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NINTH ROMANIAN SYMPOSIUM ON PALEONTOLOGY

IAȘI, 25 – 26 OCTOBER 2013

ABSTRACT BOOK

Ninth Romanian Symposium on Paleontology

Iași, 25 – 26 october 2013

Abstract Book

Edited by Daniel Țabără (Al. I. Cuza University of Iași)

Abstract Book

The 9th Romanian Symposium on Paleontology

Iași, 25 – 26 october 2013

Organizing Committee

Honorary Presidents: Acad. Prof. dr. Theodor Neagu, Member of the Romanian Academy, University of Bucharest; Prof. dr. emeritus Bica Ionesi, University „Al. I. Cuza” of Iaşi; Prof. dr. Ioan Bucur, Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Prof. dr. Ovidiu Dragastan, University of Bucharest.

Executive President: Prof. dr. emeritus Leonard Olaru, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi.

Vice-Presidents: CS I dr. Mihaela C. Melinte-Dobrinescu, NIRD for Marine Geology and Geoecology (GEOECOMAR Bucharest); Conf. dr. Carmen Chira, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Lect. dr. Daniel Ţabără, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Conf. dr. Zoltan Csiki, University of Bucharest;

Members: Prof. dr. Ilie Turculeţ, University „Al. I. Cuza” of Iaşi; Prof. dr. Constantin Grasu, University „Al. I. Cuza” of Iaşi; Prof. dr. Mihai Brânzilă, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Conf. dr. Paul Ţibuleac, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Lect. dr. Gabriel Chirilă, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Lect. dr. Viorel Ionesi, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Conf. dr. Crina Miclăuş, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Lect. dr. Sorin Baciu, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Conf. dr. Doru Juravle, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Prof. dr. Dan Grigorescu, University of Bucharest; Prof. Dr. Eugen Grădinaru, University of Bucharest; Conf. dr. Iuliana Lazăr, University of Bucharest; Conf. dr. Mihai Popa, University of Bucharest; Conf. Dr. Marius Stoica, University of Bucharest; Prof. dr. Vlad Codrea, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Prof. dr. Sorin Filipescu, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Lect. dr. Mirela Popa, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Lect. dr. Emanoil Săsăran, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; Lect. dr. Ioan Tanţău, „Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca; CS I dr. Titus Brustur, NIRD for Marine Geology and Geoecology (GEOECOMAR Bucharest); CS I dr. Petru Enciu, Romanian Academy Institute of Geography; Conf. dr. Monica Crihan, Oil and Gas University, Ploieşti; Secretariat: Geol. Constantin Calu, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi; Drd. Anca Maria Anistoroae, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi.

Program Committee

Lect. dr. Daniel Ţabără, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi Prof. dr. emeritus Leonard Olaru, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi Prof. dr. Mihai Brânzilă, „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi

The Ninth Romanian Symposium on Paleontology was organized by the Romanian Society of Paleontologists „Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi with financial support from: City Hall of Iași

Ministry of National Education

The Grzybowski Foundation

S.C. Milan Expert SRL

The Edinfo Foundation

S.C. Info Educația S.R.L.

The 9th Romanian Symposium on Paleontology, Iași, October 25-26, 2013

Symposium Programme THE 9TH ROMANIAN SYMPOSIUM ON PALEONTOLOGY

24 – 26 October 2013 – CONFERENCE Thursday, 24 October 2013 17.00 - 20.00 – Arrival of the participants and registration (at the symposium venue) 19.00 - 21.00 – Icebreaker party (at the symposium venue location) Friday, 25 October 2013 From 8.00 onwards – Registration (at the symposium venue; registration will be available during all day). 9.00 – 10.00 – Plenary Session: Welcome speeches

Dragastan O. - The impact of scientific contributions of the international level presented at the Romanian Symposia on Palaeontology (1997-2011) and published in Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae (vol. I-VIII).

10.00 – 12.00 – Session on Micropaleontology

10.00 – 10.20 Ivanova, D., Metodiev, L., Rabrenović, D., Mojsić, I. & Koleva-Rekalova, E. - Lower and Middle Jurassic foraminifera from the Mihailovici sequence, Lim River area, NE Montenegro.

10.20 – 10.40 Ionesi, V. & Mare, S. - Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene foraminifera from Tarcău Nappe (Varnița Brook, Eastern Carpathians).

10.40 – 11.00 Ionesi, V. & Dumitriu, S.D. - New data to the knowledge of Miliolida from Lower Sarmatian of Rădăuți Depression.

11.00 – 11.20 Chira, C.M. , Aroldi, C. & Ștefănuț, V.I. - Oligocene - Miocene calcareous nannoplankton from the turbiditic deposits of the Colibiţa - Mureşenii Bârgăului area (Bistriţa Năsăud County, Romania).

11.20 – 11.40 Chira, C. M., Negru, R. & Bedelean, H. - Badenian environment in the Strei Basin: evidence from calcareous nannoplankton, macrofauna and sedimentological data (Hunedoara County, Romania).

11.40 – 12.00 Briceag, A., Stoica, M. & Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C. - Changes in microfaunal assemblages during the Holocene of NW Black Sea.

10.00 – 12.00 – Session on Mesozoic vertebrate paleontology

10.00 – 10.20 Codrea, A.V., Solomon, A.Al., Venczel, M. & Smith, T. - A new Maastrichtian multituberculate at Oarda de Jos (Transylvania, Romania).

10.20 – 10.40 Dyke, G.J. & Vremir, M. - New data on fossil birds from Oarda de Jos. 10.40 – 11.00 Kaiser, G.W., Dyke, G.J., Naish, D. - Early evolution of the modern avian wing. 11.00 – 11.20 Venczel, M., Vasile, Ş., Alexandru, A. & Csiki-Sava, Z. - Additional

albanerpetontid remains from the Maastrichtian of Haţeg Basin (Romania). 11.20 – 11.40 Vasile, Ş., Bodor, E.R., Csiki-Sava, Z. & Szentesi, Z. - Isopteran trace fossils from

the Upper Cretaceous of Central-Eastern Europe. 11.40 – 12.00 Dumbravă, D.M., Andrei, A.R., Solomon, A.Al. & Codrea, A.V. - Actual status of

the paleontological sites in the Hațeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark: scientific interest vs. neglect.

12.00 – 14.00 Lunch Break


14.00 – 17.00 – Session on Paleobotany and Palynology

14.00 – 14.20 Bucur, I.I., Grgasovic, T., Munnecke, A. & Noe, S. - Calcareous algae and microbial structures from the Capitan Reef.

14.20 – 14.40 Dragastan, O.N., Herbig, H.G. & Popa, M.E. - A new Palaeocene Rivulariaceae species of calcareous algae from Middle Atlas, Morocco.

14.40 – 15.00 Dragastan, O.N., Herbig, H.G. & Popa, M.E. - New Palaeogene calcareous algae from Espéraza (Aude, France), the Western Iraqi desert and Central High Atlas (Morocco).

15.00 – 15.20 Iamandei, S. & Iamandei, E. - Old collection of Petrified Wood in the National Geological Museum of Bucharest.

15.20 – 15.40 – Coffee Break

15.40 – 16.00 Chirilă, G. & Ţabără, D. - New data regarding the Volhynian deposits from Preutești-Basarabi-Arghira area (Moldavian Platform): A palynological approach.

16.00 – 16.20 Ivanov, D. - Palynological data on the Middle Miocene vegetation from Satovcha Basin, SW Bulgaria.

16.20 – 16.40 Geantă, A., Tanţău, I., Auer, A., Hutchinson, S.M. & Feurdean, A. - A multi-proxy approach to the assessment of vegetation history, climate and human impact in Rodna Mountains during the Holocene.

16.40 – 17.00 Grindean, R., Tanţău, I. & Fărcaş, S. - Holocene vegetation history in the Apuseni Mountains.

14.00 – 16.40 – Session on Cenozoic vertebrate paleontology

14.00 – 14.20 Codrea, A.V., Răţoi, B.G., Curcudel, I., Solomon, Al. - Aceratherium incisivum in the earliest Late Miocene (Sarmatian, Bessarabian) from Bozieni (Moldavian Platform).

14.20 – 14.40 Delinschi, A. - New Upper Miocene mammal localities from the Republic of Moldova.

14.40 – 15.00 Sinitsa, M. & Delinschi, A. - Cricetids (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Middle Turolian of Republic of Moldova. A preliminary report.

15.00 – 15.20 Obadă, T.F. & Marareskul, V.A. - Additional data on the taphonomy and systematic diversity of the Upper Sarmatian (Khersonian) fauna from Pocşeşti, Republic of Moldova.

15.20 – 15.40 – Coffee Break

15.40 – 16.00 Croitor, R. - Eco-morphology and paleoecology of Late Villafranchian large-sized bovids of the genus Leptobos.

16.00 – 16.20 Ilie, R.M. & Vasile, Ş. - Review of the large mammals from the Pleistocene of Rateş (Galaţi County), housed in the Tecuci Mixed Museum.

16.20 – 16.40 Vasile, Ş., Ştiucă, E. & Venczel, M. - First find of ectothermic vertebrates from the Pleistocene „Copăceni Beds” (southern Romania).

17.00 – 18.00 – General Assembly of the Romanian Society of Paleontologists 19.00 – ..... Conference Dinner Saturday, 26 October 2013 9.00 – 11.00 “150 years of geological education in Romania” National Symposium “Grigore Cobălcescu” National Symposium “Mircea Savul”


11.00 – 16.40 Session on Mesozoic biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments

11.00 – 11.20 Grădinaru, E. - Early Middle Anisian (Middle Triassic) ammonoids assessing the age of pillow basalts in the Niculițel Unit (North Dobrogean Orogen).

11.20 – 11.40 Gallemí, J. - The Cretaceous echinoids of Ormeniş (Braşov, Perşani Mountains, Eastern Carpathians): systematics, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeographic significance.

11.40 – 12.00 Bucur, I.I., Ungureanu, R. & Ungur, C.G. - Microfossils in the limestone pebbles of the Cretaceous conglomerates from Piatra Craiului.

12.00 – 12.20 Bucur, I.I., Grădinaru, M., Lazăr, I., Mircescu, C.V., Săsăran, E. & Ungur, C.G. - Neocomian microfossil assemblages in the limestones from Piatra Craiului Mountains and Dâmbovicioara zone.

12.20 – 14.00 Lunch Break 14.00 – 14.20 Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C. - Biotical fluctuations linked to the Cretaceous Oceanic

Anoxic Events of the Romanian Carpathians: the state of the art. 14.20 – 14.40 Lazăr, I., Grădinaru, M. , Andrăşanu, A. & Grigore, D. - Microbialites –

metazoans interactions through the Middle-Upper Jurassic transition (Rucăr-Bran zone, South Carpathians, Romania).

14.40 – 15.00 Țibuleac, P. - Norian coiled nautiloids from the Timon Klippe (Rarău Syncline, Eastern Carpathians, Romania).

15.00 – 15.20 Anistoroae, A. & Miclăuș, C. - Organism-sediment relationship in Bisericani Formation (Bistrița Half-window).

15.20 – 15.40 Săsăran, E., Bucur, I.I. & Pleş, G. - Facies and depositional environments identified in Barremian limestones from the northwestern part of Pădurea Craiului Mountains (Romania).

15.40 – 16.00 Bojar, A.-V., Barbu, V. & Bojar, H.-P. - Middle Miocene zeolite-bearing turbidites, Abrămuţ Basin, NW Romania.

16.00 – 16.20 Mircescu, C.V., Bucur, I.I. & Săsăran, E. - Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous limestones from Piatra Craiului: correlations based on microfossils.

16.20 – 16.40 Pleș, G., Bucur, I.I. & Săsăran, E. - Micropaleontological assemblages in the limestones of the Buila-Vânturarița Massif and their relationship with the environment.

11.00 – 16.00 – Poster Session 27 October 2013: Post-Conference fieldtrips Paleontological sites from Moldavian Platforms. Fieldtrip leader: Prof. dr. Mihai Brânzilă („Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi). LIST OF POSTER PRESENTATIONS 1. Aniţăi, N. - The Biodiversity of Early Cretaceous Deposits from Cernavodă and Aliman -

Vederoasa area, South Dobrogea, Romania.

2. Antoniade C. & Stoica M. - Lower Cretaceous microfauna of the Cernavoda Ecluza section, South Dobrogea.

3. Bindiu, R. & Filipescu, S. - Biostratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Middle Eocene deep water deposits from the northern part of the Tarcău Nappe (Eastern Carpathians, Romania), based on foraminifera assemblages.


4. Boga, C.-R. - The study of the foraminifera and ostracoda microfauna of the Badenian deposits from Coșului Valley, Lăpugiu de Sus, Hunedoara county.

5. Brânzilă, M. - Bolboforma, a new taxon in the Moldavian Platform biostratigraphy.

6. Chelariu, C. & Șaramet, M. - Under uncertainty estimation of geothermal paleoflux in overthrust areas. Case study: Șipoteni structure (Eastern Carpathians, Romania).

7. David, A. & Pascari, V. - Upper Palaeolithic mammals from Duruitoarea Veche Cave, Republic of Moldova.

8. Filipescu, R. & Filipescu, S. - Early Badenian planktonic foraminifera assemblages recovered from the geotechnical wells drilled in Cluj Napoca.

9. Gallemí, J., López, G. & Lazăr, I. - Echinoid species distribution in the Upper Cretaceous of Dobrogea, SE Romania.

10. Grellet-Tinner, G., Codrea, A.V. & Solomon A.Al. - Thalassodromeus sebesensis: A 42 million year anachronistic new crested pterosaur species from the Cretaceous Haţeg Island.

11. Iamandei, S., Brânzilă, M. & Țabără, D. - New petrified woods from AICU Collection.

12. Ioniță, C., Șindilar, V.D. & Stoica, M. - The microfauna assemblages from Sarmatian deposits from four oil boreholes of central-southern part of the Moesian Platform.

13. Ivanova, D., Chatalov, A. & Bonev N. - Lower Cretaceous microfossils from the Circum-Rhodope Belt in the Chalkidiki Peninsula and the Rhodope-Thrace districts, Northern Greece.

14. Kövecsi Szabolcs, A. & Silye, L. - Badenian benthic foraminifers from the Haţeg Basin.

15. Popescu, D.A., Popescu, L.G, Popa, L.M. & Grădinaru, E. - Middle Triassic (Anisian) carbonate microfacies from the East of Tulcea Unit (Murighiol – Dunavăţu de Sus area), North Dobrogean Orogen.

