The Age of the Baitoa Formation, Dominican Republic, Using Mollusca for the Correlation

Abstract

In an attempt to prove that mollusks may be used for inter-formational correlation, a study was undertaken to ascertain the age of the shallow-water Baitoa Formation, which has proved barren of microguide- fossils (planktic foraminifera or clacareous nannofossils). Only a limited number of gastropod species from the genera Orthaulax, Murex, Chicoreus, Typhis, Vasum, and Fasciolaria were examined but by utilizing their "concurrent ranges" the age was determined to be late lower Miocene (Burdigalian) just as the formation was originally thought to be by Cooke.