Mollusc habitats - Florianer Schichten, Styrian basin, Austria (Langhian)

[FranzBernhard]

I am not sure, where to post this, please feel free to move it to the appropriate topic.

I made the schematic drawing of mollusc habitats already more then 2 years ago, now I have pepped it up with shell pics of the most abundant species. All shells are self collected and in my collection, but no scale, no names... The largest pics are the most abundant molluscs in this area, there are only about 5 of them, that are really super-abundant.

There is a lot of hidden info in this pic, but is it discernible without any further explanation?

Maybe you have at least some fun !

Franz Bernhard

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very nice.

Outside my comfort zone but I know some of 'em. 

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks, @Tidgy's Dad!

As edit possibility has already gone, I have to repost the whole thing .

Very slightly modified with names and some explanations (pdf, following post), but sure, not all names are correct...

In the following post you will also find a map with fossiliferous outcrops around St. Josef to give you a feeling, how small the area is.

@ricardo, @Quer, @Thecosmilia Trichitoma

Franz Bernhard

 

[FranzBernhard]

Explanation to the habitat sketch:

Erlaeuterungen_Faziesschema.pdf

 

Map of the area around St. Josef with fossiliferous outcrops. This is the result of one and a half year of prospecting (November 2015 - April 2017); I am sure that there are many more fossil-bearing outcrops in this area (have not examined every spot...). Most of the outcrops are small, natural and located in very small, steep creeks (see links below). No problem to post this map here, as this map is online elsewhere since more then two years and nothing happened. You have to give a detailed description of the way to the spot, but even than interest is very slim. I am always hoping, someone is digging for me in some spots to make a better outcrop for me...

Blue: Subtidal fauna, predominately Turritella (most outcrops) or with accessory Turritella

Light green: Intertidal fauna, Granulolabium and/or Terebralia

Dark green: Intertidal fauna, Crassostrea beds

Blue-green: Mixed fauna (two outcrops)

Lilac: Mainly thin shelled bivalves, mostly unexplored (hard to collect good specimens)

Red: Unexplored fossil-bearing outcrops, mostly very small, but how knows whats really there?

Also many of the blue and green outcrops are nearly uncollected...

 

If someone is interested to visit the area @ricardo , have a look here (with field pics, but in German and with outdated taxonomy):

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Bramberg.pdf

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Hoellerkogel.pdf

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Oisnitz.pdf

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Fuggaberg_3_Mai2017_Teil1.pdf

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Fuggaberg_3_Mai2017_Teil2.pdf

https://www.franzbernhard.lima-city.de/Fossilfundstellen_Internet_Fuggaberg_6.pdf

Franz Bernhard

[ricardo]

51 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

Also a map with fossiliferous outcrops around St. Josef

 

As usual a very informative post. I really like these St. Josef Mollusca!

[ricardo]

On 14/05/2019 at 7:18 PM, FranzBernhard said:

have a look here

Franz, thank you! 

[Fossildude19]

I am in awe of the amount of research and work (collecting etc) that has gone into this project.  

Excellent work!

Thanks for sharing this with us!   

[FranzBernhard]

On 16.5.2019 at 11:02 PM, Fossildude19 said:

I am in awe of the amount of research and work

Thanks! But not need to be in awe .

 

The area is know as highly fossiliferous since about 1860. A big work was undertaken in 1900 by Holler (119 years ago), with a long list of fossils. However, without any description of the fossils and without any pics. Here is a part of the map (St. Josef is to the north, railway to the east, compare with the modern map) of this work and a part of the species list. He did a very good job listing the localities separately, so you can already get a glimpse of the facies distribution:

 

There is also a more recent work (1957) with fossil spots indicated on a map; a relatively new geological map of of the westen part with fossil locations; and an about 20 years old master thesis. The last one provided me with only one fossil site, but this was at a location I would not have examined, it was heavily overgrown with spiky blackberry bushes - but the outcrop (about 1-2 long, about 20 cm high) with fossils was still behind the spiky curtain :

 

I visited most of the spots indicated in the sources above - some successfully, some not. But I discovered several "new" spots, because I systematically examined nearly every creek in the area. Problem is, the sediment is prone to disintegration upon drying and wetting as well as freezing and thawing. So the small outcrops, created by small slides, heavy rains etc. in the beds and mostly at the flanks of the steep creeks, only exist for a few years. But I am following some of these outcrops closely... . @ricardo

Franz Bernhard

[ricardo]

On 18/05/2019 at 7:01 AM, FranzBernhard said:

But I am following some of these outcrops closely.

 

I will be glad in seeing your new marine Miocene  discoveries .
Our rare marine Pliocene deposits, in Mondego basin, are in lower parts of some creeks with a lot of vegetation over... just like your pics.