Abstract Book Rcmns

Paratethys-Mediterranean Interactions

Environmental Crises during the Neogene

A B S T R A C T V O L U M EMarius Stoica, Mihaela C. Melinte-Dobrinescu & Dan Palcu (eds.)

R E G I O N A L C O M M I T T E E O N M E D I T E R R A N E A N N E O G E N E S T R A T I G R A P H Y

B U C H A R E S T, 2 7 - 3 0 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2 - R C M N S I N T E R I M C O L L O Q U I U MB U C H A R E S T, 2 7 - 3 0 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2 - R C M N S I N T E R I M C O L L O Q U I U M

Regional Committee on Mediterranean

Neogene Stratigraphy

R C M N S

Paratethys-Mediterranean Interactions:

Environmental Crises during the Neogene

A B S T R A C T V O LU M EMarius Stoica, Mihaela C. Melinte-Dobrinescu & Dan Palcu (eds.)

Bucharest, 27-30 September 2012

RCMNS Interim Colloquium

THIS WORK WAS SUPPORTED BY CNCS-UEFISCDI, PROJECT NUMBERPNII-IDEI/WE-CODE/2012.

Paratethys-Mediterranean Interactions: Environmental Crises during the NeogeneRCMNS Interim Colloquium

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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Organizers:Marius Stoica (University of Bucharest),Mihaela Melinte-Dobrinescu (GeoEcoMar),

Co-organizer:Wout Krijgsman (Utrecht University),

Organizing committee:Iuliana Lazar (University of Bucharest)Dan Palcu (University of Bucharest)Dan Jipa (GeoEcoMar)Alina Floroiu (University of Bucharest)Maria Tulbure (Petroleum-Gas University of Ploieşti) Andrei Briceag (GeoEcoMar) Monica Crihan (Petroleum-Gas University of Ploieşti)Daniel Ștefan (University of Bucharest)Web design: Bogdan Baltac

Scientific Committee:Jordi Agusti (Spain)Madeline Böhme (Germany)Jean-Jacques Cornée (France)Sorin Filipescu (Romania)Mathias Harzhauser (Austria)Frederick Hilgen (Holland)Silvia Iaccarino (Italy)

Dan Jipa (Romania)Wout Krijgsman (Holland)Fabrizio Lirer (Italy)Imre Magyar (Hungary)Oleg Mandic (Austria)Liviu Matenco (Romania)Werner Piller (Austria)

Gheorghe Popescu (Romania)Serghei Popov (Russia)Marco Roveri (Italy)Mario Sprovieri (Italy)Jean Pierre Suc (France)Iuliana Vasiliev (Holland)

Regional Committee on Mediterranean

Neogene Stratigraphy

R C M N S


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WELCOME

The semi-enclosed Mediterranean and Paratethys regions form incomparable natural laboratories to study environmental changes under different geodynamic and climatic conditions. They are excellently suited to unravel fundamental questions concerning mammal migration, evolution patterns, basin restriction, sea level variations, and environmental change. Changes in Paratethys and Mediterranean marine ecosystems were mainly driven by global climate and paleoceanographic changes over the Neogene as well as the evolution of marine connections. Gateway restriction in the Neogene ultimately generated hypersaline environments and deposition of massive evaporites during the Badenian Salinity Crisis of the Paratethys and the Messinian Salinity Crisis of the Mediterranean.

Terrestrial ecosystems have been very sensitive to climatic changes as well (e.g. Vallesian crisis), while the appearance and disappearance of land bridges between Paratethys and Mediterranean played a major role in species migration.

This Interim Colloquium will focus on recent developments in Mediterranean-Paratethys interactions in the terrestrial and marine domain, including advancements in high-resolution dating and multi-proxy analyses, to decipher key intervals of extreme environmental change. In this meeting we are pleased to welcome all Scientists interested on the climatic, biologic and geologic history of the Paratethys and Mediterranean over the last 23 Myr. We especially seek contributions that shed new light on the Miocene to Pleistocene evolution of marine and terrestrial palaeoenvironments in Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa.

We are looking forward to see you in Bucharest!


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SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

Session 1: Paratethys - Palaeogeography, Stratigraphy and Mediterranean Interactions;

Session 2: Salinity Crises (Badenian and Messinian)

Session 2.1: Badenian salinity crisis;

Session 2.2: Messinian salinity crisis;

Session 3: Terrestrial Systems.


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3 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

4 WELCOME

5 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

13 THE PALEOGRAPHY OF EARLY MIOCENE BASIN SEDIMENTATION IN AZERBAIJANAfandiyeva, M.

15 THE VALLESIAN MAMMAL TURNOVER: A LATE MIOCENE RECORD OF DECOUPLED LAND-OCEAN EVOLUTIONAgustí, J.

16 THE BADENIAN SALINITY CRISISBąbel, M.

18 SEDIMENTOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE LATE NEOGENE POZNAŃ FORMATION, JAROSZÓW DEPRESSION (SW POLAND) IN SOUTHERN MARGINAL ZONE OF THE NORTHWEST EUROPEAN BASINBadura, J.1, Czapowski, G.2, Gąsiewicz, A.2,& Przybylski, B.1

19 PALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PARATETHYS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE LATE BADENIAN/SERRAVALLIANBartol, M.1, Mikuž, V.1,2, Horvat, A.1,2

21 MORPHOLOGICAL AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE DISPERSAL OF HOMININES INTO AFRICA IN THE LATE MIOCENE Begun, D. R.1 & Nargolwalla, N. 1

23 FORAMINIFERA ASSEMBLAGES ASSOCIATED TO EARLY MIOCENE SEA-LEVEL CHANGES FROM THE NORTH-WESTERN TRANSYLVANIAN BASIN (ROMANIA)Beldean, C.1, Székely, S-F.1, Filipescu, S.1 & Săsăran, E.1

25 THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS FROM MARGINAL TO DEEP WATER SETTINGS (TERTIARY PIEDMONT BASIN, NW ITALY): RELATIONSHIP WITH GYPSUM DEPOSITION.Bernardi, E.1, Dela Pierre, F.1, Lozar, F.1, Violanti, D.1, Gennari, R.2 & Natalicchio, M.1

27 MIOCENE PALAEO-ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONSBöhme, M.

28 HOLOCENE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE NW BLACK SEABriceag, A.1, Stoica, M.2, Melinte-Dobrinescu, M. C.1 & Oaie, G.1

30 BADENIAN SALT SEDIMENTATION IN THE CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP BASIN (POLAND) BASED ON GEOCHEMICAL AND ISOTOPIC RESEARCHBukowski, K.

Table of Contents


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31 DEEP-SEA RECORD OF MEDITERRANEAN MESSINIAN EVENTS (DREAM)Camerlenghi, A.1, deLange, G.2, Flecker, R.3, Garcia-Castellanos, D.4, Hübscher, C.5, Krijgsman, W.2, Lofi, J.6, Lugli, S.7, McGenity, T.8, Manzi, V.7, Panieri, G. 9, Rabineau, M.10, Roveri, M.7 & Sierro, F.J.11

33 THE RANGE AND EXTENT OF THE VALLESIAN CRISIS IN ITS TYPE AREACasanovas-Vilar, I.1, Van den Hoek Ostende, L.W. 2, Furió, M. 1 & Madern, P.A.1,2

35 ACINONYX PARDINENSIS (CROIZET ET JOBERT, 1828) FROM THE EARLY PLEISTOCENE OF PANTALLA (CENTRAL ITALY) Cherin, M.1, Iurino, D.2 & Sardella R.2

38 CONSTRAINING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (ADANA BASIN, TURKEY) Cosentino, D.1, Cipollari, P.1, Darbaş, G.2, Gliozzi, E.1, Grossi, F.1, Gürbüz, K.3, Nazik, A.3 & Radeff, G.1

40 MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF BADENIAN/SARMATIAN (EARLY SERRAVALLIAN) BOUNDARY POSITION IN THE EASTERN CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP (POLAND): PRELIMINARY REPORTCzapowski, G.1, Gąsiewicz, A.1, Bukowski, K.2, Chang, L.3, De Leeuw, A.3, Gaździcka, E.1, Krijgsman, W.3, Paruch-Kulczycka, J.1, Sant, K.3 & Studencka, B.4

42 PALAEONTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LATEST MESSINIAN-LOWER PLIOCENE DEPOSITS IN THE APENNINES: NEW INSIGHTS FROM MOLISE (SOUTHERN ITALY)D’Amico, C.1, Bracone, V. 2, Esu, D. 3, Frezza, V. 1, 3 & Guerrieri, P. 4

44 COMPARISON OF MIOCENE FORAMINIFERA FROM NORTH OF CENTRAL IRAN (TETHYS) TO NORTH FLANKS OF ALBORZ MOUNTAINS (PARATETHYS) IN IRANDaneshian, J.1 & Derakhshani, M. 2

45 BIG BACTERIA FILAMENTS IN THE EUXINIC SHALE FROM THE PRIMARY LOWER GYPSUM UNIT (PIEDMONT BASIN, NW ITALY): VESTIGES OF MESSINIAN CHEMOTROPHIC MICROBIAL MATS Dela Pierre F.1, Clari P.1, Natalicchio M.1, Bernardi E.1, Lozar F.1, Lugli S.2, Violanti D.1

47 CHRONOLOGY OF THE BADENIAN SALINITY CRISIS OF THE CENTRAL PARATETHYSDe Leeuw, A.1, Bukowski, K.2, Krijgsman, K.3, Kuiper K. F. 4, Stoica, M.5 & Tulbure, M.5

48 PALEOMAGNETIC AND GEOCHRONOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE GEODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF THE CENTRAL DINARIDES De Leeuw, A.1, Mandic, O.2 , Krijgsman, W.3, Kuiper, K. F.4 & Hrvatović, H.5

50 MAEOTIAN / PONTIAN OSTRACOD BIOSTRATIGRAPHY FROM THE SOUTH CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP (BADISLAVA – TOPOLOG AREA)Floroiu, A.1, Stoica, M.1, Krijgsman, W.2, Vasiliev, I.2 & Van Baak, C.2

52 BADENIAN SULPHATIC EVAPORITIC SEQUENCES FROM PIATRA VERDE (SLĂNIC-TEIŞANI, PRAHOVA COUNTY)Frunzescu, D.

54 BADENIAN SULPHATIC EVAPORITIC SEQUENCES FROM VALEA REA SALT BRECCIA (ISTRITA HILL, BUZAU COUNTY)Frunzescu, D.


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56 DISPERSAL EVENTS OF THE PARATETHYAN OSTRACOD SPECIES IN THE PALAEO-MEDITERRANEAN DOMAIN DURING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISISGliozzi, E., Grossi, F. & Cosentino, D.

58 MIOCENE – PLIOCENE CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENTS, AND CONNECTIVITY OF THE EASTERN PARATETHYAN DOMAINGrothe, A.1 ; Sangiorgi F.1; Krijgsman, W.2; Vasiliev, I.2; Reichart, G-J.3; Stoica, M.4 & Brinkhuis, H.1,5

59 STRATIGRAPHIC CONSTRAINTS FOR THE OLIGOCENE-EARLY MIOCENE NORTH ALPINE FORELAND BASIN: BEYOND REGIONAL CONCEPTS AND TOWARDS CORRELATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TIME SCALEGrunert, P.1, Piller, W. E. 1, Soliman, A.1, Ćorić, S.2, Hinsch, R.3, Harzhauser, M.4

60 HIGH RESOLUTION ANALYSIS AND THE LIMITS OF PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONSHarzhauser, M.1, Kern, A.K.1, Piller, W.E.2 & Soliman, A.2

61 PARATETHYS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONSHarzhauser, M.1, Piller, W.E.2, Reuter, M.2, Grunert, P.2

62 ATNTS2012 Hilgen, F.1, Lourens, L.1, Van Dam, J.2, Beu, A.3, Boyes, A.4, Cooper, R.3, Krijgsman, W.1, Ogg, J.5, Piller, W.6 & Wilson, D.7

63 ASTROCHRONOLOGY OF THE BURDIGALIAN-LANGHIAN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: UNDERSTANDING CLIMATIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGESHüsing, S.K.1, Hilgen, F.2, Krijgsman, W.3, Turco, E.4

65 MOLLUSCAN ASSEMBLAGES AND ECOSTRATIGRAPHIC-PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE EARLY PLIOCENE DEPOSITS FROM THE EASTERNMOST MEDITERRANEAN REGION (HATAY BASIN, SE TURKEY)İslamoğlu, Y.1, Tekin, E.2, Varol, B.2 & Sözeri, K.2

68 LATE PALEOGENE THRACE BASIN AS A PALEO(BIO)GEOGRAPHIC TURNOVER AREA: A SYNTHESYS İslamoğlu Y.1 and Harzhauser M.2

71 FAUNAL MIGRATION VERSUS SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION IN THE DACIAN BASIN. PASSAGEWAYS, ROUTING AND MECHANISMSJipa, D. C.1 & Lubenescu, V.2

73 DACIAN BASIN SEDIMENTARY HISTORY. STATE OF THE ARTJipa, D. C.

75 MIDDLE AND UPPER MIOCENE PALEODANUBE DELTA SYSTEM HISTORYKováč ,M.1, Hudáčková, N.1, Halásová, E.1, Kováčová, M.1, Hlavatá, J.2, Pereszlényi, M.3, Sopková, B.3, Synak, R. 1

77 SEISMIC ATLAS OF THE “MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS” MARKERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEAS – VOLUME 2Lofi, J.

78 CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL BIOEVENTS HERALDING THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE TERTIARY PIEDMONT BASIN: A CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC TOOL AT THE BASIN SCALE?Lozar F.1, Bernardi E.1, Dela Pierre F.1, Gennari R.2, Natalicchio M.1, Violanti D.1, Clari P.1


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81 THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS: A FACIES PERSPECTIVELugli S.1, Gennari R.2,3, Manzi V.2,3 Roveri M.2,3 & Schreiber C.4

84 DINARIDE LAKE SYSTEM - MIOCENE DIVERSITY HOTSPOT REVISITEDMandic, O.1, De Leeuw, A. 2, Neubauer, T.A. 1, Harzhauser, M. 1 & Krijgsman, W. 3

87 AGE REFINEMENT OF THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE MEDITERRANEANManzi V. 1,2, Gennari R. 1,2, Lugli S.3, Roveri M. 1,2, Hilgen F.J.4, Krijgsman W.5, Sierro F.J.6

90 THE ABRUZZO-APULIAN (CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ITALY) FOSSIL FAUNA, NEW CHALLENGES FOR PALEONTOLOGISTS AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHERSMasini, F.1, Savorelli, A2. & Mazza, P3.

92 NEW INSULAR TAXA FROM THE OLDEST TERRE ROSSE FISSURE FILLING (GARGANO, SOUTHEASTERN ITALY) Masini, F.1, Rinaldi, P.M.2, Savorelli, A3. & Pavia, M.4.

94 HOPLITOMERYCIDAE (RUMINANTIA, CENTRAL-SOUTHEASTERN ITALY): WHOM FROM? Mazza, P.

96 BADENIAN CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL FLUCTUATION IN EASTERN CARPATHIANS: PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C1. & Stoica, M.2

98 THE OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE BOUNDARY IN ROMANIA: STATE OF THE ARTMelinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.

100 HOW DRY WAS THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS? – A MOLECULAR

STUDY OF THE ERACLEA MINOA SECTION (SICILY)Mezger, E. M.1, Vasiliev, I.1,2*, Lugli, S.3, Roveri, M4., Manzi, V. 4, Reichart, G. J.1,5, Sangiorgi, F.6, Krijgsman, W.2 & Van Roij, L.1

101 A FLUID INCLUSION STUDY OF THE PRIMARY LOWER GYPSUM OF THE PIEDMONT BASIN (ITALY): PRECIPITATION FROM EVAPORATED SEAWATER?Natalicchio, M.1, Dela Pierre, F.1, Lugli, S.2, & Ferrando, S.1

103 DIAGENETIC HISTORY OF THE VILOBÍ GYPSUM UNIT (VALLÈS – PENEDÈS BASIN, MIOCENE, NE SPAIN): AN EXAMPLE OF FRACTURED AND CEMENTED EVAPORITE DEPOSITPlayà, E.1, Moragas, M.2, Martínez, C.1, Baqués, V.1, Travé, A.1, Ortí, F.1 & Alías, G.1

105 SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STORM SIGNATURES IN PLIOCENE SEQUENCES FROM VINTILĂ VODĂ - NORTHERN DACIAN BASIN, ROMANIAPopa, L.V.1, 2, & Popa, L.M1

107 CLAY MINERAL ASSEMBLAGES AND THEIR ORIGIN IN THE MIOCENE SALT DEPOSITS OF ROMANIARădan, S.

108 TRANSITION FROM OUTER SHELF TO COARSE GRAIN DELTAS ACROSS THE PALEOGENE/NEOGENE BOUNDARY INTERVAL IN NE GETIC DEPRESSION, ROMANIARoban, R-D.1,2, Anastasiu, N.1, & Melinte-Dobrinescu M.C. 2

110 MEDITERRANEAN-PARATETHYS CONNECTIONS: INSIGHTS FROM ISOSTACYRyan, W.B.F.


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112 NEOGENE BIVALVES OF THE NORTH WEST OF ALGERIA: EXTINCTION OR FAUNA RENEWAL?Satour, L.1, Belkebir, L.1 & Bessedik, M.2

113 A HIGH-RESOLUTION BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC MARKER AT 6 MA IN THE EASTERN PARATETHYSStoica, M.1, Crihan, I.M.2, Popescu, G.1, Floroiu, A.1, Krijgsman, W.3, van Baak, C.3, Vasiliev, I.3, Lazăr, I.1,& Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.4

115 THE ESTABLISHED OF A NEOTYPE FOR PARADOLICHOPITHECUS GETICUS NECRASOV, RĂDULESCU & SAMSON 1961Știucă E.

116 THE ISOLATION OF THE CENTRAL PARATETHYS: HOW OROGENESIS AND SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEMISE OF A LARGE INLAND SEATer Borgh, M.1, Vasiliev, I.2, Stoica, M.3, Knežević, S.4, Matenco, L.2, Krijgsman, W.2, Rundić, L.4 & Cloetingh, S.2

117 THE BADENIAN – SARMATIAN TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH CARPATHIANS FOREDEEPTulbure, M.1,2, Stoica, M.2, Krijgsman, W.1, Crihan, M.3 & Popescu, G.2

118 PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATING OF THE SOUTH CASPIAN BASIN – LATEST MIOCENE TO RECENTVan Baak, C. G. C.1, Grothe, A.1, Stoica, M.1,2, Aliyeva, E3, Vasiliev, I.1, Krijgsman, W. 1.

119 NEGATIVE HYDROLOGICAL BUDGET OF THE BLACK SEA DURING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS OF THE MEDITERRANEANVasiliev, I.1,2*, Reichart, G. J.1,3, Sangiorgi, F.4, Krijgsman, W. 2

, van Roij, L.1

120 MIO-PLIOCENE HERPETOFAUNA OF WESTERN SIBERIA AND ITS PALAEOCLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCEVasilyan, D.1, Böhme, M.1,2 , Zazhigin, V.3 & Winklhofer, M.4

122 THE NEOGENE MAMMAL LOCALITIES OF SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN SIDEZouhri, S.1 & Ben Moussa, A. 2

124 INDEX

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THE PALEOGRAPHY OF EARLY MIOCENE BASIN SEDIMENTATION IN AZERBAIJAN

Afandiyeva, M.

Institute of Geology ANAS, AZ1143,Baku,Azerbaijan,G.Javid av.,29A, [email protected]

Keywords: Azerbaijan, Early Miocene, archipelago islands,sediments

Introduction

Over a long enough period of time it was considered that the Lower Miocene deposits were primarily sedimented within the deep part of a palaeobasin. However, recent studies have indicated that the above-mentioned sediments formed in a shallow water palaeoenvironment.

Methodology

The studies were based on an integrated approach of the investigated sedimentary rocks, by interpretating all available geological and geophysical data, already published, from a significant amount of literature, and by adding own data.

Analysis of the data allowed us to point out the lithofacies of Lower Miocene sediments, deposited within the territory of Azerbaijan. The collected materials were used to firstly elaborate maps of isopachs as well as lithofacial maps for each of the Lower Miocene stratigraphic units (i.e., Caucasian, Sakaraulian and Kotsahurian). As a result, it was possible to constrain the conditions of sedimentation for each unit and to explain the palaeobasinal deposition, features that were not previously subject of explanation.

Discussion

For nearly a century, the Lower Miocene sedimentation, both within the territory of Azerbaijan, as well as outside this territory, in the neighborhood areas, was supposed to be related to a deep marine basin (Bogachev, 1933). This is explained by the fact that, lithologically, the Lower Miocene is represented by hard deposits of predominantly dismember thickness, mainly composed of dark-grey

shales and noncalcareous clays with faunas, , which include only abundant remains of fish, such as scales, otoliths, and even complete skeletons of fishes of the genus Meletta (Gubkin, 1950).

The partition of logs of wells penetrating the Lower Miocene sediments, corroborated with using eustatic changes in the sea level, allowed to establish the boundaries of occurrence of each stratigraphic unit of Maikop (Caucasian, Sakaraulian, and Kotsahurian) and to determine the gas capacity of each of them. These data formed the basis for mapping facilities for each unit separately, which revealed the presence of a large area of land within which the rocks of this age do not deposited. Moreover the character of the location of these areas allows us to assume that the territory of Azerbaijan in Early Miocene was an archipelago of islands.

Lithological and petrographic analyzes performed on samples taken from Early Miocene deposits exposed in outcrops in some areas of oil and gas, as well as on core samples from drilled performed on the entire territory of Azerbaijan, allowed to emphasize the changing in lithofacial characteristics of the Lower Miocene rocks .

During the Early Miocene, the major mountain systems of Azerbaijan, the Greater and the Lesser Caucasus, just began to develop as a young mountain system, which in some areas was very close to the coastal zone of the paaleobasin, but in some places were a flat, little land near the shore. The Greater Caucasus and Talysh were parts of the little land that all sides were surrounded by the waters of the Early Miocene Basin. This indicates that different parts of the territory of Azerbaijan over the Early Miocene formed under different conditions of sedimentation, respectively, and hence are characterized by different lithofacies.


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There were areas with steep banks, from which fast razed the mountain rivers to the shelf of the pool, bringing a lot of coarse material. When combined with heavy rains, they formed the shingle coastal zone, which is a typical feature of the mountainous coast. By the time, these were rapidly disappeaed as soon as the mountainous coast give way to the gentle and low coast. In some sections, there are plaster layer and whole lenses of gypsum, which suggest that these deposits were formed in a closed basin. In the shallow bays, mainly in the lagoons, and in those areas, devoid of rivers, were deposited mostly clayey deposits. For some sites, we can assume that, in the archipelago of islands located in the coastal zone of the Early Miocene basin, the depositional regime contributed to the formation of stagnant water. Differentiated nature of the bottom of the sea during Early Miocene times led to normal gas exchange, which conducted to the formation of dark colored clayey deposits. These islands were the source of weak erosion demolition for a part of the clastic material. The material in the sedimentation basin could fall by proluvial processes, such as temporary water from the rain and streams. As a result of these processes within the basins near the islands and in places such as bays and lagoons mainly clays were deposited. In these sediments a shift to fine grained sediments was observed, these deposits being linked to very shallow depths of 1-2 m, sometimes reaching the water surface.The active volcanic activity within the range of continental islands, led to the formation of volcanic formations.

We may assume that the small number or even the absence of the faunal remains in the Lower Miocene rocks is not always a proof of a sedimentation in a deep palaeobasin. By contrary, the above-mentioned features may characterize a shallow pool, with unfavorable conditions for the life of organisms, particularly due to changes in salinity and gas regime, which undoubtedly took place during the depositional phases of the Early Miocene interval in the territory of Azerbaijan (Ruhin, 1962).

Conclusions

This work represents a first attempt to elaborate lithofacial maps for each stratigraphic unit belonging to the Early Miocene interval. The findings of this study are:

- The Early Miocene sediments were deposited in different palaeogeographical conditions;the differences in lithofacies characteristics are due to features of various regions of Azerbaijan, and overall the presence during Early Miocene times of a slowly regressing palaeobasin;

- The deposition took place not in a deep basin, as previously thought, but mostly in a shallow-water basin, which is the modern analogue of the Archipelago Sea, in the straits between the islands where sedimentary rocks, mainly composed of fine-grained argillaceous deposits, were formed.

References

Bogachev V.V., 1933. Gloüing fish the Maikop formation the Apsheron Peninsula. Izv.AZFAN, p.12

Gubkin I.M.,1950. Geological investigation of the Western part of the Apsheron Peninsula. Perekishkul list. Selected works, M.,USSR Academy of Sciences, vol.1, p.355-374

Ruhin Y.B., 1962. Paleogeography s main parts. Leningrad, USSR, 628 pp.


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THE VALLESIAN MAMMAL TURNOVER: A LATE MIOCENE RECORD OF DECOUPLED LAND-OCEAN EVOLUTION

Agustí, J.

ICREA. Institut de Paleoecologia humana i Evolució social (IPHES). Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Pl. Imperial Tarraco, 1. 43005-Tarragona. Spain. E-mail: [email protected]

In Western Europe, the change from the Middle Miocene forest adapted mammalian faunas to the more open woodland faunas, which characterizes the later Neogene, took place through an abrupt critical period known as the Vallesian Crisis. The Vallesian Crisis involved the disappearance of most of the forest adapted elements characterizing the middle Miocene, such tapirs, rhinoceroses, wet adapted artiodactyls, hominoids (Dryopithecus), rodents (mainly dormice, hamsters, flying-squirrels and beavers), and the large carnivores of the families Nimravidae and Amphicyonidae. Detailed analysis in the well calibrated and mostly complete sequence of the type-area of the Vallesian Mammal stage, the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Spain), reveals that entries were always above the level of exits during the early Vallesian, reaching a diversity maximum at the end of this time. At 9.7 Ma, the Vallesian Crisis involved a sudden decrease of diversity, caused by high extinction levels, well above the number of entries. The European Mammalian faunas never recovered their levels of diversity after this drop. Correlation of this event to the main global oceanic events, recorded as isotopic shifts, reveals a chronological coincidence with Mi7, a minor isotopic shift at about 9.6 Ma. The correlation of the Vallesian Crisis with such a minor isotopic shift is in contrast with previous, more significant isotopic shifts, such as Mi6, which had little ecological effects on the terrestrial ecosystems (although they could be responsible for some isolated overland dispersals, as in the case of hipparionine horses). This inconsistency between the global climate change inferred from the oceanic record and its effect on the structure of the late Miocene terrestrial ecosystems calls for some caution when inferring direct, linear relationships between climate change and mammalian turnover. While the glacial-interglacial dynamics account for most

of this turnover during the Plio-Pleistocene times, the effects of this climate forcing seem to have been more complex during Miocene times. An alternative pattern of change can be envisaged by proposing a “House of Cards” effect for the Vallesian Crisis. Increasing diversity levels after a prolonged period of stability enhanced terrestrial ecosystems to evolve into a self-organized critically state, which suddenly dropped after a critical threshold was surpassed. In contrast to other critical periods, the final decline of the Vallesian chronofauna was more dependent on the critical state of the system than on the magnitude of the agent which induced the crisis.


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THE BADENIAN SALINITY CRISIS

Bąbel, M.

Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warszawa, Al. Żwirki i Wigury 93, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Miocene, Central Paratethys, Carpathian Foredeep, evaporites, halite, gypsum, selenite

The Badenian salinity crisis, known also as the Wielician crisis, was a crucial event in the history of the Central Paratethys. The Badenian seas occupying the area of the emerging Carpathian orogen lost their open connection with the Mediterranean Sea and were transformed into evaporite basins (Peryt 2006). The largest was the Carpathian Foredeep Basin (CFB), which developed in front of the emerging orogen. The other basins (East-Slovakian Basin, Trans-Carpathian Basin, and Transylvanian Basin) occupied the interior of the Carpathian loop (Fig. 1). The separate zone of Badenian evaporites occurs in NE Bulgaria.

Fig. 1. Paleogeography during the Badenian salinity crisis (A), and present day distribution of the Badenian evaporites (B); A - after Rögl 1999, B – after Khrushchov, Perichenko 1979 and other sources

All these evaporites were originally more widespread than their present extent. The Carpathian margin of the CFB was reduced by a few tens of km in some areas due to tectonic shortening. The basins were presumably at least temporarily connected, however the original sedimentary record of these connections, and of the connections with the Mediterranean, were removed by later erosion. The evaporite basins were re-flooded with marine water at the end of the crisis, during the late Badenian. Later, during Sarmatian, they became a part of the giant brackish-to-euhaline Sarmatian Paratethys Sea or Sea-Lake. Biostratigraphic analyses and radiometric data indicate that in the CFB the salinity crisis took place in the earliest Neogene Nannoplankton Zone 6 (NN6:

Discoaster exilis Zone), i.e. in the early Serravallian, and it lasted much less than 940 k.y. (Śliwiński et al. 2012). Sedimentological data from some areas suggest that the crisis could be very short, only 20-40 k.y. in duration, however the Badenian evaporite deposition


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in the particular Paratethyan basins could be diachronous and in sum - longer in time. The highly reliable radiometric data indicate that the Badenian salts from Wieliczka (CFB) were deposited ca 13.6 Ma years ago (Bukowski 2011). The salinity crisis was apparently preceded by climatic cooling correlated with the Mi3b global cooling event. In the CFB the areal extent of the evaporites is remarkably smaller than both the under- and overlying marine Badenian deposits. This is presumably a result of evaporitic water level fall in the marine basin followed by the rapid post-evaporitic Badenian marine transgression and flooding. The Ca-sulphate evaporites in the CFB were interpreted as deposited in a salina basin entirely cut-off from the Mediterranean (Bąbel 2004). A water level in this basin supposedly dropped a few tens of meters below the global sealevel due to evaporite drawdown. The Badenian evaporites comprise mainly gypsum, anhydrite and halite deposits; the ‘evaporitic’ carbonates are less common. The original thickness of the halite deposits forming salt diapirs in the Transylvanian Basin was estimated as up to 300 m (Krézsek et al. 2010). In the other basins these deposits are commonly less than a few tens of meters thick. The investigation of the primary fluid inclusions in sedimentary halite crystals showed that they were crystallized from the brine of marine derivation and that the original Badenian (Serravallian) seawater was slightly depleted in Mg ions in relation to the present seawater. Specific and rarely encountered clastic facies were recognized within the Badenian halite deposits in the CFB and East-Slovakian Basin (Ślączka, Kolasa 1997; Bukowski 2011). The Badenian Ca-sulphate deposits are commonly 10-30 m thick, and only in places reach 60 m in thickness. The most extensive outcrops of the Badenian gypsum deposits occur in Ukraine, where they show exceptionally well-preserved record of primary facies with unique sedimentary structures. These include: (1) crusts of bottom-grown grass-like (= selenite) crystals (some up to 3.5 m in length, and forming spectacular giant intergrowths), (2) gypsum microbialite and selenite domes (some up to several meters in size), (3) oriented structures produced by the accelerated growth of selenite crystals in the up-current direction of inflowing brine, and others. Some sets of selenite beds are traceable in the outcrops over a distance of a few hundred km and are interpreted as isochronous or near-isochronous. The presence of such aerially-

extensive, well-preserved primary gypsum deposits makes the northern margin of CFB unique among the known selenite basins the deposits of which are commonly poorly preserved, and unavailable for the direct study. In consequence of the Badenian salinity crisis, important mineral resources originated in the region. They include not only gypsum and rock salt, but also native sulphur deposits formed by diagenetic transformation of the Badenian gypsum (in northern CFB), and hydrocarbons accumulated in traps associated with salt diapirs (in Transylvanian Basin).

References

Bąbel, M., 2004. Badenian evaporite basin of the northern Carpathian Foredeep as a drawdown salina basin. Acta Geologica Polonica, 54, 313-337.

Bukowski, K., 2011. Badenian saline sedimentation between Rybnik and Dębica based on geochemical, isotopic and radiometric research. Rozprawy, Monografie, 236, 1-184. Wyd. AGH, Kraków.

Khrushchov, D.P., Petrichenko, O.I., 1979. Evaporite formations of Central Paratethys and conditions of their sedimentation. Annales Géologiques des Pays Helléniques, Tome hors série, No. 2, 595-612. Athens.

Krézsek, C., Filipescu, S., Silye, L., Matenco, L., Doust, H., 2010. Miocene facies associations and sedimentary evolution of the Southern Transylvanian Basin (Romania): Implications for hydrocarbon exploration. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 27, 191–214.

Peryt, T.M., 2006. The beginning, development and termination of the Middle Miocene Badenian salinity crisis in Central Paratethys. Sedimentary Geology, 188-189, 379-396.

Rögl, F., 1999. Mediterranean and Paratethys. Facts and hypotheses of an Oligocene to Miocene paleogeography (short overview). Geologica Carpathica, 50, 339-349.

Ślączka, A., Kolasa, K., 1997. Resedimented salt in the Northern Carpathians Foredeep (Wieliczka, Poland). Slovak Geological Magazine, 3, 135–155.

Śliwiński, M., Bąbel, M., Nejbert, K., Olszewska-Nejbert, D., Gąsiewicz, A., Schreiber B.C., Benowitz, J.A., Layer, P., 2012. Badenian–Sarmatian chronostratigraphy in the Polish Carpathian Foredeep. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 326-328, 12–29.


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SEDIMENTOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE LATE NEOGENE POZNAŃ FORMATION, JAROSZÓW DEPRESSION

(SW POLAND) IN SOUTHERN MARGINAL ZONE OF THE NORTHWEST EUROPEAN BASIN

Badura, J.1, Czapowski, G.2, Gąsiewicz, A.2,& Przybylski, B.1

1 Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Lower Silesian Branch in Wrocław, al. Jaworowa 19, 50-122 Wrocław, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, ul. Rakowiecka 4, 00-075 Warszawa e-mail: ; [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: Lower Silesia (SW Poland), fluvial deposits, mud flow, pedocomplexes, kaolinite

The Late Miocene-Early Pliocene Poznań Formation have covered the are area of Polish part of the Northwest European Basin (NEB), extended between the Fennoscandian Shield and the Bohemian Massif (Gibbard et al., 1988). Genesis of these deposits is poorly understand and controversial: a lacustrine or limnic with marine inputs (Dyjor, 1992, 1995).

Extensive sedimentological and geochemical studies of the Poznań Fm profile (30 m thick, absent faunistic remains) in the open-pit mine at Jaroszów (Lower Silesia area, S part of NEB) evidenced its continental character. These clay to silty deposits have accumulated in the tectonically controlled subbasin of foremountain zone as dynamic flood and mud-flow sediments, with rare fine sand lenses of ephemeral fluvial channels but periodically interrupted by marsh to peat-bog coaly clays registering more stagnant conditions. Periods of low sediment supply favoured pedogenesis (two distinct pedogenic horizons) but increased tectonic activity and erosion of alimentary area produced fine to coarse sandy fluvial channel series in the top of profile.

The studied Poznań Fm profile shows a distinct geochemical tripartition with two lower complexes similar one each other but different from the upper one. The deposits are generally matured in the lower and the middle complexes and immatured in the upper one. Geochemical data indicated the relatively dynamic, shallow water and well ventilated

environment and a humid climate favoured increased weathering of sedimentary cover over the land. The material - mainly quartz and clay minerals (mostly kaolin) - was delivered from weathered basic (mainly), acidic and sedimentary rocks of the Sudetes and magmatic intrusions. The Poznań Fm mud flow cover developed as a result of an increase in elemental leaching attributed to either increasing chemical weathering of the Fore-Sudetic mountain system??? Nie wiem po co to????.

References

Dyjor, S., 1992. Evolution of sedimentation, and process of alterations of sediments in the Poznań suite in Poland. (In Polish, English summary). Acta Univ. Wratisl., 1354, Prace Geol.-Miner., 26, 3-18. Wrocław.

Dyjor, S., 1995. Evolution of the Cainozoic on the Fore-Sudetic Block. (In Polish with English summary). In: Przewodnik 66 Zjazdu PTG, 29-40. Wrocław.

Gibbard, P., Rose, J., Bridgland, D.R., 1988. The history of the great northwest European rivers during the past three million years. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, B. 318, 559-602.

mailto:[email protected]




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PALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PARATETHYS AND THE

MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE LATE BADENIAN/SERRAVALLIAN

Bartol, M.1, Mikuž, V.1,2, Horvat, A.1,2

1 Ivan Rakovec Institute of Paleontology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e-mail: [email protected]

2 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Geology, Privoz 11, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: calcareous nannoplankton, diatoms, Pereiraeia gervaisi, palaeogeography, Slovenian Corridor

IntroductionThe Slovenian Corridor, a seaway linking the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean, opened simultaneously with the formation of the Pannonian Basin System in the Carpathian at the end of the Early Miocene. It is widely assumed (e. g., Rögl, 1998; Steininger & Wessely, 2000; Harzhauser & Piller, 2007) that this corridor closed at the end of the Middle Badenian, corresponding to the boundary between 3rd order eustatic cycles TB2.4 and TB2.5 and calcareous nannoplankton biozones NN5 and NN6 (13,6 Ma). From that time onwards the Central Paratethys supposedly communicated only with the Indopacific bioprovince and the Eastern Paratethys. The results of independent studies of Middle Miocene calcareous nannoplankton (Bartol, 2009), diatoms (Horvat, 2004) and molluscs (Mikuž, 2000) in adjacent Paratethyan basins in the area of E Slovenia suggest that the communication between the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean persisted until the end of the Badenian.

Palaeogeographic implications of calcareous nannoplankton Middle Miocene nannoplankton assemblages from the W part of the Mura-Zala Basin (NE Slovenia) closely resemble contemporary Mediterranean assemblages (described in Fornaciari et al., 1996). They contain no specimens of Rhabdosphaera poculi

and Nannocorbis (Hayella) challengeri, which are present in Middle Miocene assemblages from several localities in the Eastern and Central Paratethys, but do not occur in the Mediterranean until the Late Miocene. In the Middle Miocene, discoasters are common in the Mediterranean and virtually absent in the Walbersdorf locality in the Vienna Basin (Rögl & Müller, 1976), which served as a reference point for the Central Paratethys. In contrast to this, a distinct peak in abundance of several species of discoasters was observed at the NN5/NN6 boundary in E Slovenia. The same event was recorded in Serbia (Mihajlović & Kežević, 1989) and W Slovakia (Ozdínová, 2008). The succession of biostratigraphic events above the NN5/NN6 boundary (LO of Sphenolithus heteromorphus, LCO and LO of Cyclicargolithus floridanus, FCO of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus (>7 μm), the appearance of the first scattered specimens of Calcidiscus macintyrei), observed in the Mura-Zala basin (Bartol, 2009) and several Mediterranean sites (Fornaciari et al., 1996) is identical. This parallelism is either a consequence of an active connection between the two realms or a result of a universal global trend. A comparison with ODP and DSDP reports from around the globe has shown, that only the LO of Sphenolithus heteromorphus is a globally well correlative event, while others are diachronous (or absent) in various regions even in similar latitudes. Moreover, in most sites considered outside the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean, additional biostratigraphic events were observed in the studied time interval. The above indicates that the Slovenian Corridor was


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still active during the Late Badenian. The assemblages in a particular Central Paratethys site exhibit various degrees of similarity to the Eastern Paratethys or the Mediterranean, which probably results from a complex pattern of sea currents.

The geographical distribution of Pereiraeia gervaisiDiatom assemblages from the oldest marine facies in the Krško basin (SE Slovenia) are of Upper Badenian age, which means that the Krško basin was not flooded before the beginning of the TB 2.5 cycle (Horvat, 2004). Th e mollusc assemblages of the Krško basin contain the gastropod species Pereiraea gervaisi. This species can be found in the Mediterranean and the Western Paratethys as well as the Central Paratethys, where it only occurs in sediments of Later Badenian age or younger (Mikuž, 2000). This is evidence of an active marine connection between the two realms at that particular time. The palaeogeographical distribution of this species in the Central Paratethys is restricted to its NW part. This clearly indicates that the colonization of the Central Paratethys must have taken place across the Slovenian Corridor and not through some other marine connection (e. g., the Vardar Corridor; Studencka et al., 1998).

ReferencesBartol, M., 2009. Middle Miocene calcareous

nannoplankton of NE Slovenia (western Central Paratethys). ZRC SAZU Publishing, Ljubljana, 136 pp.

Fornaciari, E., Di Stefano, A., Rio, D. & Negri, A., 1996. Middle Miocene calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy in the Mediterranean region. Micropaleontology, 42, 37-62.

Harzhauser, M. & Piller, W. E., 2007. Benchmark data of a changing sea – Paleogeography, Pleobiogeography and events in the Central Paratethys during the Miocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 253, 8-31.

