Where: France (47.6° N, 7.2° E: paleocoordinates 47.0° N, 3.7° E)

• coordinate stated in text

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Fossiliferous Zone Member (Salt Formation), Rupelian (33.9 - 28.1 Ma)

• In spite of abundant fossils, index fossils are rare and, hence, the stratigraphical position of the Salt Formation members has not been totally clarified yet. The most authors regard the Fossiliferous Zone as Earliest Oligocene. Schuler postulates the lower part of the member to be Latest Eocene in age. A biostratigraphical age based on mammals in the hanging Haustein member (Upper Salt Formation) of the ‘Rebberg’ quarry about 35 m above the horizon of discovery covers the time interval of the Mammal Reference Level

•MP21 and corresponds to the Lower Stampian and Upper Priabonian, thus coinciding with Stehlin‘s ‘Grande coupure’. So the stratigraphical position

•of the Fossiliferous Zone member seems to be close to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary. They were found in an approximately 40-cm-thick horizon of lithographical limestone, which can be correlated with the Horizon No. 6 of Gaudant.

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified marl

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: adpression, original chitin

Collected by J. J. Brocks, S. Hinsken

Primary reference: T. Wappler, S. Hinsken, J. J. Brocks, A. Wetzel, and C. A. Meyer. 2005. A fossil sawfly of the genus Athalia (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from the Eocene-Oligocene boundary of Altkirch, France. Comptes Rendus Palevol 4:7-16 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 122740: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 05.01.2012

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)