Lituyapecten (New Subgenus of 

Patinopecten) From Alaska and 

California 

AND 

Stratigraphic Occurrence of 

Lituyapecten in Alaska 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-J,K 
Lituyapecten (New Subgenus of 

Patinopecten) From Alaska and 

California 

AND 

Stratigraphic Occurrence of 

Lituyapecten in Alaska 

SHORTER COI\fTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-J, K 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1961 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director 

For sale by the Superintende~t of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington 25, D.C. 
Lituyapecten (New Subgenus of 

Patinopecten) From Alaska and 

California 

By F. STEARNS MAcNEIL 

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-J 

New M£ocene and P l£ocene spec£es from A Iaska 

. show the relat£on of a known un£que M£ocene spec£es 

(rom Alaska to pre·viously known Pliocene species 

from Californ£a, and a new subgenus £s proposed 

for them 

CONTENTS 

Abstract __________________________________________ _ 

Introduction ______________________________________ _ 

Systematic paleontology ____________________________ _ 

Genus Patinopecten Dall, 1898 ___________________ _ 

Subgenus Lituyapecten MacNeil, n. subgen ________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) 1-' o u l creek en 8 i 8 

MacNeil, n. sp ___________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) p o u l creek en 8 i 8 

MacNeil, subsp.? ________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagen8is (Clark)_ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) yakata- gen8is (Clark) ___________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensi8 MacNeil, 

n. SP------------------------------------

Page 

225 

225 

225 

225 

227 

228 

229 

229 

231 

231 

Systematic paleontology-Continued 

Subgenus Lituyapecten MacNeil, n. subgen-Con. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) purisimaen8i8 (Ar- nold) ___________________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) faloren8i8 MacNeil, n. sp ___________________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri 

(Dall) __________________________________ _ 

Patinopecten (Patinopecten) caurinu8 (Gould) ___ _ 

Vertipecten sp. indet ________ -------- ________ _ 

References ________________________________________ _ 

IndeX---------------------------------------------

ILLUSTRATIONS 

[Plates follow index] 1 

PLATE 35. Pectinids from the Poul Creek formation and PLATE 4f. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

41. 

the upper part of the Kata.lla formation. 

Pectinids from the Poul Creek formation, the 

upper part of the Katalla. formation, and 

the uppermost Poul Creek or lowermost 

Yakataga formation. 

Pectinids from the Yakataga formation. 

Pectinids from the Poul Creek formation, the 

Yakataga formation, and the Falor formation of Manning and Ogle, 1950 (California). 

Pectinids from the Yakataga formation and the 

upper mudstone unit of the unnamed upper 

Tertiary formation in the Lituya district. 

Pectinids from the upper mudstone unit of the 

unnamed upper Tertiary formation in the 

Lituya district. 

Pectinids from the Yakataga, formation and 

the lower sandstone-siltstone and upper 

mudstone units of the unnamed upper 

Tertiary formation in the Lituya district. 

l 

43. 

44. 

45. 

I 

46. 

Pectinids from the Yakataga formation and 

the lower sandstone-siltstone and upper 

mudstone units of the unnamed upper 

Tertiary formation in the Lituya district. 

Pectinids from the upper mudstone unit of the 

unnamed upper Tertiary formation in the 

Lituya district. 

Pectinids from the Purisima formation 

(California). 

Pectinids from the Poul Creek formation, the 

upper mudstone unit of the unnamed upper Tertiary formation in the Lituya district, and from the Purisima formation 

(California). 

Pectinids from the Poul Creek formation, the 

Falor formation of Manning and Ogle, 1950 

(California), and the Purisima formation 

(California). 

v 

Page 

233 

234 

235 

236 

236 

237 

239 

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

LITUYAPECTEN (A NEW SUBGENUS OF PATINOPECTEN) FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA 

By F. STEARNS MAcNEIL 

ABSTRACT 

A new subgeneric name, Lituyapecten, is proposed under the 

genus Patinopecten (used as a subgenus of Pecten by some authors) to include a small but characteristic group of large 

pectinids having, usually, frill-like lamellae on the ribs of its left 

valve. 

Of un~nown origin, the subgenus appears first in early Miocene 

(or possibly very late Oligocene) beds of Alaska. It inhabited 

Alaska throughout Miocene and into Pliocene time, spreading 

southward into California in the Pliocene; its last survivors in 

the California Pliocene· may be younger than its last known representatives in Alaska. 

Three previously described species are included in Lituyapecten; yakatagensis Clark, purisimaensis Arnold, and dilleri 

Dall; coosensis Shumard may be an aberrant member. Three 

new species are described; P. (L.) poulcreekensis MacNeil, 

lituyaensis MacNeil, and falorensis MacNeil. An unnamed 

possible subspecies of poulcreekensis is a.lso recognized. 

The subgenus is believed to comprise two stocks, the yakatagensis stock (yakatagensis, lituyaensis 1 falorensis, and purisimaensis; coosensis may be an atypical member), and the dilleri 

stock (poulcreekensis and dilleri). The last representatives of 

both stocks appear to have penetrated the farthest south; P. 

(L .) falorensis is known as far south as central California where 

it occurs in the Purisima formation; P. (L.) dilleri is known in 

the Pliocene of northern Lower California, Mexico. 

INTRODUCTION 

This study was prompted by a collection made by 

D. J. Miller in the summer of 1958 of some exceptionally well-preserved ·material fron1 Yakataga Reef in 

the Yakataga district, and from Cenotaph Island in 

Lituya Bay, Alaska. After preparing this material 

it was realized that some large Patinopecten in it were 

worthy not only of description in themselves, but they 

shed new light on the internal rela.tion of a conspicuous 

but poorly known group of Patinopecten occurring in 

the late Tertiary of both Alaska and California. Accordingly, a restudy was made of similar forms in older 

Alaskan collections as well as of related forms in 

California. With one .exception the spedimens figured 

here from Alaska are from the collections of the U.S. 

Geological Survey; they will be deposited in the U.S. 

National Museum. One specimen from the collection 

lr 

of the California Academy of Sciences is figured. The 

collections of both the Acaden1y and the University of 

California at Berkeley were used in listing the occurrences of species. None of the specimens from 

Alaska illustrated here has been figured previously. 

The holotype of Pecten (Patinopecten) yakatagensis 

Clark, the only Alaskan species for which an illustration 

was available, is a poor specimen and is not refigured. 

Related species in California Pliocene formations were 

studied in connection with the Alaskan species. Specimens of these species in the collections of both the 

University of California and Stanford University are 

illustrated here. These include the holotype of 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) jalorensis MacNeil, a specimen figured prevl.ously as "Pecten oregonensis Howe 

var." by Manning and Ogle (1950, pls. 6, 7), some 

specimens of the same species from the Purisima formation, and what is believed to be one of the best 

specimens known of Patinopecten purisimaensis Arnold. 

Most of the n1aterial from Alaska occurs as soft 

shell in fine-grained hard rock. Complete free specimens are rare and in collecting fracture takes place 

most commonly through the shell material, leaving 

part of the shell on the internal mold and part on 

the external mold, Most of the rock is noncalcareous, 

and it was found that molds having good detail could 

be obtained by dissolving away the shells in a.cid. 

Casts were made from these molds with liquid latex. 

With. the exception of one specimen (pl. 42, fig. 4) 

that was collected as a mold filled with decaying 

vegetable material, presumably dissolved naturally 

by humic acids, all the rubber casts were obtained 

in this way. 

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY 

Genus PATINOPECTEN Dall, 1898 

Type: Pecten caurinus Gould. Recent, northern 

California to Alaska. 

The genus Patinopecten is known only from northern 

Pacific waters; its southernmost record is in Lower 

225 
226 .SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

California. N un1erous species, ranging in age from 

middle Tertiary to Recent, are known from both the 

North American and the Asiatic sides of the Pacific. 

Only two species survive; P. caurinus (Gould) from 

the United States and P. yessaens~s (Jay) from Japan. 

The greatest number of species occurs in the Pliocene 

and late Miocene. The present paper describes the 

oldest known An1erican species, a species occurring 

in beds of early Miocene or possibly late Oligocene 

age in Alaska. The first American species is a large 

form, which, together with its abrupt appearance, 

suggests that it is a migrant fron1 elsewhere. Possibly the ancestral stock of Patinapecten is a still 

unknown pectinid in the beds of early Tertiary age 

of east Asia. 

One of the earliest known Asiatic species is Patinapecten yamasakii ninahensis Masuda (1954, p. 13, 

figs. 1-3) from the Shiratori formation (early Miocene) 

of Japan. It is variable enough to foreshadow several 

subsequent types. Its antecedents, when they are 

found, should shed some light on the origin of 

Patinapecten. 

Patinapecten is at present the most likely genus in 

which to place the species under consideration. However, it is by no n1eans certain that Lituyapecten, 

the subgenus here proposed to include the pectens 

of the P. yakatagensis group, really is a subgenus of 

Patinapecten. We still know too little about the 

exact lines of descent within the highly complex 

pectinids to n1ake definite statements. 

Grant and Gale (1931, p. 188) say, "Vertipecten 

appears to be the connecting link between Chlamys 

and Patinapecten." Elsewhere (p. 192) they ren1ark 

This group of species lPatinopecten], although obviously 

closely related to Chlamys and to Vertipecten, is none the less, 

a rather distinct unit. It represents an evolutionary adaptation starting in the same irection as that taken by Amusium; 

but the external ribs did not become absolute, and hence 

the external lirae did not become sharp. The general shape, 

however, is the same. The shape of Placopecten is also similar. 

Patinopecten developed distinct external ribs, Placopecten retained but faint radial riblets on the exterior, while all that 

is left of the ribs of Amusium are the strengthened internal 

lirae. * * * Amusium is more closely related to J anira, 

and it is possible that its apparent relationship to Patinopecten is 

superficial, being a parallel adaptation to a somewhat similar 

environment. 

There is strong reason for believing Grant and Gale 

are correct in assuming Amusium to be closely related 

to Pecten (Pecten) (=Janira). In fact, there is 

strong reason for believing typical Pecten (Pecten), 

Amusium, and Pecten (Amussiapecten) are coderivatives from a prototypical Pecten (Pecten). Pecten 

(Amussiapecten) seems to form a continuum between 

Pecten (Pecten) and Amusium. 

However, the exact relation of Patinapecten to either 

Vertipecten or Chlamys is still rather obscure. Vertipecten semns to be closely related to some of the types 

included in Chlamys, but whether or not Chlamys as 

used by n1ost modern authors is a monophyletic group 

is another matter. Certainly the left valve of the earliest known North American species of Patinapecten 

bears little resemblance to the left valve of coexisting 

species of vertipecten. 1i ertipecten is unique in having 

its left valve more inflated than its right valve. It 

would be premature to say Patinapecten is not related 

to Vertipecten but it would be safe to say that if the 

two are related they must have diverged frorn each 

other at least as far back as early Tertiary tin1e. 

The known late Mesozoic and earliest Tertiary pectinids seem to indicate that the prototype of Pecten 

(Pecten) was derived from a Camptanectes-like ancestor. 

An Amusium-like stock was also differentiated at an 

early date, but it resembles true Amusium only in being sn1ooth and probably was not the ancestor of Amusium s.s. The ontogeny of Pecten (Pecten), based on 

P. (P.) jacabaeus Lamarck, suggests that the prototypical stock may have been inequivalved but sn1ooth. 

It may have been closely related to the primitive Amusium-like smooth forms. It developed ribs to produce 

Pecten (Pecten), and the ribs became secondarily obsolete but reinforced internally, along with flattening of 

both valves, to produce Amusium s.s. The more 

coarsely ribbed true pectens have well-developed rims 

along the sides of the internal projection of the interspaces between the ribs, presumably a stage in the development of the pairs of riblets on the inside of both 

Pecten (Amussiapecten) and Amusium. These paired 

internal ribs are probably a development independent 

of the single internal ribs of other externally sn1ooth 

pectinids; still others are without internal ribs. Patinapecten, although resembling Pecten (Amussiapecten) externally, does not have paired internal ribs. 

Very young sheJls of Patinapecten caurinus are nearly 

smooth with irregular radiating white lines in the shell, 

resen1bling son1e species of Pse11damussium and Propeamussium. They have a faint diagonal Camptanecteslike n1icrosculpture. This, together with its lack of internal ribs, suggests a separation of the Patinapecten 

branch before the stabilization of Pecten (Pecten) and 

Amusium. Possibly Patinapecten came fron1 intermediates between Camptanectes and Pecten (Pecten). 

Left valves of most specimens of Patinapecten caurinus have delicate, evenly spaced raised concentric 

growth lines extending to the ventral margin; on some 

specimens there is a slight imbrication. Similar concentric growth lines are the characteristic microsculpture of the left valve of most species of Pecten (Pecten) 

and of Pecten (Amussiapecten). Some of the early true 
LITUYAPECTEN, NgW SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA 227 

Amusium may have had similar concentric growth lines, 

but the later species of Amusi1.tm have both valves 

smooth and polished. The group of Patinopecten under 

consideration has fine concentrie growth lines on the 

early stages of the left valve, but the typical sculpture 

of the left valve of adults is characterized by lamellae 

or flanges which may extend entirely across the ribs or 

which may be divided into two series, one along each 

edg~ of the flat-topped ribs. The transition from the 

the juvenile to the adult sculpture may be abrupt or 

gradual. On son1e individuals the· fine concentric 

growth lines persist in adults in the interspaces as well 

as on top of the ribs between the blunt spines or flanges. j 

No specimens of Lituyapecten yet observed show any 

suggestion of the imbricating 1nicrosculpture, resenlbling the surface of metal lath, that characterizes 

left valves of Chlamys, Vertipecten, Fortipecten, and 

some species of Patinopecten such as P. yessoensis, 

P. propatulus (Conrad), and P. ibaragiensis Masuda 

(1953), pls. 5, 6); imbricating microsculpture occurs 

rarely in small patches on speeimens of P. caurinus. 

On the other hand, P. coosensis (Shumard) (see Trumbull, 1958, pls. 115-117), a species generally referred 

to Patinopecten s. s., has a concentric microsculpture, 

not an imbricating one. 

It may be that P. coosensis is really a flangeless 

Lituyapecten, not a member of the P. (Patinopecten) 

caurinus group. In support of this, a flangeless variant 

of P. (L.) yakatagensis (pl. 45, fig. 3; pl. 46, fig. 5), 

whose left valve ribs are squared like those of P. 

coosensis, has only fine concentric growth lines all 

the way to the ventral margin. These two species 

also have a peculiar strong fold on the anterior ear of 

the left valve. 

The origin of Forti pecten was discussed by Y abe and 

Hatai (1940, p. 153-155). Yabe and Hatai suggested 

that some Miocene Patinopecten might be the ancestor 

of this subgenus. Since their paper was written, a 

Miocene species has been described, Patinopecten 

ibaragiensis Masuda (1953, p. 44, pl. 5, figs. 1-5; pl. 6, 

figs. 1-5), which definitely seen1s to be the connecting 

link between Patinopecten and Fortipecten. I am 

inclined to regard Fortipecten as a subgenus of Patinopec~en on the basis of this species. The genus 

Patinopecten would then en1brace three subgenera: 

typical Patinopecten, Fortipecten, and Lituyapecten. 

If an imbricating mocrosculpture is a primative 

character that persists in several lines of descent such 

as Chlamys ( Chlamys), Chlamys (Swijtopecten), Chlamys 

of the 0. beringianus group, Vertipecten, and Patinapecten), it is difficult to see why it is present in some 

typical Patinopecten and not in others. The microsculpture is developed in a layer that is readily decorticated, and it is only seen on exceptionally wellpreserved specimens; sometimes only a small patch of 

it can be found. As far as is known, only concentric 

microsculpture is found in Amusium, Pecten (Amussiopecten, Pecten (Pecten), and Patinopecten (Lituyapecten). 

It is entirely possible that Patinopecten inherited an 

imbricating microsculpture which, although persisting 

in Fortipecten and in some species of typical Patinapecten, was eliminated in some typical Patinopecten 

and in Lituyapecten. It is also possible that there was 

no persistence of this character in the phylogenetic 

lines connecting Patinopecten with Vertipecten and 

Chlamys, however short or long they might have been, 

and that this character was redeveloped in some 

branches of Patinopecten. At any rate, our present 

imperfect knowledge of pectinid phylogeny makes it 

impossible to settle the question. 

Subgenus LITUYAPECTEN MacNeil, new subgenus 

Type: Patino pecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. 

