First record of late Valanginian ammonites from the Mecsek Mountains (Hungary), and their importance for regional stratigraphy

Abstract

A fairly preserved ammonite of Early Cretaceous age from the Mecsek Mountains, southern Hungary is described. Tescheniceras subpachydicranum is the first record of late Valanginian ammonites from the Mecsek tectonic zone from a previously unknown locality indicating the uppermost Valanginian Criosarasinella furcillata Zone. This is the first ammonite-supported evidence for the presence of upper Valanginian strata in the Mecsek Mountains that stretches the time-span of the continuous basinal sedimentation from the beginning of the Berriasian till the Valanginian. The new finding raises the possibility for the presence of the Hauterivian strata too, which was never recognised by ammonites.