changes of specific carbonate facies types in time
and space, which are controlled by phylogenetic, ecological
and geological parameters), is introduced. This concept
aims to define and interpret spatial and temporal changes
of carbonate facies patterns. It is based on Middle Eocene
to Early Oligocene shallow-water carbonate facies types
from the circumalpine area (north-eastern Italy, northern
Slovenia, Austria and southern Bavaria), which are compared
with respect to dominating biogenic components and
their distributions along a shelf gradient. This comparison
has lead to the distinction and definition of 14 Major Facies
Types (MFTs), which are dominated by coralline algae,
larger and smaller foraminifera, corals and bryozoans.
The presence and distribution of these MFTs from three
different time slices (Middle Eocene, Late Eocene and
Early Oligocene) is compared. Nine aspects of facies
dynamics are distinguished: origination, extinction, immigration,
emigration, expansion, reduction, stasis, shift, and
replacement of MFTs. These changes are controlled by regional
changes in ecological parameters, but also by global
events, especially extinction patterns at the Middle/Late
Eocene boundary and at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary
Abstract. Traditionally, different diagnostic characters have been used in the identification of fossil and Recent coralline algal genera. The taxonomy of fossil coralline algae has focused on well calcified features such as basal filaments and conceptacle perforation. In contrast, the taxonomy of Recent material uses a combination of several features with a low fossilization potential, such as epithallial cells and structures of sexual reproductive organs. In the studied material of the Late Eocene Austrian Molasse Zone Lithoporella, Neogoniolithon, Spongites, Phymatolithon and Sporolithon are identified and described applying features of neontological taxonomic concepts. These features are: (1) the arrangement of basal filaments; (2) the occurrence of cell fusions; (3) the relative length of subepithellial initials; (4) the conceptacle perforation; (5) the orientation of filaments around the conceptacle pore; and (6) the type of conceptacle roof formation. Some of these features were thought to be unpresentable in fossil material until recently. The fossilization potential of diagnostic features and the identification of the documented genera and species are discussed in detail. Moreover, a checklist for the description of fossil taxa is provided.
Early Ilerdian (Early Eocene, Shallow Benthic Zones 5 and 6) carbonate systems of the Pyrenees shelf were deposited after a time of severe climatic ('PaleoceneEocene Thermal Maximum, PETM') and phylogenetic ('Larger Foraminifer Turnover') changes. They reflect the radiation of nummulitid, alveolinid, and orbitolitid larger foraminifera after remarkable biotic changes at the end of the Paleocene, and announce their subsequent flourishing in the Middle Eocene.A paleoenvironmental model for tropical carbonate environments of this particular time interval is provided herein. During the Early Ilerdian, the inner and middle ramp deposits from Minerve, Campo and Serraduy revealed the end-member of a tropical carbonate factory with carbonate production dominated by the end-members of biotically (photo-autotrophic skeletal) controlled and biotically induced carbonate precipitation. Inner platform environments are dominated by alveolinids and in part by orbitolitids, middle platform environments are dominated by nummulitids. Corals are present, but they do not form reefs, which is a typical feature for the Eocene. Nummulite shoal complexes, which are well-known from the Middle Eocene are also absent during the studied Early Ilerdian interval, which may reflect the early evolutionary stage of this group. M. W. Rasser ( ) · C. Scheibner · M. Mutti
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