Diagnosis. -Shell medi urn large to very large; a 

right valve of the type species measures SX inches in 

diameter; this size makes it one of the largest pectinids 

known. Outline ranges from subrounded to elliptical; 

long axis in some species is the height; in others, the 

length. Ears moderately large; byssal notch moderately 

strong to strong; anterior ear of right valve elongate, 

tends to become narrower, and curves ventrally in 

full grown adults; left valve ears n1ore syn1rnetrical, 

and anterior ear tends to develop a marginal fold 

(concave on the inside) opposite narrow ear of right 

valve. Ribs strong, and those of right valve n1oderately 

broad to broad; they tend to be undercut on sides, 

flat to rounded or irregular on top. Interspaces 

usually deep and round bottomed. Juvenile sculpture 

consisting of thin concentric raised lines. 

Interstitial ribs n1ay occur on either valve and they 

are usually beset by a single row of rounded frills or 

flanges. Right valve of Lituyapecten probably slightly 

more inflated than left valve. Crushing of known 

specimens makes it difficult to determine the relative 

inflation; certainly some known left valves more inflated now than right valves. Hinge plate relatively 

heavy and with a single nearly marginal groove in each 

of the left valve ears. Base of the hinge plate 

conspicuously swollen. 

Discussion.-The subgenus is founded primarily on 

the left-valve sculpture. The ribs are moderately 

narrow to wide and rounded to flat topped. The 

juvenile sculpture consists of raised concentric growth 

lines that are fine and evenly spaced; they are similar to 

those normally covering the entire valve of P. caurinus. 
228 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

The adult sculpture of Lituyapecten consists of sharply 

raised flanges or lamellae, which may be single or 

divided into two or more rows of segments. 

I am indebted to Mrs. Ellen Trumbull, of the U.S. 

Geological Survey for a photograph of an unusually 

well-preserved specimen of Patinopecten propatulus (Conrad) from the Astoria formation (1\tfiocene) of Oregon, 

a specimen which she will figure in a forthcoming paper. 

This specimen has several patches of imbricating 

microsculpture preserved. In addition, it has small 

frill-like flanges very close to the beak on three or four 

of the posterior ribs of the left valve. They are closer to 

the beak than I have seen them on other species having 

similar flanges, and they appear to have died out at the 

stage of growth at which they normally appear in other 

species. This specimen contains the only combination 

of imbricating microsculpture and frill-like flanges I 

have seen. On the basis of the frills alone, P. propatulus 

might appear to belong to Lituyapecten, even though 

the frills occur at a different growth stage than is 

common. I am inclined to believe that the juvenile 

frills on P. propatulus indicate that typical Patinopecten 

and Lituyapecten are closely related after all, something that I did not feel I could say positively from 

other species. Possibly P. (Patinopecten) and P. 

(Lituyapecten) diverged from each other in Oligocene 

time. P. propatulus certainly seems to be a typical 

Patinopecten, whereas I believe coosensis is an aberrent 

Lituyapecten. 

Clark (1932, p. 808) in his description of Pecten 

(Patinopecten) yakatagensis said: "Pecten yakatagensis 

of all the species referable to the subgenus Patinopecten is 

unique. * * * It is very possible that Pecten yakatagensis should be placed in a new section." The new 

subgeneric name, Lituyapecten, is here proposed to 

include the species of Patinopecten having one to several 

rows of frill-like flanges on the ribs of the left valve. 

Two groups of species are included under Lituyapecten, the Patinopecten dilleri group and the Patinopecten yakatagensis group. The P. dilleri group usually 

has subrounded ribs on the left valve and single flanges 

continuous across the ribs; rarely the flanges may be 

divided on one or two of the central ribs with the disconnected segments of the flanges alternating. In the 

P. yakatagensis group the flanges are broken up into 

two or more well-defined series located on ribs, which 

at least in full grown adults tend to be broad and flat 

topped. Two rows of short spinelike flanges, one along 

each side of flat-topped ribs, is the most common condition. However, the distinction of the flanges as 

single or multiple rows is sharp only in the Pliocene 

species, the last-known members of the group. The 

earliest known members are irregular in the division or 

nondivision of the flanges and in the distance of separation; the same specimen may have single or divided 

flanges on different ribs, or on different parts of the 

same rib. Thus, while the end members of these two 

groups may seem quite distinct, the earliest representatives indicate that they had a common ancestry and 

that the characters which distinguished their lastknown representatives were characters of no more than 

individual variation in their earliest known representatives. 

Lituyapecten commonly has large barnacles on its 

left valve, but none have been observed on right 

valves. (See pl. 37, fig. 7; pl. 42, fig. 3; pl. 43, figs. 

1, 4.) Presumably it rested on its right valve. If 

they were active, specimens with large barnacles 

must have had their activity impeded; some barnacles 

on Alaskan specimens have bases measuring over 30 

millimeters. The Geological Survey collection contains a Recent specimen of Patinopecten (Patinapecten) caurinus whose right valve is clean but whose 

left valve is covered by barnacle bases. Schools of 

this species are believed to move from location to 

location periodically. 

As far as is known, Lituyapecten is typically North 

American. The known species are all from Alaska 

and California; apparently it never invaded Asiatic 

waters. It ranges from early Miocene, possibly late 

Oligocene, to late lVIiocene, possibly early Pliocene 

in Alaska. The California occurrences are Pliocene. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, n. sp. 

Plate 35, figures 1-6; plate 36, figures 1, 2(?), 3, 4, 6, 7; 

plate 38, figure 2 

Shell moderately large, suborbicular; valves probably 

both moderately inflated, right valve possibly more 

so (inflation varies in specimens at hand, probably 

owing to crushing); shell of medium to above n1edium 

thickness. Dorsal margins straight to weakly concave; 

dorsal margins low and have a poorly defined submarginal slope. No visible denticles along margin 

of byssal sinus. Dorsal 1nargin of ears straight. 

Ears moderately large; byssal sinus 1noderately deep 

and large; ears sculptured by strong radial riblets 

(about six) which are made scaly or frilled by the 

strongly upturned edges of closely set growth lines, 

the scaliness being strongest on the ribs; posterior 

ears of both valves have concave tenninal margin 

with hinge line shorter than base of ear; anterior ear 

of left valve has convex tern1inal margin. Both 

valves with about 22 strong radial ribs and 1 or 2 

additional minor ribs at both ends of valve; ribs of 

right valve more squared and undercut; ribs of left 

valve more rounded; a few ribs partly to completely 

bifurcating, a median cleft on 1 or 2 ribs being rather 

common. Ribs of right valve broad and range from 
LITUYAPEC'l'EN, NEW SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA 229 

smooth and flat to irregular and bear 2 or 3 secondary 

radial ridges of moderate strength; central ribs smooth, 

but the terminal ribs at both ends may have weak 

frills along one or both sides or single frills extending 

entirely across them; interspace.s have moderate to 

strong interstitial ribs which, when not decorticated, 

are strongly frilled. Left valve: has regular closely 

set raised growth lines in early stages; growth lines 

change abruptly to a stage having raised frills or 

flanges, the earliest being single and continuous across 

the ribs or, at most, divided into two series by a 

median discontinuity; flanges on opposite sides are 

often staggered or alternating, especially when first 

appearing, but are more often at the same position 

in later stages. In full-grown adults, frills may 

range from a single row to 2 rows with very narrow 

separation to 4 rows formed by division of double 

rows. Interspaces also have n moderately strong, 

highly frilled midrib; a few interspaces have two 

such interstitial ribs. Frills fragile and easily decorticated; best examples obtained as latex impressions 

after acid preparation. Right--valve microsculpture 

not detected and presumably smooth. 

Holotype, a right valve (USNM 563572), measures: 

diameter 113 mm, height 113 mm. Largest right 

valve on hand has a height. of 145 mm, to which must 

be added a few more millimeters for wear. Paratype, 

USNM 563573. 

This species has not been found outside of the Yakataga and Katalla districts, Alaska. It is known to 

occur abundantly only in the uppermost part of the 

Poul Creek formation at Yakataga Reef, although a 

few fragments of it are known from rocks of nearly the 

same age at a few other localities. If the supposed 

stratigraphic position of the youngest known specimen 

in the Katalla district is correct, it ranged into beds 

equivalent to the lowermost part of the Yakataga 

formation, and was presumably coexistent with the 

early members of P. (L.) yakatagensis. The specimen 

in question, an extreme variant, is figured on plate 35, 

figure 6. One specimen (pl. 36, fig. 2), while from an 

isolated locality in the Suckling Hills (USGS 15843) 

whose stratigraphic position is in some doubt (see, · 

Miller, p. 242), is believed, nevertheless, to be the oldest 

specimen collected, and it may be the oldest Patinopecten yet collected from North America; a late Oligocene age is possible. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis will be 

compared with P. (L.) yakatagensis under the discussion of the latter species. 

The known relatives of P. (L.) poulcrr:,ekensis all 

occur in younger beds in Alaska and California. N othing similar to it is yet known from equivalent beds 

elsewhere, and its ancestors and regional provenance 

are unknown. 

Distribution.-Early Miocene, northern Gulf of Alaska region: 

Katalla formation (upper part), Katalla district; Poul Creek 

formation (uppermost part), Yakataga district, Alaska. 

Type locality.-Uppermost part of the Poul Creek formation 

at Yakataga Reef, USGS loc. M-271. 

Other occurrences.-Katalla formation, upper (?) part, USGS 

15843 (float), USGS 15852. Poul Creek formation, USGS 

17733, CAS 29261, ?29264. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, subspt 

Plate 36, figure 5; plate 38, figure 5. 

Two incomplete specimens from near the Poul CreekYakataga formation boundary, but whose exact formational position is not known, are unique in having some 

sculptural details like P. (L.) poulcreekensis, some 

sculpture intermediate between P. (L.) poulcreekensis 

and P. (L.) yakatagensis, and narrower and n1ore 

numerous ribs, agreeing in this respect more with 

P. (L.) yakatagensis. They could well represent linear 

intermediates between the two species, but at the same 

time they are typical of neither. The earliest growth 

stage on one fragment shows it to have concentric 

raised growth lines like juveniles of poulcreekensis and 

yakatagensis. Interstitial ribs with moderately strong 

flanges are present in some of the interspaces, agreeing 

in this respect with poulcreekensis. 

The prevalence in this form of single strong flanges 

completely crossing the ribs suggests that it may be 

ancestral to the P. (L.) dilleri group, of which group a 

fragment obtained high in the section in the Lituya Bay 

district is believed to be a member (pl. 45, fig. 4; right 

valves on pl. 41, figs. 4, 5). 

This form is not being named at present, although 

with better preserved material it probably would be. 

It seems likely that this form and typical P. (L.) poulcreekensis had a common ancestry but are at least subspecifically distinct. If this form and the one fr01n the 

Suckling Hills (pl. 35, fig. 6) were end members of the 

same population it would be variable indeed. 

The largest fragment figured (CAS 29285) has a 

diameter of 118 mm, a fraction of the whole dimension. 

Distribution.-Early Miocene, uppermost part of the Poul 

Creek formation or the lowermost part of the Yakataga formation, Yakataga district, Alaska. 

Localities.-CAS 29285; USGS D341 (T). 

Patinopecten {Lituyapecten) yakatagensis {Clark) 

Plate 37, figures 1-7; plate 38, figures 4, 6; plate 39, figure 2; 

plate 41, figures 2(?), 3; plate 42, figure 3 

Pecten (Patinopecten) yakatagensis Clark, 1932, Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 43, no. 3, p. 807, pl. 15, fig. 8, pl. 16, fig. 1. 

Shell of medium size, suborbicular; valves both moderately inflated; left valve possibly less inflated than 
230 :SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

right valve; shell moderately thin. Dorsal margins 

weakly concave, low wit4 weak submarginal slope on 

left valve; right-valve ears swollen; this condition 

makes boundary between ears and disk a sharp, narrow groove. No byssal denticles. Dorsal margin of 

ears straight to ventrally depressed at the terminal 

ends. Ears moderately fiat but moderately elongate; 

byssal sinus large and deep, wider than terminal projection of anterior ear of right valve; ears sculptured 

by weak to moderate radial riblets (about nine when 

developed all over the ear), which may be weakly 

beaded or nearly smooth; ~nterior ear of left valve 

tends to develop a marginal fold, and terminal edge of 

ear indented opposite the fold-the stronger the fold 

the deeper the indentation. Both valves normally 

have about 30 to 31 radial ribs, but some variants have 

no more than 26-28. Ribs of right valve moderately 

narrow and straight sided to slightly undercut, and 

top flattened, occasionally with a well-defined bifurcation of at least one rib; central ribs smooth; terminal 

ribs often with weak side denticles, especially on terminal sides. Ribs of left valve subrounded in juveniles 

but become flattened or have a median trough on top 

in adults, the sides developing well-defined denticles. 

Juvenile stage of left valve has raised concentric growth 

lines which continue in adults in interspaces and in 

concavity on top of ribs. Adult left-valve sculpture 

consists of frills or flanges on the ribs, most common 

condition being a division of frills into two rows, one 

on each side of the ribs; frills vary in size and in distance from each other; a less common variant has 

single frills completely crossing each rib, or the same 

specimen may have some ribs with single frills and 

some ribs with divided frills; a single specimen from 

the Poul Creek formation compared with this species 

has no frills, the raised concentric growth lines extending all the way to ventral margin. Interspaces rarely 

have an interstitial riblet, but one specimen, which 

has a good development of undivided flanges on main 

ribs, has frilled interstitial riblets in some interspaces. 

Right valves do not appear to have a raised concentric microsculpture. 

Holotype (UC 30381) measures; diameter about 75 

mm, height about 79 mm. One of the largest specimens (USNM 563590) with both dimensions complete 

measures 123 mm in diameter and 123 mm in height. 

The typical form of this species is known only from 

the Yakataga formation and in an interval extending 

300 to 3,700 feet above the base of the formation, although a possible variant of it was found in the uppermost part of the Poul Creek formation. The type (a 

poor specimen not refigured here) probably came from 

about 350 to 400 feet above the base of the formation. 

The typical form has a left valve similar to those figured on plate 37, figures 4 and 7, and plate 42, figure 

3. It was characterized by a juvenile stage having 

fiRe concentric growth lines on the ribs and an adult 

stage having well-developed marginal flanges on the 

ribs separated by a median trough-the trough is 

sculptered by raised growth lines like those on the 

juvenile ribs. The ribs tend to be less raised and not 

as well defined in the advanced growth stages of large 

specimens. No specimens seen thus far from well up 

in the Yakataga formation have ribs with single flanges 

crossing them like the juvenile ribs of P. (L.) poulcreekensis, or the possible narrow ribbed subspecies of 

it illustrated on plate 38, figure 5. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis differs from 

P. (L.) poulcreekensis by having more ribs; about 28 to 

31 as opposed to 22 well-defined ribs and 1 or 2 

additional fine terminal radial riblets on poulcreekensis. 

The ribs of poulcreekensis are larger and broader. The 

lateral frills on the ribs of yakatagensis are separated 

from the time of their first appearance, whereas poulcreekensis has a long postjuvenile stage in which the 

frills are continuous across the ribs, and on some ribs 

they remain single. Furthermore, no specimens of 

yakatagensis have been observed in which the lateral 

frills divide again, whereas in poulcreekensis the frills 

on some of the ribs may divide secondarily to form four 

rows of frills. 

The two species differ strikingly in the development 

of interstitial ribs; they are strong in poulcreekensis but 

very rare in yakatagensis. (See pl. 42, fig. 3.) There 

may be an incipient tendency towards the development 

of interstitial ribs on the right valve of yakatagen8is 

(see pl. 37, fig. 2), but flanged interstitial ribs are always 

present on adults of poulcreekensis, and they are often 

as high as the primary ribs (see pl. 35, fig. 5). 

In the tentative subspecies of poulcreekensis (pl. 38, 

fig. 5) weakly flanged interstitial ribs are present in 

some of the interspaces, but more interspaces are without them. In typical poulcreekensis only one or two 

interspaces at the terminal ends are apt to lack inter· 

stitial ribs. 

