Conus
(Lithoconus) hayesi (Arnold, 1909)
Description. — Shell averaging over 60
millimeters in length, obconic, whorls
enrolled upon themselves, the spire short, tapering slightly more acutely in the younger stages of growth,
shell thick. Spire elevated about one-twelfth of the length of shell above body
whorl whorls about seven, nearly flat, but showing a faint carina posteriorly, next
to suture; the type shows faint traces of three or four spira lines; body whorl
moderately sharply angulated and carrying a faint sutural carina, sides
straight. Aperture long and narrow; the imperfect condition of the type
prevents a full description of the aperture and canal (2).
Dimensions. — Longitude 60 mm.; latitude 44 mm.;
altitude of spire 5 mm.
Notes. — C.hayesi closely resembles both the recent Gulf of California
species C. fergusoni Sowerby and the tropical west American C. purpurascens
Broderip. It is relatively broader and slightly less sharply angulated than
the former and is spirally sculptured above while it has a less elevated spire
and more sharply angulated body whorl than the latter. The species is supposed
to be characteristic of the Vaqueros or lower Miocene horizon. It is named in
honour of C. Willard Hayes, chief geologist, United States Geological Survey (2).
Localities. — United States Geological Survey locality 4626, ''reef bed"
on Wagon Wheel Mountain, Kern County, 10 miles south of Dudley; locality 4861,
''reef bed" in sec. 23, T. 25 S., R. IS E., near Barton's cabin, which is
in the NW. 1/4 sec. 23, Kings County (O. D. Barton; Ralph Arnold); (?)E1 Toro,
Orange County (Delos Arnold; Stephen Bowers).
Horizon. — Vaqueros sandstone, lower Miocene.
Conus hayesi Arnold, 1909, U.S. Geol. Survey Bull, 396,
p. 62-63, pl. 6, fig. 3.
Arnold and
Anderson, 1910, U.S. Geol. Suney Bull, 398, pl. 28, fig. 3.
Type: U.S. Natl. Mus. 165566.
Type locality: "Reef bed'' on 'Vagon 'Vhef'l
Mountain, sec. 36, T. 25 S., R. 18 E., Emigrant Hill Quadrangle “Vaqueros
Sandstone" [Escudo Sandstone of Vancouvfering and Allen, 1943], middle
Miocene.
Although incomplete, the specimen from near the top of
the Round Mountain Silt is better preserved than Arnold's holotype. It has a
rounded shoulder above which the body-whorl profile is gently concave. Features
that indicate specific identity with the holotype from the Escudo Sandstone of
Vancouvering and Allen (1943) near Devil's Den on the west side of San Joaquin
Valley are the subsutural carina of the spire and faint spiral sculpture above
the shoulder of the body whorl (1).
Conus hayesi appears to be
limited to strata of middle Miocene age in California. It is closely related to
the very large C. fergusoni Sowerby, a Pliocene to Holocene species that
ranges from the outer coast of southern Baja California southward to Peru as
noted by Arnold ( 1909) and Hanna ( 1962) (1).
Distribution and stratigraphic occurrence:
"Vaqueros Formation" [Escudo Formation of Vancouvering and Allen,
1943], Devil's Den area (Arnold, 1909; Arnold and Anderson, 1910) ; Temblor
Formation, La Panza Hange (Anderson and Martin, 1914; Loel and Corey, 1932) ;
Saltos Shale Member of Monterey Shale of Hill, Carlson, Dibblee ( 1958),
Caliente Range ( J. G. Vedder, wTitten commun., December 1967) ; Topanga
]!,ormation-Santa Monica Mountains (
Susuld, 1951, cf.), Santa Ana Mountains (English, 1926; Vedder and Woodring,
unpub. data, 1953, cf.) (1).
Range: Middle Miocene.
Locality: Upper part of Round Mountain Silt, USGS 6611.
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|
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Conus hayesi (2)Plate
VI fig. 3 Middle Miocene |
Conus hayesi (1)
Plate 16 fig. 24 Middle Miocene
mm. 62 x 47 USNM 650220. Upper part of the Round Mountain Silt, USGS loc. 6611 |
Bibliografia Consultata
·
(1) - W.O. Addicott. 1970. Miocene
Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California. United
States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642:1-172
·
(2) - Paleontology
of the Coalinga district, Fesno and Kings counties, California