Oberleichtersbach (Oligocene of Germany)

Where: Bavaria, Germany (50.3° N, 9.8° E: paleocoordinates 50.1° N, 6.9° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: MP 30 (28.4 - 23.0 Ma)

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: sinkhole; unlithified siliciclastic sediments

• "The geology of the locality indicates that the sediments belong to a doline filling, developed due to karstification of the Middle Triassic anhydrites of the Middle Muschelkalk." (Böhme, 2008).

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

• The Palaeorutilus spp. and Gobioninae spp. are primarily represented by dentigerous pharyngeal bones and isolated teeth.

•Turtles are represented by isolated plastron/carapax elements or limb bones only.

Collected in 1999; reposited in the SMF

Collection methods: sieve,

• The fossil locality was discovered by a private collector in 1998 and one year later larger amounts of sediment for screenwashing have been recovered.

Primary reference: B. Engesser and G. Storch. 2008. Latest Oligocene Didelphimorpha, Lipotyphla, Rodentia and Lagomorpha (Mammalia) from Oberleichtersbach, Rhön Mountains, Germany. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 260:185-251 [L. van den Hoek Ostende/L. van den Hoek Ostende/T. Liebrecht]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 84364: authorized by Lars van den Hoek Ostende, entered by Lars van den Hoek Ostende on 12.10.2008, edited by Torsten Liebrecht and Matthew Carrano

