Molluscan assemblages, Aldabra Atoll, Aldabra Limestone 3 (Pleistocene of Seychelles)

Also known as Reef 3806

Where: Seychelles (9.4° S, 46.4° E: paleocoordinates 9.4° S, 46.5° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Aldabra Limestone Formation, Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• 125 000 years (Thompson and Walton 1972)

Environment/lithology: perireef or subreef; limestone

• richest and most diverse atoll-edge facies; high-energy conditions
• facies 3: Faviid coral-dominated facies; pinnacles of often prolific coral growth which are separated by areas of coarse calcarenite made up largely of coral, algal, and molluscan debris

Size class: macrofossils

Collected in 1969; reposited in the BMNH

• June-September 1969, small additional quantity in 1973 m, altogether 300 specimens found in Aldabra Limestone

Primary reference: J. D. Taylor. 1978. Faunal response to the instability of reef habitats: Pleistocene molluscan assemblages of Aldabra Atoll. Palaeontology 21(1):1-30 [W. Kiessling/A. Girndt]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 81007: authorized by Wolfgang Kiessling, entered by Antje Girndt on 26.05.2008

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Hydrozoa
 Milleporina -
Millepora sp. fire coral
common
Anthozoa
 Scleractinia - Lobophylliidae
Symphyllia sp. Milne-Edwards and Haime 1848 stony coral
common
 Scleractinia - Acroporidae
"Acropora palifera" = Isopora palifera, "Acropora formosa" = Acropora muricata, Acropora humilis
"Acropora palifera" = Isopora palifera Lamarck 1816 stony coral
common
"Acropora formosa" = Acropora muricata Linnaeus 1758 stony coral
common
Acropora humilis Dana 1846 stony coral
common
 Scleractinia - Pocilloporidae
Pocillopora sp. Lamarck 1816 stony coral
common
 Scleractinia - Poritidae
Porites sp. Link 1807 stony coral
common
 Scleractinia - Merulinidae
Platygyra sp. Ehrenberg 1834 stony coral
common
Leptoria sp. Milne-Edwards and Haime 1848 stony coral
common
 Scleractinia - Faviidae
Favia sp. Oken 1815 stony coral
frequent
Gastropoda
 Trochoidea - Turbinidae
"Turbo argyrostomus" = Turbo (Marmarostoma) argyrostomus
"Turbo argyrostomus" = Turbo (Marmarostoma) argyrostomus Linnaeus 1758 snail
abundant
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
Clanculus sp. Monfort 1810 top snail
abundant
Trochus sp. Linnaeus 1758 top snail
abundant
 Ptenoglossa - Thaididae
Drupella cornus snail
abundant
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
Cerithium echiatum cerith snail
 Neogastropoda - Olividae
Olivella sp. Swainson 1831 olive snail
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
Peristernia nassatula snail
common
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
"Columbella turturina" = Pyrene turturina
"Columbella turturina" = Pyrene turturina Lamarck 1822 snail
common
 Neogastropoda - Terebridae
Terebra sp. Bruguière 1789 auger snail
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
Magilus sp. Monfort 1810 murex snail
abundant
Coralliophila violacea murex snail
abundant
 Neogastropoda - Harpidae
Harpa sp. Röding 1798 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
"Cypraea cicercula" = Pustularia cicercula, "Cypraea helvola" = Cypraea (Erosaria) helvola, "Cypraea nucleus" = Cypraea (Staphylaea) nucleus, "Cypraea staphylaea" = Staphylaea (Staphylaea) staphylaea
"Cypraea cicercula" = Pustularia cicercula Linnaeus 1758 cowry
common
"Cypraea helvola" = Cypraea (Erosaria) helvola Linnaeus 1758 cowry
common
"Cypraea nucleus" = Cypraea (Staphylaea) nucleus Linnaeus 1758 cowry
common
"Cypraea staphylaea" = Staphylaea (Staphylaea) staphylaea Linnaeus 1758 cowry
common
Bivalvia
 Arcida - Arcidae
"Barbatia fusca" = Barbatia (Ustularca) fusca
"Barbatia fusca" = Barbatia (Ustularca) fusca Bruguiére 1792 clam
 Pectinida - Pectinoidae
"Chlamys cuneolus" = Pascahinnites coruscans
"Chlamys cuneolus" = Pascahinnites coruscans Hinds 1845 scallop
 Cardiida - Trapezidae
Trapezium sp. Mühlfeld 1811 clam
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
Tridacna sp. Bruguière 1797 cockle
 Cardiida - Tellinidae
Scutarcopagia scobinata Linnaeus 1758 tellin clam