16. Sebe, O.-G., Crasquin, S. & Grădinaru, E. - The ostracod fauna in the Deșli Caira section (North Dobrogea): a GSSP candidate for the Olenekian-Anisian boundary.

17. Şornea, A.-D. - The micropalaeontological study of the foraminifera and ostracoda of the Badenian deposits from Gemenii Valley (Nemeşeşti) and Popii Valley (Coşteiu de Sus), Timiş county.

18 Țabără, D., Olaru, L. & Chirilă, G. - New data about the Palaeozoic formations from Moldavian Platform and South Dobrogea.

19. Ursachi, L., Codrea, A.V. & Brânzilă M. - The Upper Pleistocene giant deer Megaloceros giganteus (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) at Movileni (Vaslui District).


CONTENT

Anistoroae, A. & Miclăuș, C. - Organism-sediment relationship in Bisericani Formation (Bistrița Half-window) ………………………………………………………………………… 1

Aniţăi, N. - The Biodiversity of Early Cretaceous Deposits from Cernavodă and Aliman - Vederoasa area, South Dobrogea, Romania…………………………………………………… 2

Antoniade C. & Stoica M. - Lower Cretaceous microfauna of the Cernavodă Ecluza section, South Dobrogea........................................................................................................................... 4

Bindiu, R. & Filipescu, S. - Biostratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Middle Eocene deep water deposits from the northern part of the Tarcău Nappe (Eastern Carpathians, Romania), based on foraminifera assemblages............................................................................ 5

Boga, C.-R. - The study of the foraminifera and ostracoda microfauna of the Badenian deposits from Coșului Valley, Lăpugiu de Sus, Hunedoara county............................................ 7

Bojar, A.-V., Barbu, V. & Bojar, H.-P. - Middle Miocene zeolite-bearing turbidites, Abrămuţ Basin, NW Romania .................................................................................................... 8

Brânzilă, M. - Bolboforma, a new taxon in the Moldavian Platform biostratigraphy ………... 10

Briceag, A., Stoica, M. & Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C. - Changes in microfaunal assemblages during the Holocene of NW Black Sea................................................................... 11

Bucur, I.I., Grgasovic, T., Munnecke, A. & Noe, S. - Calcareous algae and microbial structures from the Capitan Reef................................................................................................. 13

Bucur, I.I., Ungureanu, R. & Ungur, C.G. - Microfossils in the limestone pebbles of the Cretaceous conglomerates from Piatra Craiului.......................................................................... 15

Bucur, I.I., Grădinaru, M., Lazăr, I., Mircescu, C.V., Săsăran, E. & Ungur, C.G. - Neocomian microfossil assemblages in the limestones from Piatra Craiului Mountains and Dâmbovicioara zone.................................................................................................................... 17

Chelariu, C. & Șaramet, M. - Under uncertainty estimation of geothermal paleoflux in overthrust areas. Case study: Șipoteni structure (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)...................................................................................................................................... 19

Chira, C.M. , Aroldi, C. & Ștefănuț, V.I. - Oligocene - Miocene calcareous nannoplankton from the turbiditic deposits of the Colibiţa - Mureşenii Bârgăului area (Bistriţa Năsăud County, Romania)........................................................................................................................ 20

Chira, C. M., Negru, R. & Bedelean, H. - Badenian environment in the Strei Basin: evidence from calcareous nannoplankton, macrofauna and sedimentological data (Hunedoara County, Romania)........................................................................................................................ 22

Chirilă, G. & Ţabără, D. - New data regarding the Volhynian deposits from Preutești-Basarabi-Arghira area (Moldavian Platform): A palynological approach……………………... 24

Codrea, A.V., Solomon, A.Al., Venczel, M. & Smith, T. - A new Maastrichtian multituberculate at Oarda de Jos (Transylvania, Romania)......................................................... 26

Codrea, A.V., Răţoi, B.G., Curcudel, I., Solomon, Al. - Aceratherium incisivum in the earliest Late Miocene (Sarmatian, Bessarabian) from Bozieni (Moldavian Platform)...................................................................................................................................... 28


Croitor, R. - Eco-morphology and paleoecology of Late Villafranchian large-sized bovids of the genus Leptobos....................................................................................................................... 29

David, A. & Pascari, V. - Upper Palaeolithic mammals from Duruitoarea Veche Cave, Republic of Moldova…………………………………………………………………………... 31

Delinschi, A. - New Upper Miocene mammal localities from the Republic of Moldova....................................................................................................................................... 33

Dragastan, O.N., Herbig, H.G. & Popa, M.E. - A new Palaeocene Rivulariaceae species of calcareous algae from Middle Atlas, Morocco............................................................................ 34

Dragastan, O.N., Herbig, H.G. & Popa, M.E. - New Palaeogene calcareous algae from Espéraza (Aude, France), the Western Iraqi desert and Central High Atlas (Morocco).................................................................................................................................... 35

Dumbravă, D.M., Andrei, A.R., Solomon, A.Al. & Codrea, A.V. - Actual status of the paleontological sites in the Hațeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark: scientific interest vs. neglect………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36

Dyke, G.J. & Vremir, M. - New data on fossil birds from Oarda de Jos.................................. 37

Filipescu, R. & Filipescu, S. - Early Badenian planktonic foraminifera assemblages recovered from the geotechnical wells drilled in Cluj Napoca………………………………… 38

Gallemí, J. - The Cretaceous echinoids of Ormeniş (Braşov, Perşani Mountains, Eastern Carpathians): systematics, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeographic significance..................... 39

Gallemí, J., López, G. & Lazăr, I. - Echinoid species distribution in the Upper Cretaceous of Dobrogea, SE Romania........................................................................................................... 41

Geantă, A., Tanţău, I., Auer, A., Hutchinson, S.M. & Feurdean, A. - A multi-proxy approach to the assessment of vegetation history, climate and human impact in Rodna Mountains during the Holocene................................................................................................... 42

Grădinaru, E. - Early Middle Anisian (Middle Triassic) ammonoids assessing the age of pillow basalts in the Niculițel Unit (North Dobrogean Orogen).................................................. 44

Grellet-Tinner, G., Codrea, A.V. & Solomon A.Al. - Thalassodromeus sebesensis: A 42 million year anachronistic new crested pterosaur species from the Cretaceous Haţeg Island............................................................................................................................................ 46

Grindean, R., Tanţău, I. & Fărcaş, S. - Holocene vegetation history in the Apuseni Mountains.................................................................................................................................... 48

Iamandei, S., Brânzilă, M. & Țabără, D. - New petrified woods from AICU Collection....... 50

Iamandei, S. & Iamandei, E. - Old collection of Petrified Wood in the National Geological Museum of Bucharest.................................................................................................................. 51

Ilie, R.M. & Vasile, Ş. - Review of the large mammals from the Pleistocene of Rateş (Galaţi County), housed in the Tecuci Mixed Museum........................................................................... 52

Ionesi, V. & Mare, S. - Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene foraminifera from Tarcău Nappe (Varnița Brook, Eastern Carpathians).......................................................................................... 54

Ionesi, V. & Dumitriu, S.D. - New data to the knowledge of Miliolida from Lower Sarmatian of Rădăuți Depression................................................................................................ 55


Ioniță, C., Șindilar, V.D. & Stoica, M. - The microfauna assemblages from Sarmatian deposits from four oil boreholes of central-southern part of the Moesian Platform ................... 56

Ivanova, D., Metodiev, L., Rabrenović, D., Mojsić, I. & Koleva-Rekalova, E. - Lower and Middle Jurassic foraminifera from the Mihailovici sequence, Lim River area, NE Montenegro.................................................................................................................................. 58

Ivanova, D., Chatalov, A. & Bonev N. - Lower Cretaceous microfossils from the Circum-Rhodope Belt in the Chalkidiki Peninsula and the Rhodope-Thrace districts, Northern Greece………………………………………………………….................................................. 60

Ivanov, D. - Palynological data on the Middle Miocene vegetation from Satovcha Basin, SW Bulgaria........................................................................................................................................ 62

Kaiser, G.W., Dyke, G.J., Naish, D. - Early evolution of the modern avian wing................... 64

Kövecsi Szabolcs, A. & Silye, L. - Badenian benthic foraminifers from the Haţeg Basin............................................................................................................................................ 65

Lazăr, I., Grădinaru, M. , Andrăşanu, A. & Grigore, D. - Microbialites – metazoans interactions through the Middle-Upper Jurassic transition (Rucăr-Bran zone, South Carpathians, Romania)................................................................................................................. 66

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C. - Biotical fluctuations linked to the Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events of the Romanian Carpathians: the state of the art............................................................ 68

Mircescu, C.V., Bucur, I.I. & Săsăran, E. - Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous limestones from Piatra Craiului: correlations based on microfossils............................................................. 70

Obadă, T.F. & Marareskul, V.A. - Additional data on the taphonomy and systematic diversity of the Upper Sarmatian (Khersonian) fauna from Pocşeşti, Republic of Moldova………………………………………………………………………………………... 72

Pleș, G., Bucur, I.I. & Săsăran, E. - Micropaleontological assemblages in the limestones of the Buila-Vânturarița Massif and their relationship with the environment................................................................................................................................. 74

Popescu, D.A., Popescu, L.G, Popa, L.M. & Grădinaru, E. - Middle Triassic (Anisian) carbonate microfacies from the East of Tulcea Unit (Murighiol – Dunavăţu de Sus area), North Dobrogean Orogen............................................................................................................ 76

Săsăran, E., Bucur, I.I. & Pleş, G. - Facies and depositional environments identified in Barremian limestones from the northwestern part of Pădurea Craiului Mountains (Romania).................................................................................................................................... 78

Sebe, O.-G., Crasquin, S. & Grădinaru, E. - The ostracod fauna in the Deșli Caira section (North Dobrogea): a GSSP candidate for the Olenekian-Anisian boundary ………………….. 79

Sinitsa, M. & Delinschi, A. - Cricetids (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Middle Turolian of Republic of Moldova. A preliminary report................................................................................ 81

Şornea, A.-D. - The micropalaeontological study of the foraminifera and ostracoda of the Badenian deposits from Gemenii Valley (Nemeşeşti) and Popii Valley (Coşteiu de Sus), Timiş county................................................................................................................................ 82

Țabără, D., Olaru, L. & Chirilă, G. - New data about the Palaeozoic formations from Moldavian Platform and South Dobrogea …………………………………………………….. 83


Țibuleac, P. - Norian coiled nautiloids from the Timon Klippe (Rarău Syncline, Eastern Carpathians, Romania) ................................................................................................................ 85

Ursachi, L., Codrea, A.V. & Brânzilă M. - The Upper Pleistocene giant deer Megaloceros giganteus (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) at Movileni (Vaslui District)............................................ 87

Vasile, Ş., Bodor, E.R., Csiki-Sava, Z. & Szentesi, Z. - Isopteran trace fossils from the Upper Cretaceous of Central-Eastern Europe.............................................................................. 88

Vasile, Ş., Ştiucă, E. & Venczel, M. - First find of ectothermic vertebrates from the Pleistocene „Copăceni Beds” (southern Romania)...................................................................... 90

Venczel, M., Vasile, Ş., Alexandru, A. & Csiki-Sava, Z. - Additional albanerpetontid remains from the Maastrichtian of Haţeg Basin (Romania)........................................................ 92

List of contributors …………………………………………………………………………... 94


1

ORAL

Organism-sediment relationship in Bisericani Formation (Bistrița Half-window)

Anistoroae, A.1 & Miclăuș, C.1

1„Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv, 700505 Iaşi, Romania; emails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Outer Carpathians, Vrancea Nappe, Bisericani Fm., sedimentology and ichnology, Cruziana Ichnofacies.

A sedimentological and ichnological study has been performed on Middle Member of Bisericani Formation (that used to be considered Priabonian in age; Grasu et al, 1988) from Falcău Anticline (Bistrița Half-Window of Vrancea Nappe, Outer Carpathians).

Seven sedimentary facies were identified (conglomerates with green schists - G1, ripple cross laminated micro-conglomerates – G7, parallel laminated sandstones – S3, ripple cross laminated sandstones – S6, structureless sandy mudstones with very rare green schists clasts – Si1, ripple cross laminated siltstone – Si2, greenish-gray shale – M4) representing the results of different sedimentary processes (debris flow, tractive currents and possible hemipelagic sedimentation).

We have determined several ichnogenera: Thallasinoides, Pseudobilobites, Lokeia, Imbrichnitus, Chondrites and others. They are mainly hypichnial forms according to Martinsson’s terminology (in Ekdale et al., 1984) with convex hyporelief, horizontal and sub-horizontal, some ornamented, feeding, resting and dwelling traces of high abundance and diversity. We also have analyzed well preserved endichnial/exichnial forms, vertical and sub-vertical, with sharp contours and fine ornamentation from M4, suggesting a stiff, dewatered ground. Both toponomical features would belong to what Seilacher (2007) grouped into Cruziana Ichnofacies. Furthermore we’ve observed that the vertical and sub-vertical ichnostructures are passively filled with coarser material which is possible only if the ground had some consistency. What we’ve described as structureless sandy mudstones might be an expression of cryptic bioturbation. Most of the beds with RCL and PP are associated with abundant large hypichnial forms, while the greenish-gray shale is characterized by exichinial/epichnial forms.

Based on their sedimentological and ichnological features, the seven sedimentary facies were grouped into two facies associations: the heterolithic one with large hypichnial forms and the sandy mudstone one with possible cryptic bioturbation. According to Seilacher’s bathymetric soft-substrate series, the Cruziana Ichnofacies would be characteristic for inner shelf. However, Uchman (2009) described such forms in what he called Ophiomorpha rudis Ichnosubfacies (of Nereites Ichnofacies), which would characterize a proximal deep-sea fan, usually sand dominated (not our case). The Nereites ichnofacies also includes an association of graphoglyptides (Palaeodictyon Ichnosubfacies) which was not observed in the studied deposits.

Due to sedimentary structures and ichnological content of the heterolithics with large hypichnial forms, we consider them to be distal turbidites with Cruziana ichnofacies. This ichnofacies represents the proximal component of any depositional systems tract, whose producers populated once the dynamic environment of a shelf area. References Grasu, C., Catană, C., Grinea, D., 1988. Flișul Carpatic – Petrografie și considerații economice. Ed. Tehnică,

București, 208 p. Ekdale, A.A., Bromley R.G., Pemberton, S.G., 1984. Ichnology – The Use of Trace Fossils in Sedimentology

and Stratigraphy. Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 320 p. Seilacher, A., 2007. Trace Fossils Analysis. Springer, 238 p. Uchman, A., 2009. The Ophiomorpha rudis ichnosubfacies of the Nereites ichnofacies: Characteristics and

constraints. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 276, p. 107-119.


