A new miocene lacustrine mollusc fauna of the Dinaride Lake System and its palaeobiogeographic, palaeoecologic and taxonomic implications

Abstract

The Dinaride Lake System, as one of the largest freshwater systems in the Neogene of Europe, is widely known for its exceptional mollusc fauna. During the Early and Middle Miocene, it displayed a major evolutionary hotspot resulting in a high level of endemicity. Despite advanced investigations in that region, comprehensive knowledge on the mollusc fauna of the Kupres basin is largely lacking. The herein presented results give insight into this outstandingly preserved fauna and are the base for a systematic revision of several supraspecific taxa among the Hydrobiidae. Because their phylogeny is poorly known, this study may serve as starting point for an overall systematic revision of this highly diverse family. Moreover, the faunal composition allows inferences on palaeobiogeography and hydrological connections within the Dinaride Lake System during the early Middle Miocene. About one-third of the described taxa are restricted to the Kupres basin. The other taxa document faunistic relations to the coeval faunas of the Sinj, Drniš and Džepi basins. Phases of hydrological isolation, indicated by carbonate dominated lithology, coincide with a high frequency of sculptured morphologies within the gastropods. Phases of increased aridity led to high evaporation, a lowered lake level and enhanced carbonate production which seem to have promoted strongly calcified shells. The stratigraphic ranges of the species imply a depositional age of 15.5 ± 0.2 Ma (earliest Middle Miocene; Langhian). Among the Hydrobiidae Cyclothyrella gen. nov. and Pseudodianella gen. nov. are introduced as new genera. Bania obliquaecostata sp. nov., Melanopsis corici sp. nov., Nematurella vrabaci sp. nov., Prososthenia diaphoros sp. nov. and Prososthenia undocostata sp. nov. are described as new species. For the secondary homonym Melanopsis bittneri (Neumayr, 1880), the new name Melanopsis medinae nom. nov. is proposed.

The freshwater mollusk fauna of the Middle Miocene Lake Drniš (Dinaride Lake System, Croatia): a taxonomic and systematic revision

“…Many of these basins have been accurately studied lately and display important tie points in the regional continental stratigraphical framework. The present magnetostratigraphic, chronostratigraphic, and biostratigraphic data suggest a time frame of 18 to 13 Ma for the duration of the entire system (Jiménez-Moreno et al, 2008, 2009Harzhauser and Mandic, 2008;De Leeuw et al, 2010, 2011Mandic et al, 2011;Neubauer et al, 2011Neubauer et al, , 2013a, corresponding to middle Burdigalian to Early Serravallian.…”

“…Following the initial period of taxonomic descriptions, later studies mainly focused on distinct systematic groups (Jurišić- Polšak, 1979Polšak, , 1984Kochansky-Devidé and Slišković, 1978;Žagar-Sakač, 1981Žagar-Sakač, , 1986Žagar-Sakač, , 1987Žagar-Sakač, , 1990Žagar-Sakač and Sakač, 1984;Harzhauser and Mandic, 2010;Neubauer et al, 2014b) or provided summaries of certain regions (Jurišić-Polšak and Sliško-vić, 1988). Especially during the last few years again several taxonomic investigations have been published (Jurišić-Polšak et al, 1993;Bulić and Jurišić-Polšak, 2009;Neubauer et al, 2011Neubauer et al, , 2013aKrstić et al, 2013). These studies showed the distinctiveness and high rate of endemism of the involved lakes, i.e., Lake Sinj, Lake Kupres, Lake Gacko, and Lake Pag.…”

Replacement names and nomenclatural comments for problematic species-group names in Europe's Neogene freshwater Gastropoda

“…8, figs 90-95) belong to a different species: they have both keels on the umbilical side, apparently lack additional spiral lines, have highly convex whorls, and more distinct growth lines. Direct comparison of the descriptions and illustrations of Fuchs (1870a, b) and Bandel (2010) Neubauer et al (2013) Melanoptychia carusi Brusina, 1902 Melanopsis carusi (Brusina, 1902) listed by Wenz (1929Wenz ( , p. 2870 as Melanoptychia; herewith recombined…”

Early Miocene gastropod and ectothermic vertebrate remains from the Lesvos Petrified Forest (Greece)

“…Emmericia and Bania are particularly diverse and likely originate in the Dinaride Lake System (e.g. Neubauer et al 2013aNeubauer et al , 2013b.…”

“…Given the protoconch sculpture, an affiliation with Emmericiidae or Bithyniidae, which expose entirely smooth juvenile shells (see e.g. Neubauer et al 2011Neubauer et al , 2013a, can be excluded. None of the hydrobiid species reported from the Middle Miocene of Chios by Schütt and Besenecker (1973) match the morphology of the current specimens.…”