Trace fossils and trackways in the Upper Freshwater Molasse of Central and  Eastern Switzerland

Bolliger, Thomas

doi:10.1127/njgpa/214/1999/519

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…derives suggests that mayflies evolved into burrowers that exploited filter-feeding from their domiciles by, at least, the Turonian. U-shaped burrows with parallel arms (Arenicolites and spreiten-bearing Rhizocorallium) have been attributed to mayfly larvae from the Triassic (Sinitshenkova et al, 2005), Cretaceous (King et al, 2020a), and Miocene (Fürsich and Mayr, 1981;Lange and Suhr, 1996;Bolliger, 1999), but none of these bears evidence of diagnostic bioglyphs that would distinguish them from other tracemakers. King et al (2020b) has suggested that the orientation in these trace fossils (G. gingrasi n.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp., a probable subaqueous insect domicile from the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone, Utah

et al. 2021

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A new ichnospecies, Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp., is described from multiple locations in basal sand-filled coastal plain distributary channels of the Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) Ferron Sandstone (central Utah). Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp. is attributed to the ichnogenus Glossifungites based on the presence of scratch imprints, passive fill, and a tongue-shaped structure, yet the new ichnospecies is distinct because it displays transverse bioglyphs that run perpendicular to the planiform structure, which contrasts to the axis parallel bioglyphs present in the ichnospecies G. saxicava. The transverse arrangement of ornamentation exhibited by G. gingrasi n. isp. is observed in modern subaqueous insect burrows produced by mayfly and chironomid larvae, and constitutes a way to differentiate insect-generated burrows from structures produced by crustaceans that are known to create other Glossifungites ichnospecies. Differentiating insect- from crustacean-generated burrows is significant because it provides a way to distinguish bioturbation by marine-recruited fauna from that produced by freshwater fauna in the rock record, making G. gingrasi n. isp. a valuable ichnological tool for paleoenvironmental and stratigraphic interpretation. While G. gingrasi n. isp. may represent a burrow created by a variety of filter-feeding subaqueous insects, the large size of G. gingrasi n. isp. in the Ferron Sandstone suggests that the largest specimens are probable mayfly burrows and supports the assertion that burrowing mayflies (e.g., Polymitarcyidae and Ephemeridae) adapted to domicile filter-feeding during or prior to the Turonian. UUID: http://zoobank.org/a033b22f-bf09-481a-975e-3a1b096154cc

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp., a probable subaqueous insect domicile from the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone, Utah

et al. 2021

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“…The Freshwater type of Molasse sedimentation led to the formation of stratigraphic deposits that have been extensively analysed for their sedimentological properties and ages (Kempf & Pfiffner, 2004;Matter & Weidmann, 1992;Schlunegger et al, 1993;Schlunegger, Jordan, et al, 1997). In addition, petrological and geochemical analyses of individual clasts and the grain-supporting matrix resulted in a detailed knowledge about the provenance and the source-to-sink routing of the clastic material (Anfinson et al, 2020;Bolliger, 1998;Büchi, 1958;Bürgisser, 1981;Eynatten, 2003;Matter et al, 1980;Schlunegger, Jordan, et al, 1997;Spiegel et al, 2000;Stürm, 1973;Tanner, 1944;van der Boon et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Central Alps and The Smbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is to compensate for the amount of tectonic erosion during the emplacement of overlying thrust nappes (Pfiffner, 1986), aligning with studies providing relatively precise positions for the palaeo-apex of the western (Schlunegger et al, 1993(Schlunegger et al, , 1996 and central fans (Schlunegger, Jordan, et al, 1997;Schlunegger, Leu, et al, 1997;Stürm, 1973). However, the situation is different for the eastern fan, as large parts are not preserved (Bürgisser, 1980(Bürgisser, , 1981Bolliger, 1998) due to basin inversion and erosion of the Molasse sediments since the Pliocene at the latest (Cederbom et al, 2011;Mazurek et al, 2006;Schlunegger & Mosar, 2011). Consequently, the position of the palaeo-apex of the eastern fan may have been located at least +3 km upstream, or possibly even ca.…”

Section: Temporal and Spatial Framework Of The Target Fansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of sediment fluxes and intermittencies from Oligo–Miocene megafan deposits in the Swiss Molasse basin