2

POSTER

The Biodiversity of Early Cretaceous Deposits from Cernavodă and Aliman - Vederoasa area, South Dobrogea, Romania

Aniţăi, N.

PhD Student, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Bd. Bălcescu Nicolae 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: paleobiodiversity, Cernavodă Formation, Valanginian – Hauterivian – Lower Barremian.

Among other Romanian regions, where the presence of the Lower Cretaceous deposits have been reported, South Dobrogea (Moesian Platform) is remarkable for the extensive development on its territory, of the shallow-water marine facies, specific to a carbonate platform. These deposits, which were intensively studied over the last decades by several authors, are allocated to seven formations, defined by their distinct lithology, fossil content and depositional environments.

The Lower Cretaceous carbonate sequence from south-west of the Cernvoda town, outcropping on the right bank of the Danube, as well as on the Vederoasa Valley, near Aliman village, is divided into two lithostratigraphical units: (1) The Cernavodă Formation (Neagu and Dragastan, 1984), represented by the Aliman Member (Avram et al., 1988) and the Vederoasa Member, Hauterivian (Neagu and Dragastan, 1984) and (2) the Ostrov Formation (Dragastan, 1985), represented by the Adâncata Member, Lower Barremian (Neagu and Dragastan, 1984).

The diversity of the palaeocommunities of organisms identified within these deposits is considered as being representative for the low-latitude (European) Lower Cretaceous. Until now, there are no statistical studies in this regard, but the estimative data (Dragastan et al., 1998) indicate a number of over 450 species assigned to the Lower Cretaceous from South Dobrogea.

The carbonate sequence consists mostly in biogenic muddy calcarenite interbeded with coquina limestone and clay or clayey – marly limestone, rich in a benthic microfauna of foraminifers and ostracods, microflora of algae, especially green algae and a very rich and diverse macrofauna of gastropods, sponges, bivalves or brachiopods (Dragastan, 2009).

The basis for the biodiversity percent calculation is the richness of the fossil fauna, identified in the previous paleontological studies (Neagu, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1995, 1997, 1999; Dragastan, 1978, 1985, 1998, 1999, 2005; Pana et al., 1997).

The Valanginian benthic paleocommunities from Cernavoda, comprise polytaxic associations, dominated by macrofauna of gastropods (38 identified species), bivalves (20 identified species), accumulated in lumachelles, microfauna of foraminifers (20 species), as well as oligotaxic association which included reef builders such as sponges (12 identified species) or corals (2 species), accumulated in micritic and pelmicritic limestones and fine clays. The microflora is represented by 12 species of algae.

At Aliman village, the Valanginian polytaxic associations are dominated by gastropods, with 46 identified species, followed by bivalves, with 24 species. Also, a diverse microfauna of involutinid and milliolid foraminifers is added, with 21 species, as well as a rich microflora of algae, with 21 species. Oligotaxic associations are represented by sponges, in evolutional decline, only 4 species being identified, as well as one species of coral.

For the Hauterivian-Lower Barremian time interval, the paleocommunities of organisms related to the lagoon in the Aliman area are represented by polytaxic associations, dominated by bivalves with 12 Hauterivian species, respectively 22 Lower Barremian species, followed by gastropods (10 Hauterivian species, 12 Lower Barremian species) and brachiopods (12 Hauterivian species).

Ologotaxic associations are represented mainly by microfauna and microflora. This composition records a progressive decline during the mentioned time interval, the number of species identified ranging generally between 1-6. A similar decline is also recorded in the case of sponge and coral species, the number of species ranging from 0, such as for the Hauterivian corals, to 6 species of sponges for the same period, respectively 2 Lower Barremian species. Hauterivian deposits were also identified within Cernavoda area, by Dragastan et al. (2013, in press), but a biodiversity analysis is not given yet.


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Taking into consideration the lithology of the Lower Cretaceous carbonate deposits from Cernavoda-Aliman area, as well as the types of specific communities of organisms and their palaeoecology, it may be noticed that, during the time interval of Valanginian, Hauterivian and Lower Barremian, the environmental conditions were relatively constant, with warm, well lighted and ventilated shallow-marine waters.

The highest level of the organism diversity was reached during the Valanginian, in the Cernavoda area, as well as in the Aliman area, and it registered a total of 253 species. During the Hauterivian, the diversity of the organisms registered a regress to a total of 52 species in the Aliman profile, followed by a small increse, during the Lower Barremian.

In conclusion, the Lower Cretaceous carbonatic biosedimentation from Cernavoada-Aliman areas, as an integrative part of the Moesian Carbonate Platform, was similar to other Cretaceous carbonate platforms, characterized by the presence of the shallow-water benthic ecosystems. References Avram, E., Drăgănescu, A., Szász, L., Neagu, T., 1988. Stratigraphy of the outcropping Cretaceous deposits in

Southern Dobrogea (SE Romania). Mém. Inst. Géol. Géophys., 33, 5-43. Dragastan, O., 1978. Microfaciès de la série calcaire, Crétacé inferieure d’ Aliman (Dobrogea de Sud). D. S.

Instit. Geol. Geofiz., LXIV, 107-136. Dragastan, O., 1985. Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous formations and facies in the eastern area of the

Moesian Platform (South Dobrogea included). Anal. Univ. Buc., Geologie, XXXIV, 77-85. Dragastan, O., Neagu, Th., Bărbulescu, A., Pană, I., 1998. Jurasicul si Cretacicul din Dobrogea Centrală și de

Sud (Paleontologie si Stratigrafie). Supergraph, Cluj-Napoca, 249 p. Dragastan, O., 1999. Early Cretaceous Algae of Aliman (South Dobrogea): a Revision and Description of Two

New Species from East Carpatians. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, Vol. II, p. 125-137. Dragastan, O., 2009. Stratigraphy and biodiversity of Early Cretaceous deposits from Aliman – Vederoasa area

(South Dobrogea). Romanian Journal of Mineralogy, Vol. 84, p. 51. Dragastan, O., Stoica, M., Antoniade, C., 2013. Biostratigraphy and zonation of the Lower Cretaceous carbonate

succession from Cernavoda-lock section, South Dobrogea, eastern part of the Moesian Platform (Romania). Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 8, prae-print.

Neagu, Th., Pană, I., Dragastan, O., 1977. Biostratigraphie de la série des calcaires éocrétacés de l’aire Cernavodă-Alimanu-Ostrov. Rev. Roum. géol. géophys. géogr., Géol., 21, 131-144.

Neagu, Th., Dragastan, O., 1984. Stratigrafia depozitelor Neojurasice si Eocretacice din Dobrogea de Sud. St. cerc. geol., geofiz., geogr., Geologie, 29, 89-97.

Neagu, Th., 1985. Berriasian-Valanginian miliolid fauna of the Southern Dobrogea. (Romania). Rev. Esp. Micropaleont. 17, 201-220.

Neagu, T., 1986. Barremian - Lower Aptian milliolid fauna in South Dobrogea (Romania). Revista Espanola de Micropaleontologia XVIII (3), 313-348.

Neagu, Th., Pană, I., 1995. Studiul Harpagosidelor (Gastropoda) eocretacice din Dobrogea de Sud. Stud. Cerc. Geol., T. 40, p. 97-132.

Neagu, Th., Dragastan, O., Csíki, Z, 1997. Early Cretaceous shelf paleocommunities of Cernavodă (South Dobrogea, SE Romania). In: O. Dragastan (ed), Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, Vol. I, p. 28-36.

Neagu,Th. 1999. Kaminskiiae n. subfam. And Kaminskia n. gen., a new Early Cretaceous calcareous agglutinated foraminifera from Southern Dobrogea, Romania. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae 69, 173 – 188.

Pană, I., Avram, E., 1997. The Lower Cretaceous Gastropods of Southern Dobrogea (SE Romania). Acta Paleontologica Romaniae, Vol. I, p. 180-188.


4

POSTER

Lower Cretaceous microfauna of the Cernavoda Ecluza section, South Dobrogea

Antoniade C.1 & Stoica M.2

1Geological Institute of Romania – National Geological Museum, Kiseleff Pavel Dimitrievici G-ral. Ave., No.2, Sct.1, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail:[email protected] 2Bucharest University, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Bălcescu Bd.1,010041, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Ostracods, Foraminifers, Lower Cretaceous, Biostratigraphy, South Dobrogea.

In this contribution we present the main characteristics of the foraminifera and ostracods assemblages from the Lower Cretaceous deposits exposed in the Cernavoda Ecluza section. This section present a continuous exposure of approximately 50m thick mainly carbonate deposits included to the Cernavoda Formation (Upper Berriasian-Valanginian-Lower Hauterivian). The sedimentary succession is represented by oolithic limestone, marls and marly-limestones, that frequently are associated with bioclastic limestones and spong-algal limestones.

We analyzed 42 micropalaeontological samples and 75 thin section. Both, micropalaeontological samples and thin section, showed rich and abundant foraminifers and ostracods associations. The significant number of marker benthic foraminifera and ostracod species found in the Lower Cretaceous deposits from the Cernavoda Ecluza section, allowed the identification of twelve foraminifers zones (Dragastan et al, in press): Protopeneroplis ultragranulata Zone, Andersenolina elongata Zone, Dobrogelina anastasiui Zone for the Upper Berriasian, Haplophragmoides joukowski Zone, Montsalevia salevensis Zone, Carasuella cylindrica Zone for Lower Valanginian, Danubiella gracilima Zone, Rumanoloculina robusta Zone, Meandrospira favrei Zone, for the Upper Valanginian and Protopeneroplis banatica Zone, Vercorsella tenuis Zone and Moesiloculina danubiana Zone for Lower Hauterivian. Three ostracoda zones were recognized as well: Cytheropterina ebracica Zone for Lower Valanginian, Costacythere frankei Zone for the Upper Valanginian and Paranotocythere diglypta Zone, for Upper Valanginian – and possible Lower Hauterivian. These ostracods biozones are frequently associated with species of the genera Cythereis, Paracypris, Bairdia, Macrodentina, Cytherelloidea, Kentrodictyocythere and Acrocythere.

These micropalaeontological associations of the Cernavoda Ecluza section, which is characteristic for a shallow-marine facies, indicates a distal-intertidal to proximal-subtidal environment. References Dragastan, O., Antoniade, C., Stoica, M., in press. Biostratigraphy and zonation of the Lower Cretaceous

carbonate succesion from Cernavoda-lock section, South Dobrogea, Eastern part of the Moesian platform (Romania). Accepted in Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Baia Mare.


5

POSTER

Biostratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Middle Eocene deep water deposits from the northern part of the Tarcău Nappe (Eastern

Carpathians, Romania), based on foraminifera assemblages

Bindiu, R.1 & Filipescu, S.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: agglutinated foraminifera, morphogroups, diversity, “flysch – type” biofacies, Eocene. Introduction.

The Tarcău Nappe (Joja, 1955) of the northern Moldavides (Săndulescu, 1984) exposes Middle Eocene deposits throughout a relatively large area between Suceava and Moldova Valleys. This study focuses on three representative sections of Middle Eocene bathyal deposits cropping out along the Brodina Valley (N47.8320, E25.41171; N47.80787, E25.33287) and Voroneţ Valley (N47.30196, E25.52240) in order to establish the biostratigraphy and to restore the paleoenvironmental settings based on foraminifera assemblages. The studied sections are part of the Scorbura – Tazlău Formation (Juravle, 2007) in the Brodina Valley and of the Tazlău Formation (Dicea, 1974) in the Voroneţ Valley and consist of medium-grained siliciclastic turbidites with Tb-c and Tc-e divisions of Bouma sequence.

Material and methods

22 samples from Brodina Valley and 2 samples from Voroneţ Valley were collected from the fine grained intercalations of the turbiditic sequence. Sediment samples were processed by standard micropaleontological methods and more than 300 foraminifera were picked from the >63 µm fraction. Primary identification was done under the stereomicroscope, while several specimens were examined in detail with a scanning electron microscope. Palaeoecological methods included the analysis of agglutinated foraminifera morphogroups (Kaminski & Gradstein, 2005; Cetean et al., 2011; Murray et al., 2011; Setoyama et al., 2011) and diversity analysis (Murray, 2006).

Results

Foraminiferal assemblages in the studied sections are relatively abundant, while preservation of the individuals is moderate to good. The foraminifera assemblages are dominated by agglutinated species; 96 species and generic groups were identified on the Brodina Valley and 63 on the Voroneţ Valley, many having a scattered distribution throughout the studied interval. The occurrence of tubular forms (such as Psammosiphonella cylindrica, Nothia spp., Bathysiphon sp.), as well as globular (Saccammina spp., Psammosphaera spp.), coiled (Recurvoides spp., Reticulophragmium spp.) or flattened streptospiral (Paratrochamminoides spp., Trochamminoides spp.) together with coarsely agglutinated taxa indicate that the identified assemblages fit to “flysch – type” agglutinated foraminiferal biofacies (Kaminski & Gradstein, 2005).

Except for the elongate keeld specimens (M2c), flattened planispiral and streptospiral (M3a) and flattened irregular (M3b) all morphogroups of agglutinated foraminifera described by Kaminski & Gradstein (2005), Cetean et al. (2011), Murray et al. (2011) and Setoyama et al. (2011) are present in the investigated sections. The graphic distribution of the morphogroups on the Brodina Valley reveals few events along the section: periods with high organic mater influx in basal part of the section with relatively high proportions of elongate subcylindrical/tapered foraminifera (M4b morphogroup), an interval with low content of nutrients in middle part with high proportions of tubular foraminifera (M1 morphogroup) and again a high organic matter flux in the upper part of the section. The distribution of the morphogroups suggests a change in the paleoenvironmental conditions in the middle part of the section which was probably caused by high density and speed turbidity currents with very low nutrient content; only the opportunist group of tubular foraminifera was able to survive. These “stressed conditions” in the middle part are confirmed by the diversity indices which record almost no values at this interval.


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Based on agglutinated foraminifera, the studied deposits can be assigned to the Reophax pilulifer Zone of the middle Eocene (Morgiel & Olszewska, 1981). This age is confirmed also by the presence of the Ammodiscus latus, Reticulophragmium amplectens, Haplophragmoides parvulus, Spirosigmoilinela compressa and Psamminopelta gradseini which were described as having their first occurece in the Middle Eocene (Kaminski & Gradstein, 2005).