Horvat, A., 2004. Middle Miocene siliceous algae of Slovenia: paleontology, stratigraphy, paleoecology, paleobiogeography. ZRC SAZU Publishing, Ljubljana, 255 pp.

Mihajlović, Đ. & Knežević, S., 1989. Calcareous nannoplankton from Badenian and Sarmatian deposits at Višnjica and Karaburma in Belgrade. Geološki anali Balkanskoga poluostrva, 53, 343-366.

Mikuž, V., 2000. Pereiraea gervaisi (Vézian) from Miocene beds south of Šentjernej in Lower Carniola. Geologija, 42, 123-140.

Ozdínová, S., 2008. Badenian calcareous nannofossils from Semerovce Sv-8 and Cifer-1 boreholes (Danube basin). Mineralia Slovaca, 40, 141-150.

Rögl, F. & Müller, C., 1976. Das Mittelmiozän und die Baden-Sarmat Grenze in Walbersdorf (Burgenland). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums Wien, 80: 221-232.

Rögl, F., 1998. Palaeogeographic considerations for Mediterranean and Paratethys Seaways (Oligocene to Miocene). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 99A, 279-310.

Steininger, F.F. & Wessely, G., 2000. From the Tethyan Ocean to the Paratethys Sea: Oligocene to Neogene stratigraphy, paleogeography and paleobiogeography to the circum-Mediterranean region and the Oligocene to Neogene basin evolution in Austria. Mitt. Österr. Geol. Ges., 92, 95-116.

Studencka, B., Gontsharova, I.A. & Popov S.V., 1998. The bivalve faunas as a basis for reconstruction of the Middle Miocene history of the Paratethys. Acta Geol. Pol. 48, 285—342.


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MORPHOLOGICAL AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE DISPERSAL OF HOMININES INTO

AFRICA IN THE LATE MIOCENE

Begun, D. R.1 & Nargolwalla, N. 1

1 University of Toronto, Department of Anthropology, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, email: [email protected], [email protected]

Keywords: Dryopithecus, Rudapithecus, Hispanopithecus

Several interpretations of the geographic origin of the African ape and human clade (hominines) are currently being debated. Most researchers support the hypothesis, first proposed by Charles Darwin, that the ancestors of the hominines first appeared in Africa. Other suggest, as did Darwin as well, that the hominine clade may have first appeared in Europe, being represented by what Darwin referred to as “the dryopithecus of Lartet.” Here we review the evidence from the comparative anatomy of fossil and living hominoids, the paleobiogeography of land mammals found in association with fossil apes from Europe and Africa and the distribution of late Miocene fossil apes, to test the African and European origins hypotheses.

The earliest hominid (great apes and humans) known from Eurasia is Griphopithecus and related thickly enameled taxa. While there is debate on the age of Griphopithecus from Turkey, the Griphopithecus-like specimen from Engelswies is clearly over 17 Ma (Heizmann & Begun 2001; Bohme et al., 2011). Between 17 and 14 Ma thickly enameled hominids are widespread in Europe, from Germany to Turkey, and are also found in Kenya, although their first appearance in Africa is about two Ma later than in Europe (Begun, 2009). These taxa, which I refer to informally as the griphopiths, are all hominid-like in dental attributes but Proconsul-like (primitive stem hominoid) postcranially. The dispersal of griphopiths into Eurasia (probably from an Afropithecus-like ancestor) is accompanied at 17-17.5 Ma by other African taxa, such as proboscideans, suids and giraffids, as well as the Pliopithecoidea, whose origin is either Asian or African. However, most of the influx of taxa into

Europe in MN5 was from Asia (Nargolwalla, 2008).

Dryopithecins (Dryopithecus, Pierolapithecus, Hispanopithecus, Rudapithecus, Neopithecus, Udabnopithecus and Ouranopithecus) first appear in the fossil record at 12.5 Ma, and most likely evolved from a griphopith. Pierolapithecus, from 11.9 Ma sediments from Barranc de Can Vila 1, in the Vallès-Penedès of Catalonia, shares characters with the African apes that appear for the first time in this taxon. These include a stepped subnasal fossa and a frontal sinus probably derived from the ethmoidal sinus. The dentition is thinly enameled and the canines are compressed, as in extant African apes. Pierolapithecus also preserves the earliest evidence of adaptations for specialized climbing, orthogrady and probably some degree of suspensory locomotion, characteristic of all modern hominoids. Other less well preserved specimens from additional localities in the Vallès-Penedès extend back to 12.5 Ma or older, and are dentally almost identical to Pierolapithecus, which in turn is most similar dentally to Dryopithecus from the Vallès-Penedès and the type locality of Saint Gaudens, France.

In the Vallesian more modern hominines appear that share additional characters with extant taxa. Hispanopithecus from Can Llobateres (Vallès-Penedès), includes a well preserved partial skeleton with well-defined highly suspensory characters of the phalanges and limb proportions. Rudapithecus, from Rudabánya (Hungary) also preserves unambiguous indications of well-developed suspensory capabilities as well as cranial evidence of affinities with the hominines. These include, in addition to the stepped subnasal fossa and ethmoid frontal sinus found in Pierolapithecus, incipient development of the brow ridges (also found in Hispanopithecus), fusion of the tympanic and articular portions of the


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temporal bone, an elongated neurocranum and a klinorhynch (ventrally deflected) face relative to the neurocranium. In Rudapithecus the brain case is sufficiently well preserved to estimate cranial capacity in two specimens. Taking body mass estimate into account, the brain of Rudapithecus is well within the range of variation of extant chimpanzees. No fossil apes known from the time interval between 13.5 and 9.8 Ma in Africa (aff. Proconsul, Samburupithecus, Chororapithecus, Nakalipithecus) have any of these features, although all but Samburupithecus are known only from isolated teeth and a lower jaw fragment.

In the fossil record of the Hominoidea, characters exclusive to extant hominoids first appear in Europe (thickly enameled teeth, modern dental proportions, suspensory adaptations, large brains). While is it true that the fossil record of hominoids in Africa is poor in the time interval of interest, suggesting that the `true`ancestor of the hominines may in fact be African and yet to be discovered, this does not account for the large number of hominine characters of the dryopithecins. In particular, the combination of numerous suspensory characters along with unusual cranial attributes strongly suggests that both the hominids (great apes and humans) and hominines first appear in Europe.

In the late Vallesian (ca. 9 Ma) significant land mammal dispersal is documented from Eurasia to Africa, including equids, suids, bovids, giraffids,

carnivores and a number of micromammals. We suggest that the ancestor of crown hominines was among the mammals entering Africa at this time, derived from a European dryopithecin.

It is obvious that we need to establish the geographic origins of the Homininae if we are to understand the ecological circumstances, and by inference, the selective pressures that led to the appearance of our clade. The recovery of more specimens, with hominine affinities, from African localities older than the earliest known hominines from Europe, will contribute to the falsification of the European origins hypothesis.

References

Begun D. R., 2009. Dryopithecins, Darwin, de Bonis, and the European origin of the African apes and human clade. Geodiversitas 31, 789-816

Böhme, M., et al. 2011. Bio-magnetostratigraphy and environment of the oldest Eurasian hominoid from the Early Miocene of Engelswies (Germany). J. Hum. Evol. 61, 332-339.

Heizmann, E. & Begun, D.R. 2001. The oldest European Hominoid. J. Hum. Evol. 41, 465-481.

Nargolwalla, M. 2008. Eurasian middle and late Miocene hominoid paleobiogeography and the geographic origins of the homininae. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Toronto, pp. 1-259


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FORAMINIFERA ASSEMBLAGES ASSOCIATED TO EARLY MIOCENE SEA-LEVEL CHANGES FROM THE NORTH-

WESTERN TRANSYLVANIAN BASIN (ROMANIA)

Beldean, C.1, Székely, S-F.1, Filipescu, S.1 & Săsăran, E.1

1 Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: Early Miocene, Transylvanian Basin, Central Paratethys, foraminifera assemblages

The Transylvanian Basin, as part of the Central Paratethys Sea underwent a continuous change in connections with the oceans. Its evolution is expressed in the preserved sedimentary sequences. Consequently the succession of fossil assemblages shows some peculiarities in relation to the sea-level changes connected to the regional evolution.

The foraminifera assemblages from the north-western part of the Transylvanian Basin are related to a major faunal change associated to Early Miocene megasequence (Krézsek & Bally, 2006). The interpretation of depositional events in the studied sections is as follows:

1. Coarse grained deposits of the Coruş Formation represents the first term of the Early Miocene transgression and preserve a typical Mediterranean assemblage of bivalves (Moisescu & Popescu 1980) in beach environments;

2. The glauconitic facies form the base of the Chechiş Formation (about 0,5-2 m thick) can be associated to the maximum flooding surface of the transgression.

3. The sedimentation continued on a narrow shelf associated with fan-deltas during the highstand. During this interval, the foraminifera assemblage became abundant and diverse. The identified calcareous benthic foraminifera are typical for the Chechiş Formation (Rusu & Popescu, 1965, Popescu, 1970, 1975) with high abundance of lagenids (Marginulina, Lenticulina, Planularia, Amphicoryna) and buliminids (Uvigerina). The agglutinated foraminifera are representative to shelf

environments with species of Spirorutilus, Vulvulina, Semivulvulina sp. Planktonic foraminifera belong to the Globigerinoides trilobus Biozone (Popescu, 1975). Similar planktonic and benthic assemblages were identified in the Lower Miocene from Austria (Rögl & Nagymarosi, 2004), which suggests open-sea connections of the Transylvanian Basin to the west.

4. Following the deposition of the Chechiş Formation the basin was filled during the remaining Early Miocene with turbidites associated to the fan deltas of the Hida Formation. In the studied area this deposits preserve lower abundance and diversity of foraminifera assemblages, mainly with agglutinated forms (Cyclammina sp., Bathysiphon sp.) and very rare calcareous benthic species. Planktonic assemblages contain small-sized trochospiral foraminifera (Tenuitella sp., Tenuitelinata sp., Globigerina dubia, Globigerina tarchanensis) associated to areas with high organic-matter supply.

Acknowledgements

This work was possible with the financial support of the Sectorial Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU 89/1.5/S/60189 with the title „Postdoctoral Programs for Sustainable Development in a Knowledge Based Society”.

References

Krézsek, C. & Bally, A.W., 2006. The Transylvanian Basin (Romania) and its relation to the Carpathian fold and thrust belt: Insights in gravitational salt tectonics. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 23, 405-42.






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Moisescu V. & Popescu, G., 1980. Chattian – Badenian biochronology in Romania by means of molluscs. Anuarul Institutului de Geologie şi Geofizică, LVI, 205-224.

Popescu, G., 1970. Foraminiferele planctonice din stratele de Hida (nord-vestul Transilvaniei). Studii şi cercetări de geologie, geofizică, geografie. Geologie, 15(1), 240-253.

Popescu, G., 1975. Études des foraminifères du Miocène inférieur et moyen du nord-ouest de la Transylvanie. Mémoires - Institut de Géologie et de Géophysique, XXIII, 1-121.

Rögl, F. & Nagymarosy, A., 2004. Biostratigraphy and correlation of the Lower Miocene Michelstetten and Ernstbrunn sections in the Waschberg Unit, Austria (Upper Egerian to Eggenburgian, Central Paratethys). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 246, 129-151.

Rusu, A. & Popescu, G., 1965. Contribuţii la stratigrafia Miocenului Inferior din nord-vestul Bazinului Transilvaniei. Studii şi cercetări de geologie, geofizică, geografie. Geologie, 10(2), 467-473.


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THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS FROM MARGINAL TO DEEP WATER SETTINGS (TERTIARY

PIEDMONT BASIN, NW ITALY): RELATIONSHIP WITH GYPSUM DEPOSITION.

Bernardi, E.1, Dela Pierre, F.1, Lozar, F.1, Violanti, D.1, Gennari, R.2 & Natalicchio, M.1

1 Torino University, Department of Earth Science, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] Parma University, Department of Earth Science, Parco Area delle Scienze 157A, 43100 Parma, Italy

Keywords: micropaleontology, foraminifers, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, gypsum facies

Introduction and geological setting

The Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB) preserves the northernmost record of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC). During the Messinian the TPB was a wide wedge top basin, developed on basement units juxtaposed during the main phases of Alpine orogenesis. The Messinian strata are presently exposed on the northern (Torino Hill and Monferrato domain) and southern (Langhe domain) basin margins and comprise pre-evaporitic muddy sediments, followed by primary sulphate evaporites of the Primary Lower Gypsum unit (PLG). The succession ends with fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine sediments with Lago Mare fossil assemblages.

The lateral transition between marginal and deep water successions (Dela Pierre et al., 2011) is preserved in this basin, emphasized by variations in facies and thickness of the Messinian sediments. This provides a well-suited case study to describe the environmental conditions in marginal, intermediate and distal settings.

In this work we focus on the pre-evaporitic sediments heralding the onset of the MSC. Quantitative micropaleontological analyses on planktonic and benthic foraminifers were performed on four sections located both in the southern margin (Govone and Pollenzo) and in northern one (Banengo and Moncalvo). The results of these studies allowed to obtain a detailed chronostratigraphic framework of the paleoenvironmental changes related to the onset of MSC in different palaeogeographic settings.

Results

Micropaleontological data show a general trend towards more impoverished assemblages in all the sections. The planktonic assemblages are well or moderately abundant and diversified in the lower part of the studied sections; upward they are dominated by stress tolerant taxa (Turborotalita quinqueloba, T. multiloba, Globigerinella spp.) indicating a stressed pelagic domain. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages show the same trend with progressive increase of stress tolerant infaunal taxa (Bolivina dilatata, B. etrusca, B. spathulata, Bulimina echinata) suggesting increase of disoxia and water column stratification. The high abundance of opportunistic taxa, related to progressive more stressed conditions, partially obliterate the paleoenvironmental signal hampering detailed paleobathimetric estimations.

The northern and southern successions are however characterized by different foraminiferal assemblages and evaporitic facies, related to different depositional conditions.

The southern margin of TPB

At Pollenzo and Govone pre-evaporitic sediments consist of a rhythmic alternation of laminated shale-homogeneous marl couplets. The lithologic cyclicity is mirrored by regular fluctuation in microbiological assemblages, testifying to the influence of precession-controlled climate changes. An open marine pelagic environment is documented by plankton-dominated assemblages. Detailed biomagnetostratigraphic studies carried out at Govone has been used as the starting point for the astrochronological calibration to 65°N summer insolation and precession indexes of the La2004 solution (Laskar et al., 2004) and



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for correlation with other Mediterranean reference sections.

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages typical of outer shelf (Pollenzo) and upper slope (Govone) palaeoenvironment generally do not contain shallow water taxa, testifying deposition in open marine settings; They are dominated by taxa adapted to high nutrient availability and poorly oxigenated bottom water conditions (Melonis spp., Cibicidoides spp., Uvigerina peregrina, Hanzawaia boueana).

The onset of the MSC in these sections is not recorded by gypsum deposition and is placed in a muddy succession (the deep water counterpart of the PLG unit) without lithological evidence of this oceanographic event. The gypsum precipitation starts later than in marginal settings: the gypsum layers are represented by laminated beds that become thinner and richer in a terrigenous component toward deeper settings.

The northern margin of TPB

In the Banengo and Moncalvo sections the precession-controlled cyclicity is very poorly expressed from both the lithological and microbiological point of view. Detailed cyclostratigraphic correlations are thus hampered. However the presence of some foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil taxa characteristics of Messinian assemblages (B. echinata, T. quinqueloba, T. multiloba; A. primus, A. delicatus) allow to constrain the time interval immediately preceding the onset of MSC. The P/(P+B) ratio is very low and the benthic assemblages are dominated by shallow water epiphytic taxa (Elphidium spp., Rosalina spp., Discorbis spp., Glabratella spp.). Siliceous spicules and microscleres of Demosponges are also abundant.

Micropaleontological data indicate deposition in a shallow water setting, probably on inner-outer shelf bottoms. The PLG unit is characterized by thick beds (from 20 to 50 m) of massive and banded selenite, comparable to gypsum facies described in other sections of the Mediterranean basin (Lugli et al., 2010).

References

Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M. & Violanti, D. (2011) - The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeogeogr.,Palaeoclim.,Palaeoecol.,310, 238-255.

Laskar, J., Robutel, P., Gastineau, M., Correia, A.C.M. & Levrard B. (2004) - A long term numerical solution for the insolation quantities of the Earth. Astron. Astrophys. 428, 261– 285.

Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri & M., Schreiber, B.C., 2010. The Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: a new facies interpretation for the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol., 297, 83–99.


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MIOCENE PALAEO-ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS

Böhme, M.

University Tübingen (Germany), Institute for Geoscience, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen, email: [email protected]

The reconstructions of continental palaeo-environments based on fossils play an important role in geoscientific research and publicity.

In research because environmental parameters involving biotic (evolution, ecosystem function, biodiversity, etc.) and abiotic (climate, landscape, erosion, etc.) processes, which interactions are basic objects of geo-research. In publicity, because the transfer of palaeo-environmental knowledge require and produce reconstructions at different states of complexity. Despite of rational approaches, palaeoenvironmental reconstructions produce images and by this transport our subjectivity.

Based on historic and actual examples from continental Miocene of Europe the lecture will illustrate recent advances in this field and argue in favour of four theses, all of them restrain the efforts of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. 1) The fossil record display commonly time-averaging, 2) past environments could have changed fast, 3) different preservation potential of plants and animals bias reconstructions, and 4) the basinal setting of fossiliferous sediments strongly bias our understanding of continental environmental evolution during the Neogene.


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HOLOCENE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE NW BLACK SEA

Briceag, A.1, Stoica, M.2, Melinte-Dobrinescu, M. C.1 & Oaie, G.1

1 National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] University of Bucharest, Department of Geology, 1st Nicolae Balcescu Bld., Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Ostracods; Foraminifera; Calcareous nannoplankton; sea-level fluctuation.

During Holocene times, the Black Sea basin suffered a major shift from a brackish water environment to a marine one. There are two main hypotheses regarding the Holocene Black Sea sea-level rising: catastrophic and gradual. The scenario concerning the catastrophic flooding of the Black Sea was advanced by Ryan et al. (1997), attracting the greatest attention and arousing a great deal of controversy and further research. Another scenario, agreed by many scientists (Panin, 1997; Görür et al., 2001 and Yanko-Hombach et al., 2007), indicates that no catastrophic flooding of the Black Sea has occurred, and the Neoeuxinian Lake gradually transformed into a marine basin. This work is focused on the fluctuation in composition and abundance of microfaunas (foraminifera and ostracoda) and nannofloras (calcareous nannoplankton), encountered in several drillings performed in the Romanian Black Sea shelf area.

In the Holocene deposits of the Black Sea, Ross and Degens (1974) recorded three stratigraphic units (from young to old): Unit I (the microlaminated coccolith ooze, deposited under marine conditions), Unit II (the sapropel mud, corresponding to a brackish, anoxic phase), and Unit III (the lacustrine lutite deposited during the freshwater or oligohaline stage).

Based on the lithological and sedimentological, as well as microfaunal and nannofloral changes, we identified in the deepest analysed core, situated at 200 m water depth, two lithological units, respectively the youngest Unit I (Coccolithic Mud) and the oldest Unit III (Lacustrine lutite). Between them there is

an erosional surface and Unit II is missing. From a lithological point of view, the investigated cores are mainly characterized by the deposition of a grey mud, alternating with thin cm sands and coquina layers; mainly broken shells of molluscs, such as Modiolus and Mytilus, together with small gastropods, are present. A detailed lithology of the investigated cores was published by Oaie & Melinte-Dobrinescu (2010).

Based on the microfaunal and nannofloral assemblages, we identified two distinct assemblages:

(i) The base of the core is characterised by a brackish or even lacustrine ostracod assemblage, with a high diversity of taxa and by the absence of foraminifera and very scarce calcareous nannoplankton (the few occurrences, most probably are reworked). In this interval, the most abundant ostracod species are represented by taxa belonging to Candonidae and Loxoconchidae. In the lower part of the core, we assume that a lowering of temperature took place due to the occurrence of the ostracod Fabaeformis candona. This assemblage tolerates a salinity comprised between 3-8 ‰.

(ii) In the upper part of the core there is a shift from the lacustrine assemblage to a marine one, as indicated by the presence of ostracods with Mediterranean origin (i.e., Hiltermannicythere rubra) and by a bloom of the calcareous nannoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi. Notably, foraminiferal species occurs (i.e., Ammonia spp.), with a very high abundance, but showing a low diversity, The ostracods from this assemblage tolerate salinities comprised between 17-21 ‰ and characterise a sublitoral environment. The occurrence of this






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type of microfaunal association is indicative for the Late Holocene reconnection of the Black Sea with the Mediterranean.

Besides the above-described core of deeper part of NW Black Sea, several cores from a very shallow setting (water depth between 12 and 60 m) were analysed. Our investigations indicate that, above the fresh-water clays of Unit III (sensu Ross and Degens, 1974), which is the single lithological unit recognised both in shallow and deep marine environment of the Black Sea, a layer that contains fresh-water, brackish and marine molluscs was deposited. Above this level, blooms of the calcareous nannoplankton species Braarudosphaera bigelowii, followed by blooms of Emiliania huxleyi, were recorded. In the youngest deposits of marine Unit I of Ross & Degens (1974), as well as in its shallower correspondent (i.e., the Shallow Unit, sensu Giunta et al., 2007), the calcareous nannofloras contain almost exclusively (above 95 %) Emiliania huxleyi (Melinte-Dobrinescu & Briceag, 2011). The increasing abundance of Emiliania huxleyi (the dominant calcareous nannoplankton species in contemporaneous assemblages of the Black Sea) slightly preceded the occurrence of marine microfaunas on the Romanian Black Sea shelf.

The fluctuation in the composition of the microfaunal assemblages and calcareous nannoplankton suggests a progressive salinity increase in the Black Sea during Holocene times, from a brackish setting to a marine one. This observation is true, in our opinion, only for deeper parts of the Black Sea (with water depth below 200 m), while in a very shallow marine setting of the basin a rapid salinity increasing could be assumed. In Late Holocene times, stable marine conditions established, with salinity close to nowadays, allowing the proliferation of marine microfaunal and nannofloral assemblages, characterised by high abundance, but low diversity, a feature that is still present nowadays in the Romanian Black Sea shelf.

References

Giunta, S., Morigi, C., Negri, A., Guichard, F., Lericolais, G., 2007. Holocene biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental changes in the Black Sea based on calcareous nannoplankton. Marine Micropaleontology 63, 91-110.

Görür, N., Çagatay, M.N., Emre, Ö.B., Alpar, M., Sakinç, Y., Islamoglu, O., Algan, T., Erkal, M., Keçer, M., Akkök, R., Karlik, G., 2001. Is the abrupt drowning of the Black Sea shelf at 7150 yr BP a myth? Marine Geology 176, 65–73.

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C., Briceag, A., 2011. Holocene calcareous nannoplankton in the inner shelf of the NW Black Sea. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 7, 238-248.

Oaie, G., Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C., 2010. Holocene litho- and biostratigraphy of the NW Black Sea (Romanian shelf ). Quaternary International 261,146-155.

Panin, N., 1997. On the geomorphologic and geologic evolution of the river Danube - Black Sea interaction zone. GeoEcoMarina 2, 31-40.

Ross, D.A., Degens, E.T. 1974. Recent sediments of the Black Sea. In: Degens E.T. and Ross D.A. (Eds.), The Black Sea: Geology, Chemistry, and Biology. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 183-199.

Ryan, W.B.F., Pitman, W.C., Major, C.O., Shimkus, K., Moskalenko, V., Jones, G.A., Dimitrov, P., Görür, N., Sakinç, M. & Yücel, H. 1997. An abrupt drowning of the Black Sea shelf. Marine Geology: 138, 119-126.

Yanko-Hombach, V., Gilbert, A.S., Panin, N. & Dolukhanov, P.M. (Eds.), 2007. The Black Sea Flood Question: Changes in Coastline, Climate and Human Settlement. Springer, Dordrecht, 971 pp.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235964%232007%23999369998%23647866%23FLA%23&_cdi=5964&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000037459&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1492585&md5=c9746ba1a6804fbffed544e4627eecd8


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BADENIAN SALT SEDIMENTATION IN THE CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP BASIN (POLAND) BASED ON GEOCHEMICAL AND

ISOTOPIC RESEARCH

Bukowski, K.

AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environment Protection, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Miocene, evaporites, rock salt, geochemistry, stable isotopes, Central Paratethys

One of the distinct changes of the paleoenvironment in the past dozen of millions of years that has not been studied adequately is the Badenian salinity crisis. During that crisis, a complex of climatic, environmental and geological conditions caused the occurrence of a continuous series of evaporate deposits on a large area of Central and Southern Europe. The goal of the present study is to build a reliable model of the saline basin development. The western part of the Carpathian Foredeep (southern Poland) was selected for detailed studies. The research area is located along the present-day edge of the Carpathians, between Rybnik in the west and Dębica in the east (Bukowski 2011).The geochemical study results as the studies of the bromine content in halite, chemistry of fluid inclusions, isotopic composition of stable isotopes of oxygen and sulphur from anhydrites occurring in the salt series, and isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen in fluid inclusions were used for drawing conclusions on the origin of brine and access of continental waters as essential components of chloride facies evaporate sedimentation. Salt crystallization in the studied area was initiated in the sea basin containing water whose chemical composition was similar to present-day ocean water. During halite crystallization, the saline basin was supplied with seawater of normal salinity, as well as meteoric water (infiltration and surface water) mixing with basin’s brine. The water entering the basin caused partial solution and redeposition of salt from shallow and marginal parts of the salt basin. The analysis of the present-day range of the evaporate

facies in the western part of the Carpathian Foredeep clearly indicates a direct relationship between the intensity and type of evaporate sedimentation and the morphology of pre-Badenian substrate, reflecting the existence of several morphologic thresholds in the substrate. The respective elevations produced shallow areas on which sulphate crystallization occurred, and moreover, the elevations divided the saline basin into a number of smaller basins. Such thresholds produced barriers that made the flow of heavy saturated brine between particular basin sections difficult. The supply of terrigenous material, the traces of dissolved salt and of volcanic activity indicate that the observed cycle of salt series formation was caused by tectonic phenomena. Halite precipitation from brine delaminated in respect of density occurred in deeper parts of the basin during the periods of tectonic peace. Periodic episodes of tectonic intensity on the edges of the saline basin relocated the deposits from marginal sections of the salt pan and salt mud flat.

References

Bukowski, K., 2011. Badenian saline sedimentation between Rybnik and Dębica based on geochemical, isotopic and radiometric research (in Polish with English summary), Dissertation Monographs 236, 1-184, AGH University of Science and Technology Press, Krakow


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DEEP-SEA RECORD OF MEDITERRANEAN MESSINIAN EVENTS (DREAM)

Camerlenghi, A.1, deLange, G.2, Flecker, R.3, Garcia-Castellanos, D.4, Hübscher, C.5, Krijgsman, W.2, Lofi, J.6, Lugli, S.7, McGenity, T.8, Manzi, V.7, Panieri, G. 9, Rabineau, M.10,

Roveri, M.7 & Sierro, F.J.11

1 ICREA and University of Barcelona, Spain, e-mail:[email protected] Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK, e-mail: [email protected] ICTJA - CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, e-mail: [email protected] 5 Institute of Geophysics, University of Hamburg, Germany, e-mail: [email protected] Géosciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2, France, e-mail: [email protected] 7 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra - Università degli Studi di Parma, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, UK, e-mail: [email protected] MCNR-ISMAR, Bologna, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] Domaines océaniques, University of Brest, e-mail: [email protected] 11 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Salamanca, Spain, email:[email protected]

Keywords: multiple-site drilling, evaporite, Chikyu, Joides Resolution, MSP 5-6

The discovery of the Messinian evaporites in the Mediterranean is probably one of the major achievements of the DSDP program. Following Leg XIII in 1970, the first fascinating, although debated, Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) scenario has been proposed. During the 40 years that have passed since the formulation of this scenario, many works have been dedicated to this event. Analysis of the onshore outcrops, of offshore seismic records and scattered samples from DSDP and ODP drillings, as well as the substantial effort of climate, chemical and geophysical modelling, have however not been able to provide a unified conclusive interpretation of the Messinian event. More than 1800 scientific publications have been produced, about 900 of which only in the last 10 years, but the Messinian event still remains one of the longest-living controversy in Earth Science. Timing, causes and chronology of the MSC are not yet fully understood, although different scenarii have been proposed to explain in details the modalities of this catastrophic event.

Certainly, the ongoing discussion about not fully

conclusive interpretations are mainly linked to the fact that so far, due to technical limitations and safety issues (non-riser drilling vessel), only the few upper meters of the deep buried basin sequence has been recovered. The greater part of the Messinian succession that could provide a unique entire record of the MSC still lacks lithological and stratigraphical calibrations.

In 2007 a deep revision of the knowledge of the Messinian event was performed in Almeria (Spain) which produced the document: The Messinian Salinity Crisis from mega-deposits lo microbiology - A Consensus report, 2008. N° 33 in CIESM Workshop Monographs (F. Briand Ed.), 168 pages, Monaco. A number of open question were identified and the need for ultra-deep drilling was stressed as: “… effort must be made to identify drill sites that intersect the most complete evaporite sequences and those that retain their sedimentological characteristics, i.e. avoiding successions that have been strongly modified by salt flow”. In addition, many researchers suggested that, the full understanding of the Messinian event, will come from the drilling of different depositional settings, with specific emphasis on the Western versus Eastern basins.


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In this context, the DREAM proposal has been submitted to the MagellanPlus Workshop Series Program, designed to support European and Canadian scientists in developing new and innovative science proposals for submission to IODP and ICDP.

The purpose of DREAM is to organise in spring 2013 a workshop gathering three generations of scientists (those who participated in the discovery, those who are presently actively involved in research, and the next generation) in order to identify locations for multiple-site drilling (including riser-drilling) in the Mediterranean Sea that would allow to solve the several open questions still existing about the causes, processes, timing and consequence at local and planetary scale of a outstanding case of natural environmental change in the recent Earth history: the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC).

The product of the workshop will be the identification of the embryonic structure of an experimental design of site characterization, riser-less an riser drilling, sampling, measurements, and down-hole experiments that will be the core for at least one compelling and feasible scientific proposal. Particular focus will be given to reviewing seismic site survey data available from different research groups at pan-Mediterranean basin scale, and on the need for additional site survey activity including 3D seismics.

This project opens the perspective of a new intellectual and scientific adventure that we expect to be as rich and exciting as the discovery of the MSC event was.


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THE RANGE AND EXTENT OF THE VALLESIAN CRISIS IN ITS TYPE AREA

Casanovas-Vilar, I.1, Van den Hoek Ostende, L.W. 2, Furió, M. 1 & Madern, P.A.1,2

1 Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: palaeodiversity, micromammals, Late Miocene, Vallès-Penedès basin, Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula.

The analysis of patterns and trends in past diversity always has to deal with the undesirable biases that the very nature of the fossil record may introduce. Such record is uneven, so both the temporal spacing of the sites and their quality varies. Quite often the richest or better sampled sites (or time intervals) show a greater diversity than less well known ones simply because many more rare taxa are recovered. Therefore, a single peak in the quality of the record would exaggerate the recorded diversity as well as origination and extinction rates. Robust diversity estimates must assess such biases either by excluding those taxa know from just one single site or time interval which is supposed to be better sampled, or by taking into account the sample size recovered in each locality and the probability of sampling a particular taxon in subsequent localities.

Here we analyze the effects of the quality of the small mammal record in our understanding of the Vallesian Crisis, an important turnover event said to have affected European mammal faunas by the beginning of the Late Miocene. The Vallesian Crisis was initially recognized as a local event which implied the extinction of certain rodent and artiodactyl genera coinciding with the early/late Vallesian boundary (at 9.7 Ma; Agustí et al., 1984). Following works increased the range and extent of this event to encompass all Europe and involve a great number of mammal taxa (e.g. Agustí and Moyà-Solà, 1991; Fortelius & Hokkanen, 2001). Here we analyze the Vallesian rodent and insectivore record of the Vallès-Penedès basin (Catalonia, Spain), where the crisis

was first recognized. We show that the quality of the record before the crisis is comparatively much better than afterwards so diversity appears inflated and extinction rates are overemphasized. Accordingly, we used the probability of sampling a given taxon (following Barry et al., 2002 as modified by Van der Meulen et al., 2005) as well as rarefaction to calculate new diversity measures independent of sample size. These measures virtually eliminate the Vallesian Crisis, showing that diversity somehow decreased during the earliest late Vallesian and soon recovered afterwards. This is because it cannot be discarded that several rare taxa, customarily said to have disappeared during the crisis, are in fact present. Amongst the rodents and insectivores these taxa include genera that are generally rare and show a discontinuous record during the early Vallesian. These are presumed specialists adapted to humid forested environments such as flying squirrels, beavers or certain dormice, most of them being only recorded when the sample size is large enough. Some of them are in de facto present in a few late Vallesian sites, thus supporting our interpretation. Alternatively, these genera may have been associated to very specific habitats which, for an unknown reason, are not sampled during the late Vallesian. Our results cast serious doubts on the very existence of the Vallesian Crisis suggesting that rather than an abrupt event a series of extinctions occurred during a longer time span. It has not been evaluated whether the same pattern is observed in the case of large mammals and in other areas, however, previous approaches have generally omitted the bias introduced by the quality of the record and, as shown here they may importantly affect the calculations.


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References

Agustí, J., Moyà-Solà, S., 1991. Spanish Neogene Mammal succession and its bearing on continental biochronology. Newsl. Strat. 25, 91-114.

Agustí, J., Moyà-Solà, S., Gibert, J., 1984. Mammal distribution dynamics in the eastern margin of the Iberian Peninsula during the Miocene. Paléobiol. Cont. 14, 33-46.

Barry, J.C., Morgan, M.E., Flynn, L.L., Pilbeam, D., Behrensmeyer, A.K., Mahmood Raza, S., Khan, I.A., Badgley, C., Hicks, J., Kelley, J., 2002. Faunal and environmental change in the Late Miocene Siwaliks of Northern Pakistan. Paleobiology 28 (supp. to num. 2), 1-71.

Fortelius, M., Hokkanen, A., 2001. The trophic context of hominoid occurrence in the later Miocene of western Eurasia: a primate-free view. In: De Bonis, L., Koufos, G.D., Andrews, P. (Eds.), Hominoid Evolution and climatic change in Europe. Volume 2: Phylogeny of Neogene Primates of Eurasia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 19-47.

Van Dam, J.A., Abdul Aziz, H., Álvarez Sierra, M.A., Hilgen, F.J., Van den Hoek Ostende, L.W., Lourens, L.J., Mein, P., Van der Meulen, A.J., Pélaez-Campomanes, P. 2006. Long-period astronomical forcing of mammal turnover. Nature 443, 687-691.


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ACINONYX PARDINENSIS (CROIZET ET JOBERT, 1828) FROM THE EARLY PLEISTOCENE OF PANTALLA (CENTRAL ITALY)

Cherin, M.1, Iurino, D.2 & Sardella R.2

1 Università di Perugia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazza Università, 06123 Perugia, Italye-mail: [email protected] “Sapienza” Università di Roma, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: Acinonyx pardinensis, cheetah, fossil mammals, Italy, Villafranchian

From the Early Pleistocene locality of Pantalla (about 30 km S to Perugia, central Italy) abundant remains of Late Villafranchian continental mammals, mostly represented by well-preserved skulls, were discovered. The site is located in the southwestern branch of the Tiber Basin, a wide intermontane basin that was filled by clastic (lacustrine, palustrine and fluvial) and carbonate (travertines sensu lato) deposits since the early Late Pliocene (Basilici, 1997).

The Pantalla mammal fauna has been recovered in 1995 from a 15 m thick stratigraphic succession referred to the Early Pleistocene Santa Maria di Ciciliano Unit. Two fossil-bearing levels have been identified: the lower one is represented by fluvial silty sands interpreted as crevasse-splay deposits; the upper one by silty clays interpreted as a drained paleosol (Gentili et al., 1997).

The Late Villafranchian mammal assemblage from Pantalla can be referred to the Olivola/Tasso Faunal Units (~ 1.8-1.7 Ma) of the biochronological scale and includes the following taxa: Apodemus cf. A. dominans, Canis etruscus, Lynx issiodorensis, Acinonyx pardinensis, Sus cf. S. strozzii, Axis nestii, Cervidae indet. (big form); Leptobos aff. L. furtivus, Equus sp., Mammuthus cf. M. meridionalis.

The present study is focused on the giant cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis from Pantalla, that is represented by two complete crania (SBAU 337624 and 337648) and a left hemimandible (SBAU 337627).

The crania show a very good state of preservation, even

if they have been deformed during the diagenesis, as they have been plastically translated on the lateral side (right side for 337624 and left side for 337648).

The specimens are very similar, both morphologically and morphometrically. In lateral view, they appear quite domed and antero-posteriorly compressed. This is commonly considered a cheetah-like character (Spassov, 2011). The braincase is very wide respect to total length, and bulkier than in Panthera. In particular, both crania show a strong bulging of the posterior part of the frontals. This character has been pointed out as a synapomorphy of the closely related genera Acinonyx, Puma and Uncia, but is particularly strong in Acinonyx (Spassov, 2011). Even if the nasal cavities have been slightly deformed and narrowed during the diagenesis, they look very wide in anterior view, as in the extant cheetah. Typical cheetah-like characters are also recognizable in the upper teeth: canines are small and stout; cheek teeth are very close one another, as it normally occurs in big cats with short skulls (Acinonyx and Puma); P4 is characterized by the strong reduction of the protocone, as typical for both extant and extinct cheetahs (e.g., Viret, 1954; Martin et al., 1977; O’Regan, 2002; Spassov, 2011).

337627 resembles a typical cheetah mandible in all its morphological characters: it is short and slender on the whole; in dorsal view, the long axis of the condyle is inclined respect to the horizontal branch; the symphysis and the diastema are very short; the lower canine is short and stout; the cheek teeth show the peculiar “fleur-de-lis” morphology; in occlusal view, cheek teeth are so close one another to appear partially overlapped, as described for A. pardinensis from Perrier-Ètouaries (Schaub, 1949) and Saint Vallier (Viret, 1954).


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For a more detailed analysis of these fossils, three-dimensional images were obtained using CT scans and a Diagnostic Medical Imaging Software. Imaging of serial planes through an object (tomography) allows to study both the inside and outside of 3D fossils (Sutton, 2008); in this way, it is possible to obtain a wealth of paleontological information that otherwise it would not be possible to obtain with conventional methods of investigation. In the present work, 3D analysis was divided in two phases: firstly, a targeted analysis of the objects’ internal structures (morphology of the tooth roots, internal anatomy of the cranium, shape of the inner ear, taphonomic information) was carried out; secondly, the three specimens were modelled using a 3D graphic software for restoring their natural morphology. The hemimandible was cloned and mirrored, in order to reconstruct with good approximation the whole mandible. The latter was finally articulated with 337624 to show the possible aspect of a complete A. pardinensis skull.

Fossil remains of cheetah are quite rare in Europe, and sufficiently complete cranial material has been described only from Saint Vallier, France (Viret, 1954), Untermassfeld, Germany (Hemmer, 2001), and Montopoli, Italy (Ficcarelli, 1984). For this reason, the new remains from Pantalla are of great importance because they offer the opportunity to deepen the knowledge on the cranial anatomy of this carnivore.

Because of the scarce fossil material, the history of cheetahs in Europe is still unclear. Hemmer et al. (2008) propose to place the European cheetahs within the macrospecies A. pardinensis, that has been represented by three successive subspecies during the Plio-Pleistocene: A. p. pardinensis (Cr. et Job., 1828), for the late Pliocene-early Early Pleistocene; A. p. pleistocaenicus (Zdansky, 1925) for the late Early Pleistocene (Epivillafranchian); A. p. intermedius (Thenius, 1954), for the Middle Pleistocene.

The giant cheetah was a specialized hunter adapted to open spaces, a top predator in the Eurasian terrestrial ecosystems and, as pointed out by Hemmer et al. (2011), A. pardinensis could be considered a top carcass producer, a very important source of food for other mammal species.

References

Basilici, G., 1997. Sedimentary facies in an extensional and deep-lacustrine depositional system: the Pliocene Tiberino Basin, Central Italy. Sedimentary Geology, 109, 73-94.

Gentili, S., Ambrosetti, P., Argenti, P., 1997. Large carnivores and other mammal fossils from the early alluvial plain of the Tiberino Basin (Pantalla, Central Italy). Preliminary reports. Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 36, 233-240.

Ficcarelli, G., 1984. The Villafranchian cheetahs from Tuscany and remarks on the dispersal and evolution of the genus Acinonyx. Palaeontographia Italica, 73, 94-103.

