Tertiary 'Marine · Mollusks I 

of Alaska: ' I 

An Annotated Bibliography I 

GEOLO'GI 'CAL 1 SURVEY BULLETIN 1343 

Tertiary Marine Mollusks 

of Alaska: 

An Annotated Bibliography 

By W. 0 ADDICOTT 

G E 0 L 0 G I C A L S U R V E Y B U L L E T I N 13 43 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1971 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. A. Radlinski, Acting Director 

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 74-177921 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402- Price 25 cents (paper covers) 

Stock Number 2401-1195 
CONTENTS 

Page 

Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 

Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 6 

Index ·································································---·----···········--------············-··········· 29 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FIGURE 1. Index map of Alaska showing areas from which Tertiary 

marine mollusks have been recorded or described.............. 2 

2. Index map of Alaska showing location of stratigraphic 

columns of figure 3 -·-···-----·············-···············--·············----------· 3 

3. Correlation chart ------··------------------·------·-··------------·-······················· 4 

III 

TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA: 

AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 

By W. 0. ADDICOTT 

INTRODUCTION 

This compilation on Tertiary marine mollusks was prepared 

as part of a report on the status of knowledge of Tertiary marine 

mollusks of Alaska presented at the Cenozoic invertebrate sessions of the Bering Sea Symposium held at the University of, 

Alaska, June 25-J uly 1, 1970. Included are 135 papers accompanied by brief annotations pertaining to Tertiary marine mollusks of Alaska published up to and including 1970. A few reports 

in press are also included to make the bibliography as complete 

and current as possible. Reports dealing exclusively with Quaternary mollusks are excluded except for those with reference to 

mollusk assemblages assigned to the Beringian transgression 

(Hopkins, 1965, 1967b) of late Pliocene or early Pleistocene 

age. Many of the more important papers dealing with Pleistocene 

mollusks, in particular those of the Bering Sea margin, are listed 

by Hopkins ( 1967b). 

Most of the references in this compilation contain systematic 

descriptions, faunal lists, or stratigraphic correlations and age 

determinations based upon mollusks. Several are principally concerned with description of stratigraphic units and areal geology 

and contain only passing mention of fossil mollusks. Others are 

systematic resumes of individual molluscan genera represented 

by one or two species in the Alaskan Tertiary. 

Reports that contain descriptions of new mollusks or illustrations of previously described species are preceded by an asterisk ( *). Practically all taxonomic work on Tertiary mollusks 

from Alaska has been done by four workers : Constantin Grewingk, W. H. Dall, B. L. Clark, and F. S. MacNeil. Grewingk 

(1850) described and illustrated the first mollusks of Tertiary age 

from Alaska. Dall (1904, 1908, 1920, 1921b) described more new 

1 
2 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

0 200 MILES 

•, 

FIGURE 1.-Index map of Alaska showing areas from which Tertiary marine 

mollusks have been recorded or described. (New records by MacNeil and 

others (1961) are not shown.) 

1. Carter Creek: Leffingwell (1919), Dall 15. Herendeen Bay: Burk (1965). 

(1920), MacNeil (1957a), Kauffman (1969). 16. Port Moller-Bear Lake area: Grewingk 

2. Colville River: Schrader (1904), Dall (1920), (1850), Dall and Harris (1892), Eichwald 

MacNeil (1957a). (1871), Dall (1896), Atwood (1911). 

3. Kivalina: Hopkins and MacNeil (1960), Me- 17. Unga Island: Grewingk (1850), Dall and 

Culloch (1967). Harris (1892), Dall (1896, 1904), Atwood 

4. Nome: Dall (1907, 1920, 1921b), MacNeil, (1911), Burk (1965). 

Mertie, and Pilsbry (1943), Hopkins and 18. Popof Island: Dall (1904), MacNeil (1965), 

MacNeil (1960), Hopkins, MacNeil, and Burk (1965). 

Leopold (1960). 19. Chichagof Bay: Dall (1904), Atwood 

5. Nushagak: Dall and Harris (1892), Dall (1911), Burk (1965). 

(1896), Spurr (1900), Mertie (1938) 20. F'ox Bay-Boulder Bay: Burk (1965). 

[these mollusks may be of Pleistocene 21. Chirikof Island: Moore (1969). 

age]. 22. Tugidak Island: Moore (1969). 

6. St. Paul Island: Grewingk (1850), Dall and 23. Narrow Cape: Grewingk (1850), Eichwald 

Harris (1892), Stanley-Brown (1892), Dall (1871), Dall and Harris (1892), Dall 

(1896, 1899, 1919), Barth (1956), Hanna (1896), Capps (1938), MacNeil (1965). 

(1970). 24. Prince William Sound: Plafker and Mac7. St. George Island: Dall (1919), Barth Neil (1966). 

(1956), Cox, Hopkins, and Dalrymple 25. Middleton Island: Miller (1953), MacNeil 

(1966). (1967). 

8. Tanaga Island: Fraser and Barnett (1959). 26. Kayak Island: Martin (1905, 1908). 

9. Kanaga Island: Fraser and Barnett (1959). 27. Katalla district: Martin (1905, 1908), MillO. Adak Island: Scholl and others (1969, ler (1951a). 

1970), Addicott (1971). 28. Yakataga district: Spurr (1900), Maddern 

11. Atka Island: Grewingk (1850), Erman (1914), Clark (1932), Miller (1951b, 1957, 

(1843), Eichwald ( 1871), Dall and Harris 1971), MacNeil (1957b, 1961, 1967). 

(1892), Dall (1896). 29. Malaspina district: Plafker and Miller 

12. Unalaska Island: Drewes and others (1957), Masuda and Addicott (1970), Ad-

(1961), MacNeil (1965). dicott and Plafker (1971). 

13. Morzhovei Bay: Dall and Harris ( 1892), 30. Mt. St. Elias area: Russell (1891, 1893). 

Dall (1896), MacNeil (1970). 31. Lituya district: Dall and Harris (1892), 

14. Pavlov Bay: Grewingk (1850), Dall and Dall (1896), Mertie (1933), Miller 

Harris (1892), Dall (1896), Burk (1965). (1961a), MacNeil (1961, 1965). 
INTRODUCTION 3 

species than any other paleontologist; he also contributed faunal 

lists and age determinations to many of the early U.S. Geological 

Survey bulletins dealing with the geology of the Gulf of Alaska 

Tertiary Province and the Alaska Peninsula. The only systematic 

treatment of an invertebrate fauna from the Gulf of Alaska 

Tertiary Province is by Clark (1932), who described 24 new 

species of mollusks from rocks of Oligocene and Miocene age. 

MacNeil described many additional mollusks (1957a, 1961, 1965, 

1967), including resumes of the important bivalve lineages Mya 

and Pecten s. I., which are particularly useful in stratigraphic 

correlation. The principal areas from which Tertiary molluscan 

assemblages hav:e been recorded are indicated on index maps of 

Alaska (figs. 1 and 2). 

PORT MOLLERUNGA ISLAND 

FIGURE 2.-Index map of Alaska showing location of stratigraphic columns 

in figure 3. 

The basic scheme of correlation for Alaskan Tertiary formations of marine origin by MacNeil and others (1961) is indicated 

in figure 3. The chronology draws heavily from the faunal sequence of Oregon and Washington (Weaver and others, 1944). 

Marine formations of Tertiary age occur principally in three areas 
4 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

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5 
6 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

in Alaska : the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Alaska, the 

Alaska Peninsula, and the northeastern Arctic coast. 

Studies on the Tertiary marine mollusks of Alaska, in terms of 

the published record, have not advanced beyond the earliest descriptive stages. There are no systematic descriptions of early 

Tertiary molluscan faunas and only two taxonomic papers on 

middle Tertiary faunas (Dall, 1904; Clark, 1932). And only two 

important northern molluscan lineages have been monographed 

(MacNeil, 1965, 1967). Prior to 1940 more than 150 reports 

illustrating Tertiary mollusks of California had been published 

(Keen and Bentson, 1944), and about 30 reports illustrating 

Tertiary mollusks of Oregon and Washington had been issued 

(Weaver, 1942, p. 567-584). Only 11 reports with figures of 

Tertiary mollusks of Alaska had been published by 1940. And as 

late as 1969 only 22 reports containing illustrations or descriptions of Alaskan Tertiary mollusks had been published. 

There are several important studies of Alaskan Tertiary molluscan faunas in progress at this time. Most of these were summarized recently by Addicott and Kanno (1969). These should 

result in much improved documentation of Tertiary molluscan 

faunas and should also provide biostratigraphic data sufficient 

to permit description of much-needed provincial standard sections 

for correlation of the middle and upper Tertiary marine sequences 

of Alaska. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

[Reports that contain descriptions of new mollusks or illustrations of previously described species 

are preceded by an asterisk ( *)] 

Addicott, W. 0., 1965, Some western American Cenozoic gastropods of the 

genus Nassarius: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 503-B, 24 p., 3 pis. 

A doubtf11lly identified specimen of Nassarius ande1·soni from a beach 

stone collected from Chirikof Island may represent the northernmost 

occurrence of the subgenus Catilon in western North America. 

--- 1969, Tertiary climatic change in the marginal northeastern Pacific 

Ocean: Sci., v. 165, no. 3893, p. 583-586. 

Middle Tertiary molluscan assemblages from Kodiak Island and the 

Alaska Peninsula reflect an Oligocene to middle Miocene climatic warming that is best defined by faunal data from California. The middle 

Miocene fauna of the Yakataga Formation of the northeastern Gulf of 

Alaska is of cooler aspect than that of the underlying upper Oligocene 

and lower Mioc€:ne Poul Creek Formation; this cooling is believed to 

be a local feature and is ascribed to the onset of local glaciation. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 7 

,:, ___ 1971, Some Poleogene mud pectens of the genus Propeamussium from 

Alaska and California: Veliger, v. 13, no. 3, p. 226-230, 1 pl. 

Propeamussium leohertleini n. sp. is described from Eocene strata on 

the northern part of Adak Island. 

Addicott, W. 0., and Kanno, Saburo, 1969, Current paleontologic investigations on Cenozoic marine mollusks of the west coast of North America: 

Veliger, v. 12, no. 1, p. 135-139. 

