Balve-Beckum limestone quarry: Late Barremian - Early Aptian, Germany
collected by LWL Museum fur Naturkunde, Munster 2000—

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Chondrichthyes - Hybodontiformes
Hybodontiformes indet. Patterson 1966
Hornung et al. 2023 2 specimens
WMNM uncat.
Chondrichthyes - Hybodontiformes - Lonchidiidae
Schwermann et al. 2018
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Albanerpetontidae
Hornung et al. 2023 1 specimen
WMNM uncat.
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Urodela
Skutschas et al. 2020 9 specimens
Holotype: WMNM P76313, atlantal centrum; WMNM P76314, P76315, P76316, atlantal centra; WMNM P76317 fragmentary anterior trunk vertebra; WMNM P76318, P76319, nearly complete middle trunk vertebrae; MNMW P79401, fragment of trunk vertebrae; WMNM P79320, fragmentary anterior caudal vertebra
Reptilia
? Helochelydra sp. Nopcsa 1928
Schwermann et al. 2018 1 specimen
WMNM uncat.
    = Helochelydra sp. Nopcsa 1928
Hornung et al. 2023
    = Helochelydra nopcsai Lapparent de Broin and Murelaga 1999
Joyce et al. 2023
WMNM, more than 250 specimens, including more than 150 granicones, only a small number of specimens provide useful anatomical information
Mesoeucrocodylia indet. Whetstone and Whybrow 1983
Hornung et al. 2023 1 specimen
WMNM uncat.
Reptilia - Bernissartiidae
Schwermann et al. 2018
Reptilia
Schwermann et al. 2018
Reptilia - Goniopholididae
Schwermann et al. 2018 2 specimens
WMNN uncat.; WMNM P47516
Reptilia - Pterosauria
Pterosauria indet. (Kaup 1834)
Hornung et al. 2023 1 specimen
WMNM uncat.
Reptilia - Pterosauria - Ornithocheiridae
Schwermann et al. 2018
Reptilia
7 specimens
5 Teeth (LWL MN Ba 16, 18, 19, 20, 22); WMNM P82323 (ungual), WMNM uncat. (dorsal centrum)
1 specimen
LWL Mn Ba 14 (1 tooth)
Reptilia - Dromaeosauridae
8 specimens
LWL MN Ba 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 (teeth)
Reptilia
5 specimens
2 teeth (LWL MN Ba 15, 21); 2 manual unguals (WMNM P41647, WMNM P82323); left quadrate (WMNM P100826)
Theda et al. 2023 2 specimens
WMNM P100817 (distal MT); WMNM P100814 (pedal ungual)
Schwermann et al. 2018
Schwermann et al. 2018 12 specimens
WMNM P48300, WMNM P48222, WMNM P81316, WMNM P81313, WMNM P81308, WMNM P81059, WMNM P48332, WMNM P81058, WMNM P81073, WMNM P81289, WMNM uncat. (ungual)
Schwermann et al. 2018
Hornung et al. 2023 1 specimen
WMNM P82311, right(?) manual ungual phalanx (I-2)
Hornung et al. 2023 1 specimen
WMNM P82326, centrum of dorsal vertebra
Mammalia - Spalacotheriidae
Martin et al. 2022 3 specimens
Holotype: WMNM P82305, right lower molar; WMNM P82308 and P82302, left upper molars
Mammalia - Multituberculata - Pinheirodontidae
Martin et al. 2021 2 specimens
Holotype: WMNM P79402, left M1; P79403
Mammalia - Multituberculata - Eobaataridae
Martin et al. 2021 1 specimen
Holotype: WMNM P79404, right dentary fragment with p4 and alveoli for p2e3 and m1e2
Mammalia - Symmetrodonta
Symmetrodonta indet. (Simpson 1925)
Skutschas et al. 2020
Mammalia - Dryolestidae
Martin et al. 2022 2 specimens
Holotype: WMNM P82301, left mandible with strongly worn m2–m5; WMNM P82310, lower left premolar
Martin et al. 2022 3 specimens
Holotype: WMNM P82306, left upper molar; left upper (WMNM P82304) and lower (WMNM P82307) molars
see common names

