Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T05:35:51.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

New Early Paleocene Mollusca from the Wangaloa Formation of South Island, New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2016

Jeffrey D. Stilwell
Jeffrey D. Stilwell*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

New Mollusca from the shallow marine, highly fossiliferous Wangaloa Formation of southeastern Otago, South Island, New Zealand, are described. This paper reports three new species and one new genus: Leionucula palaioanaxea n. sp. of the Nuculidae, Pyropsis zinsmeisteri n. sp. of the Tudiclidae, and Wangacteon grebneffi n. gen. and sp. of the Acteonidae. These taxa represent new records in New Zealand of apparently endemic taxa. The molluscan fauna of the Wangaloa Formation is important in the understanding of Paleogene biogeography of the Southern Hemisphere and changes in faunal composition of the Cretaceous–Tertiary Gondwana Realm. Genus- and species-level endemism in the “Wangaloan” fauna is marked and is probably a reflection of “greater New Zealand” 's geographic and genetic isolation during the Paleocene. Although deposits containing early Paleogene Mollusca are generally rare in the Southern Hemisphere, comparisons of known Gondwana molluscan taxa and those of similar age in the Northern Hemisphere indicate that the Mollusca of the Wangaloa Formation have Early Paleocene affinities. Microfossil evidence, in addition, supports an Early Paleocene age for the fauna. However, an uppermost Cretaceous age is indicated for the basal part of the Wangaloa Formation stratigraphically below the shell beds, but the K–T boundary has yet to be located.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 67 , Issue 3 , May 1993 , pp. 360 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbott, R. T. 1959. The family Vasidae in the Indo-Pacific. Indo-Pacific Mollusca, 1:15–32.Google Scholar
Abbott, R. T. 1974. American Seashells, 2nd edition. The Marine Mollusca of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, 663 p.Google Scholar
Adams, A. 1856. Descriptions of thirty-four new species of bivalve Mollusca (Leda, Nucula, and Pythina) from the Cuming collection. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 24:47–53.Google Scholar
Adams, A. 1860. On some new genera and species of Mollusca from Japan. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 3:405–422.Google Scholar
Aldrich, T. H. 1921. New Eocene species from Alabama. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 9(37):1–33.Google Scholar
Allan, J. 1959. Australian Shells with Related Animals Living in the Sea, in Freshwater and on the Land. Georgian House, Melbourne, 487 p.Google Scholar
Beu, A. G., and Dell, R. K. 1989. Mollusca, p. 135–141. In Barrett, P. J. (ed.), Antarctic Cenozoic history from the CIROS-1 drillhole, McMurdo Sound. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 245.Google Scholar
Beu, A. G., and Maxwell, P. A. 1990. Cenozoic Mollusca of New Zealand (drawings by R. C. Brazier). New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin, 58:1–518.Google Scholar
Campbell, H. J., Andrews, P. B., Beu, A. G., Edwards, A. R., Hornibrook, N. de B., Laird, M. G., Maxwell, P. A., and Watters, W. A. 1988. Cretaceous–Cenozoic lithostratigraphy of the Chatham Islands. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 18:285–308.Google Scholar
Conrad, T. A. 1860. Descriptions of new species of Cretaceous and Eocene fossils of Mississippi and Alabama. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Journal, 2nd series, 4:275–298.Google Scholar
Cossmann, M. 1901. Essais de paléoconchologie comparée. Paris, Volume 4, 293 p.Google Scholar
Cotton, B. C. 1961. South Australian Mollusca. Pelecypoda. W. L. Hawkes, Government Printer, Adelaide, 363 p.Google Scholar
Dall, W. H. 1889. On the hinge of pelecypods and its development, with an attempt toward a better division of the group. American Journal of Science, 38:445–462.Google Scholar
Darragh, T. A. 1985. Molluscan biogeography and biostratigraphy of the Tertiary of southeastern Australia. Alcheringa, 9:83–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davies, A. M. (revised by F. E. Eames). 1971. Tertiary Faunas. Volume 1. The Composition of the Faunas. George Allan & Unwin Limited, New York, 571 p.Google Scholar
Dell, R. K. 1956. The archibenthal Mollusca of New Zealand Dominion Museum Bulletin, 18:1–235.Google Scholar
Dell, R. K., and Fleming, C. A. 1975. Oligocene–Miocene bivalve Mollusca and other macrofossils from Sites 270 and 272 (Ross Sea), DSDP Leg 28. Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Washington, 28:693–703.Google Scholar