Conclusions

The foraminiferal assemblages are dominated by agglutinated taxa belonging to “flysch-type” biofacies. These suggest a lower upper bathyal to middle bathyal setting with turbiditic hemipelagic deposition and paleoenvironmental instability with changes in the organic matter input. References Cetean, C., Balc, R., Kaminski, M. A., Filipescu, S., 2011. Integrated biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments of

an upper Santonian – upper Campanian succession from the southern partof the Eastern Carpathians, Romania. Cretaceous Research 32, pp. 575 – 590.

Dicea, O., 1974. Geological study of the Voroneţ - Suha Mică – Platoniţa region. Studii tehnice şi economice., seria J, Stratigrafie, 11, 1 – 143. (In Romanian).

Joja, Th., 1955. External flysch and the Miocene between Falcău and Bilca and from SV from Voitinelu. Dări de Seamă ale Şedinţelor Comitetului Geologic of R.P.R., 39, pp. 86-300.

Juravle, D. T., 2007. The geology of the Valea Sucevei şi Valea Putnei region (Carpaţii Orientali). Casa Editorială Demiurg, Iaşi, pp. 1 – 319.

Kaminski, M.A., Gradstein, F. M. (eds.), Bäckström, S., Berggren, W.A., Bubík, M., Carvajal – Chitty, H., Filipescu, S., Geroch, S., Jones, D.S., Kuhnt, W., McNeil, D.H., Nagy, J., Platon, E., Ramesh, P., Rögl, F., Thomas, F.C., Whittaker, J. E., Yakovleva – O’Neil, S., 2005. Atlas of Paleogene cosmopolitan deep-water agglutinated foraminifera. Grzybowski Foundation. pp. 1 - 547.

Morgiel, J., Olszewska, B., 1981. Biostratigraphy of the Polish external Carpathians based on agglutinated foraminifera. Micropaleontology, 27 (1), pp. 1-24.

Murray, J., 2006. Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera. Cambrige University Press. pp. 1 - 462. Murray, J., Alve, E., Jones, B., 2011. A new look at modern agglutinated benthic foraminiferal morphogroups:

their value in palaeoecological interpretation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 309, pp. 229-241.

Săndulescu, M., 1984. Geotectonics of Romania. Technical Publishing, Bucharest. pp. 1 - 334. (In Romanian). Setoyama, E., Kaminski, M.A., Tyszka, J., 2011. The Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene palaeobathymetric

trends in the southwestern Barents Sea -Palaeoenvironmental implications of benthic foraminiferal assemblage analysis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 307 (1-4), pp. 44 – 58.


7

POSTER

The study of the foraminifera and ostracoda microfauna of the Badenian deposits from Coșului Valley, Lăpugiu de Sus, Hunedoara county

Boga, C.-R.

University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, 6 Traian Vuia St., 020956 Bucharest 2, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Foraminifera, Ostracods, Badenian, Coşului Valley, Lăpugiu de Sus. Introduction

The present paper aims to study the foraminifera and ostracoda microfauna from Coşului Valley (Lăpugiu de Sus, Hunedoara county). Therefore, were collected 13 samples from this valley. Geographically, Coşului Valley is situated into a depression area north from Poiana Ruscă Mountains and south from Valea Mare, within the Bega hydrographic basin.

Methodology

The samples were collected from numerous outcrops that were encountered on Coşului Valley. The 13 samples offered a very rich and well-preserved microfauna with foraminifera and ostracods. In comparison with other papers describing only the foraminifera fauna from Lăpugiu de Sus, the present paper also describes the ostracoda fauna from this area.

Geological frame

The deposits from the study area indicate the Badenian age with all three substages: Moravian (Lower Badenian), Wieliczian (Middle Badenian) and Kossovian (Upper Badenian). These deposits are part of a small marine basin. Generally, in this area the Badenian is represented by two types of deposits: bluish-grey argillaceous marls with thin sandy interlayers that represent the deep facies and Leitha limestones that were deposited in shallow sea conditions. The sands, being mentioned as “interlayers within the bluish-grey argillaceous marls, represent the primary boundary for the areas that are close to the shore or for those of small depth that existed during the Badenian sea transgression from this region” (Duşa, 1969).

Results

The study of the Badenian foraminifera from Coşului Valley allowed the identification of numerous specimens from which we mention: Karrerotextularia concava (Karrer), Colomniella torpila (Popescu), Psammolingulina papillosa (Neugeboren), Stellarticulina mutabilis (d'Orbigny), Frondicularia sculpta (Karrer), Amphicoryna spinicosta (d'Orbigny), Lapugyina schmidi (Popescu), Orbulina suturalis (d’Orbigny), Praeglobobulimina pupoides (d’Orbigny), Florilus communis (d’Orbigny), Globigerinoides triloba (Reuss) and Spiroplectammina carinata (d’Orbigny).

Biostratigraphically, the study area from Lăpugiu de Sus may be integrated to Lagenidae Biozone of Moravian age. Some other species develop during the Middle Badenian.

The ostracod fauna is also diverse but not as well as the foraminifera fauna. Ostracods can range from species with a smooth surface shell (Cytherella aff. compressa Muenster, Bairdoppilata subdeltoidea Muenster) to species with a very complex ornamentation (Henryhowella asperrima Reuss, Pterygocythereis calcarata Bosquet, Flexus reussianus Ruggieri). References Duşa, A., 1969. Stratigrafia depozitelor mezozoice şi terţiare de la Căprioara-Coşteiu de Sus, Ed. Acad.

Republicii Socialiste România, Bucureşti.


8

ORAL

Middle Miocene zeolite-bearing turbidites, Abrămuţ Basin, NW Romania

Bojar, A.-V.1, 2 , Barbu, V.3 & Bojar, H.-P.2

1Department of Geography and Geology, Salzburg University, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Mineralogy, Studienzentrum Naturkunde, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Weinzöttlstraße 16, A-8045 Graz, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] 3Senergy A.S., Strandkaien 2, P.O. Box 832, Zip Code 4004, Stavanger, Norway, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: early Badenian, turbidites, borehole, tuffs, zeolite facies, XRD, Abrămuţ Basin. Introduction

The Abrămuţ Basin is situated in north western part of Romania and corresponds with the Derecske Basin from the Hungarian sector of the Pannonian Basin. In the boreholes, several levels of tuffs were recorded. In order to compare them with the previously known occurrences, micro-faunal and mineralogical (qualitative and quantitative) investigations were performed for the borehole interval analysed (Bojar et al., 2012).

Methods Mineralogical determinations

Qualitative and quantitative mineralogical analysis was performed on 10 cutting samples collected from one borehole. X-ray diffraction patterns were measured on a Bruker AXS D8 diffractometer equipped with a one-dimensional strip-detector (lynx-eye) using a Cu-k� radiation (40 kV, 40 mA, sample rotation). Quantification was performed with synthetic Al2O3 as internal standard using the Rockjock 11 software. Micropaleontological determinations

The micropalaeontological analysis was performed on four cutting samples collected from one Abrămuţ borehole. The micropalaeontological samples were prepared using H2O2. The microfossil taxa of each sample were identified in the 125–600 mm fractions.

Results Biostratigraphy. For the borehole interval studied (2450 to 2580 m), micropalaeontological

analysis of the samples indicate the presence of Praeorbulina glomerosa circularis, Orbulina suturalis, Globigerina bulloides, Globigerina praebulloides, Globigerina angustiumbilicata, Globigerina falconensis, Globigerina bolii, Globigerinoides trilobus, Globoquadrina dehiscens, Orbulina bilobata, Cibicidoides pseudoungerianus, Pullenia bulloides, Heterolepa dutemplei, Melonis pompilioides and Sphaeroidina bulloides. The co-occurrence of the biomarkers Praeorbulina glomerosa circularis and Orbulina suturalis indicates an early Badenian age (Upper Lagenid Zone; Rögl et al., 2002) and corresponds to the Middle Langhian M6 Zone of Berggren et al. (1995). In absolute ages, this co-occurrence spans a short time interval between 15.1 Ma (First Occurrence – FO O. suturalis) and 14.8 Ma (Last Occur rence – LO Praeorbulina glomerosa; comp. Berggren et al., 1995, Rögl et al., 2002; Kovác et al., 2004).

Depositional environment. In the Abrămuţ area, for the interval studied, which represents the uppermost lower Badenian, geophysical logs, cores and cutting information were used to determine the lithology. In a previous study, Boroşi (2004) interpreted the marls, tuffs, tuffaceous sandstones and sandstones as turbidite deposits. Species of the benthic foraminifera like Cibicides genus can be used to estimate the depositional palaeodepths. Recent and Miocene faunas with Cibicides dutemplei, C. ungerianus and C. pseudoungerianus are found at shallower water depths (0–500 m) than are those with C. kullenbergi, C. pachyderma, C. wuellerstorfi, C. bradyi, C. robertsonianus and C. italicus (around 1000 m depth; e.g., Hohenegger, 2005; van Hinsbergen et al., 2005 and references inside). In the present case, the benthic foraminiferal assemblages are dominated by Orbulina suturalis and Praeorbulina glomerosa and contain the palaeodepth markers Cibicides peudoungerianus (100–500 m), and Uvigerina spp. (200–1000 m; van Hinsbergen et al., 2005). The co-occurrence of these palaeodepth markers species and the presence of deeper-dwelling planktonic foraminiferal taxa such as Globigerina bulloides (>50 m; upwelling zone) indicate a palaeowater depth between 200 and 500 m.


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Mineralogy of the tuff layers. XRD data show that the mineralogical composition of the tuff layers consists of quartz, analcime(NaxAlxSi3– xO6 [(3 – x)/2] H2O), volcanic glass, glass and minor amounts of smectite, calcite, mica, K-feldspar, albite and chlorite.

Discussions Zeolites occur when temperatures and fluid pressures are below 250°C and 2 kbar respectively.

The burial-depth zonation of zeolites has been described by Coombs et al. (1959). The type of zeolite formed, mainly depends on the temperature, the type of fluid and the composition of the source rock. Among the largest volumes of zeolites are formed in sedimentary rocks deposited along convergent continental margins and associated with volcanic arcs. A classical zeolite suite formed during burial metamorphism of volcaniclastic rocks was described by Ijima and Ogihara (1995), who estimated the boundary between unaltered glass (zone I) to alkali-clinoptilolite/mordenite (zone II) at 44°C; the next boundary to analcime, heulandite (zone III) was placed at 84°C, followed at 123°C by the boundary to albite (zone IV). The temperature boundary between the zeolite zones may be different when saline alkaline fluids are present in the section (Ijima, 2001).

In the Abrămuţ Basin section, the mean geothermal gradient is 4.5°C/100 m. The temperature was measured in the borehole for the depth interval between 2500 to 2720 m, and varies from 120 to 134°C, respectively. The thermal gradient is reflected by a high heat flow value of 90 mW/m2. The fluids have a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, with salinities varying between 9–21 g/l, and contain Na+, Ca2+, Cl– and CO3

2- (courtesy OMV-Petrom). Major components of the tuffs are quartz, analcime and glass. In the section presented in this study, the only zeolite detected by XRD is analcime. The clay mineral content is minor and low proportions of muscovite and chlorite are also present. The mineralogical association determined, which contains only a minor amount of albite, implies that, in the present case at a maximum depth of 2640 m, the maximum temperature has never exceeded 125°C since Miocene times, which is the upper temperature boundary between analcime and albite.

Conclusions The interval studied belongs to the uppermost lower Badenian (Upper Lagenid Zone), was deposited in the upper bathyal zone and contains several intercalations of volcanoclastic material. Mineralogical quantitative and qualitative investigations show the presence of analcime with only minor amounts of albite. The results strongly suggest that, for the interval investigated, temperatures never exceeded 125°C and the albite isograd was never reached. References Berggren, W.A., Kent, D.V., Swisher, C.C. & Aubry, M.-P.A., 1995. Revised Cenozoic geochronology and

chronostratigraphy. SEPM, Spec. Publ., 54: 129–212. Boroşi, V., 2004. Neogene carbonatic microfacies from the Pannonian Depression (in Romanian). Ph.D. thesis,

Bucharest University. Bojar, A.-V., Barbu ,V. & Bojar, H.-P., 2012. Middle Miocene zeolite-bearing turbidites, Abrămuţ Basin

(Pannonian Basin), NW Romania. Geol. Quart., 56 (2): 261–268. Coombs, D.S., Ellis, A.J., Fyfe, W.S. & Taylor, A.M., 1959. The zeolite facies, with comments on the

interpretation of hydrothermal syntheses. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 17: 53–107. Hohenegger, J., 2005. Estimation of environmental paleogradient values based on presence/absence data: a case

study using benthic foraminifera for paleodepth estimation. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 217: 115–13.

Ijima, A., 2001. Zeolites in petroleum and natural gas reservoires. Rev. Miner. Geochem., 45: 347–402. Ijima, A. & Ogihara, S., 1995. Zeolites in petroleum and natural gas reservoirs in Japan: a review. In: Natural

Zeolites ’93 (eds. D. W. Ming and F. A. Mumpton). Int. Comm. Natural Zeolites. Kováč, M., Baráth, I., Harzhauser, M., Hlavatý, I. & Hudáèková N., 2004. Miocene depositional systems and

sequence stratigraphy of the Vienna Basin. Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, 246: 187–212. Rögl, F., Spezzaferri, S. & Coric, S., 2002. Micropaleontology and biostratigraphy of the Karpatian-Badenian

tran si tion (Early-Middle Miocene boundary) in Austria (Central Paratethys). Cour. Forsch. Inst. Senckenberg, 237: 47–67.

Van Hinsbergen, D.J.J., Kouwenhoven, T.J. & van der Zwaan, G.J., 2005. Paleobathymetry in the backstripping procedure: correction for oxygenation effects on depth estimates. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 221: 245–265.


10

POSTER

Bolboforma, a new taxon in the Moldavian Platform biostratigraphy

Brânzilă, M.

“Al.I.Cuza” University, Department of Geology, Carol I, Bvd.20 A, 700505, Iași, Romania. e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Bolboforma, Miocene, Moldavian Platform.