A resume of current research and recent publications on fossil marine 

mollusks of the eastern North Pacific. Studies on Alaskan Tertiary 

mollusks by R. C. Allison, K. W. Ciriacks, J. W. Durham, D. M. 

Hopkins, Saburo Kanno, F. S. MacNeil, Scott McCoy, C. M. Nelson, 

A. R. Ormiston, and R. W. Rowland are briefly reviewed. 

':'Addicott, W. 0., and Plafker, George, 1971, Paleocene mollusks from the 

Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province-A significant new occurrence on the 

North Pacific rim, in Geological Survey research 1971: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 750-B, p. B48-B52. 

Marine Paleocene strata recognized for the first time in Alaska based 

on the occurrence of Turritella me'rriami brevitabulata in the lowermost 

part of the Kulthieth Formation in the St. Elias Range. 

Adegoke, 0. S., 1967, New and oldest records of pelecypod M,ya from western North America, south of Alaska: Nautilus, v. 80, no. 3, p. 91-95, 

figs. 1-3. 

The earliest occurrence of Mya from the Pacific coast of North 

America is M. kw-;iroensis Nagao and Inoue from the Acila shumardi 

zone of the Alaska Peninsula and the Yakataga district. A new middle 

Miocene record from central California is the earliest occurrence of the 

genus in the conterminous United States. 

Arnold, Ralph, 1906, The Tertiary and Quaternary pectens of California: 

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

The initial Tertiary mega-invertebrate chronology for the conterminous United States is outlined in this report. Three divisions were 

established for the Miocene, two each for the Eocene [including Paleocene] and the Pliocene, and one for the Oligocene. The divisions were 

typified by formations with designated type localities and characteristic mollusks, including their stratigraphic and geographic distribution. 

One of the Tertiary pectinids, "Chlamys" washburnei, n. sp., has subsequently been recorded from the Oligocene of Alaska. 

Atwood, W. W., 1911, Geology and mineral resources of parts of the Alaska 

Peninsula: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 467, 137 p. 

Dall's list (1904) of mollusks from the Stepovak Series of Palache 

(1904) is repeated, again as Eocene, and is included in the Kenai Formation. This assemblage was later reassigned to the Oligocene Acila 

shumardi zone (MacNeil and others, 1961). There is a discussion of 

the age and correlation of mollusks from several localities in the Unga 

Formation (Unga and Popof Islands and mainland near Port Moller). 

Three mollusks, including Mytilus middendorjji, are recorded from the 

Unga. 
8 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

Bandy, 0. L., Butler, E. A., and Wright, R. C., 1969, Alaskan upper Miocene 

marine glacial deposits and the Turborotalia pachyde·nna datum plane: 

Sci., v. 166, no. 3905, p. 607-609. 

The Poul Creek Formation of Oligocene and Miocene age contains 

faunas of temperate or subtropical aspect. The overlying Yakataga Formation of Miocene and Pliocene age contains mostly cool or cold water 

molluscan faunas. The appearance of a left-coiling planktonic foraminifer in the Yakataga Formation is taken as indicative of the initiation 

of glaciation during the late Miocene (about 13 million years ago). 

Ba:rth, T. F. W., 1956, Geology and petrology of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1028-F, p. 101-160. 

Records mollusks identified by F. S. MacNeil from St. Paul and St. 

George Islands. The largest assemblage includes nine mollusks. MacNeil 

regarded the collections, from four different localities, as of about the 

same age and "probably of early Pleistocene or, at the earliest, late 

Pliocene age." 

Bartsch, Paul, Rehder, H. A., and Shields, B. E., 1946, A bibliography and 

short biographical sketch of William Healy Dall: Smithsonian Misc. 

Colln., v. 104, no. 15, 96 p. 

A bibliographic listing of Dall's 1,607 published reports and articles 

includes many dealing with Tertiary mollusks from Alaska. A brief 

account of Dall's work on Tertiary fossils of the northwest coast of 

North America is included. 

Boss, K. J., 1965, Catalogue of the family Pandoridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia): 

Harvard Univ. Mus. Comp. Zoology, Dept. Mollusks, Occasional Papers 

Mollusks, v. 2, no. 33, p. 413-424. 

Four Miocene species of Pandora from California and Alaska are 

recorded. 

Boss, K. J., Rosewater, Joseph, and Ruhoff, F. A., 1968, The zoological taxa 

of William Healey Dall: U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 287, 427 p. 

An alphabetic arrangement of all generic, subgeneric, and specific 

names introduced by Dall with bibliographic citations. Included in the 

5,302 molluscan names are many Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene taxa 

from Alaska. 

Brooks, A. H., 1906, The geography and geology of Alaska-A summary of 

existing knowledge, with a section on Climate, by Cleveland Abbe, Jr., 

and a topographic map and description thereof, by R. U. Goode: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 45, 327 p. 

Includes a brief review of localities and areas from which Miocene 

and Pliocene marine fossils have been reported ( p. 242-243). 

--- 1921, Note on the Tertiary geology of Alaska: Pan-Pacific Scientific 

Conf., First, Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Spec. Pub. 7, pt. 3, p. 797-800. 

A marine transgression occurred along the Pacific coast of Alaska 

during the Miocene but did not extend north of Bristol Bay. Pliocene 

marine invertebrates occur in ancient beach deposits of Pliocene or 

Pleistocene age near N orne. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 9 

Burk, C. A., 1965, Geology of the Alaska Peninsula-island arc and continental margin: Geol. Soc. America Mem. 99, pts. 1-3, 250 p. 

Lists of Tertiary mollusks identified by F. S. MacNeil are included 

in appendix C (p. 221-228). Sixty-eight species ranging in age from 

Eocene to Pliocene are recorded; most of the collections are from rocks 

of Oligocene age. A newly named formation, the Bear Lake Formation, 

of middle and late Miocene age, contains many large fossiliferous banks. 

The lower part of this formation, the Unga Conglomerate Member, is 

characterized by abundant specimens of Mytilns middendor/fi, which 

also occurs at Cape Aliaskin. 

Capps, S. R., 1937, Kodiak and adjacent islands, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 880-C, p. 111-184. 

Mollusks from Narrow Point, Kodiak Island, identified by W. P. 

Woodring (USGS loc. 13372) are considered to be of Miocene or Pliocene age. 'fen taxa, including Mytilus middendorffi, are listed. 

*Clark, B. L., 1932, Fauna of the Poul and Yakataga Formations (upper 

Oligocene) of southern Alaska: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 43, no. 3, 

p. 797-846, pls. 14-21. 

Clark recognized 42 molluscan taxa, including 24 newly described 

species or subspecies, from rock units of late Oligocene to middle Miocene age. The combined fauna was correlated with the Blakeley "horizon" ["Stage"] of western Washington and the fauna of the Sooke 

Formation of Vancouver Island. Clark believed that no faunal change 

occurred between the Foul Creek and Yakataga Formations based on 

limited collections. Water temperatures were believed to have been cool 

temperate, similar to modern conditions in this area. 

--- 1933, Fauna of the Yakataga Formation of southern Alaska [abs.]: 

Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 44, pt. 1, p. 168. 

The molluscan fauna of the Yakataga Formation is considered to be 

of late Oligocene age and is correlated with the faunas of the Blakeley 

Formation and San Ramon Formation of the Pacific Coast States. Some 

paleontologists consider these faunas to be of early Miocene age. 

Coan, E. V., 1969a, The biogeography of certain west American tellinaceans 

[abs.]: The Echo, Western Soc. Malacologists, First Ann. Mtg., p. 11-12. 

Two species of Macorna migrated from the Pacific to the Atlantic 

through the Bering Strait during the late Tertiary and Quaternary 

(M. obliqua and M. praetenuis). 

--- 1969b, Recognition of an eastern Pacific Macoma in the Coralline 

Crag of England and its biogeographic significance: Veliger, v. 11, no. 

3, p. 277-279. 

Macoma incongrua von Martens, 1865, of the eastern North Pacific is 

conspecific with M. obliqua (Sowerby, 1817), reported from the Coralline Crag of England. Eastern Pacific specimens previously identified 

as M. incongrua differ significantly from modern specimens of this 

species from Japan, the type locality. There are a few comments on 

Neogene migrations of Macoma from the Pacific to the Atlantic through 

the Bering Strait. 
10 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

Coats, R. R., 1947a, Progress of investigations in 1946, Part 5 of Geology of 

northern Adak Island [Alaska]: U.S. Geol. Survey Alaskan Volcano Inv. 

Rept. 2, p. 73-85. 

The initial report of marine fossils of presumed late Tertiary age 

from the northern part of Adak Island (Coats, 1956). 

--- 1947b, Progress of investigations in 1946, Part 7 of Reconnaissance 

geology of some western Aleutian Islands [Alaska]: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Alaskan Volcano Inv. Rept. 2, p. 97-105. 

The oldest fossiliferous sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age occur on 

Adak Island on the east side of "Mount Adagdak" and on Amchitka 

Island about 2% miles west of East Cape. 

--- 1956, Geology of northern Adak Island, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 1028-C, p. 47-67. 

Fossiliferous marine sandstone containing abundant fragments of 

marine fossils is considered to be of late Tertiary age because of the 

similarity of the fossil fragments to modern beach drift. 

Cohen, Gaston, 1968, L'isthme de Bering et ses vicissitudes-paleogeographie 

et migrations: Sci. Progres-La Nature, no. 3399, p. 241-248. 

The Bering Strait opened briefly during the late Miocene and again 

near the end of the Pliocene according to evidence of migrations of marine invertebrates (reference not seen). 

Cox, A. V., Hopkins, D. M., and Dalrymple, G. B., 1966, Geomagnetic polarity 

epochs, Pribilof Islands, Alaska: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 77, no. 9, 

883-909. 

Twenty-five mollusks from the basal sedimentary strata on St. George 

Island are indicative of assignment to the Beringian marine transgression 

which is of late Pliocene or early Pleistocene age. The mollusks were 

identified by F. S. MacNeil; a few are mentioned in MacNeil's discussion. 

