Localities for Eutrephoceras Sloani in North Cookanum
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EUTREPHOCERAS (NAUTILOIDEA) FROM THE PALEOCENE BEAUFORT FORMATION OF NORTH CAROLINA RICHARD H. BAILEY NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, BOSTON, MASS. ABSTRACT characteristics for separation of species seem Well preserved specimens of Eutre to be conch shape and suture pattern. Speci phoceras sloani Rceside, collected from a mens of Eutrephoceras frequently have been recently exposed outcrop of the Paleocene subjected to post-depositional compression, Beaufort Formation in east-central North which greatly distorts the conch shape, and Carolina, represent the first reported Paleo complicates the separation of species. Detail cene nautiloids from Coastal Plain strata of ed consideration of suture patterns adds North Carolina. This species was formerly objectivity to the rather general comparisons known only from the Paleocene Black Mingo that have been made among species of Formation in eastern South Carolina, about Eutrephoceras in the past. All of the suture 280 km southwest of the North Carolina patterns (text fig. 5) used for species com Paleocene outcrops. The North Carolina parisons were taken from type specimens. Most of these suture patterns have not been specimens allow clarification and elaboration illustrated and compared graphically. of Reeside's original description. STRATIGRAPHY INTRODUCTION The new North Carolina outcrop consists Fossil nautiloids are generally rare m of 1.4 m of Paleocene strata which is dis- Paleocene strata of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This scarcity of nautiloid specimens PA. probably results in part from a rather limited area of Paleocene outcrop; however, eco logical factors may also be important. A recently exposed Paleocene outcrop in east-central North Carolina yielded well preserved nautiloid specimens. These nauti loids, identified in this paper as Eutrepho ceras sloani Reeside, represent the first reported Paleocene cephalopods from North Carolina. The discovery of E. sloani, approx imately 2 80 km northeast of the eastern South Carolina outcrop from which it was previously kno~n, allows a significant exten sion of the geographic range of the species (text fig. 1). A difficulty encountered in the study of 0 I 2 3 4 5 km __j the genus Eutrephoceras is that Paleocene and Eocene species from the Atlantic Text fig. 1, Index map showing collection Coastal Plain are represented by few speci localities for Eutrephoceras sloani in North mens. Little is known of the range of varia Carolina (A and B, specimens collected in tion of most of the species discussed in this situ); locality of the first Paleocene outcrop paper. Kummel (1956, p. 379) stated that reported from North Carolina (C); and species in the long ranging Eutrephoceras collection localities of other species dis generic group seem to be gradational and cussed in this paper, (D) E. bryani, (E) E. generally lack definitive morphological cookanum, (F) E. berryi and E. carolinensis, features. The most important diagnostic (G) E. sloani. 235 236 Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology Vol. 12 continuously exposed along the banks of p. 230) and implies that the Paleocene Mosley Creek, a northward flowing tributary locality they discussed was inadvertently of the Neuse River. Along portions of the placed at West Landing. A thorough search creek, Paleocene rocks are disconformably of the Neuse River outcrop discussed above overlain by about 0.3 m of the Eocene yielded no Paleocene macrofossils. Several Castle Hayne Limestone (text fig. 3 ). The poorly exposed outcrops of Paleocene shale Paleocene-Eocene unconformity is marked were found along Mosley Creek, about 0.2 by a significant lithologic change. Paleocene km south of the creek's mouth. No macro fossils and clasts of indurated Paleocene sedi fossils were found at these localities. ment have been reworked into the basal Brown (1959, p. 8) established a sub Eocene strata, which overlies an undulating surface Paleocene unit, the Beaufort Forma erosional surface. tion, which has been identified in many wells in east-central North Carolina. Swift and Heron (1969 , p. 229) were the Wilson (1972, p. 129) identified two first to record the presence of Paleocene fossils commonly found in certain Paleocene rocks cropping out in North Carolina. Their rocks of New Jersey, the brachiopod Danian (lower Paleocene) age was assigned Olenothyris harlani (Morton) and the bivalve on the basis of planktonic foraminifera "Gryphaea vesicularis (Lamarck)," from the collected from an outcrop at West Landing outcrops along Mosley Creek. Wilson on the Neuse River near the nautiloid suggests that these rocks are probably an locality discussed in this paper (text fig. 1 ). extension of the subsurface Beaufort Forma At the Neuse River outcrop, 1 m of thinly tion. Swift and Heron (1969, p. 229) laminated Paleocene shale disconformably assigned the