Garefalakis,

do Prado,

Whittaker

et al. 2024

Basin Research

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The conglomerates preserved in alluvial fans in the Swiss Molasse basin provide crucial insights into the sedimentary dynamics of these routing systems. In particular, the architectural trends and grain sizes of such deposits reveal information on the sediment fluxes and record variations in the intermittency — a proxy for the fan's activity — that indicate on the relative importance of tectonic or climatic controls on sediment production and transport. Here, we calculated intermittencies from sediment transport dynamics using the ratio between the long‐term average and the short‐term instantaneous unit sediment fluxes during bankfull discharge conditions. For this, we collected grain size data from three palaeo‐fan systems that were active through Oligo–Miocene times and that reveal preserved proximal–distal relationships. The three fan systems, which we term the western, central and eastern fans, show significant differences in their long‐term sediment budget but equivalent magnitudes of the sediment transport dynamics expressed through the intermittency factor. The eastern fan records a low long‐term sediment flux (5.7 km2 Myr−1), which needed the fan to be active during ca. 8 h yr−1 (intermittency factor of 0.89 × 10−3). The western fan reveals a higher long‐term sediment flux (16.2 km2 Myr−1), which could have accumulated during ca. 16 h yr−1 (intermittency factor of 1.83 × 10−3), thereby reflecting a more active system. The central fan records the largest long‐term sediment flux (40.3 km2 Myr−1), where ca. 57 h yr−1 of sediment transport would be required to deposit the supplied material (intermittency factor of 6.53 × 10−3), thus representing the most active system. By relating these characteristics to the regional exhumation history, we consider that the central fan mainly recorded the transient response of the Alpine surface to the break‐off of the European mantle lithosphere slab. Contrarily, the western and eastern fans were formed during the Alpine evolution when steady‐state conditions between uplift and erosion were reached and when sediment fluxes to the basin were lower. Despite differences in the tecto‐geomorphic and climatic boundary conditions, our data suggest that these Oligo–Miocene megafans could accomplish their mean annual sediment transport work within a few hours or days per year.

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“…31.5 -30 Ma (Kempf et al, 1997;Kempf et al, 1999)), Untere Süßwasser Molasse (USM, "Lower Freshwater Molasse", ca. 30 -21 Ma, locally until 19 Ma (Kempf et al, 1997;Kempf et al, 1999)), Obere Meeres Molasse (OMM, "Upper Marine Molasse", 21 -17 Ma (Bolliger, 1999)), and Obere Süßwasser Molasse (OSM, "Upper Freshwater Molasse", 17 -13 Ma (Kempf et al, 1997;Kempf et al, 1999)) (Matter et al, 1980). Commonly German abbreviations are used in literature.…”

Section: Tectonostratigraphic Evolution Of the Central Alps And Their...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the burial and exhumation history of foreland basins using the spread of apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He single grain ages

Frings

Luijendijk

Dunkl³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Abstract. Reconstructing the evolution of foreland basins that experienced late exhumation is challenging due to an incomplete sedimentary record. Thermochronometry has been applied successfully to reconstruct basin evolution, but the method is subject to uncertainties. For the Swiss Molasse Basin, a wide range of exhumation magnitude and timing has been proposed based on thermochronometry. We aim to reduce uncertainty by dating larger numbers of grains and samples, to obtain statistically more robust data. New apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) data from a single borehole shows ages of 4 to 30 Ma in the upper 500 meters and ages of 3 to 80 Ma below 1300 meters. This is counterintuitive as a total reset is expected at depths exceeding approximately 600 m. To arrive at a single consistent thermal history including our and previously published data, we conduct thermal modeling with different software. In particular we test the influence of different provenance histories and distinguish between cooling associated with changes in heat flow vs changes in exhumation. We determine 1050 m +/- 100 m of exhumation, starting slowly at 13 Ma and accelerating at 9 Ma. Coinciding with exhumation, heat flow begins to rise sharply, causing heating until 5 Ma, despite ongoing exhumation. We show that this discrepancy between start of exhumation and start of cooling is the main reason for differing estimates for the burial and exhumation history of the basin. We suggest that the remaining misfit between modeled and measured Molasse AHe ages can be explained by post-Miocene hydrothermal flux in the Neogene sediment fill above a sealing layer, potentially the Opalinus Clay or Triassic evaporites. In summary, we show that a single consistent model for basin exhumation relies on large sets of grains and samples, as well as inclusion of provenance ages in the models. With timing of the main exhumation phase constrained to start at 9 Ma, we can rule out a 5 Ma climatic event as exhumation driver. As the region is not affected by extensive faulting, deep seated processes related to mantle dynamics remain as exhumation driving process.

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Trace fossils and trackways in the Upper Freshwater Molasse of Central and Eastern Switzerland

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp., a probable subaqueous insect domicile from the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone, Utah

Glossifungites gingrasi n. isp., a probable subaqueous insect domicile from the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone, Utah

Quantification of sediment fluxes and intermittencies from Oligo–Miocene megafan deposits in the Swiss Molasse basin

Unraveling the burial and exhumation history of foreland basins using the spread of apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He single grain ages

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