The Beringian strata are covered by volcanic flow rock dated at about 

2.1 million years. 

Dall, W. H., 1882, Note on Alaska Tertiary deposits: Am. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, v. 

24, no. 139, p. 67-68. 

Brown sandstone along the southeastern coast of Alaska contains extinct fossils (Crepidula, Mytilus, and Ostrea) which are comparable to 

Miocene mollusks from Oregon and California. One deposit on St. Paul 

Island in the Bering Sea may be younger than these. 

--- 1896, Report on coal and lignite of Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey 17th 

Ann. Rept., pt. 1, p. 763-875. 

An assemblage of 46 mollusks from the "Astoria group" of Alaska is 

correlated with sandstones and shales at Astoria, Oreg. Alaskan Miocene 

water temperatures were warmer than at present. Fossils are from 

Lituya Bay, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian chain. Pliocene 

fossils are recorded from the St. Elias Alps, southeastern Alaska. The 

fossil lists first appeared in Dall and Harris ( 1892). 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 

--- 1899, The mollusk fauna of the Pribilof Islands, in Part 3 of The fur 

seals and fur seal islands of the North Pacific Ocean: p. 539-546. 

Thirty-five mollusks collected by Stanley-Brown from "horizontal 

layers of a hard claystone" on St. Paul Island are listed. The list is derived mainly from Dall (1896). Fragments of bivalves (Saxicava?) are 

reported to have been collected on Bering Island of the Commander 

Islands by Stejneger. Although this assemblage is composed of modern 

species, diatom evidence suggests that it is of Pliocene age (D. M. 

Hopkins, oral commun., May 1970). 

*--- 1904, N eozoic invertebrate fossils, a report on collections made by the 

expedition, in Volume 4, Geology and Paleontology, of Harriman Alaska 

Expedition: New York, Doubleday, Page and Co., p. 99-122, pls. 9, 10; 

reprinted by Smithsonian Inst., 1910. 

Mollusks from the Stepovak Series of Palache (1904)-32 taxa including 10 newly described species-are considered to be of Eocene age. (Subsequent study indicates an Oligocene age and assignment to the Acila 

shumardi zone (MacNeil and others, 1961) . ) Thirty-one mollusks are recorded from the Unga Conglomerate in the Shumagin Islands (Unga and 

Popof Islands); six of these are described and illustrated as new. The 

Unga assemblages are considered to be of Miocene age and are correlated 

with the Miocene fauna from Astoria, Oreg. 

,:, ___ 1907, On climatic conditions at Nome, Alaska, during the Pliocene, 

and on a new species of Pecten from the Nome gold-bearing gravels: Am. 

Journal Sci., ser. 4, v. 23, no. 138, p. 457-458, 1 fig. 

Pecten liocius is described from marine gravel believed to be of Pliocene 

age from near Nome. A few associated mollusks suggest water temperatures warmer than occur at this latitude today. 

,:, ___ 1908, Another large Miocene Scala: Nautilus, v. 22, no. 7, p. 80-81. 

Four species of Epitonium, including E. atwoodi n. sp., are recorded 

from upper Tertiary strata of the Alaska Peninsula and Shumagin 

Islands. 

--- 1919, On some Tertiary fossils from the Pribiloff Islands [Alaskal: 

Washington Acad. Sci. Jour., v. 9, no. 1, p. 1-3. 

Forty-four mollusks of Pliocene age are identified from localities at 

Tolstoi Point, St. Paul Island, and 'folstoi Point, St. George Island. 

*--- 1920, Pliocene and Pleistocene fossils from the Arctic coast of Canada 

and the auriferous beaches of Nome, Norton Sound, Alaska: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 125-C, p. 23-37, 2 pls. 

Pliocene and Pleistocene mollusks are recorded from 22 localitiesmost are from near Nome but a few are from the Arctic coast. Fifteen 

new species of mollusks are described and illustrated. A few previously 

described mollusks are also illustrated. A "more free connection probably 

existed in Pliocene time between the North Atlantic and the Bering Sea 

regions" (p. 25). Miocene climate was much cooler than during the 

Eocene. During the Pliocene the climate seems to have become more 

moderate judging by the marine fauna. 
12 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

1921a, Summary of the marine shell-bearing mollusks of the northwest coast of America * * *: U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 112, 217 p., 22 pls. 

A useful resume of original bibliographic citations and geographic 

range data for the modern molluscan fauna of the Pacific coast. There 

are excellent line drawings of many species that have pre-Quaternary 

records. Trans-Arctic migration of Pacific and Atlantic mollusks occurred 

during late Tertiary periods of warmer marine climate than today. Several 

mollusks from the Bering Sea are found as fossils in the Pliocene of 

Nantucket Island and Iceland. 

*--- 1921b, Two new Pliocene pectens from Nome, Alaska: Nautilus, v. 

34, no. 3, p. 76-77. 

Pecten kallae and P. ryhtidus are described from a buried beach deposit 

of Pliocene age near N orne. These and five other mollusks suggest a 

warmer marine climate than occurs in this area today. 

Dall, W. H., and Harris, G. D., 1892, Correlation papers-Neocene: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 84, 349 p. 

Includes a review of paleontologic studies on the Tertiary of Alaska 

(p. 232-268) with stratigraphic data. There are a few lists of fossils, 

including a list of 46 mollusks from the "Astoria group" of Alaska (based 

on 12 localities from the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska Peninsula, and Bering 

Sea). The known distribution of Neogene formations in Alaska is shown 

on an index map. No Paleogene strata were recognized in Alaska. 

Davies, A. M., 1929, Faunal migrations since the Cretaceous period: Geol. 

Assoc. London Proc., v. 40, pt. 4, p. 307-327. 

Marine invertebrates migrated from the North Pacific through the 

Arctic into the North Atlantic during the late Miocene or early Pliocene 

based on study of Acila, Searlesia, Cochlodesm-a, Pholadidea, Mya, and 

other mollusks. These genera appear in the Pliocene or Quaternary of 

the British Isles but have pre-Pliocene records in the North Pacific. 

--- 1934, Tertiary faunas; a text-book for oilfield paleontologists and 

students of geology-Volume II, The sequence of Tertiary faunas: London, Thomas Murby and Co., 252 p., illus. 

Late Miocene and early Pliocene faunal migration from the North 

Pacific into the Atlantic probably followed a route along the Arctic coast 

of North America; at least one species of mollusk may have migrated in 

the opposite direction-from western Europe to Japan. Climatic zones 

were well-established along the Pacific coast by the early Miocene. Temperature contrasts between molluscan faunas along the Pacific coast were 

much greater during the Pliocene than during earlier periods. 

Dawson, G. M., 1894, Geological notes on some of the coasts and islands of 

Bering Sea and vicinity: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 5, p. 117-146. 

"Marine Miocene fossils" occur on Atka Island in the Aleutians. "Upper 

Miocene (Astoria Group of Dall)" and "post-Pliocene" fossils occur on 

St. Paul Island, Bering Sea. 

Denton, G. H., and Armstrong, R. L., 1969, Miocene-Pliocene glaciations in 

southern Alaska: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 267, p. 1121-1142. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 

Mollusk assemblages from the Yakataga Formation suggest deposition 

under cool conditions; marine tillites occur stratigraphically well below 

mollusks of late Miocene age in this formation. Marine tillites on Middleton Island are of late Pliocene and early to middle Pleistocene age based 

on their molluscan faunas. Molluscan assemblages underlying the Miocene 

marine tillites suggest subtropical and temperate marine climate. 

Drewes, Harald, Fraser, G. D., Snyder, G. L., and Barnett, H. F., Jr., 1961, 

Geology of Unalaska Island and adjacent insular shelf, Aleutian Islands, 

Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1028-G, p. 583-676. 

The upper part of the Unalaska Formation is believed to be of early 

Miocene age based upon the remains of a desmostylid and specimens of 

Mya cf. M. truncata. 

Dunnill, R. M., and Coan, E. V., 1968, A new species of the genus Macoma 

(Pelecypoda) from west American coastal waters, with comments on 

Macoma calcarea (Gmelin, 1791): Canada Natl. Mus., Nat. History Paper 

43, 19 p., 10 figs. 

The Pliocene origin of Macoma elimata n. sp. and isolation, at that 

time, from M. calcarea. are discussed. Macoma probably originated in the 

North Pacific basin. 

':'Durham, J. W., 1937, Gastropods of the family Epitoniidae from Mesozoic 

and Cenozoic rocks of the west coast of North America, including one 

new species by F. E. Turner and one by R. A. Bramkamp: Jour. Paleontology, v. 11, no. 6, p. 479-512, pls. 56-57. 

Two species of Boreoscala are recorded from Alaska; one from the 

Oligocene Poul Creek Formation, Gulf of Alaska, the other from Pliocene 

strata on St. George Island in the Bering Sea. The holotype of Epitonium 

atwoodi Dall ( 1908) from near Port Moller is figured. 

--- 1944, Megafauna! zones of the Oligocene of northwestern Washington: 

California Univ. Pubs., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 27, no. 5, p. 101-212, 

pls. 13-18. 

Lists three species from the Poul Creek and Yakataga Formations that 

are correlated with his Echinophoria apta zone of northwestern Washington. There may be more than one zone in Clark's fauna (1932) from 

these formations. 

--- 1950, Cenozoic marine climates of the Pacific coast: Geol. Soc. America 

Bull., v. 61, no. 11, p. 1243-1264. 

A definitive analysis of Cenozoic marine climate of the Pacific coast. 

During the Miocene and the Pliocene the marine climate was significantly 

warmer than today according to analysis of shallow water mollusks and 

corals. Marine climate cooled gradually during the N oegene, possibly with 

minor oscillations. Late Oligocene marine climate in the Gulf of Alaska 

was warmer than today with a postulated minimum temperature of 15oC 

or more during the coldest month. Paleogene control is all from the 

conterminous United States. 

--- 1952, Early Tertiary marine faunas and continental drift: Am. Jour. 

Sci., v. 250, p. 321-343. 
14 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

An Eocene [Oligocene fide MacNeil and others (1961)] molluscan assemblage from Stepof Bay originally reported by Dall ( 1904) contains 32 

genera, several of which are listed. The assemblage is regarded by 

Durham as indicative of subtropical or warm-temperate water temperatures. 