The Bolboforma genus is made of marine organisms of spheroidal form, with a calcareous test and which are believed to derive from protophytic algae. They have been found in sediments from the North Atlantic or the North Sea, but also in areas close to Romania, such as Poland. They are found within a stratigraphic age from middle Eocene to Pliocene. According to the existing research several biozones have been identified (Spiegler and von Daniels, 1991; Spiegler and Rogl, 1992; Spezzaferri et al. 2001; Crundwell et al. 2005), correlated to the calcareous nannoplankton and planktonic foraminifers associations. Within the deposits of the structural units of the Romanian territory this taxon was mentioned only for the Badenian of the Transylvanian Basin (Szczechura 1986). Several forms of Bolboforma described in this paper have been identified for the first time in the Sarmatian (Basarabian) deposits of the Moldavian Platform. References Crundwell, M.P., Cooke, P.J., Nelson, C.S., Spiegler, D., 2005. Intraspecific morfological variation in late

Miocene Bolboforma, and implications for their classification,ecology,and biostratigrafic utility. Marine Micropaleontology 56, 161-176.

Spezzaferri, S., Mutti, M., Spiegler, D., 2001. Integrated planktonic foraminifera, Bolboforma and carbon isotope stratigraphy in a mid/early late Miocene carbonate ramp setting from the Acreide area (Sicily). Marine Micropaleontology 43, 223-238.

Spiegler, D., von Daniels, C.H., 1991. A stratigraphic and taxonomic atlas of Bolboforma (Protophytes, Incertae sedis, Tertiary). J. Foram. Res. 21, 126-158.

Spiegler, D., Rogl, F., 1992. Bolboforma (Protophyta incertae sedis) im Oligozan und Miozan des Mediterran und der zentralen Paratethys. Ann. Natl. Mus. Wien 94 A, 59-95.

Szczechura, J., 1986. Microproblematics Bolboforma and Bachmayerella from the Midle Miocene of Central Paratethys. Acta Paleontologica Polonica 31, 213-228.


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ORAL

Changes in microfaunal assemblages during the Holocene of NW Black Sea

Briceag, A.1, Stoica, M.2 & Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.1

1National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology (GeoEcoMar), Department of Marine Geology and Sedimentology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, 024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, RO-010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: ostracoda; foraminifera; environmental changes; Romanian Black Sea shelf. Introduction

The ostracod and foraminifera groups are very useful for assignment of salinity changes in marine setting. During the Holocene, the foraminifers of the NW part of the Black Sea, exclusively benthonic taxa, show a low diversity and a very high abundance (Yanko-Hombach, 2007). Concerning the ostracod species inhabiting the NW part of the Black Sea shelf, they are well adapted to fluctuating environmental conditions caused by the fresh water influx from the Danube, Dniester and Dnieper Rivers (Olteanu, 1978; Opreanu, 2008; Briceag et al., 2012). Nowadays the diversity of typical marine ostracod taxa is very poor in the Black Sea in contrast with the Mediterranean Sea (Aksu et al., 2002; Boomer et al., 2010).

The aim of this study is to present the fluctuation in diversity, abundance and character of the ostracod and foraminiferal assemblages in several cores collected from the Romanian Black Sea inner and outer shelf.

Methodology

Several cores from the Romanian Black Sea shelf have been detailed studied for their ostracod and foraminiferal content. Sampling of the cores was a very detailed one, at 3 up to 5 cm. Some of the studied cores are placed in a very shallow marine setting, i.e. in front of the Danube Delta, at water depth up to 20 m. Other analysed cores are situated in the outer Romanian shelf, at water depth up to 80 m. On the resulted material, quantitative studies were achieved for ostracods and foraminifers. Besides, for the ostracod taxa, the adult and juvenile specimens were counted, taking into consideration also the carapaces.

Results

In general, the lithology of the studied cores is represented by fine-grained sediments, an alternation of black muds and dark grey muds, with coquina interbedded (Briceag and Ion, in press). This lithology characterizes the deposition of the Shallow Unit, a shallower correspondent deposited in the Romanian shelf (Giunta et al., 2007; Oaie and Melinte-Dobrinescu, 2012) that corresponds to the Unit 1 – Coccolith mud and Unit 2 – Sapropel mud deposited in deeper parts of the Black Sea (Ross and Degens, 1974).

The encountered foraminiferal assemblages, exclusively benthonic, are largely dominated by the representative of the Ammonia genus, which represent between 70 and 95 % of the in situ assemblages. The other species frequently observed is Cribroelphidium poeyanum that yielded a variably abundance, between 5 and 15 %. In general, the cores situated in the inner shelf show a very low diversity and medium abundance of the foraminiferal assemblages (i.e., the Ammonia taxa are represented by hundreds of specimens), while in the cores of the outer shelf a low diversity and high foraminiferal abundance (i.e., the Ammonia taxa are represented by thousands of specimens) was observed. Additionally, increased percentages of Cribroelphidium poeyanum versus Ammonia spp. were remarked in the cores situated in the inner shelf.

Concerning the identified ostracod taxa, in the cores placed on the inner shelf there are Caspian in origin fresh to brackish water ostracod taxa, such as Pseudocandona sp., Candona schweyeri, Candona fabaeformis, Cyprideis torosa and Tyrrhenocythere donetziensis, as well as marine ones, i.e., Palmoconcha granulata, Cytheroma variabilis and Paradoxostoma simile. Possibly, the Caspian in origin ostracod taxa are either reworked from the Danube Delta area or just inhabiting this low salinity environment. In the core proceeding from the outer shelf, Mediterranean in origin ostracod


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species such as Palmoconcha granulata, Callistocythere diffusa, Xestoleberis cornelii and Cythereis rubra pontica are present. This ostracod assemblage is represented by a mixture of valves and carapaces belonging to adults and juveniles, with the smaller instars missing. The presence of Mediterranean ostracod taxa is coincident with the high abundance of in situ calcareous nannofossil assemblages, mainly containing Emiliania huxleyi. In general, in the cores where the Caspian in origin fresh to brackish water ostracod taxa are prevailing, only reworked calcareous nannoplankton taxa were remarked.

Conclusions

In the vicinity of the shoreline, the benthic ostracod faunas contain a mixture of Caspian and Mediterranean in origin taxa, but both groups of organisms yielded a low abundance. The degree of preservation is poorer as comparing with assemblages observed in deeper parts of the Romanian shelf. Possibly, the Caspian in origin ostracod taxa are either reworked from the Danube Delta area or just inhabiting this low salinity environment. In deeper studied cores, the ostracod assemblages are represented exclusively by Mediterranean in origin taxa that indicated stable marine conditions for the late Holocene interval, with water salinity values close to nowadays, around 17-18 ‰. References Aksu, A.E., Hiscott, R.N., Kaminski, M.A., Mudie, P.J., Gillespie, H., Abrajano, T., Yaşar, D., 2002. Last

Glacial – Holocene paleoceanography of the Black Sea and Marmara Sea: stable isotopic, foraminiferal and coccolith evidence. Marine Geology 190, 119–149.

Boomer, I., Guichard, F., Lericolais, G., 2010. Late Pleistocene to Recent ostracod assemblages from the western Black Sea. The Journal of Micropaleontology 29, 119–133.

Briceag, A., Stoica, M., Oaie, G., Melinte-Dobrinescu, M. C., 2012. Late Holocene microfaunal and nannofloral assemblages of the NW Black Sea. Geo-Eco-Marina 18, 65–73.

Briceag, A., Ion, G. in press. Ostracod and foraminiferal assemblages of the Romanian Black Sea shelf. Quaternary International.

Giunta, S., Morigi, C., Negri, A., Guichard, F., Lericolais, G., 2007. Holocene biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental changes in the Black Sea based on calcareous nannoplankton. Marine Micropaleontology 63, 91-110.

Oaie, G., Melinte-Dobrinescu, M., 2012. Holocene litho- and biostratigraphy of the NW Black Sea (Romanian shelf). Quaternary International 261, 146–155.

Olteanu, R., 1978. Ostracoda from DSDP Leg 42 B. In. Rep. DSDP Project 42, 2, pp. 1017-1038. Opreanu, P., 2008. Ostracode relicte ponto-caspice în sectorul românesc al Mării Negre. Geo-Eco-Marina 14

(1), 57-62. Ross, D.A., Degens, E.T., 1974. Recent sediments of the Black Sea. In: Degens E.T. and Ross D.A. (Eds.), The

Black Sea: Geology, Chemistry, and Biology. AAPG, Tulsa, USA, pp. 183–199. Yanko-Hombach, V., 2007. Controversy over Noah’s Flood in the Black Sea: Geological and foraminiferal

evidence from the shelf. In: Yanko-Hombach, V., Gilbert, A.S., Panin, N., Dolukhanov, P.M. (Eds.), The Black Sea Flood Question: Changes in Coastline, Climate, and Human Settlement. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 149–203.


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ORAL

Calcareous algae and microbial structures from the Capitan Reef

Bucur, I.I.1, Grgasovic, T.2, Munnecke, A.3 & Noe, S.3

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology and Research Center for Integrated Geological Studies, Str. M. Kogălniceanu nr.1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; e-mail: [email protected] 2Croatian Geological Survey, Sachsova 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; e-mail: [email protected] 3GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Loewenichstr. 28, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Permian, algae, microbialites, New Mexico.

Calcareous algae are abundant constituents in the Permian rocks of the famous Capitan Reef. Purpose of the present paper is to present and describe calcareous algae and microbial structures from the uppermost Guadalupian Tansill Formation of the Reef complex, Guadeloupe Mountains, New Mexico. All specimens used for the present study have been sampled by S.N. (Noé, 2003). The shelf margin in the so-called Carlsbad Embayment, where the samples have been collected, is characterised by several growth stages of reefs and allochthonous skeletal carbonates. The outer shelf in this area represents a slightly seaward dipping sub- to peritidal carbonate ramp between a mostly emerged shelf crest and a submerged shelf margin. Besides algae, the investigated samples contain abundant foraminifera, gastropods, crinoids, Tubiphytes, and lumps.

The algal assemblages were studies from serial thin sections of four samples labeled as AM 329, AM 332, AM 333 and AM 338. AM 329 is a bioclastic grainstone with dasycladalean algae (mostly Gyroporella, rare Mizzia and possibly Connexia), large porostromatic nodular clasts, molluscan fragments, calcareous sponges, rare foraminifera and rare crinoidal fragments. A microfacies variety is a bioclastic grainstone/packstone with frequently micritized dasycladalean algae, relatively frequent crinoidal plates, brachiopod and bryozoans fragments and foraminifera. AM 332 and AM 333 are bioclastic grainstones with abundant dasycladales (predominant Mizzia, relatively frequent Permocalculus and rare Gyroporella); foraminifera, fragments of gastropods, bryozoans, crinoids, calcareous sponges, cyanobacteria and porostromate nodular clasts are also present. AM 338 is a Mizzia-bearing grainstone containing also gastropods, bivalve and bryozoans fragments, crinoidal plates, cyanobacteria, encrusting foraminifera and other crusts. It is worth mentioning the different preservation of the algae (a more yellowish calcite comparing with the white sparry calcite from the other samples, probably indicating a slightly different environment).

The algae assemblage is dominated by dasycladaleans. Mizzia is dominating in samples AM 332, AM 333 and AM 338. Most specimens belong to Mizzia velebitana (including the synonyme morphotype Eogoniolina johnsoni). Two other different species (a larger and a smaller ones) have been also observed. The sample AM 329 is dominated by a Gyroporella species which seems to belong to a new taxon. At least one different Gyroporella species is associated. The gymnocodiacean algae are represented by Permocalculus fragments mostly belonging to Permocalculus plumosus. Solenoporacean red algae are also present as large clasts.

Filamentous cyanobacteria consist of hemispherical or elongated small bodies. Microbial activity generated also these “porostromate” structures. The “porostromate” nodules seem to be made by a fenestral-microbial mat trapping peloids and reworked bioclasts (e.g. Gyroporella fragments). It is probably that the microbial activity also contributed to the formation of a stalactitic fibrous cement occurring in some thin sections of the sample AM 329. Finally, the microproblematicum Tubiphytes obscurus (Shamovella obscura, cf. Riding, 1993) is another constituent of the Permian limestones from Capitan Reef, with possible algal-cyanobacterial-microbial affinity. References Noé, S., 2003. Spätstadium einer sterbenden Karbonatplatform: Schelfrand- und Außenschelf-Entwicklung der

Tansill-Formation (Permian Reef Complex, New Mexico, USA). Kölner Forum Geol. Paläont., 11: 1-254.

Riding, R., 1993. Shamovella obscura: the correct name for Tubiphytes obscurus (Fossil). Taxon 42: 71–73


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Fig. 1 – Representative algal assemblage from Capitan Reef. 1-5: Mizzia velebitana; 6-10: Gyroporella sp.; 11: Solenoporaceae; 12-13: Permocalculus sp.; 14: Filamentous cyanobacteria; 15: “Porostromata”- type structure. Scale bar is 0.25 mm.


15

ORAL

Microfossils in the limestone pebbles of the Cretaceous conglomerates from Piatra Craiului

Bucur, I.I.1, Ungureanu, R.1 & Ungur, C.G.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology and Research Center for Integrated Geological Studies, Str. M, Kogălniceanu, nr.1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: calcareous algae, foraminifera, calpionellids, conglomerates, Piatra Craiului

The Piatra Craiului syncline is filled with Cretaceous conglomerates assigned partly to the upper Aptian, and partly to the Uppermost Albian-Cenomanian. The most abundant pebbles that make up these conglomerates consist of limestone. The study of several hundred of thin sections made from the calcareous pebbles revealed micropaleontological assemblages on which the pebbles can be assigned to limestone sequences located in neighboring areas (Piatra Craiului Mountains, Dâmbovicioara couloir, Bucegi Mountains). We identified rocks of Middle Jurassic, Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age.

Middle Jurassic

The pebbles assigned to Middle Jurassic consist of limestone with terrigenous material and contain “Trocholina” conica and Lenticulina sp.

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)

A large part of the conglomerate pebbles represent Kimmeridgian-Tithonian limestones identical in facies and paleontologic content with the limestones from the Piatra Craiului massif. The main microfacies are: Coral-microbialitic boundstone, sponge-microbial-encrusting boundstone, stromatolitic boundstone, bioclastic-intraclastic rudstone, bioclastic rudstone/cementstone, bioclastic-intraclastic grainstone (turbidites). The micropaleontological assemblage consist of: Mercierella dacica,Crescentiella morronensis, Radiomura cautica, Perturbatacrusta leini, structuri bacinellide, Lithocodium aggregatum, Felixporidium sp., Nipponophycus sp., Pseudotrinocladus piae, Salpingoporella pygmaea, Triploporella remesi, Triploporella sp., Petrascula bursiformis, Griphoporella jurassica, Clypeina sulcata, Terquemella sp., Labyrinthina mirabilis, Protopeneroplis striata, Ansersenolina sp., Charenti sp., Rectocyclammina sp.

