Ammonites of Early Cretaceous Age (Valanginian and Hauterivian) from the Pacific Coast States
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Ammonites of Early Cretaceous Age (Valanginian and Hauterivian) from The Pacific Coast States By RALPH W. IMLAY SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 334-F The ammonite succession provides correlations with in the Pacific Coast States and with other areas. This suggests that Cretaceous strata in California and Oregon rest disconformably on Jurassic strata UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1960 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. SEATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. - Price $1.25 (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Page Abstract-__________________________________________ 167 Faunal zones and correlations Continued Introduction _______________________________________ 167 Hollisites dichotomus. ____________________________ 176 Biologic analysis--__________________________________ 168 Hamlin-Broad zone of Anderson_________-___--__- 178 Stratigraphic summary ______________________________ 169 Hertleinites aguila, ______________________________ 180 Faunal zones and correlations. 171 Comparisons with other faunas.______________________ 181 Kilianella crasszpZica_a____ 171 Ecologic considerations.___________.______-___-_-_-_- 182 Sarasinella hyatti ________ 172 Geographic distribution_________________-_--_--_---_- 183 Homolsomites mutabilis- _. 174 Summary of results. ________________________________ 190 Olcostephanus pecki- 175 Systematic descriptions._____________________________ 194 Wellsia oregonensis- ______ 176 References._________________-__-_----_----__------_ 221 Wellsia packardi. ________ 176 "Index.______________________----------__---___-_._ 225 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates 24-43 follow index] PLATE 24. Hoplocrioceras. 25. Hoplocrioceras, Anahamulina, Hypophylloceras, and Shasticrioceras. 26. Crioceratites and Acrioceras. 27. Homolsomites. 28. Homolsomites. 29. Olcostephanus. 30. Olcostephanus. 31. Olcostephanus, Spitidiscus, Durangites, and Polyptychites. 32. Neocraspedites and Wellsia. 33. Simbirskites and Wellsia. 34. Hertleinites. 35. Hertleinites and Hollisites. 36. Hollisites. 37. Hollisites. 38. Hollisites. 39. Thur'manniceras. 40. Thurmanniceras and Hertleinites. 41. Hannaites and Neocomites. 42. Kilianella, Speetoniceras, Sarasinella, and Acanthodiscus. 43. Hertleinites. Page FIGURE 34. Index map of Early Cretaceous localities in northwestern Washington. 191 35. Index map of Early Cretaceous localities in southwestern Oregon _____ 192 36. Index map of Early Cretaceous localities in northern California___. ____ 193 TABLES TABLE 1. Ammonite genera in the Valanginian and Hauterivian beds of the Pacific Coast States, showing biological re lationships, relative numbers available for study, and ages represented_______-----_------------------- 168 2. World ranges of certain Early Cretaceous ammonites present in Oregon and California.------------------- 172 3. Zonal distribution of Valanginian and Hauterivian ammonites in Washington, Oregon, and California_________ 173 4. Geographic distribution of the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian-Hauterivian) ammonites in the Pacific Coast States ___--_-_________________*_____________________________________--------------_------------- 184 CHART CHART 1. Correlation of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian-Hauterivian) faunas in the Pacific Coast States-------------In pocket in SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY AMMONITES OF EARLY CRETACEOUS AGE (VALANGINIAN AND HAUTERIVIAN) FROM THE PACIFIC COAST STATES By RALPH W. IMLAT ABSTRACT specimens from several universities. Special thanks Study of the ammonites in the earliest Cretaceous of Cali for assistance or loan of specimens are due V. S. Mal- fornia, Oregon, and Washington has made possible the recog lory, of the University of Washington, Wyatt DurKm, nition of 4 ammonite zones in beds of Valanginian age and 5 of the University of California at Berkeley, W. P. Po- ammonite zones in beds of Hauterivian age. These zones pro vide general correlations with the Valanginian and Hauterivian penoe, of the University of California at Los Angeles, stages in other parts of the world and detailed correlations Michael Murphy, of the University of California at along the Pacific coast. These correlations are strengthened Riverside, Calif., and Leo Hertlein and Dallas Hanna, by the associations of the Valanginian ammonites with the of the California Academy of Sciences in San Fran Valanginian pelecypod Bticliia crassicollis (Keyserling) and by cisco. Larry Lucas, of Agness, Oreg., contributed sev the absence of earlier Cretaceous species of Buchia that occur from Washington northward to Alaska. On the basis of such