Hemmer, H., 2001: Die Feliden aus dem Epivillafranchium von Untermassfeld. In: Kahlke, R.-D. (Ed.), Das Pleistozän von Untermassfeld bei Meiningen (Thüringen), Teil 3. Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz, 40 (3), 699-782.

Hemmer, H., Kahlke, R.D., Keller, T., 2008. Geparde im Mittelpleistozän Europas: Acinonyx pardinensis (sensu lato) intermedius (Thenius, 1954) aus den Mosbach-Sanden (Wiesbaden, Hessen, Deutschland). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 249 (3): 345-356.

Hemmer, H., Kahlke, R.D., Vekua, A.K., 2011. The cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) s.l. at the hominin site of Dmanisi (Georgia) - A potential prime meat supplier in Early Pleistocene ecosystems. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30: 2703-2714.

Martin, L.D., Gilbert, B.M., Adams D.B., 1977. A cheetah-like cat in the North American Pleistocene. Science, 195 (4282), 981-982.

O’Regan, H., 2002. Defining cheetahs, a multivariate analysis of skull shape in big cats. Mammal Review, 32 (1), 58-62.

Schaub, S., 1949. Revision de quelques carnassiers villafranchiens du Niveau des Etouaries (Montagne de Perrier, Puy-de-Dôme). Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 42, 492-506.


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Spassov, N., 2011. Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert) remains from the Middle Villafranchian locality of Varshets (Bulgaria) and the Plio-Pleistocene history of the cheetahs in Eurasia. Estudios Geológicos, 67 (2), 245-253.

Sutton, M.K., 2008. Tomographic techniques for the study of exceptionally preserved fossils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 275 (1643), 1587-1593.

Viret, M.J., 1954. Le loess a bancs durcis de Saint-Vallier (Drôme) et sa faune de mammifères villafranchiens. Nouvelles Archives du Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de Lyon, 4, 1-195.


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CONSTRAINING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (ADANA BASIN, TURKEY)

Cosentino, D.1, Cipollari, P.1, Darbaş, G.2, Gliozzi, E.1, Grossi, F.1, Gürbüz, K.3, Nazik, A.3 & Radeff, G.1

1 Roma Tre University, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 L.go S. Leonardo Murialdo, I-00146 Rome, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 2 Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bolümü, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi, Avşar Kampüsü, 46100 - Kahramanmaraş Turkey, e-mail: [email protected] Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bolümü, Çukurova Üniversitesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi Maden Mühendisliği Bölümü 01330 Balcalı Adana, Turkey, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: late Messinian, Messinian Erosional Surface, Lower Evaporites, Resedimented Lower Gypsum, Lago-Mare biofacies

Introduction

The Messinian salinity crisis (MSC), which happened between 5.96 and 5.33 Ma, affected both deep and marginal basins in the Mediterranean area. In the offshore domains of the Mediterranean Basin differences in the organization of the MSC seismic markers have been shown between western and eastern realms (Lofi et al., 2011). In the western Mediterranean realm, the Messinian “trilogy”, including the Lower Unit (LU), the Mobile Unit (MU), and the Upper Unit (UU) was recognized throughout all the deep basins (Lofi et al., 2011) and was speculatively compared with the MSC deposits in Sicily. On the contrary, on the seismic profiles of the eastern Mediterranean Basin the three Messinian seismic units (LU, MU, and UU) have not been identified (Lofi et al., 2011), suggesting differences in the organization of the MSC deposits in western and eastern Mediterranean sub-basins.

The MSC in the eastern Mediterranean Basin

The easternmost MSC deposits of the Mediterranean Basin have been recently signalled in the onshore Adana Basin, southern Turkey (Darbas and Nazik, 2010; Cosentino et al., 2010; Cipollari et al., in press). The MSC affected southern Turkey in marginal basins connected with the late Miocene evolution

of the Taurus Mountains and the more external Kyrenia Range and Misis Mountains. The Adana Basin, which developed as a Miocene episutural basin in a tectonically active area of the easternmost Mediterranean region, is one of the best onshore basins of southern Turkey for exposing the effects of the MSC.

According to the Neogene stratigraphy of the Adana Basin as for the literature, the Messinian stage is recorded either within the lower part of the Handere Fm or by the Adana group. The base of the Handere Fm, or conversely the base of the Adana group, which according to the authors corresponds to the base of the Messinian stage, rests conformably on the Tortonian Kuzgun Fm. Accordingly, Messinian gypsum beds related to the MSC are signalled either in the Handere Fm (Gökkuyu Mbr) or at the top of the Adana group. Following both the results of a field work carried recently out on the Handere Fm and the preliminary results of the micropaleontological analyses, the Handere Fm should be emended at least for its chronostratigraphic significance.

In the western part of the basin (Karayayla and Topçu sections), a cyclical succession of anhydrites and black shales record the main evaporative event of the Mediterranean (Primary Lower Gypsum). In the Karayayla section the anhydrites with black shales seem to lie conformably on pre-evaporitic Messinian marls. Most gypsum deposits that crop out in different sections of the Adana Basin (Topçu, Tepeçaylak, Gökkuyu, Adana, etc.) pertain to a unit characterized by Resedimented Lower Gypsum. The base of this unit










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corresponds to a spectacular erosional surface cutting down to either the Primary Lower Gypsum (Topçu section) or the pre-evaporitic Tortonian-early Messinian deposits (Gökkuyu and Adana sections). This erosional surface correlates with the MES of the Mediterranean area. The Resedimented Lower Gypsum of the Adana section contains Cyprideis sp. and Loxoconcha mülleri, which pertain to the Messinian early-Lago-Mare biofacies (L. mülleri Zone). A younger erosional surface (MES2) affects the Messinian succession of the Adana Basin. Above the MES2 a continental unit consisting mainly of fluvial coarse-grained deposits lies unconformably on Primary Lower Gypsum (Karayayla), Resedimented Lower Gypsum (Topçu, Tepeçaylak, Adana), and pre-evaporitic marls (Gökkuyu). Some fine-grained intercalations both at the base and at the top of those mainly channelised fluvial deposits contain ostracods with Paratethyan affinities pertaining to the Messinian late-Lago-Mare biofacies (Loxocorniculina djafarovi Zone). Although they are considered Pliocene in age, these findings allow us to refer to the latest Messinian Lago-Mare event the thick fluvial conglomerates pertaining to the Handere Fm.

The geohistory of the Adana Basin, as reconstructed by using seismic profiles and well logs, shows an increase in the subsidence rate at about 5.59 Ma, during the deposition of the Resedimented Lower Gypsum. It corresponds to a period of increased sedimentation rate right after the drawdown of the Mediterranean base level and the formation of the MES. In the Adana Basin, a major increase in subsidence rate is recorded at about 5.45 Ma, above the MES2, with the deposition of up to 1.6 km of fluvial deposits (conglomerates and marls of the Handere Fm).

Conclusions

Although in the offshore seismic profiles of the eastern Mediterranean Basin the organization of the MSC deposits is quite different from the western one (Lofi et al., 2011), no major differences were figure out between the MSC deposits of the Adana Basin and other marginal basins of the Mediterranean area. The general organization of the MSC deposits cropping out in the easternmost Mediterranean

region (Adana Basin) shows the occurrence of deposits related with the main Messinian stages of the MSC: 1) Primary Lower Gypsum; 2) Halite; 3) Resedimented Lower Gypsum; 4) Lago-Mare deposits. In the Adana Basin, the same organization of the outcropping MSC deposits were recognized on the seismic profiles crossing the basin.

References

Cipollari, P., Cosentino, D., Radeff, G., Schildgen, T. F., Faranda, C., Grossi, F., Gliozzi, E., Smedile, A., Gennari, R., Darbaş, G., Dudas, F. Ö., Gürbüz, K., Nazik, A., Echtler, H.P. 2012. Easternmost Mediterranean evidence of the Zanclean flooding event and subsequent surface uplift: Adana Basin, southern Turkey. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Publ. 372,

Cosentino, D., Darbaş, G., Gürbüz, K. 2010. The Messinian salinity crisis in the marginal basins of the peri-Mediterranean orogenic systems: examples from the central Apennines (Italy) and the Adana Basin (Turkey). Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 12, EGU2010-2462, 2010. EGU General Assembly 2010.

Darbaş, G., Nazik, A., 2010. Micropaleontology and paleoecology of the Neogene sediments in the Adana Basin (South of Turkey). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 39, 136-147.

Lofi, J., Devérchère, J., Gaullier, V., Gillet, H., Gorini, C., Guennoc, P., Loncke, L., Maillard, A., Sage, F., I. Thinon, 2011. Atlas of the Messinian seismic markers in the Mediterranean and Black seas, Mém. Soc. géol. fr., n.s., 179, and World Geological map Commission, 72p.


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MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF BADENIAN/SARMATIAN (EARLY SERRAVALLIAN) BOUNDARY POSITION IN

THE EASTERN CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP (POLAND): PRELIMINARY REPORT

Czapowski, G.1, Gąsiewicz, A.1, Bukowski, K.2, Chang, L.3, De Leeuw, A.3, Gaździcka, E.1, Krijgsman, W.3, Paruch-Kulczycka, J.1, Sant, K.3 & Studencka, B.4

1 Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail (corresponding author): [email protected] Museum University of Mining and Metallurgy, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Paleomagnetic Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail (corresponding author): [email protected] Museum of the Earth in Warsaw, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Na Skarpie 20/26, 00-488 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Late Miocene, Badenian-Sarmatian boundary, Central Paratehtys-Polish Carpathian Foredeep

The boundary between the Badenian and the Sarmatian (B/S) stages in the Paratethys area is associated with a major turnover in faunal assemblage, defined as the Badenian-Sarmatian Extinction Event (BSEE - Harzhauser & Piller, 2007). There is a controversy as to the cause of the B/S in the semi-isolated Paratethys Sea and most probably is related to isolation of the Eastern Paratethys from ocean water.

The Upper Badenian to the Lower Sarmatian (Late Serravallian stage – Piller et al., 2007) marine succession (Machów Fm), up to 3 km thick in the Central Paratethys area (Polish part of Carpathian Foredeep – Fig. 1) is underlain by the widespread evaporate series. The succession consists of monotonous fine siliciclastics (dominantly clays to silts) with varying amounts of carbonate fraction. The siliciclastics are locally interbedded by thin to thick, fine to medium sand lenses and thin volcanoclastic material (tuffite) both dispersed or concentrated as locally correlatable layers. The Badenian-Sarmatian deposits were deposited mainly from suspension (silts-clays) and by ephemeral turbidite flows (sands) in the open shelf basin with local anoxic bottom conditions (Czapowski, 1994).

Because of no evident lithological and faunistic markers, a high faunistic and nannoplankton endemism and its very local importance, and usually palaeontologically dumb of the upper unit, the boundary between the Badenian and the Sarmatian series is highly ambiguous (Gąsiewicz et al., 2004). In order to define the B/S boundary in this region a multidisciplinary approach has been applied. Four cored profiles of the Machów Fm. (Fig. 1), over 200 m thick, were studied in details to define the Badenian/Sarmatian (B/S) boundary in the northern part of the Central Paratethys.

The recognition of the B/S boundary transition in this area is based on faunistic (macrofauna-bivalves), microfauna (forams) and nannoplankton analyses, geochemical (stable carbon and oxygen isotopes, major + trace elements and TOC contents) and paleomagnetic data. The results of the undertaken integrated study are as follows: 1/ sedimentological analyses indicate that the Badenian-Sarmatian transition in all well cores represents a continuous fossil record; 2/ palaeomagnetic data (transition from normal C5AAn to reversed C5A3.3r polarity chrones could be dated as 12.8 Ma) locate B/S boundary just below the microfaunistic B/S marker (mfB/S), 3) the upper one (T2) of two tuffite correlated horizons locates above and in the top of mfB/S interval, 4/ geochemical (both isotopic and chemical) changes occur higher (from several up to several tens m)



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above the registered faunal and floral changes linked to the B/S turnover (Fig. 1); 5/ both the faunistic-nannoplankton and geochemical changes occurred in deeper and open marine basin and before an interval with significant turbidite episodes; 6/ as a one and common change of a basinal extent and nature, the B/S boundary fossil record in the area studied is still indefinite and depends on the method used for its identification.

Fig. 1. Position of Badenian/Sarmatian boundary in studied profiles from the Polish part of Carpathian Foredeep. Paratethys palaeogeography and evaporates distribution of the Upper Badenian (Late Serravallian) age (after Bukowski, 2011).

References

Bukowski, K., 2011. Badenian saline sedimentation between Rybnik and Dębica based on geochemical, Isotopic and radiometric research (in Polish with English Summary). Dissertations, Monographs of AGH. 260, 1-184.

Czapowski G., 1994. Sedimentation of Middle Miocene marine complex from the area near Tarnobrzeg (north-central part of the Carpathian Foredeep). Geological Quarterly, 38 (3), 577-592.

Gąsiewicz A., Czapowski G., Paruch-Kulczycka J., 2004. Badenian-Sarmatian boundary in geochemical record in the Carpathian Foredeep area: stratigraphic implications (in Polish with English Summary). Przegląd Geologiczny, 52, 413-420.

Harzhauser M., Piller W.E., 2007. Integrated stratigraphy of the Sarmatian (Upper Middle Miocene) in the western Central Parathetys. Stratigraphy, 1, 65-86.

Piller W. E., Harzhauser M., Mandic O., 2007. Miocene Central Paratethys stratigraphy – current status and future directions. Stratigraphy, 4, 151-168.

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Fr B/S 242,5 m

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PALAEONTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LATEST MESSINIAN-LOWER PLIOCENE DEPOSITS IN THE

APENNINES: NEW INSIGHTS FROM MOLISE (SOUTHERN ITALY)

D’Amico, C.1, Bracone, V. 2, Esu, D. 3, Frezza, V. 1, 3 & Guerrieri, P. 4

1Informal Group of Micropaleontological and Malacological Researches, www.girmm.com, e-mail: [email protected] University, Department of Biosciences and Territory, c.da Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche (Isernia), Italy, e-mail: [email protected]“Sapienza” University of Rome, Department of Earth Sciences, 5 Piazzale Aldo Moro, 00185 Rome, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] PPC Italia S.p.A, 6 via Ettore Romagnoli, 20146, Milano, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Messinian salinity crisis, “Lago-Mare”, Zanclean, Facies analysis, Foraminifers, Molluscs

Introduction. In the last decades, several stratigraphic and paleontological investigations on Upper Messinian-Lower Pliocene deposits cropping out in Italian Apennines contributed significantly to the knowledge of the palaeoenvironmental changes related to the Mediterranean Messinian salinity crisis and the following Early Pliocene marine re-flooding from the Atlantic Ocean (Roveri et al., 2008 and references therein).

The formation of the Apennines, which took place mainly between Early Miocene and Early Pleistocene, caused the deformation of the main palaeogeographic domains of the African continental margin (Patacca & Scandone, 2007). In the early stages of the Late Miocene, in the central-southern Apennines the Sicilide Units, originally deposited in a Tethys-facing basin along the African passive margin, overrode the outermost units of the Apenninic edifice defining a tectonic mélange with top-thrust basin deposits made up of Messinian evaporites, marls and clays of “Lago-Mare” and Early-Middle Pliocene sands and clays, respectively (Vezzani et al., 2010).

Aim of this work is to detail the sedimentological and palaeoecological features of the “Lago-Mare” deposits cropping out along the orogenic wedge of the Molise Apennines and to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental evolution of this area at the transition between Late

Miocene and Early Pliocene.

Materials and methods. Field survey was carried out to the direct acquisition of stratigraphic data and a detailed facies analysis was performed on a sedimentary succession developed on Messinian evaporites cropping out in a quarry district near Guglionesi (Molise Region). Within selected stratigraphic intervals, several samples were collected for palaeontological analysis. A representative study section has been reconstructed.

Results. In the study section the Messinian evaporites are about 40 m thick; at the top these deposits are characterized by an irregular palaeotopography and “Terre Rosse” locally occur. Evaporites are overlain by 4 m thick grey laminated and well stratified marls with ostracods and foraminifers (abundant planktonic: Neogloboquadrina acostaensis, Turborotalita quinqueloba, Globorotalia miotumida; rare benthic: Bolivina spp.). This deposit is overlain by green-grey clays, 1 m thick, with ostracods, planktonic foraminifers, micromammal remains, and a typical Lago-Mare molluscan fauna with Dreissena ex gr. rostriformis, Euxinicardium subodessae, Pontalmyra bollenensis, Pontalmyra incerta chiae, Melanoides curvicosta, Melanopsis narzolina, Saccoia sp. and Theodoxus sp. Also the bivalve Mactra sp., and terrestrial gastropods such as Cepaea sp., Hygromiidae indet., Limacidae indet. and Parmacella sp. were recovered. The top of this deposit is characterized by a black clayey layer, 30 cm thick, with ostracods, foraminifers (abundant planktonic: Globigerina bulloides, N. acostaensis, G. miotumida; rare benthic: Ammonia tepida), micromammal


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remains and fragmentary molluscs of the same species of the underlying level. Follow 1-1.5 m thick matrix-supported gravels, which pass laterally to coarse sands with planar cross stratification. These deposits are overlain by 2 m thick green-grey to red laminated clays with ostracods, planktonic foraminifers and rare fragmentary and decalcified molluscs (Dreissena); an intercalated level, 5-10 cm thick, with rounded clasts (mm to cm) and decalcified valves of Dreissena and Lymnocardiinae can be observed. The top of this deposit is made up of a black clayey layer 30 cm thick. Above this deposit vertically alternations of four units comprising sands, clays with ostracods, foraminifers (abundant planktonic: Globigerinoides trilobus, G. bulloides, Globorotalia conomiozea, N. acostaensis, Orbulina suturalis; rare benthic: A. tepida, Elphidium sp.) and rare Characeans, and some coquina beds (Dreissena, Lymnocardiinae) can be observed. Each unit is bounded at the top by thin black silty layers with specimens (Limacidae) and fragments (Hygromiidae) of terrestrial molluscs associated with fragments of Dreissena and Lymnocardiinae. On the whole the four units are about 12 m thick and overlain by dark grey clays, 3 m thick, with mixed non-marine (Dreissena ex gr. rostriformis; P. incerta chiae, Limacidae indet. M. curvicosta, M. narzolina, Saccoia fontannesi, Saccoia oryza, Prososthenia cfr. meneghiniana, Theodoxus mutinensis) and marine molluscs (Anomia sp., Glycymeris sp., Turritella sp., Pectinidae indet., Pinna sp., Ostreidae indet.), benthic foraminifers (Elphidium sp.), planktonic foraminifers (G. bulloides, Globorotalia scitula, N. acostaensis, T. quinqueloba, Orbulina spp., rare Globorotalia margaritae), marine anellids (Ditrupa), echinids, balanids and some fish otoliths. This deposit is overlain by gravels, 1-1.5 m thick, with marine molluscs (Pectinidae indet., Ostreidae indet.). The succession is closed up by yellow silty-sands, 4 m thick, with marine molluscs (Pectinidae indet., Ostreidae indet.), benthic (Elphidium spp., Lobatula lobatula) and planktonic foraminifers (Globoturborotalita apertura, Globigerinoides spp., G. bulloides, N. acostaensis, rare G. margaritae).

Discussion and conclusions. The reconstructed stratigraphic section allows to define the characteristics in term of fauna and sedimentology of the latest Messinian “Lago-Mare” episode and the following Early Pliocene marine transgression.

The lower and the middle portions of the section register the latest Messinian “Lago-Mare” episode. In particular the lower laminated grey marls indicate the presence of a brackish lake-type palaeoenvironment evolving upper-section to fluvio-deltaic palaeoenvironments settled by typical “Lago-Mare” molluscan assemblages of hypo- and oligohaline gastropods (M. curvicosta, M. narzolina, Saccoia spp. and T. mutinensis) endemic of Mediterranean, and bivalves (Lymnocardiinae and Dreissenidae) of Paratethyan origin (Esu, 2007). Planktonic foraminifers often abundant, but represented mainly by small tests, are very likely reworked.

In the upper portion of the section, marine transgression is evidenced firstly by clay deposits with mixed “Lago-Mare”, very likely reworked molluscs and marine fauna, then by the overlying gravels with marine molluscs, and finally by the yellow silty sands containing marine elements. The record of G. margaritae (MPl2-MPl3 biozones: Iaccarino & Premoli Silva, 2007) allows the attribution of these latter deposits to the Zanclean (Early Pliocene).

References. Esu, D., 2007. Latest Messinian “Lago-Mare”

Lymnocardiinae from Italy: Close relations with the Pontian fauna from the Dacic Basin. Geobios 40, 291-302.

Iaccarino, S. & Premoli Silva, I., 2007. Practical manual of Neogene planktonic Foraminifera. International School on Planktonic Foraminifera, VI Course: Neogene, Perugia (Italy) February 19-23, 2007.

Patacca, E. & Scandone, P., 2007. Geology of the Southern Apennines. Boll. Soc. Geol. It., Spec. Issue 7, 75-119.

Roveri, M., Bertini, A., Cosentino, D., Di Stefano, A., Gennari, R., Gliozzi, E., Grossi, F., Iaccarino, S.M., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Taviani, M., 2008. A high resolustion stratigraphic framework for the latest Messinian events in the Mediterranean area. Stratigraphy 5(3-4), 323-342.

Vezzani, L., Festa, A., Ghisetti, F., 2010. Geology and tectonic evolution of Central-Southern Apennines, Italy. Geol. Soc. Am. Special paper, 469, 1-58.


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COMPARISON OF MIOCENE FORAMINIFERA FROM NORTH OF CENTRAL IRAN (TETHYS) TO NORTH FLANKS OF

ALBORZ MOUNTAINS (PARATETHYS) IN IRAN

Daneshian, J.1 & Derakhshani, M. 2

1Kharazmi University, Department of Geology, 43 Mofatteh Avenue, 15614 Tehran, Iran, e-mail: [email protected] University, Department of Geology, 43 Mofatteh Avenue, Tehran, Iran, e-mail: [email protected]

Introduction. Miocene marine sediments have been studied in north of central Iran by several authors (e.g. Daneshian and Ramezani Dana, 2007; Daneshian and Chegini, 2007: Daneshian and Derakhshani, 2008) .That is in the vicinity of south flanks of Alborz. On the basis of foraminifera record, the youngest strata belong to probably early Burdigalian. Whereas, the Miocene sediments do not exist in south flanks of Alborz. Also, in north flanks, Lower Miocene sediments have not been reported. Only middle Miocene deposits have been observed in part of north flank. On the other hand, it seems south beach of Caspian sea and north flanks of Alborz are part of south east Paratethys (Cited in Rohbakhsh, 2008).

Methodology. Studied area is located in west part of Dasht-e-Kavir, southeast Tehran, capital of Iran. The section (Ghasr-e- Bahram) is situated in northern lati-tudes 34°, 45΄to 34°, 49΄and eastern longitudes 52°, 5΄to 52°, 15΄. This section consists mainly of limestone, ar-gillaceous limestone, marl and gypsy marl with a thick 359m. Totally 191 samples, including 144 hard and 47 soft sample were collected.

Results. A few investigations have been achieved about foraminifera record from north flanks of Alborz (e.g. Azoji, 2005). A comparison of foraminifera record from Ghasr-e- Bahram section located in north of cen-tral Iran to the sections which have been studied by Azoji (2005) in north flanks of Alborz , indicate that some families, genera and species in north of central Iran ( studied section) and north flanks of Alborz are similar. Accordingly, this similarity between foramin-ifera taxa shows relation between Tethys and Paratethys and existence a sea –way between them in near to or in Iran.

Conclusions: The investigation of foraminifera taxa in the examined section led us to identifying 50 genera and 79 species which mostly are benthic . A comparison of age between this section and those which studied by Azoji (2005), show an Early Miocene age in mentioned section and Middle and early Late Miocene in Azoji, s section. Hence, it is no existence a sea way in central part of north and south flanks of Alborz and north of central Iran. This relation should be where in northwest of Iran or out of borders of Iran. Therefore, the lacking of sufficient data especially about foraminifera assem-blages suggest study of Miocene foraminifera of north flanks of Alborz and south of Caspian sea.

References:

Azoji, H., 2005. Miocene biostratigraphy and sedimen-tary environment of Miocene sediments in south of Ghaem Shahr and south of Sari, Thesis M.Sc., Sha-hid Beheshti Univ.

Daneshian, J., Chegini, A., 2007. Biostratigraphy of the Qom Formation in the Northwest and Southeast of Semnan, Scientific Quart. Jour. Geosci., 16(62), 72-79 (in persaian).

Daneshian, J., Ramezani Dana, L., 2007. Early Mio-cene benthonic foraminifera and biostratigraphy of the Qom Formation, Deh Namak, Central Iran; Jour. Asian Earth Sci.e, 29(.5-6), 844-858.

Daneshian, J., Derakhshani, M., 2008. Paleoecology of foraminifera of the Qom Formation in Ghasr-e- Bahram section, northwest part of Siakuh, south Garmsar, Res. Jour. Univ. Isfahan, 30(1), 1-16 (in persaian).

Mousavi Rohbakhsh, S. M., 2008. Stratigraphy and pe-troleum geology of Caspian sea. Agricalt. Sci. Iran publ., 246 p.




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BIG BACTERIA FILAMENTS IN THE EUXINIC SHALE FROM THE PRIMARY LOWER GYPSUM UNIT (PIEDMONT BASIN, NW ITALY):

VESTIGES OF MESSINIAN CHEMOTROPHIC MICROBIAL MATS

Dela Pierre F.1, Clari P.1, Natalicchio M.1, Bernardi E.1, Lozar F.1, Lugli S.2, Violanti D.1

1 Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino - Italy, e-mail: [email protected] Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, P. S. Eufemia 9, 41100 Modena - Italy

Keywords: microbial filaments, sulphide-oxidizing bacteria, Messinian salinity crisis, Piedmont Basin

Introduction

Microbial filamentous remains are a common component of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) stratigraphic record. They were first reported from bottom grown selenite gypsum crystals of the Northern Apennines (the spaghetti-like structures; Vai and Ricci Lucchi, 1977), and identified as fossilized cyanobacteria (Scytonema sp.; Panieri et al., 2010), thus providing evidence for shallow water depositional conditions (but see also Lugli et al., 2010). Similar structures were later described in carbonate deposits just below the first gypsum bed; these deposits were considered as “stromatolites”, recording basin shallowing and restriction heralding the onset of the MSC (Oliveri et al., 2010). In this work we report the result of a study carried out on filamentous remains found in laminated euxinic shale deposits belonging to the Primary Lower Gypsum unit of the Piedmont basin (NW Italy). The study of these features, that are more frequent than previously known, offers the opportunity to discuss the role of microbial activity in modulating the stratigraphic architecture of the MSC sedimentary record in the Piedmont Basin.

Geological setting

The Primary Lower Gypsum unit (PLG) was deposited at the margins of the Mediterranean basin during the first MSC stage (5.96-5.60 Ma; CIESM,

2008). In the Piedmont Basin this unit consists of up to 14 cycles composed of laminated shale/gypsum couplets, overlying marine muddy sediments also displaying a cyclic stacking pattern. In the deeper part of the basin, the lower gypsum beds are transitional to thin carbonate-rich beds that are interbedded to laminated euxinic shales (Dela Pierre et al., 2011). The PLG unit is overlain by resedimented and chaotic evaporites, deposited during the second MSC stage (5.60-5.55 Ma; CIESM, 2008) in turn followed by fluvio deltaic and lacustrine deposits representing the third MSC stage (5.55-5.33 Ma; CIESM, 2008).

Filaments in the PLG unit

A large amount of filamentous bacteria remains was found in the shale deposits of the PLG unit; in particular: 1) in the euxinic shales representing the deep water counterpart of the marginal gypsum beds, and 2) in the shale intervals interbedded to the gypsum beds. The filament remains are more easily recognizable where later carbonate precipitation entombed them in dm-thick carbonate-rich beds but are equally visible in the unconsolidated shale intervals. In both cases, the filaments are found in laminated layers consisting in the alternation of mm-thick dark grey terrigenous-rich and whitish carbonate-rich laminae. The terrigenous laminae are normally graded and often contain diatom frustules and coccoliths. The whitish laminae are instead made up of curved, interwoven filaments up to 150 µm across and few mm long. In the carbonate-cemented beds the filaments can be observed in more detail and in most cases they are composed of micron-sized carbonate crystals. In few layers the filaments enclose



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abundant pyrite framboids grouped together to outline the filament shape.

Discussion and conclusions

The filaments preserved in the euxinic shale deposits of the PLG unit may be interpreted as remains of Beggiatoa-like sulphide-oxidizing bacteria (and not cyanobacteria) on the basis of their size, shape and the lack of associated shallow water biota remains (Dela Pierre et al., 2012). On this basis, the laminated deposits containing them are interpreted as the product of lithification of chemotrophic microbial mats dominated by sulphide-oxidizing bacteria. These microbialites do not provide any evidence of sea level lowering at the onset of the MSC because sulphide-oxidizing bacteria are not light dependent and can live at any depth. Their development was sustained by an upward flux of hydrogen sulphide generated by degradation of organic matter via bacterial sulphate reduction in underlying sediments. Bacterial sulphate reduction was also responsible for the local precipitation of carbonate cement in the sediment pore spaces. A prerequisite for the growth and preservation of these mats was the establishment of anoxic conditions at the sea bottom, in turn related to density stratification of the water column and/or to enhanced biological productivity in the water column. The definition of the mutual relationships of the described filament remains with the spaghetti structures preserved in the gypsum crystals is strongly needed, in order to clarify the possible influence of microorganisms in modulating the stratigraphic architecture of the PLG unit, that shows impressive similarities in facies and thickness across the different Mediterranean sub-basins (Lugli et al., 2010).

References

CIESM, 2008. The Messinian salinity crisi: from mega-deposits to microbiology – a consensus report. In: Briand F. (ed.), CIESM workshop monographs N. 33, Monaco, 168 pp.

Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011.

The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeo3, 310, 238-255.

Dela Pierre, F., Clari,P., Bernardi, E., Natalicchio, M., Costa, E., Cavagna, S., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2012. Messinian carbonate-rich beds of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): microbially-mediated products straddling the onset of the salinity crisis. Palaeo3 344-345, 78-93.

Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, B.C., 2010. The Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: a new facies interpretation for the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeo3, 297, 83-99.

Oliveri, E., Neri, R., Bellanca, A., Riding, R., 2010. Carbonate stromatolites from a Messinian hypersaline settings in the Caltanissetta Basin, Sicily: evidence of microbial activity and related stable isotope and rare element signatures. Sedimentology 57, 52-64.

Panieri, G., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, C.B., Palinska, K.A., 2010. Ribosomal RNA gene fragments from fossilized cyanobacteria identified in primary gypsum from the late Miocene, Italy. Geobiology 8, 101-111.

Vai, G.B., Ricci Lucchi, F., 1977. Algal crusts, autochtonous and clastic gypsum in a cannibalistic evaporite basin; a case history from the Messinian of Northern Apennine. Sedimentology 24, 211-244.


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CHRONOLOGY OF THE BADENIAN SALINITY CRISIS OF THE CENTRAL PARATETHYS

De Leeuw, A.1, Bukowski, K.2, Krijgsman, K.3, Kuiper K. F. 4, Stoica, M.5 & Tulbure, M.5

1 CASP, West Building, 181A Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DH, United Kingdom, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, email: [email protected] Paleomagnetic Laboratory ’Fort Hoofddijk’, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Isotope Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands, email: [email protected] University, Department of Geology, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, email: [email protected], [email protected]

Keywords: Radio-isotopic ages; Magnetostratigraphy; Catastrophic event; Causal relationships; Climate variability; Evaporites; Mediterranean region; Miocene; Oxygen isotope records; Volcanic tuffs

Hydrological changes had a profound influence on environmental conditions within the Paratethys. Water exchange through the shallow gateways connecting this land-locked sea to the open ocean was frequently obstructed, either due to ongoing tectonism or as a result of global sea-level changes. This brought about large fluctuations in water chemistry, which led to a number of regional extinction events, multiple expansions of highly endemic faunas, and the deposition of some world-class source rocks. A strong increase in salinity during the regional Badenian stage led to the extinction of a large number of species and triggered deposition of up to 300 m thick evaporites in large parts of the Central Paratethys. This so-called Badenian Salinity Crisis was arguably one of the most severe environmental catastrophes striking this aquatic ecosystem. A scarcity of absolute age data has, nevertheless, hampered a thorough understanding of this event.

In this presentation, we will focus on constructing a reliable chronology for the Badenian Salinity Crisis. Radio-isotopic (40Ar/39Ar) ages for volcanic tuff layers from below the evaporites in southern Poland

show that evaporite deposition started shortly after 13.81 ± 0.08 Ma (de Leeuw et al., 2010). New radio-isotopic and paleomagnetic results from the Radiolarian Shales in the Carpathian Foredeep in Romania indicate that the Badenian Salinity Crisis ended shortly after 13.4 Ma. This is in good agreement with the 13.60 ± 0.07 Ma age obtained for a volcanic tuff within the salt and with the recently published 13.06 ± 0.11 40Ar/39Ar age for a tuff in the Pecten Beds overlying the evaporites in southern Poland (Sliwinski et al., 2012).

We will use this improved chronology of evaporite deposition to place the Badenian Salinity Crisis in a regional as well as global context, and discuss its potential forcing mechanisms.

References

De Leeuw, A., Bukowski, K., Krijgsman, W., & Kuiper, K. F., 2010. Age of the Badenian Salinity Crisis; impact of Miocene climate variability on the circum-Mediterranean region. Geology, 38(8), 715-718.

Śliwiński, M., Bábel, M., Nejbert, K., Olszewska-Nejbert, D., Gásiewicz, A., Schreiber, B. C., Benowitz, J.A., Layer, P., 2012. Badenian-Sarmatian chronostratigraphy in the Polish Carpathian foredeep. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 326-328, 12-29.


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PALEOMAGNETIC AND GEOCHRONOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE GEODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF

THE CENTRAL DINARIDES

De Leeuw, A.1, Mandic, O.2 , Krijgsman, W.3, Kuiper, K. F.4 & Hrvatović, H.5

1 CASP, West Building, 181A Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DH, United Kingdom, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Geology & Palaeontology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Paleomagnetic Laboratory ’Fort Hoofddijk’, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Isotope Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands. e-mail: [email protected] Federal Institute for Geology - Sarajevo, Ustanička 11, 71210 Ilidža, Bosnia and Herzegovina, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Paleomagnetic Review, Chronostratigraphic Review, Post Orogenic Evolution, Intra-montane basins, Dinaride Lake System, Rotation, Magnetostratigraphy

The Dinaride Mountains of South-eastern Europe once separated the Paratethys from the Mediterranean. They formed a barrier for the exchange of species between these two seas, which led to large scale endemism in the Paratethys. The mountain chain on the contrary facilitated the exchange of mammal species between central Europe, Africa and Asia. The Dinaride Mountains consequently played an important biogeographic role. The geodynamic evolution of this orogen is, however, relatively poorly understood, especially in comparison with the neighbouring Alps and Carpathians.

We use recently obtained paleomagnetic and 40Ar/39Ar age results to construct a chronology for the evolution of a number of the intra-montane basins in the Central Dinarides and distinguish two phases of basin formation (de Leeuw et al., 2012). The constructed time-frame also provides increased insight in the evolution of the Dinaride Lake System and lays the foundation for a regional biochronologic framework based on lacustrine molluscs (Mandic et al., this volume; Mandic et al., 2011; de Leeuw et al., 2011). It furthermore pinpoints the ages of the Sinj and Banovici mammal faunas whose compositions testify to the above-mentioned migration events (de Leeuw et al., 2010, 2011a, 2011b).

Our paleomagnetic results moreover indicate that the Dinarides did not experience any significant tectonic rotation since the late Oligocene (de Leeuw et al., 2012). The Dinaride orogen must consequently have accommodated significant shortening. A review of paleomagnetic data from the Adria plate, which plays a major role in the evolution of the Dinarides as well as the Alps, constrains its rotation since the Early Cretaceous to 48 ± 10° counterclockwise (CCW) and indicates 20° of this CCW rotation took place since the Miocene. The amount of rotation within the Adria-Dinarides collision zone increases with age and proximity of the sampled sediments to undeformed Adria.

These results significantly improve our insight in the post-orogenic evolution of the Dinarides and resolve the existing apparent controversy between structural geological and paleomagnetic rotation estimates for the Dinarides as well as Adria (Ustaszewski et al., 2008; Marton et al., 2002, 2003). They moreover elucidate the paleogeographic evolution of this part of southeastern Europe and help to appreciate its important paleobiogeographic role.


- 48 - - 49 -

References

Márton, E., Drobne, K., Ćosović, V., and Moro, A., 2003. Palaeomagnetic evidence for Tertiary counterclockwise rotation of Adria. Tectonophysics 377, 143-156.

Márton, E., Pavelić, D., Tomljenović, B., Avanić, R., Pamić, J., and Márton, P., 2002. In the wake of a counterclockwise rotating Adriatic microplate: Neogene paleomagnetic results from northern Croatia. International Journal of Earth Sciences 91, 514-523.

Mandic, O., De Leeuw, A., Neubauer, T.A., Harzhauser, M., Krijgsman, W., 2012. Dinaride Lake System - Miocene diversity hotspot revisited. This volume.

Mandic, O., de Leeuw, A., Vuković, B., Krijgsman, W., Harzhauser, M., Kuiper, K.F., 2011. Palaeoenvironmental evolution of Lake Gacko (NE Bosnia and Herzegovina): impact of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum on the Dinaride Lake System. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 299, 475–492.

De Leeuw A., Mandic O., Vranjković A., Pavelić D., Harzhauser M., Krijgsman W., Kuiper K.F., 2010. Chronology and integrated stratigraphy of the Miocene Sinj Basin (Dinaride Lake System, Croatia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 292, 155–167.

De Leeuw A., Mandic O., de Bruijn, H., Marković, Z., Reumer, J., Wessels, W., Šišić, E., Krijgsman W., 2011a. Magnetostratigraphy and small mammals of the Late Oligocene Banovići basin in NE Bosnia and Herzegovina. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 310, 400-412.

De Leeuw, A., Mandic, M., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K.K., Hrvatović, H., 2011b A chronostratigraphic framework for the Dinaride Lake System deposits of the Livno-Tomislavgrad Basin in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Stratigraphy 8, 28-49.

De Leeuw A., Mandic O., Krijgsman W., Kuiper K.F., Hrvatović, H., 2012, Paleomagnetic and geochronologic constraints on the geodynamic evolution of the Central Dinarides. Tectonophysics 530-531, 286–298

Ustaszewski, K., Schmid, S.M., Fügenschuh, B., Tischler, M., Kissling, E., Spakman, W., 2008, A map-view restoration of the Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic system for the Early Miocene. Swiss journal of Geoscience 101, 273-294.


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MAEOTIAN / PONTIAN OSTRACOD BIOSTRATIGRAPHY FROM THE SOUTH CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP (BADISLAVA –

TOPOLOG AREA)

Floroiu, A.1, Stoica, M.1, Krijgsman, W.2, Vasiliev, I.2 & Van Baak, C.2

1Department of Geologyy, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; 2Paleomagnetic Laboratory Fort Hoofddijk, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: Maeotian / Pontian Boundary, Ostracods, Dacian Basin, Paratethys.

The paleogeographical and geological evolution of the Dacian Basin (and Eastern Paratethys, in general) during the Late Maeotian and Pontian is frequently discussed in the geological literature, because at this time interval in the Mediterranean area experienced its so-called Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC). Many authors consider that this event had dramatical effects in adjacent basins of the Paratethys including the Dacian Basin. The main effects of changing the connections or disconnections of Paratethys with the open seas consist in changing the bathymetry and salinity of Paratethyan basins. We have established a high-resolution ostracod biochronology for the Maeotian-Pontian interval by integrating biostratigraphic and palaeomagnetic data, allowing a detailed correlation to the Mediterranean MSC event.

The Mio-Pliocene sedimentary successions are very well exposed in the northern part of the Getic Depression, especially in the Topolog Valley. Late Maeotian and Pontian sedimentary sequences from the investigated area are integrated into a large monoclinal structure with 15o-20o plunge to the SSE. Based on detailed mapping and sampling of the Maeotian and Pontian sequences from this area we try to reconstruct the evolution of palaeoenvironments and ostracod assemblages for this time interval.

The Upper Maeotian deposits from the Badislava-Topolog area reach up to 250 m in thickness and are developed in a fluviatile-deltaic facies with frequently continental type intercalations. The ostracods

assemblage is represented by few species of fresh water ostracods: Candoniella sp., Candona sp., Paracandona albicans (Brady), Ilyocypris bradyi Sars. In the Dacian Basin, these species populated unstable environments, lakes and rivers with temporary existence and flood-plains. This scarce Maeotian ostracod fauna from this section differs essentially from the diversified one of the same stage from the areas that evolved in basinal conditions. The mollusk assemblages from this stage are also poor and are represented only by few badly preserved shells of continental or fresh water gastropods and bivalves (Stoica et al., 2007).