The ears of yakatagensis are lower and longer than 

on poulcreekensis; the radial markings are finer; the 

suprabyssal extension of the anterior ear of the right 

valve is narrower and longer; and the anterior ear of 

the left valve tends to develop a submarginal roll or 

fold, a condition not apparent on any specimens of 

poulcreekensis seen. A fold is well developed in coosensis Shumard. (See Trumbull, 1958, pl. 117, fig. 4.) 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis was probably the direct ancestor of P. (L.) lituyaensis, the species 

next described. The latter species occurs in beds believed to be equivalent to an upper part of the Yakataga formation, but so far no representatives of Litu-
LITUYAPECTlDN, NEW SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA. 231 

yapecten are known from the highest part of the Y akataga formation. The beds containing Lituyapecten in 

the Lituya Bay area are believed to be late Miocene or 

early Pliocene in age. The subgenus is repre~ented by 

still another species in beds of late Pliocene cage in 

California. Unless the pattern of distribution known 

at present is merely an accident of collectir;-g;·-fhe subgenus seems to have migrated frorrL the northern Gulf 

of Alaska region in the early Miocene to California in 

the late Pliocene where it became extinct. 

An incomplete right valve from the lower part of 

the sandstone-siltstone unit in the Lituya Bay district 

(pl. 41, fig. 2) may be P. (L.) yakatagensis ot, at least, 

-Intermediate between P. (L.) yakatagensis and P. (L). 

lituyaensis. It occurs lower in the section than typical 

lituyaensis although its position may be stratigraphically higher than the highest known occurrence of 

yakatagensis in the Yakataga formation. The ribs are 

narrower than on lituyaensis. There are 26 ribs; just 

under the minimum observed on yakatage1isis in the 

Yakataga district and just over the maximum observed 

for lituyaensis from higher in the section in the Lituya 

Bay district. 

Distribution.-Early to Middle Mioc€me, northern Gulf of 

Alaska region: Yakataga formation, Yakataga district, Alaska; 

possibly in the lower part of the sandstone-siltstone unit in the 

Lituya Bay district, Alaska. 

Type locality.-Yakataga formation, about 350 feet above the 

base of the formation, Yakataga Reef, UC loc. 3859. 

Other occurrences.-Yakataga formation, USGS locs. 6693, 

6695, 15425, 15437 (?), 17813, 17840, 17841, 17852, 17853, D256 

(T); CAS locs. 29230, 29244, 29248, 29251, 29256, 29257, 29270, 

29274, 29276, 29277, 29283, 29294; UC loc. 3858. · 

Doubtful identifications.-Sandstone-siltstone unit, Lituya Bay 

district, USGS D 187 (T). 

Patino pecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) yakatagensis (Clark) 

Plate 45, figure 3; plate 46, figure 5 ' 

The Miller collection from the upper 50 feet of the 

Poul Creek formation at Yakataga Heef (USGS 17733), 

Alaska, contains one specimen that is obviously different from other specimens from that interval, all of 

which appear to be referable to poulcreekensis. The 

unique specimen is more like yakatagensis although it 

is not typical. The significance of this specimen -was 

not recognized in the field and it was not segregated, 

but an attempt to determine its stratigraphic position 

from the matrix adhering to it and Miller's very carefully described section suggests that it came. from a bed 

stratigraphically higher than the bed containing abundant individuals of poulcreekensis. 

This specimen has only about 24 ribs as opposed to 

30 or 31 in the typical form. The ribs on its left valve 

have no flanges-only a weak sulcus on 1 or 2 ribs. 

The raised concentric microsculpture, which normally 

5791010-61-2. 

characterizes the juvenile stage, extends on this specimen all the way to the ventral margin. The specimen 

has a maximum height of about 90 mm; the transition 

from the juvenile to the adult sculpture on both poulcreekensis and yakatagensis is usually between 30 and 

50 mm from the beak. 

This form is the probable ancestor of typical yakatagensis, and since it occurs at so nearly the same stratigraphic position as poulcreekensis, and yet differs so 

much from it, the suggestion is strong that poulcreekensis is not the direct ancestor of yakatagensis. This 

problem-is further discussed on page 232-233. 

It is also possible that this form from the uppermost 

part of the Poul Creek formation may be ancestral to 

other late Tertiary pectinids besides P. (L.) yakatagensis; lineages which did not continue to live in the immediate area. One such possible descendent is Patinopecten coosensis (Shumard) from the Empire formation (Pliocene?) of Oregon which does not seem to be 

very closely related to the Miocene to Hecent P. propatulus-P. caurinus stock, but which could very well 

have come from P. (L.) cf. yakatagensis from the Poul 

Creek. 

Locality.-From the upper 50 feet of the Poul Creek formation 

at Yakataga Reef, Alaska, presumably from above the zone of 

P. (L.) poulcreekensis, USGS 17733. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. 

Plate 39, figures 1, 3; plate 40, figures 1-5; plate 41, figure 1; 

plate 42, figures 1, 2, 4; plate 43, figures 1-4 

Shell large, asymmetrical; posterior extension greater 

than anterior extension, and greatest height posterior of 

median line; right valve more inflated than left valve; 

shell of medium thickness. Dorsal margins concave in 

region of ears, but become nearly straight distally; 

dorsal margins low; left valve may have a low steplike 

marginal slope, particularly along left side; left valve 

ears inflated and lie higher _than adjacent disk; byssal 

fold may be greatly swollen. Dorsal margin of ears 

straight centrally but curves ventrally towards distal 

end; anterior ear of right valve curves strongly in large 

specimens. Ears of moderate size for a large shell; no 

denticles along margin; byssal sinus moderately deep; 

ears sculptured by scabrous or beaded radial riblets 

which tend to die out distally and which may be very 

weak or absent on some specimens; a weak dorsal fold 

and a corresponding terminal indentation on anterior 

ear of left valves. Both valves with about 23 or 24 

broad radial ribs. Hibs of right valve higher centrally 

and low to ·nearly flush terminally; central ribs smooth 

and rounded on top; terminal ribs have weak lateral 

frills and concave tops; .interspaces smooth or have 

frilled interstitial ribs in one or more of terminal interspaces. Left valve has frilled ribs, which may be single 
232 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

and narrow terminally but broad centrally with a raised 

row of strong but narrow beadlike frills on each side, 

or more rarely with a middle row of frills as well; interspaces wider than ribs in adults but narrower than ribs 

in juveniles, sometimes with beaded or frilled interstitial riblets in one or two interspaces. Juvenile 

sculpture of left valve consists of ___ raised- concentrir 

growth lin~s which are slightly convex towards beak 

and which are not raised on bottoms of interspaces, but 

which are raised in median trough on ribs for some distance beyond first appearance of marginal frills. Microsculpture of adults consists of growth lines convex · 

towards margin in interspaces and concave tow:a:r.ds 

margins on ribs but not raised as in juveniles. Right 

valve microsculpture consists of faint radial markings· 

but otherwise smooth. 

Holotype, a right valve (USNM 563598), measures: 

diameter 210 mm, height 220 mm. The left valve 

paratype is numbered USNM 563599. 

The holotype of this species is one of the largest 

Tertiary pectinids known-if a larger specin1en has 

ever been reported-and fragments of other specimens indicate that an even larger size was attained; 

possibly as much as 250 mm. It may have the distinction also of being the first pectinid observed in 

the rocks of western North America, the "manteau 

royal" mentioned in the narrative of La Perouse's 

expedition of 1786. 

This species is descended probably directly from 

P. (L.) yakatagensis. It is larger and asymmetrical, 

whereas yakatagensis is nearly round. Most of the 

known specimens appear to be deformed by rock 

flowage in one way or another; some are shortened, 

some lengthened, and others are flattened. It has 

fewer and broader ribs than yakatagensis. The ears 

are larger and higher, and the byssal notch and the 

byssal fasciole are not as broad. The terminal ribs 

on the right valve of yakatagensis usually have a row 

of weak frills on the outer side, but the terminal ribs 

of lituyaensis usually have frills on both sides, and 

the ribs tend to be broader with a concave top. However, there is considerable variation in this respect; 

compare figure 1 of plate 40 with the corresponding 

area on figure 3. 

The terminal ribs of the left valve of both species 

tend to be narrow and to have only a single set of beads 

or flanges; this feature differs from specimen to specimen, and opposite ends of the san1e specimen may be 

unlike. 'l'he left valve of lituyaensis sometimes has 

a strong third beaded riblet on some of the middJe 

ribs (pl. 43, fig. 1), possibly a function of its wider ribs. 

Only one specimen of yakatagensis seen (pl. 42, fig. 3) 

has any indication of a third row of beads, and on it 

the third row is very weak. It is interesting to note 

that this specimen also has a fine beaded interstitial 

riblet, a variation which in lityuaensis accompanies 

the presence of the third beaded riblet on the ribs. 

Patinopecten (L.) lituyaensis has its flangelike beads 

in well-~~pa_rated rows, the variation being from well 

to widely separated; in yakatagensis the rows range from 

narrowly to well separated, the maximum separation in 

yakatagensis being about the minimum separation 

in lituyaensis. The minimum separation in yakatagensis is about equal to the maximum separation in 

poulcreekensis, the latter species ranges to specimens 

havi~g no division of the flanges. 

The frilled interstitia] ribs seen on several right 

valves of this species (pl. 39, fig. 3; pl. 40, figs. 2, 5) 

seem to be a common occurrence, and they resemble 

to a lesser degree the interstitial ribs of P. (L.) poulcreekensis~ Si.Ip.ilar ribs have not been observed in 

yakatagensis. 

The microsculpture on juvenile left valves of lituyaensis (pl. 42, fig. 2) is similar to that of yakatagensis 

(pl. 37, figs. 3, 5). On both species the transition to 

the adult stage with side frills on the ribs is less abrupt 

than on poulcreekensis (pl. 36, fig. 6). 

All three species are in contrast to a specimen, 

identified as P. (L.) cf. yakategensis, collected by 

Miller (p1. 45, fig. 3; pl. 46, fig. 5) from above the 

P. (Y.) poulcreekensis zone but still below the base of 

the Yakataga formation (included in USGS 17733). 

This single and only known unfrilled specimen from 

the upper part of the Poul Creek formation poses a 

problem regarding the ancestry of both yakatagensis 

and lituyaensis. There seems to be little doubt that 

lituyaensis is descended directly from yakatagensis. 

However, in some respects the unfrilled Pou] Creek 

form appears to be a more likely ancestor of typical 

yakatagensis' than poulcreekensis does; poulcreekensis, 

although related, may belong to a different lineage 

that is more closely related toP. dilleri. The strongest 

resemblance between yakatagensis and poulcreekensis 

lies in the possession by both of divided flanges. The 

flanges of poulcreekensis are more exaggerated and 

have a greater range of variation than those of yakatagerisis, its possible successor. On the other hand, the 

unfrilled Poul Creek form is what might be expected 

for the ancestor of yakatagensis. It has narrow ribs 

although they are fewer than in typical yakatagensis. 

The beaks and ears are similar, even to the fold along 

the dorsal margin of the anterior ear of the left valve, 

a condition also strongly developed in P. coosensis. 

(See Arnold, 1906, pl. 6, fig. 2.) The fact that the 

Poul Creek form does not have frills on its ribs may be 

outweighted by the fact that on some specimens of 
LITUYAPE·CTEN, NEW SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA 2.33 

typical yakatagensis they are very weak and by the 

fact that the adult sculpture of the Poul Creek forn1 is 

like the juvenile sculpture of yakata,gensis. 

It may be unsafe to draw conelusions on the few 

specimens known at present. It is possible, however, 

that poulcreekensis and the unfrilled form, her:~ indentified as P. (L.) cf. yakatagensis, represent already 

divergent stocks of common ancestry and that poulcreekensis may be the ancestral stoek of dilleri, whereas 

the unfrilled form may be the ancestral stock of the 

typical yakatagensis and lituyaensis, as well as of 

coosensis. 

The next younger members of this group of pectinids 

are from the Pliocene of California; after lituyaensis 

none are known from Alaska. 

Distribution.-Late Miocene(?) and (or) early Pliocene, Lituya Bay district, Alaska: Occurs in both the 

lower sandstone-siltstone unit and the upper mudstone unit. 

Type locality.-Upper mudstone unit of unnamed upper 

Tertiary formation, about 300 to 340 feet above the base of the 

upper mudstone unit, southwest shore of Cenotaph Island, 

Lituya Bay, Alaska, USGS M270. 

Other occurrences.-Lower sandstone(?)-siltstone unit, USGS 

D223 (T), D264 (T); upper mudstone unit, USGS D174 (T), 

M270. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) purisimaensis (Arnold) 

Plate 44, figures 1, 3 

Pecten (Patinopecten) purisimaensis Arnold, 1906, U.S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 47, p. 105, pl. 34, fig. 3, pl. 35, figs.1, 1a. 

Grant and Gale, 1931 [in part], San Diego Soc. Nat. 

History Mem., v. 1, p. 194, pl. 6, fig. 3. 

The type of this species, deposited at Stanford University (SU 3), is a very poor specimen; and although 

a better right valve was figured by Grant and Gale; it 

has remained inadequately illustrated. The specimen 

figured here, although incomplete and partly riddled by 

borings, is by far the best specimen of the species I 

have seen and illustrates most of its characters very 

well. 

The typical form of the species has rather narrow 

ribs on its right valve, and most of the ribs have short 

marginal denticles or flares recalling those on the terminal ribs of P. (L.) lituyaensis. (See pl. 41, fig. 1.) The 

left valve has narrow ribs with wide, round-bottomed 

interspaces. Two or three of the central ribs are 

slightly wider with a weak concavity along the crest, 

but most of the ribs are narrowly rounded on top and 

bea.r a single row of denticles or narrow flanges along 

their crest. They are broken or worn on most specimens observed, and even on the fairly well preserved 

specimen figured here, only their base is preserved. 

Patinopecten turneri Arnold from the Pliocene of the 

Tomales Bay region, California, was regarded by Grant 

and Gale (1931, p. 194) as a synonym of purisimaensis. 

If Grant and Gale were influenced by an error in 

Arnold's statements about his figured specimens they 

did not say so. Arnold figured three specimens, two 

of them ·as right. valves and one as a left valve; however, 

all three of Arnold's specfm(:ms · a:re left valves. This 

gave him an erroneous concept of his supposed new 

species and made it appear to be very different from 

punszmaensis. Actually purisimaenst's and turneri 

are closely related, but some good specimens of turneri 

collected by Dr. Joseph H. Peck of the University of 

California show a well-defined sulcus on the right valve 

ribs that is not found in purisimaensis. These species 

should probably be kept separate. 

Patinopecten (L.) purisimaensis is related to P. 

(L.) dilleri (Dall), a species common in the Pliocene of 

southern California but decribed from the Pliocene of 

Humboldt County, northern California. P. (L.) dilleri 

usually has coarse flanges on both valves, those of the 

right valve being either single and crossing the ribs 

(Arnold, 1906, pl. 5, fig. 2), or divided and along the 

margins of the ribs (Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, 

pl. 11, fig. 1). The left valve has strong single flanges 

(Woodring and Bramlette, 1950, pl. 11, fig. 9). It is 

doubtful if dilleri should be regarded as a variety of 

coosensis as was done by Grant and Gale (1931, p. 193). 

In view of the Alaskan forms now known, it seems more 

likely that dilleri and coosensis stem from different early 

Miocene forms; dilleri from poulcreekensis, and 

coosensis from an early variant of yakatagensis. 

In spite of its apparent close relation to dilteri, 

purisimaensis appears to be more closely related to 

jalorensis, a species here described from the Falor 

format~on (l\1anning and Ogle, 1950) of northern 

Humboldt County, Calif., a formation equivalent to 

a part of the Wildcat series of Lawson (1894). In 

fact, it is difficult to say from the known specimens 

whether two species are represented in the Purisima 

formation, purisimaensis and falorensis, or whether 

all the specimens in question should be regarded as 

belonging to one greatly variable species. For the 

time being they are treated as two species although 

it may later be found preferable to treat jalorensis as 

a subspecies of purisimaensis. 

Distribution.-Pliocene, central California: Purisima formation, Sa~ Mateo County, Calif. 

Type locality.-N orth of the mouth of Pescadero Creek, 

San Mateo County, Calif., SU 3. 

Other occurrences.-UC 4417, SU 4922. 
234 .SHORTER GONTRI~UTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) falorensis MacNeil, n. sp. 

Plate 38, figures 1, 3; plate 44, figures 2, 4; plate 45, figures 

2, 4; plate 46, figures 1-4 

Pecten oregonensis Howe var. Manning and Ogle, 1950, Calif. 

Div. Mines Bull. 148, p. 23-24, pls. 6, 7. 

