Fossil and Recent Calcareous Algae From Guam

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Fossil and Recent
Calcareous Algae
From Guam
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 403-G
Fossil and Recent
Calcareous Alo:ae
From Guam
By J. HARLAN JOHNSON
GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY OF GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 403-G
Of the 82 species-groups listed or described,
2O are new; discussion includes stratigraphic
distribution and correlation with Saipan floras
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
STEW ART L. UDALL, Secretary
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Thomas B. Nolan, Director
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
CONTENTS
Systematic descriptions Continued
Abstract.__________________________________________ Gl Phyllum Rhodophyta Continued
Introduction _______________________________________ 1 Family Corallinaceae Continued
Acknowledgments_ _ _ __--_---____-_-_______________ 1 Subfamily Melobesioideae Continued
Classification of calcareous algae._____________________ 1 Genus Goniolithon Foslie, 1900______ G24
Stratigraphic distribution of Guam algae_____________ 1 Genus Aethesolithon Johnson, n. gen___ 27
Eocene and Oligocene, Tertiary &_________________ 2 Genus Lithoporella Foslie, 1909_______ 28
Lower Miocene, Tertiary e_______________________ 3 Genus Dermatolithon Foslie, 1899_____ 29
Lower Miocene, Tertiary/_______________________ 4 Genus Melobesia Lamouroux, 1812____ 30
Upper Miocene and Pliocene, Tertiary g___________ 4 Subfamily Corallinoideae (articulate coral
Pliocene and Pleistocene.__-_--__--_-___-______-_ 4 line algae) ___________________________ 30
Correlation ________________________________________ 5 Genus Calliarthron Manza, 1937------ 31
Localities __________________________________________ 6 Genus Amphiroa Lamouroux, 1812____ 31
Systematic descriptions._____________________________ 9 Genus Corallina Linnaeus, 1758_______ 34
Phyllum Rhodophyta (red algae)_________________ 9 Genus Arthrocardia Decaisne, 1842,
Family Corallinaceae (coralline algae)_________ 9 emend. Areschoug, 1850_ __________ 36
Subfamily Melobesioideae (crustose coral Genus Jania Lamouroux, 1812_______ 36
line algae) ________________________ __. _ 9 Chlorophyta (green algae)______________---_--__- 36
Genus Archaeolithothamnium Rothpletz, Family Dasycladaceae______________---____-- 36
1891____________________________ 9 Genus Cymopolia Lamouroux, 1816___ 36
Genus Lithothamnium Philippi, 1837-__ 10 Family Codiaceae________________----__----- 37
Genus Mesophyllum Lemoine, 1928____ 14 Genus Halimeda Lamouroux _________ 37
Genus Lithophyllum Philippi, 1837____ 16 References cited._______________________---_-___---- 37
Genus Porolithon Foslie, 1909________ 23 Index ____________-______--_---_-___--_-_---_------ 39
ILLUSTRATIONS
[Plates follow Index]
PLATE 1. Miocene Lithothamnium. PLATE 11. Miocene Amphiroa and Corallina.
2. Miocene Lithothamnium and Mesophyllum. 12. Eocene Cymopolia; Miocene Jania, Halimeda,
Corallina, and Lithophyllum; Pliocene and Pleis
3. Miocene Mesophyllum and Lithophyllum.
tocene Halimeda; and Pleistocene Amphiroa.
4-7. Miocene Lithophyllum.
