Ostracodes of the Piney Point formation (middle eocene) of Virginia

Previously known only from the subsurface, the Piney Point Formation was recently discovered in outcrop along the Pamunkey River on the Virginia Coastal Plain (Ward, in ms.). The ostracode fauna of this unit is diverse and well preserved, and is here identified and described for the first time. It is composed of forty-five species of Ostracoda, twelve having been described previously, eleven having affinities to previously described species, and eight described as new. Based on correlation of the previously described species with ostracode faunas from the Gulf Coastal Plain, the age of the Piney Point Formation is middle Claibornian to middle Jacksonian, or middle middle Eocene to middle late Eocene. This shows that the Piney Point Formation is time-transgressive, because the ostracodes from the type locality are strictly middle Claibornian (Brown et al., 1972). The ostracode assemblage of the Piney Point is typical of one inhabiting warm, clear, open marine waters with a slow sedimentation rate and little reworking.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geological Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Geological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1984

Author dc:creator

• Deck, Linda Theresa

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74502

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/74502