Gastropods from the Lower Mississippian Wassonville limestone in southeastern Iowa. American Museum novitates ; no. 2579

35 p. : ill., map ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 32-35)."A Lower Mississippian (Kinderhookian) gastropod fauna is described from the Wassonville Formation in southeastern Iowa. This represents one of the few well-preserved Lower Mississippian gastropod faunas known from North America and, as such, contributes to our understanding of a rather critical time in the evolution of Paleozoic gastropods. Twenty-eight species are described, eight of which are new. The new taxa are: Sinuitina nudidorsa, Platyschisma laudoni, Trepospira (Angyomphalus) penelenticulata, Baylea angulosa, Glabrocingulum (Glabrocingulum) minutum, Glyptotomaria (Dictyotomaria) quasicapillaria, Cerithioides judiae, and Baylea trifibra. An unexpected aspect of the Wassonville gastropod fauna is that it shows greater taxonomic affinity with the European Carboniferous than with other North American Carboniferous faunas. This probably reflects the paucity of described North American Mississippian gastropod faunas and the increased understanding, through recent study (notably Batten, 1966), of British and Belgium Tournaisian and Visean gastropods. The genus Cerithiodes, long known from the Upper Paleozoic of Europe, is recognized for the first time in the Carboniferous of North America"--P. [1]

Intertidal organism associations

31 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 29-31)."The marsh periwinkle Littorina irrorata (Say) occurs in a variety of Spartina marsh settings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Cohorts of L. irrorata were collected at four marsh localities and control grids were monitored over a three-week period. In addition, a fossil population was collected from a relict marsh mud. Each sample was subjected to detailed morphometric analysis using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate techniques. Adult size of L. irrorata is inversely related to population density and density, in turn, is directly proportional to the abundance of Spartina grass. Progenesis appears to be the adaptive strategy adopted for size decrease. Aperture shape exhibited the least variation and was relatively independent of translation rate, whorl expansion rate, aperture angle, and total width. larger apertural area was correlated with low marsh environemnts ('wetter' conditions). Total width of L. irrorata proved to be a better indicator of population structure than total height and should be used in the construction of survivorship curves for this species. The fossil population sample apparently refelcts substantially different growth dynamics, achieving adult size at fewer than six whorls. L. irrorata is a potentially useful tool for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. the species appears to exhibit limited lateral motility and has a strong distributional dependence upon Spartina grass. Monitoring cohorts of L. irrorata demonstrated a direct relationship between population density and short-term stability of population size"--P. [1]

Intertidal organisms

p. 89-128 : ill., maps ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-128)."Intertidal environments of St. Catherines Island, Georgia are diverse and include exposed sand beaches, sandy tidal flats, relict salt marsh deposits (mud and peat) on exposed beaches, and salt marsh complexes. Nine localities from the northern half of St. Catherines Island were selected for study because they displayed a wide variety of intertidal habitats and organism associations. No attempt was made to describe the entire spectrum of intertidal associations on St. Catherines Island. The bulk of study was made on the relict salt marsh deposits. Besides representing unique modern habitats for infaunal and epifaunal bivalve-dominated associations, the salt marsh deposits gave us valuable paleoecological insights. The organism groupings recognized in the present study are associations in the sense of Kauffman and Scott (1976), but communities in the usage of most workers. One relict mud occurrence contained an assemblage of six distinct associations. The fidelity of replication of these associations in the fossil record depends, in part, upon the steepness of the intertidal environmental stress gradients and the resultant spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity. The infaunal bivalves of the relict muds showed expected trends of size distribution with depth, the larger individuals occupying the greater depths. It is suggested that the lateral transportation of dislodged mud clasts has an analog in the geological past in the occurrence of 'exotic' fossiliferous pods and steinkerns. Association boundaries were sharp only where spatial heterogeneity was pronounced, such as within salt marsh complexes. The polychaete associations along sandy tidal flats were less clearly bounded and were often marginally intergradational. Many observations on the intertidal associations of St. Catherines Island were in disagreement with observations made on similar associations elsewhere. Contrary to the conclusions of Woodin (1976), dense infaunal bivalve populations (Petricola pholadiformis) did coexist with dense epifaunal bivalve populations (Brachidontes recurvus). Also, repeated observations of dense tube-building polychaete populations failed to show epifaunal bivalves as predominant co-occurring forms. Polychaete associations along a narrow tidal flat displayed onshore-offshore distributional trends that may have paleoecological utility in the resolution of transgression-regression sequences. Tidal creek populations of Ilynassa obsoleta have a narrower aperture relative to total height than similar populations from more open sand flats. It is suggested that this is correlated with the greater duration of intertidal exposure in the tidal creek habitat. Study of another intertidal snail, Littorina irrorata, demonstrated considerable lateral as well as vertical motility in that species"--P. 89

Proceedings of the Fourth Caldwell Conference, St. Catherines Island, Georgia, March 27-29, 2009.