Late Tithonian-Berriasian

Some microfacies, such us oolitic grainstone, oolitic-fenestral grainstone, and oncoidal wackestone are similar with those corresponding to the limestone covering the reefal facies in Piatra Craiului. The micropaleontologic assemblage is also similar: Crescentiella morronensis, Griphoporella cf. cretacea, Salpingoporella pygmaea, Salpingoporella annulata, Arabicidium sp., Charentia evoluta, Protopeneroplis ultragranulata, Andersenolina alpina, Andersenolina delphinensis, Nautiloculina broennimanni.

Berriasian-Valanginian

The uppermost part of the limestones from Piatra Craiului as well as from Dâmbovicioara couloirs (the Dâmbovicioara Formation, Patrulius et al., 2008) are also identified within the pebbles. The microfacies are represented by peloidal-bioclastic grainstone-packstone, coarse intraclastic-bioclastic grainstone, peloidal-bioclastic grainstone, fine-grained bioclastic packstone, microbreccia. The micropaleontologic assemblage consist of: Pseudocymopolia jurassica, Thaumatoporella parvovesiculifera, Rivulariacean-type cyanobacteria, Montsalevia salevensis, Scythiloculina sp., Pseudotextulariella courtionensis, Meandrospira favrei, Protopeneroplis ultragranulata, Pseudocyclammina lituus, Everticyclammina sp., Pfenderina neocomiensis, Conicopfenderina? balkanica, Mohlerina basiliensis, Andersenolina gr. cherchiae-perconigi, Andersenolina delphinensis. Many pebbles consist of callpionelid-, or calpionellid-radiolarian bearing wackestones. Occasionally the calpionellids were found in allodapic grainstone-packstone with shallow-water microfossils (Neotrocholina valdensis, Protopeneroplis ultragranulata, Lenticulina sp., Patellina sp., Spirillina sp., miliolids and dasycladalean fragments). The calpionnelid assemblage consist of: Crassicollaria


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intermedia, Crassicolaria cf. massutiniana, Calpionella alpina, Calpionella elliptica, Tintinnopsella carpathica, Tinntinopsella longa, ?Lorenziella dacica, Calpionellopsis oblonga. This assemblage cover the calpionellid zones Alpina, Elliptica and Calpionelopsis (subzone Oblonga), corresponding, as a whole, to the Berriasian.

Barremian-Aptian

Part of the pebbles contain Barremian-Aptian microfossils, and have facies similar to the Barremian limestones from Dâmboviciara-Dealul Sasului area, or to the microbreccia located at the base of the conglomerates in Piatra Craiului. The main microfacies are: Coral boundstone, sponge-microbial boundstone, bioclastic packstone, rudist- and foraminifera bearing rudstone. They contain Neomeris cretacea, Salpingoporella muehlbergii, Actinoporella podolica, Terquemella sp., Lithocodium aggregatum, Pseudocyclammina lituus, Novalesia producta, Pseudolituonella gavonensis, Montseciella arabica, Palaeodictyoconus sp., Everticyclammina sp., Rectocyclammina sp., Andersenolina odukpaniensis and Andersenolina sagittaria.

The identified microfacies and micropaleontoplogical assemblages indicate that most of the limestone pebbles are coming from the area covered by the sedimentary deposits of the Braşov Series (part of the eastern extremity of the Getic cover) but also from the basinal deposits belonging to the Preleaota Series (Patrulius, 1969).

Acknowledgements: the study is a contribution to the research project PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0025. References Patrulius, D., 1969. Geologia Masivului Bucegi şi a Culoarului Dâmbovicioara. Editura Academiei RSR,

Bucureşti, 321 p. Patrulius, D., Antonescu, E., Avram, E., Baltreş, A., Dumitrică, P., Iordan, M., Iva, M., Morariu, A., Pop, Gr.,

Popa, E., Popescu, I., 1980. Studiul petrologic şi biostratigrafic complex al formaţiunilor jurasice şi neocomiene din Carpaţii româneşti şi Dobrogea în vederea evaluării potenţialului de resurse minerale. Sectorul Leaota-Braşov-Munţii Perşani. Raport IGR, 140 p.

Fig. 1. Microfossils from limestone pebbles forming the conglomerates from Piatra Craiului.

1. Crassicolaria intermedia 2. Calpionella alpina 3. Calpionella elliptica 4. Tinntinopsella carpathica 5. Tinntinopsella longa 6. Calpionellopsis oblonga 7. Charentia sp. 8. Protopeneroplis striata 9. Protopeneroplis ultragranulata 10. Andersenolina cherchiae 11 Conicopfenderina? balkanica 12. Salpingoporella pygmaea 13.Actinoporella podiolica si orbitolinide 14. Clypeina sulcata Scale bar s 0.05 mm (1-6) and 0.25 mm (7-14)


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ORAL

Neocomian microfossil assemblages in the limestones from Piatra Craiului Mountains and Dâmbovicioara zone

Bucur, I.I.1, Grădinaru, M.2, Lazăr, I.2, Mircescu, C.V.1, Săsăran, E.1 & Ungur, C.G.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology and Center for Integrated Geological Studies,1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2University of Bucharest, Department of Geology, Bd. N. Bălcescu nr. 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Foraminifera, calcareous algae, Berriasian-Valanginian, biostratigraphy

The presence of Lower Cretaceous deposits within the terminal part of the so called “white massive limestones” from Piatra Craiului Mountains and Dâmbovicioara zone was already supposed by Patrulius (1976) and Bucur (1978). The presence of orbitolinid foraminifera within this succession led Bucur (1978) to presume that these deposits are of Barremian age, and that they overlie directly the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian-Berriasian limestones. Actually, as proved by our research, these orbitolinids together with other foraminifera characterize Valanginian carbonates. Patrulius (in Patrulius et al., 1980) was the first who clearly delineated a Berriasian-Valanginian formation within the carbonate deposits of the Dâmbovicioara zone using micropaleontological arguments. Complementary data have been provided by Dragastan (2010).

The present study is based on the analyses of several sections from both Dâmbovicioara zone (Dealul Sasului, Cetatea Neamţului, Cheile Dâmbovicioarei, Pârâul Peşterii) and Piatra Craiului Mountains (Vlăduşca-Est, Padinile Frumoase-Vârful Ascuţit, Drumul lui Lehman). More than 300 thin sections have been analysed from both Cheile Dâmbovicioarei Formation and Cetatea Neamţului Member (the lower part of the Dâmbovicioara Formation) (Patrulius, in Patrulius et al., 1980) cropping out in the two areas. In Dâmbovicoara zone, a complex unconformity with a polyhistory evolution (described by Patrulius, 1969, as a hardground surface) marked out the boundary between the two lithostratigraphic entities.

Within the Cheile Dâmbovicioarei Formation an assemblage of foraminifera and calcareous algae have been identified with dominance of foraminifera. They are represented by: Conicopfenderina? balkanica, “Valdanchella” sp., Parakoskinolina sp., Earlandia? conradi, Belorusiella sp., Kamisnkia sp., Everticyclammina cf. virguliana, Charentia cuvillieri, Nautiloculina broennimanni, Pfenderina neocomiensis, Haplophragmoides joukowskyi, Pseudotextulariella courtionenis, Scythiolina camposaurii, Scythiolina cf. cuneata, Scythiolina cf. crumaeneformae, Scythiolina cf. filiformae, Histerolina cf. paxilliformae, Histerolina cf. pileiformae, Montsalevia salevensis, Protopeneroplis ultragranulata, Andersenolina alpina, Andersenolina cherchiae, Andersenolina campanella, Andersenolina delphinensis, Mohlerina basiliensis, Meandrospia favrei, Meandrospira sp. The calcareous algae are represented by: Clypeina parasolkani, Macroporella praturloni, Pseudocymopolia jurassica, Pseudocymopolia cf. orientalis, Salpingoporella annulata, Salpingoporella sp., Selliporella neocomiensis, Terquemella sp., Thaumatoporella parvovesiculifera, Rivularia-type cyanobacteria and bacinellid structures.

From the lower part of the Dâmbovicioara Formation (Cetatea Neamţului Member) the following foraminifera have been identified: Charentia sp., Haplophragmoides sp., Kaminskia sp., Gaudryina sp., Pfenderina cf. neocomiensis, Montsalevia salevensis, Meandrospira favrei, Scythiolina cf. cuneata, Scythiolina cf. infundibuliformae, Vercorsella sp., Paracoskinolina sp., Patellina sp. The dasycladalean algae are missing in this succession.

The micropaleontological assemblage from the Cheile Dâmbovicioarei Formation indicates as a whole the Late Berriasian-Early Valanginian. Pseudotextulariella courtionensis and Conicopfenderina? balkanica together with rare specimens of Montsalevia salevensis and more frequent Haplophragmoides joukowskyi indicate this age. They are accompanied by a reach assemblage of small cuneolinids, also characteristic for Berriasian-Valanginian (Neagu, 2000). The dasycladalean algae characterize the same stratigraphical interval.

The microfossils in the rocks above the unconformity consist also of species characteristic for the Valanginian. It is worth mentioning the higher frequence of Montsalevia salevensis and Meandrospira


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favrei, both recorded in Valanginian limestones or in limestones assigned to the Late Valanginian-Early Hauterivian (e.g. Bucur, 1997). The two species are frequently found in circalittoral environment, in deposits varying from fine-grained bioclastic packstone (toe of the slope) to packstone/grainstone of the upper slope. This is actually the sedimentary evolution of the Cetatea Neamţului Member that starts with deeper glauconite and phosphate-bearing fine-grained limestones overlying the unconformity surface placed on the top of Cheile Dâmbovicioarei Formation, and then evolved toward the upper slope-type deposits with frequent foraminifera and occasionally small reef fragments (e.g. corals) during the Late Valanginian.

Based on the micropaleontological assemblages we can state that the unconformity between the Cheile Dâmbovicioarei Formation and Dâmbovicioara Formation underwent an intra-Valanginian polyphase history, most probably during the Middle-Late Valanginian interval, which correlates to well-known global Weissert Oceanic Anoxic Events (e.g. Erba et al., 2004; Fölmi, 2012) that affected also the peri-Tethyan areas.

Acknowledgemets. The study is a contribution to the research project PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0025 References Bucur, I., 1978. Microfaciesurile calcarelor albe din partea nordică a masivului Piatra Craiului. Consideraţii

biostratigrafice. D.S. şed. IGG, 64(1976-1977), 4 (stratigrafie), 89-105. Bucur, I.I., 1997. Formaţiunile mezozoice din zona Reşiţa-Moldova Nouă (Munţii Aninei şi estul Munţilor

Locvei). Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 214 p. Dragastan, N. O., 2010. Platforma carbonatică Getică. Stratigrafia Jurasicului şi Cretacicului inferior,

reconstituiri,paleogeografie, provincii şi biodiversitate. Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, Bucureşti, 621 p.

Erba, E., Bartolini, A., Larson, L.R., 2004. Valanginian Weissert oceanic anoxic event. Geology, 32, 149-152. Fölmi, K. B., 2012. Early Cretaceous life, climate and anoxia. Cretaceous Research, 35, 230-257. Neagu, Th., 2000. Lower Cretaceous calcareous agglutinated foraminifera from Southern Dobrogea, Romania.

Part II. Early Cretaceous Cuneolinidae. In: Hart, M.B., Kaminski, M.A. and Smart C.W. (eds) Proceedings of the Fifth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera. Grzybowski Foundation Special Publication 7, 363-386.

Patrulius, D., 1969. Geologia Masivului Bucegi şi a Culoarului Dâmbovicioara. Editura Academiei RSR, Bucureşti, 329 p.

Patrulius, D., 1976. Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous carbonate rocks in the eastern part of the Getic Carbonate Platform and the adjacent flysh troughs. In: Patrulius D, Dragănescu A, Baltres A, Popescu B. & Rădan S. Carbonate rocks and evaporates-Guidebook. International colloqiumon carbonate rocks and evaporates. Institute of Geology and Geophysics Bucharest, Guidebbok series 15, pp. 71-82

Patrulius, D., Antonescu E., Avram, E., Baltres, A., Dumitrica, P., Iordan, M., Iva, M., Morariu, A., Pop, Gr., Popa, E, Popescu, I., 1980. Studiul petrografic şi biostratigrafic complex al formaţiunilor jurasice şi neocomiene din Carpaţii Româneşti şi Dobrogea, în vederea evaluării potenţialului de resurse minerale. Sectorul Leaota-Braşov-Munţii Perşani. Raport IGG.

Fig-1. Neocomian micro- Fossils from Dâmbovicioara zone. 1. Conicopfenderina? balkanica; 2. Pseudotextu- lariella courtionensis; 3. Montsalevia salevensis; 4. Meandrospira favrei. Scale-bar is 0.25 mm


19

POSTER

Under uncertainty estimation of geothermal paleoflux in overthrust areas. Case study: Șipoteni structure (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

Chelariu, C.1 & Șaramet, M.1

1Al. I. Cuza University of Iași, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv., 700505, Iași, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; ș[email protected] Keywords: thermal parameters, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, Monte Carlo simulation

For the study of hydrocarbon generation in a sedimentary basin an important aspect is knowledge

of geothermal parameters that characterize sedimentary formations of the basin. Determinations of these parameters allow the estimation of thermal paleoflux required to

temperature increase of organic matter in the possible hydrocarbon source rocks (Crânganu, 1997). In this context, it can be used two methods: 1) directly, by in laboratory and/or in situ measurements of thermal properties such as conductivity, specific heat capacity, diffusivity and heat flow; 2) indirectly, using calculation methods presented in the literature (Beardsmore & Cull, 2001). Because the in situ and/or in laboratory determinations requires a remarkable amount of measurements and financial investments, in many cases use is made of the second method. In this situation it is necesary to apply a number of corrections related to anisotropy, temperature and porosity (Somerton, 1992; Lee & Deming, 1998; Wapples & Wapples, 2004)

Therefore, in this paper, we have approached also estimation of thermal parameters indirectly in perspective of further study about implications of overthrust between Tarcău Nappe and Vrancea Nappe (Eastern Romanian Carpathians) in hydrocarbon generation. To determine if the overthrust influenced or not the generation in this structural units, is necessary to know the thermal paleoflux before and after the event.