Edwards, A. R., Hornibrook, N. de B., Raine, J. I., Scott, G. H., Stevens, G. R., Strong, C. P., and Wilson, G. J. 1988. A New Zealand Cretaceous–Cenozoic geological time scale. New Zealand Geological Survey Record, 35:135–149.Google Scholar
Finlay, H. J., and Marwick, J. 1937. The Wangaloan and associated faunas of Kaitangata–Green Island Subdivision. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin, 15:1–140.Google Scholar
Finlay, H. J., and Marwick, J. 1940. The divisions of the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary in New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 70:77–135.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. 1880–1887. Manuel de conchyliologie et de paléontologie conchyliologique. F. Savy, Paris, 1,369 p.Google Scholar
Fleming, C. A. 1966. Marwick's illustrations of New Zealand shells with a checklist of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin, 173:1–456.Google Scholar
Gray, J. E. 1824. Supplement to the Appendix, Parry's First Voyage, 1819–1820. London, 37 p.Google Scholar
Harrington, H. J. 1958. Geology of Kaitangata Coalfield. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin, 59:1–131.Google Scholar
Hector, J. 1872. Report on the Clutha and Green Island Coalfields. Report of Geological Exploration during 1871–72, No. 7:165–172.Google Scholar
Hornibrook, N. de B., and Harrington, H. J. 1957. The status of the Wangaloan Stage. New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, Section B, 38:655–670.Google Scholar
Hutton, F. W. 1875. Geology of Otago. Part 1. In Report on the Geology and Gold Fields of Otago (Hutton, F. W. and Ulrich, G. H. F.) with appendices by Black, J. G. and McKerrow, J. Mills, Dick and Company, Dunedin, 244 p.Google Scholar
Iredale, T. 1931. Australian molluscan notes No. 1. Records of the Australian Museum, 18:201–235.Google Scholar
Keen, A. M. 1969. Nuculidae, p. 230–231. In Moore, R. C. (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part N, Mollusca 6. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Keyes, I. W. 1972. Biological type specimens in the New Zealand Geological Survey. II. Cenozoic bivalve and scaphopod Mollusca. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Survey Bulletin, 45:1–113.Google Scholar
Korobkov, I. A. 1954. Handbook and Methodological Guide to Tertiary Mollusca. Lamellibranchiata. Leningrad, 444 p. [in Russian].Google Scholar
Lindqvist, J. K. 1986. Teredinid-bored Araucariaceae logs preserved in shoreface sediments, Wangaloa Formation (Paleocene), Otago, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 29:253–261.Google Scholar
Lindqvist, J. K., and Douglas, B. J. 1987. Late Cretaceous–Paleocene fluvial and shallow marine deposits, Kaitangata Coalfield: Taratu and Wangaloa Formations. Geological Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication, 37B:31–51.Google Scholar
Macpherson, J. H., and Gabriel, C. J. 1962. Marine Molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 475 p.Google Scholar
Malumian, N., Camacho, H. H., and Gorroño, R. 1978. Moluscos del Terciario inferior (“Magellanense”) de la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Republica Argentina). Ameghiniana, 15:265–284.Google Scholar
Marshall, P. 1916. Some new fossil gastropods. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 48:120–121.Google Scholar
Marshall, P. 1917. The Wangaloa beds. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 49:450–460.Google Scholar
Marwick, J. 1926. Mollusca from North Taranaki. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 56:317–331.Google Scholar
Marwick, J. 1928. The Tertiary Mollusca of the Chatham Islands including a generic revision of the New Zealand Pectinidae. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 58:432–506.Google Scholar
Marwick, J. 1931. The Tertiary Mollusca of the Gisborne District. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin, 13:1–177.Google Scholar
Maxwell, P. A. 1988. Comments on “a reclassification of the Recent genera of the subclass Protobranchia (Mollusca: Bivalvia)” by Allen, J. A. and Hannah, F. (1986). Journal of Conchology, 33:85–96.Google Scholar
Milne-Edwards, H. 1848. Note sur la classification naturelle des mollusques gastéropodes. Annals des Sciences Naturelles Zoologie, Series 3, 9:102–112.Google Scholar
Orbigny, A. d' 1839–1847. Voyage dans l'Amerique meridionale pendant 1826–1833. Zoologie, 4–6, 758 p. et Atlas.Google Scholar
Orbigny, A. d' 1842–1843. Paléontologie française, Terrains Crétacés. Paris, 456 p. et Atlas.Google Scholar
Ponder, W. F., and Warén, A. 1988. Classification of the Caenogastropoda and Heterostropha—a list of the family-group names and higher taxa. Malacological Review, Supplement 4:288–326.Google Scholar
Popenoe, W. P., and Saul, L. R. 1987. Evolution and classification of the Late Cretaceous–early Tertiary gastropod Perissitys . Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Contributions in Science, 380:1–37.Google Scholar