13. Recent Lithophyllum and Goniolithon.
8. Miocene Goniolithon. 14. Recent Lithophyllum.
9. Miocene Aethesolithon n. gen. 15. Recent Goniolithon and Lithophyllum.
10. Miocene Dermatolithon, Lithoporella, Melobesia, Page
Archaeolithothamnium, and Aethesolithon; and FIGURE 1. Map of Guam showing sample-collecting
Pliocene and Pleistocene Dermatolithon. localities of calcareous algae ___________ G7
TABLES
Page Page
TABLE 1. Genera of calcareous algae found in the TABLES 7-10. Measurements, in microns, and distribu
Cenozoic deposits of Guam ___________ G2 tion of species of
2-4. Stratigraphic distribution of 7. Archaeolithothamnium from Guam___ G10
2. Fossil algae of Guam ______________ 2 8. Lithothamnium from Guam_________ 11
3. Eocene algae on Guam and Saipan-_ 5
9. Lithophyllum from Guam_ _________ 16
4. Miocene algae on Guam and Saipan. _ 5
10. Goniolithon from Guam.___________ 24
5. Algae of the Mariana Limestone on Guam
and Saipan _________________________ 11. Detailed measurements, in microns,
6. Field and permanent catalog numbers for of species of Aethesolithon from
fossil algae from Guam_______________ Guam_ ___________-___-----_ 27

GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY OF GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS
FOSSIL AND RECENT CALCAREOUS ALGAE FROM GUAM
By J. HAELAN JOHNSON
ABSTRACT Species illustrated in the recent U.S. Geological
Eighty-two species of calcareous algae belonging to 16 genera Survey Professional Papers on Bikini CProf. Paper 260)
are described and 68 are named specifically. Of these, 1 genus and Saipan (Prof. Paper 280) are not illustrated in this
Aethesolithon, and 20 species are described as new. report unless they show additional features.
Remains of calcareous algae occur in all the Cenozoic lime
stones of Guam. Locally the algae are sufficiently abundant to
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
be considered as rock builders. Each formation has a distinctive
flora. The algal floras are similar to those found in beds of similar Mr. A. P. Bronson, manager of "Shells of Micro
age on Saipan.
nesia," the aquarium and curio store on Guam, greatly
The evidence indicates that fossil algae are useful as environ
assisted the author in excursions to the modern reef and
mental indicators and also for dating the strata.
helped him obtain many excellent specimens. H. S.
INTRODUCTION Ladd made valuable suggestions on the arrangement
The term "calcareous algae" has been applied to and preparation of the manuscript. The Colorado
those algae that have developed the ability to secrete or School of Mines supplied the laboratory and photo
deposit calcium carbonate within or around their tissues. graphic studies for the work.
Remains of such algae have been found in appreciable
numbers in most of the limestones of Cenozoic age that CLASSIFICATION OF CALCAREOUS ALGAE'
have been studied on Guam. At some localities, algae Recent algae are classified into several broad groups
occur in sufficient abundance to be important contribu on the basis of the structure and physiology of the
tors to the building of the limestones. plants and the basic chemical ingredients of their
The geological work on Guam furnished an oppor normal pigments. Only four of these contain mem
tunity to study a large series of specimens of algae from bers that have developed the ability to secrete or deposit
rocks that have been dated by means of Foraminifera, calcium carbonate. These are the Rhodophyta or red
which increases our knowledge of the stratigraphic algae, the Phaeophyta or brown algae, the Chlorophyta
distribution of these fossils. or green algae, and the Cyanophyta or blue-green
This study is based on a collection of large thin sec algae. The Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta include
tions of limestone obtained from localities on Guam, most of the lime-secreting and lime-depositing algae
representing material collected by the various members which form readily identifiable fossils. They include
of the Guam field party from June 1952 to October 1954, all the forms discussed from Guam. Table 1 shows the
as part of the Pacific Geological Mapping Program of classification used in this report. A previous report
the U.S. Geological Survey and Corps of Engineers discusses terminology, structure, and a key for identi
of the U.S. Army. Additional material was obtained fication of fossil algae (Johnson, 1957, p. 210, 216).
by the author on visits made to the island in 1949, 1951,
and 1952. The thin sections have an average area of STRATIGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF GUAM ALGAE
3 square inches and show many unoriented sections of The characteristic features of each formation are
fragments of fossil algae. Selected specimens exhibit summarized in the following paragraphs followed by a
ing the structure necessary for identification were photo list showing the algal flora of each. Table 2 shows the
graphed and studied. stratigraphic distribution of the various species.