However, it should be noted that this approach to indirectly estimate of thermal parameters involves a degree of uncertainty. To get out of this impasse, we propose a simulation using the Monte Carlo method which involves determination of the mentioned parameters with some degree of accuracy. References Beardsmore, G.R., Cull, J.P., 2001. Crustal heat flow. A guide to measurement and modelling. Cambridge

University Press, New York, USA, 324 p. Crânganu, C., 1997. Heat flow in Oklahoma. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma,

USA. 164 p. Lee, Y., Deming, D., 1998. Evaluation of thermal conductivity temperature corrections applied in terrestrial heat

flow studies. J. of Geophys. Res. 103, 2447-2454. Somerton, W.H., 1992. Thermal properties and temperature-related behavior of rock/fluid systems.

Developments in Petroleum Science 37, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherland, 257 p. Waples, D.W., Waples, J.S., 2004. A review and evaluation of specific heat capacities of rocks, minerals and

subsurface fluids. Part 2: Fluids and Porous Rocks. Natural Resources Research 13, 2, 123-130.


20

ORAL

Oligocene - Miocene calcareous nannoplankton from the turbiditic deposits of the Colibiţa - Mureşenii Bârgăului area

(Bistriţa Năsăud County, Romania)

Chira, C.M.1 , Aroldi, C.1 & Ștefănuț, V.I.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology,1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Paleogene - Neogene nannoflora, sedimentology, northern Transylvania. Introduction

The studied area is located in Northern Romania, at the easternmost part of the Bistriţa-Năsăud County, near the villages of Mureşenii Bârgăului and Colibiţa.

The studied succession, belonging to the Transcarpathian Basin, is formed by sets of turbidite deposits intersected by subvolcanic bodies (laccolites, sills and dykes) of the Bârgău Southern Group, which generate, at the contact with sedimentary rocks, localised episodes of thermal metamorphism.

The studied turbidite deposits show mainly facies of mid fan and outer fan, being lithostratigraphically framed into the Borşa Formation of Oligocene – Lower Miocene age (Mészáros & Hosu, 1989).

Methodology

Two different successions were studied on field: the first one located at Mureşenii Bârgăului – 500 meters from the main road, in correspondence of the left side of the Blaju Creek and the second one at Colibiţa quarry, not far from the settlement of Colibiţa.

Sedimentological studies such as facies analysis, determination of paleocurrent directions and ichnofacies analysis were made in order to frame the sedimentary environments, the provenance of clastics and the overall paleogeography of the basin.

The content of the calcareous nannoplankton from 80 samples of the two sections have been analysed, in order to establish the age of the turbiditie deposits.

Results

1. Colibiţa

The turbidite succession located at the Colibiţa quarry extends vertically for about 50 meters. The lithology includes alternations of fine-grained sandstones and marls, affected by thermal metamorphism caused by intrusions of andesitics composition, clearly visible as sills at the top of the quarry.

Four thinning- and fining-upward sequences were observed, mainly formed by incomplete Tb-e Bouma divisions (the Ta graded interval generally lacks) showing parallel, cross and convolute laminations. These deposits have been emplaced by low-density turbidity currents.

At the beginning of the second sequence, the presence of Palaeodictyon ichnofossil was observed, proving that the depositional environment is one of deep water. The sedimentary environment is one of outer fan.

Paleocurrent directions detected by basal scour analysis, are from WSW to ESE according with the previous studies (Jipa, 1962; Contescu et al., 1966) for the Transcarpathian Basin.

The calcareous nannoplankton assemblages contain: Zygrablitus bijugatus (NP11-NP25), Lanternithus minutus (NP14-NP23), Istmolithus recurvus (NP19-NP22), Reticulofenestra umbilica (NP16-NP22), R. dictyoda (NP13-NP16), Coccolithus pelagicus, Discoaster cf. lodoensis (NP14-NP17), Sphenolithus dissimilis (Oligocene-NN3), which prouve the Oligocene age of the deposits. 2. Mureşenii Bârgăului

The turbidite succession analysed in the Blaju Creek extends vertically for about 30 meters. The alternation of massive fine and medium grained sandstones (up to 1m) and marly levels shows

facies of mid fan. These deposits have been emplaced by high-density turbidity currents.


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In the studied outcrop three thinning- and fining-upward sequences were observed, mainly structureless in their inner.

Transport directions of the clastic material slightly change (10-15 degrees to the south) compared to those detected at Colibiţa.

The studied deposits from Mureşenii Bârgăului, based on the calcareous nannoplankton assemblages, belong to NP25 - NN3 Biozones (after Martini’s biozonation, 1971). The most frequent and significantly species which appear in the analysed samples are: Sphenolithus conicus (Pg - NN3), S. predistentus (NP17 - NP24), Helicosphaera scissura (NN2 - NN4), H. mediterranea (NN2 - NN4), H. euphratis (NP18- NN5), Discoaster deflandrei (Eocene - NN7), Cyclicargolithus floridanus (Paleogene - NN7), Reticulofenestra bisecta (NP17 – NP25), R. cf. haqii (NN2 - NN15).

In the calcareous nannoplankton assemblages there are also present: Sphenolithus moriformis, S. obtusus, Reticulofenestra minuta, R. dictyoda, R. umbilica, Discoaster cf. adamanteus, Coccolihus pelagicus, C. eopelagicus, Dictyococcites bisectus, D. stavensis, Pontosphaera multipora, P. discopora, ascidian spicules and calcispheres. Conclusions

The sedimentological studies demonstrate a progradation of the overall turbidite depositional system from Colibiţa area (SE) to Mureşenii Bârgăului area (NW) linked to episodes of regression into the basin which probably forced a progressive migration of the basin depocenter.

Tectonic activity linked to a general uplift of the source area is envisaged, in order to explain the architectural variation of the basin geometry.

The age of the calcareous nannoplankton, Oligocene at Colibita and Upper Oligocene – Lower Miocene at Mureşenii Bârgăului, sustains the progradation of the turbidite depositional systems. References Contescu, L., Jipa, D., Mihailescu, N., Panin, N., 1966. The internal Paleogene flysch of the Eastern

Carpathians: paleocurrents, source areas and facies significance. Sedimentology, 7, 307-321. Jipa, D., 1962. Directions d’apport dans le grès de Borsa (Maramures), Commun. Acad. Rep. Populare Romîne,

12, 1363-1368. Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quaternary calcareous nannoplankton zonation. Proc. II Plankt. Conf.

Roma 1970, 2, 739-785. Mészáros, N., Hosu, A., 1989. Stratigraphic signifiance of the nannoplankton in the Colibiţa area (Bârgău

Mts.), Studia Univ. Babes- Bolyai, 34, 39-42.


22

ORAL

Badenian environment in the Strei Basin: evidence from calcareous nannoplankton, macrofauna and sedimentological data (Hunedoara

County, Romania)

Chira, C. M.1, Negru, R.2 & Bedelean, H.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology,1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Dimitrie Cantemir University, Department of Geography, Bodoni Sandor 3-5, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Middle Miocene, nannoflora, sedimentology, south-western Transylvania. Introduction

The investigated area from Hunedoara County is located between Orăştie and Luncani valleys, the last one being a right affluent of the Strei Valley.

Previous paleontological studies for the Strei Basin, which is situated between the South Apuseni Mountains and Sebeş Mountains, were realised especially on the rich Badenian fauna from Buitur (Moisescu, 1955, a.o.).

Studies on the Badenian deposits from the area of Ludeştii de Jos - Ocolişu Mic - Costeşti - Boşorod, were realised by Dragoş & Nedelcu, 1957 and Gheorghiu et al., 1962. The present study also focuses on the same deposits from the area mentioned above.

The sedimentary succession in the studied area is represented by Badenian, Sarmatian and Quaternary deposits, with the Badenian deposits being dominant.

The Badenian deposits occur in the Strei Basin transgressively on the crystalline of Sebeş Mountains.

Methodology

Four sections between Ocolişu Mic - Ludeştii de Jos, and Costeşti - Boşorod have been sedimentological and paleontological analysed.

The content of the calcareous nannoplankton from 70 samples of the sections have been analysed, in order to establish the age of the deposits.

Results

Ludeştii de Jos to Ocolişu Mic and Costeşti to Boșorod area Two sections have been investigated sedimentological and concerning the calcareous

nannoplankton between the localities Ludeştii de Jos and Ocolişu Mic belonging to the nannoplankton biozone NN5, with Sphenolithus heteromorphus.

The Badenian deposits, trangressively over the crystalline, contain rarely Neopycnodonte navicularis bivalves, belonging to Ostreida – Gryphaeidae, stationary epifaunal suspension feeder.

In this area, a tuff level of 1 meter thick appears over a conglomeratic level. The analyses performed on thin sections indicate the vitric-crystal rio-dacitic type of the tuff.

The deposits from other two sections, nearby Costeşti and Boşorod belong also to NN5 Biozone. They contain rich macrofaunal and microfaunal assemblages, with corals, bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans a.o.

Lithodomus lithophagus, a sessile bivalve belonging to Mytilacea, which burrows on the substrate, is relatively frequent but remaniated from the infralittoral reefs zone.

The calcareous nannoplankton assemblages are very similar in the analysed occurences, and belong to NN5 Biozone, with Sphenolithus heteromorphus (after Martini’s biozonation, 1971), which confirms the Early Badenian age of the deposits.

The most frequent and significant species which appear in the analysed samples are: Sphenolithus heteromorphus, Discoaster variabilis, D. exilis, D. brouwerii, D. musicus, Helicosphaera carteri, Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus, Umbilicosphaera jafari, U. rotula, Coccolithus pelagicus, Cyclicargolithus floridanus, a.o.


23

In the calcareous nannoplankton assemblages there are also present: Helicosphaera walbersdorfensis, H. wallichii, Braarudosphera bigelowii, Micrantolithus vesper, Sphenolithus moriformis, S. abies, Holodiscolithus macroporus, Pontosphaera multipora, Rhabdosphaera pannnonica, Syracosphaera histrica, Calciosolenia murrayi a.o., ascidian spicules and calcispheres. Sometimes entire coccospheres of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus, R.minuta, Cyclicargolithus floridanus, are also present. Conclusions

The sedimentary environment includes depositional products of submarine slumps, debris flows and turbidity currents, suspension fall-out. The facies associations, the calcareous nannoplankton assemblages and the presence of Neopycnodonte navicularis are indicative of deep marine settings (submarine fans or slope aprons and basin plain).

The calcareous nannoplankton assemblages, for the first time analysed now in the area of Ocolişu Mic - Ludeştii de Jos, and Costeşti - Boşorod, belonging to NN5 Biozone – with Sphenolithus heteromorphus corroborated with the Badenian molluscs belonging to Neopycnodonte navicularis Biozone, prouve the Badenian age of the analysed deposits. References Dragoş, V., Nedelcu, I., 1957. Cercetari geologice in Bazinul Orastie. Dări de Seama ale Sedintelor Com. Geol.

64, 243-254. Gheorghiu, C., Zberea, A., Visarion, M., Calota, C., 1962. Date noi asupra structurii bazinului inferior al

Streiului, ca rezultat al cercetarilor geologice si geofizice. An. Inst. Geol. Rom., XXXII, Bucureşti, 97-149.

Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quaternary calcareous nannoplankton zonation. Proc. II Plankt. Conf. Roma 1970, 2, 739-785.

Moisescu, G., 1955. Stratigrafia si fauna de moluste din regiunea Buituri. Editura Academiei R.P.R., Bucureşti, 230 p.


24

ORAL

New data regarding the Volhynian deposits from Preutești-Basarabi-Arghira area (Moldavian Platform): A palynological approach.

Chirilă, G.1 & Ţabără, D.1

1„Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv, 700505 Iaşi, Romania; email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Keywords: palynology, paleoclimate, palynofacies, Moldavian Platform, Coexistence approach.

Introduction

The studied area is located in the Western Moldavian Platform, nearby Fălticeni city. The age of the deposits is Volhynian (Ionesi, 1994, Țibuleac, 2009). The main idea was to confirm or infirm, based on palynomorphs, the presence of Fălticeni-Boroaia Formation in the studied area. Previously the presence of the Fălticeni –Boroaia Formation in Râsca area was stated by Țibuleac, 2009. Later, in 2010, Chirilă & Țabără confirmed, based on a rich palynological assemblage, the presence of the same formation on the eastern part nearby Fălticeni (Preutești village). Based on those facts we tried to observe, based on palynological assemblage, the extension of the Fălticeni-Boroaia Formation. Also, the objective of this study was to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment on the basis of integration of palynology and palynofacies analysis. To achieve these aims following palynological investigations were carried out:

- Palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic reconstruction based on palynomorphs; - Identify the type of kerogen, based on its optical aspect. In this study we have analyzed 9 samples from 4 locations nearby Fălticeni: Preutești (Holm Hill

and Mănăstioara), Basarabi and Arghira.

Results and interpretations

The present study is based on 4 palaeoclimatic parameters: Mean annual temperature (MAT), Mean annual precipitation (MAP), Mean temperature of the warmest month (WMT) and Mean temperature of the coldest month (CMT). Based on identified palynomorphs, applying the method “Coexistence Approach” (Mosbrugger and Utescher, 1997), we calculated the values of MAT, MAP, WMT and CMT. Therefore the values for MAT (15.6-20.8°C) are given by Engelhardtia (left border) and Tilia (right border). The values for MAP (892-1281mm/yr) are established by Leiotriletes (left border) and Taxodium (right border). The values for WMT values (24.7-28.1°C) are fixed by Engelhardtia (left border) and Cyrillaceae (right border). The CMT values (9.6-13.3°C) are set by Mastixiaceae (left border) and Tillia (right border). The average values of the MAT (18.2°C), MAP (1086.5 mm/yr), WMT (26.4°C) and CMT (11.45°C) calculated for analyzed samples suggest a warmer and drier climate during Volhynian in studied area.

In the analyzed samples from Preutești-Arghira area we observed a high frequency of phytoplancton (especially Homotryblium sp.). The same characteristic has been observed for outcrops from Ciofoaia brook (Chirilă and Ţabără, 2010) and Țiganca brook (Chirilă and Ţabără, 2008), bouth belonging to Fălticeni-Boroaia Formation. Given the similarity between the above mentioned assemblages it’s possible that the studied outcrops, from Preutești-Arghira area, presented in this paper, represents the easternmost part of the Fălticeni-Boroaia Formation.