Shell moderately large; suborbicular to w~akly 

extended posteriorly; valves moderately inflated; right 

valve slightly more inflated than left valve; shell 

moderately thin. Posterior dorsal margin moderately 

concave, and anterior margin nearly straight; left 

valve. with low but sharp steplike submarginal slopes, 

and nght valve slopes less sharp because of inflation 

of ears. Dorsal margin of ears straight. Ears sculptured by radial riblets with moderately strong beads, 

about seven riblets on posterior ear of left valve; 

posterior ears longer and with stronger radial riblets 

than anterior ears; no denticles along byssal sinus; 

dorsal margin of left ear of left valve with a weak 

swelling or fold. Ribs 21 to 23. Right valve often 

having a split rib, one segment having no counterpart 

on left valve; right valve ribs broad with undercut 

sides, interspaces narrow and deep; bottoms flattened; 

central ribs flattened or rounded on top; terminal 

ribs with a median sulcus which at the margin may 

be nearly as deep and wide as the primary interspaces. 

Left valve ribs moderately broad with a row of short 

flanges or denticles along each side; central area depressed and troughlike; three terminal ribs o~ each 

side narrow and with a single row of short flanges 

on their crest; interspaces round-bottomed and narrower than the ribs on some specimens, wider on 

others; no interstitial riblets on any specimens observed. 

Juvenile microsculpture unknown. 

Holotype, both valves together (right valve, UC 

34172, left valve UC 34171) measures; diameter 107 

mm, height 99 mm. Figured specimen UC 15977 

has a height of 130 mm. 

The specimen figured by Manning and Ogle, re-

~gured here and made the holotype of the species, 

Is the only specimen of a yakatagensis-like Lituyapecten figured previously other than the type of yakatagensis itself. Its relationship to yakatagensis was 

not recognized and instead, it was identified tentatively as a variety of P. oregonensis Howe, a species 

described from the Empire formation of western 

Oregon. Possibly the association of this species with 

oregonensis came about because of the incorrect locality data given by Howe for a specimen he figured. 

This specimen (Howe 1922, pl. 11, fig. 2) was stated 

by Howe to be from the Wildcat series of Humboldt 

County, Calif.; but according to its number (N. P. 82 

of the Arnold catalog; not 28 as st~ted by Howe), 

it comes from north of the mouth of the Raft River ' 

Taholah, Grays Harbor County, Wash., a locality 

of indefinite formational assignment.. There might 

have been some question, had the specimen figured 

by Howe actually come from the Wildcat series, as 

to whether it was oregonensis or jalorensis, because 

it is. ve.ry difficult to idel)tify right valves, even on 

specimens whose left valves are very dissimilar. However, its correct locality together with the fact that 

it compares favorably with other right valves of 

oregonensis makes it safe to assume that it belongs 

to that species. 

There are two specimens in the Manning and Ogle 

collection besides the holotype. They are smaller than 

the type, but they appear to have narrower ribs than 

the corresponding stage on the type. In this respect 

they approach some of the typical specimens of P. purisimaensis. The left valves of these two specimens have 

narrow but definitely flat-topped ribs with denticulate 

margins like the specimen from the Purisima formation 

illustrated on plate 45, figure 2, here referred to P. (L.) 

falorensis. Typical P. (L.) purisimaensis, on the other 

hand, has narrow rounded ribs over most of its disk 

with two or three of the central ribs slightly wider and 

having a weak concavity along the crest. (See pl. 44, 

figs. 1, 3.) The Purisima formation also contains a 

form that has wide ribs on the right valve and broad, 

flat-topped ribs with marginal denticles on the left 

valve (pl. 44, figs 2, 4), and that compares favorably 

with the type of jalorensis. 

Although it is difficult to say how many species are 

involved here and, if they are distinct, just what the 

varietal range of each species is, it is fairly certain that 

purisimaensis and falorensis are very closely related. 

P. (L.) yakatagensis is a highly variable species if all 

the specimens here referred to it are really conspecific. 

The same range of variation has not been noted in 

lituyaensis, but,possibly all variants of that species have 

not been found. If approximately the same range of 

variation could be demonstrated for lituyaensis, a strong 

case for considering jalorensis as a variety or, at most, 

a subspecies of purisimaensis could be made. To state 

the problem another way, it is not known whether 

purisimaensis and falorensis represent divergent stocks 

of common but not too distant ancestry or whether the 

three species, yakatagensis, lituyaensis, and purisimaensis (including jalorensis) are linear elements of one very 

variable stock, no parts of it having been clearly set off 

by geographical isolation. If the latter were so, all 

the variants existing at any particular instant of time 

belonged to one species, whereas the mean of variation 

shifted sufficiently through time to make at least three 

distinct species recognizable. 

The Stanford University collection contains another 

specimen from the Purisima formation (pl. 45, fig. 4; 
LITUY APE·CTIJN, NEW SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALI.FORNIA 235 

pl. 46, fig. 1) that has wide ribs on the left valve like 

those of typica~ falorens~s. However, the right valve 

has high, comparatively narrow ribs that approach 

those of typical purisimaensis. Furthermore, some of 

the interspaces on the right valve have strong interstitial ribs, almost as strong as those of P. (L.) poulcreekensis. On the basis of its left valve, and because 

some individuals of falorensis have narrower ribs than 

the type, I am identifying this specimen as jalorensis. 

A similar specimen, except that it ls.cks interstitial ribs, 

isin the University of California collection (UC 32659). 

Distribution.-Pliocene, northern and central California: Falor 

formation of Manning and Ogle, 1950, northern Humboldt 

County; Rio Dell formation of Ogle, 1H53 (Wildcat series of 

Lawson, 1894), Humboldt County; Purisima formation, San 

Mateo County, Calif. 

Type locality.-Falor formation, near bridge crossing Boulder 

Creek, adjacent to the Wiggins Rach, about JO miles southeast 

of Blue Lake, Humboldt County, Calif., UC A4233. 

Other occurrences. -Falor formation, SU 4837; Rio Dell formation, SU 4932, SU 4937; Purisima formation, UC 1780 (32659), 

UC 1788, UC A4343, SU 1095, SU 29788. 

Patino pecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri (Dall) 

Plate 41, figures 4, 5; plate Mi, figure 1 

The following is a partial synonymy for typical P. 

(L.) dilleri: 

Pecten (Lyropecten) dilleri Dall, 1901, Nautilus, v. 16, no. 10, 

p. 117. -

Pecten (Patinopecten) dilleri. Arnold, Hl06, U.S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 47, p. 62, pl. 5, fig. 2. 

Jordan and Hertlein, 1926, California Acad. Sci. Proc., 

v. 15, no. 14, p. 431, pl. 30, fig. 1. 

Pecten (Patinopecten) coosensis Shumard variety dilleri Da11. 

Grant and Gale, 1931, San Diego Soc. Nat. History, Mem. 

1, p. 193. 

Patinopecten dilleri. Woodring in Woodring and Bramlette, 

1951, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 222, p. 84, pl. 11, 

figs. 1, 9 [imprint date 19501. 

Fragments of a large Patinopecten which may represent a new species were collected from a horizon 

high in the Lituya Bay section. One large fragment 

of a left valve and two small fragments of a right valve 

are represented. The left valve (pl. 45, fig. 1) has 

moderately broad rounded ribs with irregular flanges 

crossing them and broader, round-bottomed interspaces; at least one of the interspaces has a weak interstitial riblet bearing fine flanges. The right valve (pl. 41, 

figs. 4, 5) has broad, slightly undercut ribs and narrower 

deep interspaces. The fragments appear to be from 

the central part of the disk. No denticles or flanges 

are present on the right valve fragments although 

terrnina! ribs might have them. 

The right- and left-valve frag:ments figured here 

are believed to be the same species, if not the same 

individual, but there is no assurance that this is so. 

If they are, the Alaskan form has much broader ribs 

on its right valve than does typical dilleri from California; the right valve also lacks the spiny lamellae 

commonly present on the southern form. (See Woodring, 1g.5o, pl. 11, fig. 1.) 

A nearly perfect specimen of dilleri with both valves 

together was collected_ by E. H. Quale in the city of 

San Diego. It is in the collection of the University of 

California at Los Angeles, (UCLA 8072, plesiotype 

No. 309) and is to be figured in a forthcoming paper 

on the fauna of the San Diego formation by L. G. Hertlein. The left valve of this specimen has the typical 

single-flanged ribs of the species, but the right valve 

has nearly smooth, moderately narrow ribs. Probably 

this specimen and the specimen figured by Woodring 

(1950, pl. 11, fig. 1) with strong lateral lamellae on 

the right valve ribs can be taken as nearly opposite 

extremes in right-valve ornamentation. 

The left valve from Lituya Bay appears to be more 

like a specimen of dilleri, figured by Jordan and Hertlein (1926), from Pliocene beds near Elephant Mesa 

in the Scammon Lagoon quadrangle, Lower California, than any figured from farther north. The 

Lower California specimen has elongate flanges which 

are single on most ribs; on some ribs the flanges break 

up into two series with the opposite elements alternating, a condition found on some of the ribs of P. (L.) 

poulcreekensis. (See pl. 35, fig. 6, and pl. 36, fig. 4.) 

Usually, as on the specimen figured by Woodring (1950, 

pl. 11, fig. 9), the flanges on the left-valve ribs are 

shorter and more regular. 

Of seyeral good specimens, including the holotype, 

from the Wildcat series of Lawson (1894), all but one 

show only, or consists of only, the right valve. One 

lot from the Tomkins Hill Gas Field, Humboldt 

Co.unty (CAS 34391), consists of a rubber cast of a 

large, nearly perfect right valve (presumably made in 

the field) and shells of two incomplete left valves. 

The left valves appear to be very similar to the specimen figured from Elephant Mesa, Lower California. 

There seems to be little doubt that dilleri is a Lituyapecten. It is a highly variable species if all the speciniens that have been referred to it are really conspecific. 

Among pectens of its own age, it appears to be most 

closely related to P. (L.) purisimaensis as numerous 

writers have claimed. However, it has characters 

which link it unmistakably with both P. (L.) poulcreekensis and poulcreekensis var. (pl. 38, fig. 5), both, 

early Miocene forms. Its relation to purisimaensis 

may be, therefore, one of parallellism rather than of 

direct intergradation, purisimaensis 1nerely · representing the varietal extreme of the purisimaensisfaloren8is stock that perpetuated more of the characters 
236 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

that both it and the dilleri stock inherited from a 

common early Nliocene ancestor_ 

Woodring (1950, p1. 9, figs. 6-8) figured three left 

valves from the Sisquoc formation of the Santa Maria 

district, California, as "Patinopecten dilleri variety." 

This form has well-developed interstitial riblets, concentric frills which completely bridge the interspaces 

between the ribs (crossing the interstitial ribs in so 

doing), and a well-developed imbricating microsculpture resembling the surface of metal lath. I have not 

seen any of these characters on other members of the 

dilleri group. In spite of its excelJent preservation, 

this is a very puzzling shell. It will be interesting to 

see what its right valve looks like, if and when one is 

found. Dr. Leo G. Hertlein, of the California Academy of Sciences, who has had a long and special interest in west-coast pectinids, tells me that he does not 

believe it is a Patinopecten and that he knows of no 

other west-coast species like it. It could be the left· 

valve of the species described by Arnold (1906, p. 117, 

pl. 45, figs. 3, 4) as Pecten (Ghlamys) lawsoni. Arnold 

figured two fragments, one as a left valve and one· as a 

right valve; both of them may be right valves. Grant 

and Gale (1931, p. 166) and Woodring (1950, p. 83) 

tentatively put lawsoni in the synonymy of Ghlamys 

hastatus (Sowerby). Unfortunately, the types of lawsoni were lost in the San Francisco fire of 1906. 

Distribution.-The Alaskan specimens identified as Patinapecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri are from the upper mudstone unit of an unnamed Tertiary formation, Lituya district, 

Alaska, USGS 7931. 

The following is the known distribution for typical P. (L.) 

dilleri: Lower California and California. Pliocene beds near 

Elephant Mesa, Scammon Lagoon quadrangle, Lower California, Mexico; San Diego Calif.; Puente Hills and Newport Beach 

Los Angeles basin, California; Hills north of Simi Valley, Ventura County, Calif.; Foxen mudstone, and Cebada fine-grained 

member of the Careaga sandstone, Santa Maria dist:dct, California; Rio Dell formation of Ogle, 1953 (Wildcat serie.s of Lawson, 1894), Eel River basin, Humboldt County, Calif. 

Type locality.-Bluffs opposite Rio Dell, Eel River, Humboldt County, Calif., (USNM 164846) USGS locality 3363. 

Other occurrences.-Lower California: SU 4936 (CAS 2095); 

San Diego, UCLA 8072; Puente Hills, Pomona College collection; Newport Beach (fide J. G. Vedder); Santa Susana, SU 

4828; Simi Valley, UCLA collection; Santa Mari~ district, 

USNM 560053, USGS 14649, SU 4942; Eel River,. SU 4821, 

CAS 117; Tomkins Hill Gas Field, CAS 34391. 

Patinopecten (Patinopecten) caurinus (Gould) 

Pecten caurinus Gould, 1850, Boston Soc. Nat. History Proc., 

v. 3, p. 345. 

Pecten (Patinopecten) caurinus. Dall, 1898, Wagner Free Inst. 

Sci. Trans., v. 3, p. 710. 

Pecten (Chlamys) caurinus. Oldroyd, 1924, Stanford Univ. 

Pub. Geol., v. 1, p. 57, pl. 6, fig. 1, pl. 4, fig. 1. 

Pecten (Patinopecten) caurinus. Grant and Gale, 1931 [in part], 

San Diego Soc. Nat. History Mem. 1, p. 194. pl. 6, fig. 4. 

(See for extended bibliography.) 

Grant and Gale discuss this species at length and 

cite a long bibliography. Not all of their synonomy 

is correct., however; certainly propatulus Conrad and 

oregonensis Howe, although related, do not belong to 

this species. 

This species, the type of-Patinopecten, is here regarded as 

being subgenerically distinct from the other species treated in 

this paper. No attempt is made to list all the fossil occurrences. It is included for the purpose of recording its occurrence at two localities in the upper part of the Yakataga formation, one in the Yakataga district and one in the Malaspina 

district. It occurs well above the highest occurrence of P. (L.) 

yakatagensis. If the present inferred correlation is correct, its 

earliest occurrence in the Yakataga district falls within the age 

range of P. (L.) lituyaensis in the Lituya district. The specimens are not well preserved and are not figured. 

Localities.-Yakataga formation, CAS 29280, USGS D263 

(T), D336 (T). 

Vertipecten sp. indet. 

Another pectinid, possibly a Vertipecten, which so 

far is known only from fragments and internal molds, 

occurs in. the Yakataga formation at about the same 

stratigraphic position as P. (L.) yakatagensis. This 

form has a long anterior ear on its right valve, narrower 

and more numerous ribs, and moderately high dorsal 

slopes. It may be related to V. porterensis (Weaver). 

It is still too poorly known to be described. 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis has a 

superficial resemblance to some species of Vertipecten, 

and it occurs in beds of the same approximate age. 

Both have rather smooth ribs on the right valve and 

scabrous ribs on the left valve. However, although 

the ribs of the left valve of Vertipecten have large frills, 

the frills do not show any tendency to become divided 

into two well-defined rows, the common condition in 

adults of Lituyapecten. The right valve of Vertipecten 

has a rather steep umbonal slope. The left valve has 

a strong imbricating microsculpture, and there is a 

tendency for the ribs to be unequal. In some species 

[V. nevadanus (Conrad)], there is a tendency for every 

fourth rib to be stronger, whereas in others [V. fucanus 

(Dall)] one central rib may be stronger than the others. 

Left valves of Vertipecten are more inflated than right 

valves. 

Occurrence.-The stratigraphic occurrence of this supposed 

Vertipecten is indicated by an asterisk in figure 46; CAS 29246, 

29253, 29287, 29290. Another float specimen, presumably from 

the lower part of the Yakataga formation, is numbered USGS 

17797. 
LITUYAPECI'EN, NEW. SUBGENUS, FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA 237 

REFERENCES 

Arnold, Ralph, 1906, Tertiary and C~uaternary Pectens of 

California: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 47, 264 p., 53 pis. 

Clark, B. L., 1932, Fauna of the Poul and Yakataga formations 

(upper Oligocene) of southern Alaska: Geol. Soc. America 

Bull. 43, p. 797-846, pis. 14-21, 1 fig. 