--- 1957, Notes on echinoids: Jour. Paleontology, v. 31, no. 3, p. 625-631, 

pl. 72. 

According to L. G. Hertlein the fauna [mollusks] of Tertiary mudstone 

and sandstone at Lituya Bay, southeastern Alaska, is correlative with 

the Empire Formation of southwestern Oregon. It represents a shallowwater environment, for the most part less than 50 fathoms deep, and 

climatic conditions similar to those prevailing along the Oregon and 

Washington coast today. 

--- 1959, Paleoclimates, in Physical chemistry of the earth: London, 

Pergamon Press, v. 3, p. 1-16. 

A review of Paleogene and Neogene marine climate of the northeastern 

Pacific Ocean is based, in part, on inferences from marine mollusks from 

Durham (1950). 

Durham, J. W., and MacNeil, F. S., 1965, Cenozoic marine faunal migrations 

through the Bering Strait region [abs.]: Internat. Assoc. Quaternary 

Research Cong., 7th, Boulder, Colo., 1965, Gen. Sess. Abs., p. 116. 

The earliest migrations through the Bering Strait may have taken 

place during" the late Miocene or earliest Pliocene. Many more invertebrates of Pacific origin have reached the Atlantic by this route than have 

entered the Pacific from the Atlantic. 

--- 1967, Cenozoic migrations of marine invertebrates through the Bering 

Strait region, in Hopkins, D. M., ed., The Bering land bridge: Stanford, 

Calif., Stanford Univ. Press, p. 326-349. 

Sixty-nine mollusks of Pacific origin have entered the Arctic-Atlantic 

area by way of the Bering Sea, perhaps owing to the prevailing eastward currents in the Arctic Ocean. At least 14 mollusks are considered 

to have entered the Pacific from the Atlantic Ocean. The earliest migration is thought to have taken place in the late Miocene or earliest 

Pliocene. Many Pacific species had reached the Atlantic by the late 

Pliocene. More migrations occurred during the Pleistocene. The seaways 

may have been opened and closed during the late Miocene to Holocene 

but molluscan data do not permit dating of such events. 

Durham, J. W., and Sasa, Yasuo, 1961, A comparison of the faun~ of the 

Poronai Formation of Japan with west American middle Tertiary faunas 

[abs.]: Pacific Sci. Cong., 9th, Bangkok, Thailand, 1957, Proc., v. 12, p. 

276. 

Twenty-three mollusks from the Poronai Formation of Hokkaido are 

very similar to species from the "Blakeley Stage" of Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, suggesting age equivalence. Ten pairs of most similar 

Japanese and west American species are listed. The Poronai Formation 

is equivalent to the Poul Creek Formation, Blakeley Formation, and 

Yaquina Formation. A correlation chart is included. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 15 

*Eichwald, Eduard von, 1871, Geognostisch-paleontologische Bemerkungen 

tiber die Halbinsel Mangischlak und die aleutischen Inselin: St. Petersburg, p. 88-200, 20 pls. 

Girard's (in Erman, 1843) and Grewingk's (1850) Tertiary species 

from Kodiak, Unga, and Atka Islands are referred to the Cretaceous. 

Many of these species are of Miocene age. These and a few other species 

are treated systematically. 

Ekman, Sven, 1953, Zoogeography of the sea: London, Sidgwick and Jackson 

Ltd., 417 p. 

A late Tertiary connection between the Atlantic and North Pacific 

Oceans had a profound influence on the invertebrate fauna of the North 

Atlantic. Six mollusks that were restricted to either the North Atlantic 

or North Pacific during the late Tertiary but which are now found 

living only in the opposite ocean basin are listed. 

Elliott, H. S., 1875, A report on the condition of affairs in the Territory of 

Alaska: U.S. Treasury Dept. 

According to Dall (1899), the occurrence of fossil mollusks [Pliocene] 

in limestone and argillite at Black Bluff, St. Paul Island, is noted. 

According to Barth (1956, p. 155) the fossil shells collected by Elliott 

during the period 1872-74 were also referred to in later general accounts of Alaska published by Elliott in 1887 and in 1895. 

':'Erman, A., 1843, Archiv fiir wissenschafiiche kunde Russland, volume 3: 

Berlin, G. Reimer, 725 p., illus. 

Two new species Nucula ermani Girard and Cardium aleuticum 

Girard, are described from tuffaceous strata cropping out on Atka 

Island in the Aleutian chain. These species were refigured by Grewingk 

(1850). 

Fraser, G. D., and Barnett, H. F., 1959, Geology of the Delarof and westernmost Andreano£ Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 1028-I, p. 211-248. 

Late Tertiary (possibly Miocene and Pliocene) mollusks from several 

localities on Kanaga and Tanaga Islands identified by F. S. MacNeil 

are recorded. 

Grant, U. S., 4th, and Gale, H. R., 1931, Catalogue of the marine Pliocene 

and Pleistocene Mollusca of California: San Diego Soc. Nat. History 

Mem., v. 1, 1036 p., 32 pls., 15 figs., 3 tables. 

This important systematic catalogue of Pliocene and Pleistocene 

mollusks of the Pacific coast includes references to Miocene and Pliocene 

occurrences in Alaska based on published determinations of W. H. Dall. 

Many species are illustrated. 

':'Gratacap, L. P., 1912, An unusual specimen of Mytilus middendorffi Grewingk, from Alaska: Am. Mus. Nat. History Bull. 31, p. 69-70, illus. 

A specimen from Cape Seniavin, Alaska Peninsula, is described and 

illustrated. Grewingk's original illustrations of this species are refigured. 
16 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

Grau, G., 1959, Pectinidae of the eastern Pacific: Allan Hancock Pacific 

Exped., v. 23, p. 1-308, pis. 1-57. 

An important report on living pectinids of the eastern Pacific. Geologic 

ranges for those species that also occur as fossils are listed. 

*Grewingk, Constantin, 1850, Beitrag zur Kenntniss der orographischen und 

geognostischen Beschaffenheit der Nord-West Ki.iste Amerikas mit den 

anliegenden Inseln: Verhandlungen der Russisch-Kaiserlichen Mineralogischen Gesellshaft zu St. Petersburg, 1848-49, p. 76-324, pis. 1-7 

[pis. 4-7 are of fossils]. 

Described and figured several Neogene pelecypods from the Pribilof 

and Shumagin Islands, Alaska Peninsula, and Kodiak Island. Five 

species are described as new. 

Hagg, R., 1924, Stangenaskraniets skalbank: Geol. Foren. Stockholm For h., 

v. 46, no. 5. (Reference from Soot-Ryen (1932) .) 

According to Soot-Ryen (1932) a few mollusks that are first recorded 

from upper Miocene or lower Pliocene deposits in the North PacificBering Strait region and subsequently appear in upper Pliocene or 

Quaternary deposits in the North Atlantic are listed. 

Hanna, G D., 1919, Geological notes on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, with an 

account of the fossil diatoms: Am. Jour. Sci., ser. 4, v. 48, p. 216-224. 

Mollusks from Black Bluffs and from Tolstoi Point, St. Paul Island, 

identified by Dall (1919), are of about the same age, Pliocene according 

to Hanna. 

--- 1970, Fossil diatoms from the Pribiloff Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska: 

California Acad. Sci. Proc., ser. 4, v. 37, no. 5, p. 167-234. 

Spisula alaskana occurs at a depth of 198 ft in a water well drilled 

near St. Paul Island village. Astarte is the most abundant pelecypod 

in exposures of Pliocene strata at Tolstoi Point, St. Paul Island. 

Hopkins, D. M., 1959, Cenozoic history of the Bering land bridge [Alaska]: 

Sci., v. 129, no. 3362, p. 1519-1528. 

Shallow-water mollusks of middle Tertiary age were free to migrate 

from the Atlantic into the Arctic Ocean but not into the North Pacific 

because of the presence of a land barrier in the area of the BeringChukchi platform. According to F. S. MacNeil, Neptunea originated in 

the North Pacific during the Tertiary. It first appears in the early 

Pleistocene of the Atlantic, suggesting that the Bering land bridge was 

submerged near the end of the Pliocene. The late Cenozoic zoogeography 

of FoTtipecten provides supporting evidence. This Pliocene genus is 

found both at Nome and much farther north at Kivalina, Alaska, further suggesting that the Bering platform was submerged by latest 

Pliocene time. 

--- 1965, Chetvertichnye morskie transgressii na Alyaske [Quaternary 

transgressions in Alaska], in Antropogenovye period v Arktike i subarktike [Anthropogene period in the Arctic and subarctic]: Nauchno-Issled. 

Inst. Geol. Arktiki Trudy, v. 143, p. 131-154 (in Russian); English 

translation by Am. Geol. Inst., 53 p. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 17 

The original proposal of a series of time-stratigraphic units to classify 

late Pliocene and Quaternary marine deposits of western Alaska. The 

fauna of four of these-Beringian (late Pliocene) and the Pleistocene 

Anvilian, Kotzebaun, and Pelukian-are characterized in a stratigraphic 

diagram showing some of the more important mollusks and their occurrences. The faunas of the Kruzensternian and W oronzofian are not 

shown because of meager faunal data. This report is similar to Hopkins' 

( 1967b) account of the late Pliocene and Quaternary transgressions 

written in English. 

--- 1967a, Introduction, in Hopkins, D. M., ed., The Bering land bridge: 

Stanford, Calif., Stanford Univ. Press, p. 1-6. 

The few biogeographical reports dealing with migration of marine 

mollusks through the Bering Strait during the late Tertiary are 

reviewed. 

--- 1967b, Quaternary marine transgressions in Alaska, Chapter 4 in 

Hopkins, D. M., ed., The Bering land bridge: Stanford, Calif., Stanford 

Univ. Press, p. 47-90. 

Marine beds of the Beringian transgression are considered to be of 

late Pliocene and early Pleistocene age. Twenty-three significant mollusks are listed in a stratigraphic chart. Correlative molluscan fauna 

occur on the Arctic coast, in the Gulf of Alaska, and in the Aleutian 

Islands. 

