Early Miocene continental gastropods from new localities of the Molasse Basin in southern Germany

Salvador, Rodrigo B.; Pippèrr, Martina; Reichenbacher, Bettina and Rasser, Michael W. (2016): Early Miocene continental gastropods from new localities of the Molasse Basin in southern Germany. In: Palaeontologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 90, No. 3: pp. 469-491

Abstract

Here, we present the continental aquatic and terrestrial gastropods found in samples of 11 new boreholes in the Molasse Basin, southern Germany. The samples come from the Lower Freshwater Molasse (USM), the Upper Brackish Molasse (OBM;Grimmelfingen and Kirchberg Formations) and the Upper Freshwater Molasse (OSM). The studied segments of these lithostratigraphical units represent the beginning of the lower Miocene (USM), and the uppermost lower Miocene (OBM, OSM). Twenty-four species of terrestrial and freshwater gastropods are reported here, belonging to the families Neritidae, Melanopsidae, Pachychilidae, Bithyniidae, Hydrobiidae, Truncatellidae(?), Viviparidae, Valvatidae(?), Lymnaeidae, Planorbidae, Carychiidae, Zonitidae, Helicidae, Hygromiidae and Discidae(?). We provide remarks on the taxonomy of some of the studied species, including a revision of Theodoxus cyrtocelis, T. obstusangula and T. sparsus (the latter can be considered a synonym of T. cyrtocelis). Finally, we present a paleoecological interpretation for the USM, OBM and OSM based on the gastropod fauna.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences and geology
• ISSN: 0031-0220
• Language: English