Paleocene shale along the Neuse overlies 2 m of the Cretaceous Peedee For River to the Black Mingo Formation, a mation. Extensive exploration along the Paleocene-Eocene unit which crops out in Neuse River between North Carolina state South Carolina. Based on the lithologic road 55 and the mouth of Mosley Creek similarity and the geographic proximity of revealed but one significant outcrop, located the subsurface Beaufort Formation to the 3.5 km downriver from West Landing (text Paleocene rocks which crop out in east fig. 1). This exposure is identical to the central North Carolina, it seems logical to section described by Swift and Heron ( 1969, apply the name Beaufort Formation to both. SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA MARYLANDVlR GINIA NEW JERSEY u SEVERAL CASTLE w z ~ MIDDLE AND HAYNE LS w u M UPPER EOCENE SHARK 0 w f-- UNITS RIVER FM ? L NANJEMOY FM MANASQUAN FM BLACK w ? A QUIA z u FM VINCENTOWN FM w MINGO u BEAUFORT 0 FM w ~ FM HORNERSTOWN _J ? <{ L BRIGHTSEAT FM FM Q.. ? I I I . I ? Text fig. 2. Correlations of Paleocene and Eocene units of part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, modified after Loeblich and Tappan, 1957, p. 177; Hazel, 1968, p. 105; Enright, 1969,p. 17;and0l~on, 1970,p. 591. N o .4 Eutrephoceras in North Carolina 237 CASTLE HAYNE In the Atlantic Coastal Plain, specimens LS of Eutrephoceras have been reported from IND U RATED CA LCAREOUS SANDST ONE·, MOLL USK MOLDS· the Paleocene Vincentown Formation and PHOS PH A T E P EB BLES AT ' t he middle Eocene Shark River Formation UNCONFORMI T Y; BLO CKS OF PA L EOCENE REWORKED IN T O of New ] ersey, the Eocene Castle Hayne CASTL E HAYNE Limestone of North Carolina, and the Paleo cene-Eocene Black Mingo Formation of South Carolina (text fig. 2). Specimens of BEAUFORT FM Eutrephoceras have not been reported from the rather well exposed Paleocene strata of 1.2 CLAYEY AND SIL T Y, FINE Maryland and Virginia. · ~ TO V E RY FIN E S A ND; PHOSPHATE GR AINS COMMON; CALCAREOUS NODULE S; SYSTEMATIC PALEONTONOGY BURR OWS; ABUNDANT FORAMINIFERA; BRACHIOPOD Family NAUTILIDAE de Blainville, 1825 OLENO T HYRIS H ARLAN! 0.9 COMMON Genus EUTREPHOCERAS Hyatt, 1894 Type species: Eutreplzoceras dekayi Hyatt, 1894 EUTREPHOCERAS SLOANI Reeside 0.6 Plate 1, figs. 1-4; Plate 2, figs. 1-4; ez?)~l--- text figs. 4, 5 BRACHIOPOD BED ELttreplwceras slom1i REESIDE, 1924, p. 1-7, pls. 1-3, text fig. 1. 0.3 Material. - Three internal molds; no origjnal st1cll material; (Pl. 1, figs. 1-3) very slightly deformed conch with 8 camerae; (Pl. 1, fig. 4: Pl. 2, figs. 1-3) adapical portion of conch is severely crushed, l adoral portion and living chamber slightly deform 0 cd; (Pl. 2, fig. 4) lateral compression has distorted form and suture pattern. Description. North Carolina specimens arc involute, compressed with a very broadly C~crch.. d T ext fig. 3. Composite section of Paleo venter and with gently arched, nearly p~ rallel, lateral zones (text fig. 4), leading to an abrupt cene strata exposed in the banks of Mosley umbilical shoulder which forms a deeply impr~.:.ssed Creek from 0.2 km north of N.C. Route 55 umbilicus, 12 to 15 mm in diameter. Maximum to 1.8 km so u th of N.C. 55. Top of section diameter of largest conch (Pl. 2, fig. 4) is about co vered b y Pleistocene? sands; base of 150 mm, containing 12 camera to outer volution. Camerae of phragmacone expand rapidly and section in creek bed. adoral portion of living chamber is flared. Living chamber, as preserved on two specimen" (Pl. 2, figs. 1-4), consists of approximately one third of Thomas Gibson identified the following the last volution. Siphuncle is holochoanitic., nearly sp ecies of pl anktonic foraminifera from the central, perhaps slightly closer to dorsum than P aleocene rocks along Mosley Creek: venter, and has a maximum diameter of 6 mm (Pl. Trun corotataloides (Moro;:;ovella) aequa 1' fig. 1). (C ushman and Renz) External suture consists of a broadly and gently T. (Mo rozovella) apanthesma (Loeblich and arched ventral saddle, a very gently arched, <;yrn T appan) metrical lateral lobe, and a small umbilical sc~ddle T. (Morozovella) angulata (White) (text fig. 5). Internal suture consists of a gently T. (Planorotalites) pusilla (Bolli) arched dorsal lobe. T. (Planorotalites) pseudomenardii (Bolli) Discussion. - The holotype and only known T. (A carinina) mckennai (White) G lo b ige rina (Subbotirza) triloculinoides specimen of E. sloani is an incomplete in Plummer ternal mold with much of the ventral por This assemblage su ggests an early late Paleo tion and the adoral half of the last volution cene age for the exp osed Beaufort Forma missing. The siph uncle, body chamber, and tion (Gibson, pers. c omm . ). several partial sutures are preserved. 238 Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology Vol. 12 The suture diagrammed by Reeside ( 1924, p. 3, fig. 1) is atypical of the genus and appears to have been taken from a portion of the holot ype that was deformed an d eroded.