In an abandoned sand pit near Ballendorf (Alb-Donau District, Baden-Württemberg), sediments of the Upper Marine Molasse (Lower Miocene) are present. In these sediments, 39 shark and ray species belonging to 29 genera were identified (Aetobatus, Alopias, Araloselachus, Carcharhinus, Carcharias, Centrophorus, Chaenogaleus, Dasyatis, Galeocerdo, Hemipristis, Iago, Isistius, Keasius, Notorynchus, Pachyscyllium, Paragaleus, Physogaleus, Pristiophorus, Raja, Rhinobatos, Rhinoptera, Rhizoprionodon, Rhynchobatus, Scyliorhinus, Sphyrna, Squalus, Squatina, Taeniurops, Triakis). However, in this paper we only illustrate and describe the 23 taxa not already discussed in previous publications on the Upper Marine Molasse deposits of Äpfingen, Rengetsweiler and Ursendorf, apart from two exceptions: teeth from jaw positions not previously illustrated, and specimens that are better preserved than those in previous publications. Specimens only determined as “sp.” were illustrated because it cannot be ruled out that they represent different species to the ones published earlier. Nearly all of the taxa found have Recent relatives; only Araloselachus, Keasius and Physogaleus are extinct. Most of the recovered taxa lived on or near the bottom in the shelf region. Alopias and possibly also Keasius lived higher in the water column. With Isistius, a taxon living in the oceanic realm was present, and the Recent representatives of Centrophorus live in deeper waters. Nearly all taxa fed on invertebrates and/or fishes; Isistius also fed as an ectoparasite. Additionally, two generalist feeders (Galeocerdo, Notorynchus) and one filter feeder (Keasius) were identified. The species Carcharias crassidens, which is not common in the Upper Marine Molasse, was also verified. Other fossils found in this deposit include remnants of odontocete cetaceans, molluscs, balanid barnacles, algae, and teeth of terrestrial mammals. The palaeoenvironment was a warm, shallow-water habitat. Based on greater proximity to the palaeo-coastline, the water depth was probably less than in other Upper Marine Molasse deposits.
Herein, we revise an extensive set of mollusc fossils from the Upper Freshwater Molasse deposits of Öhningen palaeolake (SW Germany; Middle Miocene, MN7). Based on material housed in paleontological collections in Europe and North America, we present the first thorough systematic account of the phylum from this historic locality. A total of ten species were identified from Öhningen: three freshwater gastropods (Lymnaea dilatata Noulet, 1854, Gyraulus cf. applanatus (Thomä), Planorbarius mantelli (Dunker)), two terrestrial gastropods (Granaria cf. schuebleri (Klein), Palaeotachea sylvestrina (Schlotheim)), and five bivalves (Anodonta splendens Goldfuss, A. lavateri (Münster), Pseudunio flabellatus (Goldfuss), “Dreissena” sp., Pisidium escheri (Mayer-Eymar, 1865)). Three freshwater and five terrestrial gastropod genera mentioned in older literature could not be found in the available material. Ours is the first report of a Dreissenidae from Öhningen
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