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Pittsberg Bluff Formation, Oligocene Neverita?


OregonFossil

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This specimen was found in the Pittsburg Bluff formation (Oligocene) in loosely consolidate sandstone. Due to the large opening and smooth shell I believe it to be a Neverita. Although the location is near the town of Pittsberg Oregon, I can't recommend it for the faint of heart (you are about 4' from the traffic which is mostly log trucks going > 55 MPH). However that being said the talus at the bottom of this formation is a marine invertebrate hunters gold mine. There was one piece of the sandstone that was fairly large (over a meter long) and it and every stone beneath had fossils. Most of the rocks in talus were covered with mud and water. This was only 2 days ago, so I have barely start to ID stuff. Here is my first find, just like this laying in talus covered with mud and water. Specimen is 5mm wide by 10mm long.

 

Quite happy with location and the condition of the fossils.

Neverita.jpg

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I have been to that site, about 20 years ago.  Good to know it is still around, although most of the material that I found there I have yet to prep.  I recall what I collected was well preserved, however your specimen looks to be an internal cast so it might be difficult to identify to species.  I have in my database Polinices washingtonensis from that locality, but I haven't dug into the literature enough to say that is what yours is.  I have a copy of Charles Weaver's "Paleontology of the Marine Tertiary of Oregon and Washington" 1942.  I believe this predates the naming of Pittsburg Bluff Formation and I think that he has those deposits listed as Lincoln Formation.

 

Mike

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"A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington

"I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain

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Here is a really good source for ID when you get to your specimens:

Oligocene Marine Mollusks from the Pittsburg Bluff Formation in Oregon

 

Geological Survey Professional Paper 922  published in 1976.

 

The paper is 25 Mb's and has ID plates and descriptions for 43 species. I tried to attach it but its too big. You will find it about 2/3 of the way down the list on the page.

16 hours ago, MikeR said:

I have been to that site, about 20 years ago.  Good to know it is still around, although most of the material that I found there I have yet to prep.  I recall what I collected was well preserved, however your specimen looks to be an internal cast so it might be difficult to identify to species.  I have in my database Polinices washingtonensis from that locality, but I haven't dug into the literature enough to say that is what yours is.  I have a copy of Charles Weaver's "Paleontology of the Marine Tertiary of Oregon and Washington" 1942.  I believe this predates the naming of Pittsburg Bluff Formation and I think that he has those deposits listed as Lincoln Formation.

 

Mike

 

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1 hour ago, OregonFossil said:

Here is a really good source for ID when you get to your specimens:

Oligocene Marine Mollusks from the Pittsburg Bluff Formation in Oregon

 

Geological Survey Professional Paper 922  published in 1976.

 

The paper is 25 Mb's and has ID plates and descriptions for 43 species. I tried to attach it but its too big. You will find it about 2/3 of the way down the list on the page.

 

Thanks a bunch!  This will really help.

 

Mike

"A problem solved is a problem caused"--Karl Pilkington

"I was dead for millions of years before I was born and it never inconvenienced me a bit." -- Mark Twain

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