds 1844 dovesnail
 Neogastropoda - Mitromorphidae
"Mitromorpha cf. filosa" = Mitromorpha carpenteri
"Mitromorpha cf. filosa" = Mitromorpha carpenteri Glibert 1954 snail
 Neogastropoda - Turridae
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
"Conus cf. californicus" = Californiconus californicus
"Conus cf. californicus" = Californiconus californicus Reeve 1844 cone shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Elachisinidae
 Sorbeoconcha - Vitrinellidae
Vitrinella cf. oldroydi Bartsch 1907 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Caecidae
Caecum californicum Dall 1885 snail
"Caecum dalli" = Caecum quadratum Carpenter 1857 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Littorinidae
"Lacuna ? unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata, "Lacuna cf. carinata" = Lacuna (Epheria) carinata, "Littorina planaxis" = Littorina (Neritrema) keenae
"Lacuna ? unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata Carpenter 1857 periwinkle
"Lacuna cf. carinata" = Lacuna (Epheria) carinata Gould 1848 periwinkle
"Littorina planaxis" = Littorina (Neritrema) keenae Rosewater 1978 periwinkle
 Sorbeoconcha - Procerithiidae
"Bittium ? armillatum" = Lirobittium armillatum
"Bittium ? armillatum" = Lirobittium armillatum Carpenter 1864 snail
 Heterostropha - Trimusculidae
Trimusculus reticulatus Sowerby 1835 button snail
  -
"Daphnella cf. fuscoligata" = Clathromangelia fuscoligata
"Daphnella cf. fuscoligata" = Clathromangelia fuscoligata Dall 1871 snail
Bivalvia
 Carditida - Carditidae
"Glans subquadrata" = Glans carpenteri
"Glans subquadrata" = Glans carpenteri Lamy 1922 clam
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
Epilucina californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Thraciida - Thraciidae
"Thracia curta" = Thracia (Ixartia) curta
"Thracia curta" = Thracia (Ixartia) curta Conrad 1837 clam
 Pholadida - Pholadidae
Penitella ? penita Conrad 1837 clam
 Cardiida - Veneridae
"Irus lamellifer" = Irusella lamellifera, Humilaria cf. perlaminosa, "Protothaca cf. staminea" = Leukoma staminea, Saxidomus nuttalli, "Transennella tantilla" = Nutricola tantilla, "Petricola carditoides" = Petricola (Petricola) carditoides
"Irus lamellifer" = Irusella lamellifera Conrad 1837 venus clam
Humilaria cf. perlaminosa Conrad 1855 venus clam
"Protothaca cf. staminea" = Leukoma staminea Conrad 1837 venus clam
Saxidomus nuttalli Conrad 1837 venus clam
"Transennella tantilla" = Nutricola tantilla Gould 1853 venus clam
"Petricola carditoides" = Petricola (Petricola) carditoides Conrad 1837 venus clam
 Cardiida - Chamidae
Chama arcana1 Bernard 1976 jewel box
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
"Trachycardium ? quadragenarium" = Dallocardia quadragenarium
"Trachycardium ? quadragenarium" = Dallocardia quadragenarium Conrad 1837 cockle
 Cardiida - Semelidae
Cumingia californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Cardiida - Psammobiidae
"Gari cf. californica" = Gari (Gobraeus) californica
"Gari cf. californica" = Gari (Gobraeus) californica Conrad 1849 clam
 Cardiida - Lasaeidae
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni, "Kellia laperousii" = Kellia suborbicularis
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni Gmelin 1791 clam
"Kellia laperousii" = Kellia suborbicularis Montague 1803 clam
 Mytilida - Mytilidae
Mytilus californianus Conrad 1837 mussel
 Arcida - Glycymerididae
"Glycymeris subobsoleta" = Glycymeris septentrionalis
"Glycymeris subobsoleta" = Glycymeris septentrionalis Middendorf 1849 clam
 Pectinida - Pectinoidae
"Chlamys hastatus" = Chlamys hastata, "Hinnites giganteus" = Crassadoma gigantea
"Chlamys hastatus" = Chlamys hastata Sowerby 1842 scallop
"Hinnites giganteus" = Crassadoma gigantea Gray 1825 scallop
Thecostraca
 Balanomorpha - Balanidae