Gl
G2 GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY OF GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS
TABLE 1. Genera of calcareous algae found in the Cenozoic fragments in the breccia contain calcareous algae and
deposits of Guam
Foraminifera. Although a part of the formation con
tains Foraminifera 01 Tertiary c age, the limestone
Phylum Family Subfamily Genera
fragments contained a fauna of Tertiary b age only
Archaeolithotham (Cole, 1963).
nium
Rhodophyta (red Corallinaceae __ Melobesioideae Lithothamnium
algae). (crustose coral Mesophyllum Algal flora of the Alutom Formation
lines). Lithophyllum
Porolithon Archaeolithothamnium saipanense Johnson
Otmiolithon
Aethesolithon Lithothamnium cf. L. aggregatum Lemoine
n. gen. crispithallus Johnson
Lithoporella
Dermatolithon marianae Johnson
Melobesia
Corallinoideae Calliarthron tagpotchaenses Johnson
(articulate cor Amphiroa sp. A Johnson
allines) . Corallina
Arthrocardia Lithophyllum sp. A Johnson
Jania
Chlorophyta Dasycladaceae Cymopolia Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie
(green algae) . Codlaceae Halimeda Dermatolithon niiida Johnson
Arihrocardial sp.
EOCENE AND OLIGOCENE, TERTIARY b Corallina matansa Johnson
prisca Johnson
Alutom Formation. This formation is a series of
Janial sp.
volcanic lava flows, reworked tuffaceous sandstone and
Cymopolia cf. C. pacifica Johnson
shale, and volcanic breccia. Scarce limestone beds in
Perforating algae
the formation and abundant limestone pebbles and
Halimedal sp.
TABLE 2. Stratigraphic distribution of the fossil algae of Guam
Formation or member
Eocene and Miocene Miocene and Pliocene Pliocene and Recent
Oligocene Pleistocene
Species
Maemong
Alutom Limestone Bonya Alifan Barrigada Mariana
Formation Member of Limestone Limestone Limestone Limestone Recent reefs
Umatac
Formation
X
X
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
cf. L. saipanense Johnson - -_- - - X
X
sp. G - -----------__---------_---____-.-.-- X
X
sp. A.- . _ _ ......... __ __.,.. __ ... X
cf. L. araii Ishijima. . . ... ______ X
X
sp. H...______. --- _ -_-_ _____________-- __________ X
mart anae Johnson. . _ ------- ..... .. _ ._. _ . ..... X
sp F X
Mesophyllum commune Lemoine _ _ .. -.-.-...- . . X
grande Johnson n. sp _ . ------- ... X
guamense Johnson n. sp - . - ----- - _ _ - X
savornini Lemoine.. ------ - _.__ ------------ X
sp. C. ----__.-__---_.----.._______-._-_.--____ X
sp. D ... --.__---_----._..-.___ -_.-...-.-----------_ -_-- X
FOSSIL AND RECENT CALCAREOUS ALGAE FROM GUAM
TABLE 2. Stratigraphic distribution of the fossil algae of Guam Continued
Formation or member
Eocene and Miocene Miocene and Pliocene Pliocene and Eecent
Oligocene Pleistocene
Species
Maemong
Limestone
Alutom Member of Bonya Alifan Barrigada Mariana Recent reefs
Formation Umatac Limestone Limestone Limestone Limestone
Formation
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X X
X
X
X
X
X
sp. B_. ______________________________________________________ __ .. X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X
X X
X
X X
X
sp. 0..... ..................... .............. ..................... X
X
X
X X X X X X
X
X
X
X
sp. B............................ ................................. X
X
X
X
prefragtJissima Lemoine _________________________ X
cf. A. regularis Johnson and Ferris ____ __ . _ X
X
X
sp.C. ............................................................ X
sp. D _ . _ . _____ ___________ . _ .... X
X
X
neuschelorum Johnson... ____ ___ X
X
X X
X
X X
Cymopolia cf. C. padfica Johnson _________________ X
Halimeda ............ ................ . X X X X X X X
LOWER MIOCENE, TERTIARY e of the limestone incorporated in the overlying Bolanos
Maemong Limestone Member of the Umatac Forma Pyroclastic Member of the Umatac Formation contain
tion. Limestone tongues in the Facpi Volcanic Member the same fauna and flora and in this report will all be
of this formation contain abundant calcareous algae referred to as Maemong Limestone Member. This
and Foraminifera that have been dated by Cole (1963) limestone contains the richest algal flora of any of the
as Tertiary e. Pebbles, fragments, and angular blocks Guam limestones, with a total of 36 species.
GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY OF GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS
Algal flora of the Maemong Limestone Member larger Foraminifera, Rotalia aijehensis, that is found
Archaeolithothamnium lauense Johnson and Ferris
throughout the Bonya Limestone (Cole, 1963), the
taiwanensis Ishijima
lower part of which contains a good Tertiary / fauna.
Lithothamnium cf. L. araii Ishijima
bourcarti Lemoine The lower part of the Alifan therefore may be as old
ef. L. crispatum Hauek as Tertiary / but probably is Tertiary g in age. No
maemongense Johnson, n. sp. calcareous algae are described from the upper part of
ef. L. peleense Lemoine
the formation.
sp. F
sp. G Algal flora of the Alifan Limestone
sp. Archaeolithothamnium cf. A. puntiense Airoldi
Mesophyllum commune Lemoine taiwanensis Ishijima
grande Johnson, n. sp. Lithothamnium alifanense Jonhson, n. sp.
guamense Johnson, n. sp. saipanense Johnson
pacificum Johnson sp. H
sp. D Mesophyllum savornini Lemoine
Lithophyllum ef. L. kladosum Johnson Lithophyllum alifanense Johnson, n. sp.
maemongense Johnson, n. sp.
alternatum Johnson, n. sp.
ef. L. obliquum Lemoine cf. L. glangeaudi Lemoine
schlangeri Johnson, n. sp. sp. F
traceyi Johnson, n. sp. sp. G
prelichenoides Lemoine Goniolithon sp. C
pseudoamphiroa Johnson, n. sp. Aethesolithon grandis Johnson, n. sp.
sp. B
Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie
sp. C Dermatolithon sp. B
sp. Amphiroa prefragilissima Lemoine
Goniolithon miocenicum Johnson, n. sp. cf. A. regularis Johnson and Ferris
Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie Corallina sp. A
sp. A Perforating algae
Dermatolithon guamensis Johnson, n. sp. Halimedaf sp.
sp. A
Barrigada Limestone. This white detrital bank-type
Melobesia guamensis Johnson, n. sp.
Calliarthron antiquum Johnson limestone contains a larger foraminiferal assemblage
Corallina neuschelorum Johnson which is thought by Cole (1963) to indicate deposition
Arthrocardia? sp. in banks probably during Tertiary g time. Field rela
Jania guamensis Johnson, n. sp.
tions suggest that the Barrigada Limestone is con
vetus Johnson
temporaneous with a part of the Alifan Limestone.
Halimeda? sp.
Macerated fragments of calcareous algae, too small
LOWER MIOCENE, TERTIARY /
and worn to permit specific determination, are fairly
Bony a Limestone. This detrital limestone contains a numerous, but few species could be identified.
foraminiferal fauna closely similar to that in the Futuna
Algal flora of the Barrigada Limestone
Limestone of Fiji, according to Cole (1963). Calcar
Lithophyllum sp. E
eous algae are reasonably abundant, but the flora is
Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie
rather restricted in variety.
Amphiroa ef. A. verricosa Ktitzing
Algal flora of the Bonya Limestone sp. D
Halimeda? sp.
Lithothamnium bonyense Johnson, n. sp.
Mesophyllum sp. C
PLIOCENE AND PLEISTOCENE
Lithophyllum alternicellum Johnson, n. sp.
bonyense Johnson, n. sp. Mariana Limestone. This limestone forms most of
cf. L. prelichenoides Lemoine the reeflike deposits of the north plateau of the island.
quadrangulum var. welschi Lemoine A reef facies, a detrital (lagoonal) facies, a molluscan
Aethesolithon problematicum Johnson, n. sp.
(lagoonal) facies, and a fore-reef facies were mapped,
Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie
but in the samples studied, calcareous algae were found
Amphiroa anchiverricosa Johnson and Ferris
tan-i Ishijima only from the reef and fore-reef facies. The Mariana
Amphiroa? sp. Limestone probably formed during both Pliocene and
Jania guamensis Johnson, n. sp. Pleistocene time; according to Cole (1963), larger
Halimeda? sp.
