Sand pit at Maurerkopf hill near Edelbeuren (Miocene of Germany)

Where: Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany (48.1° N, 10.0° E: paleocoordinates 48.4° N, 8.6° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Upper Freshwater Molasse Formation (Molasse Group), MN 5 (16.0 - 13.7 Ma)

• Middle Miocene, mammal zone MN 5, latest Orleanien (Sach, 2010)

•there are several fossiliferous horizons which occupy a relatively narrow stratigraphic interval of about 4 m (Sach, 2010)

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - small; poorly lithified, fine-grained, micaceous, quartzose sandstone

• “Insgesamt kann der ehemalige Lebensraum an der Fundstelle am besten rekonstruiert werden als zeitweise durchströmtes Stillgewässer in einer dynamischen Flusslandschaft” [In summary, the ancient environment in the locality can be best interpreted as a temporarily fluvially affected body of standing water within a dynamic river plain] (Sach, 2010).

•The depth of the small lake is said to have been about 4 m (Sach, 2010).

• “Die heute aufgelassene Sandgrube am Maurerkopf bei Edelbeuren (Landkreis Biberach/Riss) erschließt eine Sedimentabfolge der Oberen Süßwassermolasse mit feinkörnigen, schräggeschichteten Quarzglimmersanden in Wechsellagerung mit Ton- und Mergeleinschaltungen sowie fossilführenden Aufarbeitungslagen. Das in der Grube anstehende Feinsediment (‚Pfohsande‘) ist stark verdichtet, sehr standfest und bildet deshalb eine nahezu senkrechte Grubenwand. Durch Kalk verfestigte Sandpartien wittern bankartig aus der Wand heraus” [The abandoned sand pit at the Maurerkopf hill near Edelbeuren (Biberach/Riss county) exposes a sedimentary succession of the Upper Freshwater Molasse with fine-grained, cross-bedded quartzose and micaceous sands intercalated by clay and marl beds as well as fossiliferous beds with pieces of reworked sedimentary rocks. The exposed fines (locally called ‘Pfohsande’) are strongly compacted and very firm and thus form an almost vertical pit wall. Intervals which are cemented by calcium carbonate are weathering out of the pit wall as thick beds] (Sach, 2010).

•Die Grundmasse der Aufarbeitungslagen besteht aus muskovitreichem Feinsand und kleinen Sandsteinkonkretionen, in die Ton- und Mergelgerölle (Durchschnittsgröße 1-5 Zentimeter, Einzelstücke bis etwa 15 Zentimeter) sowie vereinzelte Fossilreste eingelagert sind. Bei den aufgefundenen Fossilien handelt es sich zumeist um verkieselte Holzreste, Schneckengehäuse, Bruchstücke von Muschelschalen oder um Reste von Wirbeltieren” [The matrix of the fossiliferous beds consists of muscovite-rich fine sand and small sandstone concretions that contain clay and marl pebbles (mean size 1-5 cm, maximum 15 cm) and, sporadicly, fossils. The fossils encountered are mainly silicified wood, gastropod shells, bivalve debris or vertebrate remains] (Sach, 2010).

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils, microfossils

Preservation: original aragonite

Collected by V. Sach in 1987 and later; reposited in the SMNS

Collection methods: surface (in situ), sieve,

• Because the abandoned sand pit is in a natural reserve, collecting mainly was restricted to specimens that were weathering out of the pit wall. Only in 1996 some samples were recovered for screenwashing (Sach, 2010).