Dall, W. H., 1901, A new Lyropecten: Nautilus, v. 14, p. 117-118. 

Grant, U.S., IV, and Gale, H. R., 1931, Catalogue of the marine 

Pliocene and Pleistocene mollusca of California and adjacent 

regions: San Diego Soc. Nat. History Mem., v. 1, 1036 p., 

32 pls. 

Hatai, K. M., 1938, A note on Pecten kagamianus Yokoyama: 

Japan Biogeographical Soc. Bull., v. 8, no. 6, p. 103-110. 

Howe, H. V., 1922, Faunal and stratigraphic relationships of the 

Empire formation, Coos Bay, Oregon: California Univ. 

Pubs. in Geol. Sci., v. 14, no. 3, p. 85-114, pls. 7-12. 

Jordan, E. K., and Hertlein, L. G., 19~~6, Contribution to theGeology and Paleontology of the Tertiary of Cedros Island 

and adjacent parts of Lower California: California Acad. 

Sci. Proc., 4th ser., v. 15, no. 14, p. 409-464, pls. 27-34. 

La Perouse, J. F. de G., 1797, Voyage de La Perouse autour du 

monde, publie conformement au d1~cret du 22 avril 1791, 

et redige par M. L. A. Milet-Mureau: Paris, Imprimerie de 

la Republique, v. 2, 398 p. 

Lawson, A. C., 1894, The geomorphogeny of the coast of northern 

California: California Univ. Pubs., Dept. Geol. Bull., v. 1, 

p. 241-271. 

·" 

Manning, G. A., and Ogle, B. A., 1950, Geology of the Blue 

Lake quadrangle, California: California Div. of Mines, 

Bull. 148, 36 p., 11 pls., 3 maps. 

Masuda, K., 1953, A new species of Patinopecten from Ibaragi 

Prefecture: Tohoku Univ., Inst. Geology and Paleontology, 

Short Papers no. 5, p. 41-50, pls. 5, 6. 

--- 1954, Fossil Pectinidae drom Fukuoka-machi, Ninohegun, Iwate Prefecture: Saito Ho-on Kai Research Bull., 

no. 23, p. 11-14, figs. 1-3. 

Ogle, B. A., 1953, Geology of Eel River Valley Area, Humboldt 

County, California: California Div. Mines Bull. 164, 128 p., 

14 figs., 5 pls., 1 map. 

Trumbull, E. J., 1958, Shumard's type specimens of Tertiary 

mollusks from Oregon and other types formerly at Washington University, St. Louis: Jour. Paleontology, v. 32, 

no. 5, p. 893-906, pls. 115-117. 

Woodring, W. P., and Bramlette, M. N., 1950, Geology and 

Paleontology of the Santa Maria District, California: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 222, 179 p., 22 pls., 9 figs., 

1 map [1951]. 

Yabe, H., and Hatai, K. M., 1940, A note on Pecten (Fortipecten, 

subg. nov.) takahashii Yokoyama and its bearing on the 

Neogene deposits of Japan: Tohoku Univ. Sci. Repts., 

2d ser. (Geology), v. 21, no. 2, p. 147-160, pls. 34-35. 

Yokoyama, M., 1929, Pliocene shells from near Nanao, Noto: 

Japan Geol. Survey Rept. 104, p. 1-7, pls. 1-6. 

IN.DEX 

[Italic numbers indicate descriptions] 

Page 

(A mussiopecten), Pecten ________ ---------------------------- ______ --------____ 226 

A musium ___________ ___ ----------------------------- __ ----------------- _____ 226, 2"1.7 

Astoria formation ___________ ------------------------------------------------__ 228 Barnacles ________________________________ -____________________________________ 228 

beringianus, Chlamys ______ ---- _ --------------- _ ---------- ______ ------- __ __ ____ 227 

Camptonectes_ ~ ________ -------- ___ ------- __ ----- ____ -------- _______ ------ ____ _ 226 

Careaga sandstone, Cebada member------------------------------------------ 236 

caurinus, Patinopecten ____ ------ __ ------- ____ -------- _ ------------------ 226, 227, 231 

Patinopecten (Patinopecten>----------------------------------------- 227,228,236 

Pecten _________________ -------------------------------------- __ --------- 225, 236 (Patinopecten) ___ -- _- _______ -___ -- _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 230 

Cebada member, Careaga sandstone, fine-grained_____________________________ 236 

Chl~:~~~t~~~; ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ :::: :~: :: ~: ~::::::- ~26, :~~ ( Chlamys) _ --------------------------- _____ ------------------------------- 227 hast at us___________________________________________________________________ 236 

( Swijtopecten) __ ----- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ 227 

( Chlamys) lawsoni, Pecten _____ ----------------------------------------------- 236 

Clark, B. L., quoted_--------_-----_-----------------------------------_______ 228 

coosensis, Patinopecten ______________________________ -------- 227,228,230,231,232,233 

Pecten (Patinopecten) -------- ____ ----------------------------------------- 235 

dilleri group _____________ ---------------------------------------------------__ 236 

Patinopecten _____________ __ ------------------------------------- 228, 232, 233, 235 

(Lituyapecten)- ---------------------------------------------- _ 235, 236, pis. 41,45 

Pecten (Lyropecten) ------------------------- _ ------------------- ___ _ ____ __ 235 (Patinopecten) _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ 235 

var ., Patinopecten ·------------- __ ----------------------------------------- 236 

Empire formation __ -----------------------------------------------------_____ 234 

Falor formation __________ ------------ _______ ----- _________ ------------------ 233, 235 

falorensis, Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) _________________ 225, 233, 234, 235, pls. 38, 44, 45 Fortipecten___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ 227 

Fox en mudstone______________________________________________________________ 236 

fuconus, Vertipecten ________ ____________ ---------------------------- _____ ------ 236 

Grant, U.S., and Gale, H. R., quoted·---------------------------------------

hastatus, Chlamys. ___________________________________________________________ _ 

ibaragiensis, Patinopecten __________________ ------- _______________ ------------ _ 

jacobaeus, Patinopecten (Patinopecten) _____ -------- ______________ ------- ______ _ 

Jan ira ---------... ---------... ------------------------------------.. ---------... -----

Katana formation ___ -------------- _____ -------- ______ ------------------ _____ _ 

226 

236 

227 

226 

226 

229 

lawsoni, Pecten ( Chlamys) ______________ ----- _______ ------------------- ____ __ _ 236 

lituyaensis, Patinopecten (Lituyapectcn) ________ 227, 230, 291, 234, 236, pis. 39-43 

Lituyapecten _____________________ ----------- ________ 226, 227, 228, 230, 231, 234, 235, 236 

(Lituyapecten) dilleri, Patino pecten __ ------- _____ ---------------------------- 235, 236 

falorensis, Patinopecten ______________________ 226, 233, 294, 235, pis. 38, 44, 45, 46 

lituyaensis, Patinopecten _______________ 227, 230, .831, 234,236, pis. 39, 40, 41; 42,43 

Patinopecten ____________________________ _ --------- 227, 228, t31, 233, 236 pl. 46 

dillerL------------------------------------------------------ 235, pis. 41, 45, 

poulcreekensis, Patinopecten ________ 228, 230, 231, 232, 233, 235, 236, pis. 35, 36, 38 

subsp., Patinopecten _____________________________________ 229, 230, pis. 36, 38 

var., Potinopecten __ _____ ------------ ___________ -------------- __ ____ _ __ 235 

purisimaensis, Patinopecten ___________________________________ 233,234, 235, pl. 44 

yakatagensis, Patinopecten __ 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 236, pis. 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 

(Lyropecten) dilleri, Pecten __ ------ ___________________ ------- ________ ---------- 235 

nevadan us, Vertipecten_ ------------ _ ------- __ _ _ _ ____ __ __ _____ ______ __ __ __ _ ___ _ 236 

ninohensis, Patinopecten vamasakii_ _________________ -------------------------- 226 

oregonensis, Patinopecten ___ ________________________ . _________________________ _ 236 

Pecten ___ --------------------------------------·------------------------ 225, 234 