The top of the Maeotian sequence is marked by an erosional surface. The overlaying Pontian deposits have a transgressive character and are represented by a fining-upward sequence that starts with coarsed to medium-grained pebbles and sands in the lower part, passing to predominant pelitic deposits to the upper part. These pelitic sediments provided a rich ostracods fauna represented by: Amplocypris dorsobrevis Sokac; Scottia sp.; Cypria tocorjescui Hanganu; Candona (Caspiocypris) ex. gr. alta (Zal.); Candona (Caspiolla) ossoinae Krst.; Candona (Caspiolla) venusta (Zal.); Candona (Pontoniella) acuminata striata Mandelstam; Candona (Pontoniella) excellentis Olteanu; Candona (Pontoniella) sp.; Candona neglecta Sars; Bakunella dorsoarcuata (Zal.); Bakunella sp.; Cyprideis sp.1; Cyprideis sp. 2; Tyrrhenocythere filipescui (Hanganu); Tyrrhenocythere motasi Olteanu; Tyrrhenocythere sp.1; Tyrrhenocythere sp.2; Leptocythere (Amnicythere) palimpsesta Liv.; Leptocythere picturata Liv.; Leptocythere (Amnicythere) multituberculata (Liv.); Leptocythere sp.; Leptocythere ex. gr. bosqueti (Liv.); Loxoconcha babazananica Liv.; Loxoconcha schweyeri









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Suzin; Loxoconcha petasa Liv.; Loxoconcha sp. This ostracods assemblage is more abundant and is characteristic for the Upper Pontian (Bosphorian sub-stage). Some of these species continue to exist in the Lower Dacian (Getian). The Upper Pontian (Bosphorian) sediments from our area contain also a rich mollusk assemblages represented by brackish water bivalves and gastropods (Stoica et al., 2007).

The Maeotian / Pontian boundary on Badislava Valley section is marked by an erosional event. The Upper Pontian deposits discordantly overlying the Late Maeotian sediments. There are no indications for the presence of the Lower and Middle Pontian (Odessian and Portaferrian) substages. This stratigraphical discontinuity can also be noticed on the interpretations of seismic lines (Leever, 2007; Leever et al., 2009).

References:

Leever, K.A. 2007. Foreland of the Romanian Carpathians – controls on late orogenic sedimentary basin evolution and Paratethys paleogeography. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Leever, K.A., Matenco, L., Răbăgia, T.,Cloetingh, S., Krijgsman, W. and Stoica, M. 2009. Messinian sea level fall in the Dacic Basin (Eastern Paratethys): palaeogeographical implications from seismic sequence stratigraphy. Terra Nova, 22, 12-17.

Stoica, M., Lazar, I., Vasiliev, I. and Krijgsman, W. 2007. Mollusc assemblages of the Pontian and Dacian deposits from the Topolog – Arges area (southern Carpathian foredeep – Romania). Geobios, 40, p. 391-405.


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BADENIAN SULPHATIC EVAPORITIC SEQUENCES FROM PIATRA VERDE

(SLĂNIC-TEIŞANI, PRAHOVA COUNTY)

Frunzescu, D.

Geology-Geophysics Department, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680, Ploiesti, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Southern side of Eastern Carpathians, Tarcău nappe, Slănic molasse, gypsum facies modelling.

Geological setting

Within Slănic and Drajna synclines, the Slănic Molasse unit (Ştefănescu and Mărunţeanu, 1980) contains (Grujinschi, 1972): a tuff and lower gypsum subunits and asalt and Upper sulphur subunits (Early Badenian = Late Langhian in age), as well as and brecia and grey lutitic units of „Radiolarians Shales” and „Spiratella Marls” (Late Badenian = Kossovian). The Breccia Unit is discordantly disposed on the Globigerina Marls and Slanic Tuff. Its stratigraphic thickness and clast frequency decrease from the outer side to the inner side. The breccia matrix is marly-clayey, while clasts are reworked from subjacent formations, such as the Răchitaşu type calcareous sandstones, grey marly-limestones, bituminous carbonatic laminites or bituminous shales, Lithothamnium limestones, sands, green volcanic tuff (Slănic Tuff), and globigerina marls. The limestones from the reef levels that are suprajacent to the tuffs have been eroded. In the Piatra Verde outcrop, approximately 8 m above the Slănic Tuff, the breccia is replaced by the sulphatic evaporites (gypsum).The gypsum appears as a 40-50 m in thickness megasequence, divided into two piles of sulphatic lithons, separated from breccia, each lithons having obvious reworking features. The older sulphatic pile shows features of some kind of gravity flow stages with few breaks of algal/clastic rhythmic accumulation. The younger sulphatic pile contains algal/clastic rhythmites, followed by 20 m of clastic debris.

Methodology

In the Piatra Verde outcrop, a few clastic gypsum lithofacies were identified. These clastic gypsum lithofacies are supplied from some reworked sulphatic material, which was previous or contemporary to the resedimentation and was adjacent to the sedimentation area. Various lithofacies have been stated and they have been coded, defined and interpreted (Frunzescu, 1998) as disturbed facies in tuffaceous siltolutites = dLST, dolomitic carbonatic shales = l-D, laminitic clastic gypsum = c-la-g, banded clastic gypsum = c-b-g, gypsum slumps structures = sl-g, gypsum ball and pillow structures = b-p-g, gypsum debris-flow structures = DF-g, gypsum mud-flow structures = MF-g, gypsum Bouma type structures = TS-g, as well as mud-flow structures = MF.

Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy

The lithofacies from Piatra Verde outcrop are incorporated ABC, etc., type parasequences of some deep settings (Warren, 2006). These parasequences are dominated by the clastic gypsum lithofacies that are supplied from the sedimentation of a previous or contemporary adjacent sulphatic material. The parasequences bathymetry is ranged between: A = basin floor (of salinas = mud flow with scattered alabastrin gypsum clastorudites, turbiditic gypsum); B = distal slope – proximal slope (debris flow or slumps); C = subtidal – intertidal mouth creek (banded clastic gypsum, laminitic clastic gypsum associated with flaser structures or disturbed facieses). Some parasequence show deepening upward trends. At the beginning of the sulphatic accumulation, the basin palaeography is marked by tectonic balances with uplift in Carpathian areas and the water transgression over foreland cliff, on the outer side, generalizing the lagoon system separated by islands or shoals barriers. The emerged areas ridges of Lera-


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Văleni-Buştenari or Homorâciu spurs are toward the inner side of the Carpathians and the pointed islands sills are toward the exterior side. The slopes are light, due to the fact that the morphology has been attenuated by the previous high-stand deposits: tuff, siliciclastics, or Lithothamnium reefs limestones and by their erosion during the low-stand successive episode, contemporary to the evaporites. The evolution of the sulphur sedimentation is different and, seldom is diachronic between the border areas (of foreland) and the inner areas (Carpathian areas). The parasequences correspond to a low-stand system tract of a cycle of 3rd or 4th ranks, which is characterized by high amplitude of the lower and medium terms to the superior term. The parasequences from Piatra Verde have got an agradational-stocking pattern for the lower pile and a back stepping stocking pattern for the upper pile.


The megasequence from Piatra Verde is dominated by allohtonous gypsum. On the inner emergent ridges, sulphatic evaporites periodically flooded sabkha types are generated. Disturbed facieses clasts which are multiple reworked are accumulated on the margin of the basin (salinas, playa), under the form of laminitic clastic gypsum or banded clastic gypsum. The rapid accretion, but most of all the tectonic instability balance that takes place after the Early Styrian folding phase generates drastic erosion effects on the area margins and also bathymetry increases into the basin, accompanied by low-stand wedge accumulation. The flows are primed by seismic or storm mechanical shock, and the entire range of gravity flows is recorded: from incipient stages or from lamina level or lithon scale to deposits assemblage. Creep, slide, slump, debris flow, mud flow, turbidite stages are noticed, similar feature observed in other Carpathian area (i.e., the Polish Carpathians, Peryt and Kasprzyk, 1992; Peryt, 1995). These stages are associated with flaser or load casts structures. The flow effects are emphasized by the horst/graben tectonics, which increases the subsidence in Slănic fallen sector. On the top of the megasequence dissolution collapse breccia are recorded too. The megasequence has got two piles: a lower one, which is accumulated in the deep sea realm and another upper one which

is accumulated in subtidal/intertidal realm. The source area can be found in Lera-Văleni-Buştenari emergent spur area. On the Northern Carpathian border, contemporary to the evaporitic flows the accumulations of some aluvial cone ruditic deposits are quoted: Bătrâni and Vârful Benii conglomerates (Grujinschi, 1972). The megasequence from Piatra Verde only corresponds to the upper part of the typical column from Poland. The lack of the lower part of its correspondent from Poland is related to the non-sedimentation on the emergent areas, but most of all it is caused by a lowstand type drastical erosion, which is advanced lower than the evaporite level; e.g. the erosion could be advanced at the level of the Lithothamnium limestones marine sequence and even at the subjacent level of globigerina marls and tuffs formation.

References

Frunzescu, D, 1998. Stratigraphycal and sedimentological study of Miocene evaporites between Buzău Valley and Teleajen Valley. Ph.D. Thesis. Bucharest University, 278 pp. (in Romanian with English abstract).

Grujinschi, C., 1972. Observaţiuni asupra discordanţei din ivirea de sare de la Baia Baciului (Slănic Prahova), Buletinul Institutului de Petrol si Gaze, Geologie, 17, 33-38.

Peryt, M.T., Kasprzyk, A., 1992. Earthquake – induced resedimentation in the Badenian (middle Miocene) gypsum of southern Poland. Sedimentology, 39, 235-249.

Peryt, M.T., Petrichenko, I.O., Pobergski, V.A., 1995. Sedimentary history of the middle Miocene Badenian gypsum in the Carpathian Foredeep of West Ukraine. Romanian Journal of Stratigraphy, 76, supplement no. 7 (10th R.C.M.N.S. Congress) Bucharest.

Ştefănescu,, M., Mărunţeanu, M., 1980. Age of the Doftana Molasse. Dări de Seamă ale Sedinţelor Institutului de Geologie si Geofizică, LXV/4, 169-182.

Warren, J.K., 2006. Evaporites - sediments, resources and hydrocarbons. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York.


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BADENIAN SULPHATIC EVAPORITIC SEQUENCES FROM VALEA REA SALT BRECCIA

(ISTRITA HILL, BUZAU COUNTY)

Frunzescu, D.

Geology-Geophysics Department, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680, Ploiesti, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: the Southern side of Eastern Carpathians, lower molasse of the Carpathian Foredeep, gypsum facies modeling

Geological setting

The sulphatic evaporites in Valea Rea basin appear in the clay matrix of the salt breccia (namely the Cosmina Formation) in the form of 5-6 blocks of 3-6 m size and more submetrical blocks which contain distinct sulphatic facies, which are unique in the Romanian evaporitic realm (Frunzescu, 1998), but similar as component parts of sulphatic sequences which are described in Northern Carpathian Foredeep in Southern Poland, Eastern Galitia, Podolia, Bucovina (Peryt and Jasionowski, 1994).

In the Valea Rea anticlyne core of Istriţa Hill, Buzău district, several molasses formations such the Burdigalian Doftana Formation, the Langhian Câmpiniţa Formation (made up of globigerina marls and tuffs = Slănic tuff ) (Săndulescu et al., 1980) and the Langhian age Cosmina Breccia = high evaporitic formation crop out. The salt breccia of the Cosmina Breccia is associated with saline springs and efflorescences and is made up of grey-blackish clay matrix, in places bituminous, siltic, micaceous with clastorudite levels vaguely layered. Breccia clasts have a fine ruditic facies, being represented by lithic pebbles (marl and grey-greenish clay), grey fine micaceous calcareous sandstones, gypsum and gipsiferous sandstones, black shales and globigerina tuffaceous marls and, rarely, fine green schist clastorudites. At the bottom and at different levels (as lenticular or wavy beds lithons) there are sulphatic evaporites as gipsiferous marls, and alabastrin clastic gypsum laminites. The salt is impure and the „salt piles” are in fact zones with a higher salty concentration.

Results

The sulphatic evaporitic sequence in Valea Rea is made of different lithofacies that can be seen in different blocks which are kept in a succession by referring to a typical megasequence. With some uncertainty which refers to the correlation of internal facies with external facies and to some peculiarity of an excessive development of breccias, the sequence in Valea Rea corresponds to the low part of the megasequence which is typical for Southern Poland (Peryt et al., 1995). We may also add that Piatra Verde (Teişani-Slănic) sequence corresponds to the high part of the same megasequence. The Valea Rea litofacies parasequences show the following settings: A-shallow water (selenite in gigantic twins, skeletal gypsum debris, skeletal gypsum domal packages); B-shallower subtidal (sabre-like selenite, bended selenite (the bends are made of carbonatic laminae and grass-like clastoruditic selenitic gypsum ); C-intertidal–subtidal (laminitic criptalgal gypsum, sabre-like nucleation cones gypsum in a context of cyanobacteria mats).


From a paaleogeographic point of view, the evaporitic basin of Subcarpathians is an integral part of the Foredeep Badenian basin of the Carpathians (s.l.), which is bordered by barriers and which have a zonal facies distribution. The globicerina marl and tuffs deposition mark a high sea level stand and the communication between the Tethyan and Paratethyan realms. The accumulation of piroclastites and sea deposits, as globigerina marls and then a correspondent of Baranow beds – from the Northern Carpathian Foredeep uniformed the morphostructural relief of Sub-Miocen basement. Siliciclastits and Lithothamnium limestones of Baranow beds from the Northern Carpathian


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Foredeep (Peryt et al., 1995) existed in this Southern sector too, as can be seen in the reworks in Răchitaşu-type sandstones (e.g. Vispeşti - in Istriţa Hill).

At the beginning of the Badenian evaporitic sedimentation, the Early Styrian tectonic phase determines a change of the tectonic balance with an internal uplift and water transgression over foreland. On the Moesian and Eastern European platforms extended areas appear; they are favourable to the generation of contemporary sulphates with the accumulation in foredeep. From one spot to another, on the inner border, to the emergent sides of the Carpathians, halite is accumulated in several more subsidence basins. Regionally, a system of interconnected Salinas formed, extended in shallower water, and separated by island barriers or accumulative banks. The floor surface has slight inclinations towards the centre. On the external border we can see more or less carbonatic ramps. The sulphate deposits were deposited in front and under the carbonatic shelf, which are partially covered by Lithothamnium reefs. The sulphatic deposits facies variation reflects the ramp morphology, to such an extent that we may distinguish different bathymetrical zones, such as.

1. The subtidal zone includes low energy lagoonal (salinas) environments and high energy banks which may be exposed to the ebb. Some salinas may communicate with the open sea by a zone of external shelf. The low energy flats may be frontally delineated by bioclastic or sulphatic sand beaches (during storms, the sand may be brought by the wind through creeks, salt pans or from the adjacent seafloor);

2. The intertidal zone is a high energy area where microbian algal mats are developed, which are periodically disturbed and which may be by subtidal creeks or periodically saline or brackish ponds. The hypersaline pools may contain unspecific, periodically numerous populations. The creeks have metric depths and are very large (sizing in tens of metres) and they contain a lag of semi-litified intraclasts, which are eroded and transported from the neighbouring flats. They may also contain levee or point-bar gipsum-arenit facies and all of them may laterally migrate considerably.

3. The supertidal zone contains the sabkha area with algal mats more frequently disturbed (mud-creek,

intraclasts and chips) in which nodular sulphates may precipitate and that may be cemented with aragonite, high-magnesium calcite, microcrystalin dolomite, gypsum (lamina, pavements broken in intraclasts). The sabkha area is larger in the external side of the Badenian evaporitic basin.

The evolution of the sulphatic sedimentation is based on the interpretation of the lithofacies, which show a remarkably lateral continuity, fact that allows the correlation of different profiles and their integration into a typical succession which was previosuly described in the Northern Carpathians Foredeep (Peryt et al., 1995). The megasequence from Valea Rea (Istriţa Hill) corresponds to the low part of this succession, and the one from Piatra Verde (Slănic) corresponds to the high part of the above mentioned section.

References

Frunzescu, D, 1998. Stratigraphycal and sedimentological study of Miocene evaporites between Buzău Valley and Teleajen Valley. Ph.D. Thesis. Bucharest University, 278p (in Romanian with English abstract).

Peryt, T.M., Jasionowski, M. 1994. In situ formed and redeposited gypsum breccias in the Middle Miocene Badenian of Southern Poland. Sedimentary Geology. vol. 94, 153-163.

Peryt, T.M., Petrichenko, I.O., Pobergski, V.A., 1995. Sedimentary history of the Middle Miocene Badenian gypsum in the Carpathian Foredeep of West Ukraine. Romanian Journal of Stratigraphy. vol. 76, Supplement no.7, X-th RCMNS Congress, Bucharest.

Săndulescu, M., Micu, M., Popescu, B. 1980. La structure et la paleogeographie des formations miocenes des Subcarpathes Moldaves. Procc. Assoc. Geol. Carp-Balk., 184-197, Kiev.


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DISPERSAL EVENTS OF THE PARATETHYAN OSTRACOD SPECIES IN THE PALAEO-MEDITERRANEAN DOMAIN

DURING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS

Gliozzi, E., Grossi, F. & Cosentino, D.

Roma Tre University, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 L.go S. Leonardo Murialdo, I-00146 Rome, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: Palaeobiogeography, brackish ostracods, Paratethys, Palaeo-Mediterranean, late Messinian

Introduction

The Neogene period records the major palaeoceanographic events that turned the Tethys Ocean into the present Mediterranean Sea. Four main phases of change can be envisaged: 1) the complete isolation of the Western Tethys from the north-eastern Tethys, occurred around the late Serravallian, due to the ongoing African-Eurasian collision (Rögl, 1998); 2) a gradual transition during Tortonian from cold, deep, oceanic water-mass to warm, dense and saline one, driven by tectonic and climate causes (Benson, 1986). Both of those phases marked the setting of two palaeo(bio)geographic domains, the Palaeo-Mediterranean and the Paratethys; 3) the variation of the Atlantic/Palaeo-Mediterranean water-balance due to the progressive closure of the Bethic and Riff Corridors, started 5.96 Ma and ended around 5.59 Ma, that triggered the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Krijgsman et al., 1999; CIESM, 2008); 4) the restoration of the western connection with the Atlantic Ocean and the consequent flooding of full marine waters in the Mediterranean Sea (the so-called “Zanclean Deluge” of Benson, 1986). The palaeoceanographic and palaeohydrological changes caused, as well, the modification of the Palaeo-Mediterranean marine fauna that, during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, was affected by a regional mass disappearance (Monegatti & Raffi, 2010) and was replaced, during the short Lago-Mare interval, by a brackish fauna made by molluscs and ostracods mainly of Paratethyan origin (Esu, 2007 with refs.; Gliozzi et al., 2007 with refs.). What a few years ago seemed to have been an abrupt colonization by the Paratethyan

taxa, now it seems to have occurred progressively, through three colonization phases.

The first colonization phase (ca. 5.59-5.398 Ma): the Paratethyan ostracod pioneers

Few outcropping sections located in the eastern Palaeo-Mediterranean (Adana Basin, Turkey; Iraklion Basin, Crete) and in the central Palaeo-Mediterranean (Majella Mt., central Apennines, Italy) record the first phase of the colonization of Paratethyan ostracods. The examined sections rest upon the Messinian Erosional Surface (MES), thus, according to age model for the Messinian Salinity Crisis, are younger than 5.59 Ma (Krijgsman et al., 1999). In central Apennines a volcanic layer correlatable to the Maccarone ash layer (5.555±0.06 Ma; Cosentino et al., 2009), intercalated between the fossiliferous levels, is consistent with the age proposed for the beginning of the first colonization phase. The recovered ostracods are scarce but, together with the Palaeo-Mediterranean endemic Cyprideis agrigentina, few valves of the Paratethyan species Loxoconcha mülleri and Loxoconcha eichwaldi were collected, accompanied by very sporadic Tyrrhenocythere sp. juv. The very low ostracod frequencies in the assemblages and their oligotipy testifies for a difficult colonization of an aquatic environment that slowly grew favourable for life.

The main colonization phase (5.398-5.346): the arrival of the Paratethyan ostracod contingent

More than fifty localities from Gibraltar (Malaga Basin, Spain) to the west, to Cyprus and Adana Basin to the east, on both the northern and southern coasts of the Palaeo-Mediterranean record this phase of colonization. Among them, the sedimentary successions of Fonte dei Pulcini and Maccarone (central Apennines, Italy) were calibrated astrochronologically (Cosentino et




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al., 2012; Cosentino et al., in progress), providing a scheme of detailed ages for the appearance of the Paratethyan ostracods in the Palaeo-Mediterranean. The following nineteen species characterise the Lago-Mare ostracod assemblages from 5.398 to 5.346 Ma: Zalanyiella venusta, Pontoniella pontica, Caspiocypris pontica, C. alta, Lineocypris sp. 1, Camptocypria sp. 1, Amnicythere palimpsesta, Amnicythere sp. 2, Amnicythere sp. D, A. propinqua, A. accicularia, A. saluta, Euxinocythere (Maeotocythere) bacuana, E. (M.) praebaquana, Loxoconcha rhombovalis, L. cf. L. schweyeri dacica, Loxocorniculina djafarovi, Tyrrhenocythere pontica, Loxocauda limata and Cytherura pyrama. The high diversity of the recovered assemblages (up to 15 species) testify well oxygenated aquatic brackish environments, referable to different salinities and depths.

The last colonization phase (5.346-5.337): the arrival of the straggles species

Many of the previously studied localities record also the last colonization phase. Beyond the two pioneer species and the nineteen species of the main colonization phase, from 5.346 Ma the following ten Paratethyan species reached the Palaeo-Mediterranean domain during the last 14 kyr of the Messinian Lago-Mare event: Pontoniella verrucosa, Amnicythere multituberculata, A. costata, A. litica, A. subcaspia, Euxinocythere (Maeotocythere) praebosqueti, Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii, T. cf. T. taurica. Loxoconcha kochi and L. cf. L. ludica.

Conclusions

On the whole, thirty-one Paratethyan ostracod species migrated in the Palaeo-Mediterranean during the Lago-Mare event, which characterizes the last step of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Fourteen of them have been recovered also in the coeval sediments of the Dacic Basin (upper Pontian – lowermost Bosphorian, started 5.5 Ma, Krijgsman et al., 2010), while only four common species have been recognized in the Upper Pontian of the Euxinic Basin (Taman Peninsula). It could be reliable to hypothesize that the Paratethyan ostracods migrated from the Dacic Basin into the Palaeo-Mediterranean through a connection in the Macedonian area (Strimon Basin), during the Bosphorian transgressive phase that affected the Dacic Basin (Krijgsman et al., 2010).

References

Benson, R.H., 1986. Messinian Salinity Crisis. Enciclopedia of Earth System Science 3, 161-167.

CIESM, 2008. The Messinian Salinity Crisis from Mega-Deposits to Microbiology: A Consensus Report. CIESM Workshop Monograph 33, 1-168.

Cosentino, D., Cipollari, P., Faranda, C., Florindo, F., Gennari, R., Gliozzi, E., Grossi, F., Laurenzi, M.A., Lo Mastro, S., Sampalmieri, G., Sprovieri, M., 2009, Integrated analyses of the Maccarone section (northern Apennines, Italy): 13th Congress RCMNS, 2nd-6th September 2009, Naples, Italy. Acta naturalia de “L’Ateneo Parmense” v. 45 (1-4), p. 338-339.

Cosentino, D., Bertini, A., Cipollari, P., Florindo, F., Gliozzi, E., Grossi, F., Lo Mastro, S., Sprovieri M., 2012. Orbitally-forced palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate changes in the late post-evaporitic Messinian stage of the central Mediterranean Basin. Bull. Amer. Geol. Soc. 124(3-4), 499-516.

Esu, D., 2007. Latest Messinian ‘‘Lago-Mare’’ Lymnocardiinae from Italy: Close relations with the Pontian fauna from the Dacic Basin. Geobios 40, 291-302.

Gliozzi, E., Ceci, M.E., Grossi, F. & Ligios, S., 2007. Paratethyan ostracod immigrants in Italy during the Late Miocene. Geobios 40, 325–337.

Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F.J., Raffi, I., Sierro, F.J., Wilson, D.S., 1999. Chronology, causes and progression of the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature 400, 652-655.

Krijgsman, W., Stoica, M., Vasiliev, I., Popov, V.V., 2010. Rise and fall of the Paratethys Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 290, 183-191.

Monegatti, P., Raffi, S., 2010. The Messinian marine molluscs record and the dawn of the eastern Atlantic biogeography. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol. 297, 1-11.

Rögl, F.,1998. Palaeogeographic considerations for Mediterranean and Paratethys seaways (Oligocene to Miocene). Ann. Naturhistor. Mus. Wien 99, 279-310.


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MIOCENE – PLIOCENE CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENTS, AND CONNECTIVITY

OF THE EASTERN PARATETHYAN DOMAIN

Grothe, A.1 ; Sangiorgi F.1; Krijgsman, W.2; Vasiliev, I.2; Reichart, G-J.3; Stoica, M.4 & Brinkhuis, H.1,5

1 Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Marine Palynology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Paleomagnetic Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Utrecht, The Netherlands3 Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Geochemistry, Utrecht, The Netherlands4 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Bucharest, Romania5 Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, The Netherlands

Keywords: dinoflagellate cysts, pollen, Messinian Salinity Crisis, salinity

During the Cenozoic, a large epicontinental sea named Paratethys stretched from central Europe into western Asia, affecting e.g., regional climate, ecosystems, and the hydrological budget of the Eurasian continent. Due to tectonic evolution and eustatic sea level fall, the once large Eocene Paratethys shrunk substantially, with the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Aral Lake representing its present-day relicts. As a consequence of this retreat, the Paratethyan basins evolved from fully marine systems into more restricted marine/brackish water environments and became, at times, freshwater-dominated.

During the final stages of its demise (late Miocene – Pliocene), the Paratethys possibly played an important role in the Mediterranean water budget. During the late Miocene, the connection(s) between the Mediterranean Basin and the Atlantic Ocean deteriorated, which culminated in thick evaporite deposits in the Mediterranean Basin during the so-called Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.96–5.33 Ma). The youngest sediments of the MSC are characterized by brackish water conditions (so-called ‘Lago Mare-facies’). It has been proposed that this brackish water signature originated from ‘freshwater’ overspill of the Paratethys into the Mediterranean. However, the complex interplay of connections and

paleocirculation between the Mediterranean and Paratethyan basins and their role during the MSC are still largely unknown. Timing and nature of the water exchange between the Paratethys and the Mediterranean is a crucial, yet poorly understood, and highly controversial component of the MSC.

Here we present marine palynological data (dinoflagellates cysts, pollen and spores) from two sections of the Eastern Paratethys, viz.: from the Taman Peninsula (Russia) and from DSDP Leg 42b - Site 380a (Black Sea). Our results allow us to reconstruct climatic and environmental evolution of the Eastern Paratethys during the late Miocene and early Pliocene and to understand its connectivity with the Mediterranean Sea at times of the MSC.


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STRATIGRAPHIC CONSTRAINTS FOR THE OLIGOCENE-EARLY MIOCENE NORTH ALPINE FORELAND BASIN:

BEYOND REGIONAL CONCEPTS AND TOWARDS CORRELATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TIME SCALE

Grunert, P.1, Piller, W. E. 1, Soliman, A.1, Ćorić, S.2, Hinsch, R.3, Harzhauser, M.4

1 Institute for Earth Sciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 26, A-8010 Graz, Austria; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Geological Survey of Austria, Neulinggasse 38, A-1030 Vienna, Austria; e-mail: [email protected] 3 Rohöl-Aufsuchungs AG, Schwarzenbergplatz 16, A-1015 Vienna, Austria; e-mail: [email protected] Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, A-1014 Vienna, Austria; e-mail: [email protected]

From Oligocene to Early Miocene the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) was one of the main sedimentary basins of the Central Paratethys and acted as its primary connection to the Mediterranean Sea. The dynamic interplay of paleogeography and eustatic sea-level controlled 1) faunal exchange and consequently evolutionary patterns and paleobiogeography, and 2) the distribution of the (in many cases organic rich) deposits in both, the Paratethys and Mediterranean seas. This drew the attention of geologists and hydrocarbon industry alike on the NAFB over a hundred years ago. Surprisingly, stratigraphy remains poorly constrained until today, being largely based on lithostratigraphic correlation and focusing on regional biostratigraphic correlation. The relation to the international time scale is tentative as robust tie points are missing.New attempts have been made over the past years to address these problems by joint projects between academia and industry. In order to achieve the primary objective, the improvement of the correlation of NAFB deposits to the international time scale, different methods including magneto-, chemo-, cyclo- and sequence stratigraphy have been applied to drill-sites and outcrops from the central part of the basin and integrated with new biostratigraphic constraints from calcareous nannoplankton and dinoflagellate cysts. Trends in Rupelian to Aquitanian carbon isotope records are in good agreement with the global isotopic records; stable isotope analysis

in combination with organic geochemistry further reveal regional trends and events that can be used for stratigraphic correlation within the basin, especially of its imbricated southern margin. Sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Burdigalian deposits implies a primary control of eustatic sea-level on the terminal marine NAFB and allows a correlation with global 3rd-order sequences Bur 1-3.The preliminary results demonstrate that the integration of different stratigraphic techniques is a promising way to achieve a more precise stratigraphy for the NAFB. The improved correlation will be fundamental by facilitating the evaluation of teleconnections between the Paratethys and the Mediterranean seas. It will further contribute to the establishment of the Paratethys as a recorder of Oligocene and Early Miocene climatic trends in Europe.








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HIGH RESOLUTION ANALYSIS AND THE LIMITS OF PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS

Harzhauser, M.1, Kern, A.K.1, Piller, W.E.2 & Soliman, A.2

1 Natural History Museum Vienna, Geological-Paleontological Department, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] University Graz, Institute of Earth Sciences, Heinrichstrasse 26, 8010 Graz, Austria

Keywords: Lake Pannon, Palynology, Miocene, sub-Milankovitch, Climate

During the last decade continental sedimentary records have shown to be as accurate as marine ones concerning time resolution. Astronomical forcing was deciphered in many long continental sections and even bed-to-bed correlation with marine sections was performed. Aside from solving stratigraphical questions, these studies provide fundamental insights into the interplay between astronomically originated climatic change and shifting biota. This big leap allows Miocene and even Oligocene records to be resolved in equally as Pleistocene and Holocene ones. Nevertheless, there is still a major lag in understanding pre-Pliocene records in terms of sub-Milankovitch scales.

Aside from geophysical and geochemical measurements, one of the most adequate methods to gain information on past climate and ecosystems is the analysis of the terrestrial and aquatic palynomorphs. Few studies on pre-Quaternary successions ever aimed for stratigraphic resolution to get a grip on centennial or even decadal scale. Typically, these focus on laminated maar-lake deposits with seasonal changes in sedimentation. Such records, however, are extremely scarce unlike continuous successions of other lake types, where high-resolution studies are commonly not considered as a high sample density is requited. By using bulk-samples, representing an undefined amount of years or decades of sedimentation, are usually used for analysis resulting in gross values. These give useful results for calculations on a scale of 105-106 years but are unable to capture climate dynamics on a sub-millennial scale.

Herein we present high resolution multi-proxy analyses, detecting shifts in different environmental parameters, such as precipitation, vegetation, lake level and surface water productivity on a decadal-to centennial-scale within the Miocene. Even during the Tortonian climatic optimum rapid fluctuations of the mean annual precipitation can be detected. The repetitive nature of such environmental shifts may allow a correlation with various sub-Milankovitch cycles. We assume that these small-scale patterns of climate fluctuations are strongly influencing the Miocene environments, but remain completely overlooked so far. However, to link the observed cyclic shifts in the proxy data to certain climatic parameter, is still highly complicated.

This study is supported by the FWF grant P21414-B16.


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PARATETHYS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS

Harzhauser, M.1, Piller, W.E.2, Reuter, M.2, Grunert, P.2

1 Natural History Museum Vienna, Geological-Paleontological Department, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] University Graz, Institute of Earth Sciences, Heinrichstrasse 26, 8010 Graz, Austria

Keywords: Paleogeography, Paleoclimate, Reefs, marine Benthos, Mediterranean Sea

Stratigraphy and the problems of reliable correlations are central topics of the RCMNS-members working in the Paratethys area. Still, the boundaries of many of the various regional stages are poorly defined and often are conceptual rather than data-based. The exact dating of all these boundaries will remain a task for many future studies. Hence, whilst the “drawers of the stratigraphic-cabinet” are somewhat vague in several cases, their paleontological contents are quite well known. A refined resolution of the geological archives allows describing the paleoenvironmental changes and plaeoclimatic developments of the Western/Central Paratethys in much detail, whilst the eastern part remains enigmatic for most western workers. Paleontological data clearly document that throughout its history, the Western/Central Paratethys experienced only three basic states:

1. as an appendix of the Mediterranean Sea, 2. as an appendix of the so much bigger Eastern Paratethys and 3. being a fully isolated waterbody. State 1 was realized during the Aquitanian and early Burdigalian, the late Burdigalian, most parts of the Langhian and during a short episode of the Serrvallian. The corresponding biotic assemblages were highly diverse, displayed low endemicity and polytaxic reef structures could develop. Coral carpets and reefs are restricted to this state. The origin of the species is often difficult to evaluate. Frequently, the Paratethyan deposits yield the most diverse assemblages for the time slice in the circum-Mediterranean area and the vector of migration is unclear. The rather abrupt appearance of the species in the Paratethys after phases of endemic developments suggests rather immigrations from the adjacent bioprovinces than an autochthonous development in the Paratethys

Sea. State 2 is typically represented by the Sarmatian corresponding to the late Serravallian but also in earlier phases e.g. during the Early Oligocene. The marine life was low diverse and endemicity increased. Reef structures were typically dominated by few species, such as polychaets, bryozoans and/or foraminifers. Eutrophication and phytoplankton blooms were also common phenomena in this state and oolite formation was frequent. There is very little or even no evidence for successful emigration of any endemic marine benthos species from the Paratethys Sea into the Mediterranean Sea. Surprisingly, state 3 is rather the exception and was realized probably only during a short phase in the middle Burdigalian (Ottnangian), during the end-Langhian (Badenian) for some areas, and especially during the Late Miocene (Pannonian). Carbonate factories collapsed regularly when the Paratethys Sea went through this state.

Interestingly, events typical for states 2 and 3 often recall and predate counterparts that developed in the Mediterranean area at other times. The most outstanding one is of course the Badenian Salinity Crises versus the Messinian Salinity Crises. Another, yet undocumented parallel are the mid-Sarmatian oolite phase, with a flourishing endemic mactrid-cardiid assemblage, and its 5-ma-younger pendant in early Messinian lagoons of the Mediterranean Sea. In the proposed talk we will focus on the typical ecosystems of each of the Paratethys states and especially on the striking but diachronous Paratethyan-Mediterranean-counterparts.

This abstract contributes to the FWF–Project P–23492: Mediterranean Oligo–Miocene stratigraphy and palaeoecology.


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ATNTS2012

Hilgen, F.1, Lourens, L.1, Van Dam, J.2, Beu, A.3, Boyes, A.4, Cooper, R.3, Krijgsman, W.1, Ogg, J.5, Piller, W.6 & Wilson, D.7

1 Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands, email: [email protected]; [email protected] Univ. Wageningen, [email protected] GNS Science, Post Office Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand5 Purdue University, e-mail: [email protected] Institute for Geology and Palaeontology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Heinrichstrasse 26, A-8010 Graz, Austria, email: [email protected] Department of Earth Science, University of California, 1006 Webb Hall - MC 9630, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9630, email: dwilson at geol.ucsb.edu

ATNTS2012 is presented in the Neogene chapter of GTS2012, which just appeared as a two volume book published by Elsevier. It is the successor of ATNTS2004. The changes with respect to ATNTS2004 are relatively minor as might be expected from a time scale that is largely underlain by astronomical tuning. The Serravallian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) has now been defined at the boundary between the Globigerina Limestone and Blue Clay Formations in the Ras-il-Pellegrin section on Malta and coincides with the termination of the Mi3b isotope shift; ongoing studies are further directed to define the Langhian GSSP close to the C5Cn/C5Br boundary and the Burdigalian GSSP at or close to the Helicosphaera ampliaperta FO in a deep marine core in the open ocean. In addition to the global chronostratigraphic scale, regional subdivisions for New Zealand and the Paratethys have been added, and detailed mammal-based chronological units and calcareous plankton, dinoflagellate and radiolarian biozonal schemes included.

The age calibration of ATNTS2012 is based on astronomical tuning for the interval younger than 15 Ma, whereby reversal ages of the marine Monte Corvi section replace ages based on the continental Orera section. For the interval between 15 and 23 Ma, age calibration is still based on interpolation of spreading rates from 5 high spreading rate plate pairs in the Pacific, but these will likely be replaced in the future by tuned ages coming from ongoing studies of deep-sea cores recovered during (I)ODP Legs. Important issues are further the proposed use of unit stratotypes instead of GSSPs (only), and the application of Milankovitch cycles as chrono zones, i.e. formal chronostratigraphic units of a smaller scale than (sub)stages.


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ASTROCHRONOLOGY OF THE BURDIGALIAN-LANGHIAN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: UNDERSTANDING CLIMATIC

AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

Hüsing, S.K.1, Hilgen, F.2, Krijgsman, W.3, Turco, E.4

1 Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected] Dip. di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Parma, Parma, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Miocene, sedimentary cycle pattern, magnetobiostratigraphy, astronomical tuning, geochemical elements

The configuration of the present-day Mediterranean Sea resulted from a sequence of closing marine connections. The middle Miocene (19-14 Ma) closure of the gateway to the Indian Ocean had presumably the most profound climate implications because it interrupts a direct marine connection between Africa and Eurasia forcing ocean currents to pass south of Africa. This closure has been put forward to explain the dramatic climatic change that took place from Earth’s last major warm episode 17-15 Ma (the Mid-Miocene Climate Optimum) to the much colder ice house state (Wodruff and Savin 1989) and the development of a permanent East Antarctic ice cap as a consequence of circulation changes (van der Zwaan and Gudjonsson 1986, Zachos et al. 2001, Miller et al. 2005). The major climatic cooling step at 13.8 Ma, the Mi3b oxygen isotope event, gave rise to a much enlarged ice volume (Miller et al. 2005, Miller et al 1991, Wright et al. 1992, Abels et al. 2005), but the age of this dramatic cooling step is in serious contrast with the available age constraints on the initial gateway closure at ~19 Ma. The latter age is mostly based on African-Eurasian mammal migration via the “Gomphotherium (elephant) Landbridge” (Rögl and Steininger 1983, Steininger 1999). Several distinct waves of mammal migration and marine biogeographic evolution in the Proto-Mediterranean and Indo-West-Pacific region suggest intermittently short-lived marine connections - possibly related to sea-level rise during the Mid-Miocene Climate Optimum - until it was permanently closed at ~14

Ma (Rögl and Steininger 1983, Steininger 1999, Harzhauser et al. 2007). However, precise dating of any of these events is seriously hampered by the lack of well-dated mammal- or invertebrate-bearing sections. Pre-requisites for a thorough understanding of cause-and-effects relationships associated with the complex Mediterranean-Indian Ocean gateway closure are the development of an accurate chronology. For this purpose, we need marine sequences in the Mediterranean covering the Miocene. The La Vedova composite section in northern Italy seems perfectly suitable for our study, as the interval between 13.3 and 15.2 Ma has already been tuned (Hüsing et al. 2010, Mourik et al. 2010). We have extended the section into the older part of the Miocene and have now constructed a magnetobiostratigraphic age model back to 16.72 Ma. The first-order astronomical tuning of this interval is to the 400kyr-and 100kyr eccentricity cycle based on the sedimentary pattern. The tuning, however, needs to be refined using geochemical proxies. The sedimentary and elemental patterns become more complex in the interval of the so-called ‘megabeds’ (Montanari et al. 1997). These are five prominent and two less prominent intervals of about 4 m that are dominated by thick indurated limestones. These intervals are also represented by distinct shifts in the elemental ratios and magnetic susceptibility record. Below this interval, cycle pattern remain complex and indicate pronounced influence of precession-obliquity interference in the system. In total these pattern span from the top of the Burdigalian to the base of the Langhian and mark an intriguing environmental and/or climatic time interval in the Mediterranean.


