Subrecent charophyte flora from Çemealti (Izmir Gulf, Western Turkey): Palaeoecological implications

A charophyte assemblage from lower Holocene sediments in Çeşmealtı (Izmir Gulf, Turkey) is described and illustrated for the first time here. This assemblage is composed of well-preserved gyrogonites and oospores of Lamprothamnium papulosum, which occur in association with seeds of Ruppia cf. maritima and up to eight ostracod species and 22 benthic foraminiferal taxa. The fossil assemblage was extracted from five clay intervals of the SK-2 borehole. The presence of monospecific assemblages of L. papulosum indicates that very shallow (up to 1 m deep), brackish, alkaline, and oligotrophic waters prevailed in the gulf under strong seasonality (marked cyclical changes in humidity and/or temperature). The dominance of germinated gyrogonites suggests that the water salinity of the lagoon decreased during the humid season, reaching at least 10‰. The associated ostracod fauna supports the palaeoenvironmental conditions inferred from the flora. Despite the gulf receiving considerable freshwater input, it remained semiconnected to the sea, as indicated by the diverse foraminifera assemblage. The availability of freshwater in the Izmir Gulf during the early Holocene Climatic Optimum, between ∼9000 and 5000 years BP, might have played an important role for the first human settlements in the area dating back 5500 years BP

Early Cretaceous charophytes from South Dobrogea (Romania). Biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography.

Eleven boreholes and one outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous in South Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania) were sampled for charophytes. Twenty species are described and illustrated in two non-marine rock units, the Zăvoaia Member and the Gherghina Formation. The Zăvoaia Member contains a charophyte assemblage dominated by Feistiella bijuescensis, aff. Mesochara harrisii, Nodosoclavator bradleyi, Clavator bilateralis, and Clavator grovesii var. grovesii, indicating a Berriasian age. Other less abundant species include Feistiella sp., Latochara sp., Mesochara dobrogeica sp. nov., Globator maillardii var. nurrensis, Atopochara trivolvis var. micrandra, Clavator grovesii var. discordis, Hemiclavator adnatus, and Hemiclavator neimongolensis var. posticecaptus. The occurrence of G. maillardii var. nurrensis in this assemblage suggests late Berriasian age. The Gherghina Formation is dominated by the species Atopochara trivolvis var. triquetra and Clavator grovesii var. jiuquanensis. Other less abundant species include Sphaerochara andersonii, aff. Mesochara harrisii, Globator maillardii var. trochiliscoides, Globator maillardii var. biutricularis, Clavator harrisii var. reyi, and Clavator ampullaceus var. latibracteatus var. nov. This assemblage indicates a late Barremian-early Aptian age. This study sheds new light on the palaeobiogeographical distribution of Lower Cretaceous charophytes in the Tethyan realm. Well-known western European charophyte species such as F. bijuescensis, S. andersonii, G. maillardii var. trochiliscoides, H. adnatus, and H. neimongolensis var. posticecaptus are herein described for the first time in eastern Europe. Very significantly, this is the first report in Europe of the hitherto North American taxon C. bilateralis, while the species C. ampullaceus has previously been reported only from the Middle East and eastern Africa

The early Miocene lake of Foieta la Sarra-A in eastern Iberian Peninsula and its relevance for the reconstruction of the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin palaeoecology

The Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin (Castelló Province, Spain) contains two lower Miocene units that are rich in fossils. The Unit B contains oil-shale and laminated bituminous dolomicrite related to a palaeolake, whereas the Unit C is composed of sandstone and mudstone beds from distal deltaic and shallow lacustrine environments. The La Rinconada and San Chils localities from the Unit B have yielded a fossil assemblage of plants, molluscs, arthropods, and vertebrates, while the localities from the Unit C in the Campisano ravine (Araia/Mas d'Antolino outcrop) are rich in mammalian record. Here we study a new palaeolake deposit of laminated lacustrine limestone beds in the Unit C named Foieta la Sarra-A. This new locality has provided an assemblage of charophytes, terrestrial plants, molluscs, arthropods, and teleosteans. The latter represent the only known fish record from the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin to date. Although the specimens are generally poorly preserved, the presence of soft-body preservation due to the action of microbial mats at the lake bottom allows considering the Foieta la Sarra-A locality as a Konservat-Lagerstätte. The Foieta la Sarra-A palaeolake had a different water chemistry compared to that represented in the Unit B. Its depth was about a few metres and the water level suffered periodic fluctuations. This new locality sheds light on the palaeoenvironmental dynamics of the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin during the early Miocene and provides a new approach to the palaeoecological reconstruction of the basin