Patinop~cten---------------------------------------· ____ 225,226,227,228,229,235,236 

~~~:~~~:::~~:~:~~~~:~::: :~: :::~::~~~~~~~::~~:~::~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~: ~:!: ~:~: ~H var----------------------------------------··-------------------------- 236 ibaragiensis _________ -------------- ___________ --··------- _______ -------- ____ 227 

Page 

Patinopecten-Continued 

(Lituyapecten) ___ ---------------- _ ------- _ ------------ 227, 228, 231, 233, 236, pl. 46 

dilleri----------------------------------------------------- 23.5, 236, pis. 41,45 

falorensis--~------------------------------------ 225,233,234,235, pis. 38, 44,45 

lituyaensis ___ ---------------------------- 227,231,234,236, pis. 39, 40, 41, 42,43 

poulcreekensis ______________________ 228,230,231,232,233,235,236, pls. 35, 36,38 

subsP------------------------------------------------- 229,230, pis. 36,38 

var _-- _____ -- _------------------------- _________________ --- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 235 

purisimaensis_ -------------------------------------------- 233,234,235, pl. 44 

yakatagensis ______________ 227,229,230,231,232,233,234,236, pls. 37, 38, 39, 41,42 

oregonensis ____ _ ---- ____ -_- _- _----------------- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ ___ _ 236 

(Patinopecten) _ ------------ __ --------------------------------------------- 228 

caurinuB-------------------------------------------------------- 227, 228, 236 jacobaeus _____ __________ ----- _________ --- __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 226 

propatulus------------------------------------------------------ 227,228,231,236 

purisimaensis_ ------------------------------------------------------ 225, 234, 235 turneri ___ ___ -- ___________________ ------ _____ --- _ __ ___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 233 

~:~!~!~~ ~i~~h~;;si;:::: :::::::: :~~:: ::::::: ~:: ~: :~ :~:::: ::::::::::: ~ ::: _ 

26

' ~~! yessoensis ________________ -_______ -_____ -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ 226, 227 

(Patinopecten) caurinus, Patinopecten_ ---------------------------------- 227,228,236 

caurinus, Pecten __ -------------------------_------------------------------ 236 

coosensis, Pecten __ -------------------------------------------------------- 235 dilleri, Pecten __________ -__________ -----___________________________________ 235 

jacobaeus, Patinopecten____ __ __ __ _ _ _ ____ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ __ _ _ _ 226 

Pattnopecten __ ________ ---- _--- __ -- _ ---- ____ --- _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ 228 

purisimaensis, Pecten __ --------------------------------------------------- 233 

yakatagansis, Pecten _____ ------------------------------------------------ 225, 228 

Pecten (Amussiopecten) ---------------------------------------------------- _ 226, 227 caurinus __________________ ---- __ -- __ -- _- _ ---- ___ ----- _ ---- __ --- _________ 225, 236 

( Chlamys) lawsonL ___ -------------------------------------------------- __ 236 (LyropectenJ dilleri ____________________________________ ----- _________ ----- _ 235 

(Patinopecten) caurinul!_ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ __ 236 

coosensis _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 235 

dilleri _________________ ----- __ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ ____ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ 235 

purisimaensts_ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ 233 

yakatagansis ___ ------------------------------------------------- 225, 228, 229 (Pecten) _________________ --- _____ -- _____ -- ______________________ ----______ 226 

oregonensis ____ _____________________ ----- _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ ___ __ 225, 234 

Pecten __________________________________________________________________ 226, 227 

Placopecten_ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ ____ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ 226 

porterensis, Vertipecten____ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ ___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ 236 

Poul Creek formation----------------------------------------------- 229,230,231,232 

poulcreekensis, Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) ________ 228,232,233,235,236, pis. 35, 36, 38 

subsp., Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) ---------------------------- 229,230, pis. 36,38 

var., Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) ----------------------------------------- 235 

propatulus, Patinopecten _________ ----------------------------- ______ 227, 228, 231, 236 Propeamussium_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ 226 

Pseudamussium ____ ---------------------------------------------------------- 226 

Purisima formation------------------------------------------------- 225,233,234, 235 

pnrisimaensis, Patinopecten_ ------------------------- ____ --------------- 225, 234, 235 

Patinopecten (Lttuyapecten>----------------------------------- 233,234,254, pl. 44 

Pecten (Patinopecten) ----------------------------------------------------- 233 

Rio Dell formation ___ -----_------------- _____ -------------------------------- 235 

Shira tori formation_------------------- _______ -------------------------------- 226 

Sisquoc formation __________ -------------------------------------------------- 236 

(Swtftopecten), Chlamys ___ --------------- _ ---------------------------------- __ 227 

turneri, Patinopecten ___ ____ -------------------------------------------- __ ----- 233 

Unnamed formation, upper TertiarY------------------------------------------ 233 

Vertipecten _______ -------------- __ ----------- __ ------------------------- 226, 227, 236 fucanus __ _ -- ___________________________ -- __ -__ ----- ________ -- _____ ---- _ _ _ _ 236 

nevadan us ____ --------------------------------------- _____ ---------------- 236 porterensis_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ ___ _ __ 236 

sp_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ 236 

Wildcat series ______________ ---------------------------------------- 233, 234, 235, 236 

Yakataga formation ___ --------------------------------------------- 229,230,231,236 

Yakataga ReeL ___ ------ __ ------------ _____ ---------- __ ---------------- 225, 229, 231 

yakatagensis, Patinopecten ________ -------------- _ ---------- _____ ---------- ___ 226, 228 

Patinopecten ( Lituyapecten) _ 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 236, pis. 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 

Pecten (Patinopecten) ---------------- __ ---------- _______ ------------ ____ 225, 228 

yamasakit ninohensis, Patinopecten _____ ------------------------------------- 226 

yessoensis, Patinopecten_ ---------------------------------------------------- 226, 227 

239 

PLATES 35-46 
PLATE 35 

[Figs. 1-5 slightly reduced; 6, X 1. All specimens from Poul Creek formation, USGS M271, unless otherwise indicated] 

FIGURE 1-6. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 228). 

1. Holotype, a right valve, USNM 563572; height 113 mm; diameter 113 mm. 

2. Fragment of right valve, USNM 563574, rubber cast, showing frilled interstitial ribs. 

3. Left dorsal margin of right value, USNM 563575, rubber cast, showing frilled terminal ribs. 

4. Fragment of right valve, USNM 563576, rubber cast, showing a variation in the top surface of the ribs. 

5. Incomplete and decorticated right valve, USNM 563577, showing strong development of interstitial ribs; diameter 

about 145 mm. Poul Creek formation, USGS 17733. 

6. Fragment of left valve, USNM 563578, rubber cast, showing division of frills into 4 or 5 narrow rows; ribs decorticated on younger stages. Katana formation, upper part, USGS 15852. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER :354 PLATE 35 

5 6 

PECTINIDS FROM THE POUL CREEK FORMATION AND THE UPPER PART OF THE KATALLA FORMATION 

579101 0-61 -3 
PLATE 36 

[All figures slightly reduced and from Poul Creek formation, USGS M271, unless otherwise indicated] 

FIGURES 1, 3, 4, 6, 7. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 228). 

1. Left ear of left valve, USNM 563579, rubber cast. 

3. Right ear of left valve, USNM 563580, rubber cast. 

4. Paratype, incomplete left valve, USNM 563573, rubber cast; height of fragment 104 mm. 

6. Fragment of left valve, X 2, USNM 563581, rubber cast, showing juvenile sculpture. 

7. Incomplete left valve, USNM 563582, rubber cast, showing variations in sculpture. 

2. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) poulcreekensis MacNeil (p. 228). 

Shell material adhering to a large specimen, USNM 563585; part not shown an internal mold; height of entire specimen 160 mm, nearly complete. Katana formation, upper part, USGS 15843. 

5. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, subsp.? (p. 229). 

Fragment of left valve, X 1, USNM 563584. Near base of Yakataga formation or top of Poul Creek 

formation, USGS D341 (T) 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 36 

6 7 

PECTINIDS FROM THE POUL CREEK FORMATION, THE UPPER PART OF THE KATALLA FORMATION, 

AND THE UPPERMOST POUL CREEK OR LOWERMOST YAKATAGA FORMATION 
PLATE 37 

FIGURES 1-7. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 229). 

1. Right valve, X 1, USNM 563586, rubber cast, incomplete and crushed, showing marginal denticles on the terminal 

ribs. Yakataga formation, USGS 15425. 

2. Incomplete right valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563587, rubber cast; note the weakly developed interstitial ribs; 

height 104 mm. Yakataga formation, USGS 15425. 

3, 4, 5. Fragment of left valve, USNM 563588, rubber cast, showing juvenile sculpture and adult ribs with strong 

well-divided flanges. 3 and 5 are X2 enlargements of parts of 4 (X 1). Yakataga formation, USGS 6693. 

6. Incomplete left valve, X 1, USNM 563589, rubber cast, a juvenile, showing early appearance of single frills on 

terminal ribs. Yakataga formation, USGS 15425. 

7. Mature left valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563590, rubber cast, showing weaker and less divided flanges than 

figure 4; note the strong marginal fold of left ear; height 123 mm; diameter 123 mm. Yakataga formation, 

USGS 17813. 
PROFESS IONAL PAPE R 3ii4 PLATE 37 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

PECTINIDS FROM THE YAKATAGA FORMATION 
PLATE 38 

FIGURES 1, 3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) falorensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 234). 

1. Holotype, right valve, slightly reduced, UC 34172; height 110 mm; diameter 115 mm. Falor formation of 

Manning and Ogle (1950), UC A-4233. 

3. Holotype, left valve, slightly reduced, UC 34171. Falor formation of Manning and Ogle (1950), UC A-4233. 

2. Patinopecten ("Lit'uyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 228). 

Incomplete hinge of a left valve, X 1, USNM 563583, rubber cast. Poul Creek formation, USGS M271. 

4, 6. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 229). 

4. Incomplete right valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563591, rubber cast. Yakataga formation, USGS 6695. 

6. Hinge part of a decorticated right valve, slightly reduced; same specimen as plate 37, figure 7; destroyed in 

acid to obtain mold of left valve. Yakataga formation, USGS 17813. 

5. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis MacNeil, subsp.? (p. 229). 

Incomplete left valve, X 1, rubber cast. Float, upper part of Poul Creek formation or lower part of Yakataga 

formation, CAS 29285. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Pi{OFE:SSJONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 3~ 

6 5 

PECTI::\TIDS FHO:\I THE POUL CHEEK FOJL\IATION, THE YAKATAGA FOHMATION, A~D THE FALOR 

FOlC\IATIO:\' OF :\IA~KI::\TG AND OGLE, 1950 (CALIFORNIA) 

579 101 0-61 -4 
PLATE 39 

FIGURES 1, 3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 231). 

Both from unnamed upper Tertiary formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS M270. 

1. Holotype, a right valve, about X%, USNM 563598, rubber cast; height 220 mm; diameter 210 mm. 

3. Ears and left dorsal margin of a right valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563600, rubber cast, showing a variation 

in sculpture of ears and ornamentation of marginal ribs. 

2. Patinopecten (lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 229). 

Incomplete right valve, X 1, USNM 563592, rubber cast. Yakataga formation, USGS 17852. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY P1WFESSIO NAL P APER 354 P LATE 3!l 

PECTINIDS FROM THE YAKATAGA FORMATION AND THE UPPER MUDSTONE UNIT OF THE UNNAMED 

UPPER TERTIARY FORMATION IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 
PLATE 40 

[All from unnamed upper Tertiary formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS M270] 

FIGURES 1-5. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 231). 

1. Left dorsal margin of right valve, X 1, USNM 563601, rubber cast, showing marginal frills on terminal ribs. 

2. Right dorsal part of right valve, X 1, USNM 563602, rubber cast, showing marginal frills on terminal ribs. 

3. Incomplete right valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563603, rubber cast, a specimen without marginal frills on 

terminal ribs. 

4. Hinge of left valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563604, rubber cast. 

5. Fragment of right valve, slightly reduced, USN M 563605, rubber cast, showing well-developed frilled interstitial 

riblets. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPE H. 3i)4 PLATE 411 

PECTINIDS FROM THE UPPER MUDSTONE UNIT OF THE UNNAMED UPPER TERTIARY FORMATION 

IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 
PLATE 41 

FIGURE 1. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 231). 

Incomplete right valve, slightly reduced, USN M 563606, rubber cast, showing ears and details of sculpture; note 

greater asymmetry in advanced growth stages. Unnamed upper Tertiary formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS 

M270. 

2. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (?) (Clark) (p. 231). 

Incomplete right valve, X 1, USNM 563595, rubber cast. Unnamed upper Tertiary formation, lower sandstonesiltstone unit, USGS D187 (T). 

3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 229). 

Incomplete left valve, X 1, USNM 563593, rubber cast. Yakataga formation, USGS 15425. 

4, 5. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri (Dall) (p. 235). 

Right-valve fragments, X 1, USNM 563612, 563613, in contact with and possibly same individual as left valve on plate 

45, figure 1; ribs are undercut and without marginal frills or lamellae. Unnamed upper Tertiary unit, upper mudstone unit, USGS 7931. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL J'APER 354 PLATE 41 

PECTINIDS FROM THE YAKATAGA FORMATION AND THE LOWER SANDSTONE-SILTSTONE AND UPPER 

MUDSTONE UNITS OF THE UNNAMED UPPER TERTIARY FORMATION IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 
PLATE 42 

FIGURES 1, 2, 4. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 231). 

1. Incomplete right valve, X 1, USNM 563607; stratigraphically the oldest known occurrence of the species. 

Unnamed upper Tertiary formation, lower sandstone-siltstone unit, USGS D264 (T). 

2. A X 2 enlargement of a part of the paratype, figure 4. 

4. Paratype, a left valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563599, rubber cast; the mold from which this cast was made 

was formed naturally by humic acids; specimen probably is laterally compressed. Unnamed upper Tertiary 

formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS M270. 

3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 230). 

Fragment of a left valve, X 1, USNM 563594, rubber cast, with barnacles adhering, showing an interstitial riblet 

and a weak middle row of denticles on one rib. Yakataga formation, USGS 17853. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF'ESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 42 

3 4 

PECTINIDS FROM THE YAKATAGA FORMATION AND THE LOWER SANDSTONE-SILTSTONE AND UPPER 

MUDSTONE UNITS OF THE UNNA::\IED UPPER TERTIARY FORl\IATION IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 
PLATE 43 

[All specimens from unnamed upper Tertiary formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS M270] 

FIGURES 1-4. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 231). 

1. Incomplete left valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563608, rubber cast, showing three rows of denticles on some ribs 

and several interspaces with weakly frilled interstitial riblets; note large barnacle bases. 

2. Left ear and marginal sculpture of left valve, X 1, USNM 563609, rubber cast. 

3. Left-valve fragment, X 1, USNM 563610, rubber cast, showing a well-preserved pair of ears. 

4. Lower part of a large left valve, slightly reduced, USNM 563811, rubber cast, possibly stretched laterally; the 

mold of this specimen was partly destroyed to expose the right valve illustrated on plate 41, figure 1. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 43 

PECTINIDS FROM THE UPPER MUDSTONE UNIT OF THE UNNAMED UPPER TERTIARY FORMATION 

IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 
PLATE 44 

FIGURES 1, 3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) purisimaensis (Arnold) (p. 233). 

1. Incomplete right valve, slightly reduced, UC 15181, showing marginal denticles or lamellae on ribs; height 123 

mm. Purisima formation, UC A-4417. 

3. Left valve of same individual, slightly reduced, showing 2 or 3 central ribs with a median sulcus, some JUVenile 

and adult ribs with worn single flanges on their crest. 

2, 4. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) jalorens1·s MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 234). 

2. Incomplete right valve, X 1, UC 15977, showing broad adult ribs; height 130 mm. Purisima formation, UC 

1788. 

4. Fragment of left valve of same individual, X 1, showing broad ribs and marginal denticles; remainder of left 

valve an internal mold. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 44 

3 4 

PECTINIDS FROM THE PURISIMA FORMATION (CALIFORNIA) 
PLATE 45 

FIGURE 1. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri (Dall) (p. 235). 

Fragment of a left valve, X 1, USNM 563614, rubber cast, believed to be from the same individual as the right-valve 

fragments shown on plate 41, figures 4, 5. Unnamed upper Teriary formation, upper mudstone unit, USGS 7931. 

2, 4. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) falorensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 234). 

2. Left valve of a half-grown specimen, slightly reduced, SU 8690a; height 92 mm; diameter 90 mm; ribs narrower 

than normal. Purisima formation, Ano Nuevo Point, SU 29788. 

4. Partial left valve of a large specimen, slightly reduced, SU 8691; same individual as right valve on plate 46, figure 1. 

Purisima formation one-fourth of a mile south of San Gregorio, SU 1095. 

3. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 231). 

Left valve of a young specimen, X 1, USNM 563596, showing the juvenile sculpture persisting to a much later stage 

than normal (see pl. 37, figs. 4, 6, 7); height 90 mm; possibly a subspecies. Uppermost part of Poul Creek formation, 

USGS 17733. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 45 

2 

PECTINIDS FROM THE POUL CREEK FORMATION, THE UPPER MUDSTONE UNIT OF THE 

UNNAMED UPPER TERTIARY FORMATION IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT, AND FROM THE 

PURISIMA FORMATION (CALIFORNIA) 
PLATE 46 

FIGURES 1-4. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) falorensis MacNeil, n. sp. (p. 234). 

