Papers by Frank Wesselingh
Zootaxa
We studied representatives of seven vetigastropod families in an extremely well-preserved Plio-Pl... more We studied representatives of seven vetigastropod families in an extremely well-preserved Plio-Pleistocene mollusc fauna found in relatively deep water sediments (c. 200-300 m paleodepth) from the north-western Philippines. The fauna is systematically described and its paleoenvironmental and paleobiogeographical character is explored. Twenty-six species of gastropods were studied, three of which are described as new: Halystina conoidea n. sp., Calliotropis arenosa n. sp. and Ethminolia wareni n. sp. Four new combinations are proposed: Pseudotalopia taiwanensis (Chen, 2006), Solariella segersi (Poppe, Tagaro & Dekker, 2006), Zetela tabakotanii (Poppe, Tagaro & Dekker, 2006) and Ilanga konos (Vilvens, 2009). Fourteen species are known living. Most extant species nowadays occur around the Philippines. Two of the species also occur in Neogene deposits from western Pacific islands. The new fauna offers insights into the character of relatively deep water Indo-West Pacific mollusc faunas ...
Palaeontology
We present the first record of the cardiid genus Monodacna from the Pliocene of Anatolia, Turkey.... more We present the first record of the cardiid genus Monodacna from the Pliocene of Anatolia, Turkey. Monodacna imrei sp. nov. was found in the Pliocene Killik Formation from the western margin of the Baklan Basin, in very marginal brackish to freshwater lacustrine deposits. The new record extends the stratigraphic range of the modern Ponto-Caspian genus back into the Pliocene and adds to earlier evidence that modern Ponto-Caspian taxa originated in the Pliocene of south-western Turkey.
PALAIOS, 2015
Two late Miocene Tridacna (giant clam) shells from East Kalimantan (Indonesia) were investigated ... more Two late Miocene Tridacna (giant clam) shells from East Kalimantan (Indonesia) were investigated in order to evaluate their potential as subannually resolved paleoenvironmental archives. Via a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) trace element analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, pristine versus diagenetically altered domains within the shells were identified. LA-ICPMS transects targeting altered aragonite and calcite zones reveal distinct compositional differences in elemental ratios (B/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca/ Ba/Ca, Mn/Ca, Al/Ca, La/Ca, Ce/Ca) relative to primary shell aragonite. Pristine shell domains are characterized by an intact banding pattern of alternating dark and light growth bands, with which spatially resolved LA-ICPMS element/Ca and micromilled d 18 O records were aligned. Light d 18 O values correspond to dark growth bands, indicating growth during warm seasons. The Mg/Ca and/or Sr/Ca ratios covary with oscillating stable oxygen isotope profiles. Progressive increase in Mg/Ca with age demonstrates that besides temperature, growth kinetics exert control over Mg incorporation. If interpreted as temperature controlled only, d 18 O from both shells represents average seasonal sea-surface temperature (SST) variability of 2.7 ± 2.1 and 4.6 ± 1.7 uC, respectively. Using published temperature equations and assuming d 18 O sw = 20.88%, corresponding mean annual paleo-sea-surface temperatures of 27.8 ± 0.2 and 28.5 ± 0.2 uC are estimated. Although the fossil Tridacna shells were noticeably affected by alteration on their external surfaces, their internal aragonitic structure is, to a large extent, well preserved. These corresponding paleoproxy records provide detailed insight into tropical SST variability of the Indo-Pacific region during the late Miocene.