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Actinopteri
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Gobioninae "sp. A"1, Gobioninae "sp. B"1, Gobioninae "sp. C"1, Palaeorutilus "sp. 1"1, Palaeorutilus "sp. 2"1, Tarsichthys macrurus1
Gobioninae "sp. A"1 Bleeker 1863 carp-like fish
Gobioninae "sp. B"1 Bleeker 1863 carp-like fish
Gobioninae "sp. C"1 Bleeker 1863 carp-like fish
"large", "cf. Varhostichthys eurystomus (Troschel 1861)"
Palaeorutilus "sp. 1"1 Gaudant 1988 carp-like fish
Palaeorutilus "sp. 2"1 Gaudant 1988 carp-like fish
Tarsichthys macrurus1 Agassiz 1839 carp-like fish
 Cypriniformes - Cobitidae
Cobitis primigenius n. sp.1
Cobitis primigenius n. sp.1 Böhme 2008 carp-like fish
holotype: left lateroethmoid (SMF P 9735), paratypes: 5 further lateroethmoids (SMF P 9748-9752)
Reptilia
 Choristodera -
Lazarussuchus sp.1
Lazarussuchus sp.1 Hecht 1992 choristodere
"sp. nov." represented by about 25 bones
 Crocodylia -
Diplocynodon sp.1
Diplocynodon sp.1 Pomel 1847 crocodilian
28 isolated teeth
 Squamata -
Merkurosaurus sp.1
Merkurosaurus sp.1 Klembara 2008 squamates
fragments of dentigerous bone + osteoderms
 Squamata - Anguidae
Ophisaurus sp.1, cf. Anguis sp.1
Ophisaurus sp.1 Daudin 1803 glass lizard
cranial and postcranial remains as well as osteoderms
cf. Anguis sp.1 Linnaeus 1758 slow worm
vertebrae and osteoderms only
 Squamata - Amphisbaenidae
Amphisbaenidae indet.1
Amphisbaenidae indet.1 worm lizard
a single vertebra (SMF R 4998)
 Squamata - Lacertidae
Lacerta "sp. 1"1, Lacerta "sp. 2"1, Lacerta "sp. 3"1, Lacerta "sp. 4"1, aff. Pseudeumeces sp.1, Miolacerta sp.1
Lacerta "sp. 1"1 Linnaeus 1758 squamates
Lacerta "sp. 2"1 Linnaeus 1758 squamates
Lacerta "sp. 3"1 Linnaeus 1758 squamates
Lacerta "sp. 4"1 Linnaeus 1758 squamates
aff. Pseudeumeces sp.1 Hoffstetter 1944 squamates
a single molariform tooth (SMF R 5008)
Miolacerta sp.1 Roček 1984 squamates
a single tiny dentary (SMF R 5001)
 Squamata -
Eoanilius oligocenicus1
Eoanilius oligocenicus1 Szyndlar 1994 snake
a single vertebra (SMF R 5012)
 Squamata - Viperidae
? Viperidae indet.1
? Viperidae indet.1 Oppel 1811 viper
2 badly preserved vertebrae
 Squamata - Colubridae
Colubrinae indet.1, Texasophis hecki n. sp.1
Colubrinae indet.1 Oppel 1811 colubrid snake
6 vertebrae
Texasophis hecki n. sp.1 Böhme 2008 colubrid snake
holotype: a single trunk vertebra (SMF R 5014), paratypes: 8 further vertebrae (SMF R 5015-5022)
 Testudines - Emydidae
Emydidae indet.1
Emydidae indet.1 Rafinesque 1815 turtle
 Testudines - Testudinidae
aff. Geochelone sp.1, Testudo sp.1
aff. Geochelone sp.1 Fitzinger 1835 turtle
Testudo sp.1 Linnaeus 1758 turtle
 Testudines -
"Palaeochelys mlynarskii" = Palaeomauremys mlynarskii1
"Palaeochelys mlynarskii" = Palaeomauremys mlynarskii1 Hervet and de Broin 2000 turtle
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Trionyx sp.1
Trionyx sp.1 Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1809 softshell turtle
rarest turtle
 Testudines - Chelydridae
Chelydropsis cf. decheni1
Chelydropsis cf. decheni1 Meyer 1852 turtle
most abundant turtle
Mammalia
 Theriamorpha - Herpetotheriidae
Amphiperatherium exile
Amphiperatherium exile Gervais 1848 marsupial
 Theriamorpha - Talpidae
Asthenoscapter ziegleri n. sp., Paratalpa micheli, "Myxomygale minor" = Percymygale minor, Myxomygale cf. antiqua, Geotrypus "sp. 1", Geotrypus "sp. 2"
Paratalpa micheli Lavocat 1951 mole
"Myxomygale minor" = Percymygale minor Ziegler 1990 mole
Myxomygale cf. antiqua Filhol 1890 mole
Geotrypus "sp. 1" Pomel 1848 mole
Geotrypus "sp. 2" Pomel 1848 mole
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Heterosoricinae indet., Dinosorex pusillus n. sp., Quercysorex cf. ulmensis, Oligosorex cf. thauensis, Ulmensia cf. antecedens
Heterosoricinae indet. Viret and Zapfe 1951 shrew
Dinosorex pusillus n. sp. shrew
Quercysorex cf. ulmensis Ziegler 1998 shrew
Ulmensia cf. antecedens Ziegler 1998 shrew
 Theriamorpha - Plesiosoricidae
Plesiosorex martinii n. sp.
Plesiosorex martinii n. sp. placental
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Galericinae indet.
Galericinae indet. Pomel 1848 hedgehog
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceoidae
Dimyloides hecki n. sp.
Dimyloides hecki n. sp. placental
 Rodentia - Theridomyidae
Archaeomys laurillardi
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Rhizospalax poirrieri, Eucricetodon collatus, Eucricetodon longidens, Pseudocricetodon thaleri, Adelomyarion vireti, Melissiodon cf. quercyi
Eucricetodon collatus Schaub 1925 mouse
Eucricetodon longidens Hugueney 1969 mouse
Pseudocricetodon thaleri Hugueney 1969 mouse
Adelomyarion vireti Hugueney 1969 mouse
Melissiodon cf. quercyi Schaub 1920 mouse
 Rodentia - Zapodidae
Plesiosminthus winistoerferi
Plesiosminthus winistoerferi Engesser 1987 jumping mouse
 Rodentia - Eomyidae
Eomyodon volkerti, Eomyodon mayoi, Pseudotheridomys werneri n. sp., Rhodanomys transiens, Rhodanomys aff. hugueneyae
Eomyodon mayoi Engesser 1990 rodent
Rhodanomys transiens Hugueney 1969 rodent
Rhodanomys aff. hugueneyae Engesser 1987 rodent
 Rodentia - Castoridae
Steneofiber dehmi
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Glirudinus glirulus, Peridyromys cf. murinus, Bransatoglis fugax, Microdyromys monspeliensis
Glirudinus glirulus Dehm 1935 dormouse
Peridyromys cf. murinus Pomel 1853 dormouse
Bransatoglis fugax Hugueney 1967 dormouse
Microdyromys monspeliensis Aguilar 1977 dormouse
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Blackia miocaenica, Palaeosciurus goti, Heteroxerus lavocati, Heteroxerus paulhiacensis
Blackia miocaenica Mein 1970 squirrel
Palaeosciurus goti Vianey-Liaud 1974 squirrel
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Amphilagus antiquus
Amphibia
 Salientia - Pelobatidae
Pelobates sp.1, Eopelobates sp.1
Pelobates sp.1 Wagler 1830 spadefoot toad
Eopelobates sp.1 Parker 1929 spadefoot toad
 Salientia - Ranidae
Rana sp.1
Rana sp.1 Linnaeus 1758 frog
representatives of the R. ridibunda group
 Salientia - Palaeobatrachidae
Palaeobatrachus "sp. 1"1, Palaeobatrachus "sp. 2"1, Palaeobatrachus "sp. 3"1
Palaeobatrachus "sp. 1"1 Tschudi 1839 frog
"aff. P. robustus"
Palaeobatrachus "sp. 2"1 Tschudi 1839 frog
"aff. Albionbatrachus wightensis"
Palaeobatrachus "sp. 3"1 Tschudi 1839 frog
"aff. P. laubei vel diluvianus"; Walter Heck collection, Oberleichtersbach
 Salientia - Discoglossidae
Discoglossus sp.1
Discoglossus sp.1 Otth 1837 painted frog
"cf. D. troscheli (Meyer 1852)"
 Caudata - Urodela
Andrias scheuchzeri1, Salamandridae indet.1, Triturus sp.1, Triturus roehrsi1, Chioglossa cf. meini1, aff. Chelotriton sp.1
Andrias scheuchzeri1 Tschudi 1837 giant salamander
1 left maxilla, 1 right dentary, 43 isolated teeth
Salamandridae indet.1 Gray 1825 newt
2 vertebrae, "? aff. Brachycormus noachicus Goldfuss 1831"
Triturus sp.1 Rafinesque 1815 newt
a single vertebra
Triturus roehrsi1 Herre 1955 newt
40 trunk vertebrae + several postcrania
Chioglossa cf. meini1 Estes and Hoffstetter 1976 newt
8 vertebrae
aff. Chelotriton sp.1 Pomel 1853 newt
skull bones and postcrania
 Temnospondyli - Albanerpetontidae
Albanerpeton sp.2, Albanerpeton inexpectatum1
Albanerpeton sp.2 Estes and Hoffstetter 1976 tetrapod
Albanerpeton inexpectatum1 Estes and Hoffstetter 1976 tetrapod
3 dentaries and 2 vertebrae
1Böhme 2008; 2Gardner and Böhme 2008