Yelistratov Peninsula

In the eastern and north-eastern parts of the Yelistratov Peninsula the Upper Cretaceous deposits include the same stratigraphic units as in Northwest Kamchatka (Zaborovskaya and Lebedev, 1975; Avdeiko et al., 1976; Herman, 1991), i.e.

1) Albian - Cenomanian deposits of marine origin (equivalents of the Mameta Formation), 350 m thick with numerous Inoceramus cf. pennatulus Perg., I. aff. pennatulus, I. aff. nipponicus Nag. et. Mat., Pecten sp., Ostrea sp., Eogaudryceras sp., Melchiorites (?) sp.,

2) continental plant-bearing deposits of the Valizhgen Formation, 400 m thick, and

3) the Bystrinskaya Formation with two subformations, the lower of which is composed of marine sandstones up to 410 m thick with remains of Pholadomya  cf. russeli Anderson, P. altumbonata Anderson,  Coiloposeras sp., Tetragonites sp., while the upper subformation - of near-coastal marine and continental rocks - is 305 - 350 m thick.

Plant fossils have been collected on the northern shoreline of the peninsula (see map in panel to the right) from two plant-bearing members of the Valizhgen Formation. There are no plant fossils in the upper Bystrinskaya subformation on the Yelistratov Peninsula.

The taphoflora from the lower member can be equated with the Kamchatkan Penzhina taphoflora due to the predominance of Paraprotophyllum ignatianum and the presence of Ettingshausenia newberryana, E. primaeva, Arthollia pacifica and Celastrophyllum retinerve (now formally known as Compositiphyllum retinerve (Herman) Herman et Kvacek) (Herman and Kvacek, 2010) - the species characteristic of the Penzhina taphoflora.

The taphoflora from the upper member is similar to the Kamchatkan Kaivayam taphoflora, or to be more precise, to the Early Kayvayam subcomplex. This is borne out by the dominance of Arthollia insignis and "Zizyphus" smilacifolia which occur frequently in this subcomplex, and by the absence of a number of plant fossils typical for the Penzhina and Late Kayvayam taphofloras of Kamchatka.

The taphofloras from the Yelistratov Peninsula are assumed to be coeval with the similar taphofloras of Northwest Kamchatka described above.

Map of part of the Yelistratov Peninsula showing the location of the plant fossil locality. Geology according to Avdeyko et al. (1976), with supplements

Lithologies and stratigraphy of the Cretaceous sediments in the vicinity of the Yelistratov Peninsula according to Avdeyko et al. (1976), with supplements.