Neogene paleontology in the northern Dominican Republic: 16. The family Corbulidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia)
Anderson, L.C. (1996). Neogene paleontology in the northern Dominican Republic: 16. The family Corbulidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Bull. Am. Paleontol. 110(351): 5-34
In: Bulletins of American Paleontology. Paleontological Research Institution: Ithaca, N.Y.. ISSN 0007-5779, more
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| Abstract |
Corbulid bivalves (Myacea: Corbulidae) are an important constituent of fossiliferous Neogene sediments of the Cibao Valley, northern Dominican Republic. Six corbulid species referred to live subgenera within the genus Corbula are described and figured (Bothrocorbula, Caryocorbula, Juliacorbula, Panamicorbula, and Varicorbula). One species is new, Corbula {Panamicorbula) canae. This is the first description of a fossil Panamicorbula species and the first description of a Panamicorbula species outside of the eastern Pacific. The distribution of Dominican corbulids is strongly influenced by paleoenvironmental conditions such as salinity, depth, and bioclastic fabric. Corbulids are most common in Miocene sediments that were deposited predominantly in shallow-marine waters. Corbula (Caryocorbula) sericea Dall, 1898 has the widest stratigraphic and geographic distribution within the study area and is especially abundant in brackish- water and very shallow-marine deposits. Corbula (Bothrocorbula) viminea Guppy, 1866b is also common in shallow-marine and brackish-water deposits. Corbula (Varicorbula) sanctidominici Maury, 1925 occurs predominantly in shallow-marine sediments, whereas Corbula (Panamicorbula) canae n. sp. is restricted to brackishwater deposits of the Upper Miocene Cercado Formation in the Rio Cana section. Corbula (Caryocorbula) dominicensis Gabb, 1873b and Corbula (Juliacorbula) fossilis Pilsbry, 1922 are rare. Corbula dominicensis is apparently restricted to the upper Lower to lower Middle Miocene Baitoa Formation of the Rio Yaque del Norte section, and C. fossilis is found in Upper Miocene sediments of the Cercado and Gurabo Formations. Dominican corbulid species show close morphologic affinities to species of the Pliocene Bowden Formation of Jamaica, Neogene units of the Caribbean coast of Central America such as the Gatun Formation and sediments of the Limon Basin, Miocene and Pliocene deposits of Trinidad, and Miocene to Pleistocene sediments of Florida. |
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