Lake Groß-Zimmern core B/97-BK 8, depth 25.9 m: Middle Eocene, Germany

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Emmapollis pseudoemmaensis microspore
1 individual
informal Trilete spores indet. microspore
1 individual
Pentapollis pentangulus microspore
2 individuals
informal Punctatosporites/Verrucatosporites indet. microspore
2 individuals
informal Leiotriletes/Toroisporis group indet. microspore
3 individuals
Punctilongisulcites microechinatus microspore
6 individuals
Varia indet.
51 individuals
Algae - Botryococcaceae
Botryococcus spp.
11 individuals
Algae - Zygnemataceae
Ovoidites spp.
2 individuals
Angiospermae - Fagales - Betulaceae
Polyporopollenites spp. microspore
3 individuals
Angiospermae - Fagales - Juglandaceae
Momipites informal punctatus/quietus microspore
8 individuals
Angiospermae - Malpighiales - Euphorbiaceae
Tricolporopollenites marcodurensis microspore
1 individual
Tricolporopollenites crassostriatus microspore
1 individual
Tricolporopollenites satzveyensis microspore
1 individual
Tricolporopollenites messelensis microspore
2 individuals
Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum microspore
2 individuals
Tricolporopollenites megaexactus microspore
2 individuals
Tricolporopollenites parmularius microspore
2 individuals
Tricolporopollenites edmundii microspore
3 individuals
Tricolporopollenites vancampoae microspore
3 individuals
Tricolporopollenites microporitus microspore
4 individuals
Tricolporopollenites crassiexinus microspore
4 individuals
Tricolporopollenites microreticulatus microspore
14 individuals
Tricolporopollenites cingulum microspore
19 individuals
Angiospermae - Rosales - Ulmaceae
Celtipollenites intrastructurus microspore
3 individuals
Angiospermae - Poales - Restionaceae
Milfordia minima microspore
6 individuals
Angiospermae - Poales - Typhaceae
Sparganiaceaepollenites sp. microspore Thiergart 1937
1 individual
Angiospermae - Aquifoliales - Aquifoliaceae
Ilexpollenites margaritatus microspore
2 individuals
Angiospermae - Proteales
Triatriopollenites informal rurensis/bituitus microspore
7 individuals
Angiospermae - Proteales - Proteaceae
Triporopollenites informal rhenanus/robustus microspore
4 individuals
unclassified
Monocolpopollenites tranquillus microspore
7 individuals
Nyssapollenites kruschi microspore
2 individuals
Equisetopsida - Cupressales
Inaperturopollenites spp. microspore
37 individuals
Pteridopsida
Polypodiaceoisporites spp. microspore
1 individual
Polypodiopsida - Polypodiaceae
Laevigatosporites hardtii microspore
2 individuals
unclassified
Tetracolporopollenites spp. microspore
9 individuals
Subtriporopollenites constans microspore
1 individual
Plicatopollis spp. microspore
65 individuals
see common names

Geography
Country:Germany State/province:Hesse
Coordinates: 49.9° North, 8.8° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:47.3° North, 4.6° East
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:hand sample
Time
Period:Paleogene Epoch:Eocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 2-3
Key time interval:Middle Eocene
Age range of interval:47.80000 - 37.71000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Local section:B/97-BK 8 Local bed:25.9 m
Local order:top to bottom
Stratigraphy comments: Palynozone PZ3, with juglandaceous pollen of Plicatopollis spp. as dominant elements.
The pollen and spore taxa are also known from the nearby lacustrine record of Messel (see Thiele-Pfeiffer 1988), which is of latest early Eocene to early middle Eocene age (Lenz et al. 2015). It can be assumed that the lacustrine sequence at Groß-Zimmern is of a similar age. Accordingly, the palynomorph assemblage fits best to zones Hu4 to Ho2 of Pflug (1986) and 14 to 15 of Krutzsch (1966), which correspond to a middle Eocene (Lutetian/Bartonian) age.
Punctilongisulcites microechinatus occuring in this sample is restricted to the middle Eocene.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: "shale"
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: Bituminous shale with indistinct lamination, sand and external clasts.
Environment:crater lake
Geology comments: Maar lake with a diameter of 250-400 m, with shallow to moderately deep water. In PZ 3, the thermophilic climax forest gradually approached the vicinity of the lake. Pollen of Myricaceae clearly decrease in frequency and pollen of Fagaceae and Juglandaceae now dominate the pollen assemblage. The higher thermal alteration of palynomorphs in the upper part of PZ 3 may be an effect of wildfires and support the assumption of an even drier period for the upper part of PZ 3.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,original sporopollenin
Size of fossils:microfossils
Temporal resolution:time-averaged
Spatial resolution:allochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:core,chemical,mechanical,hydrochloric,hydroflouric
Collection size:295 individuals
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Collection method comments: Samples were crushed into small fragments and homogenised. A standard sample size of 4 g was used to minimise variations of reaction parameters such as sample surface area (Ellin and McLean 1994). Together with the sample material, 10 ml of 45% hydrofluoric acid (HF) were filled into a digestion vessel. Six vessels were used at the same time for digestion in the microwave system. The sealed vessels were treated by a standardised process with 15 minutes of heating at 110 °C using 1000-watt power and 45 minutes of cooling. Afterwards, the residue was mixed with 0.5 g of boric acid (H3BO3) to neutralise excess HF thereby improving safety for sample handling (Wilson et al. 2006). The residue in the vessels was then heated again for 5 minutes to 160° C by applying a power of 1000 watt. Following another cooling period of 45 minutes, the residues could be transferred into larger containers, which were filled with demineralised water and regularly decanted until neutralisation. After sieving through a 10 μm mesh screen, the residues were briefly oxidised by applying hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Subsequently, the residues were sieved again, mixed with 5% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, and heated to 80 °C for 10 minutes in the MARS VI system. At the end of sample processing, the remaining residue was provided with a small amount of 35% hydrochloric acid (HCl) to solve remaining fluorides. After final sieving, the residues were transferred into crimp-top vials
and 2 drops of 35% HCl were added to provide a slightly acidic environment that prevents fungal infestation.
Slides and residues are housed at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Taxonomic list comments:Palynomorphs, that could not be identified, were counted as 'Varia', which is similar to the other more or less coeval maar lake fillings of Messel (Lenz and Wilde 2018).
Metadata
Database number:235248
Authorizer:P. Jardine Enterer:H. Morck
Research group:paleobotany
Created:2024-06-14 07:14:48 Last modified:2024-06-14 07:14:48
Access level:the public Released:2024-06-14 07:14:48
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
88637. J. Mutzl, O. K. Lenz, V. Wilde, K. J. Krahn, M. Moshayedi and M. Hinderer. 2023. Vegetation dynamics in a disturbed lacustrine record: The Eocene maar lake of Groß-Zimmern (Hesse, Germany). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 103:249-276 [P. Jardine/H. Morck]