Els caròfits del límit Eocè-Oligocè de la Conca de l’Ebre

Aquesta tesi doctoral té com a objectiu principal la caracterització taxonòmica, paleoecològica, paleobiogeogràfica i biostratigràfica dels caròfits de l’Eocè superior-Oligocè inferior de la Conca de l’Ebre. La flora de caròfits de l’Eocè superior-Oligocè inferior del marge est de la Conca de l’Ebre està constituïda per Sphaerochara labellata, Chara aff. antennata, C. artesica n. sp., C. rhenana, C.microcera, Psilochara aff. acuta, Lamprothamnium sp., Gyrogona caelata, Nodosochara jorbae, Lychnothamnus longus, L. stockmansii, L. grambastii, L. vectensis, L. pinguis (=L. major), Nitellopsis (Tectochara) merianii, Harrisichara lineata, H. vasiformis-tuberculata i H. tuberculata. En totes es caracteritza el polimorfisme intraespecífic a parti d’un estudi biomètric dels girogonits. Des d’un punt de vista taxonòmic se sinonimitzen, a partir de les poblacions tipus, dues espècies clau en biostratigrafia del límit Eocè-Oligocè europeu, Lychnothamnus pinguis i L. major. L’anàlisi paleoecològica de les associacions de caròfits de l’Eocè superior al sector NE de la conca de l’Ebre ha permés determinar que espècies clau per la biostratigrafia del límit Eocè-Oligocè presenten clares limitacions paleoecològiques. Així, Harrisichara vasiformis-tuberculata creixeria només en ambients salabrosos i soms pròxims a la costa, Harrisichara lineata es relaciona amb llacs soms d’aigua dolça i Harrisichara tuberculata abunda, però no és exclusiva, de llacs perennes i profunds d’aigua dolça. Altres espècies com Sphaerochara labellata, Lychnothamnus stockmansii, L. pinguis (=L. major) i Chara microcera es troben en llacs permanents. En conclusió, la presència o absència d’aquestes espècies, i per tant, de les biozones homònimes en una determinada conca europea depèn del tipus de fàcies i del paleoambient associat mes que no d’esdeveniments evolutius. Altres espècies com Lychnothamnus vectensis, Nodosochara jorbae, Lychnothamnus longus o Chara artesica n. sp., en canvi, no presenten cap limitació ecològica important dins el context dels sistemes aquàtics continentals. L’anàlisi paleobiogeogràfica de la caroflora de l’Eocè superior-Oligocè inferior d’Europa permet identificar una polaritat latitudinal en la distribució i abundància de les espècies. No obstant, partint de les espècies comunes a totes les conques europees es defineix una bioprovíncia europea per l’Eocè superior-Oligocè inferior la qual es pot caracteritzar a partir dels llinatges Harrisichara vasiformis-H. tuberculata i Lychnothamnus stockmansii-L. major així com de les espècies Nitellopsis (T.) merianii i Chara microcera. Les variacions regionals d’aquesta flora responen a factors climàtics locals i a factors ecològics lligats a la dinàmica de cada conca. La distribució biogeogràfica de determinades espècies, com Sphaerochara labellata o L. pinguis ha mostrat que l’us d’aquestes especies en biostratigrafia està condicionada per factors paleogeogràfics. L’anàlisi de la biogeografia històrica del llinatges evolutius Lychnothamnus stockmansii-L. major i Nitellopsis(Tectochara)merianii-N. obtusa suggereix que les espècies de caràcies fòssils seguien diferents patrons de dispersió en funció de la disposició dels seus gametangis (dioica vs. monoica). És clar que les espècies monoiques com Lychnothamnus stockmansii-L. major, amb velocitats d’expansió geològicament instantànies, són idònies alhora de correlacionar biostratigraficament conques allunyades. Des d’un punt de vista biostratigràfic, les associacions de caròfits han permès precisar l’atribució biostratigràfica de les unitats litostratigràfiques estudiades. S’ha proposat una biozonació de carofits per la conca de l’Ebre a partir d’espècies ecològicament euritípiques. Aquesta biozonació s’ha correlacionat amb la biozonació local de vertebrats i s’ha calibrat amb la magnetostratigrafia definida a l’est de la conca per Barberà et al. (2001) i Costa et al. (2010, 2011). La nova proposta permet caracteritzar el límit Eocè-Oligocè dins la biozona de Lychnothamnus vectensis. A més, s’ha revisat la biozonació europea avui dia en us. La calibració dels límits de les biozones europees amb l’escala del temps absolut mitjançant la magnetostratigrafia ha permès, per primera vegada, precisar la durada temporal de les biozones de caròfits del límit Eocè-Oligocè

Palaeonitella trifurcata n. sp., a cortoid building charophyte from the Lower Cretaceous of Catalonia