Hopkins, D. M., and MacNeil, F. S., 1960, A marine fauna probably of 

late Pliocene age near Kivalina, Alaska, in Short papers in the geological sciences: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 400-B, p. B339-B342. 

Thirteen mollusks are recorded from marine clay near Kivalina, 

Alaska, and from deposits of late Pliocene and Pleistocene age at Nome, 

Alaska. The occurrence of Fortipecten suggests a late Pliocene age and 

correlation with the submarine beach deposits at Nome. 

Hopkins, D. M., MacNeil, F. S., and Leopold, E. B., 1960, The coastal plain 

at Nome, Alaska-a late Cenozoic type section for the Bering Strait region: Internat. Geol. Cong., 21st, Copenhagen, 1960, pt. 4, p. 46-57. 

Marine sand and clay of the "Submarine Beach" at Nome are believed 

to be of late Pliocene or early Pleistocene age. They include the large 

pectinid Fortipecten halrae (Dall). Several of the mollusks are identical 

with, or are closely related to, species now confined to more southerly, 

warmer waters, suggesting warmer climate and lack of sea ice. A list 

of mollusks showing local stratigraphic ranges is included. 

Hopkins, D. M., MacNeil, F. S., Merklin, R. L., and Petrov, 0. M., 1965, 

Quaternary correlations across Bering Strait: Sci., v. 147, no. 3662, 

p. 1107-1114. 

Six late Cenozoic transgressions from western Alaska of Hopkins 

(1965) are correlated with the Chukotka sequence of the east coast of 

Russia. The Alaskan transgressions are briefly reviewed with mention 

of a few key mollusks and radiometric age determinations. Molluscan 

faunas show a progressive modernization in which warm-water elements 

disappear and are replaced by elements of the modern Arctic fauna. The 
18 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

oldest transgression is of late Pliocene or early Pleistocene age; the 

others are assigned to the Pleistocene. 

Hopkins, D. M., Scholl, D. W., Addicott, W. 0., Pierce, R. L., Smith, P. J., 

Wolfe, J. A., Gershanovich, David, Kotonev, Boris, Lohman, K. E., and 

Obradovich, John, 1969, Cretaceous, Tertiary, and early Pleistocene 

rocks from the continental margin in the Bering Sea: Geol. Soc. America 

Bull., v. 80, no. 8, p. 1471-1480. 

Palliolum (Delectopecten) pedroanus (Trask) is reported from dredge 

haul from Zemchug Canyon [identified by 0. M. Petrov]. A Neptunea 

of late Pliocene or early Pliocene age was recovered from a dredge haul 

in Pribilof Canyon. 

Isbister, A. K., 1855, On the geology of the Hudson's Bay territories and of 

portions of the Arctic and northwestern regions of America; with a 

coloured geological map: Geol. Soc. London Quart. Jour., v. 11, p. 

497-520. 

Fourteen mollusks from the Alaskan territory originally recorded by 

Grewingk ( 1850) are listed. 

Kanno, Saburo, 1971, The ecological significance of Thyasira bisecta Conrad: 

Nautilus, v. 84, no. 3, p. 96-101. 

Thyasira bisecta occurs in rocks of Miocene age near lat 60oN. in the 

Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province. 

Kanno, Saburo, and Addicott, W. 0., 1969, Summary of current investigations on Cenozoic marine mollusks of western North America, in Kotaka, 

Tamio, ed., Symposium on Japanese Neogene molluscan faunas [in 

Japanese]: Fossils, Paleont. Soc. Japan Jour., no. 18, p. 55-61. 

A resume of current research and recent publications on fossil marine 

mollusks of the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Studies on Alaskan Tertiary 

mollusks by R. C. Allison, K. W. Ciriacks, J. W. Durham, D. M. Hopkins, Saburo Kanno, F. S. MacNeil, Scott McCoy, C. M. Nelson, A. R. 

Ormiston, and R. W. Rowland are briefly reviewed. 

*Kauffman, E. G., 1969, Systematics and evolutionary position of a new 

Tertiary Thyasira (Bivalvia) from Alaska: Jour. Paleontology, v. 43, 

no. 5, p. 1099-1110, pl. 127. 

Thyasi't·a alaskana is described from the upper part of the Nuwok 

Formation (Miocene or Pliocene) of the Arctic coast of Alaska. 

Keen, A. M., 1954, Five new species and a new subgenus in the pelecypod 

family Cardiidae: Am. Paleontology Bull., v. 35, no. 153, 24 p., 1 pl. 

A key to species of Clinocardium and related discussion includes a few 

late Cenozoic species from Alaska. 

Keen, A. M., and Bentson, Herdis, 1944, Check list of California Tertiary 

marine Mollusca: Geol. Soc. America Spec. Paper 56, 280 p. 

Although this report does not pertain directly to Alaskan faunas, it is 

an extremely useful reference to illustrations and descriptions of Tertiary 

mollusks from California (more than 1,700 species), many of which range 

northward to Alaska. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 19 

Keroher, G. C., and others, 1966, Lexicon of geologic names of the United 

States for 1936-1960: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1200, 4341 p. 

The companion volume to Wilmarth (1938) but with narrower coverage 

-Mexican and Canadian names are not included and paleontologic terms 

are omitted. Includes age, geographic distribution, location of type section, 

original reference, and brief description for each stratigraphic unit. 

Fossil names are included in some descriptions. 

Kincaid, Trevor, 1957, Local races and clines in the marine gastropod Thais 

lamellosa, a population study: Seattle, The Calliostoma Co., 75 p., 55 pls. 

This species, referred to the subg·enus Nucella, had its origin in the 

North Pacific during the late Miocene, having undergone notable expansion and differentiation during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. The stock 

from which the modern N. lapillus of the North Atlantic fauna was derived originally in the North Pacific. The local races of N. lapillus exhibit 

remarkable parallelism with those of T. lima of the North Pacific. 

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

conforement au decret du 22 avril 1791, et redige par M. L. A. MietMureau: Paris, Imprimerie de la Republique, v. 2, 298 p. 

"Manteau royal" found by La Perouse's expedition in the Lituya district is the earliest known record of a fossil pectinid from the west coast 

of North America (Miller, 1961b). 

Leffingwell, E. de K., 1919, The Canning River region, northern Alaska: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 109, 251 p. 

Includes list of fossils of late Tertiary age from Carter Creek, northeastern Arctic coast of Alaska identified by W. H. Dall (p. 130). These 

were subsequently listed, some as new species, by Dall ( 1920). 

McCulloch, D. S., 1967, Quaternary geology of the Alaskan shore of Chukchi 

Sea, chapter 5 in Hopkins, D. M., ed., The Bering land bridge: Stanford, 

Calif., Stanford Univ. Press, p. 91-120. 

The extinct species N eptunea n. sp. aff. N. despecta, Astarte hemicymata, and Fortipecten hallae are listed from marine sediment on wavecut bedrock platform at Kivalina, on west coast of Alaska. The molluscan 

fauna including 22 taxa (not listed) suggests a late Pliocene or early 

Pleistocene age. 

*MacNeil, F. S., 1957a, Cenozoic megafossils of northern Alaska, in Shorter 

contributions to general geology, 1956: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 

294, p. 99-123, pls. 11-17. 

Lists 26 mollusks from Tertiary strata (Nuwok Formation of Dall 

(1919) along Carter Creek, Camden Bay area, Arctic Alaska, most of 

which are also figured and treated systematically. Two new species are 

described from this unit. The fauna shows relation to the North Atlantic 

fauna but not to the Pacific, suggesting that there was no communication 

between the polar sea and the Pacific during the Miocene. Some of the 

Quaternary pelecypods are believed to be related to Miocene species from 

the western North Pacific. 

--- 1957b, Selected mollusks from the Poul Creek and Yakataga Forma-
20 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

tions, Yakataga and Malaspina districts, Alaska, showing tentative 

identifications and stratigraphic range: U.S. Geol. Survey Oil and Gas 

Inv. Map OM-187, sheet 2, table 1. 

The stratigraphic ranges of 69 significant mollusks of Oligocene and 

Miocene age and the number of collections upon which these local ranges 

are based are shown on the chart. There are a few taxonomic notations 

on the chart. 

*---1961, Lituyapecten (new subgenus of Patinopecten) from Alaska and 

California, in Shorter contributions to general geology, 1959: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 354, p. 225-237, pls. 35-46. 

Describes several species of Lituyapccten, a new subgenus, from Miocene and Pliocene formations of California and Alaska; three of these, 

all from the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province, are new: L. yakatagensis, 

L. lituyaensis, and L. poulc1·eekensis. 

*--- 1965, Evolution and distribution of the genus Mya, and Tertiary 

migrations of Mollusca: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 483-G, 51 p., 11 pls. 

A definitive report on the genus Mya with particular reference to North 

Pacific species. All of the Miocene and Pliocene species from western 

North America are figured. The genus reached the Atlantic during the 

late Miocene by way of the Arctic Ocean. Migrations within the Pacific 

have generally been from west to east. The genus is divided into two 

subgenera, Mya (Mya) and Mya (Arenomya), based on configuration of 

the ligamenta! callus. The earliest known species from Alaska is from 

the Acila shumardi zone (middle Oligocene) of Popof Island in the 

Shumagin Islands. The Nuwok Formation of the northeastern Arctic 

coast of Alaska is the oldest known marine Tertiary deposit in the 

American Arctic. The oldest fossiliferous part of the formation seems 

to be of Miocene age and contains several molluscan genera of Atlantic 

origin. The formation may represent the first jnvasion of the Arctic 

Ocean by an Atlantic fauna. 

~'--- 1967, Cenozoic pectinids of Alaska, Iceland, and other northern regions: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 553, 57 p., 25 pls. 

The definitive account of fossil pectinids of the North Pacific in which 

all of the known Alaskan pectinids are described and figured. A new 

subgenus, Leochlamys, and several new species of Miocene and Pliocene 

pectinids are described. Several pectinids migrated from the Pacific into 

the Atlantic during the late Cenozoic but none are known to have 

migrated from the Atlantic into the North Pacific. Middle Tertiary 

pectinids of the Pacific coast that have European affinities migrated into 

the North Pacific by way of an Indian Ocean or Tethyan route. 

