ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ON SHELL-RICH FACIES IN TROPICAL LACUSTRINE RIFTS: A VIEW FROM LAKE TANGANYIKA'S LITTORAL

Abstract

Research Article| July 01, 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ON SHELL-RICH FACIES IN TROPICAL LACUSTRINE RIFTS: A VIEW FROM LAKE TANGANYIKA'S LITTORAL MICHAEL M. MCGLUE; MICHAEL M. MCGLUE 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 [e-mail] *Corresponding author. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar MICHAEL J. SOREGHAN; MICHAEL J. SOREGHAN 22. School of Geology and Geophysics, University of OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma 73019 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ELLINOR MICHEL; ELLINOR MICHEL 33. Departments of Zoology and Paleontology, The Natural History MuseumLondon, SW7 5BD UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar JONATHAN A. TODD; JONATHAN A. TODD 33. Departments of Zoology and Paleontology, The Natural History MuseumLondon, SW7 5BD UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ANDREW S. COHEN; ANDREW S. COHEN 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar JOHN MISCHLER; JOHN MISCHLER 44. Department of Geosciences, Penn State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar CHRISTINE S. O'CONNELL; CHRISTINE S. O'CONNELL 55. Earth Systems Program, Stanford UniversityStanford, California 94305 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar OCEANA S. CASTAÑEDA; OCEANA S. CASTAÑEDA 66. Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire 03755 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar RICHARD J. HARTWELL; RICHARD J. HARTWELL 77. Earth and Atmospheric Science Program, Fayetteville Manlius High SchoolManlius, New York 13104 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar KIRAM E. LEZZAR; KIRAM E. LEZZAR 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar HUDSON H. NKOTAGU HUDSON H. NKOTAGU 88. Department of Geology, University of Dar es SalaamDar es Salaam Tanzania Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information MICHAEL M. MCGLUE *Corresponding author. 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 [e-mail] MICHAEL J. SOREGHAN 22. School of Geology and Geophysics, University of OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma 73019 USA ELLINOR MICHEL 33. Departments of Zoology and Paleontology, The Natural History MuseumLondon, SW7 5BD UK JONATHAN A. TODD 33. Departments of Zoology and Paleontology, The Natural History MuseumLondon, SW7 5BD UK ANDREW S. COHEN 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 USA JOHN MISCHLER 44. Department of Geosciences, Penn State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania 16802 USA CHRISTINE S. O'CONNELL 55. Earth Systems Program, Stanford UniversityStanford, California 94305 USA OCEANA S. CASTAÑEDA 66. Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire 03755 USA RICHARD J. HARTWELL 77. Earth and Atmospheric Science Program, Fayetteville Manlius High SchoolManlius, New York 13104 USA KIRAM E. LEZZAR 11. Department of Geosciences, The University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona 85721 USA HUDSON H. NKOTAGU 88. Department of Geology, University of Dar es SalaamDar es Salaam Tanzania Publisher: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology Accepted: 01 Apr 2010 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-5323 Print ISSN: 0883-1351 SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology PALAIOS (2010) 25 (7): 426–438. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.p09-160r Article history Accepted: 01 Apr 2010 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation MICHAEL M. MCGLUE, MICHAEL J. SOREGHAN, ELLINOR MICHEL, JONATHAN A. TODD, ANDREW S. COHEN, JOHN MISCHLER, CHRISTINE S. O'CONNELL, OCEANA S. CASTAÑEDA, RICHARD J. HARTWELL, KIRAM E. LEZZAR, HUDSON H. NKOTAGU; ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ON SHELL-RICH FACIES IN TROPICAL LACUSTRINE RIFTS: A VIEW FROM LAKE TANGANYIKA'S LITTORAL. PALAIOS 2010;; 25 (7): 426–438. doi: https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.p09-160r Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract Lake Tanganyika, the world's largest tropical rift lake, is unique among its counterparts in East Africa for the remarkable diversity of mollusk-rich sediments in its littoral zone. Molluscan shell beds are, however, a common feature of ancient lacustrine rift deposits and thus a better understanding of their spatial and temporal development is important. Targeted surveys across the littoral region of the Kigoma Basin reveal three surficial shell-rich facies that differ widely in depositional style and geometry. A unifying characteristic of these deposits is the volume of shells of Neothauma tanganyicense, a large, viviparous gastropod endemic to the lake. Reservoir-corrected radiocarbon dating indicates that Neothauma deposits in these surficial sediments are time averaged over at least the last ∼1600 calendar years BP. Preservation of fossil Neothauma shells in the littoral zone depends on both environmental conditions and on post-mortem shell modifications. Interaction between shells and mobile siliciclastic grains, facilitated by wave action and storms, represents a particularly destructive taphonomic process in the study area. Rank scoring of damage to Neothauma suggests that stromatolitic encrustations or early calcite coatings may help mitigate shell destruction caused by hydraulic fragmentation and abrasion. Persistence of Neothauma in littoral beds has important implications for the structuring of specialized communities of shallow-water benthos, as well as for improving analog models for hydrocarbon reservoirs in lacustrine carbonates. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.