The Matanuska Formation consists of more than 3 km (1.9 mi) of sedimentary strata exposed in the northern Chugach Mountains , Matanuska Valley , and southern Talkeetna Mountains of south-central Alaska . The Matanuska Formation contains strata from Early Cretaceous ( Albian ) to Late Cretaceous ( Maestrichtian ). Parts of the formation contain abundant marine mollusks , foraminifera , and radiolaria . Fossils of nonmarine plants are found in some beds. Fossils of two dinosaurs have been recovered from marine mudstones in the formation. The lower Matanuska Formation (MF) is several hundred meters thick and includes nonmarine and marine sediments. Campanian-Maastrichtian graded sandstone, conglomerate, and mudstone comprise the upper 2000 m of the Formation.
15-848: Matanuska may refer to: Matanuska Formation , the northern Chugach Mountains , Alaska Matanuska Glacier , in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska Matanuska Peak , a mountain summit in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska Matanuska River , in Alaska Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska , in Alaska Matanuska-Susitna Valley , in Alaska Matanuska Valley Colony in Alaska M/V Matanuska ,
30-595: A distinct separation of the Naticidae into four subfamilies : Ampullospirinae , Naticinae , Polinicinae and Sininae . This arrangement is mainly based on morphological data, such as details of the operculum including the material ( calcareous in the Naticinae, corneous in the Polinicinae and Sininae) and size, and also the morphology of the shell. The following four subfamilies were recognized in
45-485: A great variety of depths depending on the species (from the intertidal zone to thousands of meters in depth). They are often seen ploughing along in the sand, searching for bivalves and other prey, resulting in countersunk bore-holes. Naticids are predatory, feeding mostly on bivalves . They will also attack almost any other shelled mollusk they encounter in the sand, such as scaphopods and other gastropods , including other moon snails. Additionally, Conuber sordidum
60-656: A vessel in the Alaska Marine Highway System Matanuska (crater) , an impact crater on the minor planet 253 Mathilde Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Matanuska . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matanuska&oldid=1234964605 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
75-411: Is a family of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails , marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha . The shells of the species in this family are mostly globular in shape. Naticidae is the only family in the superfamily Naticoidea . It has been estimated that worldwide there are about 260–270 recent species of naticid snails. This group is assumed to have originated in
90-688: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Matanuska Formation Calcareous worm tube fossils are known from the formation. Planolites Indeterminate Acila A. (Truncacila) sp. Inoceramus I. cuvieri I. hobetsensis I. mamatensis I. teshioensis Nucula Indeterminate Teredolites Indeterminate The formation's thin shelled heteromorphic ammonites probably lived at depths of 36–183 m. The formation's ammonites generally suggest that its rock were of Turonian age. Eubostrychoceras E. japonicum Eubostrychoceras
105-644: Is known from Japan, Germany, and Madagascar. E. japonicum is Turonian, and likely confined to the middle Turonian. Gaudryceras G. denseplicatum Mesopusozia M. indopacifica Muramotoceras M. yezoense Muramotoceras is an unusual heteromorph previously known only from Japan. It is also middle Turonian. Otoscaphites O. teshioensis Synonym of Yezoites . Sciponoceras Indeterminate Tetragonites T. glabrus Yezoites Y. puerculus Platycanthus Indeterminate Small solitary hexacoral. An unidentified naticid snail
120-535: Is known from the formation. Biplica Indeterminate Opisthobranch A sponge spicule fragment is known from the formation. Dentalium Indeterminate Mako-like shark teeth are known from the formation. Other fish fossils include teeth, jaw fragments and scales. In 1994 , excavations for road material uncovered a hadrosaur specimen near the Glenn Highway , approximately 150 miles northeast of Anchorage . That Fall, excavation began on
135-501: The Talkeetna Mountains Hadrosaur was a hadrosaurid or lambeosaurid . Pasch and May also attempted to reconstruct how the Talkeetna Mountains Hadrosaur came to be preserved in the fossil record. They determined that the specimen formed from the remains of a hadrosaur carcass that had bloated with gasses and been washed out to sea. Since none of the skull bones were present, the head must have fallen off before
150-485: The carcass sank to the seafloor. The associated heteromorphic ammonites and inoceramid bivalves indicate that the Talkeetna Mountains Hadrosaur was buried at a depth greater than 35 m. The body came to rest on its left side with limbs outstretched. Pyrite was present in the rocks around the specimen, and may have formed from sulfur given off by the bacteria consuming the carcass. Naticid See text Naticidae , common name moon snails or necklace shells ,
165-492: The hadrosaurs of North America and Asia. It was also the first associated skeleton of an individual dinosaur in Alaska. Their examination of the specimen found the "Talkeetna Mountains Hadrosaur" to be a juvenile animal about 3 m (10 feet) long. It preserves the bones of the forelimbs, part of the front feet, ribs, and tail vertebrae. Other remains probably include the back vertebrae and pelvis. The researchers could not tell if
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#1732771848004180-528: The late Triassic or in the early Jurassic . Members of this family can be recognized by the shape of their shells, distinct appearance, or by their predatory behavior. Naticids are widely distributed and occur worldwide and are considered to be a delicate part of the web of nature amongst many others. The greatest diversity of both species and genera is found in tropical regions. Even so, naticid snails are also plentiful in temperate, Arctic and Antarctic waters. Moon snails live on sandy substrates , at
195-759: The prey. The hole in the shell, which has a " countersunk " appearance with chamfered edges, and which varies in size according to the species, is a characteristic sign of moon snail predation. In the breeding season, the female moon snail lays a rather stiff egg mass which includes sand and mucus. These objects wash up on sandy beaches fairly often, and are known by the common name " sand collars " because of their resemblance to an old-fashioned removable shirt collar or false-collar . In Korean cuisine , moon snails are called golbaengi ( 골뱅이 ) and eaten as golbaengi-muchim (moon snail salad). Moon snail shells are attractive and relatively large, and often popular in jewellery and ornamentation. Some authors have suggested
210-470: The specimen, now known as the "Talkeetna Mountains Hadrosaur" and concluded in the summer of 1996 . The rocks containing the specimen were part of the formation's Member Four. The specimen is now housed at the University of Alaska Museum . It was formally described for the scientific literature by Pasch and May in 2001 . The location of the specimen makes it significant as a biogeographic link between
225-406: Was shown to prey on the soldier crab Mictyris longicarpus ( Crustacea ) by drilling predation. To catch soldier crabs, C. sordidum uses the same behaviour as when hunting shelled molluscan prey. The moon snail envelops the prey and then bores a hole through the shell using its radula and an acid secretion. Once the shell is bored open, the proboscis is used to consume the flesh of
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