Nc Oligocene, Belgrade Formation Micros. Gastropods, A Couple Ray Teeth And A Cool Bivalve.

[sixgill pete]

I have been searching some matrix for micros from the MM quarry at Belgrade NC. Late Oligocene. I have lots to post but decided to start with the gastropods as I am without a clue on IDing these. ( I really need to spring and get the new volume from the NC Fossil Club on Fossil Mollusks) There are also a couple ray teeth and a cool bivalve. Looking at all of these by eye you cannot see the wear/damage. The usb microscope I bought is very cool. Takes great pictures with its 2 megapixel camera.

First the Gastropods.

1- 5.73mm

2- 5.19mm

3- 4.97mm

4- over 6mm

5-3.26 and 2.51mm

6 - 5.98mm

7- 5.25 to over 10mm

Edited October 7, 2014 by sixgill pete

[sixgill pete]

Now the ray teeth

I am thinking these are both Dasyatis sp. but not sure. I seem to have trouble properly IDing ray teeth.

1- 2.30mm wide

2- 1.98 mm wide

The bivalve is complete, both halves very cool. 7.41mm across

though I would also throw in this really nice white/blue Hemipristis just for your viewing pleasure.

i have lots more stuff from this matrix I will be posting later. Shark and fish teeth and more bivalves.

[tmaier]

Here's a rough starting point, no guarantees about anything...

1. Nassarius sp.

2. Nassarius sp.

3. Conus sp.

4. Dallitesta sp.

5. Stigatica sp.

6. Dallitesta sp.

7. Turritella sp. or Terebra sp.

Edited October 7, 2014 by tmaier

[tmaier]

The bivalve looks like Nuculana sp.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/invertpaleo/display.asp?catalog_number=66056&gallery_type=Florida%20Mollusca-Bivalvia

[MikeR]

Hi Don

Most of the shells are immature but they are as follows:

1. Tritonopsis biconica (Dall, 1915)

2. Trigonostoma sp.

3. Conus postalveatus Kellum, 1926

4 & 6. Appear to be the same Lunatia hemicrypta Gabb, 1860

5. I believe both are different based upon the height of the spires and nature of the umbilicus. On the left is Polinices cf. judsoni (Maury, 1910). On the right Naticidae of some sort.

7. Cerithidea sp.

The small bivalve is Nuculana sp. As I have mentioned before, only a few papers have featured the Hayward Landing Member of the Belgrade Formation. It would make a nice little monograph if anyone took it up.

Mike

Edited October 7, 2014 by MikeR

[sixgill pete]

tmair, thanks for your thoughts on these items. I appreciate the atempt. As Mike said, the Belgrade formation is very understudied and there are not many references available to use for ID's; especially the Mollusks.

Mike, thanks once again for the ID's. You have come to my aid on here countless times with not just Belgrade stuff, but other NC items. Maybe you should be the one to "take it up". BTW, that is a great croc tooth and well deserving of VFOTM.

[tmaier]

tmair, thanks for your thoughts on these items. I appreciate the atempt.

Well, even though I was using Florida references, I still got a couple right!

[sixgill pete]

Well, even though I was using Florida references, I still got a couple right!

Yessir. I was trying to use Lee creek references at one time, but, found out most of that was incorrect also.

[MarcoSr]

Don

Really nice specimens. The first ray tooth is Dasyatis. The second is not Dasyatis but looks like a Myliobatid lateral tooth.

Marco Sr.

[Plax]

I think there is a good mollusk list for the Heywood Landing Member in one of Wards papers through VMNH, will look it up for you at home (am at work). Also believe that the Fossil Collecting in North Carolina book has a list for the site in the National Forest?

[MikeR]

That would be

Ward, L. W., 1992. Molluscan Biostratigraphy of the Miocene, Middle Atlantic Coastal plain of North America: VMNH Memoir 2, 220 p., 26 pls.

Also other references include

Kellum, L.B. 1926. Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Castle Hayne and Trent Marls in North Carolina. United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper 143, 56 p. 11 pls.

Richards, Horace G. 1943. Additions to the Fauna of the Trent Marl of North Carolina. Journal of Paleontology Vol. 17, No.5 pp. 518-526.

The Fossil Collecting in North Carolina book has a small list (Localion 20) and some photos of species (Plates 6 & 7). In Petuch's Cenozoic Seas (2004) the author pictures some species (Plate 13). Other species have been also found in the older Vicksburg sediments (Lower Oligocene) and others from the Middle Miocene and that is about it. I would like to get deeper into the Belgrade and I have 10 gallons shelly material from my last visit to go through, but I am so busy with the Pliocene right now that it will be awhile before I can get to it. Besides the blog my next big project is going to be using the gallery to picture mollusks from the Pliocene Pinecrest from Florida. In that I might be getting in over my head.

Mike

Edited October 8, 2014 by MikeR

[sixgill pete]

I think there is a good mollusk list for the Heywood Landing Member in one of Wards papers through VMNH, will look it up for you at home (am at work). Also believe that the Fossil Collecting in North Carolina book has a list for the site in the National Forest?

Thanks Don. I will look into that paper myself as I have another gallon or so of matrix to go through and hope to get more next Friday. Have you ever been to the exposure on the Croatan Forest? It is pretty interesting. I have been a couple of times, I like to go in the winter when the vegetation has died off and the critters are asleep.

[sixgill pete]

That would be

Ward, L. W., 1992. Molluscan Biostratigraphy of the Miocene, Middle Atlantic Coastal plain of North America: VMNH Memoir 2, 220 p., 26 pls.

Also other references include

Kellum, L.B. 1926. Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Castle Hayne and Trent Marls in North Carolina. United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper 143, 56 p. 11 pls.

Richards, Horace G. 1943. Additions to the Fauna of the Trent Marl of North Carolina. Journal of Paleontology Vol. 17, No.5 pp. 518-526.

The Fossil Collecting in North Carolina book has a small list (Localion 20) and some photos of species (Plates 6 & 7). In Petuch's Cenozoic Seas (2004) the author pictures some species (Plate 13). Other species have been also found in the older Vicksburg sediments (Lower Oligocene) and others from the Middle Miocene and that is about it. I would like to get deeper into the Belgrade and I have 10 gallons shelly material from my last visit to go through, but I am so busy with the Pliocene right now that it will be awhile before I can get to it. Besides the blog my next big project is going to be using the gallery to picture mollusks from the Pliocene Pinecrest from Florida. In that I might be getting in over my head.

Mike

Thanks for the info Mike. I will look them up when I get the chance and see if I can obtain copies of them.