Geography
Country:Germany State/province:North Rhine-Westphalia County:Märkischer Kreis
Coordinates: 51.3° North, 7.9° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:38.0° North, 31.6° East (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Altitude:290 meters
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period: Cretaceous Epoch: Early Cretaceous
Stage: Barremian 10 m.y. bin: Cretaceous 2
Key time interval: Late Barremian - Early Aptian
Age range of interval: 125.77 - 119.57 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: The karstic infill deposits of Balve were dated by the association of early angiosperm pollen as late Early Cretaceous, most probably late Barremian to early Aptian (Lanser and Heimhofer, 2013).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:gray lithified claystone
Secondary lithology:gray siltstone
Includes fossils?Y
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: The centre and main mass of these sediments was composed of dark-grey coal-rich clays and silts that contained numerous, up to fist-sized clasts from the immediate and more distant surroundings, including several relatively large bleached lydites and well-rounded river pebbles of vein quartz, as well as ferruginous pebbles. Also included in these almost black sediments were numerous blocks of calcite spar, some up to over 1 m3 in size The excavation level in the karstic infill at Balve is about 25 m below the upper ground level as it was before limestone mining began. The sediments at the excavation level are mostly fine-grained, and vary from finely laminated clay and silt to redeposited river sediments with some content of sand and gravel. Synsedimentary slides have been recorded as well as mass limestone blocks of up to several meters in size, which broke down from the former cave walls during sedimentation. Fusite-containing, clayeyesilty deposits have been found to be particularly rich in fossils.
Environment:karst indet. Tectonic setting:non-subsiding area
Geology comments: Karst infill in Devonian reefal limestones.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Associated major elements:some
Disassociated major elements:many
Disassociated minor elements:many
Fragmentation:occasional
Temporal resolution:time-averaged
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:selective quarrying,surface (in situ),field collection
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Collectors:LWL Museum fur Naturkunde, Munster Collection dates:2000—
Collection method comments: Since 2002, annual excavations have been carried out at this site
Metadata
Also known as:Theropod locality, Busche Quarry
Database number:152548
Authorizer:P. Mannion, M. Carrano, E. Vlachos Enterer:J. Tennant, G. Varnham, M. Carrano, E. Vlachos
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2013-11-25 14:57:48 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2013-11-25 14:57:48
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
49111. K.-P. Lanser and U. Heinhofer. 2015. Evidence of theropod dinosaurs from a Lower Cretaceous karst filling in the northern Sauerland (Rhenish Massif, Germany). Palaeontologische Zeitschrift 89:79-94 [P. Mannion/J. Tennant/J. Tennant]

Secondary references:

84295 J. J. Hornung, S. Sachs, and A. H. Schwermann. 2023. The first record of sauropod dinosaurs from a palaeotopographical upland environment and its implications for megaherbivorous dinosaur faunal turnover in the Early Cretaceous of northwestern Europe. Geologie und Paläontologie in Westfalen 97:3-36 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
84961 W. G. Joyce, S. W. Evers, S. Ren, Y. Rollot, and A. H. Schwermann. 2023. The helochelydrid turtle Helochelydra nopcsai from the Early Cretaceous (late Barremian – early Aptian) fissure fills of Balve, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, including a large sample of granicones. Fossil Record 26(1):117-133 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]
81402 T. Martin, A. O. Averianov, J. A. Schultz and A. H. Schwermann. 2021. First multituberculate mammals from the Lower Cretaceous of Germany. Cretaceous Research 119:104699 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
81404 T. Martin, A. O. Averianov, J. A. Schultz, R. Schellhorn, and A. H. Schwermann. 2022. First spalacotheriid and dryolestid mammals from the Cretaceous of Germany. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 67(1):155-175 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham/P. Mannion]
81403 A. H. Schwermann, L. Schöllmann, and C. Pott. 2018. Vertebrate fauna of a fissure filling from the Lower Cretaceous (BarremianeAptian) of Balve, Westphalia, Germany. Terra Nostra 1:111-112 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
81405 P. P. Skutschas, V. V. Kolchanov, and A. H. Schwermann. 2020. First salamander from the Lower Cretaceous of Germany. 116:104606 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]
85878 D. Theda, D. Nau, R. Dederichs and A. H. Schwermann. 2023. Preliminary report on the theropod fauna of a Lower Cretaceous upland ecosystem from Balve, NW Germany. 20th Annual Conference of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Abstracts. Palaeovertebrata Special Volume 1-23:255 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]