Palaeonitella trifurcata n. sp. is a minute ecorticate thallus of a charophyte from a non-marine upper Barremian-Lower Aptian section of the Garraf Massif, near Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). Whorls of trifurcated branchlets built glomerules about 1 mm across. Small radial branchlets were trifurcated once in three terminal acuminate dactyls. Longer and more robust branches, two per whorl emerge from a basal trifurcation, bore opposite secondary branchlets and ended in three terminal branchlets bearing one oospore. The whole set of characters suggests affinity with Nitella, making of this fossil one of the oldest and unique possible records of thalli of this extant genus. The thallus of P. trifurcata n. sp. was encrusted by a thin micrite film, and additionally, the whorls were coated by a thicker crust while the plant was still alive. It is suggested that this crust was formed upon the periphyton which grew perhaps upon a mucilage covering the whorls and apical heads, as it happens in extant Nitella. After encrustation, a small (ca. 5 mm across) constructive micrite envelope, called a cortoid, was formed attached to the plant, preserving in the inside the thallus articulated and slightly encrusted. Once the plant died, such cortoids accumulated on the lake bottom and were buried and lithified, forming a 'cortolite.' This is the first report of constructive micrite envelopes protecting delicate and poorly calcified charophyte thalli from being destroyed

Charophyte flora from the Oligocene fossil site of Suceag (Transylvanian Basin, Romania)

A charophyte assemblage composed of six species has been recovered from lower Oligocene deposits of the Dâncu Formation at the fossil site of Suceag (Transylvanian Basin, Romania). The assemblage is dominated by the two varieties of the species Lychnothamnus pinguis (L. pinguis forma pinguis and L. pinguis forma major). Accessory species include Lychnothamnus prealangeri, Nitellopsis (Tectochara) merianii, and few Sphaerochara sp. and Harrisichara sp. gyrogonites. L. pinguis is the index species of the homonymous Rupelian European biozone which was previously correlated in Western Europe with the Mammal Paleogene Reference Levels of MP21-MP23, and calibrated with the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS), chrones C13N and C12R. From a paleobiogeographic viewpoint, this study confirms the presence of L. pinguis forma pinguis and L. praelangeri in Romania and in the whole Eastern Europe. Moreover, the charophyte assemblage from Suceag belongs to the Priabonian-Rupelian European charophyte bioprovince. While the vertebrate fossils reported in the same fossil locality indicate that the Dâncu Formation at Suceag sedimented in an estuarine environment, the charophyte assemblage suggests a more complex pattern, with presence of freshwater lakes too

Stratigraphy and biostratigraphy (charophytes) of the marine-terrestrial transition in the upper eocene of the NE Ebro foreland basin (Catalonia, Spain)

The onset of endorheic sedimentation in the Ebro Basin is a prominent feature of the basin's evolution and has recently been characterized as a rapid event occurring in the Early Priabonian. In the north-eastern part of the basin this event coincides with the deposition of the Artés Formation (Fm.), mainly built up by red beds of alluvial origin. The marine-continental boundary has been poorly studied up to now in the so-called Lluçanès area, and what was previously thought to be the base of the Artés Fm. is actually a transitional unit, which we define as the Sant Boi Formation, which covers the underlying marine Milany Depositional Sequence and passes laterally to the Terminal Complex, extending over 15km along the eastern margin of the Ebro Basin. The Sant Boi Fm. is formed by up to 15-20m of alternating siltstones and lutite, grading upwards to brackish and lacustrine marls and lignite, and represents deposition in a brackish to freshwater floodplain. It is characterized biostratigraphically by the fossil charophyte assemblage Harrisichara lineata, Harrisichara vasiformis-tuberculata and Nodosochara jorbae, from the middle part of the Priabonian. In contrast, the overlying red beds of the Artés Fm. are characterized by assemblages containing Harrisichara tuberculata, Nodosochara jorbae and Lychnothamnus longus from the Late Priabonian. These results are largely consistent with recent magnetostratigraphic studies performed south of the studied area, and have enabled us to refine the stratigraphy of the marine-continental transition in the north-eastern Ebro Basin

Els Casots (Subirats, Catalonia), a key site for the Miocene vertebrate record of Southwestern Europe

discovered in 1989 and excavated briefly during the 1990s, resulting in the recovery of thousands of remains and the erection of several new mammal species. Excavations resumed in 2018 and continue to date. Here we provide updated results regarding the age, stratigraphy, biota and palaeoenvironment of the site. The age of the site is well constrained to ~15.9 Ma thanks to recent bio- and magnetostratigraphic data, thus coinciding with the onset of the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO). The stratigraphic succession at the site area indicates lacustrine to palustrine environments with cyclically oscillating water level. There are several fossiliferous layers that have yielded a vertebrate fauna comprising up to 74 different vertebrate species including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mostly mammals. The finding of several articulated partial skeletons indicate that the site records an autochthonous to parautochthonous assemblage. The abundance and completeness of the vertebrate remains together with a well-constrained age and detailed stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental data, make els Casots a key site for understanding wetland ecosystems in southern Europe during the MCO