Eocene Algae from Ishigaki-Shima Ryukyu-Retto
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Eocene Algae from Ishigaki-shima Ryukyu-retto GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 399-C Eocene Algae from Ishigaki-shima Ryukyu-retto By J. HARLAN JOHNSON GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF ISHIGAKI-SHIMA, RYUKYU-RETTO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 399-C Descriptions of six new species from exceptionally well preserved specimens of Eocene limestone UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEW ART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as follows: Johnson, Jesse Harlan, 1892- Eocene algae from Isliigaki-shima,, Ryukyu-retto. Wash ington, U.S. Govt, Print. Off., 1964. iii, 13 p. 7 plates, map, tables. 30 cm. (U.S. Geological Survey. Professional Paper 39&-C) Geology and paleontology of Ishigaki-shima, Ryukyu-retto. Bibliography: p. 12-13. 1. Algae, Fossil. 2. Paleobotany Eocene. 3. Paleobotany Ryukyu Islands. I. Title. (Series) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Systematic descriptions Continued Abstract.__________________________________________ Cl Rhodophyta Continued Introduction _______________________________________ 1 Family Corallinaceae Continued Acknowledgments__ _______________________________ 1 Subfamily Melobesioideae Continued Page The algal flora_____________________________________ 1 Genus Mesophyllum Lemoine, 1928._ C7 Locality data for the Eocene algae________________ 1 Genus Lithophyllum Philippi, 1837____ 9 Ecological interpretations._______________________ 3 Genus Lithoporella Foslie, 1909.______ 10 Systematic descriptions..____________________________ 3 Genus Dermatolithon Foslie, 1899. .___ 10 Rhodophyta (red algae)_________________________ 3 Subfamily Corallinoideae (articulated coral Family Corallinaceae (coralline algae)_________ 3 lines) ____________________________ 11 Subfamily Melobesioideae (crustose coral Genus Corallina Linnaeus, 1758_____ 11 lines) __________________________ 3 Genus Jania Lamouroux, 1812_______ 11 Genus Archaeolithothamnium Rothpletz, Genus Amphiroa Lamouroux, 1812____ 12 1891.------_----_-__-__-_-_-__._ 3 Selected bibliography______________________________ 12 Genus Lithothamnium Philippi, 1837.. 5 ILLUSTRATIONS [Platesfollow index] PLATE 1. Archaeolithothamnium. 2. Archaeolithothamnium, Lithothamnium, and Lithoporella. 3. Lithothamnium and Mesophyllum. 4. Lithothamnium and Mesophyllum. 5. Mesophyllum. 6. Mesophyllum and Lithophyllum. 7. Jania, Corallina, Lithothamnium, Lithophyllum, and Mesophyllum. Page FIGURE 1. Map of Ishigaki-shima showing Eocene algae localities... ________ C2 TABLES Page 1. Measurements and distribution of Eocene species of Archaeolithothamnium. C3 2-4. Measurements of 2. Archaeolithothamnium fosteri Johnson, n. sp_____-__-__-_-_---_-_-_. 3 3. Archaeolithothamnium nummuliticum (Giimbel) Rothpletz_ ___________ 4 4. Archaeolithothamnium cf. A. affine Howe___________-_______________ 5 5. Measurements and distribution of Eocene species of Lithothamnium----.-. 5 6-8. Measurements of 6. Lithothamnium faurai Lemoine____________________-_____-_--__--- 6 7. Lithothamnium ishigakiensis Johnson n. sp_______________________ 6 8. Lithothamnium cf. L. moreti Lemoine_____________________________ 7 9. Measurements and distribution of Eocene species of Mesophyllum,--------. 10-14. Measurements of 10. Mesophyllum ishigakiensis Johnson n. sp___-________--___-____-_-- 11. Mesophyllum ryukyuensis Johnson n. sp___________________________ 12. Mesophyllum vaughanii (Howe) Lemoine__-_-__-___-__-_--_--____- 9 13. Corallina cossmanni Lemoine___ _________________________________ 11 14. Jania mayei Johnson, n.sp__ _-_-_--._-___-______-___--___-_-_--_. 12 ni GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF ISHIGAKI-SHIMA, RYUKYU-RETTO EOCENE ALGAE FROM ISHIGAKI-SHIMA, RYUKYU-RETTO By J. HAELAN JOHNSON ABSTRACT distributed Eocene flora that extended from the western Well-preserved calcareous algae occur abundantly in some of Mediterranean region across southern Asia, the East the Eocene limestone at Ishigaki-shima, Ryukyu-retto. Most Indies, and much of the tropical Pacific. It will be of the algae observed were red crustose corallines, but a few noted that many of the named species were originally articulated corallines were also present. The green algae were represented by only a few fragments of Halimeda. With the founded on material from France, Spain, Italy, and exception of a few endemic species, the algae belong to a widely Algeria. Most of them are known from previous col distributed Eocene flora that extended from the western Med lections made at Bikini, Saipan, and Guam in the iterranean region, across southern Asia, the East Indies, and Pacific. much of the tropical Pacific. Recognized were 6 species of Arcnaeolithothamnium, 