*--- 1970, New Pliocene Chlamys (Swiftopecten) and Beringius from the 

Alaska Peninsula: Nautilus, v. 84, no. 2, p. 69-74, 1 pl. 

Chlamys (Swiftopecten) leohertleini n. sp. and Beringius hertleini n. 

sp. are described from Pliocene strata at Cape Tachilni near the western 

end of the Alaska Peninsula. 

*MacNeil, F. S., Mertie, J. B., Jr., and Pilsbry, H. A., 1943, Marine invertebrate faunas of the buried beaches near Nome, Alaska: Jour. Paleontology, v. 17, no. 1, p. 69-96. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 21 

The high percentage of extinct species in the "Intermediate Beach" and 

the "Inner Submarine Beach" deposits (27-46 percent) indicate a Pliocene 

age. The marine climate was warmer than at present during deposition 

of these fossiliferous strata. Fifteen new species or subspecies are described by MacNeil from the "Intermediate Beach." Many other species 

are figured and treated systematically. Thirty-nine species are listed 

from the "Inner Submarine Beach" and 41 are listed from the "Intermediate Beach;" almost all of these are mollusks. 

MacNeil, F. S., Wolfe, J. A., Miller, D. J., and Hopkins, D. M., 1961, Correlation of Tertiary formations of Alaska: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 45, no. 11, p. 1801-1809. 

Tertiary marine formations occur principally in three areas: the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Alaska, the northeastern Arctic coast, and 

the Alaska Peninsula. The marine formations are dated chiefly on the 

basis of mega-invertebrates with respect to the standard sequences from 

the conterminous United States (Weaver and others, 1944). Many Alaskan species are more closely related to Asiatic stocks; some of these 

reached the eastern North Pacific by way of Alaska and occur in older 

strata there than in areas farther south. The correlation chart is extensively annotated; there are many previously unpublished age determinations. 

Maddern, A. G., 1914, Mineral deposits of the Yakataga district, in Brooks, 

A. H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska-Report on progress of 

investigations in 1913: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 592, p. 119-153. 

Miocene fossils determined by W. H. Dall from a 1,000- to 1,500-foot 

thick upper Miocene sandstone, shale, and conglomerate unit (24 localities) are recorded (p. 127-130). The fossils are correlated with the 

Empire Formation of Oregon. Marine Miocene and Oligocene fossils occur 

in an underlying unit consisting of 3,000 feet of sandstone, shale, and 

conglomerate (no species are listed from this unit). 

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. 

A few molluscan genera from exposures of the Katalla Formation near 

Controller Bay identified by T. W. Stanton and considered by him to be 

of Tertiary age are listed. A small assemblage of mollusks of late 

Oligocene or early Miocene age collected from Kayak Island is recorded; 

the identifications are by W. H. Dall and Ralph Arnold. 

--- 1908, Geology and mineral resources of the Controller Bay region, 

Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 335, 141 p. 

Several doubtfully identified genera are listed from the Stillwater 

Formation. Two doubtfully identified marine genera, Nassa? and Mactra 

or Spisula?, occur in the Kushtaka Formation. Several molluscan genera 

are recorded from localities in the Tokun Formation. All identifications 

from these Paleogene formations are by Dall. Mollusks from the Oligocene and Miocene Katalla Formation identified by W. H. Dall and Ralph 

Arnold are also recorded. Martin concluded that the entire sequence was 

of post-Eocene age. 
22 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

1921, Preliminary report on petroleum in Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Bull. 719, 83 p. 

A Miocene pectinid, Pseudamusium peckhami Gabb, occurs in the 

Katalla Formation. Dall's earlier determinations of fossils from Katalla 

area (Maddern, 1914) are reviewed but are not listed. 

Masuda, Koichiro, and Addicott, W. 0., 1970, On Pecten (Amusium) condoni 

Hertlein from the west coast of North America: Veliger, v. 13, no. 2, p. 

153-156, 1 pl. 

Yabepecten condoni (Hertlein) is doubtfully recognized from the upper 

part of the Yakataga Formation of the Malaspina district, Gulf of Alaska 

Tertiary Province. 

*Merriam, C. W., 1941, Fossil turritellas from the Pacific coast region of 

North America: California Univ. Pubs., Dept. Geol Sci. Bull., v. 26, no. 1, 

p. 1-214, pls. 1-41. 

A comprehensive treatment of one of the most important groups of 

Cenozoic mollusks of the Pacific coast. Species are classified according to 

"stocks" (subgenera), most of which show clear-cut phylogenetic development. Stratigraphic ranges of these "stocks" are indicated on a 

chart. The systematic section includes extensive discussions of variation, 

ontogenetic changes, and geographic occurrence. One species from Alaska, 

Twrritella hamiltonensis Clark, is figured. 

Mertie, J. B., Jr., 1933, Notes on the geography and geology of Lituya Bay, 

in Smith, P. S., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska-Report on 

progress of investigations in 1930: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 836, p. 117-135. 

Lists mollusks of late Tertiary age from localities on Cenotaph Island, 

Lituya Bay, identified by W. H. Dall and W. C. Mansfield. There are 20 

mollusks in the largest collection. The assemblages are correlated with 

Miocene and Pliocene formations of California and Oregon. 

--- 1938, The Nushagak district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 903, 96 p. 

Twelve mollusks identified by W. H. Dall from a locality in the Nushagak Formation near Nushagak are listed. These were regarded as correlative with the Astoria Formation of Oregon. 

*Miller, A. K., 1947, Tertiary nautiloids of the Americas: Geol. Soc. America 

Mem. 23, 234 p., 100 pls. 

Two specimens of A turia alaskensis Schenck from the Poul Creek 

Formation are figured. 

Miller, D. J., 1951a, Preliminar-y report on the geology and oil possibilities 

of the Katalla district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file rept. 

The Stillwater Formation and the lower part of the Tokun Formation are of Eocene age; a few mollusks identified by H. E. Vokes are 

recorded. The Katalla Formation is divided into seven members, many 

of which contain marine mollusks of Oligocene age. A few mollusks 

from the Katalla identified by H. E. Vokes are listed. The lowest member of the formation contains Turcicula columbiana Dall? suggesting 

correlation with the Keasey Formation of the conterminous United 

States. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 23 

--- 1951b, Preliminary report on the geology and oil possibilities of the 

Yakataga district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file rept. 

A few mollusks of late Eocene age are recorded from Unit C of the 

author's Lower Tertiary Sequence; the three other units are barren 

of marine invertebrates. The Poul Creek Formation is of middle and 

late Oligocene age; it contains mollusks indicative of correlation with 

the Lincoln and Blakeley Formations of Washington. The Yakataga 

Formation is of Miocene age. Many of the species listed by Clark 

(1932) from the Yakataga lli'ormation are actually from the underlying 

Poul Creek Formation. Some of the stratigraphic ranges of diag·nostic 

mollusks in the Poul Creek and Yakataga Formations are shown on a 

correlation chart. Paleontologic determinations are by H. E. Vokes. 

--- 1953, Late Cenozoic marine glacial sediments and marine terraces 

of Middleton, Island, Alaska: Jour. Geology, v. 61, no. 1, p. 17-42. 

Twenty-four species of late Cenozoic mollusks identified by F. S. 

MacNeil are listed together with ecologic and zoogeographic inferences. 

A stratigraphic section and geologic map showing fossil localities is 

included. These may be of early Pleistocene age (Hopkins, 1967b). 

--- 1957, Geology of the southeastern part of the Robinson Mountains, 

Yakataga district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Oil and Gas Inv. Map 

OM-187, 2 sheets. 

Mollusks from near the top of the Kulthieth Formation are of late 

Eocene age according to H. E. Vokes; six species are listed. The overlying Poul Creek Formation is of late Oligocene and early Miocene age 

and may, in its lowest part, be of middle Oligocene age. The Yakataga 

Formation is of middle and late Miocene age and possibly of early 

Pliocene age. The stratigraphic ranges of 69 significant mollusks from 

these two formations, together with taxonomic notes and the number 

of collections upon which the ranges are based, are shown in a range 

chart. Paleontologic determinations of Oligocene and younger faunas are 

by F. S. MacNeil. The fauna of the Poul Creek Formation indicates 

warm temperate or subtropical water temperatures; the fauna of the 

Yakataga Formation indicates much cooler conditions. The two faunas 

do not represent a single zone as maintained by Clark (1932). 

--- 1961a, Geology of the Lituya district, Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file rept. 

Megafossils (mollusks) identified by F. S. MacNeil suggest a Tertiary 

(Miocene?) age for Formation A. Formation C is believed to be of late 

Miocene or early Pliocene age near the base; the upper part contains 

invertebrates of Pliocene age. A few localities near Fairweather Glacier 

are shown on the map; no fossils are listed. 

--- 1961b, Stratigraphic occurrence of Lituyapecten in Alaska, in Shorter 

contributions to general geology, 1959: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 

354-K, p. 241-248. 

The stratigraphic occurrence of eight Miocene and Pliocene species 

of Lituyapecten and Patinopecten in southeastern Alaska is shown on 

a correlation chart. The Tertiary sequence of the Gulf of Alaska is 
24 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

divided into three parts. The lower Tertiary is in p·art nonmarine but 

includes marine invertebrates indicative of tropical or subtropical conditions. The middle Tertiary consists of more marine strata of somewhat 

deeper bathymetric aspect and warm-temperate to subtropical water 

conditions. The upper Tertiary unit is wholly marine, of shallow-water 

aspect, and includes marine tillite; it contains mollusks indicative of 

cool-temperate to boreal marine climate. 

--- 1971, Geology of the Yakataga district, Gulf of Alaska Tertiary 

Province, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Misc. Geol. Inv. Map I-610, scale 

1 : 125,000. 

Includes list of selected mollusks from the Poul Creek and Yakataga 

Formations showing stratigraphic ranges. 

Miller, D. J., Payne, T. G., and Gryc, George, 1959, Geology of possible petroleum provinces in Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1094, 127 p. 