Foraminifera from the fore-reef facies of the Mariana
UPPER MIOCENE AND PLIOCENE, TERTIARY g Limestone are of Pleistocene age. All the determinable
Alifan Limestone. The lower part of this formation algae are of Recent species, practically all of which can
is a pink detrital limestone that contains a species of be found growing on the Recent reefs around the island.
FOSSIL AND RECENT CALCAREOUS ALGAE FROM GUAM
The selected samples of the Mariana Limestone from rather surprising to note that the algal flora of each
Guam do not contain algae as abundantly as the similar formation is distinct, very few species occurring in more
deposits on Saipan (Johnson, 1957), and the number of than one formation. The Maemong has the richest
forms identified is smaller. All the species identified Miocene flora the author has seen from the tropical
from the limestone of Guam also occurred on Saipan, Pacific.
but Saipan had many additional species. Pliocene and Pleistocene. In the Mariana Limestone,
algae were found only in the reef and fore-reef facies.
Algal flora of the Mariana Limestone
All the species identified are Recent species. All were
Lithothamnium funafutiense Foslie
Lithophyllum moluccense Foslie found in the Mariana Limestone of Saipan, which also
? sp. included a number of additional species.
Porolithon craspedium (Foslie) Foslie
Goniolithon frutescens Foslie TABLE 4. Stratigraphic distribution of Miocene algae
Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie on Guam and Saipan
Amphiroa sp. C [Saipan data from Johnson, 1957, p. 212-213, table 2]
Halimeda segments
Guam Saipan
CORRELATION
The accompanying tables 3-5 compare the Eocene, Tagpoehau
Limestone
Miocene, and Mariana Limestone floras of Guam and
MLMimaeemesmtbooenner g
Saipan. 1
Species
Eocene. It will be noted that all the Eocene species
identified from the Alutom Formation on Guam were LBimoesntonyea ALimleisftaonne «J
found in Saipan. There most of them occurred in both J-0§3 Transitional Tuffaceous CD Rfaucbiebsly Equigranular
1
the Densinyama and Matansa Formations, and a few Ml >>
3
also occurred in the lower Hagman Formation. An M %
unusual feature of the Guam flora is the scarcity of
Archaeolithothamnium, which normally is abundant in
the Eocene floras.
X X X
TABLE 3. Stratigraphic distribution of Eocene algae on Guam
and Saipan
X
[Saipan data from Johnson, 1957, p. 212, table 2] X
X X
Guam Saipan
X
Species Alutom Hagman Densin Matansa
Forma Forma yama Lime
tion tion Forma stone v
tion
X
Archaeolithothamnium chamorrosum X
Johnson..... _ . ___ _____ ... X X
cf. A. liberum Lemoine ............... X X
oulianovi Pfender... _________ . X
X v X
sp. G.. X
X
X
crispithallus Johnson __ ______ X v X
cymbicrustum Johnson. .. __ ...... X
moreti Lemoiue.. . X X-
cf. L. nanosporum Johnson and y
Ferris __ . ______ _ ___ . ... X X
X
waUisium Johnson and Tafur... ..... V
sp. A... ____ ______ . _. _ X X
Lithophyllum oeatum (Capeder) Lemoine. X X
sp. A... ________ . ... X X
melobesioides (Foslie) Foslie-. X v V X
Melobesia cuboides Johnson ___ . .... v
v X
Janiasp. _______________ . X
Arthrocardial sp ___ . ______ . .... X X --
prelichenoides Lemoine. XX -- -- X X ----
prisca Johnson ....................... v
Cymopolia cf. C. pacifica Johnson . . . __ X v X
Halimeda sp..... __ _. X X v v
Perforating algae .......... X
Miocene. All the Miocene limestones of Guam X
X
carried some algae, but algae were most abundant in the X
v
Maemong and least common in the Barrigada. It is
SD. C.-._ ___ .--. ___ - -- - X