Grünbach Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Campanian
Vertebrate fauna of the Grünbach Formation
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofGosau Group (Grünbach Syncline)
Sub-unitsDreistetten conglomerate
UnderliesPiesting Formation
OverliesMaiersdorf Formation
AreaLower Austria
Thicknessover 150 m (490 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySiltstone, sandstone, clay & marl
OtherConglomerate & coal
Location
RegionCentral Europe
CountryAustria
ExtentGrünbach Syncline
Type section
Named forGrünbach am Schneeberg

The Grünbach Formation is an Austrian geological formation that dates to the early Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous. it forms part of the Gosau Group, and represents a marine regression event, representing a coastal/brackish environment, being underlain by the marine carbonate Maiersdorf Formation and overlain by the deep marine siliciclastic Piesting Formation. The main lithology is clay, marl, siltstone and sandstone, with a minor conglomerate component. Coal seams have also been noted.[1][2] It is notable for its fossils including those of dinosaurs and plants.

Vertebrate paleofauna

All remains have been found at a single locality, which is a thin marl seam in the Konstantin mining tunnel, within the Felbering Mine in the Neue Welt area north west of Muthmannsdorf in Lower Austria.[3] The initial remains were discovered in 1859 after an ornithopod tooth was found in a piece of coal in a dump outside the mine by Professor Ferdinand Stoliczka, and the productive seam discovered thereafter. The first material was described by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871[4] and then additional material was described by Harry Seeley in 1881.[5] Due to mining activity in the area ceasing at the end of the 19th century, no additional remains have been recovered since.

Squamates

Squamates of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Araeosaurus A. gracilis Muthmannsdorf Vertebra[5]

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Doratodon D. carcharidens Muthmannsdorf "incomplete mandible, a fragmentary right maxilla, a parietal fragment, and isolated teeth"[6]
Eusuchia Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf "mandible fragment and some postcranial material"

Choristoderes

Choristoderes of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Choristodera Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf "Two platycoelous vertebral centra"[7]

Turtles

Turtles of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Dortokidae[8] Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf Shell fragments
cf. Kallokibotioninae Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf Shell fragments

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
"Ornithocheirus" "O". buenzeli Muthmannsdorf Remains found not diagnostic, remains referred to Azdarchidae and Pterodactyloidea indet.
Azdarchidae Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf "Proximal portion of a humerus"[9] Previously referred to "O". buenzeli
Pterodactyloidea Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf "Articular region of a lower jaw, crushed phalangeal fragments" Previously referred to "O". buenzeli

Non-avian dinosaurs

Dinosaurs of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Abundance Notes Images
Mochlodon M. suessi Muthmannsdorf Cranial and postcranial elements
Struthiosaurus S. austriacus Muthmannsdorf Cranial and postcranial elements
Tetanurae Indeterminate Muthmannsdorf "Two fragmentary teeth" Referred to by the dubious name ‘Megalosaurus pannoniensis’[5] Nearly identical to teeth known from the Csehbánya Formation[10]

Flora

Most of these specimens were recovered from mining dumps near Grünbach am Schneeberg in lower Austria. The flora of the formation is considered to represent that of a high humidity subtropical climate, typical of the Euro-Sinian phytogeographical region.[11][12][13]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
 Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Bryophytes

Bryophytes of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Stereisporites Indeterminate Spore, representative of Sphagnaceae

Lycopodiophyta

Lycopodiophytes of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Camarozonosporites Indeterminate Spore, representative of Lycopodiaceae
Retitriletes Indeterminate Spore, representative of Lycopodium

Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Appendicisporites A. tricuspidatus Spore, probable affinities with Schizaeaceae
Cicatricosisporites Indeterminate Spore, probable affinities with Schizaeaceae
Cingulatisporites Indeterminate Spore, affinities with Anemia
Cladophlebis C. gosauensis
Coniopteris ?
Cyathidites Indeterminate Spore
Echinatisporites Indeterminate Spore
Equisetites Indeterminate A horsetail
Gosauopteris G. danaeoides Probable affinities with Marattiaceae
Gleicheniidites G. senonicus Spore
Leiotriletes Indeterminate Spore, representative of Lygodium
Marsileaceaephyllum M. campanica Marsileaceae, very similar to extant Marsilea
Matonisporites Indeterminate Spore, Found in situ with Monheimia
Microphyllopteris M. austriaca
Microtaenia M. austriaca
Monheimia M. ungerii affinities with Matoniaceae, particularly Phanerosorus
Polypodiaceoisporites Indeterminate Spore
Raphaelia R. lobifolia
Sphenopteris S. gruenbachiana, S. ungeri Probable affinities with Schizaeaceae

Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Geinitzia G. formosa, G. reichenbachii Pinopsida, Taxodioid affinity
cf. Lindleycladus L. lanceolatus
Nilsonia N. cf. holyi Bennettitales
Pagiophyllum Indeterminate
Pityosporites Indeterminate Pollen
Podozamites Indeterminate
Taxiodiaceaepollenites Indeterminate Pollen, at least 2 taxa

Angiosperms

Monocots

Monocots of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Arecipites Indeterminate Pollen, representative of Palmae
Lysichiton L. austriacus Araceae, genus extant
Gruenbachia G. pandanoides Pandanaceae, reproductive organs of Pandanites
Pandanites P. trinervis Pandanaceae
Sabalites S. longirhachis Palm
Spinizonocolpites Indeterminate Pollen, representative of extant Nypa palm
Theiaiphyllum T. kollmannii

Dicots

Dicots of the Grünbach Formation
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic Position Material Notes Images
Brasenites B. krasserii affinity with Brasenia
Celastrophyllum Indeterminate, C. johannae Hamamelidae
Ceratoxylon Indeterminate Reproductive structure
Clavatipollenites Indeterminate Pollen, representative of Chloranthaceae
Complexiopollis Indeterminate Pollen, affinities with Myricaceae
Compositiphyllum C. serratum
Debeya D. insignis
Dicotylophyllum Indeterminate
Ettingshausenia E. gruenbachiana, E. cf. laevis, Indeterminate Platanaceae
Extremipollis Indeterminate Pollen
Grebenkia G. europeica
cf. Grevilleophyllum G. constans
Hungaropollis Indeterminate Pollen
Juglandiphyllites J. pelagicus possible affinity with Juglandaceae
Krutzschipollites Indeterminate Pollen
Laudaypollis Indeterminate Pollen
Leguminosites L. mucronata
Longanulipollis Indeterminate Pollen
Menispermites M. ettingshausenii, M. summesbergerii
Momipetes Indeterminate Pollen, similar to extant Engelhardtia
Myricophyllum M. cf. zenkeri, M. serratum Affinities with Myrica
Myrtacaedites Indeterminate Pollen, Representative of Myrtaceae
Normapolles Indeterminate Pollen, very abundant. possibly associated with Juglandaceae
Oculipollis O. sp, O. parvoculus O.zaklinskaiaiae Pollen
cf. Pandemophyllum Indeterminate, P. cf. proteoides
Pseudoplicapollis Indeterminate Pollen
Quereuxia Q. angulata Possible affinity with Trapa
Rogersia Indeterminate
Semioculipollis Indeterminate Pollen
Suemegipollis Indeterminate Pollen
Ternstroemites T. (?) neueweltensis
Tricolpopollenites Indeterminate Pollen, At least 8 distinct taxa
Viburniphyllum V. ermannii, V. austriacum

