Fossils of Little Stave Creek

Little Stave Creek is located near Jackson Alabama, exposing one of the better sections of the lower Cenozoic rock in the Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana area. It presents an outstanding outcrop of the Gosport Sand formation, considered to be at the top of the Middle Eocene Era. At the base of this outcrop is a greenish clay where shark teeth are found. Above this is a mass accumulation of silt, sand and shells. It appears that this was the site of a huge deposit and burial of shells, probably shoved into a bank or reef by a storm some 45 million years ago. The diversity of species is quite high. Clams and snails are the most abundant and afford the widest varity of species. Also to be found are scaphopods, corals, barnacles, fish bones, shark teeth, worm tubes, bryozoan and echinoids. On occasion a mammal bone may be discovered. Over the years collectors have undercut the cliff, in search of shark teeth, leaving a deep trench. I feel this will soon, if it hasn't already, colaspe. When I collect here I bring a kitchen colander and scoop the fallen debris into it then dip it in the shallow creek and begin sifting to find my treasures.

Crassatella texalta

Venericardium alticostata

Turritella carinata palmerae

Buccitriton sagenum

Athleta sayanus

Calyptraphorus velatus

Agaronia alabamensis

Lacinia alveata

Pseudoliva vetusta