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References

Abels, H.A., Hilgen, F.J., Krijgsman, W., Kruk, R.W., Raffi, I., Turco, E., and Zachariasse, W.J., 2005, Long-period orbital control on middle Miocene global cooling: Integrated stratigraphy and astronomical tuning of the Blue Clay Formation on Malta, Paleoceanography, 20, 1-17

Harzhauser, M., Kroh, A., Mandic, O., Piller, W.E., Göhlich, U., Reuter, M., and Berning, B., 2007, Biogeographic responses to geodynamics: A key study all around the Oligo-Miocene Tethyan Seaway, Zoologischer Anzeiger. doi: 10.1016/j.jcz.2007.05.001

Hüsing, S.K., Hilgen, F.J., Kuiper, K.F., Krijgsman, W., Turco, E., Cascella, A., and Wilson, D., 2010, Astronomical dating of magnetic reversals, calcareous plankton events and environmental changes between 15.3 and 14.1 Ma at La Vedova, northern Italy. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 290, 254-269

Miller, K.G., Wright, J.D., and Fairbanks, R.G., 1991, Unlocking the Ice House: Oligocene-Miocene oxygen isotopes, eustacy, and margin erosion, Journal Geophysical Research, 96, 6829-6848

Miller, K.G., Wright, J.D., and Browning, J.V., 2005, Visions of ice sheets in a greenhouse world, Marine Geology, 217, 215-231

Montanari, A., Beaudoin, B., Chan, L.S., Coccioni, R., Deino, A., De Paolo, D.J., Emmanuel, L., Fornaciari, E., Kruge, M., Lundblad, S., Mozzato, C., Portier, E., Renard, M., Rio, D., Sandroni, P., and Stankiewicz, A., 1997, Integrated stratigraphy of the Middle and Upper Miocene pelagic sequence of the Conero Riviera (Marche region, Italy), In Montanari, A., Odin, G.S., and Coccioni, R., eds., Miocene Stratigraphy: An Integrated Approach, Volume Dev. Palaeontol. Stratigr., Vol.15, Elsevier, 409-450.

Mourik, A.A., Bijkerk, J., Hüsing, S., Hilgen, F.J., Cascella, A., Turco, E., Van der Zwaan, G.J., 2010, Astronomical tuning of the La Vedova High Cliff Section – Implications for the timing of the main Middle Miocene cooling step and the onset of sapropel formation, Earth Plant. Sci. Lett., 297, 249-261

Rögl, F., Steininger, F.F., 1983, Vom Zerfall der Paratethys zu Mediterran und Paratethys.Die neogene Paläogeographie und Palinspastik des zirkum-mediterranen Raumes.Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 85/A, 135-163

Steininger, F.F., 1999, The continental European Miocene. In: Rössner, G., Heissig, K. (eds.), The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe. Dr. Fritz Pfeil Verlag, Munich, 9–24

van der Zwaan and Gudjonsson, 1986, Middle Miocene—Pliocene stable isotope stratigraphy and paleoceanography of the Mediterranean, Marine Micropaleontology, 10, 71-90

Wright, J.D., Miller, K.G., and Fairbanks, R.G., 1992, Early and Middle Miocene stable isotopes: implications for deepwater circulation and climate, Paleoceanography, 7, 357-389

Woodruff, F., and Savin, S.M., 1989, Miocene deepwater oceanography, Paleoceanography, 4, 87-140

Zachos, J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E., and Billups, K., 2001, Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present, Science, 292, 686-693


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MOLLUSCAN ASSEMBLAGES AND ECOSTRATIGRAPHIC-PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE

EARLY PLIOCENE DEPOSITS FROM THE EASTERNMOST MEDITERRANEAN REGION (HATAY BASIN, SE TURKEY)

İslamoğlu, Y.1, Tekin, E.2, Varol, B.2 & Sözeri, K.2

1General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Mineral Research Department, 06520-Balgat, Ankara, Turkey, e-mail: [email protected] University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Geological Engineering, 06100-Tandoğan, Ankara, Turkey, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

Keywords: Zanclean, tropic-subtropic molluscan ecobiostratigraphy, biogeography, brackish- marine depositional environments

Hatay Neogene basin consists of small depressions separated by structural highlands, which experienced one of the most complex trains of the neotectonic regime in the easternmost margin of the Mediterranean region so that sedimentary history and faunal content was mainly affected by variety of complex tectonic movements (Boulton et al. 2006, Boulton & Robertson, 2007, 2008). Although, many studies were carried out in this critical area, especially focused on Late Miocene evaporates, Miocene- Pliocene transition ( Tekin et al., 2011) and the re-establishing of marine conditions (Tekin et al., 2011). Knowledge on molluscs is still very limited. In the previous works, the molluscan assemblages of the Samandağ subbasin were dated to “Tortonian” or “Piacenzian” in age (Erünal – Erentöz, 1958; Karakuş & Taner (1994). According to latest biostratigraphical data obtained from the Samandağ and İskenderun subbasins, the mollusc-bearing Pliocene deposits were assigned to MPL-1 and MPL-2 zones corresponding to Zanclean (Early Pliocene) (İslamoğlu et al. 2009).

Since the knowledge on the molluscs of the easternmost Mediterranean region has not been well-known yet, a detailed understanding of the Early Pliocene molluscan assemblage of the Hatay Graben basin is crucial to understanding of their biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography. It is also important to compare their biostratigraphical interval corresponding to recently suggested ecostratigraphic

units for the Western - Central Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, which are a chronological series of molluscan extinction events in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Plio-Pleistocene as a succession of “faunal units” (MPPMUs) (Raffi & Monegatti, 1993; Monegatti & Raffi, 2001, 2007; Landau et al. 2011).

Up to now, total 166 molluscan species are recorded. The assemblage is typically Pliocene as found in the West Mediterranean-East Atlantic deposits. The presence of Mitrella (Clinurella) minima (Sacco, 1890), Niso terebellum pygmaea (Sequenza, 1876), Clathurella spreafici Bellardi, Pyrgolampros cf. ligusticoterebralis Sacco, Columbella (Mitrella) cf. erythrostoma (Bellardi), Cingulella (Ceratia) proxima (Alder), Roxania utriculus (Brocchi, 1814), Tricolia pullus pullus (Linnaeus, 1758), Turbonilla densecostata (Philiippi), Cerithium (Thericium) crenatum (Brocchi, 1814), Gibbula (Gibbula) magus (Linnaeus, 1758), Daphnella (Daphnella) textile (Brocchi, 1814), Nassarius nitidus ( Jeffreys, 1867), Bullaria subampulla d’Orbigny, 1852 from the gastropods and Nuculana (Lembulus) pella (Linné), Nuculana (Jupiteria) concava (Bronn), Barbatia (Barbatia) empolensis Micheli & Torre, 1966, Palliolum excisum (Bronn, 1848, Donax (Serrula) trunculus (Linné), Glans (Centrocardita) intermedia (Brocchi, 1814) from the bivalves indicate Zanclean age.

It is known that the taxonomic diversity and particularly the presence of thermophilic taxa Strombus coronatus Defrance, Conidae, Terebridae, Cypraidae and Veneridae is characteristic for MPPMU1 between 5.0-3.0 Ma (Raffi & Monegatti, 1993; Monegatti & Raffi, 2001; Landau et al. 2011). Thus, the previous


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findings of Erünal-Erentöz (1958) [Strombus (Strombus) coronatus Defrance, 1827 (in: Landau et al. 2004a), Bolma (Ormastralium) fimbriata (Borson, 1821)(in: Landau, Marquet & Grigis, 2003), Phalium (Phalium) cypraeiformis (Borson), Bufonaria (Aspa) marginata (Gmelin, 1791) (in: Landau et al. 2004b), Vexillum (Vexillum) plicatula (Brocchi), Conus (Lithoconus) sp., Conus (Dendroconus) pseudo-textilis Grateloup var. pliocenica Erünal –Erentöz, Conus (Chelyconus) pyrula Brocchi, Conus (Chelyconus) pyrula Brocchi var. mucronata, Conus (Chelyconus) curtus Erünal – Erentöz, Conus (Conospirus) antediluvianus Bruguiére, Terebra acuminata Borson var. pergranularis Sacco, Pitaria (Callista) italica (Defrance), Meretrix gigas (Lamarck), Venus (Clausinella) scalaris (Bronn), Venus (Ventricolodiea) multilamella (Lamarck)] seem also to support the Zanclean age as a key-taxons for the characterisation of MPPU1 in the Mediterranean.

In the eastern part of the basin, new Pliocene molluscan data is obtained including some brackish-fresh water molluscs such as Neritina, Hydrobia and Mytilopsis, associated with the infralitoral marine species [Cerithium (Thericium) crenatum (Brocchi, 1814), Tricolia pullus pullus (Linnaeus, 1758), Turbonilla densecostata (Philiippi), Nassarius nitidus ( Jeffreys, 1867), Bullaria subampulla d’Orbigny, 1852, Nuculana (Lembulus) pella (Linné), Donax (Serrula) trunculus (Linné) ]. This finding represents a faunal mixing and presence of brackish - marine environments in the earliest Zanclean time in that area, indicating the Early Pliocene subtropic sea much wider than that of previously thought.

Through the Zanclean, different type depositional environments are observed changing from brackish to normal marine conditions in the study area. Short period brackish water conditions were established depend on the fresh water invasion into the marine environment such as local lagoon or estuary and incised valley where resulted from lago-mare type sedimentation. Some brackish molluscs from the Late Miocene deposits of the Samandağ subbasin were reported in the previous works (Erünal - Erentöz, 1958: Melanopsis callosa curta Locard, Melanopsis klenei and Melanopsis cf. obesa) supporting a Lago-Mare environment likely in the latest Messinian -

earliest Zanclean time. Strong neotectonic activity in the study region, which was induced by nearby tectonic regimes (Dead-Sea Fault and Cyprus Arc), influenced composition of the sub-basinal developments (Hatay, İskenderun and Altınözü) with different fossil assemblages and sedimentations. Due to changing basinal configuration and unstable environmental conditions rapidly, our faunal findings are not represented by higher percentage of warm-water taxons as found in the most of the deposits of the western Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic Early Pliocene (Raffi & Monegatti, 1993; Monegatti & Raffi, 2001; Landau et al. 2011). However, it is thought that the molluscan species are diverse enough and finding of some key-taxons can be used as proxy data for correlating to the ecobiostratigraphic units.

Thus, we consider that the Hatay Zanclean molluscan assemblages to fall within the MPPMU1, and similar tropical - subtropical climatic conditions occurred in that area as a part of the tropical Mediterranean - West African palebiogeographical bioprovince, even though local ecological conditions are variable.

References

Boulton, S. J. & Alastair H.F. Robertson, A.H.F., 2007. The Miocene of the Hatay area, S Turkey:Transition from the Arabian passive margin to an underfilled foreland basin related to closure of the Southern Neotethys Ocean. Sedimentary Geology. 198, 93–124.

Boulton, S. J. & Alastair H.F. Robertson, A.H.F., 2008. The Neogene–Recent Hatay Graben, South Central Turkey: graben formation in a setting of oblique extension ( t r a n s t e n s i o n ) related to post-collisional tectonic escape, Geological Magazine. 145 (6), 800–821

Boulton, S.J., Robertson, A.H.F., Ünlügenç, U. 2006. Tectonic an sedimentary evolution of the Cenozoic Hatay Graben, Southern Turkey: A two-phase, foreland basin then transtensional basin model. In: Robertson, A. H.F. & Mountrakis, D. (eds), Tectonic Development of the Eastern Mediterranean. Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 260, 613-634.


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Erünal- Erentöz, L., 1958. Mollusques du Néogène des Bassins de Karaman, Adana et Hatay (Turquie). Publications de l’Institut d’Etudes et de Recherches miniéres de Turquie (C) 4, 1-232, Ankara.

İslamoğlu, Y., Varol, B., Tekin, E., Akça, N., Hakyemez, N., Sözeri, K., Herece, E. 2009. New paleontological data and integrated approach for the analysis of Messinian – Zanclean deposits from the Eastern Mediterranean region (İskenderun – Hatay subbasins, SE Turkey). 13th congress of RCMNS (Regional Committee on M e d i t e r r a n e a n Neogene Stratigraphy) 2-6.September.2009, Napples (Italy) “Earth System and Evolution and the Mediterranean area from 23 Ma to the present”, Abstracts, 49-52.

Karakuş, K., Taner, G. 1994, Samandağ formasyonunun (Antakya havzası) yaşi ve molluska faunasına bağlı paleoekolojik özellikleri. Türkiye Jeoloji Kurumu Bülteni, 37/2, 87-109.

Landau, B., Marquet, R. & Grigis, M., 2003. The Early Pliocene Gastropoda (Mollusca) of Estepona, Southern Spain, Part 1: Vetigastropoda. Paleontos, 3: 1-87.

Landau, B., Marquet, R. & Grigis, M., 2004a. The Early Pliocene Gastropoda (Mollusca) of Estepona, Southern Spain, Part 2: Orthogastropoda, Neotaenioglossa. Paleontos, 4: 1-108.

Landau, B. Beu, A. & Marquet, R. 2004b. The Early Pliocene Gastropoda (Mollusca) of Estepona, Southern Spain, Part 5: Tonnoidea, Ficoidea, Paleontos, 5: 35-102.

Landau, B., Silva, C. M. da, Mayoral, E. 2011. The Lower Pliocene Gastropods of the Huelva Sands formation, Guadalquivir basin, southwestern Spain, Paleofocus, 4, 1-90.

Monegatti, P. & Raffi, S. 2001. Taxonomic diversity and stratigraphic distribution of Mediterranean Pliocene bivalves. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 165, 171-193.

Monegatti, P. & Raffi, S. 2007. Mediterranean - Middle Eastern Atlantic Façade: Molluscan Biogeography and Ecobiostratigraphy throughout the Late Neogene, Açoreana. Supl. 5, 126-139.

Raffi, S., Monegatti, P. 1993. Bivalve taxonomic diversity throughout the Italian Pliocene a s a tool for climatic- oceanographic and stratigraphic inferences. Procc. 1st R.C.A.N.S. Congress, Lisboa, 1992. Ciências da Terra (UNL). Lisboa, 12, 45-50.

Tekin, E., Varol, B., Sözeri, K., İslamoğlu, Y., Akçay, N., Herece, E., 2011. İskenderun – Hatay Neojen havzası Pliyosen yaşlı serilerin sedimantolojik incelemesi ve J e o d i n a m i k gelişimi, TÜBİTAK – ÇAYDAG 108 Y181 (2008-2010), Ankara (unpublished).


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LATE PALEOGENE THRACE BASIN AS A PALEO(BIO)GEOGRAPHIC TURNOVER AREA: A SYNTHESYS

İslamoğlu Y.1 and Harzhauser M.2

1General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Mineral Research Department, 06520-Balgat- Ankara, Turkey, [email protected] History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria, [email protected]

Keywords: Late Eocene, Early Oligocene, Western Tethys, Eastern Paratethys, marine - brackish depositional environments, mollusca

The Thrace Basin, located at a crucial geographic position between the Tethys and Paratethys, is a forearc (Görür & Okay 1996) or transtensional (Siyako & Huvaz 2007) basin that had formed during the Paleogene as consequence of convergent collisional plate motions. Marine sedimentation deepening eastwards is represented by different facies during early Eocene to early Oligocene times, controlled by subsidence, uplift tectonism and eustasy (Turgut & Eseller 2000). The late Eocene – early Oligocene depositional history and faunal composition of the basin document a complex biogeographic and paleogeographic development at the two different marine realms interface (Western Tethys to Eastern Paratethys: İslamoğlu et al. 2010). The Late Eocene fauna is represented by tropical stenohaline molluscs (Cepatia cepacaea, Campanile giganteum, Kuphus melitensis, Pycnodonte brongniarti, Spondylus cisalpinus, Chlamys (Aequipecten) thunensis), echinoderms (Eupatagus rogeri), benthic foraminifers (Pararotalia armata, Stomatorbina toddae, Queraltina epistominoides, Eorupertia incrassata, Nummulites cf. fabianii, Nummulites cf. incrassatus, Chapmanina gassinensis) and corals (Antiguastraea michelotti, Phyllocoenia peculaus) . These occur in the shallow marine units (Koyunbaba and Sogucak formations), indicating a clear Tethyan influence (İslamoğlu & Taner 1995, İslamoğlu et al. 2010). The orogeny of the Alpidic thrust belt and a glacio-eustatic regression caused emerged areas in the northern Tethys area during the latest Eocene (Rögl, 1998; Popov et al. 2002, 2004). At that time, a change in depositional environments from reefal carbonates

towards siliciclastic coastal systems occurred in the Thrace Basin. Up to the earliest Oligocene, however, a Tethyan type faunal affiliation is obvious (Macrocallista exintermedia, Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites vascus (Sirel & Gündüz 1976, İslamoğlu et al. 2010).

The Lower Rupelian transgressive succession, resting unconformably on the Upper Eocene reefal limestones, is known from the eastern Thrace Basin (Karaburun-Yeniköy area/ İstanbul) containing Tethyan type benthic and planktic foraminifera (N. vascus, N. fichteli, Globigerina ampliapertura) (Sakınç 1994, Oktay et al. 1992). Continued tectonism and eustasy caused the gradual retreat of the Tethys, indicated by the evidence of fluvial sediments along the northern margin (Dolhan village/ Kırklareli: İslamoğlu et al. 2010) and delta plain and fluvial facies along the eastern margin of the basin (Karaburun – Yeniköy/ İstanbul: Sakınç 1994, Oktay et al. 1992). This continental phase, followed by a renewed transgression possibly from the north connected the basin with the Eastern Paratethys as indicated by the presence of a fully endemic Solenovian mollusc fauna (Lenticorbula sokolovi slussarevi, Cerastoderma chersonensis. Parvicardium popovi, Nucula comta, Janshinella) (İslamoğlu & Taner 1995; İslamoğlu et al. 2010) and Paratethyan type Oligocene ostracods (Gökçen 1973). In general, brackish water conditions and estuarine water circulation patterns are proposed for the huge Solenovian basin (Popov et al. 1985, 2004; Meulenkamp et al. 2000). However, the basin was seperated into two parts based on the different depositional character (carbonate-rich facies such as calcerous clays- marls: early Solenovian basin and noncarbonate clays: late Solenovian basin) (Stolyarov 1999, Stolyarov & Ivleva 1999). The data obtained from the Thrace Basin indicate that an active


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carbonate factory became established, reflected by oolite shoals (Pınarhisar, Erenler village/ Kırklareli) which is comparable to the Early Solenovian basin. However, this kind of carbonate oversaturated facies is unknown among the Paratethyan basins, except for the Sarmatian deposits (Piller & Harzhauser 2005). Following the oolite formation, common manganese ore mineralization occurred in the northern and eastern part of the Thrace Basin (Öztürk & Frakes 1995, Gültekin 1998), which is also widespreaded in the circum-Eastern Paratethyan region during the late phase of Early Solenovian (Stolyarov 1999, Stolyarov & Ivleva 1999, Popov et al. 2004). The Late Solenovian in the basin is represented by marine lagoons and mangrove swamps accompanied by volcanism, reflecting the retreat of the Eastern Paratethys sea (Keşan- Malkara area, SW of the basin). The faunal assemblages include mangrove plants (Avicennia), euryhaline brackish molluscs (Polymesoda subarata, Melanopsis impressa, Mytilopsis aralensis, Tympanotonos margaritaceus, Anomalinorbina), Eastern Paratetyan type ostracods (Cytheromorpha zinndorfi, Hemicyprideis istanbulensis) and dinocysts (Wetzeliella gochtii) (Batı et al. 1993, İslamoğlu et al. 2010). During the Chattian, freshwater swamps with fresh water molluscs (Tinnyea escheri, Unio, Lymnaea, Planorbarius) replaced the marine coastal swamps and the continentalisation of the Thrace Basin was completed. Despite the clear paleobiogeographic affiliation, the paleogeographic position of seaways connecting the Eastern Paratethys and Thrace Basin remained enigmatic. Herein, a northwest connection is proposed that might have existed via a narrow intramountain corridor between the Rhodops and the Balkanids (from the Kırklareli to Edirne towards the southern Bulgaria), based on the affinities of the Eastern Paratethyan biota and the lithostratigraphic units (Kojumdgieva & Dikova 1980; Kojumdgieva & Sapundgieva 1981; İslamoğlu et al. 2010).

References

Batı, Z., Erk, S., Akça, N.. 1993. Trakya havzası Tersiyer birimlerinin palinomorf, foraminifer ve nannoplankton biyostratigrafisi. Turkish Petroleum Corporation, Report No: 1947 (unpublished).

Gökçen, N. 1973. Pınarhisar formasyonunun yaşı ve ortamsal şartlarında görülen yanal değişimler (kuzey-kuzeydoğu Trakya): Cumhuriyetin 50. Yılı Yerbilimleri Kongresi Tebliğleri, MTA Genel Müdürlüğü, Ankara, 128–143.

Gültekin, A.H. 1998. Geochemistry and origin of the Oligocene Binkılıc Manganese deposits; Thrace basin, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences 7:11–24

İslamoğlu, Y. Harzhauser, M., Gross, M., Jiménoz- Moreno, G., Coric, S., Kroh, A., Rögl, F., & Made, J.V.D. 2010, “From Tethys to Eastern Paratethys: Oligocene depositional environments, paleoecology and paleobiogeography of the Thrace Basin (NW Turkey)”, International Journal of Earth Sciences (IJES), 99: 183-200.

İslamoğlu, Y., Taner, G. 1995. Pınarhisar (Trakya) ve c evresinin mollusk faunası ile Tersiyer stratigrafisi. Bulletin of Mineral Research and Exploration Institute, 117:149–169

Kojumdgieva, E., Dikova, P. 1980. Paleogene sediments of Borehole R-1, Svilengrad. Geologica Balcanica 10:107–110

Kojumdgieva, E., Sapundgieva, V. 1981. Biostratigraphie de l’Oligocene du bassin de la Haute d’apre s les mollusques. Geologica Balcanica 11:93–114

Meulenkamp JE, Sissingh W, Londeix L, Chahuzac B, Calvo JP, Daams R, Studencka B, Kovac M, Nagymarosy A, Rusu A, Badescu D, Popov SV, Scherba IG, Roger J, Platel JP, Hirsch F, Sadek A, Abdel-Gawad GI, Yaich C, Ben İsmail-Lattrache K & Bouaziz S. 2000. Late Rupelian (32 – 29 Ma). In: Dercourt J, Gaetani M, Vrielynck B, Barrier E, Biju-Duval B, Brunet MF, Cadet JP, Crasquin S, Sandulescu M (eds) Peri-Tethys Atlas, Paleogeographic maps with explanatory notes, 171–178, Paris.

Oktay, F.Y.; Eren, R.H. ve Sakınç, M., 1992, KaraburunYeniköy (istanbul) çevresinde Doğu Trakya Oligosen Havzasının Sedimenter Jeolojisi: Türkiye 9. Petrol Kongresi, Abstracts, 92-101


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Öztürk, H.& Frakes, L.A. 1995. Sedimentation and diagenesis of an Oligocene manganese deposit in a shallow subbasin of the Paratethys: Thrace basin, Turkey. Ore Geology Reviews 10: 117–132.

Piller, W.E., Harzhauser, M. 2005. The Myth of the Brackish Sarmatian Sea. Terra Nova 17: 450–455.

Popov, S.V., Iliana, L.B., Nikolayeva, I.A. 1985. Molluscs and ostracodes of the Oligocene Solenovisky Horizon in Eastern Paratethys. Paleontological Journal 1:28–41

Popov, S.V., Akhmetiev, M.A., Bugrova, E.M., Lopatin, A.V., Amitrov, O.V., Andreyeva-Grigorovich, A.S., Zaporozhets, N.I., Zherikhin, V.V., Krasheninnikov, V.A., Nikolaeva, I.A., Sytcevskaya, E.K., Shcherba, I.G. 2002 Biogeography of the Northern Peri-Tethys from the Late Eocene to the Early Miocene, Part 2. Early Oligocene.Paleontological Journal 36: 185–259

Popov, S.V., Rögl, F., Rozanov, A.Y., Steininger, F.F., Scherba, I.G., Kovac, M. 2004. Lithological-Paleogeographic maps of the Paratethys (10 maps Late Eocene to Pliocene). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 250:1–46

Rögl, F., 1998. Paleogeographic considerations for Mediterranean and Paratethys Seaways (Oligocene Miocene). Annalen Naturhistorischen Museums Wien 99:279–310

Sakınç M., 1994. Karaburun (Istanbul) denizel Oligosen’in stratgirafisi ve paleontolojisi. Bulletin of Mineral Research and Exploration Institute, 116:9–14

Sirel, E., Gündüz, H. 1976. Kırklareli yöresi (Kuzey Trakya) denizel Oligosen’inin stratigrafisi ve Nummulites türleri. Türkiye Jeoloji Kurumu Bülteni 19:155–158

Siyako, M. ve Huvaz, O. 2007. Eocene stratigraphic evolution of the Thrace Basin, Turkey. Sedimentary Geology, 198, 75-91.

Steininger, F. 1999. Chronostratigraphy, Geochronology and Biochronology of the Miocene ‘‘European Land Mammal Mega- Zones’’ (ELMMZ) and the Miocene ‘‘Mammal-Zones (MNZones)’’. In: Rössner G, Heissig G (eds)

The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe, 9–24, München (F. Pfeil)

Stolyarov, A.S., 1999. Solenovian Rocks of the Lower Oligocene in the Ciscaucasia, Volga-Don, and Mangyshlak Regions (Central Part of the Eastern Paratethys): Communication 2. Facial-Paleogeographic Deposition Environments. Lithology and Mineral Resourches 36:370–380

Turgut, S. & Eseller, G. 2000. Sequence stratigraphy, tectonics and depositional history in eastern Thrace Basin, NW Turkey. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 17:61–100.


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FAUNAL MIGRATION VERSUS SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION IN THE DACIAN BASIN.

PASSAGEWAYS, ROUTING AND MECHANISMS

Jipa, D. C.1 & Lubenescu, V.2

1 National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]. Apusului No.67, 062282, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Pannonian Basin, Euxinian Basin, migration routes, sediment transport.

Due to their setting between two water basins of the Paratethys domain, the Dacian Basin faunal assemblages were severely influenced by the migration processes. The Dacian Basin was the meeting space of the migration routes started from the west (Pannonian Basin) and from the east (Euxinian Basin). The attempt to make evident these migration routes reveals connecting passageways between the Dacian Basin and the neighboring Paratethyan basins.

The Euxinian Basin fauna migrated through the large seaway named by Saulea et al. (1969) the “Galaţi channel”. Abundant faunal elements of the Dacian Basin show Euxinian affinities pointed out by Ebersin et al. (1966) Andreescu (1971), Papaianopol (1995) and other scientists.

The Pannonian migrant fauna initially populated the western part of the Dacian Basin (Marinescu, 1978; 1989). Muller & Magyar (1992, in Muller et al., 1999) emphasized the invariable east to west trend of the migration process. This fact supports the Leever et al. (2010) idea that the Pannonian Basin area was morphologically more elevated than the western Dacian Basin.

Although the immigration of the Pannonian fauna into the Dacian Basin area is a well established fact, there is no plausible indication regarding a supply of sediments through any of the passageways used by the migrant fauna.

From the sediment accumulation viewpoint, during its evolution the Dacian Basin behaved as a land-locked sea ( Jipa and Olariu, 2009). A discrepancy

exists among the Dacian Basin sediment entrapping behavior and the apparently unrestricted faunal migration across the basin. This indicates the two categories of processes were driven by different mechanisms and were active in different basin environments.

References

Andreescu, I., 1971. Faciostratotipul Malvensianului din zona de curbură a Carpaţilor Orientali. D.,S. Inst. Geo., LVIII/4:157-176.

Ebersin, A. G., Motas, I.C., Macarovici, N., and Marinescu, F., 1966. Afinităţi panonice şi euxinice ale Neogenului superior din Bazinul Dacic. Studii Cercetari Geol. Geof. Geogr., seria Geol., 11, 463-481.

Jipa, D.C. and Olariu, C., 2009. Dacian Basin. Depositional architecture and sedimentary history of a Paratethys sea. Geo-Eco-Marina. Special Publication no. 3. Geoecomar. Pp. 264.

Leever. K.A., Matenco, L., Garcia-Castellanos, D., Cloetingh, S.A.P.L., 2010. The evolution of the Danube gateway between Central and Eastern Paratethys (SE Europe): Insight from numerical modelling of the causes and effects of connectivity between basins and its expression in the sedimentary record. Tectonophysics, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2010.01.003

Marinescu, F., 1978, Stratigrafia Neogenului superior din sectorul vestic al bazinului Dacic. Ed. Acad. RSR, 155 pp., Bucuresti

Marinescu, F.,1989. Elements de paléogéographie de la Paratéthys durant le Pontian. In Malez,




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M.,Stevanovic, P. (eds.), Chronostratigraphie und Neostratotypen. Pliozän Pl.1 Pontian. VIII: 94-97. Zagreb-Beograd.

Müller, P., Geary, D.H, Magyar, I., 1999. The endemic molluscs of the Late Miocene Lake , Pannon: their origin, evolution, and family-level taxonomy. Lethaia 32/1:47-60.

Papaianopol, I., 1995. La region de passage vers le Bassin Euxinique (entre la Paratethys central et la Paratethys orientale). In: Marinescu,F. and Papaianopol, I. Chronostratigraphie und Neostratotypen. Pl1 – Dazien, Editura Academiei, 96-97.

Saulea, E., Popescu, I, Sandulescu, J., 1969, Atlas litofacial. VI – Neogen, 1:200.000 (in Romanian and French). Insitutul Geologic. Bucharest.


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DACIAN BASIN SEDIMENTARY HISTORY. STATE OF THE ART

Jipa, D. C.

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: source-areas, accumulation areas, paleoenvironments.

The Dacian Basin (Fig.1) appeared as a distinct geomorphologic entity within the Paratethys domain, during the Middle (upper part) and Late Sarmatian (s. l) (Saulea et al. 1969). For most of its existence (Maeotian-Early Dacian) it functioned as a semi-enclosed basin. During and the Late Dacian time the basin was filled out and became a fluvial accumulation area.

The Dacian Basin clastic material has the source area in (1) Carpathians (Eastern and Southern), (2) Do-brogea, and (3) Balkans (Fig. 1). The constant basin-

wide southward and eastward thinning of the accu-mulated sediments confirms the Carpathian origin of the most part of the Dacian Basin sediments.

The detrital Carpathian inflow was stored within two sediment accumulation areas of the Dacian Basin, positioned according to the areal setting of the Carpathian source-areas (Fig. 1). The two basin depocenters were located in the proximity of the two

Carpathian source-areas. Their positions have been also controlled by tectonic subsidence processes.

Romanian Carpathians and the Dacian Basin developed as a well defined source-to-sink system. While functioning as a brackish sea the Dacian Basin behaved autonomously, as a landlocked basin, withholding the incoming Carpathian clastic material. This prevented sedimentary way-out fluxes aimed at to the larger and deeper Black Sea, in spite of the shallow marine connection between the two basins. After the Late Dacian time (4 Ma), when the Dacian Basin was filled and Danube River formed, the Romanian Carpathians turned into a Black Sea sediment source-area.

The northern part of the Dacian Basin was extensively filled with fluvial deposits. Shallow marine environment characterized the central part of the basin (Fig. 2). The westernmost part of the Dacian Basin was a deep marine depression, with at least 300 m depths. The distribution of the major facies is different for the Dacian basin transgressive or regressive system.

SOUTH CARPATHIANS

EASTCAR

PATHIA

NS

D OB

RO

GEA

BALKANS

600

400

100

3002 00

800

Bucharest

Iasi

A

BD

WESTERN DEPOCENTER

EASTERNDEPO

CENT

ER

600

200400

100

C

Fig. 1. Source-areas and sedimentation areas (main depocenters) in the Dacian Basin.

Legend: A- Eastern Carpathian source-area. B-Southern Carpathians source-area. C-Balkan source-area. D- Dobrogea source area.

The figure shows the Dacian Basin during the Maeotian (after Saulea et al. 1969) as an example.Isopach lines in meters.



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During its seven million year sedimentary evolution, the brackish marine Dacian Basin size stayed roughly constant. The most important variation of this kind was a moderate, but long time southward areal extension of the basin, which generated a large-scale stratal onlap.

References:

Jipa, D. C., Olariu, C. 2009. Dacian Basin. Depositional architecture and sedimentary history of a Paratethys sea. Geo-Eco-Marina Special Publication 3, 264 pp.

Jipa, D.C., Olariu, C., (2012). Sediment routing in a semi-enclosed epicontinental sea: Dacian Basin, Paratethys domain, LateNeogene, Romania, Glob. Planet. Change, doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.06.009

Magyar, I., Geary, D. H. , Müller, P., 1999. Paleogeographic evolution of the Late Miocene Lake Pannon in Central Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 147, 151–167.

Popov, S.V., Rögl, F., Rozanov, A.Y., Steininger, Fritz F., Shcherba, I.G., Kovac, M. (eds) 2004. Lithological-Paleogeographic maps of Paratethys. Late Eocene to Pliocene. 46 pages, maps 1-10 (annex). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Band 250. Frankfurt am Main,

Saulea, E., Popescu,I., Săndulescu, J., 1969. Atlas litofacial. VI – Neogen, 1: 200.000. 11 maps, 2 plates (text in Romanian and in French). Institutul Geologic. Bucureşti.

D

A

Easte

rn

Carpa

thia

ns

sour

ce- a

rea

Southern Carpathians source-area

Balkan source-area

Dob

roge

aso

urce

-ar e

a

NW N

Fig. 2. Schematic representation of the Dacian Basin paleoenvironments and physiography during the Maeotian time (transgressive setting). Not to scale.Modified, after Jipa and Olariu (2012)

Legend: A-Fluvial. B- Shoreline. C- Shallow marine(C1-delta; C2-prodelta). D-Deep marine water (with clinoforms).

A B

D

A

B

D

C

C

C C

1

2

1 2

W

CB


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MIDDLE AND UPPER MIOCENE PALEODANUBE DELTA SYSTEM HISTORY

Kováč ,M.1, Hudáčková, N.1, Halásová, E.1, Kováčová, M.1, Hlavatá, J.2, Pereszlényi, M.3, Sopková, B.3, Synak, R. 1

1Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina G, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia, e-mail: [email protected] and Gas company - Nafta a.s., 900 68 Plavecký Štvrtok, Slovakia3Petroleum Consulting & Geosciences Ltd., Jana Stanislava 47, 84105 Bratislava, Slovakia

Keywords: Vienna & Danube basins, seismic lines & attributes, well logs, sedimentology, micropalaeontology

Miocene sedimentary record of the Vienna and Danube basins was a subject of intensive geological research for more than a century due to oil, gas and geothermal energy prospection. The very well known basin fill is mainly composed of shallow and deep water marine, brackish and freshwater deposits, a great amount of which represent deltaic sediments of various age and facies. It is more or less certain that the dominant role in the central part of both basins (territory of Slovakia) played the delta of the paleo Danube River. Apart from the paleo Danube delta also other deltas of various size and character have been entering the Pannonian Basin realm from the North.

The paleo Danube entered the Vienna Basin from West (Zaya graben in Austria) during the Middle Badenian. The deltaic lobes prograded relatively fast across the basin, reaching its eastern margin during the Upper Badenian (about 70 km). Deltaic system persisted till the Pannonian, often switching the active lobes in various directions. Bypass of transported sediments toward East (Danube Basin) can be considered first from the Sarmatian and in the Lower Pannonian. Besides tectonics, delta building processes had been affected by relative sea level and climatic changes. The retreat of the Lake Pannon coastal line in Upper Miocene (successor of the Central Paratethys Sea in this area) was followed by alluvial plain development.

Multidisciplinary research of deltaic body involved

all suitable methods of geophysics, geology and palaeontology. Well cores, outcrops (sedimentology and palaeontology), well logs and seismic lines have been analysed. Besides standard 2D and 3D seismic data interpretation, on selected surfaces seismic attribute analysis has been used. Data set was processed in programs Petrel, Geographic Discovery, OpendTect.

The deltaic sedimentary system in the Vienna Basin deposited approximately from the Early Badenian (16Ma) to the Early Pannonian (9Ma) and reaches a thickness of more than 2 – 3 km (Kováč et al. 2004). At the end of this period (about 12 – 10 Ma) the distal parts of the delta lobes crossed eastern boundary of the basin and entered the Danube Basin western margin. During the latest Middle and early Upper Miocene a confluence of the paleo Danube River and rivers running from the uplifting Western Carpathians has been documented. The sediments were transported into the Danube Basin from the West and North. In the basin axial part the individual transports of material joined and gradually reached the southward direction, and the delta front (delta paleoslope) shifted into the Pannonian Basin area (Magyar et al. 1999). During Upper Pannonian (9 to 6 Ma) large alluvial plains developed at the northern margins of the Vienna and Danube Basin. The total thickness of Upper Miocene sediments in the Danube basin reaches more than 3 – 4 km (Kováč et al. 2011).The type of deltaic deposits is changing in time and space and depends on the position of sedimentary environment. Sediments of subaerial upper and lower delta plain (topset), subaqueous delta plain deposits: delta front (foreset) and prodelta sediments were



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documented. Analysis of sedimentary facies and paleoenvironments of the deltaic system helped us to recognize the existence of a bird foot to lobate delta with many distributaries in the Vienna Basin. In the delta plain have been distinguished the environments of lagoon and marsh, tidal flats, coastal plains, lobes with active and abandoned channels. The subaqueous part of the delta contains slope deposits with foreset macro-forms and prodelta deposits with various amount of bioturbation, depending on either proximal or distal position toward the source area.Benthic foraminifera assemblages (Vienna Basin sedimentary record, case study area) represent distinctive biofacies that have shown to vary in species composition and population count as a function of sedimentation rate, salinity, water depth, mechanical energy and food supply. Foraminifera biofacies have been documented for a wide array of marine environments such as intertidal marsh and mudflat (Miliammina, Ammonia tepida); interdistributary bay and estuary (Ammonia vienensis, Elphidium, Haynesina); salt wedge of active distributary channels, delta-front sands and barrier islands; prodelta; turbulent inner shelf (Cibicides, Asterigerinata), middle shelf and outer shelf (Bulimina, Bolivina). Information about climate and relief development in the terrestrial areas of the delta hinterland (e.g. river catchment) is well documented by the results of the palynological analyses (Kováčová et al. 2011).

Results achieved by the research of the huge body of deltaic sediments in the Vienna and Danube basins and their comparison with recent development of deltas (e.g. Danube delta) have drawn our attention to more precise study of the constructive and destructive phases in delta building processes lasting several million years. Therefore, in the future, we should pay attention to study the relative sea level changes depending on basin connections with the open sea; influence of orbital forcing on the process of deposition and facial changes (precession, obliquity and eccentricity), climatic variations control, as well as the impact of local tectonic pulses in various geological scales.

Acknowledgements: The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Oil and Gas Company Nafta a. s. for providing core samples for sedimentary research and micropaleontology as well as geophysical data. The work was financially supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contracts No.: APVV 0099-11, APVV-LPP-0120-60, APVV 0280-07, APVV 0158-06 & ESF-EC-0006-07.

ReferencesKováč M., Synak R., Fordinál K., Joniak P., Toth Cs.,

Vojtko R., Nagy A., Baráth I., Maglay J. & Minár J. 2011: Late Miocene and Pliocene history of the Danube Basin: inferred from development of depositional systems and timing of sedimentary facies changes. Geol. Carpathica 62, 6, 519-534.

Kováč, M., Baráth, I., Harzhauser,M., Hlavatý, I. & Hudáčková, N. 2004: Miocene depositional systems and sequence stratigraphy of the Vienna Basin. Cour. Forsch. – Inst. Senkenberg, Frankfurt am Main, 246, 187-212.

Kováčová, M., Doláková, N. & Kováč, M. 2011: Miocene vegetation pattern and climatic change in the northwestern Central Paratethys domain (Czech and Slovak Republic). Geol. Carpathica, 62,3, 251-266.

Magyar I., Geary D.H. & Müller P. 1999: Paleogeographic evolution of the Late Miocene Lake Pannon in Central Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 147, 151-167.


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SEISMIC ATLAS OF THE “MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS” MARKERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEAS

– VOLUME 2

Lofi, J.

Géosciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, France, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: book, illustration, evaporites, map

The Messinian Salinity Crisis is a huge outstanding succession of events that deeply modified the Mediterranean area within a short time span at the geological scale. In 2011, a seismic atlas of the Messinian markers in the Mediterranean and Black seas has been published (Lofi et al., 2011) (see also: http://ccgm.free.fr & http://sgfr.free.fr). This collective work summarizes, in one publication with

a common format, the most relevant seismic features related to this exceptional event in the offshore domain. Throughout 13 study areas (see black boxes below), the seismic facies, geometry and extend of the Messinian markers (surfaces and depositional units) are described. Interpreted seismic data were carefully selected according to their quality, position and significance. Raw and interpreted seismic profiles are available on CD-Rom.

