Ramla (BMNH collection) (Oligocene of Israel)

Where: Israel (31.9° N, 34.9° E: paleocoordinates 29.4° N, 32.2° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Ramla Member (Lakhish Formation), Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• Based on planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils, Drooger (1986) ascribed the Ramla deposits to zone P21 (the upper half of the Pr. opima opima Zone).

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: slope; lithified limestone

• Drooger (1986) interpreted this deposit as mass-transported sediment embedded in open marine clays and marls. It is possible that many of the fossils are transported from shallower environments.
• 10 m of yellow limestone with minor bands of white chalky limestone and yellow marls. The lithology consists of collapsed beds and boulders of Lepidocyclina/Operculina calcarenites and boulders of Eocene chalk, all embedded in softer marl.

Size classes: macrofossils, microfossils

Preservation: cast

Reposited in the BMNH

Primary reference: L. R. Cox. 1934. On the occurence of the marine Oligocene in Palestine. Geological Magazine 71:337-355 [W. Kiessling/U. Merkel]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 99564: authorized by Wolfgang Kiessling, entered by Uta Merkel on 16.11.2010, edited by Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Foraminifera
 Nummulitacea - Nummulitidae
Cephalopoda
 Nautilida - Hercoglossidae
"Nautilus blakei" = Cimomia blakei
"Nautilus blakei" = Cimomia blakei Avnimelech 1947 nautiloid
Gastropoda
 Architaenioglossa - Ampullinidae
Globularia sp. Swainson 1840 snail
 Neogastropoda - Turbinellidae
"Xancus episomus" = Turbinella episoma
"Xancus episomus" = Turbinella episoma Michelotti 1861 snail
 Neogastropoda - Volutidae
"Neoathleta sp." = Athleta (Neoathleta)
"Neoathleta sp." = Athleta (Neoathleta) Bellardi 1890 volute
 Sorbeoconcha - Ficidae
Ficus condita Brongniart 1823 fig shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
"Natica" sp. Scopoli 1777 moon snail
Bivalvia
 Pectinida - Pectinoidae
"Pecten arcuatus" = Camptonectes (Camptonectes) auritus, "Chlamys (Aequipecten) deleta" = Aequipecten, "Chlamys (Aequipecten) quinquepartita" = Aequipecten, "Chlamys (Aequipecten) cf. perrugosa" = Aequipecten, "Chlamys (Aequipecten) judaica n. sp." = Aequipecten, Spondylus sp.
"Pecten arcuatus" = Camptonectes (Camptonectes) auritus Schlotheim 1813 scallop
"Chlamys (Aequipecten) deleta" = Aequipecten scallop
and var. intercosticillatina
"Chlamys (Aequipecten) quinquepartita" = Aequipecten scallop
"Chlamys (Aequipecten) cf. perrugosa" = Aequipecten scallop
"Chlamys (Aequipecten) judaica n. sp." = Aequipecten scallop
Spondylus sp. Linnaeus 1758 scallop
 Ostreida - Gryphaeidae
"Ostrea gigantica" = Gigantostrea gigantica
"Ostrea gigantica" = Gigantostrea gigantica Solander in Brander 1766 oyster
 Ostreida - Ostreidae
 Mytilida - Mytilidae
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
 Cardiida - Veneridae
Meretrix sp. Lamarck 1799 venus clam