Paleoenvironmental interpretation of Turritelline gastropod-dominated assemblages from the La Meseta formation (Upper Eocene), Seymour Island, Antarctica

• Published in: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs,
• Main Authors: Khan, Tasnuva Ming, Allmon, Warren, Anderson, Brendan M, Stilwell, Jeffrey D
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Antarctic; Seymour; Seymour Island; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/7327fd6d-d341-4e76-a487-032fa5c9367c; https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017AM-304464; https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/files/240246180/240243750_oa.pdf

Turritellid gastropods (family Turritellidae ) are common components of many benthic marine assemblages of Late Jurassic to Recent age worldwide. This study focuses on turritellid-dominated assemblages (TDAs) from the La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island from the middle to late Eocene of Antarctica. TDAs are defined as “macrofaunal assemblages in which turritellids 1) comprise either at least 20% of the total actual or estimated biomass or at least 20% of the macroscopic individuals in the assemblage and 2) are at least twice as abundant as any other macroscopicspecies in the assemblage”. By gaining a better understanding of the paleoenvironment and taphonomic processes leading to their formation we can gain insight into the conditions in Antarctic during the Eocene, as well as the conditions which may lead to TDA formation generally.