10 LOCALITY DATA FOR THE EOCENE ALGAE species of LitnotJiamnium, 5 species of Mesophyllum, 3 species Locations of sample localities are shown in figure 1. of Lithopnyllum, 2 of Lithoporella, 1 of DermatolitJion, 3 of Corallina, 1 of Jania, and 1 of AmpJiiroa. F-49 Limestone from remnants that crop out in a near-sea- Described as new are: Arcnaeolithothamnium fosteri, LitJio- level valley 0.5 km north of O-saki on the Yarabu Peninsula. tJiamnium ishigaJciensis, Mesophyllum isMgakiensis, Mesophyl- F-50 Limestone from hillside 0.6 km north of O-saki on the lum ryukyuensis, Lithoporella minus and Jania mayei. Yarabu Peninsula. F-51 Limestone overlying schist unconformably at about 1 km INTRODUCTION north of 6-saki on the Yarabu Peninsula. Calcareous algae occur abundantly in the Eocene F-80 Isolated limestone block at road junction on the east limestone of the Miyara formation on Ishigaki-shima, side of the Miyara-gawa along the coastal road 1 km north Ryukyu-retto, and many are exceptionally well pre east of Miyara. served. An unusually large number of the specimens F-81 North of Inoda 0.5 km. F-83 North of Ibaruma 1.2 km. Erosional remnants of gray collected contained conceptacles and sporangia. As a shaly appearing limestone. result, the study of the collections was exceptionally F-84 Northwest of Miyara 1.4 km. Chert pebble conglomeratic rewarding. limestone that grades into light-gray limestone without This study is based on several hundred thin sections pebbles. and a score or so of .specimens. Most of the slides were F-85 Limestone from near fault 1.6 km northwest of Miyara. 2 by 2 inches or larger. F-95 2.7 km north of Hirae. Most of the algae observed belong to the crustose F-163 Thin bed of limestone interbedded in shale exposed in corallines. Articulated corallines were relatively rare. streambed 1.3 km northwest of O-saki, Yarabu Peninsula. Green algae were unusually scarce; only a few Hali F-176 Limestone remnants 0.3 km east of Dacho-zaki on the meda segments were noted. Hirakubo Peninsula. M-97 Bluff 1.4 km northeast of Miyara. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS M-106 1.8 km north of Miyara. H. L. Foster supplied the collections and the strati - M-121 Large remnant slabs of limestone on ridge of volcanic breccia 0.6 km northeast of Hoshino. graphic and locality data. She kindly read the manu M-236 Northern limestone knob 0.9 northwest of Hoshino. script and made helpful suggestions. The Colorado M-239 North slope of central limestone knob 0.5 km north School of Mines supplied laboratory and library facili west of Hoshino. ties and photographic equipment. M-240 Base of limestone section on north face of southern THE ALGAL FLORA limestone knob 0.4 km west of Hoshino. M-247 1.5 km north of Miyara. The flora, although containing several endemic M-248 0.4 km northwest of Miyara. species, consists mainly of species belonging to a widely M-286 2.2 km north-northeast of Hirae. Cl C2 GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF ISHIGAKI-SHIMA, RYUKYU-RETTO 124°15' 4 6 KILOMETERS J_____I -24°30 Shiraho Sample locality referred to in text FIGURE 1. Map of Ishigaki-shima showing Eocene algae localities. EOCENE ALGAE C3 ECOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS cells. Commonly it is thinner than the perithallus. The flora grew in clear warm shallow marine waters The characteristic feature of the genus is that the that were rich in lime and had good circulation. The sporangia are not collected into conceptacles but occur large number of branching forms suggests depths not isolated or in layers or lenses in the perithallic tissue. greater than 60 feet, possibly considerably less. Structurally this is the most primitive genus of SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIONS coralline algae that is still found in Eecent seas. It RHODOPHYTA (red algae) reached its greatest development during the Late Creta Family CORALLINACEAE (coralline algae) ceous and Eocene time. It appears to have always Subfamily MELOBESIOIDEAE (crustose corallines) lived in warm shallow marine waters. Genus ARCHAEOLITHOTHAMNIUM Rothpletz, 1891 In the collections from Ishigaki-shima, Archaeolitho- Like other genera of the crustose corallines, this genus thamnium is represented by numerous specimens of six has a tissue containing both a hypothallus and a peri- species. Table 1 shows their characteristic features and thallus. The hypothallus consists of curved rows of observed distribution. TABLE 1. Measurements, in microns, and distribution of Eocene species of Arc'haeolithothamnium [From random sections] Hypothallic cells Perithallic cells Sporangia Species Growth habit Locality Length Width Length Width Diameter Height Archaeolithothamnium chamonosum Johnson. 11-14 7-13 9-14 9-11 26-41 46-48 P-49. 16-38 8-14 9-28 6-15 34-68 41-95 F-49, 50,