Powell, A. W. B. 1979. New Zealand Mollusca. Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells. Collins, Auckland, 500 p.Google Scholar
Quenstedt, W. 1930. Die Anpassung an die grabende Lebensweise in der Geschichte der Solenmyiden und Nuculaceen. Geologische und Palaeontologische Abhandlungen (N.F.), 18(1):1–119.Google Scholar
Rafinesque, C. S. 1815. Analyses de la nature ou tableau de l'universe et des corps organises. Palermo, 224 p.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, G., and Petit, R. E. 1987. Ryckholt's Mèlanges Paléontologiques, 1851–1862, with a new name for Tudicula H. and A. Adams, non Ryckholt. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 139:53–64.Google Scholar
Saul, L. R. 1988. Latest Cretaceous and early Tertiary Tudiclidae and Melongenidae (Gastropoda) from the Pacific Slope of North America. Journal of Paleontology, 62:880–889.Google Scholar
Schenck, H. G. 1934. Classification of nuculid pelecypods. Bulletin du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, 10:1–78.Google Scholar
Sohl, N. F. 1964. Neogastropoda, Opisthobranchia, and Basammotophora from the Ripley, Owl Creek, and Prairie Bluff formations. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 331-B:153–344.Google Scholar
Stanton, T. W. 1896. The faunal relations of the Eocene and Upper Cretaceous on the Pacific Coast. U.S. Geological Survey, 17th Annual Report, Part 1:1011–1060.Google Scholar
Stilwell, J. D. 1988. The biostratigraphy of early Tertiary macroinvertebrates from the La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Unpubl. M.S. thesis, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 486 p.Google Scholar
Stilwell, J. D., and Zinsmeister, W. J. 1992. Molluscan systematics and biostratigraphy of the lower Tertiary La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. American Geophysical Union, Antarctic Research Series Monograph 55, 192 p.Google Scholar
Thiele, J. 1934. Handbuch der Systematischen Weichtierkunde, 2:1023–1154.Google Scholar
Vaught, K. C. 1989. A Classification of the Living Mollusca. Abbott, R. T. and Boss, K. J. (eds.). American Malacologists, Inc., Melbourne, Florida, 195 p.Google Scholar
Warren, G., and Speden, I. G. 1977. The Piripauan and Haumurian stratotypes (Mata Series, Upper Cretaceous) and correlative sequences in the Haumuri Bluff district, South Marlborough. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin, 92:1–60.Google Scholar
Webb, P. N. 1973a. Paleocene foraminifera from Wangaloa and Dunedin. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 16:109–157.Google Scholar
Webb, P. N. 1973b. A re-examination of the Wangaloa problem. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 16:158–169.Google Scholar
Wenz, W. 1938–1944. Gastropoda, p. 1303–1305. In Schinderwolf, G. H. (ed.), Handbuch der Paläozoologie. Borntraeger, Berlin, 1,639 p.Google Scholar
Wilckens, O. 1907. Die Lamellibranchiaten, Gastropoden & c., der oberen Kreide Südpatagoniens. Berichte der Naturforschen den Gesellschaft zu Freiburg, 15:97–166.Google Scholar
Wilckens, O. 1911. Die Mollusken der antarktischen Tertiärformation. Wissentschaftliche Ergebnisse der Swedischen Südpolarexpedition, 1901–1903, 3(13):1–62.Google Scholar
Wilckens, O. 1922. The Upper Cretaceous gastropods of New Zealand. New Zealand Department of Mines Geological Survey Branch Palaeontological Bulletin, 9:1–42.Google Scholar
Woodring, W. P. 1925. Miocene Mollusca from Bowden Jamaica, pelecypods and scaphopods. Carnegie Institute, Washington, 366:1–564.Google Scholar
Woodring, W. P. 1973. Geology and paleontology of Canal Zone and adjoining parts of Panama. Descriptions of Tertiary mollusks (additions to gastropods, scaphopods, pelecypods: Nuculidae to Malletiidae). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 306-E:453–539.Google Scholar
Zinsmeister, W. J. 1982. Late Cretaceous–early Tertiary molluscan biogeography of the southern circum-Pacific. Journal of Paleontology, 56:84–102.Google Scholar
Zinsmeister, W. J. 1983. New late Paleocene molluscs from the Simi Hills, Ventura County, California. Journal of Paleontology, 57:1282–1304.Google Scholar
Zinsmeister, W. J. 1984. Late Eocene bivalves (Mollusca) from the La Meseta Formation, collected during the 1974–1975 joint Argentine-American Expedition to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Paleontology, 58:1497–1527.Google Scholar
Zinsmeister, W. J., and Macellari, C. E. 1988. Bivalvia (Mollusca) from Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, p. 253–284. In Feldmann, R. M. and Woodburne, M. O. (eds.), Geology and Paleontology of Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Geological Society of America Memoir 169.Google Scholar