Local glaciation which began during the middle or late Miocene is 

indicated by the marine invertebrate fauna (mostly mollusks) and 

marine glacial deposits in the Gulf of Alaska area. 

Mitchell, E. D., Jr., and Repenning, C. A., 1963, The chronologie and geographic range of desmostylians: Los Angeles County Mus. Contr. Sci., 

no. 78, 20 p. 

Cornwallius-bearing beds on Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands, contain Mya sp. cf. M. grewingki Makiyama suggesting correlation with the 

"Blakeley Stage." 

Moore, G. W., 1969, New formations on Kodiak and adjacent islands, Alaska: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1274-A, p. A27-A35. 

Early and middle Miocene mollusks occur in the Narrow Cape Formation on Kodiak and Sitkinak Islands. Nassarius cf. N. andersoni is reported from the Pliocene Tugidak Formation. A new genus of Vesicomyidae is represented by material from near the top of the Eocene and 

Oligocene Sitkalidak Formation. 

Palache, Charles, 1904, Geology about Chichagof Cove, Stepovak Bay 

[Alaska], with notes on Popof and Unga Islands, in Volume 4, Geology 

and Paleontology, of Harriman Alaska Expedition: New York, Doubleday, Page and Co., p. 69-88. 

Fossils from exposures of the Stepovak Series from Chichagof Cove 

are considered to be of Eocene age by W. H. Dall. (Subsequent study 

indicates an Oligocene age-see annotation under Dall (1904) .) 

*Parker, Pierre, 1949, Fossil and Recent species of the pelecypod genera 

Chione and Securella from the Pacific coast: Jour. Paleontology, v. 23, 

no. 6, p. 577-593, pis. 89-95. 

Sem.trella alaskensis (Clark) occurs in the "Poul Creek" [Yakataga] 

Formation of Clark (19:32) and the Clallam Formation of the northern 

Olympic Peninsula, Wash. The fauna of the "'Poul Creek' appears to 

have more Miocene than Oligocene affinities." 

Plafker, George, 1967, Geologic map of the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province, 

Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Misc. Geol. Inv. Map I-484, scale 1 : 500,000. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 25 

The occurrence of marine fossils (mostly mollusks) is indicated in 

the explanation of map units. A review of molluscan faunas from the 

Yakataga Formation by F. S. MacNeil indicates that the formation is 

of middle Miocene to early Pleistocene age. 

--- 1971, Possible future petroleum resources in the Pacific-margin Tertiary basin, Alaska: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Mem. (In press.) 

A correlation chart of roek units from the principal marine sections 

between the Trinity Islands, on the west, and the Lituya district, on 

the east, in terms of the west coast provincial megafauna! stages, is 

included. There is also a detailed stratigraphic correlation section showing measured sections from the Katalla district southeastward to the 

Lituya district. 

':'Plafker, George, and MacNeil, F. S., 1966, Stratigraphic significance of 

Tertiary fossils from the Orca Group in the Prince William Sound 

region, Alaska, in Geological Survey research 1964: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 550-B, p. B62-B68, 4 figs. 

Acila decisa, Periploma cf. P. eodiscns, and a doubtfully identified cancellarid are illustrated. These, and some fossil decapod crustaceans, are 

indicative of a middle to late Eocene age. This unit was previously 

thought to be of Mesozoic age. 

Plafker, George, and Miller, D. J., 1954, Reconnaissance geology of the 

Malaspina district, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file rept. 

A Turritella similar to a form from the upper Eocene Cowlitz Formation of Washington, according to L. G. Hertlein, occurs in undifferentiated sedimentary rocks near Guyot Glacier, about 20 miles west of 

the Malaspina district. The Yakataga Formation, at least 10,000 feet 

thick and possibly as much as 15,000 feet thick, contains mollusks of 

both Miocene and Pliocene age according to determinations (not listed) 

by Hertlein, H. E. Vokes, and R. B. Stewart. 

--- 1957, Reconnaissance geology of the Malaspina district, Alaska: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Oil and Gas Inv. Map OM-189, scale 1 : 125,000. 

The authors' lower Tertiary siltstone sequence contains a Turritella 

that suggests correlation with the upper Eocene Cowlitz Formation of 

Washington according to L. G. Hertlein. The Tm·ritella is from about 20 

miles west of the Malaspina district. A Turritella from the Kulthieth 

Formation in the Samovar Hills was identified as Twrritella cf. T. 

uvasana sargeanti by C. W. Merriam, suggesting a late Eocene age. 

Ostrea idraensis .fettkei also occurs in this collection. Mytilus and Mya 

are abundant in the Yakataga Formation, suggesting deposition in 

shallow water. The Yakataga is of Miocene and Pliocene age on the 

basis of an abundant molluscan fauna. Associated marine tillites suggest cool climatic conditions. 

Russell, I. C., 1891, An expedition to Mount St. Elias, Alaska: Natl. Geog. 

Mag., v. 3, p. 53-204. 

A few mollusks are recorded from the author's Pinnacle System. The 

age of the assemblage was considered to be Pliocene or early Pleistocene 

by W. H. Dall, who identified the fossils. 
26 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

--- 1893, Second expedition to Mount St. Elias: U.S. Geol. Survey 13th 

Ann. Rept., pt. 2, p. 1-91. 

Paleontologic determinations by W. H. Dall first appearing in Russell 

( 1891) are repeated. 

*Schenck, H. G., 1931, Cephalopods of the genus· Aturia from western North 

America: California Univ. Pubs., Dept. Geol. Sci. Bull., v. 19, no. 19, 

p. 435-490, pls. 66-78. 

A new subspecies from the upper part of the Poul Creek Formation 

in the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province, A. angustata alaskensis, may 

be from beds of early Miocene age. The genus has not been found in 

rocks younger than middle Miocene on the Pacific coast. 

--- 1936, Nuculid bivalves of the genus Acila: Geol. Soc. America Spec. 

Paper 4, 149 p., 18 pls. 

Three middle Tertiary species from the Gulf of Alaska described by 

Clark (1932) are reviewed but not refigured; one is renamed Acila 

taliaferroi. Acila ermani (Girard) described from Cenozoic strata on 

Atka Island and reported from St. Paul Island by Dall (1896) is a 

doubtful species that may prove to be A. cobboldiae. No specimens have 

been located. 

Scholl, D. W., Greene, H. G., Addicott, W. 0., Evitt, W. R., Pierce, R. L., 

Mamay, S. H., and Marlow, M. S., 1969, Adak "Paleozoic" site, Aleutians-in fact of Eocene at~e [ abs.l : Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists 

Bull., v. 53, no. 2, p. 459. 

Propeamussiutn cf. P. stanfordensis (Arnold), fish scales, Foraminifera, and dino-flagellates indicate that strata once considered to be of 

late Paleozoic age on the basis of identification of the plant genus 

Annularia are of early Tertiary age and very likely of late Eocene age. 

Scholl, D. W., Greene, H. G., and Marlow, M. S., 1970, Eocene age of the 

Adak "Paleozoic ( ?) " rocks, Aleutian Islands, Alaska: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 81, no. 12, p. 3583-3592. 

Stratigraphic and paleontologic documentation of the Eocene age of 

strata on the northern part of Adak Island. (See Scholl and others, 

1969.) 

Schrader, F. C., 1904, A reconnaissance in northern Alaska across the 

Rocky Mountains, along Koyukuk, John, Anaktuvuk, and Colville Rivers 

and the Arctic coast to Cape Lisburne, in 1901, with notes by W. J. 

Peters: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 20, 139 p. 

Six mollusks from the upper part of the Colville Series identified by 

W. H. Dall and considered to be of Pliocene age are recorded. 

Smith, J. P., 1919, Climatic relations of the Tertiary and Quaternary faunas 

of the California region: California Acad. Sci. Proc., ser. 4, v. 9, no. 4, 

p. 123-173. 

The molluscan fauna of the Shumagin Islands (Dall, 1904) is considered to be of northern aspect with similarities to the modern fauna 

of the Puget Sound area. Several of Dall's species are listed. The fauna 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 27 

is considered to be younger than that of the Astoria Formation or 

Clallam Formation because of a higher percentage of. living species. A 

doubtful late Pliocene fauna from the St. Elias Alps, southeastern 

Alaska, is indicative of sub boreal (cold) conditions. 

':'Smith, J. T., 1970, Taxonomy, distribution, and phylogeny of the Cymatiid 

gastropods Argobuccinum, Fusitriton, Mediargo, and Priene: Am. Paleontology Bull., v. 56, no. 254, p. 445-573, pls. 39-49. 

Fusitriton dilleri (Anderson and Martin) occurs in the Yakataga 

Formation. Fusitriton aff. F. oregonensis (Redfield) occurs in the Yakataga Formation and in Pliocene-Pleistocene strata on Middleton Island. 

The latter species is figured. 

Soot-Ryen, Tron, 1932, Pelecypods, with a discussion of possible migrations 

of Arctic pelecypods in Tertiary times, in Norwegian North Expedition 

"Maude," 1918-1925, Scientific Results: Bergen Geofysisk Inst., v. 5, 

no. 12, 35 p. 

The modern Arctic pelecypod fauna originated, for the most part, in 

the North Pacific during the Miocene. Subsequent migration took place 

along the Arctic coast of North America to the North Atlantic, principally during the Pliocene. Miocene migration routes were by way of 

Central America and Tethys as the Bering Strait was closed by a land 

bridge during most of the Miocene. Many reports dealing with the 

zoogeography of Arctic mollusks are reviewed. 

Spurr, J. E., 1900, A reconnaissance in southwestern Alaska in 1898: U.S. 

Geol. Survey 20th Ann. Rept., pt. 7, p. 31-264. 

The Nushagak Beds on Nushagak Bay contain mollusks considered 

by W. H. Dall to be of Miocene age; four bivalves are listed. Thirty 

mollusks of Miocene age, collected for the most part from water-worn 

pebbles, are recorded from Cape Yaktag [Yakataga]. This assemblage 

is compared with the fauna of the Empire Formation of Oregon. 

Stanley-Bro·wn, Joseph, 1892, Geology of the Pribilof Islands [Alaska]: Geol. 