Volume 2 is under preparation with the objectives

to : (1) image the Messinian seismic marker from margins and basins that have not been illustrated in the previous volume (see red boxes above) and (2) complete the extension map of the MSC marker in the offshore domain, and also possibly onshore.

Anybody willing to contribute to this project is welcome. At the present time, 4 new sites have been identified and 8 are under consideration.

This contribution to the RCMNS meeting is supported by the Actions Marges French program.

References

Lofi, J., Déverchère, J., Gaullier, V., Gillet, H., Gorini, C., Guennoc, P., Loncke, L., Maillard, A., Sage, F., Thinon, I, 2011. Atlas of the “Messinian Salinity Crisis” seismic markers in the Mediterranean and Black seas. CCGM / Mémoires de la SGF, n.s., 179, pp. 72


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CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL BIOEVENTS HERALDING THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE

TERTIARY PIEDMONT BASIN: A CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC TOOL AT THE BASIN SCALE?

Lozar F.1, Bernardi E.1, Dela Pierre F.1, Gennari R.2, Natalicchio M.1, Violanti D.1, Clari P.1

1 Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino – Italy, e-mail: [email protected] Università di Parma, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Parco Area delle Scienze 157A – 43100 Parma - Italy

Keywords: phytoplankton, environmental change, Late Miocene, Mediterranean basin.

Introduction

The onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) has been dated at 5.96 Ma (Krijgsmann et al., 1999) and thought to be synchronous at the Mediterranean scale. Recently, a diachronous onset of gypsum deposition has been demonstrated from marginal to distal environment (Manzi et al., 2007; Roveri et al., 2008; Dela Pierre et al., 2011). In the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB) the record of the onset of the MSC is preserved in distal, intermediate, and marginal settings. Messinian sediments record the pre-evaporitic phase (Sant’Agata Fossili Marls, SAF) and are followed by primary evaporites (Primary Lower Gypsum = PLG; Roveri et al., 2008, Dela Pierre et al., 2011) deposited during the first MSC stage. Orbital (precessional) forcing, resulting in a strong climatic alternation, controlled lower Messinian sedimentation and produced a very distinctive cyclic depositional pattern, evidenced by laminated shale/marl couplets, and by the cyclic abundance of Foraminifers and Calcareous Nannofossils (CN; Lozar et al., 2010). In general, the climate-driven control on Messinian assemblage composition is superimposed by regional tectonic control that led to the step-wise closure of the Atlantic/Mediterranean connection, strongly influencing the paleoceanography of the basin and its benthic and planktonic populations (Kouwenhoven et al., 2006, Lozar et al., 2010). In this work we analyse the Calcareous Nannofossils responses to this palaeoceanographic event in the TPB. We focus on the time frame of different bioevents, in order to provide

their (absolute) age constrain and to investigate their basin-scale reliability. This will allow placing the onset of the MSC in distal, intermediate, and marginal settings independently from gypsum deposition.

Methods

Several stratigraphic sections have been studied in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB), both in the southern and northern margin. Quantitative micropaleontological analyses were performed on closely spaced samples from marginal (Banengo, northern margin) and intermediate (Pollenzo, southern margin) settings, allowing the identification of bioevents marking the progressive increase of the environmental stress before the onset of the MSC and the final disruption of normal marine environment. Lithostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic constraints allow the precise dating of the precessional cycles recognized in the sections, thus allowing the cyclostratigraphic dating of the recognized bioevents.

Results

CN assemblages record high abundances of placoliths thriving in the upper photic zone (Reticulofenestra spp., Umbilicosphaera spp., C. pelagicus) in the marl semicouplet and lower photic zone taxa (Discoaster spp.) in the laminated shale. This pattern is very strongly expressed in distal to intermediate settings, but it is slightly obliterated by coastal influences in marginal sections, such as Banengo, where coastal taxa (U. rotula, B. bigelowi) are common. Few events are ubiquitous in the TPB and occur at the same



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stratigraphic position in both distal and marginal settings. These are (from older to younger):

1- the peak abundance of P.japonica and R. procera (first peak);

2- the peak abundance of S. abies and the acme begin of deformed (early growth) C. pelagicus;

3- the peak abundance of H. carteri, U. rotula, and R. procera (second peak).

According to magnetostratigraphic dating of the Pollenzo section (Chron C3Ar, Lozar et al. in prep.) and lithofacies correlation of the 6th evaporitic cycle, synchronous at the basin scale (Lugli et al., 2010, Dela Pierre et al 2011), the S. abies abundance peak occurs in the laminated shale of the first MSC precessional cycle, marking the final disruption of normal marine conditions at about 5.96 Ma. In several sections, where gypsum deposition is delayed with respect to the onset of the MSC, younger paleoecological signals record stressed ecological conditions in the upper water column (event 3), whereas in marginal sections calcareous plankton disappears above this level. In particular, the S. abies peak has been found in several sections in the Appenines (Fanantello core, Manzi et al., 2007), in Algeria (Djebel Ben Dourda section, Mansouri et al., 2008) and in the Eastern Mediterranean basin (Pissouri section, Kouwehoven et al., 2006), but its chronostratigraphic value has been underestimated. We propose to use this event that records indeed a basinwide ecological signal as a reliable biomarker of the onset of MSC. The basin-wide disruption of the water column is further supported by the composition of younger assemblages (event 3), recording anomalous stressed conditions and completely overwhelming the primary paleoclimatic signal, very strong in the underlying cycles.

Conclusions

The occurrence of a sharp high abundance peak of the CN S. abies in the studied sections, both in marginal and intermediate settings, and its cyclostratigraphic constrain, confirm the importance of this event as the best paleobiological proxy of the onset of the MSC in the TPB. Since this event has been recognized in

several reference sections across the Mediterranean basin, it could be considered as a basin-wide event independently from the paleogeographic position of the depositional site. In the near future it will be important to test if this event is also recognizable in the Western Mediterranean, since so far it was not reported in that area.

References

Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P, Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011. The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 310, 238-255.

Kouwenhoven, T.J., Morigi, C., Negri, A., Giunta, S., Krijgsman, W., Rouchy, J.-M., 2006. Paleoenvironmental evolution of the eastern Mediterranean during the Messinian: Constraints from integrated microfossil data of the Pissouri Basin (Cyprus). Marine Micropaleontology 60, 17–44.

Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F.J., Raffi, I., Sierro, F.J., 1999. Chronology, causes and progression of the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature 400, 652–656.

Lozar, F., Violanti, D., Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari P., Irace, A., Martinetto, E., Trenkwalder, S., 2010. Calcareous nannofossils and foraminifers herald the Messinian salinity crisis: the Pollenzo section (Alba, Cuneo; NW Italy). Geobios 43, 21-32.

Lugli et al., 2010, Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, B.C., 2010. The Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: a new facies interpretation for the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 297, 83-99.

Mansouri, M., Bessedik, M., Aubry, M.P., Belkebir, L., Mansour, B., Beaufort, L., 2008. Contributions biostratigraphiques et paléoenvironnementales de l’étude des nannofossiles calcaires des dépôts tortono-messiniens du bassin du Chélif (Algérie). Geodiversitas 30, 59–77


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Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Gennari, R., Bertini, A., Biffi, U., Giunta, S., Iaccarino, S.M., Lanci, L., Lugli, S., Negri, A., Riva, A., Rossi, M.E., Taviani, M., 2007. The deep-water counterpart of the Messinian lower evaporites in the Apennine foredeep: The Fanantello section (Northern Apennines, Italy). Paleogeography Paleoclimatology Paleoecology 251, 470–499.

Roveri, M., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Schreiber, B.C., 2008. The Messinian Sicilian stratigraphy revisited: new insights for the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Terra Nova 20, 483-488.


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THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS: A FACIES PERSPECTIVE

Lugli S.1, Gennari R.2,3, Manzi V.2,3 Roveri M.2,3 & Schreiber C.4

1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Largo S. Eufemia 19, 41100 Modena, Italy. e-mail: [email protected] Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Parma, V.le G.P. Usberti 157/A, 43100 Parma, Italy. e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Alpine Laboratory of Paleomagnetism (ALP), Via Madonna dei Boschi 76, 12016 Peveragno (CN), Italy.4 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, PO Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: evaporite facies, Mediterranean, gypsum, halite

T e Messinian salinity crisis is one of the most complex geological events that happened on our planet. Te degree of complexity of this biologically-catastrophic event is well represented by the many different alternative hypotheses that have been proposed by scientists to unravel its origin and evolution. Te consequence has been a scientific controversy that lasted since the discovery of the evaporite sequences buried below the Mediterranean floor (Hsu et al., 1973; Rouchy & Caruso, 2006).

One of the potentially most comprehensive approach to the understanding of the crisis is to unravel the intricate evaporite facies array that was deposited in the different Mediterranean areas.

Although we are aware that no modern analogues are available to permit comparison of shallow versus deep depositional settings, the Messinian facies architecture is at a first glance surprisingly similar to what one would expect just by simple evaporation of seawater. Evaporite deposits range from carbonate (the first to precipitate from seawater) to gypsum, halite, kainite and finally bishofite (the last to precipitate), a rather rare very soluble salt that has an extremely low potential of preservation in the rock record.

Yet a simple facies comparison with modern evaporites forming in the Mediterranean, both natural (sabkhas and associated Salinas in North Africa) and artificial (commercial solar works), reveals many profound differences, suggesting that other mechanisms may

have influenced precipitation to some degree in the past. One of these processes is probably the vast input of freshwater into the basin during gypsum deposition, as revealed by the Sr isotope geochemistry (Flecker & Ellam 2006; Lugli et al., 2010) and fluid inclusion data (Natalicchio et al., this volume). Another important factor may be the organic matter associated to the minerals, as prokaryotes are included in most of the evaporite products, especially gypsum (Panieri et al., 2010).

Even more different and unexpected is the facies association and architecture of these deposits that are arranged in a fashion that exclude the reasonable, but simplistic, view that different evaporite mineral facies should tend to form lateral equivalent deposits, one adjacent to the other, as in a modern solar work. Tis because the deposition of gypsum is strongly influenced by anoxia and, in turn, by brine depth (De Lange & Krijgsman, 2010; Lugli et al., 2010) and was probably limited to relatively shallow settings (less than 200 m). Te lateral equivalent of gypsum in deep settings is not necessarily halite but, as indicated by cyclostratigraphy, shale and carbonates in the first salinity crisis phase (Manzi et al. 2007; 2011). To complete the crisis interpretation complexity, the biological remains also are in some instances contradictory, as both marine and brackish fossils are documented in the same sequences.

Te architectural facies approach is based on a few concepts that were applied to the Messinian crisis for the first time:

a) the concept of “evaporite event” (Hardie, 1984), indicating that dm-scale layers of halite and m-scale


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gypsum layers represent a complete evaporite cycle that may be independent from the previous and the following layer;

b) the cyclicity of the evaporite bodies that range from precession (21 ka; Krijgsman et al., 1999) to very high frequency (annual to pluriannual);

c) the widespread and thick clastic evaporite facies, which are not very common in the rock record elsewhere, but are pivotal to understand the salinity evolution;

d) the possibility that some of the evaporite deposits formed by brine mixing (Raup, 1970) and not only by simple evaporation.

According to the above criteria and waiting for the possibility to finally drill through the entire sequence in the deep Mediterranean settings, the most reliable stratigraphic frameworks for the salinity crisis is a three-steps model proposed by CIESM (2008) and recently refined by Roveri et al. (2008); Manzi et al. (2011):

1) Te first stage (5.96-5.6 Ma) is dominated by the deposition of massive bottom-grown selenite (Primary Lower Gypsum; Roveri et al., 2008) in semi-isolated sub-basins, whereas only organic-rich shale and dolomitic limestone accumulated in deeper and/or more open settings (Manzi et al., 2007).

2) the second stage is the salinity crisis acme (5.6-5.55 Ma) with the deposition of carbonates (Manzi et al., 2011) and NaCl-K salts during a phase of erosion and tectonic activity producing clastic deposits (Resedimented Lower Gypsum; Roveri et al., 2008) from erosion and resedimentation of previous stage deposits; huge primary halite bodies were mainly deposited in the deeper settings.

3) Te third stage (5.55-5.33 Ma) is mainly characterized by CaSO4 evaporites (Upper Gypsum) in both shallow and deep settings alternating with hypohaline sediments (Lago Mare; Manzi et al., 2009).

References

CIESM, 2008. , Te Messinian Salinity Crisis mega-deposits to microbiology - A consensus report: CIESM Workshop Monographs 33, 73–82, Monaco.

De Lange, G.J. and Krijgsman, W., 2010. Messinian Salinity Crisis: a novel unifying shallow gypsum/deep dolomite formation mechanism. Marine Geology, 275, 273–277.

Flecker, R. and Ellam, R.M., 2006. Identifying Late Miocene episodes of connection and isolation in the Mediterranean-Paratethyan realm using Sr isotopes. Sed. Geol., 188–189, 189–203.

Hardie L.A., 1984. Evaporites: marine or non marine? Am. J. Sci., 284, 193-240.

Hsü, K.J., Ryan, W.B.F. & Cita, M.B., 1973. Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean. Nature, 242, 240-244.

Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F.J., Raffi , I., Sierro, F.J., & Wilson, D.S., 1999. Chronology, causes, and progression of the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature, 400, 652–655.

Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., And Schreiber, B.C., 2010. , Te Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: A new facies interpretation for the fi rst stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeo3, 297, 83–99.

Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Gennari, R., Bertini, A., Biffi, U., Giunta, S., Iaccarino, S.M., Lanci, L., Lugli, S., Negri, A., Riva, A., Rossi, M.E., & Taviani, M., 2007. Te deep-water counterpart of the Messinian Lower Evaporites in the Apennine foredeep: Te Fanantello section (northern Apennines, Italy). Palaeo3, 251, 470–499.

Manzi V., Lugli S., Roveri M. & Schreiber B.C., 2009. A new facies model for the Upper Gypsum (Sicily, Italy): chronological and palaeoenvironmental constraints for the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean. Sedimentology, 56, 1937–1960.

Manzi V., Lugli S., Roveri M., Schreiber B.C. & Gennari R., 2011. Te Messinian “Calcare di Base” (Sicily, Italy) revisited. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 123; 347-370


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Natalicchio, M., Dela Pierre, F., Lugli, S., & Ferrando, S.A, this volume. Fluid inclusion study of the primary lower gypsum of the Piedmont basin (Italy): precipitation from evaporated seawater?

Panieri G., Lugli S., Manzi V., Roveri M., Schreiber C. B. & Palinska K. A. 2010. Ribosomal RNA gene fragments from fossilized cyanobacteria identified in primary gypsum from the late Miocene, Italy. Geobiology, 8, 101-111.Raup, O. B., 1970. Brine Mixing: an Additional Mechanism for Formation of Basin Evaporites. AAPG Bulletin, 54, 2246–2259.

Rouchy, J.M. and Caruso, A., 2006. Te Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean basin: a reassessment of the data and an integrated scenario. Sed. Geol., 188–189, 35–67.

Roveri, M., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., & Schreiber, B.C., 2008. Te Messinian Sicilian stratigraphy revisited: toward a new scenario for the Messinian salinity crisis. Terra Nova, 20, 483–488.


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DINARIDE LAKE SYSTEM - MIOCENE DIVERSITY HOTSPOT REVISITED

Mandic, O.1, De Leeuw, A. 2, Neubauer, T.A. 1, Harzhauser, M. 1 & Krijgsman, W. 3

1 Department of Geology & Palaeontology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] CASP, West Building, 181A Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DH, United Kingdom, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Paleomagnetic Laboratory’Fort Hoofddijk’, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: ancient palaeo-lakes, freshwater carbonate and coal basins, integrative stratigraphy and palaeo-environmental analysis, mollusc evolution, palaeobiogeography, Middle Miocene Climate Optimum, Southeastern Europe

The Dinaride Lake System (DLS) was a huge system of long-lived freshwater basins stretching along the Dinaride-Anatolian Island that separated the Paratethys from the proto-Mediterranean Sea. With more than 200 recorded aquatic mollusc species it represented the most prominent evolutionary hotspot in Europe during the Early and Middle Miocene. The obscure stratigraphic settings, however, hindered to date the time-related analysis of environmental and evolutionary patterns in the lakes and understanding of their relation to other synchronous terrestrial and marine environments. Therefore, the main goal of the present investigation is providing an integrative stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental model for the DLS and based on that, information to interpret the origin and evolution of its unique fossil mollusc record (Harzhauser & Mandic, 2008).

Extensive field work comprising 14 basins (De Leeuw et al., 2012) allowed establishment of a regional stratigraphic model based on magnetostratigraphy, Ar/Ar isotope geochronology and biostratigraphy. Additionally, fine-scale stratigraphic investigations have been carried out by means of gamma-ray and magnetic susceptibility measurements. These allowed the correlation of sedimentary packages to orbital cycles at minimum scale of 100-kyr-eccentricity. The resulting age model defined the DLS initiation at

about 18 Ma and its end at about 14 Ma, with optimum development between 17 Ma and 15 Ma, correlating apparently well with the two-folded pattern of the Miocene Climatic Optimum. The younger part, characterized by a taxonomically rich mollusc record, coincided exactly with the Middle Miocene warming interval. Very detailed environmental analyses including studies on carbonate microfacies and coal petrology showed that the DLS was composed of alkaline, hard water lakes (e.g. Mandic et al., 2009). Stable isotope studies of mollusc shells demonstrated furthermore the pure freshwater composition of the lakes (Harzhauser et al., 2012). Finally, detailed palynological studies pointed out the interchange of warm-dry and cold-wet periods during generally warm, subtropical climate conditions (Jiménez-Moreno et al., 2008, 2009).

The taxonomic analyses proved the DLS mollusc fauna as 98% endemic. Two successive evolutionary faunas have been detected, whereas the changeover between both coincides with the Early-Middle Miocene transition (De Leeuw et al., 2010, 2011). The older fauna comprised - enigmatic clivunellid gastropods and a primitive dreissenid bivalve assemblage with Mytilopsis kucici. Subsequent to their extinction, peculiarly flattened, orbicular, and prominently large-sized species evolved within the Mytilopsis drvarensis clade. Within the younger phase, eye-catching events of morphological evolution were recorded for species lineages of the gastropods Melanopsis and Prososthenia, lasting over more than 200 kyr (Neubauer et al., 2011). Correlating with palaeoenvironmental perturbations these were followed by extinction


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events reducing the species-rich faunal content to few pioneer species. This pattern clearly shows the accumulation mechanism behind the high species richness recorded in DLS. Similarly to Lake Pannon, the longevity of the single lakes was the crucial mechanism that facilitated accumulation of species, produced by iterative radiation and extinction events.

The palaeogeographic distribution of widespread taxa implies that faunal exchange was strongly controlled by geographic distance (Neubauer et al., 2012). The fact that closer basins share larger percentages of the faunal content confirms that the DLS primarily consisted of largely isolated lacustrine environments getting only occasionally and locally into contact. Such events occurred preferably during humid climate periods when the regional lake levels increased, allowing easier faunal exchange (Mandic et al., 2011). The hypothesis that the DLS shrank in its younger phase through southward marine transgression of the Central Paratethys onto the Dinaride Island has been largely disproved (Mandic et al., 2012). According to present data, including both marine biostratigraphy and Ar/Ar dating of lake deposits, there were still at an age of 15 Ma coexisting lakes from the Adriatic Sea up to the Pannonian basin. Still, most of the lakes disappeared already before the marine flooding at 14.8 Ma. The latter coincides with the start of tectonic activity in the area largely disrupting lake deposition. Finally, although the DLS was not coeval with Lake Pannon, Late Miocene lacustrine sedimentation follows on DLS deposits in several basins such as Livno and Tomislavgrad, representing a possible niche for shared endemic genera (e.g. Orygoceras).

References

De Leeuw, A., Mandic, O., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K., Hrvatović, H., 2012. Paleomagnetic and geochronologic constraints on the geodynamic evolution of the Central Dinarides. Tectonophysics 530-531, 286-298.

De Leeuw, A., Mandic, O., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K., Hrvatović, H., 2011. A chronostratigraphy for the Dinaride Lake System deposits of the Livno-Tomislavgrad Basin: the rise and fall of a long-lived lacustrine environment in an intra-montane

setting. Stratigraphy 8/1, 29-43.

De Leeuw, A., Mandic, O., Vranjković, A., Pavelić, D., Harzhauser, M., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K.F., 2010. Chronology and integrated stratigraphy of the Miocene Sinj Basin (Dinaride Lake System, Croatia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 292, 155-167.

Harzhauser, M., Mandic, O., 2008. Neogene lake systems of Central and South-Eastern Europe: Faunal diversity, gradients and interrelations. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 260/3-4, 417-434.

Harzhauser, M., Mandic, O., Latal, C., Kern, A. 2011 Stable isotope composition of the Miocene Dinaride Lake System deduced from its endemic mollusc fauna. Hydrobiologia 682/1: 27-46.

Jimenez-Moreno, G., de Leeuw, A., Mandic, O., Harzhauser, M., Pavelic, D., Krijgsman, W., Vranjkovic, A. 2009. Integrated stratigraphy of the early Miocene lacustrine deposits of Pag Island (SW Croatia): palaeovegetation and environmental changes in the Dinaride Lake System. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 280/1-2, 193-206.

Jiménez-Moreno, G., Mandic, O., Harzhauser, M., Pavelić, D., Vranjković, A. 2008. Vegetation and climate dynamics during the early Middle Miocene from Lake Sinj (Dinaride Lake System, SE Croatia ). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 152, 270-278.

Mandic, O. Pavelic, D., Harzhauser, M., Zupanic, J., Reischenbacher, D., Sachsenhofer, R.F., Tadej, N., Vranjkovic, A. 2009. Depositional history of the Miocene Lake Sinj (Dinaride Lake System, Croatia): a long-lived hard-water lake in a pull-apart tectonic setting. Journal of Paleolimnology 41, 431-452.

Mandic, O., de Leeuw, A., Vukovic, B., Krijgsman, W., Harzhauser, M., Kuiper, K.F., 2011. Palaeoenvironmental evolution of Lake Gacko (NE Bosnia and Herzegovina): impact of the Middlle Miocene Climatic Optimum on the Dinaride Lake System. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 299/3-4, 475-492.


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Mandic, O., De Leeuw, A., Bulić, J., Kuiper, K., Krijgsman, W., Jurišić-Polšak, Z., 2012. Paleogeographic evolution of the Southern Pannonian Basin: 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on the Miocene continental series of northern Croatia. International Journal of Earth Sciences 101, 1033-1046.

Neubauer, T.A., Mandic, O., Harzhauser, M., 2011. Middle Miocene Freshwater Mollusks from Lake Sinj (Dinaride Lake System, SE Croatia; Langhian). Archiv für Molluskenkunde 140/2, 201-237.

Neubauer, T.A., Mandic, O., Harzhauser, M., Hrvatovic, H., 2012 (in press). A new Miocene lacustrine mollusc fauna of the Dinaride Lake System and its palaeobiogeographic, palaeoecologic, and taxonomic implications. Palaeontology.


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AGE REFINEMENT OF THE ONSET OF THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Manzi V. 1,2, Gennari R. 1,2, Lugli S.3, Roveri M. 1,2, Hilgen F.J.4, Krijgsman W.5, Sierro F.J.6

1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 157/A, 43100 Parma, Italy2 Alpine Laboratory of Paleomagnetism (ALP), Via Madonna dei Boschi 76, 12016 Peveragno (CN), Italy.3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Piazza S. Eufemia 19, 41100 Modena, Italy4 Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands5 Paleomagnetic Laboratory “Fort Hoofddijk”, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands6 Department of Geology, University of Salamanca, 37008, Salamanca, Spain e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Messinian salinity crisis, stratigraphy, cyclostratigraphy, eveporites

The onset of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) has been dated at 5.96±0.02 Ma by Krijgsman et al., 1999a, based on a high-resolution cyclostratigraphic framework reconstructed for the pre-MSC Mediterranean successions, which deposition has proved to be controlled by astronomical forcing (Krijgsman et al., 2004). This stratigraphic framework could be only tentatively extended into the MSC interval due to the absence of clear bio-magnetostratigraphic events (Krijgsman et al., 2001). Recently, detailed sedimentologic and stratigraphic studies on the Messinian evaporites as well as on continuous open-marine sections in the Atlantic margin of Morocco led to the reconstruction of a robust high-resolution stratigraphic framework for the evaporite-bearing MSC successions (Hilgen et al., 2007; Manzi et al., 2009; Lugli et al., 2010).

The new chronostratigraphic framework for the MSC (CIESM, 2008; Roveri et al., 2008; Manzi et al., 2009; 2011) comprises three stages.

Stage 1: thick primary shallow-water evaporites (Primary Lower Gypsum, PLG) accumulated in semi-closed marginal basins; in the deep settings only euxinic shale/dolostone were deposited (Manzi et al., 2007; 2011; deLange and Krijgsman, 2010; Dela Pierre et al., 2011).

Stage 2: an acceleration of tectonic activity,

likely coupled with a cooler climate (TG12 and TG14), caused the large-scale erosion and en-mass resedimentation in the deeper portions of the basins of PLG; this unit (RLG, Resedimented Lower Gypsum) includes huge volumes of primary halite recording the acme of the MSC.

Stage 3: the Mediterranean was characterized by a diluted superficial water mass hosting hypohaline Paratethyan faunal assemblages and by the local and periodic precipitation of sulphatic evaporites (UG, Upper Gypsum) suggesting of connections with the global ocean (Manzi et al., 2009).

Following the recent sedimentologic and stratigraphic revisitation of the PLG evaporites (Lugli et al., 2010), we propose a revised age calibration of the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) in the Mediterranean based on detailed re-analyses of the transitional interval to the Primary Lower Gypsum (PLG) in two “classical” sections: Perales (Sorbas basin, Spain; Sierro et al., 2001) and Monticino (Vena del Gesso basin, Italy; Vai, 1988).

Here we show that the first PLG evaporitic cycle is actually located three precessional cycles above the C3r/C3An magnetic reversal (base of the Gilbert Chron), correlating to the summer insolation peak at 5.971 Ma.



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Fig. 1. The Messinian salinity crisis stratigraphic framework (modified after CIESM, 2008; Roveri et al., 2008; Manzi et al., 2011).

References

CIESM - Commission Internationale pour l’Exploration Scientifique de la mer Méditerranée, 2008, The Messinian Salinity Crisis from Mega-deposits to Microbiology – A Consensus Report (Ed. F. Briand), CIESM Workshop Monographs, 33, 168 pp.

Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P, Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011. The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeo3, 310, 238-255.

De Lange de Lange, G.J., Krijgsman, W., 2010. Messinian salinity crisis: a novel unifying shallow gypsum/deep dolomite formation mechanism. Marine Geology, 275, 273–277.

Hilgen, F.J. and Krijgsman, W., 1999. Cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology of the Tripoli diatomite Formation (pre-evaporite Messinian, Sicily, Italy). Terra Nova, 11, pp. 16-22.

Hilgen, F.J., Kuiper, K., Krijgsman, W., Snel, E., and van der Laan, E., 2007. Astronomical tuning as the basis for high resolution chronostratigraphy: The intricate history of the Messinian salinity crisis. Stratigraphy, 4, 231–238.

Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F.J., Langereis, C.G., Santarelli, A., Zachariasse, W.J., 1995. Late Miocene magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and cyclostratigraphy in the Mediterranean. EPSL, 136 (3-4), 475-494.


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Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F.J., Raffi, I., Sierro, F.J. and Wilson, D.S., 1999a, Chronology, causes and progression of the Messinian salinity crisis. Nature, v. 400, pp. 652–655.

Krijgsman, W., Hilgen, F. J., Marabini, S., Vai, G. B., 1999b. New paleomagnetic and cyclostratigraphic age constraints on the Messinian of the Northern Apennines (Vena del Gesso Basin, Italy). Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 54, 25-33.

Krijgsman, W., Fortuin, A.R., Hilgen, F.J., and Sierro, F.J., 2001, Astrochronology for the Messinian Sorbas basin (SE Spain) and orbital (precessional) forcing for evaporite cyclicity. Sedimentary Geology, 140, 43–60.

Krijgsman, W., Gaboardi, S., Hilgen, F.J., Iaccarino, S., de Kaenel, E., van der Laan, E., 2004. Revised astrochronology for the Ain el Beida section (Atlantic Morocco): no glacio-eustatic control for the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Stratigraphy, 1, 87-101.

Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, B.C., 2010. The Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: a new facies interpretation for the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeo3, 297, 83-99.

Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Gennari, R., Bertini, A., Biffi, U., Giunta, S., Iaccarino, S.M., Lanci, L., Lugli, S., Negri, A., Riva, A., Rossi, M.E. and Taviani, M., 2007. The deep-water counterpart of the Messinian Lower Evaporites in the Apennine foredeep: The Fanantello section (Northern Apennines, Italy). Palaeo3, 251, 470–499.

Manzi, V., Lugli, S., Roveri, M. and Schreiber, B.C, 2009. A new facies model for the Upper Gypsum of Sicily (Italy): chronological and palaeoenvironmental constraints for the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean. Sedimentology, 56-7, 1937-1960.

Manzi, V., Lugli, S., Roveri, M., Schreiber, B.C., Gennari, R., 2011. The Messinian “Calcare di Base” (Sicily, Italy) revisited. GSA Bulletin, 123, 347-370.

Roveri, M., Lugli, S., Manzi, V. and Schreiber, B.C., 2008, The Messinian Sicilian stratigraphy revisited: toward a new scenario for the Messinian

salinity crisis. Terra Nova, 20, 483–488.

Sierro, F.J., Hilgen, F.J., Krijgsman, W. and Flores, J.A., 2001. The Abad composite (SE Spain): a Messinian reference section for the Mediterranean and the APTS. Palaeo3, 168 (1–2), 141–169.

Vai, G.B., 1988, A field trip guide to the Romagna Apennine geology - The Lamone valley. In: Proceedings of the international workshop on Continental faunas of the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. Eds. De Giuli C., Vai G.B. 7-37. Società Paleontologica Italiana. Modena, Italy.


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THE ABRUZZO-APULIAN (CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ITALY) FOSSIL FAUNA, NEW CHALLENGES FOR

PALEONTOLOGISTS AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHERS

Masini, F.1, Savorelli, A2. & Mazza, P3.

1 University of Palermo, Department of Earth and Sea Science, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] 2 University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Insular vertebrates, insular colonization, endemicity, Miocene, Italy

The Abruzzo-Apulian Platform was an endemic Neogene paleobioprovince. Its relics can be found at the south-east of the Italian Peninsula. Geological and paleontological traces of this past land crop out both in the central Apennines, Maiella (Scontrone fossiliferous site), as well as in the Gargano Promontory.

The Scontrone paleofauna

Scontrone is placed on the southern borderline of the Abruzzo National Park, Central-Southern Apennine. The bone-bearing sediments are coastal-tidal-flat calcarenites stratigraphically dated to the Lower Tortonian. They yielded remains of terrestrial mammals, which include the bizarre ruminant Hoplitomeryx and the giant insectivore Deinogalerix, of a large terrestrial bird, and of large crocodilians and chelonians. At present, Hoplitomeryx, Deinogalerix and the crocodilians represent the elements in common with the Gargano community.

The fauna is endemic and quite unbalanced. Six species of Hoplitomeryx have been described until now, but other species are adding to the list as new specimens are being freed from the calcarenites. Deinogalerix seems also represented by more than a single species. No mammal carnivores nor small mammals were found until now.

The Gargano paleofauna

A very diversified endemic fauna is contained in soil deposits (Terre Rosse) that fill an extensive karst

system at the north-western slopes of Mount Gargano (Southern Italy). The fossil assemblages include both large and small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, and are highly unbalanced. The small mammal component is mainly made of rodents, lagomorphs, and insectivores. Larger mammalian taxa are less abundant and are represented by Hoplitomericidae, Deinogalerix. And the sea otter Paralutra garganensis.

The fissure fillings have been arranged in a bio-chronological sequence based on their different faunal composition and evolutionary degree. During the time period documented by the fissure deposits the faunal diversity changed and several taxa underwent significant evolutionary modifications, giving rise to numerous adaptive radiations.

Taxa weakly- or non-modified compared to their continental counterparts characterize the oldest assemblages. They likely represent the youngest dispersal phase from the mainland into the insular domain, suggesting a polyphasic origin of the community.

Evidence of apparently the oldest faunal settlement in Gargano was found in the recently discovered fissure M013. It contains remains of a new murid, which is manifestly the ancestor of Mikrotia (the endemic and widespread murid of the Terre Rosse), together with those of a new Cricetodontinae, which resembles primitive early Miocene representatives. These occurrences, in addition to the absence of Apodemus and Prolagus, two ubiquitous taxa of the Terre Rosse fillings, confirm that the assemblages are the result of a set of successive bioevents.


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The age and paleogeography of Scontrone and Gargano: the Abruzzo-Apulian domain

The Early Tortonian age of the Scontrone fauna is unequivocally proven not only by solid geologic evidence, but also by the Hoplitomeryx representatives, which are comparatively more primitive than their Gargano counterparts. The same might apply to the Deinogalerix specimens from the two localities, but analyses are still under way to check this aspect.

The Gargano fissure fillings are tentatively dated to the Late Miocene on the basis of paleontological inferences, namely the occurrence of Apodemus, which is supposed to be not older than MN12 in the European mainland.

The Gargano’s younger age possibly reflects the fact that the Gargano palaeo-islands formed stable structural high, while the Scontrone area was involved in the Apennine build-up and gradually sunk. Thus, the faunas from Scontrone and Gargano represent two different time slices within the same bioprovince.

The colonization of the Abruzzo-Apulia domain

The existence, from the Late Oligocene to the Langhian, of a trans-Adriatic structural high between Dalmatia and the Gargano Peninsula, through the present day Tremiti Islands, was ascertained based on the seismostratigraphic analysis of more than 6000 kilometers of reflection seismic profiles from the Adriatic offshore, but also on several tens of deep wells. The major 29-30 Ma global sea-level fall caused the generalized surfacing of this structure across the Adriatic. The trans-Adriatic isthmus was originally in the form of stripe of land. Then, as the sea level turned growing at the transition to the Early Miocene, the structural high likely gave rise to an archipelago of gradually shrinking islands. The isthmus definitively sank at the end of the Langhian, i.e. around 14.8 Ma, and the Abruzzo-Apulian area remained cut off from any near mainland for the next 7 million years. Dalmatia and the Gargano were connected again during the Messinian sea lowstand. Thereafter, the sea level turned gradually to rise again, at first isolating the Abruzzo-Apulian area and then finally submerging it entirely at the very end of the Messinian. The possible ways of colonization used by the Messinian colonizers is still passionately debated.

Although many steps have been made in the direction of improving our understanding of the history of the Abruzzo-Apulian Platform and of its faunal communities, yet many issues are still unanswered. Settling these issues will not only give us a better insight into the development of the Abruzzo-Apulian faunas per se, but will also lead us to a better understanding of the geo– and biodynamics of paleo-islands in general.


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NEW INSULAR TAXA FROM THE OLDEST TERRE ROSSE FISSURE FILLING (GARGANO, SOUTHEASTERN ITALY)

Masini, F.1, Rinaldi, P.M.2, Savorelli, A3. & Pavia, M.4.

1 University of Palermo, Department of Earth and Sea Science, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] 2 University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] 3 University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] 4 University of Torino, Department of Earth Science, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Late Neogene, Endemic Fauna, Rodents, Insectivores, Biochronology, Paleogeography

A rich amount of fossil remains of a highly diversified vertebrate fauna, known as “Mikrotia fauna”, has been retrieved from the red soil deposits (Terre Rosse) which fill the extensive palaeokarst network that affects the Mesozoic limestone along the north-western slopes of Mount Gargano (Southern Italy). The faunal assemblages reveal a rather complex history of bioevents such as dispersals and extinctions, which occurred when the area was isolated. These reconstructions were based on the materials collected during the seventies and the eighties of the last century.

Forty years after its discovery, the Gargano Terre Rosse finally yielded evidence of an older faunal settlement.

The peculiar assemblage of the M013 fissure allows to explain some of the controversial aspects of the Gargano faunal history, namely, the matter of the biochronology of the older fissure fillings and the issue of the arrivals of the taxa in the insular domain.

The taxonomic study of the small mammal assemblage from fissure M013, sampled by a team of the University of Torino during the 2005-09 excavations in the Dell’Erba Quarry (Apricena, Foggia), is here presented. Insectivores include a small-sized endemic Galericinae Apulogalerix cf. pusillus, together with a Crocidosoricinae,

Lartetium cf. dehmi. Gliridae are well represented by the endemic species Stertomys simplex and S. lyrifer. Cricetids (l.s.) are represented by a single remain belonging to the endemic Hattomys cf. nazarii, but also by a new genus and species of an endemic and rather primitive Cricetodontinae. The latter shows a very hypsodont dental crown, stocky cusps and tubercle-like crests. Some of its features are typical of the continental genera of Cricetodontinae (i.e. large size, thick and crenulated enamel), however the very large size and the very high hypsodonty indicate the endemic nature of this taxon. The occlusal pattern appears rather primitive due to the very low, poorly developed, interrupted ectolophs and share some features with the primitive species of the genus Cricetodon.

Murids include Mikrotia parva together with a second larger species, which is not yet identified. A third Murinae rodent is quite abundant, and belongs to a new genus and species. Its dentition is more brachyodont than in Mikrotia parva, the upper teeth are stephanodont and, accordingly, the transversal crests are joined by a longitudinal crest in the lower molars. Tubercle t7 is absent in the upper molars, t2bis is always present, while t1bis is usually absent in the first upper molar. Tubercle t1 is placed in a distal position respect to the t3, the posterolabial tubercle t12 is well-developed. Tubercles t3, t6 and t9 are roughly equidistant forming a regular pattern: a character that is found in Mikrotia and not in the other murid species, in which t6 is closer


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to t9. This morphological characters reveal a close relationship with Mikrotia, but they do not occur jointly in any of the Late Miocene-Earliest Pliocene European genera of murids, thus the phylogenetic origin of this new genus is still unclear.

The occurrence of this new Murinae and of a Cricetodontinae distinguishes M013 from all the other Terre Rosse fissure fillings of Gargano. Stertomys lyrifer and S. simplex were previously known only from the very ancient fissure Rinascita 1. Because both taxa characterize M013 and Rinascita 1, the two fissures are believed to be very close chronologically. Also the Crocidosoricinae characterises the older fissure fillings. In contrast, M013 is the only fissure lacking Apodemus and Prolagus, which are otherwise present in all the other Gargano infillings.

The accumulated evidence indicates M013 as the oldest of Gargano’s faunal assemblages, despite the occurrence of Hattomys cf. nazarii, Mikrotia cf. parva and Mikrotia sp1, which most probably results from infiltrations from younger fissure fillings. The M013 assemblage is an absolute novelty for the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince and opens a new perspectives for the timing and mode of dispersal of the forerunners of the Gargano fauna.


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HOPLITOMERYCIDAE (RUMINANTIA, CENTRAL-SOUTHEASTERN ITALY): WHOM FROM?

Mazza, P.

University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Endemic artiodactyls, insular colonization, paleogeography, Oligocene-Miocene, Adriatic Sea

A recent cladistic analysis of Hoplitomeryx, the mysterious ruminants from the Abruzzo-Apulian Platform (central- and south-eastern Italy), was based on a character-taxon matrix of 121 features (48 cranial, 51 dental and 22 postcranial characters). The matrix was set up based on direct observation and the literature, to infer the interrelationships between Hoplitomerycidae and an ingroup of twelve past and six living ruminant taxa. The type specimens had been found in the 1970’s in karstic fissure fillings, most likely of Messinian age, in the Gargano promontory (Apulia, southeastern Italy). During the 1990’s a rich amount of Hoplitomeryx remains were discovered in Lower Tortonian layered calcarenites outcropping near Scontrone (Abruzzo, central Italy). Hoplitomerycids had originally been linked more closely with Cervids, and thus accommodated in the Cervoidea, only for their possessing two lacrimal orifices and closed metatarsal gulleys.

The cladistic analysis stems hoplitomerycids either between antilocaprids and bovids, or antilocaprids and giraffids. They can be the sister group of two clades, one including Bovidae, Cervidae, Moschidae, and Palaeomerycidae, the other formed by Antilocapridae, Giraffidae, and Climacoceridae. Contrary to what is normally believed, they were not found to be linked directly with cervids, despite their possessing two lacrimal orifices and closed metatarsal gulleys. But these characters are possessed also by numerous other ruminants.

