Paleonet: Unidentified microfossils?

[Trenton J. Ryan]

Hello,

I am working on a masters thesis and have found numerous examples of a thus
far unidentified microfossil? and have taken some SEM photomicrographs of
them, found here: http://imgur.com/a/v30Th

The specimens in question were found in Northern California in the late
Miocene Saint George Formation  (sandy mudstone). Occurrence of them seems
to be limited to the shelly deposits within the formation, as they are not
found in the strata between prominent shell beds. The macrofossils in the
shell beds are mostly made up of *Macoma inquinata, **Macoma secta, *and
less frequent *Solen *sp.*, Clinocardium *sp., and *Nassarius *sp.. The
only forams that I have found in the shell beds are *Elphidium* sp., which
are rare.

Under a regular light microscope and when wet, the unidentified specimens
appear translucent with a more opaque, milky-white central 'nucleus'. This
'nucleus' accounts for ~20% of the total volume per specimen and is not
apparent (visually) when dry. All of them have an ovate form, and do not
vary much in terms of size. They are likely siliceous, as they do not react
to HCL.  As you can see in the SEM images, they also exhibit an intricate
stellate pattern.

Any ideas on what they could be? Some suggestions thus far are octocoral
sclerites, dinoflagellate cysts, or fossilized pollen.

Thanks,
Trenton Ryan
tr86 at humboldt.edu
Humboldt State University
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