Soc. America Bull., v. 3, p. 496-500. 

Collected fossil mollusks from rounded, apparently water-worn pebbles 

from Black Bluff, St. Paul Island, Alaska. Nine mollusks were identified 

in a later report by Dall ( 1899). Sixteen species identified by W. H. Dall 

are listed, nine of which had not been previously identified from the 

locality. 

Stoneley, Robert, 1967, The structural development of the Gulf of Alaska 

sedimentary province in southern Alaska: Geol. Soc. London Quart. Jour., 

v. 123, p. 25-57. 

A few oyster coquinas occur in the Kulthieth Formation (Eocene) near 

the head of Malaspina Glacier, suggesting that this formation may become marine toward the northern part of its distribution. 

Taliaferro, N. L., 1932, Geology of the Yakataga, Katalla, and Nichaeak 

districts, Alaska: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 43, no. 3, p. 749-782. 

Molluscan fossils occur in his Poul Creek and Yakataga Formations. 

Neptunea (Chrysodomus) is reported from Umbrella Reef and Leda 
28 TERTIARY MARINE MOLLUSKS OF ALASKA 

fossa and N eptunea ( Chrysodomus) cf. tabu latus from marine morainal 

material on the west side of Icy Bay. 

--- 1933, Oligocene sediments of the Yakataga-Controller Bay region, 

Alaska [abs.]: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 44, pt. 1, p. 167-168. 

Tertiary sediments occurring between Icy Bay and Katalla are very 

fossiliferous. B. L. Clark has assigned the fauna to the late Oligocene. 

Shale-matrix conglomerates and breccias in the Yakataga Formation 

containing marine fossils are regarded as marine moraines indicative of 

glaciation during the late Oligocene. The marine climate is considered to 

have been as cool as at present. 

Waldron, H. H., 1961, Geologic reconnaissance of Frosty Peak volcano and 

vicinity, Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1028-T, p. 677-708. 

The Tachilni Formation consists, at its type locality, of 200 feet of 

sedimentary strata rich in gastropods and pelecypods that are considered 

to be of Tertiary age because of their similarity to modern beach drift. 

Weaver, C. E., 1942, Paleontology of the marine Tertiary formations of 

Oregon and Washington: Washington Univ. [Seattle] Pubs. Geology, v. 5, 

790 p., 104 pls. 

This useful catalog contains descriptions and illustrations of more than 

800 species of mollusks, many of which ranged northward to Alaska 

during the Tertiary. There are, however, no direct references to Alaskan 

Tertiary mollusks. 

Weaver, C. E., chm., and others, 1944, Correlation of the marine Cenozoic 

formations of western North America: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 55, 

no. 5, p. 569-598. 

Although stratigraphic columns for Alaska are not included in this 

report, it is the basic scheme of Pacific coast molluscan correlation, and 

subsequent correlation of Alaskan Tertiary marine formations (MacNeil 

and others, 1961) is based, in large part, on this resume. Differences in 

correlating the microfossil and megafossil chronologies with Europe are 

shown and discussed. 

Wilmarth, M. G., 1938, Lexicon of geologic names of the United States including Alaska: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 896, 2396 p. 

Geologic names for the United States, Mexico, and Canada through 

1935 are listed. The citations include designation of type section, current 

age, geographic area, and original citation with extensive annotations 

that include some paleontologic data. Names for the period 1936-60 are 

summarized by Keroher and others (1966). 
INDEX 

Bibliography 

Dall, W. H. : Bartsch and others ( 1946) 

Biostratigraphy 

Late Cenozoic 

Marine transgressions, western Alaska : 

Hopkins (1965, 1967b) 

Submarine beaches, Nome: MacNeil 

and others (1943), Hopkins and 

others (1960) 

Middl~ Tertiary 

Catalogs 

Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province: 

Miller (1961a, 1971), Plafker (1971) 

Yakataga district: MacNeil (1957b), 

Millu (1957, 1971) 

Current research on Cenozoic mollusks 

Pacific coast and Alaska : Addicott and 

Kanno (1969), Kanno and Addicott 

(1969) 

Dall, W. H. 

Zoological taxa : Boss and others 

(1968) 

Geologic names 

United States and Alaska, through 

1935: Wilmarth (1938) 

United States and Alaska, 1936-60: 

Keroher and others (1966) 

Holocene mollusks 

Pacific coast, geographic ranges : Dall 

(1921a) 

Pliocene and Quaternary mollusks 

Geographic and stratigraphic occurrence: Grant and Gale (1931) 

Tertiary mollusks 

Oregon and Washington: Weaver 

(1942) 

Correlation 

Early Tertiary 

Gulf of Alaska: Plafker and MacNeil 

(1966), Addicott and Plafker ( 1971) 

Late Cenozoic 

Western Alaska and Chukotka : Hopkins and others ( 1965) 

Middle Tertiary 

Poul Creek and Poronai Formations: 

Durham and Sasa (1961) 

Poul Creek and Yakataga Formations: 

Clark (1932, 1933), Durham (1944) 

Pliocene 

Pribilof Islands : Cox and others 

(1966) 

Lituya district: Durham (1957) 

Correlation-Continued 

Tertiary 

Stratigraphic sections, annotated: MacNeil and others (1961) 

Faunal lists 

Cenozoic 

Nushagak: Mertie (1938), Spurr ( 1900 I 

Eocene 

Prince William Sound: Plafker and 

MacNeil (1966) 

Middle Tertiary 

Alaska Peninsula: Atwood (1911 ), 

Burk (1965), Dall (1882, 1896), Dall 

and Harris (1892), Durham (1952), 

Isbister (1855) 

Katalla district: Martin (1908, 1921). 

Miller (1951a) 

Yakataga district : Dall (1896), Dall 

and Harris (1892), Maddern (1914), 

MacNeil (1957b), Miller (19n7) 

Miocene 

Kodiak Island: Capps (1938), Dall 

(1896), Dall and Harris (1892) 

Pliocene 

Aleutian Islands: Dall (1896), Dall 

and Harris (1892), Fraser and Barnett (1959) 

Arctic coast: Dall (1920), Leffingwell 

(1919), Schrader (1904) 

Kivalina: Hopkins and MacNeil (1960), 

McCulloch (1967) 

Lituya district: Mertie (1933) 

Middleton Island: Miller (1953) 

Nome: Dall (1920), Hopkins and others (1960) 

Pribilof Islands : Barth ( 1956), Dall 

( 1882, 1896, 1899, 1919), Dall and 

Harris (1892), Stanley-Brown (1892) 

Faunal migration 

Late Cenozoic 

Arctic basin: MacNeil (1957a) 

Bering Strait: Cohen (1968), Hopkins 

(1959, 1965, 1967a) 

Macoma: Coan (1969a, 1969b) 

Mya: MacNeil (1965) 

North Pacific to North Atlantic: Dall 

(1921a), Davies (1929, 1934). Dunnill and Coan (1968), Durham and 

MacNeil (1965, 1967), Ekman (1953), 

Hagg (1924), Hopkins (1967a). SootRyen (1932) 

Nucel/a: Kincaid ( 1957) 

Pectinids: MacNeil (1967) 

29 
30 INDEX 

Faunal records 

Eocene 

Aleutian Islands : Scholl and others 

(1969, 1970) 

Malaspina district: Stoneley (1967) 

Middle Tertiary 

Alaska Peninsula: Adegoke (1967) 

Aleutian Islands : Drewes and others 

(1961), Mitchell and Repenning 

(1963) 

Yakataga district: Adegoke ( 1967), 

Kanno (1971), Taliaferro (1932, 

1933) 

Neogene 

General: Brooks (1906, 1921) 

Kodiak Island: Moore (1969) 

Paleocene 

Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province : Addicott and Plafker (1971) 

Pliocene 

Aleutian Islands: Dawson (1894) 

Bering Sea: Hopkins and others ( 1969) 

Lituya district: La Perouse ( 1797), 

Russell (1891, 1893) 

Pribilof Islands : Dawson ( 1894), Elliot (1875), Hanna (1919, 1970) 

Tertiary 

Alaska Peninsula: Palache ( 1!)04), 

Waldron (1961) 

Aleutian Islands: Coats (1947a, 1947b, 

1956) 

Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province: 

Plafker (1967) 

Malaspina district: Masuda and Addicott (1970), Plafker and Miller 

(1954, 1957) 

Monographs of genera 

Acila: Schenck ( 1936) 

Atuda: Schenck (1931) 

Clinocardium : Keen ( 1954) 

Epitonium: Durham (1937) 

Lituyapecten: MacNeil (1961) 

M?Ja: MacNeil (1965) 

Monographs of genera-Continued 

Nassadus: Addicott (1965) 

Pandora: Boss (1965) 

Pecten: Arnold ( 1906), Grau ( 1959), MacNeil (1967) 

Securella: Parker ( 1949) 

Tu,·ritella: Merriam ( 1941) 

Paleoclimatology 

Middle Tertiary 

Gulf of Alaska : Addicott 

Bandy and others (1969), 

(1932), Miller (1961b) 

Miocene 

(1969), 

Clark 

Alaska Peninsula-Kodiak Island: Addicott (1969) 

Gulf of Alaska: Denton and Armstrong 

(1969), Miller and others (1959), 

Plafker and Miller (1957) 

Pliocene 

Bering Sea: Dall (1907), Hopkins and 

others ( 1960), MacNeil and others 

(1943) 

Tertiary 

Arctic Coast-Bering Sea: Dall ( 1920) 

Eastern Pacific: Durham (1950, 1959), 

Smith (1919) 

Systematic descriptions 

Cenozoic 

Aleutian Islands : Erman ( 1843) 

Early Tertiary 

Aleutian Islands: Addicott (1971) 

Middle Tertiary 

Alaska Peninsula: Dall (1904), Eichwald (1871), Gratacap (1912), Grewingk (1850) 

Gulf of Alaska: Clark (1932) 

Pliocene 

Arctic coast: Dall (1920), Kauffman 

(1969), MacNeil (1957a) 

Nome area: Dall (1907, 1920, 1921b), 

MacNeil and others (1943) 

-t. U. s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1971 0- 438-438