Primary reference: V. Sach. 2010. Einmal Miozän und zurück – Zeitreise am Maurerkopf bei Edelbeuren. Oberschwaben Naturnah 2010:41-45 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 175727: authorized by Johannes Mueller, entered by Torsten Liebrecht on 06.01.2016, edited by Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Very abundant are teeth and jaws of cricetids (more than 50% of the small mammal material). Among the large mammals the most abundant taxa are rhinocerotids, Procervulus and Dorcatherium (Sach, 2010).
unclassified
  -
Angiospermae
 Rosales - Ulmaceae
Celtis sp. Linnaeus 1753 hackberry
 Charales - Characea
Chara sp. Linnaeus 1753 stonewort
Gastropoda
 Sorbeoconcha - Bithyniidae
Bithynia sp. Leach 1818 snail
 Heterostropha - Planorbidae
Planorbarius cornu Brongniart 1810 snail
 Heterostropha - Lymnaeidae
Lymnaea dilatata Noulet 1854 snail
Lymnaea dilatata Noulet 1854 snail
Galba cf. dupuyiana Noulet 1845 snail
 Stylommatophora - Zonitidae
Archaeozonites costatus Sandberger 1876 true glass snail
Valvata sp. in Sach, 1999
 Stylommatophora - Filholiidae
Triptychia sp. Sandberger 1876 slug
 Stylommatophora - Clausiliidae
Clausiliidae indet. Gray 1855 slug
 Stylommatophora - Elonidae
Klikia sp. Pilsbry 1895 slug
 Stylommatophora - Helicidae
Palaeotachea renevieri, "Megalotachea silvana" = Palaeotachea silvana
Palaeotachea renevieri Maillard 1892 slug
Cepaea sp. in Sach, 1999/2014
"Megalotachea silvana" = Palaeotachea silvana Klein 1853 slug
 Stylommatophora - Subulinidae
Opeas minutum Klein 1853 slug
Bivalvia
 Unionida - Margaritiferidae
Margaritifera flabellata Goldfuss 1837 clam
"Unio vel Margaritifera sp."
Malacostraca
 Decapoda - Potamidae
Potamon sp. Savigny 1816 crab
Ostracoda
 Podocopida - Cyprididae
Amphibia
 Salientia -
Latonia gigantea Lartet 1851 frog
 Caudata - Urodela
Mioproteus caucasicus Estes and Darevsky 1978 mudpuppy
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Miodyromys aegercii Baudelot 1972 dormouse
Paraglirulus werenfelsi Engesser 1972 dormouse
 Rodentia - Sciuridae
Sciuridae indet. Gray 1821 squirrel
 Rodentia - Eomyidae
Keramidomys thaleri Hugueney and Mein 1968 rodent
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Democricetodon mutilus Fahlbusch 1964 mouse
Megacricetodon minor Lartet 1851 mouse
Megacricetodon lappi Mein 1958 mouse
Cricetodon meini Freudenthal 1963 mouse
Eumyarion medius Lartet 1851 mouse
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Prolagus oeningensis König 1825 pika
 Theriamorpha - Dimylidae
Plesiodimylus sp. Gaillard 1897 placental
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Erinaceinae sp. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 hedgehog
"Mioechinus vel Amphechinus sp."
Galerix symeonidisi Doukas 1986 hedgehog
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814 shrew
Miosorex sp. Kretzoi 1959 shrew
 Theriamorpha - Talpidae
Talpidae indet. Fischer de Waldheim 1817 mole
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet. Gray 1821 rhinoceros
 Perissodactyla - Chalicotheriidae
Chalicotherium grande de Blainville 1849 chalicothere
 Artiodactyla - Suidae
Hyotherium soemmeringi von Meyer 1834 pig
 Artiodactyla - Cainotheriidae
Cainotherium huerzeleri Heizmann 1983 even-toed ungulate
 Artiodactyla - Tragulidae
Dorcatherium guntianum von Meyer 1846 chevrotain
 Artiodactyla - Palaeomerycidae
Palaeomeryx sp. von Meyer 1834 ruminant
 Artiodactyla - Cervidae
Procervulus dichotomus Gervais 1849 deer
 Placentalia -
Carnivora sp. Bowdich 1821 carnivoran
"Mustelidae vel Viverridae indet."
Carnivora indet. Bowdich 1821 carnivoran
 Carnivora - Viverridae
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Trocharion albanense Forsyth-Major 1903 mustelid carnivore
 Carnivora -
Proputorius sansaniensis Filhol 1891 carnivoran
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotherium angustidens Burmeister 1837 gomphothere
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Geochelone sp. Fitzinger 1835 turtle
Testudo sp. Linnaeus 1758 turtle
 Testudines - Geoemydidae
Mauremys sp. Gray 1870 pond turtle
Ptychogaster sp. Pomel 1847 turtle
 Testudines - Trionychidae
Trionyx sp. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1809 softshell turtle
 Squamata -
Serpentes indet. Linnaeus 1758 snake
 Squamata - Crotalidae
Vipera sp. Laurenti 1768 pit viper
 Squamata - Lacertidae
Lacerta sp. Linnaeus 1758 squamates
 Squamata - Anguidae
Anguidae indet. Gray 1825 squamates
 Crocodylia -
Diplocynodon sp. Pomel 1847 crocodilian
Aves
 Aves -
Actinopteri
 Teleostei -
Teleostei indet. Müller 1846
 Acanthomorphata - Moronidae
? Moronidae indet. temperate bass
"Percoidei indet. (?Wolfsbarsch)"
 Anabantiformes - Channidae
Channidae indet. Berg 1940 snakehead
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Palaeocarassius sp. Obrhelová 1970 carp-like fish
Palaeoleuciscus sp. Obrhelová 1969 carp-like fish