Lake Groß-Zimmern core B/97-BK 8, depth 27 m: Middle Eocene, Germany

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Emmapollis pseudoemmaensis
informal Trilete spores indet.
Punctilongisulcites microechinatus
Reticulataepollis intergranulatus
Pentapollis pentangulus
Varia indet.
Angiospermae - Fagales - Betulaceae
Polyporopollenites spp. Thomson and Pflug 1953
Angiospermae - Fagales - Juglandaceae
Momipites informal punctatus/quietus
Angiospermae - Rosales - Ulmaceae
Celtipollenites intrastructurus
Angiospermae - Malpighiales - Euphorbiaceae
Tricolporopollenites crassostriatus
Tricolporopollenites mansfeldensis
Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum
Tricolporopollenites satzveyensis
Tricolporopollenites megaexactus
Tricolporopollenites vancampoae
Tricolporopollenites crassiexinus
Tricolporopollenites microreticulatus
Tricolporopollenites cingulum
Angiospermae - Proteales
Triatriopollenites informal rurensis/bituitus
Angiospermae - Proteales - Proteaceae
Triporopollenites informal rhenanus/robustus
Angiospermae - Aquifoliales - Aquifoliaceae
Ilexpollenites margaritatus
Angiospermae - Poales - Restionaceae
Milfordia minima
Polypodiopsida - Polypodiaceae
Laevigatosporites hardtii
Pteridopsida
Polypodiaceoisporites spp. Potonie 1956
unclassified
Monocolpopollenites tranquillus
Nyssapollenites kruschi
Equisetopsida - Cupressales
Inaperturopollenites spp. Potonié 1966
Algae - Zygnemataceae
Ovoidites spp. Krutzsch 1959
Algae - Botryococcaceae
Botryococcus spp. Kutzing 1849
unclassified
Tetracolporopollenites spp. Pflug and Thomson 1953
Subtriporopollenites constans
Plicatopollis spp. Krutzsch 1962
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: 47.8 - 37.71 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Local section:B/97-BK 8 Local bed:27 m
Local order:top to bottom
Stratigraphy comments: Palynozone PZ 2b, with a slightly different composition of the palynomorph assemblage than PZ 2a because of the occurrence of the coccal green alga Botryococcus. Dominant elements in PZ 2 are the fagaceous pollen Tricolporopollenites cingulum/liblarensis.
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, gravel and external clasts.
Environment:crater lake
Geology comments: Maar lake with a diameter of 250-400 m, with shallow to moderately deep water. PZ 2 documents the first deposition of the terminal stafe of the recolonisation phase. The palynomorph assemblage is typical for inland sites of Western and Central Europe during the Eocene. However, various pollen of Myricaceae indicate that they were another common element of the vegetation. Pollen of Ulmaceae indicate their important role in the pioneer vegetation of the volcanic substrate during the recolonisation phase
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:308 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:235249
Authorizer:P. Jardine Enterer:H. Morck
Research group:paleobotany
Created:2024-06-14 07:29:18 Last modified:2024-06-14 07:29:18
Access level:the public Released:2024-06-14 07:29:18
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]