San Nicholas Island (SN-14) (Quaternary of the United States)

Also known as Vedder & Norris (1963) SN-14

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 Norris (1955). 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 37936: 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
Polyplacophora
 Neoloricata - Mopaliidae
Mopalia cf. hindsii Sowerby 1847 chiton
Mopalia muscosa Gould 1846 chiton
Gastropoda
 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
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
"Pupillaria cf. optabilis" = Lirularia optabilis
"Pupillaria cf. optabilis" = Lirularia optabilis Carpenter 1864 top snail
 Lepetellida - Fissurellidae
Fissurella volcano Reeve 1849 snail
 Neotaenioglossa - Calyptraeidae
Crepidula ? onyx Sowerby 1824 slipper shell
Crepidula adunca Sowerby 1824 slipper shell
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
"Bittium cf. eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii
"Bittium cf. eschrichtii" = Neostylidium eschrichtii Middendorff 1849 cerith snail
Subspecies: Bittium eschrichtii montereyense
 Neogastropoda - Olividae
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata
"Olivella biplicata" = Callianax biplicata Sowerby 1825 olive snail
 Neogastropoda - Siphonaliidae
Calicantharus fortis Carpenter 1866 snail
 Neogastropoda - Columbellidae
Amphissa versicolor Dall 1871 snail
 Neogastropoda - Mangeliidae
"Mangelia aff. rhyssa" = Cythara (Mangelia), "Mangelia fuscoligata" = Cythara (Mangelia), "Mangelia variegata" = Tenaturris variegata
"Mangelia aff. rhyssa" = Cythara (Mangelia) snail
"Mangelia fuscoligata" = Cythara (Mangelia) snail
"Mangelia variegata" = Tenaturris variegata Carpenter 1864 snail
 Neogastropoda -
"Barbarofusus ? arnoldi" = Harfordia arnoldi
"Barbarofusus ? arnoldi" = Harfordia arnoldi Cossmann 1903 snail
 Neogastropoda - Cystiscidae
"Gibberulina pyriformis" = Granulina margaritula
"Gibberulina pyriformis" = Granulina margaritula Carpenter 1857 snail
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
"Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida, "Ocenebra ? interfossa" = Paciocinebrina interfossa, Thais emarginata
"Ocenebra cf. lurida" = Paciocinebrina lurida Middendorff 1848 murex snail
"Ocenebra ? interfossa" = Paciocinebrina interfossa Carpenter 1864 murex snail
Subspecies: Ocenebra interfossa clathrata
Thais emarginata murex snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Littorinidae
"Lacuna cf. unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata, "Littorina ? scutulata" = Littorina (Littorina) scutulata
"Lacuna cf. unifasciata" = Lacuna (Epheria) unifasciata Carpenter 1857 periwinkle
"Littorina ? scutulata" = Littorina (Littorina) scutulata Gould 1849 periwinkle
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
"Cryptonatica cf. clausa" = Cryptonatica affinis
"Cryptonatica cf. clausa" = Cryptonatica affinis Gmelin 1791 moon snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Rissoidae
""Rissoina" cf. aequisculpta" = Alvinia aequisculpta, "Alvania cf. oldroydae" = Actonia oldroydae
""Rissoina" cf. aequisculpta" = Alvinia aequisculpta Keep 1887 snail
"Alvania cf. oldroydae" = Actonia oldroydae Bartsch 1911 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Barleeiidae
Barleeia cf. oldroydi Bartsch 1920 snail
Barleeia subtenuis Carpenter 1864 snail
Amphithalamus tenuis Bartsch 1911 snail
Amphithalamus inclusus Lozouet 1998 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Vermetidae
"Spiroglyphus cf. lituellus" = Dendropoma lituella
"Spiroglyphus cf. lituellus" = Dendropoma lituella Morch 1861 worm shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Hipponicidae
Antisabia panamensis Adams 1852 hoof shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Caecidae
"Fartulum occidentale" = Fartulum dextroversum, Fartulum cf. orcutti
"Fartulum occidentale" = Fartulum dextroversum Carpenter 1857 snail
Fartulum cf. orcutti Dall in Orcutt 1885 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Vitrinellidae
Vitrinella cf. oldroydi Bartsch 1907 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Procerithiidae
"Bittium attenuatum" = Lirobittium attenuatum, "Bittium ? armillatum" = Lirobittium armillatum
"Bittium attenuatum" = Lirobittium attenuatum Carpenter 1864 snail
"Bittium ? armillatum" = Lirobittium armillatum Carpenter 1864 snail
 Heterostropha - Pyramidellidae
 Patellida - Lottiidae
"Acmaea limatula" = Lottia limatula, Acmaea sp. n. sp., Acmaea mitra
"Acmaea limatula" = Lottia limatula Carpenter 1864 limpet
Acmaea sp. n. sp. Eschscholtz 1830 limpet
Acmaea mitra Eschscholtz 1833 limpet
Bivalvia
 Arcida - Glycymerididae
"Glycymeris cf. subobsoleta" = Glycymeris septentrionalis
"Glycymeris cf. subobsoleta" = Glycymeris septentrionalis Middendorf 1849 clam
 Pectinida - Pectinoidae
"Pecten diegensis" = Leopecten diegensis
"Pecten diegensis" = Leopecten diegensis Dall 1898 scallop
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
Epilucina californica Conrad 1837 clam
 Cardiida - Lasaeidae
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni
"Lasaea cf. cistula" = Lasaea adansoni Gmelin 1791 clam
 Cardiida - Veneridae
Saxidomus ? nuttalli Conrad 1837 venus clam
Turtonia cf. minuta Fabricius 1780 venus clam
 Carditida - Carditidae
Miodontiscus prolongatus Carpenter 1864 clam