Topics In Geobiology, 2007
Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes, 2011
Quaternary International, 2014
A look into the past, 2009
Marine infl uence in Amazonia during the Miocene is a controversial issue, one about which nearly... more Marine infl uence in Amazonia during the Miocene is a controversial issue, one about which nearly opposite theories (continental vs marine) have been proposed. Increasing multidisciplinary palaeoenvironmental data sets from various Miocene stratigraphic levels and parts of Amazonia have revealed depositional complexities triggered by repeated, high-frequency base-level changes and a very low depositional gradient. As a result, Early-Middle Miocene strata ('Pebas Phase') are organized into recurring 3-10 m-thick transgressive-regressive bay-margin successions. An array of evidence indicates some sort of marine infl uence in these deposits. This evidence includes mangrove pollen, foraminifers, rare brackish-water mollusc species, barnacles, common brackish-water trace fossil assemblages and tidal sediments. The ongoing debate now focuses on the degree of saltwater infl uence in the Pebas Phase strata. The Late Miocene ('Acre Phase') stratigraphic record comprises mainly channelized deposits, and fossil faunas are dominated by terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates. The evidence for marginal marine infl uence in these strata is mainly confi ned to inclined heterolithic stratifi cation (IHS)-bearing channels and includes tidal sediments, restricted brackish-water ichnofossil assemblages, and locally teeth of euryhaline sharks and mangrove pollen (Nauta and Madre de Dios Formations). In particular, the tidal signature in these deposits is well developed, pointing to local development of deltaic/estuarine settings. There are also suggestion of marine infl uence on other stratigraphic intervals throughout Amazonia, particularly in Pliocene and Quaternary strata. The allegedly marine conditions have been proposed based on purported global sea-level highstands, the low altitude of the Amazon region and supposed coastal geomorphological features such as deltas. We conclude that these suggestions are misconceptions and that geological data to support such marine settings during the Late Neogene are lacking. 7
A look into the past, 2009
The Amazon drainage basin covers over 8 million km2 and has the largest rainforest on earth (Siol... more The Amazon drainage basin covers over 8 million km2 and has the largest rainforest on earth (Sioli 1984). The Amazon River is 6400 km long, from its source in the Andes to its mouth in the Atlantic, and the drainage basin includes a variety of landscapes such as the enigmatic tepuis in the north, the forested slopes at the foot of the Andes in the west, and the wide tracts of rainforest in the central part of the basin.
... 1 from his 2003 paper. Also Mr Stef Mermuys, of Bergschenhoek, The Netherlands, made samples ... more ... 1 from his 2003 paper. Also Mr Stef Mermuys, of Bergschenhoek, The Netherlands, made samples from his collection available. Mr Frank P. Wesselingh (RGM) critically read the manuscript. REFERENCES Cahuzac, B., M.-C. Janin & E. Steurbaut, 1995. ...
This article presents a set of Late Pleistocene marine mollusk radiocarbon (AMS) age estimates of... more This article presents a set of Late Pleistocene marine mollusk radiocarbon (AMS) age estimates of 30-50 14 C kyr BP, whereas a MIS5 age (>75 ka) is indicated by quartz and feldspar OSL dating, biostratigraphy, U-Th dating, and age-depth relationships with sea level. These results indicate that the 14 C dates represent minimum ages. The age discrepancy suggests that the shells are contaminated by younger carbon following shell death. The enigmatic 14 C dates cannot be "solved" by removing part of the shell by stepwise dissolution. SEM analysis of the Late Pleistocene shells within a context of geologically younger (recent/modern, Holocene) and older (Pliocene) shells shows the presence of considerable amounts of an intracrystalline secondary carbonate precipitate. The presence of this precipitate is not visible using XRD since it is of the same (aragonitic) polymorph as the original shell carbonate. The combination of nanospherulitic-shaped carbonate crystals, typical cavities, and the presence of fatty acids leads to the conclusion that the secondary carbonate, and hence the addition of younger carbon, has a bacterial origin. As shell material was studied, this study recommends an assessment of possible bacterial imprints in other materials like bone collagen as well.
The taxonomy, paleo-ecology and biogeography of the highly diverse &a... more The taxonomy, paleo-ecology and biogeography of the highly diverse "Cabarruyan" fauna are explored further. Eight species of three vetigastropod families are discussed here, one of which is described as new: Zeidora geigeri nov. spec. The other seven species were previously described from Recent material and three of these are also known from other fossil deposits. Most of the species still occur around the Philippines today.
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Papers by Frank Wesselingh
contribute to our understanding of the development of patterns of marine biodiversity through time and the response
of coastal marine habitats to environmental change. Due to the lowprobability of fossilization of seagrass
macrofossils, the reliable identification of seagrassmeadows in the fossil record is often challenging. Awide range
of indirect indicators has been applied to infer paleo-seagrass habitats in Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits.
The usefulness of those indicators is determined by various factors, such as their stratigraphic range, fossilization
potential, habitat restriction, and others. Although they have sometimes been briefly summarized in the literature,
a comprehensive review of indirect paleo-seagrass indicators, including an assessment of their value for recognition
of this habitat, is not yet available. We summarize them here and explore their usefulness. We aim to
assist future workers to identify facies and fossil assemblages associated with seagrass beds. Apart from a few
truly diagnostic proxies, combinations of several indicators turn out to be most reliable when aiming to identify
the presence of paleo-seagrass habitats. The presence/absence of many potentially seagrass-associated taxa cannot
serve as a useful indicator due to a lack of habitat restriction, but statistical evaluations of abundance data are
promising to discriminate seagrass beds from neighboring areas. However, such studies are available for only a
few commonly seagrass-associated organism groups. Furthermore, the applicability of many indicators is confined
by latitude, because their occurrence is restricted to (sub)tropical or at most warm temperate regions.