References

  1. ↑ Draganits, Erich; Wagreich, Michael; Hofer, Gerald; Hofmann, Christa-Charlotte; Reischenbacher, Doris; Grundtner, Marie-Louise; Neuhuber, Stephanie; Bottig, Magda (2011). "Stratigraphy and geochemical characterisation of Upper Cretaceous non-marine - marine cycles (Grünbach Formation, Gosau Group, Austria". Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences. 104 (2): 90–107.
  2. ↑ Grundtner, Marie-Louise (2011). Sedimentologie und Sedimentpetrographie der Gosau-Gruppe bei Dreistetten-Muthmannsdorf (Niederösterreichische Kalkalpen) (Master's thesis). University of Vienna. pp. 21–35, 51–57, 71. doi:10.25365/thesis.17461.
  3. ↑ Sachs, Sven; Hornung, Jahn J. (May 2006). "Juvenile ornithopod (Dinosauria: Rhabdodontidae) remains from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Campanian, Gosau Group) of Muthmannsdorf (Lower Austria)". Geobios. 39 (3): 415–425. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2005.01.003. ISSN 0016-6995.
  4. ↑ Bunzel, Emanuel (1871). "Die Reptilfauna der Gosau-Formation in der Neuen Welt bei Wiener-Neustadt". Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-königlichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt. 5: 1–18.
  5. 1 2 3 Seeley, H. G. (1881-02-01). "The Reptile Fauna of the Gosau Formation preserved in the Geological Museum of the University of Vienna: With a Note on the Geological Horizon of the Fossils at Neue Welt, west of Wiener Neustadt, by Edw. Suess, Ph.D., F.M.G.S., &c., Professor of Geology in the University of Vienna, &c". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 37 (1–4): 620–706. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1881.037.01-04.49. ISSN 0370-291X. S2CID 219235284.
  6. ↑ Buffetaut, Eric (1979). "Revision der Crocodylia (Reptilia) aus den Gosau-Schichten (Ober-Kreide) von Österreich". Beiträge zur Paläontologie von Österreich. 6: 89–105.
  7. ↑ Buffetaut, Eric (1989). "Erster nachweis von Choristodera (Reptilia, Diapsida) in der Oberkreide Europas: Champsosaurierwirbel aus den Gosau-Schichten (Campan) Niederösterreichs". Sitzungsberichten der Österreichs Akademis der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse, Abteilung. 197: 389–394.
  8. ↑ Rabi, Márton; Vremir, Mátyás; Tong, Haiyan (2012-09-01), "Preliminary Overview of Late Cretaceous Turtle Diversity in Eastern Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, and Romania)", Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology, Springer Netherlands, pp. 307–336, doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4309-0_19, ISBN 9789400743083
  9. ↑ Buffetaut, Eric; Ősi, Attila; Prondvai, Edina (March 2011). "The pterosaurian remains from the Grünbach Formation (Campanian, Gosau Group) of Austria: a reappraisal of 'Ornithocheirus buenzeli'". Geological Magazine. 148 (2): 334–339. Bibcode:2011GeoM..148..334B. doi:10.1017/S0016756810000981. ISSN 1469-5081. S2CID 131376979.
  10. ↑ Csiki-Sava, Zoltan; Buffetaut, Eric; Ősi, Attila; Pereda-Suberbiola, Xabier; Brusatte, Stephen L. (2015-01-08). "Island life in the Cretaceous - faunal composition, biogeography, evolution, and extinction of land-living vertebrates on the Late Cretaceous European archipelago". ZooKeys (469): 1–161. doi:10.3897/zookeys.469.8439. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4296572. PMID 25610343.
  11. ↑ Herman, Alexei B.; KVAČEK, JIŘÍ (2007). "Early Campanian Grünbach flora of Austria: systematic composition and palaeoclimatic interpretations". Acta Palaeobotanica. 47 (1): 37–55.
  12. ↑ KVACEK, JIRÍ; HERMAN, ALEXEI (2004). "The Campanian Grünbach Flora of Lower Austria: palaeoecological interpretations". Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. 106 A.
  13. ↑ B., Herman, Alexei (2010). Late Cretaceous Grünbach Flora of Austria. Kvaček, Jiří. Wien: Naturhistorisches Museum. ISBN 9783902421432. OCLC 517260675.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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