1. Right valve, slightly reduced, SU 8691, narrower ribs than normal and with strong interstitial riblets; height 

135 mm; diameter 142 mm; more complete than shown; same individual as plate 45, figure 4. Purisima formation, one-fourth of a mile south of San Gregorio, SU 1095. 

2. Part of right valve, X 1, UC 31333, topotype; same individual as figure 3. Falor formation of Manning and 

Ogle (1950), UC A-4233. 

3. Part of left valve, X 1; height 78 mm; diameter 75 mm; same individual as figure 2. 

4. Right valve, slightly reduced, SU 8690-b; height 118 mm; diameter 112 mm. Purisima formation, Ano Nuevo 

Point, SU 29788. 

5. Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) yakatagensis (Clark) (p. 231). 

Right valve, X 1, USNM 563597, of the same individual as plate 45, figure 3. Uppermost part of the Poul Creek 

formation, USGS 17733. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354 PLATE 46 

PECTI~IDS FRO~I THE POUL CREEK FOR~IATIOl\ , THE FALOR FOIL\IATION OF ~IANXING AND OGLE, 

1950 (CALIFORNIA), AND THE PURISIMA FORYIATION (CALIFORNIA) 
Stratigraphic Occurrence of 

Lituyapecten in Alaska 

By DON J. MILLER 

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 354-K 

Detailed discussion of relevant Alaskan formations 

containing Lituyapecten and description of collecting localities 

CONTENTS 

Page Page 

Abstract __________________________ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 241 The formations-Continued 

Introduction_______________________________________ 241 Yak['taga formation_____________________________ 245 

The formations ____________________ .. ________________ 242 Unnamed formation in the Lituya district_-________ 245 

Katana formation ____________ --··-_______________ 242 Localities__________________________________________ 245 

Poul Creek-formation _________ -··________________ 242 References_________________________________________ 248 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIGURE 46. Generalized sections and tentative correlation 

of middle and upper Tertiary formations in 

the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary province, showing approximate stratigraphic position of 

collections containing large pectinid pele- cypods _______________________________ _ 

Page 

243 

FIGURE 47. Map of the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary province, 

showing localities at which large pectinid 

pelecypods have been collected __________ _ 

m 

Page 

244 

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCE OF LITUYAPECTEN IN ALASKA 

By DoN J. MILLER 

ABSTRACT 

The Tertiary beds in the areas where Lituyapecten occurs 

contain three gross units of deposition, the lower, middle, and 

upper Tertiary units. Although these units indicate a similarity in the succession of the type of sediments received in 

different geographic districts, they are not supposed to be 

strictly time divisions. The known occurrence of all types of 

pectinids in these deposits is stated. 

Formations containing Lituyapecten are discussed in more 

detail. These include the Katalla formation in the Katana 

district, the Poul Creek and Yakataga. formations in the Y akataga district, and an unnamed upper Tertiary formation in the 

Lituya district. 

A generalized correlation chart and a map of the Gulf of 

Alaska Tertiary province are included; fossil localities are 

located stratigraphically and geographically on them. 

INTRODUCTION 

The fossil pectinid pelecypods described in this 

paper are from rocks of Miocene and Pliocene age 

exposed in the KatalJa, Yakataga, Malaspina, and 

Lituya districts bordering the northeast shore of the 

Gulf of AJaska (fig. 47). In this area there is an 

arcuate lowland and foothills be]t that is 300 miles 

long and 2 to 40 miles wide. The sedimentary rocks 

of Tertiary age in this belt are exposed or are inferred 

to underlie lowland areas covered by ice or unconsolidated deposits (Gryc, Miller, and Payne, 1951, 

p. 159-162). It is of historical itnterest that the "manteau royal" found in the Lituya district in 1786 by a 

naturalist in the expedition com.manded by the French 

explorer La Perouse (1797, p. 189) is the earliest known 

record of a fossil pecten on the west coast of North 

America. In compiling the :first geologic map of 

Alaska, Grewingk (1850, p. 99--100, map, pl. 2) cited 

this shell as evidence for the presence of rocks of Tertiary age on the northeast coast of the Gulf of Alaska. 

The sequence of Tertiary rocks exposed in the Gulf 

of Alaska Tertiary province con1prises deposits, mainly 

clastic, laid down in the Yakataga geosyncline (Payne, 

1955) during each of the epochs from Eocene through 

Pliocene. The known thickness of the sequence at 

the outcrop exceeds 25,000 feet locally. Significant 

changes in the environment of deposition during the 

Tertiary period are reflected in the distinctive lithologic 

character and organic content in three major divisions 

of the Tertiary sequence. 

The lower Tertiary unit consists of nonmarine, 

brackish, and marine strata, interbedded and intertonguing and consisting largeJy of siltstone, arkosic 

sandstone, and coal. It contains a continental flora 

and a marine invertebrate fauna of tropical to subtropical aspect. Only one fragmental specimen of a 

pectinid is known to have been collected from beds 

assigned to the lower Tertiary unit; it may be a 

Patinopecten. 

The lower Tertiary unit includes the Stillwater and 

Kushtaka formations, the lower part of the Tokun 

formation in the Katalla district, and an unnamed 

siltstone and the Kulthieth formation (at the top) 

in the Yakataga and Ma1aspina districts. 

The middle Tertiary unit consists mainly of marine 

strata deposited in water of shallow to moderate 

depth. This unit is characterized by massive poorly 

sorted or unsorted concretionary siltstone and mudstone 

and by widespread but generally thin beds of glauconite sandstone and water-laid volcanic breccia or tuff. 

The marine invertebrate fauna suggests warm, temperate 

to subtropical waters. Small mud pectens (Delectopecten have been collected at several localities from 

beds in the lower and middle parts of the middle 

Tertiary unit. At least one species of large pecten, 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis, occurs in 

the uppermost part of the middle Tertiary unit, or 

in beds transitional between the middle and upper 

Tertiary units. 

The middle Tertiary unit includes the upper part 

of the To.kun formation and lower and middle parts 

of the Katalla formation in the Katalla district, and 

the Poul Creek formation in the Yakataga district. 

Pos~ibly the lowermost part of the unnamed beds 

constituting the Tertiary sequence in the I.ituya 

241 
242 .SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

district belongs to the same sedimentary regimen as 

the middle Tertiary unit. 

The upper Tertiary unit is wholly marine and 

consists of sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate 

deposited in shallow-water, and marine tillite. The 

tillite, a massive sandy mudstone containing marine 

fossils and randomly distributed coarse, ice-rafted 

clastic fragments is interbedded with and grades 

laterally into the normal marine sedimentary rocks 

(Miller, 1953a, p. 22-35). The lithologic evidence 

for supposed glaciation in the Gulf of Alaska region 

in late Tertiary time is supported by a marine invertebrate fauna that is generally indicative of cool, 

temperate to boreal water and that includes many 

species whose closest living relatives are found in 

the Gulf of Alaska or farther north. Pectinids are 

a conspicuous and locally abundant element of the 

marine invertebrate fauna in the upper Tertiary unit. 

The upper Tertiary unit includes the upper part 

of the Katalla formation in the Katalla district, the 

Yakataga formation in the Yakataga and Malaspina 

districts, and at least the upper part of the Tertiary 

sequence in the Lituya district. 

The pectinids described in this paper are from the 

following stratigraphic units: (a) The upper part of 

the Katalla formation in the Katalla district; (b) the 

uppermost part of the Poul Creek formation in the 

Yakataga district; (c) the Yakataga formation in 

. the Yakataga and Malaspina districts; and (d) an 

unnamed formation of late Tertiary age in the Lituya 

district. Uncertainties regarding exact correlation of 

these formations (fig. 46) within the Gulf of Alaska 

Tertiary province and also within the Oregon and 

Washington Tertiary section are due mainly to discontinuity of outcrops and lack of detailed field information, to scarcity or poor preservation of fossils 

in some parts of the formations, to ecological differences between the dominantly cold-water fauna in 

the Gulf of Alaska region and the more temperate 

faunas of the Tertiary sections on the Pacific coast 

farther south, and to the difference of opinion as to 

the classification of the Pacific-coast Tertiary sections 

with reference to the international time scale. 

THE FORMATIONS 

KATALLA FORMATION 

Martin (1905, p. 13; 1908, p. 27-37) proposed the 

name Katalla formation for a section of rocks of Tertiary age exposed in the hills south of Bering Lake in 

the Ratalla district (formerly called the Controller Bay 

region). Martin was uncertain of the exact age of 

the Katalla formation and of its stratigraphic position relative to the sequence of Tertiary rocks exposed north of Bering Lake, which he divided, in ascending order, into the Stillwater, Kushtaka, and Tokun 

formations. More recent detailed field investigation 

(Miller, Rossman, and Hickcox, 1945; Miller, 1951) 

including a restudy of the fossils by several paleontologists, indicates that the approximately 8,600 feet of 

marine strata designated as the Katalla formation by 

Martin in the type area are Oligocene and Miocene in 

age, and that the basal unit of interbedded siltstone and 

sandstone is equivalent to the upper part of the Tokun 

formation. 

The sequence exposed in the isolated outcrop area of 

the Suckling Hills, in the extreme southeast part of the 

Katalla district, is equivalent to the middle and upper 

part of the Katalla formation of Martin in the type 

area, and may also include some younger beds. Lot 

15852, containing a fragment of a large pecten identified as Patino pecten (Lituyapecten) poulcreekensis, was 

collected from sandstone near the contact of a predom:-

inantly sandy unit with the underlying predominnantly silty unit. This contact is tentatively correlated with the contact between the predominantly 

sandy upper part of the Katalla formation and the predominantly silty middle part in the type area, and with 

the contact between the Yakataga and Poul Creek formations in the Yakataga district. Another specimen 

of what may be the same species of pecten (USGS loc. 

15843) was found in a loose concretion on the east flank 

of the Suckling Hills. The predominantlysiltysequence 

exposed at this locality is thought to be equivalent to 

the middle or even the lower part of the middle silty 

unit of the Katalla formation, but the concretion may 

have come from higher in the section. 

POUL CREEK FORMATION 

The Poul Creek formation of Taliaferro (1932, 

p. 754-756), as redefined recently (Miller, 1957), includes about 6,100 feet of marine interbedded sandstone 

and siltstone of Oligocene and early Miocene age. At 

most localities in the Yakataga district, the contact of 

the Poul Creek formation with the overlying Yakataga 

formation is gradational through a stratigraphic interval 

of 50. to 200 feet in which the typical reddish-brownweathering silty rocks of the Poul Creek are interbedded 

with typical gray-weathering sandstone and siltstone 

of the Yakataga. This change in lithology· coincides 

with a marked change in the marine invertebrate fauna; 

the characteristic deeper and warmer water fauna of 

the middle Tertiary unit gives way to the characteristic shallower and colder water fauna of the upper 

Tertiary unit. The pectens from USGS localities 

17733, M271, and CAS 29261 collected on Yakataga 

Reef, are from a 50-foot-thick transitional unit between 
KATALLA DISTRICT YAKATAGA AND MALASPINA 

DISTRICTS LITUYA DISTRICT 

INTERNATIONAL TIME SCALE 

AND SELECTED FORMATIONAL EQUIVALENTS, OREGON 

AND WASHINGTON 

SPECIES 

1----?--

Katalla 

formation 

of 

Martin, 

8600+ ft 

f----,- -?--

1--r- -?-

.:::: 

0 

0 

?0263 (T). 0336 (T) 3-1 Conglomeratic M 

ci' 

0 

Conglomeratic -~ 

~ mudstone, .B + sandstone, and -g 

8 siltstone S ~ ~ 

mudstone, 

sandstone, and 

siltstone, 

8000 ft 

1--?7931 

w 

z 

w 

0 

0 

:::5 

0-. 

Patinopecten (Patinopecten) 

caurinus 

(D263 (T), D336 (T) 

P. (Lituyapecten) cf. 

P. ( L.) dilleri (7931) 

~ ~ 

~ P 1o223 <n. "E . , } . . 8 ?0264 m mp1re P. (L.) htuyaens~s 

o_ 0174 <Tl. M270 

0 0187 (T) ---+---+-------------!- :- 2928o and?siltstone : P. (P.) caurinus (29280) 

·.3 Volcanic rocks, siltstone, : S sandstone, and 1 

5 .........._ conglomerate : .._. ~· -........_? I 

~ r ·-........_ ~ ............ 

~ m~7 I , -:3 ......._ ...!>d *29246 I I I ·4 l'z;:l 

~ Predominantly 1 ~ :~~ ~ 

sandstone 117840 ,.... •4 o and · ?17813 e5 J ·~ ~ •o Absent o 6693 ..Jl *1 c!J ........ 

siltstone 117841 ..... 1 ' ;-<3 . ::S 

I 

29276 ~ ~'o In 

?17852 129251 I • - .3 

1 1~W 29~57. ?0256 <n 1 29285 I outcrop '15852 15437 0341 (T} 29274 29264 I 

'15843 (FLOAT) 17733·. M271, 29261 L 

Poul Creek 

I 

formation, 6100 ft 

f-- -?---

Kulthieth formation 

(Upper part) 

e-· 

w 

z 

w 

0 

0 

0 

:3 

0 

"Astoria" 

"Blakeley" 

"Lincoln" 

Keasey 

P. ( L.) yakatagensis * 

(and? D187 (T)) 

P. ( L.) poulcreekensis 

subsp.? (D341 (T), 29285) 

} 

P. (L.) poulcreekensis 

(15843, 15852, 17733, 

M271,29261,29264) 

P. (L.) cf. P. (L.) 

yakatagensis ( 17733) 

FIGURE 46. Generalized sections and tentative correlation of middle and upper Tertiary formations in the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary province, showing approximate stratigraphic position of collections containing large 

pectinid pelecypods. 

Ul 

1-3 

~ 

> j 

0 

::0 

> "d 

1-( 

~ 

(') 

0 

(') 

(') 

q 

~ 

~ 

tr:l 

z 

(') 

tr:l 

0 

1-.;1 

~ 1-3 

~ > "d 

tr:l 

(') 

1-3 

tr:l 

z 

z 

~ > Ul 

~ 

tv 

~ 

~ 
CHUGACH 144 ° 

142 ° 

I 

YAKATAGA 

142° 

GULF 

Op 

, . .. ., 

140° 

.s.,.. ~~~~~--- (; /:9 STATES I '~ I 'R I 

-0 ~/ ~Al.s I 

/ ' ~---- \ 

\ ~ ', 

~-_./\ \ / ';,.,.~, ,.....--..-..,, · 

· ,y ~~~ \ "s\(..' ?;, Area of th•s "'~~ ~~· ,J') report 

-... - .. .... " » .J'-··---" 

INDEX MAP OF ALASKA 

138 ° 

EXPLANATION 

Generalized 

~ area of outcrop of 

sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age 

----- . -· , I )., \ \ 600 

<:: ~- " .... 

Contact. approximately located 

u ---D--• 

' 

\ 

MALASPINA DISTRICT 

Major fault 

Dotted where concealed U, upthrown s1de, 

D, downthrown s1de 

X 0264 cT 

Location and number of 

fossil collection 

Boundary of glacier 

I 142" <1 1; 

... CHuG£. i I 4 s p 

...... ~~' CH-ST -· <:~. 4. ' " 

\ Qc.. 

~ :..;:., 

~ 

1. / 

'70 

~ 

60° r------------------ 60° 

YAKATAGA DISTRICT 20 0 2 0 4 0 60 8 0 M ILES 

Geology compiled by Don J. Miller 

Fir.U RE 47.- M ap of the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary province, showing localities at which large pectinid pelecypods have been collected . 

t'V 

~ 

~ 

m 

~ 0 

~ 

8 

l'%j 

~ 

(") 

0 

~ ~ ~ 

to 

~ ~ 

0 

z 

m 

8 

0 

0 

l'%j 

'Z 

l'%j 

~ 0 

l'%j 

0 

t:"'4 

0 

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~ 
STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCE OF LITUYAPE·CTEN IN ALASKA 245 

the Poul Creek and Yakataga formations. The con-~ Units a and b are believed to be at least in part equivatact here was arbitrarily drawn at a more conspicuous lent in age,and to grade into each other, as both units 

change in lithologic character above the pecten-bearing at different places rest unconformably on pre-Tertiary 

siltstone and silty sandstone. The fragment of pecten rock~ and are overlain with apparent conformity by 

in USGS D341 (T) came from similar muddy sandstone unit c. The upper part of unit c grades laterally into 

in the transitional zone at another locality. the lower part of unit d. The two units together conYAKATAGA FORMATION 

Taliaferro (1932, p. 756-762) proposed the name 

Yakataga formation for the younger Tertiary marine 

strata above the Poul Creek formation in the Yakataga 

district. Miller (1957) redefined the basal contact of 

the Yakataga formation in the Yakataga district, and 

Plafker and Miller (1957) extended the name to include 

strata in the Malaspina district that were originally 

named the Pinnacle system by Russel (1891, p. 170-

173; 1893, p, 26). As now recognized the Yakataga 

formation totals a minimum of 10,000 feet, possibly 

15,000 feet or even more, of marine sedimentary rocks, 

chiefly sandstone, siltstone, and conglomeratic sandy 

mudstone, of Miocene and Pliocene(?) age. In the 

Yakataga district, interbedded sandstone and siltstone 

predominate in the lower part of the formation through 

a section ranging in thickness frmn 3,500 to at least 

5,500 feet; above this section, conglomeratic sandy 

mudstone is the predominant rock type. In the central and eastern part of the Malaspina district, only the 

upper part of the Yakataga formation crops out; this 

part rests with angular unconformity on rocks of early 

Tertiary age and older. 

The most characteristic and abundant pectinid in the 

Yakataga formation, Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis (Clark)' has been found Dlainly in sandstone 

beds, but also in siltstone and mudstone in the lower 

3,000 to 3,700 feet. Another pectinid, probably Patirwpecten (Patinopecten) ca11rinus (Gould), has been 

found about 7,000 feet above the bnse of the formation 

in the Yakataga district and in the uppermost part of 

formation in the Malaspina district. 

UNNAMED FORMATION IN THE LITUYA DISTRICT 

The sequence of rocks of Tertiary age exposed in the 

Lituya district has been provisiona.lly divided (Miller, 

1953b) into four lithologic units as follows: (a) Concretionary marine siltstone with thin interbeds of sandstone that is 1,200 feet to possibly a:3 much as 4,400 feet 

thick; (b) volcanic rocks, conglomerate, sandstone, and 

siltstone that are nonmarine and marine and as much as 

1,200 feet thick; (c) interbedded sandstone and 

siltstone that are marine, 600 feet to at least 2,400 feet; 

(d) marine conglomeratic sandy mudstone interbedded 

with sandstone and si]tstone that is at least 8,000 feet. 

stitute a formation of late Miocene(?) and Pliocene age. 

This unnamed formation is lithologically similar to the 

Yakataga formation, but unit c is probably entirely 

or at least in large part younger than the interbedded 

sandstone-siltstone unit that constitutes the lower part 

of the Yakataga. 

One species of an exceptionally large pecten, Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) lituyaensis MacNeil, n. sp., has 

been collected at two widely separated localities in the 

Lituya district from near the base of the unnamed 

Tertiary formation. A specimen doubtfully referred 

toP. (Lituyapecten) yakatagensis was found at another 

locality. A fragment of another species of large pecten, 

Patinopecten (Lituyapecten) cf. P. (L.) dilleri (Dall), was 

found higher in the formation at one locality. 

LOCALITIES 

The avai1able fossils from the Tertiary rocks exposed 

in the Gulf of Alaska province were collected over a 

period of nearly 70 years, mainly by geologists engaged 

in areal mapping and under conditions that allowed 

