Rickenbach (Oligocene of Switzerland)

Where: Canton Solothurn, Switzerland (47.3° N, 7.9° E: paleocoordinates 47.2° N, 5.1° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: MP 29 other zone, Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• "Since their publication in the ‘‘International Symposium on Mammalian Biostratigraphy and Palaeoecology’’ (Engesser and Mayo 1987), Rickenbach is definitively recognised as the European mammalian reference locality for level MP29 (...) Detailed correlations between Swiss mammal levels and magnetostratigraphy were additionally published by Schlunegger et al. (1996), who clearly correlated the Rickenbach level (=MP29) within the chron 6 Cr, which actually corresponds to the interval 23.4–23.9 Ma (Fig. 1; Berger 2011)" (from Mennecart et al. 2012)

•de Bonis and Mennecart 2017: The age of the Rickenbach deposits, 23.9–23.4 Ma (berger 2011), corresponds to a major faunal remodeling known as the “Microbunodon Event” (scHerler et al. 2013, Mennecart 2015).

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithology not reported

• de Bonis and Mennecart 2017: The composition of the Rickenbach fauna is characteristic for arid and wooded savannah environments with a strong seasonality
• de Bonis and Mennecart 2017: The Rickenbach quarry (Canton of Solothurn, Swit- zerland, Fig. 1) was first mined during the 19th century for its fine sands of the Eocene filling a karstic fissure in Jurassic limestone. Soon after, Martin (1906) described the first remains of a latest Oligocene fauna. These fossils were embedded in 4 to 8 m molasse sandstone (Knauermolasse) overlaying the Eocene sediments. Mammal remains are especially concentrated in the basal conglomerate (Mennecart, pers. obs.).

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: B. Mennecart, L. Scherler, F. Hiard, D. Becker, and J.P. Berger. 2012. Large mammals from Rickenbach (Switzerland, reference locality MP29, Late Oligocene): biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental implications. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 131:161-181 [R. Butler/J. Benito Moreno/P. Mannion]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 182805: authorized by Richard Butler, entered by Juan Benito Moreno on 25.11.2016, edited by Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Gastropoda
 Cerithioidea - Melanopsidae
 Heterostropha - Planorbidae
"Planorbis (Coretus) cornu" = Planorbarius cornu
"Planorbis (Coretus) cornu" = Planorbarius cornu Brongniart 1810 snail
 Heterostropha - Lymnaeidae
Limnaea (Radix) subbullata Sandberger 1875 snail
 Stylommatophora - Helicidae
 Neritoidea - Neritidae
Neritina sp. Lamarck 1816 snail
Bivalvia
 Unionida - Unionidae
Unio vogti freshwater mussel
Unio inaeguiradiatus freshwater mussel
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Microdyromys cf. praemurinus Freudenberg 1941 dormouse
 Rodentia - Theridomyidae
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Sciurus sp. Linnaeus 1758 squirrel
 Rodentia - Eomyidae
Eomys huerzeleri Engesser 1982 rodent
 Rodentia - Castoridae
 Rodentia - Zapodidae
Plesiosminthus promyarion n. sp. Schaub 1930 jumping mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Adelomyarion vireti, Rhizospalax poirrieri, "Eucricetodon cf. dubius" = Eucricetodon dubius, "Cricetodon praecursor n. sp." = Eucricetodon dubius, Melissiodon cf. quercyi
Adelomyarion vireti Hugueney 1969 mouse
"Eucricetodon cf. dubius" = Eucricetodon dubius Schaub 1925 mouse
"Cricetodon praecursor n. sp." = Eucricetodon dubius Schaub 1925 mouse
Melissiodon cf. quercyi Schaub 1920 mouse
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Amphechinus sp. Aymard 1850 hedgehog
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Dinosorex huerzeleri Engesser 1975 shrew
 Theriamorpha - Talpidae
Talpidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 mole
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Diaceratherium lamilloquense Michel 1983 rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Tapiridae
Protapirus sp. Filhol 1877 tapir
 Artiodactyla -
Palaeochoerus pusillus even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Anthracotheriidae
Anthracotherium magnum Cuvier 1822 anthracothere
Microbunodon minimum Lihoreau et al. 2004 anthracothere
 Artiodactyla - Cainotheriidae
"Caenotherium "sp. 1"" = Cainotherium, "Caenotherium "sp. 2"" = Cainotherium
"Caenotherium "sp. 1"" = Cainotherium Bravard 1828 even-toed ungulate
"Caenotherium "sp. 2"" = Cainotherium Bravard 1828 even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Palaeomerycidae
"Amphitragulus" quercyi Filhol 1887 ruminant
 Artiodactyla -
Babameryx engesseri n. gen. n. sp. Mennecart et al. 2012 ruminant
Dremotherium guthi Jehenne 1987 ruminant
 Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
Hyaenodon filholi Schlosser 1877 creodont
 Carnivora -
Stenogale sp. Schlosser 1888 carnivoran
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Viverridae indet. Gray 1821 civet
 Carnivora - Amphicyonidae
Amphicyon sp. Lartet 1836 bear-dog
Haplocyon sp. Schlosser 1901 bear-dog
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Plesictis sp. Pomel 1846 mustelid carnivore
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Cephalogale "sp. 1" Jourdan 1862 bear
Cephalogale "sp. 2" Jourdan 1862 bear
Adelpharctos mirus De Bonis 1971 bear
NMO H11/96: mandible with m1- m2
 Theriamorpha - Herpetotheriidae
Amphiperatherium exile Gervais 1848 marsupial
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudinidae indet. Batsch 1788 turtle
 Loricata -
"Crocodilia indet." = Crocodylia
"Crocodilia indet." = Crocodylia Owen 1842 crocodilian
Aves
 Aves -
Pisces
  -
"Pisces indet." = Osteichthyes
"Pisces indet." = Osteichthyes Huxley 1880 bony fish
Limnaea
  -