391 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), maps (chiefly col.) ; 26 cm. "Issued March 23, 2011."This edited volume addresses the geoarchaeology of St. Catherines Island (Georgia). The field of geoarchaeology has typically been defined as either geology pursued within an archaeological framework or (sometimes the reverse) as archaeology framed with the help of geological methodology. Either way, the formalized objectives of geoarchaeology define a broad range of pursuits, from placing archaeological sites into relative and absolute temporal context through the application of stratigraphic principles and absolute dating techniques, to understanding the natural processes of site formation, to reconstructing the landscapes that existed around a site or group of sites at the time of occupation. The editors of this volume have generally followed the lead of G.R. Rapp and C.L. Hill (2006, Geoarchaeology : the earth-science approach to archaeological interpretation) by stressing the importance of multiple viewpoints and methodologies in applying geoscience techniques to evaluate the archaeological record. In the broadest sense, then, Geoarchaeology of St. Catherines Island applies multiple earth science concepts, techniques, or knowledge bases to the known archaeological record and the processes that created that record. This volume consists of 16 papers presenting the newest research on the stratigraphic and geomorphological evolution of the St. Catherines Island landscape. Of particular interest are presentations addressing the relative timing and nature of sedimentation, paleobiology, sea level change, stream capture, hydrology, and erosional patterning evident on St. Catherines Island (and to some degree the rest of the Georgia Bight). These papers were initially presented at the Fourth Caldwell Conference, cosponsored by the American Museum of Natural History and the St. Catherines Island Foundation, held on St. Catherines Island (Georgia), March 27-29, 2009. Table of contents: Why this archaeologist cares about geoarchaeology : some pasts and futures of St. Catherines Island / David Hurst Thomas -- Evolution of late Pleistocene-Holocene climates and environments of St. Catherines Island and the Georgia Bight / Fredrick J. Rich, Anthony Vega, and Frank J. Vento -- Geoarchaeological research at St. Catherines Island : defining the geological foundation / Gale A. Bishop, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, and Fredrick J. Rich -- Development of a late Pleistocene-Holocene genetic stratigraphic framework for St. Catherines Island : archaeological implications / Frank J. Vento and Patty A. Stahlman -- Ichnological diagnosis of ancient storm-washover fans, Yellow Banks Bluff, St. Catherines Island / Anthony J. Martin and Andrew K. Rindsberg -- Quaternary vegetation and depositional history of St. Catherines Island / Fredrick J. Rich and Robert K. Booth -- Recent shoreline erosion and vertical accretion patterns, St. Catherines Island / Donald B. Potter Jr. -- Role of storm events in beach ridge formation, St. Catherines Island / Harold B. Rollins, Kathi Beratan, and James E. Pottinger -- Drainage changes at Ossabaw, St. Catherines, and Sapelo sounds and their influence on island morphology and spit building on St. Catherines Island / Timothy M. Chowns -- Vibracores and vibracore transects : constraining the geological and cultural history of St. Catherines Island / Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, Matthew C. Sanger, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, Robert K. Booth, Fredrick J. Rich, Donald B. Potter, and Timothy Keith-Lucas -- Application of ground penetrating radar to investigations of the stratigraphy, structure, and hydrology of St. Catherines Island / R. Kelly Vance, Gale A. Bishop, Fredrick J. Rich, Brian K. Meyer, and Eleanor J. Camann -- Postsettlement dispersal and dynamic repopulation of estuarine habitats by adult Mercenaria mercenaria, St. Catherines Island / Robert S. Prezant, Harold B. Rollins, and Ronald B. Toll -- The foundation for sea turtle geoarchaeology and zooarchaeology : morphology of recent and ancient sea turtle nests, St. Catherines Island, Georgia, and Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone, Elbert County, Colorado / Gale A. Bishop, Fredric L. Pirkle, Brian K. Meyer, and William A. Pirkle -- Sea turtle habitat deterioration on St. Catherines Island : defining the modern transgression / Gale A. Bishop and Brian K. Meyer -- Modeling indigenous hunting and harvesting of sea turtles and their eggs on the Georgia Coast / Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, and Brian K. Meyer -- Geomorphology, sea level, and marine resources : St. Catherines Island / Harold B. Rollins and David Hurst Thomas -- Appendix 1. Noncultural radiocarbon record from St. Catherines Island : a compendium -- Appendix 2. Vibracore record from St. Catherines Island : a compendium.Conference sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History and the St. Catherines Island Foundation

Morphological observations on the bellerophont Ptomatis patulus (Hall) (Gastropoda, Bellerophontacea). American Museum novitates ; no. 2242

7 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 6-7)

Gastropoda and Monoplacophora of the Solsville member (Middle Devonian, Marcellus Formation) in the Chenango Valley, New York State. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 144, article 2

p. 131-170 : ill., map ; 27 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-170)