Because of its sharing an assortment of characters with many other ruminants, Hoplitomerycidae is believed to be descendant of a primitive ruminant stock that

should be placed somewhere at the basal divergence of Pecora. Geological evidence from Abruzzo-Apulia to far off the Adriatic shore shows that 29-30 Ma the Abruzzo-Apulia platform was connected with the Balkans by a stripe of land across the Adriatic Sea, approximately where the Tremiti islands are today. The forerunners of Hoplitomeryx spread into Abruzzo-Apulia from the Balkans crossing this trans-Adriatic landbridge. Then the land connection sank, leaving the ruminants isolated for a few million years. Living in insularity hoplitomerycids thus radiated into a variety of species, developing autapomorphic homoplasies that masquerade as homologies which near them to antilocaprids and bovids, or even to giraffids, rather than to cervids, as previously believed. For this reason they cannot be easily accommodated in any of the superfamilies of higher ruminants.

But the point is: who were the ancestors of these weird ruminants? Character polarities are obscured by hoplitomerycids’ already advanced endemic transformations and are therefore problematic to establish. Comparative and developmental morphology may nonetheless assist in pinpointing plesiomorphies that contribute to the identification of the family’s potential forerunners, to the reconstruction of its true history, as well as to the detection of its possible area of provenance. Comparisons with Tragulina and higher ruminants show that hoplitomerycids display mosaic evolution, combining primitive cranial characters with fairly advanced dental and postcranial traits. This is not surprising, considering the quite more intense adaptive pressures to which teeth and limbs are exposed compared to skulls. Hoplitomerycids’ cranial plesiomorphies are therefore preserved traces of their past which can be pursued to track their ancestry. Preliminary results seem leading somewhere towards Early Oligocene Tragulina, possibly Gelocidae or


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Lophiomerycidae. These potential ancestral taxa were dispersed in Eurasia when two favorable paleogeographical circumstances were met for the colonization of the Abruzzo-Apulian area: 1) the formation of the trans-Adriatic landbridge; 2) the almost complete isolation of Paratethys, which was linked to the Mediterranean only in the far west, and to the North Sea through the Rhine Graben. Hence, landways formed for a limited time period connecting the Abruzzo-Apulia paleoprovince with both eastern European and Asian areas.


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BADENIAN CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL FLUCTUATION IN EASTERN CARPATHIANS: PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL

SIGNIFICANCE

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C1. & Stoica, M.2

1 National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology & Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bălcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail : [email protected]

Keywords: nannofloral assemblages; biostratigraphy; palaeoecology; Eastern Carpathians; Middle Miocene.

During the Badenian Paratethyan stage, a significant increase in salinity is known to occur, expressed in ‘the Middle Badenian Salinity Crisis” (Bąbel, M., 2004, Peryt, 2006, Piller et al., 2007, among many others). The evaporate deposition related to the above-mentioned event was described since long time from several regions of the Romanian territory (i.e., Romanian Carpathians and Transylvanian areas) and was placed (Mărunţeanu et al., 2000; Chira, 2001) in the NN6 calcareous nannoplankton zone of Martini (1971), as in other Carpathian regions, i.e. the Polish Carpathian Foredeep (Śliwiński et al., 2008).

The Eastern Carpathians display several Badenian complete sections, well dated based on their microfaunal content (i.e., foraminifera, ostracoda and calcareous nannofossils). The section presented herein is situated towards the southern end of the Eastern Carpathians (i.e., the bend area of the Romanian Carpathians), N of the Slănic-Prahova locality. The investigated deposits are mainly made by grey clays and marl, interbedded with thin evaporites (i.e., salt and gypsum); the section includes also thin cm tuff levels. De Leeuw et al. (2012) reported that the age of the youngest volcanic tuff layer identified in the section is 13.4 Ma; hence, it is possible that the termination of the Badenian Salinity Crisis was situated, in the Eastern Carpathians, shortly after 13.4 Ma.

Several samples were collected for calcareous nannoplankton analysis, 3 m stratigraphically bellow the youngest tuff level and 2 m above. Both

qualitative and quantitative studies were achieved. All the studied samples belong to the NN6 calcareous nannoplankton zone of Martini (1971), interval placed between the LO (last occurrence) of the nannofossil Sphenolithus heteromorphus and the FO (first occurrence) of the nannofossil Discoaster kugleri. The LO of Sphenolithus heteromorphus is situated, according Raffi et al. (2006), at 13.54 Ma in the W Atlantic and 13.64 Ma in the Eastern Mediterranean. Taking into account these data, we may assume that the studied samples are younger than 13.5 Ma that is in agreement with the age of 13.4 Ma given by De Leeuw et al. (2012) for the youngest tuff level of the section.

In the encountered nannofloral assemblages are also present significant biostratigraphical nannofossils, such as: common Cyclicargolithus floridanus (with the LCO, last common occurrence at 13.29 Ma), Calcidiscus premacintyrei (LCO at 12.45 Ma) and Coronocyclus nitescens (LO at 12.25) - all the absolute ages are given in Raffi et al., 2006).

Interestingly, 2 m below the tuff level dated as 13.4. Ma (De Leeuw et al., 2012) a remarkable increase in pentaliths such as Braarudosphaera bigelowii, which reaches almost 20 % of nannofloral assemblages was observed. Previously studies of other Paratethyan areas (i.e., Slovenia) reported a significant frequency of pentaliths such as Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Micrantholithus vesper in Early Miocene deposits (Bartol et al., 2008). This nannofloral event, coincident with a decrease in isotope d13C values is linked by the above-mentioned authors to short-lived episode of hyposaline conditions. Possibly, in the Badenian deposits studied by us, the shift in Braarudosphaera bigelowii percentages is related to


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the end of the Badenian Salinity Crisis, and therefore a decrease in the salinity of surface-water together with a significant influx of fresh water into the basin of the Carpathian Foredeep.

References

Bąbel, M., 2004. Badenian evaporite basin of the northern Carpathian Foredeep as a drawdown salina basin. Acta Geologica Polonica 54, 313–337.

Bartol, M., Pavšič, J., Dobnikar, M., Bernasconi, S.M., 2008. Unusual Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Micrantholithus vesper enrichment in the Early Miocene sediments from the Slovenian Corridor, a seaway linking the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267, 77-88.

Chira, 2001. The Badenian calcareous nannoplankton from Turda and Ocna Dej salt mines (Transylvanian Basin, Romania). Studia Univ. Babeş-Bolyai, Geol.-Geogr., 66, 141-150.

De Leeuw, A., Bukowski, K., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K.F., Stoica, M., Tulbure, M., 2012. Chronology of the Badenian Salinity Crisis of the Central Paratethys. Abstract RCMNS Colloqium, Bucharest, 27th-28th Sept. 2012.

Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quaternary calcareous nanoplankton zonation. Proceeding of 2nd Planktonic Conference, Roma 1970, Roma, p. 739-785.

Mărunţeanu, M., Crihan, M., Chira, C., 2000. Badenian nannofossil zonation – the Carpathian area. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, 2, 261-267.

Peryt, T.M., 2006. The beginning, development and termination of the Middle Miocene Badenian salinity crisis in Central Paratethys. Sedimentary Geology 188/189, 379-396

Piller, W.E., Harzhauser, M., Mandic, O., 2007. Miocene Central Paratethys stratigraphy - current status and future directions. Stratigraphy 4, 151–168.

Raffi, I., Backman, J., Fornaciari, E., Pälike, H., Rio, D., Lourens, L., Hilgen, F., 2006. A review of calcareous nannofossil astrobiochronology encompassing the

past 25 million years. Quaternary Science Reviews 25, 3113–3137.

Śliwiński, M., Maciej Bąbel, M., Nejbert, K., Olszewska-Nejbert, D., Gąsiewicz, A., Charlotte Schreiber, B., Benowitz, J.A., Layer, P., 2008. Badenian–Sarmatian chronostratigraphy in the Polish Carpathian Foredeep. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 326-328, 12–29.


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THE OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE BOUNDARY IN ROMANIA: STATE OF THE ART

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bcuharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Paleogene/Neogene boundary; lithostratigraphy, calcareous nannofossils, Romanian Carpathians and Transylvanian Basin.

In the Eastern Carpathians, the Oligocene-Lower Miocene sediments crop out in several areas, belonging to (i) the sedimentary cover of the Moldavid Nappes (Outer Flysch Zone), (ii) the post-tectonic cover of the Outer Dacid Nappes, and (iii) the Pieniny Kippes. Within the Moldavids, in the outer (eastern) part of the central and southern Eastern Carpathians, the Oligocene-Lower Miocene formations crop out in the Tarcău, Vrancea and Subcarpathian nappes, where they display two main lithofacies, namely (1) the Bituminous Kliwa Facies, in the external part and (2) the Fusaru-Pucioasa Facies, in the inner part. Oligocene sandy turbidites are followed by shaly turbidites of the Vinetişu Formation in the inner facies, and Podu Morii Formation in the outer facies (the later unit shows in addition to the former prominent convolute sandstones). Towards the base of the Vinetişu Formation, as well as at the base of the Podu Morii Formation, a thin cm green tuff level was identified (Ştefănescu et al., 1993). The calcareous nannofossil assemblages identified just below this tuff level (Melinte, 1993; 2005) belong to the NN1 nannoplankton zone of Martini (1971), based on the co-occurrence of Sphenolithus capricornustus and Sphenolithus delphix, situated at around 23 Ma (Berggren et al., 1995; Raffi et al., 2006), at the base of the Aquitanian stage and, respectively within the Egerian Paratethyan stage. In the Podu Morii Formation, a younger 50 cm white tuff level was reported (Ştefănescu et al., 1993), placed, according to Melinte (1993), in the NN2 nannofossil zone of Martini (1971). The nannofloras contain, besides the index species of NN2, Discoaster druggii, the nannofossils Helicosphaera carteri and H. euphratis.

The cross-over of the two latter above-mentioned nannofossils is situated, according to Raffi et al. (2006), at 20.89 Ma, within the Late Aquitanian, close to the boundary between the Egerian and Eggenburgian Paratethyan stages. In the Southern Carpathian Foredeep (i.e., Getic Depression), pelitic bituminous sediments were deposited during the Oligocene. This facies, which yielded lithological similarities with the Eastern Carpathians bituminous deposits of the Outer Flysch area, extends in some sections within the Early Miocene, i.e., Aquitanian-Early Burdigalian interval (Roban and Melinte, 2006), as it is proved by the calcareous nannofossil assemblages belonging to the NN1 and NN2 zones of Martini (1971). The top of the bituminous formations is overlain, towards W, by the Muiereasca Formation, mainly made by sandstones as well as thin grey clays and marls. Towards E, the Sărata Formation, composed by evaporites (mainly gypsum) started to be deposited within the Early Miocene interval. A tuff level was identified towards the lower part of the Muiereasca formation (Ştefănescu, 1995). Below this tuff, the nannofloras contain, among other taxa, Helicosphaera carteri and H. euphratis, co-occurrence that is indicative for a Late Aquitanian age, as stated above. In the NW Transylvanian Basin, three distinct Paleogene sedimentation areas (Gilău, Meseş and Preluca) were distinguished (Rusu, 1970). In the later one, several continuous sections across the Oligocene- Miocene boundary interval were described (Rusu, 1970), based on nannofloral assemblages (Rusu et al., 1996; Melinte-Dobrinescu and Brustur, 2008). The above-mentioned interval is characterized by the sedimentation of the Buzaş Formation, mainly made by alternating sandstones, clays and marls, followed


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by the hemipelagic Vima Formation. Towards NE, the Vima Formation was progressively replaced the Buzaş Formation. In some exposures from NW Transylvanian basin, towards the lower part of the Vima formation a 50 cm white volcanic tuff was identified (Rusu et al., 1996), situated at the lower part of the NN2 zone of Martini (1971), Late Aquitanian in age, that approximates the boundary of the Egerian and Eggenburgian Paratethyan stages.

Summarising, complete sections across the Oligocene/Miocene boundary occur in the Romanian Carpathians (Eastern Carpathian Outer Flysch Zone and Foredeep of the Southern Carpathians), as well as in the Transylvanian Basin. From lithological point of view, the successions are characterised either by a turbidite deposition, or by molasse sedimentation and even hemipelagic successions. The calcareous nannofloras, belonging to the NP25, NN1 and NN2 zones of Martini are indicative for a continuous deposition across the Oligocene/Miocene boundary. A thin, up to 20 cm, green tuff level was deposited within the basal Aquitanian (in the Egerian) of the Eastern Carpathians, being a good lithological marker of the Oligocene/Miocene boundary in the Outer Flysch Zone. A younger white tuff level, around 50 cm in thickness, was observed in the Eastern Carpathians outer structures, as well as in the Getic Depression and in the Transylvanian basin. This volcanic tuff was deposited in the lower part of the NN2 calcareous nannoplankton zone of Martini (1971), in the Late Aquitanian, being therefore a good lithological marker in Romania of the boundary between the Egerian and Eggenburgian Paratethyan stages.

References

Berggren, W.A., Kent, D.V., Swisher, CC., Aubry, M.P., 1995. A revised Cenozoic geochronology and chronostratigraphy. Society of Economics Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 54, 129- 212.

Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quaternary calcareous nanoplankton zonation. Proceeding of 2nd Planktonic Conference, Roma 1970, Roma, p. 739-785.

Melinte, M.C., 1993. Contributions at the establishment of the Oligocene/Miocene boundary in the Tarcău Nappe from the Buzău Valley, based on calcareous nannoplankton associations. Romanian Journal of Stratigraphy, 75, 91-96.

Melinte, M.C., 2005. Oligocene palaeoenvironmental changes in the Romanian Carpathians, revealed by calcareous nannofossil fluctuation. In Tyszka J., Oliwkiewicz-Miklasinska M., Gedl, P. and Kaminski, M.A. (eds), Methods and Application in Micropalaeontology. Studia Geologica Polonica, 124, 15-27.

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C., Brustur, T., 2008. Oligocene-Lower Miocene events in Romania. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 6, 203-217.

Raffi, I., Backman, J., Fornaciari, E., Pälike, H., Rio, D., Lourens, L., Hilgen, F., 2006. A review of calcareous nannofossil astrobiochronology encompassing the past 25 million years. Quaternary Science Reviews 25, 3113–3137.

Roban, R., Melinte, M.C., 2006. Paleogene litho- and biostratigraphy of the NE Getic Depresssion. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 5, 223-249.

Rusu, A., 1970. Corelarea faciesurilor Oligocenului în regiunea Treznea-Bizuşa (NV Bazinului Transilvaniei). Studii şi Cercetări Geologice, Geofizice şi Geografice, Seria Geologie 15/2, 513-525.

Rusu, A., Popescu, G., Melinte, M.C., 1996. Oligocene-Miocene Transition and Main Geological Events in Romania. Romanian Journal of Stratigraphy, 76, 1, 3-47.

Ştefănescu, M. (1995). Stratigraphy and structure of Cretaceous and Paleogene flysch deposits between Prahova and Ialomiţa valleys. Romanian Journal of Tectonics and Regional Geology, 75, Supplement 1, 49 pp.

Ştefănescu, M., Popescu, I., Ştefănescu, M., Ivan, V., Melinte, M., Stãnescu, V., 1993. Aspects of the possibilities of the lithological correlation of Oligocene–Lower Miocene deposits of the Buzău Valley. Romanian Journal of Stratigraphy, 75, 83–91.


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HOW DRY WAS THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS? – A MOLECULAR STUDY OF THE ERACLEA MINOA SECTION

(SICILY)

Mezger, E. M.1, Vasiliev, I.1,2*, Lugli, S.3, Roveri, M4., Manzi, V. 4, Reichart, G. J.1,5, Sangiorgi, F.6, Krijgsman, W.2 & Van Roij, L.1

1Organic Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherland, email: [email protected] Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands3Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia3Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Parma5Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Biogeosciences, Bremerhaven, Germany4Biomarine Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Keywords: hydrogen isotopes, Paratethys, connectivity

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC; 5.96-5.33 Ma) is considered one of the most enigmatic episodes of paleooceanographic change. Kilometres-thick evaporites were deposited in the Mediterranean basin, during periods when the connections between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean basin were restricted. The development through time of this crisis is still under debate. Although it is generally accepted that the MSC was a dry period with higher evaporation than precipitation and runoff, how dry climate was and how saline the water, has not yet been quantified accurately. Samples from the Upper Evaporites (MSC stage 3; 5.53 - 5.33 Ma) and from gypsum cumulate - time equivalent to the halite unit (MSC stage 2; 5.61-5.55 Ma ) - were collected from the Eraclea Minoa section, Sicily, to measure the compound specific hydrogen isotopic composition

(δD) of organic molecules from the gypsum, marls and halite. Hydrogen isotopes, being closely related to the hydrological cycle and build into organic molecules, offer the opportunity to reconstruct past changes in the hydrological cycle and salinity during the MSC. The δD of terrestrial n-alkanes (C25 – C31) mainly records the δD of precipitation, modified by meteoric conditions and evapotranspiration in leaves. The δD of long-chain alkenones, produced by benthic haptophyte algae, depends on the δD of the water, salinity and to some degree growth rate. Both long chain n-alkanes with a high odd over even predominance (higher plants) and long chain alkenones were found, recording heavy (deuterium enriched) hydrogen isotopic values. The magnitude of the hydrogen isotopic excursion indicates high rates of evaporation. Furthermore, presence of alkenones in the Upper Evaporites suggests that the connections between Atlantic and Mediterranean, despite reduced, were active also during the stage 3 of the MSC.


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A FLUID INCLUSION STUDY OF THE PRIMARY LOWER GYPSUM OF THE PIEDMONT BASIN (ITALY):

PRECIPITATION FROM EVAPORATED SEAWATER?

Natalicchio, M.1, Dela Pierre, F.1, Lugli, S.2, & Ferrando, S.1

1Torino University, Department of Earth Sciences, via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy, e-mail: [email protected] and Reggio Emilia University, Department of Earth Sciences, largo S. Eufemia 19, Modena, Italy

Keywords: selenitic gypsum, microthermometry, salinity, diluted water, Messinian

Introduction

The stratigraphy, petrography, and geochemistry of the Messinian Lower Evaporites (Primary Lower Gypsum unit, PLG; Lugli et al., 2010) have been extensively studied. However the chemo-phisical parameters (salinity, temperature, composition) of the fluids from which the thick sequence of gypsum formed are still virtually unknown. In this work we present a fluid inclusion study of the PLG exposed in the Banengo and Moncucco quarries (Piedmont Basin, NW, Italy).The aim is to document the salinity of the brines from which gypsum precipitated.

The Primary Lower Gypsum

In the Piedmont Basin, up to 14 PLG cycles, deposited during the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis (5.96-5.60 Ma), are exposed on both the Southern and Northern margins (Dela Pierre et al., 2011); the Banengo and Moncucco quarries are located on the northern basin margin. At Banengo, four gypsum beds are present, 15 to 30 m-thick, overlying pre-evaporitic emipelagic sediments. The lowermost 3 beds consist of massive selenite and the 4th bed is represented by banded selenite, composed of cm-sized crystals. The crystals size generally decreases from the 1st to 4th bed. At Moncucco, only three massive selenite beds showing analogous characteristics of those of Banengo are recognized. The crystals are up to few decimetres across and their size generally decreases toward the top of the beds. No banded selenite has been observed here. In both the quarries, an intricate network of curved filaments can be observed within the gypsum crystals (Dela Pierre et al., this volume). These features

correspond to the spaghetti-like structures (Vai and Ricci Lucchi, 1977), that were recently identified as fossilized cyanobacteria (Panieri et al., 2010).

Methodology

The samples have been collected for fluid inclusion study at the base, in the middle, and at the top of the gypsum beds. Microthermometry observations have been performed using mm-size cleavage fragments cut along the (010) cleavage plane. Following the method proposed by Attia et al. (1995) the inclusions were quickly cooled up to -90°C and immediately heated up to +30°C. This process induced the formation of a bubble in many inclusion, thus reducing metastability effect. The bubbles were then cooled again up to -70°C and slowly heated at 1-2°C per minute and at 0.5°C per minute near the melting temperatures.

In order to verify the reliability of this methodology and to compare the Messinian salinities with the present-day ones, two selenite crystals formed in modern solar works (Cagliari, Sardinia) have been investigated using the same methodology.

Fluid inclusion data results

In the Messinian samples the primary aqueous fluid inclusions are 10 to 100 μm in size, show three- to six-sided geometrical shapes, and are mostly aligned parallel to the growth direction of selenite crystals. Fluid inclusions mostly consist of monophase liquid, though bi-phase inclusions (liquid + vapour), due to crystal stretching, are also present. Daughter minerals were not observed. The eutectic temperatures (Te) was of about -35°C, the melting temperature of hydrohalite (TmHhl) of about -25°C, and the final ice melting (Tmice) occurred between -4.9 and -0.1°C. The modern selenite is up to 3 cm across, untwinned


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and contains primary elongated fluid inclusions with triangular shape. Three types of fluid inclusions are recognised: bi-phase (liquid + vapour) characterized by Te @ -40°C, Tmice @ -21°C, TmHhl < 0°C, bi-phase (liquid + vapour) showing Te @ -40°C, Tmice @ -21°C, TmHhl @ 0°C, final halite melting (TmHl) <+40°C, and tri-phase (liquid + vapour + halite) showing Te @ -40°C, Tmice @ -21°C, TmHhl @ 0°C, TmHl was not reached because of gypsum dehydration at +120°C.


Microthermometric data obtained from the modern gypsum crystals are consistent with salinities present in the modern salt works. These data allow to attest the validity of microthermometry studies on gypsum crystals because no metastability effects were recorded during the measurements.

The comparison between Messinian and modern gypsum fluid inclusion data indicates that the crystals precipitated from two different brines. In the modern crystals, Te, Tmice and the presence of halite daughter crystals suggest their precipitation from very concentrated Ca-Na-K brines (> 23 Wt% NaCleq), formed by the well known operation procedures of modern salt works. Completely different fluid inclusion data were obtained from the Messinian crystals indicating: i) fluids marked by the presence of Mg and/or Fe besides Na and K, and by a moderate to low salinity (between 0.2 and 7.7 Wt% NaCleq); ii) a progressive increase in fluid salinity during the growth of a single crystal and from the bottom (average value 1.2 Wt% NaCleq) to the top of some gypsum beds (average value 2.7 Wt% NaCleq). Moreover the prevalence of single phase liquid fluid inclusions indicates T< 40-50°C for gypsum precipitation. Remarkably, these data unequivocally suggest that in the Messinian samples the salinity of the parent fluids was very low, not only with respect to evaporated seawater (> 10 Wt% NaCleq) but also to normal marine seawater (3 Wt% NaCleq). However, the increase of salinity recorded during single crystal growth bands as well as during formation of the gypsum beds, indicates a progressive enrichment of ion concentrations in parent fluids, which is in turn correlated with the slight crystals size reduction observed along the beds.

Additional microthermometric data are necessary to quantify the contributions of high and low salinity waters in order to propose a reliable genetic model for gypsum precipitation during the first MSC stage.

References

Attia, O.E., Lowenstein, T.K., Wali, A.M.A., 1995. Middle Miocene gypsum, Gulf of Suez: marine or nonmarine? Jour. Sed. Res., A65-4, 614-626.

Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011. The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeo3 310, 238-255.

Dela Pierre, F., Clari, P., Natalicchio, M., Bernardi, E., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Violanti, D., 2012. Big bacteria filaments in euxinic shales of the Primary Lower Gypsum unit (Piedmont Basin, NW Italy): vestiges of Messinian chemotrophic microbial mats. RCMNS RCANS Interim Colloquium, Bucharest.

Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, B.C., 2010. The Primary Lower Gypsum in the Mediterranean: a new facies interpretation for the first stage of the Messinian salinity crisis. Palaeo3. 297, 83-99.

Panieri, G., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Roveri, M., Schreiber, C.B., Palinska, K.A., 2010. Ribosomal RNA gene fragments from fossilized cyanobacteria identified in primary gypsum from the late Miocene, Italy. Geobiology 8, 101-111.

Vai, G.B., Ricci Lucchi, F., 1977. Algal crusts, autochtonous and clastic gypsum in a cannibalistic evaporite basin; a case history from the Messinian of Northern Apennine. Sedimentology, 24, 211-244.


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DIAGENETIC HISTORY OF THE VILOBÍ GYPSUM UNIT (VALLÈS – PENEDÈS BASIN, MIOCENE, NE SPAIN): AN

EXAMPLE OF FRACTURED AND CEMENTED EVAPORITE DEPOSIT

Playà, E.1, Moragas, M.2, Martínez, C.1, Baqués, V.1, Travé, A.1, Ortí, F.1 & Alías, G.1

1Department of Geoquímica, Petrologia i Prospecció Geològica, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Martí i Franqués, s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain), e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2Group of Dynamics of the Lithosphere (GDL), Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera, ICTJA – CSIC. Lluís Solé Sabaris, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Upper Burdigalian evaporites, anhydritization, secondary gypsum textures, fragil deformation, isotopy.

Geological setting

The evaporitic deposit of Vilobí (Barcelona province, NE Spain) shows petrological, sedimentological and diagenetic features of interest. The Vilobí Gypsum Unit is located in the Vallès-Penedès half-graben, which is located in the Catalan Coastal Ranges (NE Spain). The Catalan Coastal Ranges are mainly constituted by a NE-SW oriented horst and graben system developed during the Neogene extension. The thickness of the Neogene sediment fill of the Vallès-Penedès basin reaches up to 4000 m. As a consequence of the rifting stage, several transgressive pulses in the Upper Burdigalian and in the Langhian led to a partial flooding of the western part (Penedès) of the basin. The marine episode was finished by the end of Lower Serravallian time. The basin exhibits a heterogeneous sediment fill with non-marine clastics, marine deposits including reefs buildups and sabkha-salina gypsum sediments.

Gypsum unit

The upper Burdigalian Vilobí Gypsum Unit is a succession of 60 metres in thickness composed of a thick, lower interval of secondary gypsum (coming from the hydration of precursor anhydrite) and an upper, thin (few metres thick) interval of primary (depositional) gypsum at the top. This evaporite succession is laying on non-marine grey shales and limestones, and is overlain by non-marine red and grey shales and marine calcarenites (Langhian) (Ortí & Pueyo, 1976; Bitzer, 2004).

The secondary gypsum interval is formed by three different textural varieties that progressive change to each other, although they always preserve the depositional lithofacies of the deposit (laminated-to-banded gypsum alternating with thin carbonate laminae) (Ortí & Pueyo, 1976). The lowest part of this interval (up to 30 meters thick) is texturally formed by fine-grained alabastrine secondary gypsum, in which nodules and micronodules can be distinguished. The middle part (up to 20 meters thick) is formed by radial aggregates with diameters up to 10 cm. In the upper part, the radial aggregates become larger enough (several tens of cm in length) to allow the identification of the individual crystals forming them: elongated, lenticular crystals crosscutting the bedding. Some enterolithic beds are intercalated throughout this secondary gypsum interval. Under the microscope, all the textural varieties show anhydrite relics within the gypsum crystals indicating the secondary character of the gypsum. Sulphur (δ34S) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope analyses of gypsum samples display a range of compositions from +20.9 to +22.31‰ and from +12.89 to +16.21‰, respectively, indicating a marine origin of the brines. Ortí & Pueyo (1976) interpreted this deposit as formed in a coastal salina (laminated-to-banded gypsum lithofacies), which continuously evolved to a sabkha environment (enterolithic and nodular anhydrite lithofacies). Bitzer (2004) suggested that the evaporite precipitation occurred in the most distant zones to the open sea, related to non-marine environments, but the isotopic composition of the sulphate reveals at least a primitive marine origin.

The upper interval (4 m thick) of the succession is formed by primary gypsum characterized by laminated-to-banded (gypsarenites and microselenites) lithofacies.


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The contact with the underlying thick interval is very sharp. Isotopic values of this gypsum are between +15.62 and +18.65‰ for oxygen, and between +17.81 and +21.8‰ for sulphur. According to Ortí & Pueyo (1976), this upper interval was deposited in a coastal salina environment. Moreover, the sharp contact at its base can be interpreted as an erosional-dissolution surface, which would have affected the large aggregates of secondary gypsum. This suggests that a complete diagenetic cycle (salina primary gypsum; sabkha anhydrite; rehydration to secondary gypsum) occurred before the deposition of the upper interval of primary gypsum.

Fracturation and cementation events

The Vilobí Gypsum Unit shows several fragile deformation events producing several fracture sets totally or partially infilled by gypsum cements; the fractures are developed within a lithified gypsum unit, and after the anhydrite rehydration, thus reinforcing the idea of an early diagenetic transformation of the whole unit. The main fracturation and cementation events are chronologically described, from older to younger (Moragas et al. 2012, submitted):

Set 1 and 2 (S1 and S2) fractures consist of coeval conjugate normal faults structures (S1, NE-SW, and S2, NE-SW trending extensional faults). Such fractures where generated during the early post-rift stage (Langhian), after the transformation to secondary gypsum. All the fracture and cavern (enlarged fractures) porosities are totally filled by fibrous and/or macrocrystalline gypsum cement. Fibers grow antitaxially and show curved morphology; such cements are sintectonical. δ34S and δ18O values of fibers are from +13-14‰ and +21-22.5‰, respectively, falling within the area of the host-gypsum rocks compositions as well as Tertiary marine evaporites; initial seawater-related input during the precipitation of such cements cannot be ruled out, although the most probable source of sulphate is dissolution of the host-gypsum.

Set 4 (S4) is constituted by NE-SW trending thrust faults NW or SE dipping and totally cemented by gypsum fibres growing parallel to slightly oblique to the walls of the S4 fracture planes. Isotopic compositions are similar to those of the S1-S2 fibers. The S4 faults are the result of the reactivation of the previous S1-S2 structures during the Upper Langhian-Lower Serravalian minor compressive event.

The last fracture sets (S5 and S6) comprise a main SE-dipping system of joints. Fracture porosity can be totally or partially filled by macrocrystalline gypsum cements, or cements can be absent in the least penetrative planes. Euhedral (lenticular), up to 20 cm, are found isotropically distributed within S5-S6 joint planes. Enlarged by dissolution fractures (creating cavern porosity) can be totally cemented; such macrocrystals can also cement the S1-S2 fractures. δ18O compositions are +14-21‰ while δ34S are +22-25.5‰; thus, such cements show isotopic enrichment with respect to the host-gypsum and previous fibrous cement, due to successive chemical recycling processes from the host-gypsum, the fibrous cement and finally the macrocrystalline cements. Influence of meteoric waters cannot be rejected. Precipitation of macrocrystalline cements was multiepisodic, since the Upper Langhian, clearly postdating dissolution (karstification?) events enlarging fracture porosity; a major dissolution event can be attributed to the major Messinian erosive event.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Spanish Government Projects CGL2009-11096 and CGL2010-18260, and the “Grup consolidat de Recerca Geologia Sedimentària” 2009SGR-1451.

References

Bitzer, K., 2004. Estimating paleogeographic, hydrological and climatic conditions in the upper Burdigalian Vallès-Penedès basin (Catalunya, Spain). Geologica Acta 2, 321-331.

Moragas, M., Baqués, V., Martínez, C., Playà, E., Travé, A., Alías, G., 2012-submitted. Syn- and post-tectonic gypsum cements in fractured gypsum rocks (Vilobí Gypsum Unit, Miocene, NE Spain). Geofluids.

Ortí, F., Pueyo, J.J., 1976. Yeso primario y secundario del depósito de Vilobí (Provincia de Barcelona, España). Instituto de Investigaciones Geológica 31, 5-34.


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SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STORM SIGNATURES IN PLIOCENE SEQUENCES FROM VINTILĂ VODĂ - NORTHERN

DACIAN BASIN, ROMANIA

Popa, L.V.1, 2, & Popa, L.M1

1Department of Mineralogy, Faculty of Geology & Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bălcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania,2National Institute for Research and Development–Geoecomar, Department of Sedimentology and Marine Geology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053, e-mail address: [email protected]

Keywords: Eastern Paratethys, Dacian, shallowing upward, tempestites, weathering

Early to Middle Dacian coarsening upward, dominant siliciclastic sedimentary sequences from the northern part of Dacian Basin were logged in detail in a wide section cropping out on the left bank of the Slănicul de Buzău river – near Vintilă Vodă village. The studied deposits belong to the superior molasse phase of the Eastern Carpathians foredeep and developed during the third ( Jipa, Olteanu, 2006) Pontian-Dacian-Romanian sedimentation cycle of Dacian Basin evolution. The post-collision foreland of the Romanian Carpathians is paleogeographically known as Dacian Basin (Schmid et al., 2008; Jipa, 2006) and co-existed within the Paratethys Domain along with Pannonian, Euxinic and Caspian realms ( Jipa, Olariu, 2009).

Following the principles of sequence analysis, the main facies and their associations were identified, described and interpreted in order to develop the depositional model for coarsening upward, storm- dominated sequences of Vintila Voda section.

Repetitive, shallowing-upward sequences mainly consisting of muddy to silty offshore facies associations, very fine to medium shoreface sands and bioclastic sandstones (sensu Mount, 1984). The latter are reddish to yellowish weathered intervals suggesting sub-aerial exposure during sea level dropping episodes.

Very well exposed 120 meters-thick interval was logged and 40 samples were collected. A special attention was given to the sedimentary structures study as a key to identify and interpret the main

depositional facies and their associations. Laser grain size analysis was run for unconsolidated muddy to sandy samples, corroborated with measurements of particle size in thin sections for the cemented levels. For petrographic study, 25 thin sections from the cemented mixed siliciclastic-carbonate weathered levels were studied using optical microscopy. Bulk powdered samples were analysed by X-ray fluorescence for major element geochemistry.

The sedimentary succession from Vintila Vodă represents a repetition of almost identic complete or incomplete shallowing upward sequences. The main depositional facies are: massive mudstone to massive and parallel laminated siltstone alternation; massive fine sands with bivalves and gastropods shell clusters; horizontal and low angle laminated (hummocky) sand with wave ripples on top; mudstone-siltstone to fine arenites with storm induced deformational structures (lenticular bedding, load casts, water escape structures); wavy and flaser bedded arenites; reddish to yellowish weathered bioclastic sandstone. The final term of the ideal sequence is always represented by the above mentioned Fe-rich bioclastic sandstone levels; they predominantly consist of quartz, bioclasts and extremely few lithic fragments. In most of the samples the presence of authigenic glauconite is noticed. Quartz clasts are angular, sub-angular, rarely sub-rounded, medium to poorly sorted and cemented by iron oxides and calcite. High concentration of Al2O3(2-16%) and Fe2O3(3-33%) and chemical weathering index (Yang et al., 2004) ranging between 33-80% are clearly indicating effects of weathering processes.

A high amount of storm-induced deformational structures is reported in the studied deposits. They


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developed before lithification in non-cohesive sediments by liquefaction and/or fluidization (Alfaro et al., 2002). These processes increase interstitial pressure within the sediment which behaves as a viscous fluid (Allen, 1982). Several trigger mechanisms can form soft-sediment-deformation (earthquakes, tsunamis, overloading and storm waves). As the present deformational structures from our deposits are always associated with tempestites, the effect of cyclic stress induced by wave storm activity (Alfaro et al., 2002) is considered to be responsible. The most favourable conditions for liquefaction under cyclic effect of storm waves are water depth between 10 and 20 m and storm wave height up to 6 m (Alfaro et al., 2002).

The studied sedimentary deposits show severe base water level oscillations and strong storm signatures. A petrographic framework with absence of feldspar and other lithic fragments, angular quartz clasts, are suggesting an immature transport regime and long chemical weathering in a warm-dry climate for sub-aerial exposed intervals. Cumulated, these sedimentary features may represent the picture of a soft transition from the Late Pontian - Early Dacian brackish marine to Middle/Late Dacian-Romanian fresh water fluvial-lacustrine environment ( Jipa, Olteanu, 2006; Jipa, Olariu, 2009).

References

Alfaro, P., Delgado, J., Estevez, A., Molina, J.M., Moretti, M., Soria, J.M., 2002. Liquefaction and fluidization structures in Messinian storm deposits (Bajo Segura Basin, Betic Cordillera, southern Spain), International Journal of Earth Sciences, 91 pp. 505-513

Allen, J.R.L., 1982. Sedimentary structures: their character and physical basis, Vol.1, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 593 pp.

Jipa, D.C., Olteanu, R. 2006. Dacian Basin environmental evolution during Upper Neogene within the Paratethys Domain, Geoecomarina, 12, pp.91-105

Jipa, D.C., Olariu, C., 2009. Dacian Basin- Depositional arhitecture and sedimentary history of a Paratethys Sea, Geo-Eco-Marina Special publication no.3

Schmid, S.M., Bernoulli, D., Fugenschuh, B., Matenco, L., Schefer, S., Schuster, R., Tischler, M. And Ustaszewski, K., 2008. The Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic orogenic system: corellation and evolution of tectonic units, Swiss Journal of Geoscienses, Vol.101,1, pp. 101-183.

Yang, S.Y., Li, C.X., Yang, D.Y., Li, X.S., 2004. Chemical weathering of the loess deposits in the lower Changjiang Valley, China, Paleoclimatic implications, Quaternary International, 117, pp. 27-34.


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CLAY MINERAL ASSEMBLAGES AND THEIR ORIGIN IN THE MIOCENE SALT DEPOSITS OF ROMANIA

Rădan, S.

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, 024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Neogene, Carpathian Foredeep, Transylvanian Basin, clay mineralogy, evaporites

The Neogene salt deposits have been formed in Romania during two main periods: Lower Miocene, with important salt formations developed exclusively in Carpathian Foredeep Basin, and Middle Miocene, with salt formations widespread in Carpathian Foredeep and Transylvanian Basin as well.

Pelitic material contained within evaporitic sequences is represented by clayey interbeds, breccia fragments or finely disseminated clay particles. The mineralogy of clays associated or contained within Miocene evaporitic deposits, generally follows the distribution pattern of the detrital sequences encompassing them.

Some earlier sedimentological investigations concerning paleocurrent directions pointed out two main source areas for the Miocene arenitic and ruditic deposits: a western one, consisting of the emerging areas of the East Carpathians, and an eastern one, represented by the Foreland. X-ray diffraction study of the less than 2 microns fraction of the Miocene pelitic deposits have revealed distinct lateral and vertical variations in clay mineral composition. Thus, in Moldavia, the lower part of the Lower Miocene sequence is characterised by a clay mineral association practically devoid of smectite, this one becoming a permanent component only starting with the “Grey Formation” deposition. Instead, in Muntenia, the whole Miocene pile of deposits shows various but always present, contents of smectite, even if it usually does not exceed illite.

During Lower Miocene salt deposition, the Foreland was the main source area for the Moldavian segment of the Foredeep and, consequently, the clays associated with, or included within salt and potassium salt deposits are characterised by a binary

assemblage (illite + chlorite), or even a monomineral one (illite), accompanied by various random mixed-layer structures. Middle Miocene sedimentation was controlled mainly by sedimentary supplies from the Carpathian area, which determined a specific clay mineral assemblage consisting besides illite (dominant) and chlorite (important), of smectite as well. The I/S random mixed-layers are practically ubiquitous. As regards Middle Miocene salt deposits of Transylvanian Basin, clay mineralogy shows an illite-chlorite assemblage, with accidentally significant amounts of kaolinite (!) and sometimes smectite in some western salt deposits (Ocna Dej, Ocna Sibiului), suggesting the weak influence of the volcanic material supplies and the intervention of the emerged Paleogene kaolinite-rich formations from the north-western edge of the basin.

The peculiar evolution of the clay mineral assemblages within Lower and Middle Miocene salt formations emphasizes that clay fractions are mainly inherited from the land, even some transformation and/or neoformation processes are to be admitted, in order to explain the presence of some rectorite-like and corrensite-like minerals, or some smectite-rich samples.

The distribution patterns of clay minerals in the Miocene detrital and evaporite deposits show a good correlation with paleocurrent directions. Clay mineralogy may become a valuable tool for stratigraphic correlations of evaporite sequences, and suggests, also, the possibility to determine the age of the salt deposits involved in the complex nappe and/or diapir fold tectonics of the Carpathians.


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TRANSITION FROM OUTER SHELF TO COARSE GRAIN DELTAS ACROSS THE PALEOGENE/NEOGENE BOUNDARY

INTERVAL IN NE GETIC DEPRESSION, ROMANIA

Roban, R-D.1,2, Anastasiu, N.1, & Melinte-Dobrinescu M.C. 2

1Department of Mineralogy, Faculty of Geology & Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bălcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology Bucharest, Romania, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: foreland basin, wedge top/foredeep, depositional environments, tectonic vs eustatic control.