eral excellently preserved ammonites. associations, the oldest Cretaceous beds exposed in California The description of the Valanginian-Hauterivian am- and Oregon are considered to be not older than Valanginian and monities from the Pacific coast is a byproduct of paleon- probably not older than middle Valanginian. tological assistance to Francis Wells and associates of Failure to find in California certain ammonite zones of late Valanginian to early Hauterivian age that are present in south the Geological Survey in compiling the geologic map western Oregon may be explained by nondeposition, slow de of Oregon. Some of the problems involved included position, unfavorable facies, inadequate collections, or some demarcation of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, eval combination of these possibilities. uation of the age significance of the fossils in the inap- The Valangiriian-Hauterivian ammonites found in the Pacific pable units above and below that boundary, and Coast States have a local aspect, owing to the presence of genera not yet found elsewhere, or only rarely elsewhere, and determination of which species would be useful to field to the absence of genera that are common elsewhere. Pro geologists for mapping purposes. It was found that vincial genera include Wellsia, Hannaites, Hollisites, and Hei*- only species of the pelecypod Buchia (hitherto generally tleinites. Besides these genera Sliasticrioceras has been found called Aiwella) occurred in sufficient numbers and places elsewhere only in British Columbia and Japan, and Homol- to be useful in mapping or in drawing a boundary be somites, only in British Columbia and Greenland. The absence of such ammonites as Rogersites, YalanginUes, Distoloceras, tween Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks. Determination and Leopoldia is in contrast to their abundance in the Medi of the ages of the mappable units, however, in terms of terranean province, and Mexico. With these exceptions the European stages involved detailed studies of the am Valanginian ammonites from the Pacific coast show affinities monites as well as of the species of Buchia. more strongly with ammonites in the Mediterranean province The evidence furnished by the ammonites was par than with northern Eurasia, and the Hauterivian ammonites show affinities mostly with ammonites in northern Eurasia. ticularly pertinent because many field parties in Alaska had found the same species of Buchia in the same rela INTRODUCTION tive stratigraphic positions as on the west coast, but This study of the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian - had not found any associated ammonites. Consequently, Hauterivian) ammonites from the Pacific Coast States determination of the ages of the species of Buchia in is based primarily on collections at the California Acad Alaska had to be made on the assumption that the spe emy of sciences described in 1938 by Frank M. Ander- cies had the same ranges as in Eurasia. That assump son and on collections made by members of the tion could now be tested by studying the ammonites Geological Survey since 1890. It includes, also, a few found in the Pacific Coast States. It seems fitting, 167 168 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY therefore, to publish descriptions of the ammonites and throughout the Mediterranean region. The fact that interpretations of their significance to supplement only one specimen of Acanthodiscus has Hen found on those already presented concerning Buchm (Imlay, the Pacific coast is likewise a contrast with the Mediter 1959, p. 164-166). ranean region. Abbreviations appearing in the text and on table 5 The family Olcostephanidae is dominant in the Hau include UW for the University of Washington, GAS for terivian beds of the Pacific coast, wher?, it is repre the California Academy of Sciences, UCLA for the sented by the genera Olcostephanus, Wellsia, HerUeini- University of California at Los Angeles, and USGS tes, SinibirskiteS) Speetoniceras, and HoUisites. The Mes. loc. for U.S. Geol. Survey Mesozoic locality. The family is less well represented in the Valanginian beds number 9.3.54.6 represents a field locality of Peter by the genera Olcostephanus, Polyptychites, and Neo- Misch of the University of Washington. craspedites. All the occurrences of Olcostephanus ex cept one are from the upper part of the Valanginian. BIOLOGIC ANALYSIS The absence of other genera of the Olcoetephaninae is The Valanginian-Hauterivian ammonites from the in contrast with the abundance of that subfamily in the Pacific coast that have been examined during prepara Valanginian of the Mediterranean region and partic tion of this paper number about 470 specimens. Their ularly of the Mexican area. distribution by genera, subfamilies, and families and The family Ancyloceratidae occurs in fair abundance the known ages of the genera