neither time nor facilitie~ for collecting and transporting 

a large number of specimens. As a consequence of 

these circumstances, as well as the generally poor preservation of the fossils and the hardness of the Tertiary 

rocks, many of the fossils, particularly the large pectinids, are fragmentary. On the other hand the conspicuous, large pectinids probably were rarely overlooked where any fossils were collected. 

The following descriptions of Alaskan localities at 

which fossi] pectinids w~re co1lected include the essential part of the original geographic description, followed, 

where possible or necessary, by supplementary information in parenthesis locating the collection on the 

most detailed published topographic map available 

in 1958. The stratigraphic assignments are the writer's. 

The California loca]ities were compiled by MacNeil. 

ALASKA LOCALITIES 

Katalla district 

USGS Cenozoic loc. 

15843. 

15852. 

Creek on southeast flank of Suckling Hills, 3.2 miles N. 

26° E. of mouth of Kiklukh River, Bering Glacier 

quadrangle. Collector, D. J. Miller, 1945. Float, 

Katalla formation. 

Creek on northwest flank of Suckling Hills, 3.1 miles N. 

48° W. of mouth of Kiklukh River, Bering Glacier 

quadrangle. Collector, D. J. Miller, 1945. Katalla 

formation, upper part. 
246 .SHORTER 1

CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

Yakataga district 

USGS Cenozoic loc. 

6693. Bluff on south bank of White River one-half a mile 

below foot of [White River] glacier (2.43 miles N. 

4° E. of mouth of Fulton Creek, Bering Glacier 

A-4 quadrangle). Collector, A. G. Maddren, 

1913. Yakataga formation, about 1,800 ft above 

base. 

6695. From sandy shale at intake tunnel of the White River Mining Co.'s flume, North Fork of White River 

(about 4.8 miles N. 87° W. of Munday Peak, Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). Collector, A. G. 

Maddren, 1913. Yakataga formation, about 3,500 

ft above base. 

15425. North flank and crest of Yakataga Ridge (5.7 miles 

S. 72° W. of Mount Eberly, Bering Glacier A-3 

quadrangle). Collector, M. S. Walton, Jr., 1944. 

Yakataga formation, about 500ft above base. 

15437. Unnamed creek on north flank of and parallel to 

Yakataga Ridge (0.3 mile N. 16° E. of peak 2430 

near west end of Yakataga Ridge, Bering Glacier 

A-4 quadrangle). Collector, E. M. Spieker, 1944. 

Poul Creek formation, near top, and possibly basal part of Yakataga formation. 

17733. Yakataga Reef, about 700 ft N. 30° E. of highest 

rock on the reef (1.53 miles S. 56° E. of mouth of 

Mink Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle; same 

locality as M27,1). Collector, D. J. Miller, 1948. 

Poul Creek formation, upper 50 ft. 

17813. Small stream entering Kulthieth River from the east, 

2.4 miles N. 53° E. of junction of Kultheith and 

Kaliakh Rivers, Bering Glacier quadrangle. Collector, D. J. Miller, 1947. Yakataga formation, 

probably lower part. 

17840. South flank of Kulthieth Mountain, 0.7 mileS. 32° E. 

of peak 3437, Bering Glacier quadrangle. Collector, R. B. Johnson, 1947. Yakataga formation, 

at least 2,400 ft ,above base. 

17841. Gulch on south face of ridge at Sunshine Point, 2.0 

miles S. 53° E. of junction of Kulthieth and Kaliakh 

Rivers, Bering Glacier quadrangle. Collector, 

R. B. Johnson, 1947. Yakataga formation, lower 

part. 

17852. Gulch on south flank of Kulthieth Mountain, 0.85 

mile S. 17° E. of peak 3437, Bering Glacier quadrangle. Collector, D. J. Miller, 1947. Yakataga 

formation, at least 900ft above base. 

17853. Gulch on south flank of Kultheith Mountain, between 

points 0.8 mileS. 34° E. and 1 mileS. 6° W. of peak 

3437, Bering Glacier quadrangle. Collector, D. J. 

Miller, 194 7. Float, lower part of Yakataga 

formation. 

D256 (T). Small outcrop at margin of Yakataga Glacier, at 

head and on south side of North Channel of the 

Yakataga River, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle. 

Collector, D. L. Rossman, 1953. Yakataga 

formation. 

D341 (T). Ridge at head of Cotton Creek; altitude 3,800 ft., 

1.35 miles N. 30° E. of peak 4014 on Duktoth 

Mountain, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle. Collector, J. E. Reppert, Standard Oil Co. of California, 1954. Probably Yakataga formation, near 

base; may be at top of Poul Creek formation. 

Yakataga district-Continued 

USGS Cenozoic loc.-Continued 

M271. Yakataga Reef, along strike of beds that intersect the 

shoreline at a point 700 ft N. 30° E. of the highest 

rock on the reef (1.53 miles S. 56° E. of mouth of 

Mink Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle; same 

locality as 17733). Collector, D. J. Miller, 1958. 

Poul Creek formation, 25 to 50 ft below top. 

California Un.iv. (Berkeley) loc. 

3859. Yakataga Reef, from a sandstone about 800 ft above 

lowest reef exposure (about 1.36 miles S. 56° E. of 

mouth of Mink Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). Collector, N. L. Taliaferro, 1920. Yakataga formation, about 300-350 ft above base. 

California Acad. Sci. Zoe. I 

29244. West [south] base of Kulthieth Mountain, at mouth 

of small stream coming from cirquelike hanging 

valley, 3 to 4 miles west of Duktoth River (about 

1 mile S. 6° W. of peak 3437, Kulthieth Mountain, 

Bearing Glacier quadrangle). Float, Yakataga 

formation, lower part. 

29246. Gray sandy conglomerate exposed on west side of 

Miller Creek near mouth of small west tributary, 

about 1% miles north (upstream) from first 

outcrop exposed along west side of creek (about 

1.4 miles S. 41° W. of peak 3394 at head of Miller 

Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). Yakataga formation, probably about 3,300 ft. above 

base. 

29248. Yakataga River (Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). 

Float, from Poul Creek formation and probably 

from Yakataga formation. 

29251. East side of Porcupine Creek, 1% miles upstream 

[north] from mouth (about 2 miles S. 31° E. of 

peak 3394 at head of Miller Creek, Bering Glacier 

A-4 quadrangle). Yakataga formation, lower 

part. 

29253. Lower 1 mile of Opooch Creek above junction with 

Yakataga Glacier (along unnamed creek on the 

north flank of and parallel to the west end of 

Yakataga Ridge, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). 

Float, from upper part of Poul Creek formation 

and from the Yakataga formation, probably only 

the lower part. 

29256. Clear Creek (Bering Glacier A-3 and A-4 quadrangles). Float, from Yakataga formation. 

29257. Yakataga Reef, from pecten zone just above a 

pebble conglomerate which projects farther into the 

sea than any other of the reef beds (about 1.36 

miles S. 56° E. of mouth of Mink Creek, Bering 

Glacier A-4 quadrangle). Yakataga ·formation, 

about 350 ft. above base. 

29261. Yakataga Reef, from shaly mudstone zone just 

above massive sandstone (along strike of beds 

that intersect the shoreline at a point 1.53 miles 

S. 56° E. of Mink Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 

quadrangle. Poul Creek formation, within 30 

ft. of top. 

I All collections by field party representing The Standard on Co. of California, 

The Tidewater Associated Oil Co., and The Union Oil Co. of California,·l938. 
STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCE OF LITUY APECTEN IN ALASKA 247 

Yakataga district-Continued 

California Acad. Sci. loc.I-Continued 

29264. Twomile Creek, below forks (Bering Glacier A-4 

quadrangle). Float, from upper part of Poul 

Creek formation and possibly also from lower 

part of Yakataga formation. The lithologic 

character of matrix attached to the large pecten 

suggests Poul Creek. 

29270. Hamilton Creek (Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). 

Float, from upper part of Poul Creek formation 1 and lower part of Yakataga formation. 

29274. Outcrop of brown sandstone just above rivers edge 

on east side of big bend on White River, 17~ to 

1% miles upstream from the mouth ·(about 1.85 

miles N. 14° E. of mouth of White River, Bering 

Glacier A-4 quadrangle). Near base of Yakataga 

formation or near top of :Poul Creek formation. 

29276. South side of White River across from Three Cabins 

camp (about 2.55 miles N. 16° W. of mouth of 

Fulton Creek, Bering Glacier A-4 quadrangle). 

Yakataga formation, about 1,200 ft. above base. 

29277. Nearly horizontal beds in canyon on upper part 

of White River, about . one-quarter of a mile 

upstream from end of old flume (about 4.6 miles 

N. 84° W. of Munday Pea.k, Bering Glacier A-3 

quadrangle). Yakataga formation, about 3, 700 

ft. above base. 

29280. Umbrella Reef, from shore outward through an 

estimated stratigraphic thickness of 500 feet 

(about 0.3 mile west of mouth of Lawrence Creek, 

Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). Yakataga formation, about 6,000 to 6,500 ft. above base. 

2928~. Lawrence Creek (Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). 

Float, from lower part of Yakataga formation 

and upper part of Poul Creek formation. 

29285. Poul Creek (Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). 

Float, from upper part of Poul Creek formation 

and lower part of Yakataga formation. 

29287. Munday Creek (Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). 

Float, from upper part of Poul Creek formation 

and possibly from lower part of Yakataga formation. The lithologic character of matrix attached to the pecten suggests Poul Creek. 

29290. Mouth of tributary creek entering Johnston Creek 

on the east side about one-quarter of a mile 

upstream from General Petroleum Co. drilling 

camp (about 3.9 miles S. 34° E. of Munday 

Peak, Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). Float, 

from all but the lowest part of the Poul Creek 

formation and probably from the lower part of 

the Yakataga formation. The lithologic character of matrix attached to the pecten suggests 

Poul Ceek formation. 

29294. Little River (Bering Glacier A-3 quadrangle). 

Float, upper part of Poul Creek formation and 

lower part of Yakataga formation. 

tAll collections by field party representing Tho Standard Oil Co. of California, 

The Tidewater Associated Oil Co., and The Union Oil Co. of California, 1938. 

Malaspina district 

USGS Cenozoic loc. 

D263 (T). Point Glorious, about 1.68 miles N. 68° W. of peak 

5520, Mount St. Elias quadrangle. Collector, 

George Plafker, 1953. Yakataga formation, upper 

part. 

D336 (T). Point Glorious, probably same locality as D263 (T). 

Collector, I. C. Russell, 1890. 

Lituya district 

7931. Sea cliff cut by stream 6% miles southeast of Lituya 

Bay, about 500 ft from beach (about 2 miles 

southeast of mouth of Steelhead Creek, Mount 

Fairweather quadrangle). Collector, J. B. Mertie, 

Jr., 1917. Unnamed upper Tertiary formation 

about 3,200 ft above base; upper mudstone unit. 

D174 (T). Southwest shore of Cenotaph Island, 3,500 ft S. 70° 

W. of easternmost cape of island (Lituya Bay, Mount 

Fairweather quadrangle). Collector, D. J. Miller, 1952. 

Unnamed upper Tertiary formation about 1,070 

ft above base; upper mudstone unit. 

D187 (T). Ocean beach reef, Icy Point measured section, 1.04 

miles, S. 22° W. of mouth of Kaknau Creek (Palma 

Bay, Mount Fairweather quadrangle). Collector, 

J. F. Seitz, 1952. Unnamed upper Tertiary 

formation about 800 ft above base; probably 

lower sandstone-siltstone unit. 

D223 (T). Cliff at east margin of glacier at Cape Fairweather, 

about 3.8 miles N. 80° W. of Mount Escures, 

Mount Fairweather quadrangle; same locality as 

D264 (T). Collector, C. E. Kirschner, Standard 

Oil Co. of California, 1953. Unnamed upper 

Tertiary formation, probably in lower sandstonesiltstone unit. 

D264 (T). Cliff at east margin of glacier at Cape Fairweather, 

about 3.8 miles N. 80° W. of Mount Escures, 

Mount Fairweather quadrangle; same locality as 

D223 (T). Collector, D. J. Miller, 1953. 

Unnamed upper Tertiary formation, probably in 

lower sandstone-siltstone unit. 

M270. Southwest shore of Cenotaph Island, along strike of 

beds from a point 0.83 mile N. 84° W. of easternmost cape in the island to a point 0.65 mile S. 70° 

W. of the same cape; Lituya Bay, Mount Fairweather quadrangle. Collector, D. J. Miller, 1958. 

Unnamed upper Tertiary· formation 1,050 to 1,090 

ft above base; upper mudstone unit. 

California localities 

California Univ. (Berkeley) lac. 

1780. In the sea cliffs and small reefs % to 7~ mile due west 

of the mouth of Ano N euvo Creek, San Mateo 

County, Calif. B. Martin, collector. No date. 

Purisima formation, Pliocene. 

17.88. In the sea cliffs at the mouth of Purisima Creek, San 

Mateo County, Calif. B. Martin, collector. No 

date. Purisima formation, Pliocene. 
248 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

California localities-Continued 

California Univ. (Berkeley) loc.-Continued 

A-4233. Bank of Boulder Creek from 100 yd south to 200 

yd north of bridge near "Beckstine Ranch" (Wiggins 

Ranch), in about a . 20 ft stratigraphic interval, 

about 10 miles southeast of Blue Lake, Humboldt 

County, Calif. B. A: Ogle, collector, 1946. Falor 

formation, Pliocene. 

A-4343. Halfway between San Gregorio and Pescadero Lagoon 

on the coast, San Mateo County, Calif. M. K. 

Gebert, collector. No date. Purisima formation, 

Pliocene. 

A-4417. North side of San Gregorio Lagoon, San Mateo 

County, Calif. J. W. Durham, collector, 1948. 

Purisima formation, Pliocene. 

California Univ. (Los Angeles) lac. 

8072 (plesiotype No. 309). India and Upas Streets, San Diego, 

Calif. E. H. Quale, collector, 

1931. San Diego formation, 

Pliocene. 

Stanford University catalog No. 

1095. San Gregorio beach, one-quarter of a mile south of 

mouth of San Gregorio Creek, San Mateo County, 

Calif. Enos Preston, collector, 1907. Purisima 

formation, Pliocene. 

4821. Ford across Eel River halfway between Scotia and 

Nanning Creek, Humboldt County, Calif. H. Hannibal, collector, 1913. · "Wildcat series" of Lawson; 

probably from the Rio Dell formation of Ogle, 

Pliocene. 

4828. Top of ridge between t.wo legs of trail fork in Dry 

Canyon, an east branch of Tapo Canyon, 3.8 miles 

north of Santa Susana, north side of Simi Valley, 

Santa Susana quadra:ngle, Ventura County, Calif. 

George Boulware, collector, 1920. Pliocene. 

4837. In Boulder Creek for ~ne-quarter of a mile up and 

one-quarter of a mile down from Maple Creek post 

office (Boulder Creek and Maple Creek are in the 

Blue Lake quadrangle), Humboldt County, Calif. 

H. Hannibal, collector, 1913. Falor formation, 

Pliocene. 

4922. Ano Nuevo Point, San Mateo County, Calif. R. Ar·· 

nold, collector, 1903. Purisima formation, Pliocene. 

4932. East branch of south fork of Eel River from mouth of 

Panther Creek up creek for 1 mile, Humboldt 

County, Calif. W. G. Cooper and H. Hannibal, 

collectors, 1913. "Wildcat series" of Lawson; 

probably from the Rio Dell formation of Ogle, 

Pliocene. 

4936. Mouth of large arroyo northwest of Elephant Mesa, 

Scammon Lagoon quadrangle, Lower California. 

B. F. Hake, collecto~, 1921. Pliocene. 

4937. Same as 4932. 

4942. Yellow sandstone, Casmalia Hills, 2.6 miles N. 50° E. 

of "BM 95" (BM 95 is located in San Antonio Creek 

about 4.2 miles south of Casmalia-can be found on 

pl. 1 in U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 322), Todos Santos 

y San Antonio, Santa Barbara County, Calif. 

C. F. Tolman, collector, 1924. "Pliocene." 

29788. Ano Nuevo Point, San Mateo County, Calif. R. 

Arnold and W. R.' Hamilton, collectors, 1903. 

Purisima formation, Pliocene. 

California localities-Continued 

California Acad. Sci. Soc. 

117. "Wildcat series," Humboldt County, Calif. B. Martin, 

collector. 1912. 

2095. Same as Stanford Univ., 4936. 

34391. Tomkins Hill gasfield, sees. 23 to 24, T. 3 N., R. 1 E., 

Humboldt County, Calif. T. W. Cameron, collector, 1955. "Wildcat Pliocene." 

USGS Cenozoic lac. 

3363 (USNM 164846). Bluffs opposite Rio Del, Eel River, 

Humboldt County, Calif. J. S. Diller, 

collector, 1906. "Wildcat series" of 

Lawson; lower part of the Rio Dell 

formation of Ogle, Pliocene. 

14649. Graciosa Ridge, 450 ft south-southwest of Union Oil 

Co. Graciosa 3 well, Orcutt field, Santa Barbara 

County, Calif. W. P. Woodring, collector, 1939. 

Cebada fine-grained member of the Careaga sand 

stone, Pliocene. 

USNM catalog No. 

560053. 1.8 miles S. 35° E. of Casmalia, Santa Barbara County, 

Calif. L. M. Clark, collector, no date. Foxen 

mudstone, Pliocene. 

REFERENCES 

Clark, B. L., 1932, Fauna of the Poul and Yakataga formations 

(upper Oligocene) of southern Alaska: Geol. Soc.· America 

Bull. 43, p. 797-846, pls. 14-21, 1 fig. 

Grewingk, Constantin, 1850, Beitrag zur Kenntniss der orographischen und geognostischen Beschaffenheit der NordWest-Kuste Amerikas mit den anliegenden Inseln: Russ. 

K. min. Gesell. St. Petersburg Verh. 1848-49, p. 76-424, 

pls. 1-7. [1-3 are maps, 4-7 fossils.] 

Gryc, George, Miller, D. J., and Payne, T. G., 1951, Possible 

future petroleum provinces of North America; chapter on 

Alaska: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 35, p. 

151-168, figs. 2-5. 

La Perouse, J. F. de G., 1797, Voyage de. La Perouse autour 

du monde, public conforement au dccret du 22 avril 1791, et 

redigc par M. L. A. Milet-Mureau: Paris, Imprimerie de la 

Republique, v. 2, 398 p. 

Martin, G. C., 1905, The petroleum fields of the Pacific Coast of 

Alaska with an account of the Bering River coal deposits: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 250, 64 p., 7 pls., 3 figs. 

--- 1908, Geology and mineral resources of the Controller 

Bay region, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 335, 141 p., 10 

pls., 2 figs. 

Mertie, J. B., Jr., 1931, Notes on the geography and geology of 

Lituya Bay, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 836-B, p. 

117-135, 1 fig. 

Miller, D. J., 1951, Geology and oil possibilities of the Katana 

district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file report, 66 p., 

5 figs. 

--- 1953a, Late Cenozoic marine glacial sediments and marine 

terraces of Middleton Island, Alaska: Jour. Geol., v. 61, p. 

17-40, 2 pls., 4 figs., 7 tables. 

--- 1953b, Preliminary geologic map of Tertiary rocks in the 

southeastern part of the Lituya district, Alaska. Correlated columnar sections of Tertiary rocks in the Lituya 

district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file report. 
STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCE OF LITUY APECTEN IN ALASKA 249 

Miller, D. J., 1957, Geology of the southeastern part of the 

Robinson Mountains, Yakataga district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Oil and Gas Inv. Map OM-187. 

Miller, D. J., Rossman, D. L., and Hickcox, C. A., 1945, Preliminary report on petroleum possibilities in the Katalla 

area, Alaska. Geologic and topographic map and sections 

of the Katana area, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Prelim. 

Rept., 18 p., map. 

Payne, T. G., 1955, Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic elements of 

Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Misc. Geol. Inv. Map 1-84. 

Plafker, George, and Miller, D. J., 1957, Reconnaissance geology 

of the Malaspina district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Oil 

and Gas lnv. Map OM-189. 

Russell, I. C., 1891, An expedition to Mount St. Elias, Alaska: 

Natl. Geog. Map., v. 3, p. 53-204, pls. 2-20, 8 figs. 

--- 1893, Second expedition to Mount St. Elias, in 1891, 

U.S. Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. 13, pt. 2, p. 1-91, map. 

Taliaferro, N. L., 1932, Geology of the Yakataga, Katalla, and 

Nichawak districts, Alaska: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 

43, p. 749-782, 14 figs.