Litho- and biostratigraphy

The Getic Depression is a foreland basin affected by tectonic movements. The analysed deposits are located on the northern margin of the basin, overlapping the wedge top and foredeep areas. Although in the traditional approaches (Săndulescu, 1984) the Paleogene is a period of tectonic stability, recent work (Răbagia et al., 2011) have argued intra-Oligocene compressional and tranpressive movements. Paleocene-lower Miocene deposits are represented by the following formations: Călimăneşti Formation (Ypresian), predominantly composed of conglomerates; Olăneşti Formation (Lutetian-Proiabonian), consisting of shales with intercalations of thin sandstones; Cheia (towards W of the basin) and Corbi (at the E), composed of conglomerates and sandstones. The latter units are Oligocene in age, i.e., Rupelian- Chattian, intervals covered by the NP22-NP24 and, respectively NP23-NP25 calcareous nannofossil zones (Roban & Melinte, 2005). Between these coarse sedimentary bodies and above them, the Brăduleţ Formation was deposited, composed of bituminous shales with sandstone intercalations. The age of the above-mentioned unit is Rupelian-Early Burdigalian, argued by the presence of NP23 up to NN1 nannofossil zones. This study intends to estimate the sedimentary palaeoenvironments and the control factors, such as eustatics vs. tectonics, within the Paleogene/Neogene boundary interval, following the facies analysis. Within the Early Miocene, in the Late Burdigalian (i.e., upper part of

the NN2 calcareous nannofossil zone) an evaporitic unit, described as the Sărata Gypsum Formation, was deposited in the Getic Depression area. This above-mentioned unit is followed by coarse deposits, such as the Lower Miocene conglomerates of the Măţău Formation.

Sedimentological features

In all, 26 depositional facies have been identified, separated according to their grain size and sedimentary structures that mirrored both gravitational and tractive processes. Thus, the coarse conglomerate facies, suggest debris falls, debris flows and high density turbidite currents. Thick sandy facies, such as those found in the Corbi Formation, suggest high density turbidity currents. Thinner sandy facies, cm up to dm in thickness, are found as intercalations in the Braduleţ and Olăneşti formations. They contain parallel laminations and current ripples, linked to tractive or low density turbiditic flows (Lowe, 1982). The shales that mainly constituted the Brăduleţ and Olăneşti formations suggest suspension settling. All the encountered facies were grouped into five facies associations, interpreted in terms of sedimentary bodies: (i) cohesionless debris cones (gravel), (ii) cohesive debris cones (diamiction), (iii) channels (gravel and sand); (iv) gravely, as well as (v) sandy and muddy sheets. These associations suggest several depositional environments: Olăneşti and Brăduleţ formations composed of muddy and sandy sheets suggest outer deeper shelf, Cheia and Corbi formations can be regarded as coarse deltaic systems (fan deltas) developed at the margin of the shelf edge.

Palaeoenvironment

The above-mentioned sedimentological features


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suggest several depositional environments: the Olăneşti and the Brăduleţ formations composed of muddy and sandy sheets are indicative for an outer deeper shelf, while the Cheia and the Corbi formations can be regarded as coarse deltaic systems (fan deltas) developed at the margin of the shelf edge.

We can assume that, after the initiation of the oldest Paleogene shelf edge into the foreland basin, represented by the thick (cca. 600 m) Olăneşti Formation, across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, a drastic sea level fall took place. The shelf became exposed and two incised valleys occurred, which supplied two coarse deltaic systems during Oligocene, expressed in the deposition of the Cheia and Corbi units. Above these coarse bodies, within the Late Oligocene, the depth of the basin increased, and a second shelf-edge was formed (i.e., the Brăduleţ Formation, with a maximum thickness of 800 m). In the same interval, the coarse sedimentary bodies progressively newer towards the eastern part of the basin, suggesting a clear influence of tectonic factor compared to the eustatic one. A lagoon palaeoenvironment probably established during the Early Miocene, when evaporitic succession occurred in the Getic Depression. Then, again the area was partly exposed, leading to a coarse sedimentation within the Late Burdigalian.

References

Lowe, D.R., 1982. Sediment gravity flows: II depositional models with special reference to the deposits of high density turbidity currents. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 52, 279–297.

Răbăgia, T., Roban, R.D., Tărăpoancă, M., 2011. Sedimentary Records of Paleogene (Eocene to Lowermost Miocene) Deformations near the Contact between the Carpathian Thrust Belt and Moesia. Oil & Gas Science and Technology – Rev. IFP Energies nouvelles, 66 , 931-952.

Roban, R.D., Melinte, M.C., 2005. Paleogene litho- and biostratigraphy of the NE Getic Depression (Romania). Acta Paleontologica Romaniae, 5, 423-439.

Săndulescu, M., 1984. Geotectonica României. Editura Tehnică, Bucureşti. 336 pp.

http://www.geo-paleontologica.org/page7/Roban_Melinte_pdf.pdf




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MEDITERRANEAN-PARATETHYS CONNECTIONS: INSIGHTS FROM ISOSTACY

Ryan, W.B.F.

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 USA, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Black Sea, evaporation, subsidence, Messinian, Pontian, isotope geochemistry

During its long existence the Paratethys Sea has been connected on and off with the external saltwater ocean. In times of isolation the Paratethys concentrated its waters into brine that precipitated thick deposits of evaporites in desiccating saline lakes (de Leeuw et al., 2010). At times of excess rainfall the Paratethys transformed to brackish and even freshwater lakes (Popov et al., 2006). Excess water was expelled through downstream outlets that eventually reached the neighboring Mediterranean Sea and possibly the Indian Ocean.

Early in its history the western Paratethys consisted of relatively deep depressions formed by back-arc extension, associated crustal thinning, and substantial thermally-driven subsidence, amplified by the weight of accumulating sediment. The rising Alps and Carpathian mountains led to the shedding of substantial thickness of clastic sediment and the shoaling of lake floors. The Black Sea and Caspian depressions are older, inherited from back-arc extension already underway in the early Cretaceous. Thus by Oligocene and Miocene time subsidence was mostly driven by sediment accumulation. The Black Sea has always remained the deepest depression in the Paratethys realm. It was only when the Dacian depression filled that the Danube watershed was able to discharge its sediment to the Black Sea. The chemistry and faunal composition of the Paratethys has been influenced, and perhaps almost entirely controlled, by the combination of climate and the widths/depths of the sills of the interconnecting straits and the outlets to or inlets from the external ocean.

Climate, as it relates to the balance between

precipitation and evaporation, will determine the salinity of the water. Salinity has its own impact on the weight of the water. This load of dissolved salt is most influential when the basin is deep. If evaporation is sufficient to draw down the level of the water surface (as occurred in the Black and Caspian Seas coincident with the desiccation phase of the Mediterranean Salinity Crisis), the weight of the water decreases and the region rebounds (Bartol and Govers, 2009). But if new water is supplied from the external ocean, the arriving salt will concentrate into a brine and add to the load. Thus the shape of basin and the associated uplift or subsidence of its margins can influence the depth of the interconnecting sills and whether these sills exist or are interrupted by land barriers (Ryan, 2011). The isostatic consequences of loads from the water column and arriving sediment are amplified in older basins where thermally-driven subsidence is complete.

The Messinian Salinity Crisis has provided the opportunity to investigate the role played by the combined weight of the water and the accumulating sedimentary deposits and how the loading and unloading change the shape of basins and influence the size, depth and even existence of inlets and outlets. The interactions between the Paratethys and Mediterranean during the Odessian, Portaferrian and Bosphorian regional stages of the Dacian Basin and the corresponding Pontian and early Kimmerian stages of the Black Sea (Krijgsman et al., 2010) will be explored in the framework of isostatic loading and unloading and in the context of regional and local climates shifting back and forth from predominant evaporation to predominant precipitation.

The Pleistocene history of the Black Sea is recorded in shells (Major et al., 2006) and in stalagmites from coastal caves (Badertscher et al., 2011). These repositories let us examine the composition and


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chronology of a deep body of water switching from almost fully marine to almost purely freshwater a dozen or more times in the past one million years. Freshwater lakes develop their own thermal stratification that isolates cold deep water from warmer surface water. In comparison, the stratification in brackish and salty inland seas is produced primarily by gradients in salinity. Depending upon intensity and duration, stratification may lead to deep-water anoxia and the resulting accumulation of sapropel mud rich in organic carbon with preserved lipids and DNA (Coolen et al., 2006; van der Meer et al., 2008). Sediment supply via runoff in the Pleistocene was inhibited by permafrost in watersheds during glacial periods and enhanced by thaw in post-glacial time. The weight of the ice sheets created depressions in the upper reaches of watersheds. As a result some of these depressions were able to divert the outflow of periglacial lakes away from the headwater tributaries feeding the Black and Caspian Sea and deliver this water instead to the Baltic and Arctic Seas.

The Pleistocene Black Sea experienced episodes of isolation when the level of its surface dropped below its outlet. Margins were exposed as the lake surface shrank. These margins were eroded and then re-submerged, sometimes abruptly, following connection with the external Mediterranean (Ryan et al., 2003). The arrival of salty Mediterranean water into an expanding puddle above the floor of the abyss served as a biological pump floating the overlying lees-dense lake water towards the surface along with its entrained nutrients to become food for phytoplankton.

In summary this talk will focus on three interrelated concepts concerning Mediterranean-Paratethys connections: 1) the role played by the weight of water, brine, ice and sediment and its ability to modify the shape of basins, landscapes and the existence of straits, inlets and outlets; 2) the contrasting behavior of fresh and salt water in controlling the stratification and degree of ventilation of the water column as observed with isotope geochemistry, faunal/floral assemblages, alkenones and DNA extracted from fossil algae, and; 3) the function of straits and climate in switching the hydrologic water budget between positive to negative and producing the observed changes in isotopic fractionation in the water delivered to the lake as well

as in the water left behind in the lake during periods of enhanced evaporation.

References

Badertscher et al., 2011. Pleistocene water intrusions from the Mediterranean and Caspian seas into the Black Sea. Nature Geoscience, 13 March 2011, doi:10.1038/NGEO1106.

Bartol, J. and Govers, R., 2009. Flexure due to the Messinian-Pontian sea level drop in the Black Sea. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 10(10).

Coolen, M. J. L., A. Boere, B. Abbas, M. Baas, S. G. Wakeham, and J. S. Sinninghe Damste´, 2006. Ancient DNA derived from alkenone-biosynthesizing haptophytes and other algae in Holocene sediments from the Black Sea, Paleoceanography, 21, PA1005, doi:10.1029/2005PA001188.

de Leeuw, A., Bukowski, K., Krijgsman, W., Kuiper, K.F., 2010. Age of the Badenian salinity crisis; impact of Miocene climate variability on the circum-Mediterranean region. Geology, 38, 715-718.

Krijgsman, W., Stoica, M., Vasiliev, I. and Popov, V.V., 2010. Rise and fall of the Paratethys Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 290: 183-191.

Major, C.O. et al., 2006. The co-evolution of Black Sea level and composition through the last deglaciation and its paleoclimatic significance. Quaternary Science Review, 25: 2031-2047.

Popov, S.V. et al., 2006. Late Miocene to Pliocene palaeogeography of the Paratethys and its relation to the Mediterranean. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 238: 91-106.

Ryan, W.B.F., Major, C.O., Lericolais, G. and Goldstein, S.L., 2003. Catastrophic flooding of the Black Sea. Annual Review Earth and Planetary Sciences. 31:525–554.

Ryan, W.B.F., 2011. Geodynamic responses to a two-step model of the Messinian salinity crisis. Bull. Soc. géol. Fr., 182, no 2: 73-78.

van der Meer, M.T.J. et al., 2008. Molecular isotopic and dinoflagellate evidence for Late Holocene freshening of the Black Sea. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 267: 426–434.


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NEOGENE BIVALVES OF THE NORTH WEST OF ALGERIA: EXTINCTION OR FAUNA RENEWAL?

Satour, L.1, Belkebir, L.1 & Bessedik, M.2

1 Laboratory of Stratigraphic Paleontology and Paleoenvironment, University of Oran, Algeria, [email protected] Laboratory of Stratigraphic Paleontology and Paleoenvironment, University of Chlef, Algeria

Keywords: mollusk, Upper Miocene, Pliocene, Oran, macrofaunal stock.

The Neogene outcrops (North West of Algeria) show a high diversity in bivalve mollusks which allowed the establishment of multidisciplinary studies. These have highlighted the impact of environmental changes on the spatial and temporal evolution of these organisms especially during the Upper Miocene-Pliocene transition.

Indeed, the systematic analysis of the macrofossil content of the Mio-Pliocene deposits of the south western regions of the Mediterranean Sea has indicated a significant renewal of macrofauna which is quite remarkable in various facies (marls, sandstone and limestone). However, only 13% of the macrofaunal stock passed away at the Upper Miocene. This is composed particularly by the Pectinidae Chlamys scabriuscula, Manupecten fasciculata, Chlamys

brussoni, Amussiopecten baranensis, Gigantopecten albinus, the Gryphaeidae Neopycnodonte navicularis, the Lucinidae Loripes lacteus dujardini and the Veneridae Tapes basteroti. The Pliocene cooling climate seems to be the main factor causing this renewal of fauna.

References

Satour L. & al, 2011. Les bivalves ptériomorphes du Tortonien supérieur du Dahra: systématique et paléoécologie. Bull. O. R. G. M. n° 22, pp. 119-139.

Satour L. & al. 2009. Diversity of the bivalves (Mollusca) of the Neogene deposits of Sahaouria (lower Chelif basin, Algeria)., 13th Congress RCMNS., Naples., Italy., abstract book., Acta Naturalia de “L’Ateneo Parmense”., Vol. 45., n 1/4., pp. 228.


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A HIGH-RESOLUTION BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC MARKER AT 6 MA IN THE EASTERN PARATETHYS

Stoica, M.1, Crihan, I.M.2, Popescu, G.1, Floroiu, A.1, Krijgsman, W.3, van Baak, C.3, Vasiliev, I.3, Lazăr, I.1,& Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.4

1Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology & Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bălcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania2Oil and Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania3Paleomagnetic Laboratory “Fort Hoofddijk”, Utrecht University, the Netherlands4National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania

Keywords: Paratethys, Maeotian, Pontian, Miocene foraminifera;

The history of the Paratethys domain after its birth was largely influenced by the opening and closure of gateways with marine domains, mainly with the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. The general trend of decreasing salinity of the Paratethys water induced the endemism in faunal association, even between Paratethyan basins. This complicates biostratigraphical correlations with the Mediterranean domain, resulting in different chronostratigraphic frames for the individual Paratethyan basins. The general trend towards lower salinities of Paratethys water has been interrupted from time to time by short invasions of salt water from adjacent marine basins. The brief reopening of gateways allows some marine faunal immigrants to penetrate into the Paratethys. This results in marker levels with uniform marine paleontological content that can be followed all over the Paratethys. One of these events happened close to the Maeotian / Pontian boundary at ~6 Ma, when endemic brackish and fresh water fauna have been replaced with marine fauna that include benthonic and planktonic foraminifera. The presence of agglutinated and calcareous foraminifera of marine origin suggests that a major flooding event by marine waters has taken place in the Eastern Paratethys, probably by establishing a connection to the Mediterranean or Indian Ocean. At the same time, the Pannonian Basin reconnected with the Dacian Basin, and endemic Pannonian mollusk fauna migrated into the Eastern Paratethys.

Detailed biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic sampling

of Upper Miocene deposits from different parts of the Eastern Paratethys (Krijgsman et al., 2010, Stoica et al., 2012, Van Baak et al., in prep.) shows the presence of this marker level from the Dacian Basin, to the northeastern Black Sea – Taman Peninsula and the Caspian Sea, proving a widespread regional extent. This level is situated at the uppermost part of the Maeotian Stage, near the boundary with the Pontian Stage and has been magnetostratigraphically dated at 6.04 Ma (Krijgsman et al., 2010, Vasiliev et al., 2011). The microfauna is dominated by benthonic calcareous foraminifera (species of Ammonia, Porosononion and Quinqueloculina) and especially by agglutinated foraminifers (species of Ammotium). The biserial planktonic foraminifera genus Streptochilus is also present in large numbers. These biserial planktonic foraminifera were earlier described from the Upper Maeotian deposits of the Western Caucasus and the Taman peninsula (as belonging to the genus Bolivina (Maissuradze, 1988)), and from Miocene sediments of the Indian Ocean (Smart and Tomas, 2006, 2007). The 6 Ma marker level is further characterized by shell accumulations of the bivalve Congeria (Andrusoviconcha) amygdaloides novorossica, a biostratigraphical marker for the Maeotian–Pontian boundary. The marker level (samples from the Dacian basin - Slanicul de Buzau section) provides a calcareous nannofossils assemblage of the NN11 zone of Martini (1971), based on the presence of Amaurolithus primus. In addition, the presence of Nicklithus amplificus, having its LO (lowest occurrence) between 6.909 and 6.684 Ma, and its HO (highest occurrence) between 5.978 and 5.939 Ma (Raffi et al., 2006) indicates that the marker level is placed in the NN11b zone of Berggren et al. 1995.


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References:

Berggren, W.A., Kent, D.V., Swisher III, C.C., Aubry, M.-P., 1995. A revised Cenozoic geochronology and chronostratigraphy. In: Berggren,W.A., Kent, D.V., Aubry, M.-P., Hardenbol, J. (Eds.), Geochronology, Time Scales and Global Stratigraphic Correlation: A Unified Temporal Framework for an Historical Geology. Special Publication Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists 54, 141–212.

Krijgsman, W., Stoica, M., Vasiliev, I. & Popov, V., 2010. Rise and fall of the Paratethys Sea during the Messinian salinity crisis. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 290, 183–191

Maissuradze, L.S., 1988. Foraminifery meotisa zapadnoi Gruzii. Metzniereba, 73 pp., 32 pls. Tbilisi.

Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quaternary calcareous nannoplankton zonation. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Planktonic Microfossils, Roma 1970, 2, p. 739–785.

Raffi, I., Backman, J., Fornaciari, E., Pälike, H., Rio, D., Lourens, L., Hilgen, F., 2006. A review of calcareous nannofossil astrobiochronology encompassing the past 25 million years. Quaternary Science Review 25, 3113-3137.

Smart, C. W. and Thomas E., 2006. The enigma of early Miocene biserial planktic foraminifera. Geology. 34: 1041-1044.

Smart C.W. & Thomas E. 2007: Emendation of the genus Streptochilus Brönnimann and Resig, 1971 (Foraminifera), and new species from the lower Miocene of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Micropaleontology 53, 1—2, 73—103.

Stoica, M., Lazăr. I., Krijgsman, W., Vasiliev, I., Jipa, D & Floroiu, A., 2012. Palaeoenvironmental evolution of the East Carpathian foredeep during the late Miocene – early Pliocene (Dacian Basin; Romania). Global and Planetary Change, doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.04.004

Van Baak, C.G.C., A. Grothe, M. Stoica, E. Aliyeva, I. Vasiliev, W. Krijgsman, (2012). Paleo environmental reconstructions and

chronostratigraphic dating of the South Caspian Basin – Latest Miocene to recent, RCMNS Interim Coll. Bucharest (this volume).

Vasiliev I., Iosifidi A.G., Khramov A.N., Krijgsman W., Kuiper, K.F., Langereis C.G., Popov V.V., Stoica M., Tomsha V.A. and Yudin S.V. (2011). Magnetostratigraphy and radiometric dating of upper Miocene - lower Pliocene sedimentary successions of the Black Sea Basin (Taman Peninsula, Russia), Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 310, 163-175.


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THE ESTABLISHED OF A NEOTYPE FOR PARADOLICHOPITHECUS GETICUS NECRASOV, RĂDULESCU

& SAMSON 1961

Știucă E. & Petculescu, A.

Emil Racovita Speleological Institute of the Romanian Academy, str. Frumoasa, nr. 11, 78114, Bucuresti/Romania. e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Paradolichopitecus, Plio-Pleistocene border, Valea Graunceanului, neotype

Because the original bone remains who served to original description of Paradolichopitecus geticus (Necrasov, Rădulescu & Samson 1961) were not found in any paleontological collections we prepare this paper in order to describe the neotype.

Fossil bones used for this purpose belong to the Emil Racoviță Institute of Speleology with the identification number VGr/398 3/402.

This bone, unlike of the original material, is a unitary piece with frontal bone, and facial block belonging to same individual gathering together the two basic parts used in the original description.

Beside this material we used, as the initial description, a very well preserved mandible who belonging to Paleontological Laboratory from the Bucharest University with the identification number LPB 300. Beside those remains who represent the neotype, we take account of other material belonging to the same fossiliferous site. Now all the materials belonging to Paradolichopitecus geticus, known from Romanian collections (ISER, LPB and IAVP – Archaeological Institute Vasile Pârvan), are measured and described in this paper.

As we already mentioned all the remains come from Valea Graunceanului (Tetoiu) Olteț valley who at his time was one of the richest fossil point in Europe. From this point were described two new species and exotic species like ostrich, pangolin and giraffe (most western location in Europe).

For a better knowledge about the anthropoid monkeys was made more measurements and especially more detailed morphological observations. Also, our material was carefully compared with close forms from Europe and especially Balkans.


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THE ISOLATION OF THE CENTRAL PARATETHYS: HOW OROGENESIS AND SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS

CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEMISE OF A LARGE INLAND SEA

Ter Borgh, M.1, Vasiliev, I.2, Stoica, M.3, Knežević, S.4, Matenco, L.2, Krijgsman, W.2, Rundić, L.4 & Cloetingh, S.2

1Department of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, email [email protected]; 2Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; 3Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology & Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania4Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, Serbia

The Paratethys was a large network of inland seas that once extended from central Europe to inner Asia. At the beginning of the Late Miocene the Pannonian basin and associated Central Paratethys basins were isolated from the remainder of the Paratethys. In the basin, this isolation is marked by a palaeoenvironmental change from marine to fresh water conditions that caused the regional Sarmatian-Pannonian Extinction Event. It also had profound implications for the interbasinal sediment transfer as products from the erosion of the uplifting Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides were trapped in the Pannonian basin. The exact age of and cause for the isolation are still subject to debate. Here,

we couple magnetostratigraphic dating to ostracod and mollusc biostratigraphy to establish the isolation age of the Pannonian basin. Samples were collected from a Late Miocene section on the northern flank of the Fruška Gora inselberg (northern Serbia). We found an isolation age of 11.65 Ma for the Pannonian basin. This is in line with recent results from the Vienna basin but 0.35 My older than recent results for the Transylvanian basin, suggesting that the isolation took place in two steps. We conclude that the uplift of the Carpathians caused the isolation and that eustatic sea level fluctuations may have triggered it.



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THE BADENIAN – SARMATIAN TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH CARPATHIANS FOREDEEP

Tulbure, M.1,2, Stoica, M.2, Krijgsman, W.1, Crihan, M.3 & Popescu, G.2

1 Paleomagnetic Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands 2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Bucharest University, Bălcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Romania3 University Petrol-Gaze, Geology and Geophysics Department, Bd Bucuresti 39, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania

Key words : foraminifera, paleoecology, Parathetys, Middle Miocene

In the Romanian part of the Carpathian foredeep, the Badenian stage is divided in three stratigraphic units corresponding to a regional chronostratigraphic scale - Lower Badenian: Moravian stage – Globigerina marls, Middle Badenian: Wielician stage - Slănic Tuff - Evaporites and Upper Badenian: Kosovian stage which is represented by Radiolarian shales and Spirialis marls.

In this paper the main focus is on the Kosovian which is developed in a detrital facies and is represented by a sedimentation consisting of blue to gray marls with some thin, brownish layers of oxidized pyrite with a rich foraminifera fauna. The Sarmatian deposits are deposited concordantly over the Badenian, and consist of a series of gray clays and silty clays with a tuffaceous intercalation. These deposits contain a diversity of foraminiferal species that indicate relatively deep open-marine waters during the Kosovian and brackish marine environment in the Sarmatian.

The aim of this study is to document the foraminiferal fauna, benthic and planktonic, together with ostracods fauna changes, to better understand the paleoenvironmental and paleoecological changes that took place during the Badenian-Sarmatian transition and to compare the results from two section in the South Carpathian foredeep: Cosmina Valley and Morilor Valley located in the south of the Eastern Carpathian foredeep and in the western side of the Southern Carpathian foredeep, respectively. A total number of 67 samples was taken to provide a dataset for quantitative analysis. In order to get information about the evolution of the foraminiferal assemblage, diversity and dominance trends, distribution charts have been made.


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PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATING OF THE SOUTH

CASPIAN BASIN – LATEST MIOCENE TO RECENT

Van Baak, C. G. C.1, Grothe, A.1, Stoica, M.1,2, Aliyeva, E3, Vasiliev, I.1, Krijgsman, W. 1.

1 Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands 2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania3 Geological Institute of Azerbaijan (GIA), H. Javid Av. 29A, AZ1143, Baku, Azerbaijan, email: [email protected]

Keywords: Magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, South Caspian Basin, Mio-Pliocene, Pontian, Akchagylian

The timescale for the Neogene South Caspian Basin suffers from a lack of well-dated sections and unclear nomenclature. As a result, no unambiguous timescale for this economically important region exists, which makes (1) correlation to a global climatic curve highly speculative and (2) high-resolution stratigraphical correlations throughout the region very difficult. To improve the existing record we will use an integrated approach combining biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy and Ar/Ar-dating. We focus on two important transgressive events in the stratigraphic record of Azerbaijan which allow for Paratethys-wide correlation.

The first transgression is the boundary between the Meotian and Pontian regional stages, which is marked by an influx of marine waters into the Paratethys. This has previously been dated in both the Black Sea region and Dacian Basin of Romania at 6.04 Ma. Our results from Azerbaijan show this marine flooding also reached into the Caspian Sea.

The second key-moment is the flooding of the South Caspian Basin overlying the Productive Series, the major reservoir unit in the area. Previous work at this boundary has resulted in large age-differences between 4.2 Ma and 2.5 Ma. We will combine magnetostratigraphic records from two sections to determine the age of this boundary.

References

Krijgsman, W., Stoica, M., Vasiliev, I. & Popov, V.V., 2010. Rise and fall of the Paratethys Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 290(1-2), 183-191.

Stoica, M., Lazar, I., Krijgsman, W., Vasiliev, I., Jipa, D.C. & Floroiu, A., 2012. Palaeoenvironmental evolution of the East Carpathian foredeep during the late Miocene - early Pliocene (Dacian Basin; Romania). Global and Planetary Change, in press.

Van Baak, C.G.C., Vasiliev, I., Stoica, M., Kuiper, K.F., Forte, A.M., Aliyeva, E. & Krijgsman, W., 2012. A magnetostratigraphic time frame for Plio-Pleistocene transgressions in the South Caspian Basin, Azerbaijan. Global and Planetary Change, in press.


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NEGATIVE HYDROLOGICAL BUDGET OF THE BLACK SEA DURING THE MESSINIAN SALINITY CRISIS OF THE

MEDITERRANEAN

Vasiliev, I.1,2*, Reichart, G. J.1,3, Sangiorgi, F.4, Krijgsman, W. 2, van Roij, L.1

1Organic Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherland, email: [email protected] Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands3Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Biogeosciences, Am Handelshafen 12 (E), D-27570 Bremerhaven, Germany4Biomarine Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Keywords: hydrogen isotopes, Paratethys, connectivity

During the Miocene and Pliocene, the Paratethys represented a large restricted basin extending from central Europe to inner Asia. Because of location and restriction, the Paratethys was very sensitive to fluctuations in the hydrological cycle. However, until now these changes have been assessed mainly through the reconstruction of relative salinity and sea level. Here we present compound specific analyses of hydrogen isotope ratios (δD), measured on both terrestrial and aquatic biomarkers to investigate changes in the hydrological budget of the Paratethys during the Mio-Pliocene transition. Organic geochemistry analyses of the Mio-Pliocene succession in DSPD42B core 380A from the Black Sea, drilled in the mid seventies, revealed both long chain n-alkanes with a distinct odd over even

predominance originating from terrestrial plants, and abundant long-chain alkenones originating from haptophyte algae. The δD analyses of these compounds together constrain precipitation and sea surface salinity. The δD of the alkenones from DSPD42B core 380A of the Black Sea shows a δD enrichment of ~70‰ at the end of the Miocene. The amplitude of this change implies a major shift in sea water δD, either caused by a doubling of salinity or a switch in source water δD. This shift in δD coincided with the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Mediterranean when kilometer thick evaporites were deposited. Although the Paratethys did not reach the saturation level required to generate gypsum precipitation, the recorded deuterium enrichment suggests a negative water budget in the region with evaporation exceeding rainfall and runoff.


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MIO-PLIOCENE HERPETOFAUNA OF WESTERN SIBERIA AND ITS PALAEOCLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE

Vasilyan, D.1, Böhme, M.1,2 , Zazhigin, V.3 & Winklhofer, M.4

1 Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen, Department for Geoscience, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany, e-mail: [email protected] Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Germany, e-mail: [email protected] Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyzhevsky lane 7, 119017 Moscow, Russia, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Earth- and Environmental Science, Ludwig-Maximillians-University Munich, Theresienstr. 41, 80333 Munich, Germany, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: terrestrial climate proxies, palaeo-precipitation, Eastern Paratethys, climate evolution

Western Siberia comprises the drainage basin of the major Siberian Rivers Irtysh and Ob, both flowing into the Kara Sea of the Arctic Ocean. In this region continuous sedimentation through Neogene could be observed. Till now main paleontological studies of the region are dedicated to study of Neogene small mammal taxonomy (Zykin et al., 2007). Due to this well-resolved regional small mammal biostratigraphy of Neogene outcrops is available (Zykin et al., 2008).

The fossil material of these localities provides also remains of herpetofaunal assemblage, which we have studied from more than 30 localities of Middle Miocene – Early Pleistocene age. The available material allows us to distinguish members of 16 families (Proteidae, Salamandridae, Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Ranidae, Bufonidae, Hylidae, Bombinatoridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Pelobatidae, Lacertidae, Gekkonidae, Anguidae, Emydidae, Boidae, Colubridae). This unexpected richness significantly contributes to the understanding of the evolution and biogeography of cool-temperate amphibians and reptiles of Eurasia, but also to the taxonomy of the certain groups, like Hynobiidae. Miocene and Early Pliocene herpetofauna assemblages are comparatively diverse and provide up to 8 species per locality. In contrast, diversity is less in the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene localities.

Based on bio-climatic analysis of fossil herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) (Böhme et al., 2006) we develop a paleo-precipitation database for the period from the latest Middle Miocene to the Early Pliocene for West Siberia. These humidity signals we compare and discuss with those existing humidity proxies from Eastern Paratethys and Western Europe (Böhme et al., 2008, 2011a, 2011b).

References

Böhme, M., Ilg, A., Ossig, A., Küchenhoff, H., 2006. New method to estimate paleo-precipitation using fossil amphibians and reptiles and the middle and late Miocene precipitation gradients in Europe. Geology 34(6), 425-428.

Böhme, M., Ilg, A., Winklhofer, M., 2008. Late Miocene “washhouse” climate in Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimate, Palaeoecology 275, 393-401.

Böhme, M., Vasilyan, D., Winklhofer, M., 2011a. Palaeoprecipitation in the Eastern Paratethys region before, during and after Messinian salinity crisis. In: Sierro, F.J., González-Delgado, J.A., (Eds.), Abstracts book of Joint RCMNS-RCANS Interim Colloquimum, Salamanca, September 21-23, 2011. P. 77.

Böhme, M., Winklhofer, M., Ilg, A., 2011b. Miocene precipitation in Europe: Temporal trends and spatial gradients. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimate, Palaeoecology 304, 212-218.


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Zykin, V. S., Zykina, V. S., Zazhigin, V. S., 2007. Issues on separation and correlating Pliocene and Quarternary sediments of Southwestern Siberia. Archeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 30, 24-40.

Zykin, V. S., Zykina, V. S., Orlova, L. A., 2008. Late Cenozoic environmental and climate changes of Western Siberia. In: Derevyanko, A. P., (Ed.), Late Cenozoic global and regional environmental and climate changes in Siberia. Publishing house of Siberian section of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, pp. 175-245.


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THE NEOGENE MAMMAL LOCALITIES OF SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN SIDE

Zouhri, S.1 & Ben Moussa, A. 2

1 Laboratory of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Hassan II-Casablanca. Km 8, route d’El Jadida, BP 5366 Maârif, 20100 Casablanca, Marocco, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tétouan Marocco

Keywords: Neogene, Mammal faunas, North Africa,

The continental Neogene of the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea is relatively less documented than in the north side or in comparison with East Africa. This is probably due to the limited field research and the scarcity of Neogene terrestrial deposits in North Africa. However, knowledge of the Neogene of the southern Mediterranean side is needed to provide a complete picture of climate, biological and Geodynamics events has recorded the Mediterranean region at this period. The succession of many well-dated Neogene fossil mammal localities offers the basis for a reliable continental biochronology and paleobiogeography in Northern Africa.

The early Miocene of North Africa is poor in mammal localities. Two interesting localities: Moghara and Siwa were reported in Egypt. The Moghara deposits may overlap in time with basal part of Jebel Zelten in Libya, (equivalent in age to MN 4–5 of the European mammal zonation). Jebel Zelten assemblages represent three periods in time and cover approximately 4 Ma. In Africa, the mammalian faunas from the early Miocene to early middle Miocene are well-known to have undergone significant exchanges with Eurasia. The location of Moghra and Siwa, physically closer to Eurasia than East Africa, provides a unique perspective from which to view the nature and extent of contact between early Miocene Eurasian and African mammals.

The middle Miocene mammal localities of North Africa are few. With the exception of the Libyan basal Middle Miocene locality of Jebel Zelten most of the others known localities (Beni Mellal; Azdal 1, 3, 6, 7; Pataniak 6 and Jebel Rhassoul) are in Morocco and they are dated at the end of Miocene (equivalent to

the European zones MN6 - MN7/8). There are no significant differences between the large mammalian faunas of North and East Africa in the Early and Middle Miocene, in spite of the open character of the poorly known late middle Miocene North African faunal assemblages. The middle Miocene faunas of North Africa are generally dominated by rodents that are immigrants from Eurasia or from the tropical Africa.

The late Miocene of North Africa is richer in mammal faunas, including both Vallesian and Turolian localities. Large Vallesian mammal localities are Bou Hanifia and Oued Mya 1 in Algeria, and Beglia (Bled Douarah) and Djebel Krechem EL Artsouma in Tunisia. The Vallesian rodents are known essentially in Oued Zra, Oued Tabia and Afoud 6 in Morocco and Sheikh Abdallah in Egypt. The Turolian localities are quite enough, especially that yielded small mammals. During the middle and late Miocene, North African faunas have evolved locally, acquiring an endemic character. In the lower and middle Turolian, an endemism is developed in North Africa with regard to the fauna of small mammals. On the other side, in the Upper Turolian, several localities yielded species with south-western European affinities, while north-western African species were discovered in south-western European contemporaneous sites.

The Pliocene is known essentially from many sites in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). Pliocene localities are interesting in the North Africa for having alloctonous elements. The lower Pliocene faunas of North Africa display similarities with East and Central Africa. During the late Pliocene, Eurasian influences have remained marginal, and most faunal exchanges were done with the rest of Africa.


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INDEX

Names Address e-mail

Afandiyeva Malahat

Institute of Geology ANAS, AZ1143,Baku,Azerbaijan,G.Javid av.,29A

[email protected]

Agusti Jordi ICREA. Institut de Paleoecologia humana i Evolució social (IPHES). Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Pl. Imperial Tarraco, 1. 43005-Tarragona. Spain

[email protected]

Bąbel Maciej Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warszawa, Al. Żwirki i Wigury 93, Poland,

[email protected]

Badura Jaroszów

Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Lower Silesian Branch in Wrocław, al. Jaworowa 19, 50-122 Wrocław, Poland

[email protected]

Bartol Miloš Ivan Rakovec Institute of Paleontology ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija

[email protected]

Begun David University of Toronto, Department of Anthropology, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

[email protected]

Beldean Claudia

Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

[email protected]

Bernardi Elisa nu vine

Torino University, Department of Earth Science, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy

[email protected]

Böhme Madelaine

University Tübingen (Germany), Institute for Geoscience, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen

[email protected]

Briceag Andrei

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Bukowski Krzysztof

AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environment Protection, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

[email protected]

Casanovas-Vilar Isaac

Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain

[email protected]

Cosentino Domenico

Roma Tre University, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 L.go S. Leonardo Murialdo, I-00146 Rome, Italy

[email protected]


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Crihan Monica

Oil and Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania [email protected]

D'Amico Carmine

1Informal Group of Micropaleontological and Malacological Researches, www.girmm.com

[email protected]

Daneshian Jahanbakhsh

Kharazmi University, Department of Geology, 43 Mofatteh Avenue, 15614 Tehran, Iran

[email protected]

Dela Pierre Francesco

Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino - Italy

[email protected]

De Leeuw Arjan

CASP, West Building, 181A Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DH, United Kingdom,

[email protected]

Ferraro Luciana

Istituto Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC)-CNR, Calata Porta di Massa, Interno Porto di Napoli, 80133 Napoli

[email protected]

Floroiu Alina Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Frunzescu Dumitru

Geology-Geophysics Department, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680, Ploiesti, Romania

[email protected]

Gliozzi Elsa Roma Tre University, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 L.go S. Leonardo Murialdo, I-00146 Rome, Italy

[email protected]

Grothe Arjen Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Marine Palynology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands

[email protected]

Grunert Patrick

Institute for Earth Sciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 26, A-8010 Graz, Austria

[email protected]

Harzhauser Mathias

Natural History Museum Vienna, Geological-Paleontological Department, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria

[email protected]

Hilgen Frits Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

[email protected]

Hüsing Silja Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

S.K.Husing@uu


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İslamoğlu Yeşim

General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Mineral Research Department, 06520-Balgat- Ankara, Turkey

[email protected]

Jipa Dan National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bcuharest, Romania

[email protected]

Kováč Michal

Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina G, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia

[email protected]

Krijgsman Wout

Paleomagnetic Laboratory ‘Fort Hoofddijk’, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

[email protected]

Lazăr Iuliana Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Lirer Fabrizio

Istituto Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC) - CNR, Calata Porta di Massa, Interno Porto di Napoli 80133 Napoli - Italy

[email protected]

Lofi Johanna Géosciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, France

[email protected]

Lozar Francesca

Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino – Italy

[email protected]

Lubenescu Victoria

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul, RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania

Lugli Stefano Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Largo S. Eufemia 19, 41100 Modena, Italy

[email protected]

Mandic Oleg Department of Geology & Palaeontology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria

[email protected]

Manzi Vinicio

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 157/A, 43100 Parma, Italy

[email protected]

Masini Federico

University of Palermo, Department of Earth and Sea Science, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy

federico.masini unipa.it


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Mazza Paul Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Italy, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy

[email protected]

Melinte-Dobrinescu Mihaela

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, RO-024053 Bcuharest, Romania

[email protected]

Natalicchio Marcello

Torino University, Department of Earth Sciences, via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy

[email protected]

Palcu Dan Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Playà Elisabet

Department of Geoquímica, Petrologia i Prospecció Geològica, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Martí i Franqués, s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

[email protected]

Popa Livius University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Mineralogy, 1st Nicolae Balcescu Bd., RO-010041 2

[email protected]

Popescu Gheorghe

Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Bd. 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Prieto Jérôme

Uni Tübingen, Sigwartstraße, 10 D-72074 Tübingen [email protected]

Rădan Silviu National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, 024053 Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Roban Relu University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Blvd., Bucharest, Romania

[email protected]

Roveri Marco Dept. of Earth Sciences - University of Parma,Parco Area delle Scienze 157/A 43100 Parma, Italy

[email protected]

Ryan William

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 USA

[email protected]

Satour Linda Laboratory of Stratigraphic Paleontology and Paleoenvironment, University of Oran, Algeria

[email protected]

Savorelli Andrea

University of Firenze, Department of Earth Science, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy

[email protected]


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Stoica Marius


[email protected]

Ştiucă Emil Emil Racovita Speleological Institute of the Romanian Academy, str. Frumoasa, nr. 11, 78114, Bucuresti/Romania

[email protected]

Ter Borgh Marten

Department of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

[email protected]

Tulbure Maria


[email protected]

Tunoğlu Cemal

Hacettepe University, Engineering Faculty,Dept. of Geological Eng. 06800 Beytepe/Ankara/Türkiye

[email protected]

Van Baak Christiaan

Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

[email protected]

Vasiliev Iuliana

Organic Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherland

[email protected]

Vasilyan Davit

Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen, Department for Geoscience, Sigwartstr. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

[email protected]

Zouhri Samir

Laboratory of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Hassan II-Casablanca. Km 8, route dEl Jadida, BP 5366 Maârif, 20100 Casablanca, Marocco

[email protected]

Zuppetta Adriano

Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali SEZIONE DI SCIENZE DELLA TERRA Università di Catania , Corso Italia, 57 - 95129 Catania, Italy

[email protected]

Zuppetta Agostino

Università degli Studi del Sannio / Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche, Ambientali, Via Dei Mulini 59/A - 80100 Benevento _ Italy

[email protected]

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