Among the pteridophyta, more abundant in the samples are Laevigatosporites and Leiotriletes. The gymnospermatophyta pollen is mainly represented by Inaperturopollenites, Pityosporites and Podocarpidites. The warmer and drier climate it’s suggested by presence of many grains of Chenopodipollis. Also, among angiospermatophyta higher frequencies have following taxa: Carpinipites, Caryapollenites, Faguspollenites, Myricipites, Quercopollenites and Tricolporopollenites.

Comparing with values obtained by (Chirilă and Ţabără, 2008, 2010) for samples from Țiganca and Ciofoaia brooks the results of MAT (18.2°C) and MAP (1086.5 mm/yr) presented in this paper are slightly higher for temperature and lower for precipitation.


25

Visual evaluation of the relative abundances of palynological organic matter show an abundance in organic particles with continental origin (phytoclasts), indicating an environment of delta or lagoon. This organic matter characterized the type III of kerogen.

References Chirilă, G., Ţabără, D., 2008. Paleofloristic study of the Volhynian from Râşca (Moldavian Platform) –

Paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental implications. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, VI, 29-42. Chirilă, G., Ţabără, D., 2010. Palynological study of the volhynian deposits from Ciofoaia brook (Moldavian

Platform) - palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental implications. AUI Geologie, LVI, 2, 25-44. Ionesi, L., 1994. Geologia unităților de platformă și a orogenului nord-dobrogean. Ed. Tehnică, Bucureşti, 280

p. Mosbrugger, V., Utescher, T., 1997. The coexistence approach - a method for quantitative reconstructions of

Tertiary terrestrial palaeoclimate data using plant fossils. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 134, 61-86.

Ţibuleac, P., 2009. Studiul geologic al depotitelor sarmaţiene din zona Fălticeni – Sasca – Răuceşti (Platforma Moldovenească) cu referire specială asupra stratelor de cărbuni. Editura Tehnopress Iaşi, 313 p.

1a. Homotryblium sp. (incident blue light, fluorescence), 1b. (Idem, transmitted light); 2. Pterocaryapollenites stellatus; 3. Inaperturopollenites hiatus; 4a. Pityosporites labdacus (transmitted light), 4b. (Idem, incident blue light, fluorescence); 5. Leiotriletes sp.; 6. Quercopollenites sp.


26

ORAL

A new Maastrichtian multituberculate at Oarda de Jos (Transylvania, Romania)

Codrea, A.V.1, Solomon, A.Al.1, Venczel, M.2 & Smith, T.3

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology-Paleontology, Faculty of Biology-Geology, 1 Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; 2Ţării Crişurilor Museum, Department of Natural History, Dacia Bvd. 1-3, 410464, Oradea, Romania, [email protected]; 3Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Directorate Earth and History of Life, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000, Bruxelles, Belgium, e-mail: [email protected]; Keywords: kogaionids, Barbatodon oardaensis n.sp., Transylvanian Basin, Late Cretaceous. Abstract

The uppermost Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) terrestrial sedimentary sequences of the Haţeg Basin in Transylvania are notorious for their so-called “Haţeg Island” vertebrate fauna, which evolved in endemic environments. Besides representative frogs, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, birds and dinosaurs, peculiar multituberculate mammals are also recorded, these later belonging exclusively to the family Kogaionidae. A new species of the genus Barbatodon is here reported from the coeval Maastrichtian Şard Formation, Transylvanian Basin (Alba County, Romania) .The new species, B. oardaensis, is characterized by a M1 cusp formula of 3:4:2 and is much smaller than the two other Maastrichtian kogaionids already reported from Transylvania, i.e., B. transylvanicus and Kogaionon ungureanui. The origin and paleogeographic relationships of the Transylvanian kogaionids are discussed.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants 1930/2009 and PN-II-PCE-2011-3-0381 of the CNCS (V.A.C., Al.S., M.V.), Project MO/36/001 of the Belgian Science Policy Office (T.S.) and Sepkoski grant (Al.S.) “The postcranial skeleton, systematic diversity of Hateg multituberculates and their paleoecological implications” (The Paleontological Society, USA). The authors also thank all people involved over a decade in the field missions in the Metaliferi sedimentary area, too numerous to be mentioned here. References Codrea, V., Dica, P. 2005. Upper Cretaceous-lowermost Miocene lithostratigraphic units exposed in Alba Iulia-

Sebeş-Vinţu de Jos area (SW Transylvanian Basin). Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Geologia 50(1-2),19-26.

Codrea, V., Smith, T., Dica, P., Folie, A., Garcia, G., Godefroit, P., van Itterbeeck, J., 2002. Dinosaur egg nests, mammals and other vertebrates from a new Maastrichtian site of the Haţeg Basin (Romania). Comptes Rendus Palevol 1, 173-180.

Codrea, V., Vremir, M., Jipa, C., Godefroit, P., Csiki, Z., Smith, T., Fărcaş, C., 2010a. More than just Nopcsa's Transylvanian dinosaurs: A look outside the Haţeg Basin. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 293, 391-405.

Codrea, V., Barbu, O., Jipa-Murzeam C., 2010b. Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) land vertebrate diversity in Alba District (Romania). Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece. Proceedings of the 12th International Congress XLIII( 2), 594-601, Patras.

Csiki, Z., Grigorescu, D., 2000. Teeth of multituberculate mammals from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 45(1), 85-90.

Csiki, Z., Grigorescu, D., Rücklin, M., 2005. A new multituberculate specimen from the Maastrichtian of Pui, Romania and reassessment of affinities of Barbatodon. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 5, 73-86.

Fosse, G., Rădulescu, C., Samson, P.M., 2001. Enamel microstructure of the late Cretaceous multituberculate mammal Kogaionon. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 46(3), 437-440.

Grellet-Tinner, G., Codrea, V., Folie, A., Higa, A., Smith, T., 2012. First Evidence of Reproductive Adaptation to ‘‘Island Effect’’ of a Dwarf Cretaceous Romanian Titanosaur, with Embryonic Integument In Ovo. PLoS ONE 7(3), e32051 (DOI:10.1371/journal. pone. 0032051).

Grigorescu, D., Hartenberger, J.-L., Rădulescu, C., Samson, P. M., Sudre, J., 1985. Découverte de mammiféres et Dinosaures dans le Crétacé supérieur de Pui (Roumanie). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris II (19),1365-1368.


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Peláez-Campomanes, P., Daams, R., López-Martinez, N., Alvarez-Sierra, M.-A., 2000. The earliest mammal of the European Paleocene: the multituberculate Hainina. Journal of Paleontology 74(4), 701-711.

Rădulescu, C., Samson, P. M., 1986. Précisions sur les affinités des Multituberculés (Mammalia) du Crétacé Supérieur de Roumanie. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris II 303(13), 1825-1830.

Rădulescu, C., Samson, P. M., 1996. The first multituberculate skull from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Europe (Haţeg Basin, Romania). Anuarul Institutului Geologic al României 69 (1), 177-178.

Rădulescu, C., Samson, P. M., 1997. Late Cretaceous Multituberculata from the Haţeg Basin (Romania). Sargetia XVII, 247-255.

Smith, T., Codrea, V., Săsăran, E., van Itterbeeck, J., Bultynck, P., Csiki, Z., Dica, P., Fărcaş, C., Folie, A., Garcia, G., Godefroit, P., 2002. A new exceptional vertebrate site from the Late Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin (Romania). Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Geologia (Special Issue 1), 321-330.


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Aceratherium incisivum in the earliest Late Miocene (Sarmatian, Bessarabian) from Bozieni (Moldavian Platform)

Codrea, A.V.1, Răţoi, B.G.2, Curcudel, I.2, Solomon, Al.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1, M. Kogălniceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2 University “Al. I. Cuza” Iasi, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Department of Geology, 20A, Carol I Av., 700505 Iaşi, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: vertebrate palaeontology, acerathere, Vallesian, Middle Sarmatian, Moldavian Platform, Romania.

The lowermost Upper Miocene (Sarmatian: Late Bessarabian) deposits of the Bârnova Formation exposed on the Moldavian Platform at Bozieni (Neamț County) yielded a mandible fragment assigned to a juvenile specimen of the acerathere Aceratherium incisivum. The Bârnova Formation corresponds to the first appearance of this rhinoceros species in Romania (MN 9 unit), being also the basal most lithostratigraphic unit where the “Hippotherium Datum” (= „Hipparion Datum”) in our country is documented. This specimen is the first juvenile reported in Romania and belongs to an early evolutionary stage of this species, in Early Vallesian. The species assignations based on fragmentary mandibles in aceratheres are usually less convenient in juveniles, as is the case of this acerathere. However, a rather similar fossil was reported by Kaya & Heissig (2001) from Çorlu-Yulafli (Thrace, Turkey) allowing fair direct comparisons. Moreover, the morphology of the definitive cheek teeth noticeable in Bozieni is in accordance with the data outlined by Guérin (1980). In the Late Bessarabian of Draxeni (Vaslui District), Codrea & Ursachi (2007) reported a p3 in a more wearing advanced stage, extremely close in length to the one of Bozieni. The report of this acerathere at Bozieni in Bârnova Formation refers to an early species representative in Romania. Therefore, Bozieni is a new Sarmatian vertebrate locality in our country. References Codrea, V., Ursachi, L., 2007. The Sarmatian vertebrates from Draxeni (Moldavian Platform). Studia

Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai, Geologia, Cluj-Napoca, 52 (2): 19-28. Guérin, C., 1980. Les rhinocéros (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) du Miocène terminal au Pleistocéne supérieur en

Europe Occidentale. Comparaison avec les espéces actuelles. Documents du Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon 79 (1, 2, 3), 1-1184.

Kaya, T., Heissig, K., (2001): Late Miocene Rhinocerotids (Mammalia) from Yulafli (Corlu, Thrace/Turkey). Geobios, 34(4): 457-468.


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Eco-morphology and paleoecology of Late Villafranchian large-sized bovids of the genus Leptobos

Croitor, R.

Institute of Cultural Heritage, Centre for Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Stefan Cel Mare str., 1, MD-2001, Republic of Moldova, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Early Pleistocene, Europe, Bovidae, Leptobos, morpho-functional analysis. Introduction

Paleobiology and eco-morphology of Late Villafranchian bovines from Western Eurasia is little understood, but represents an interest for paleoecological reconstructions and paleobiogeographical studies. However, some taxonomical and systematical questions should be clarified before the discussion of paleobiology. The taxonomy of the so-called “Leptobos group” (fide De Giuli 1986) is not resolved yet. Rütimeyer (1878) proposed the genus Leptobos for a large gracile bovine from the Tertiary deposits of Siwaliks (India) that he called “Leptobos Falconeri”. Merla (1949) ascribed all lightly built large-sized Villafranchian bovines of Western Europe to the genus Leptobos. Duvernois (1992) proposed to divide Leptobos into the subgenera Leptobos (characterized by double-curved horn cores) with the species L. elatus and L. furtivus, and Smertiobos (characterized by simply arched horn-cores) with the species L. etruscus and, possibly, L. bravardi. Geraads (1992) suggests that the genus Leptobos in its traditional understanding is polyphyletic and contains three lineages: 1) L. falconeri, 2) L. etruscus and L. vallisarni, and 3) “L.” stenometopon. Geraads (1992) applies the genus name Smertiobos for the species etruscus and vallisarni. However, horn core shape of the type species L. falconeri (which is not considered in the work of Duvernois, 1992), rather corresponds to the definition of Smertiobos, but not to nominotypical Leptobos in Duvernois’ (1992) taxonomical model. Croitor & Popescu (2011) reject Duvernois’ (1992) contradictory taxonomic model and assume that L. etruscus and L. vallisarni could be placed in the genus Ioribos Vekua, 1972 reported from Late Pliocene of Kvabebi (Georgia), however, the definite conclusion is possible only after a thorough comparative analysis of the fossil material. Therefore, the use of genus name Leptobos in the present communication is rather arbitrary. The case of L. etruscus and L. vallisarni is interesting from paleobiologic and paleobiogeographic points of view, since represents an example of two closely related species with different eco-morphological adaptations.

Description and Discussion

Leptobos etruscus (Falconer, 1859). This is a rather large but graceful built bovine form. The mean estimated body mass amounts to ca. 320 kg. The sexual dimorphism is observed in cranial morphology, since horn cores are evolved only in males. The horn cores are inserted close to orbits, with rounded cross-section (only in aged males the horn cores are compressed dorso-ventrally in their proximal parts), long, directed backward and sideward, then bended inward, situated in the plane of frontals, with a weak homonymous torsion. Rather long horn cores of L. etruscus combined with the large body size corresponds to a forest dweller type according to the classification of Köhler (1993). Regarding the probable male behavior during intraspecific combats, apparently, L. etruscus was not a specialized wrestler or hooker (the terms applied by Köhler, 1993), since its horn cores are not twisted. One can assume implication of L. etruscus in the intraspecific ritualized combats, but no doubts the long and slightly curved horns of L. etruscus were an effective defense weapon against such woodland predators, like, for instance, saber-toothed felids. The shape of broad premaxillary bones is rectangular with slightly rounded anterior margins, some-what broadened in their anterior part. The comparatively broad intermaxillary bones combined with the short preorbital portion of skull and the rather short anterior part of skull before the cheek tooth rows suggest that L. etruscus was rather a woodland or forest mixed feeder with broad spectrum of food sources. Apparently, the postcranial remains of slim-build form of Leptobos from Upper Valdarno (Italy) belong to this species. This form of Leptobos is characterized by relatively long metatarsals with narrow epiphyses. Metacarpals are comparatively short and slim. The sexual dimorphism in metapodials is less expressed if compared to the second “robust” form from Upper Valdarno and Val di Chiana (Italy). In


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general lines, L. etruscus reminds the ecotype of modern African large-sized forest antelopes, like Taurotragus and Hippotragus.

Leptobos vallisarni Merla, 1949. L. vallisarni is regarded as a direct descent of L. etruscus (Masini 1989). It is as large as its forerunner, however, more robust. The short, massive, medially curved with a slight torsion, more diverged, and stronger compressed dorso-ventrally horn cores lying in the plane of frontals provide the main diagnostic characters. The horn core tips are pointed backward and slightly inward. General proportions of broad skull with protruding orbits are shortened if compared to L. etruscus (Merla, 1949). The postcranial remains from Farneta, Selvella and the robust form from Upper Valdarno characterize L. vallisarni as a species with stout limb bones with relatively broader epiphyses. The sexual dimorphism is stronger in metacarpal size and robustness. Metacarpals are significantly more robust than in L. etruscus. The short and robust horn cores represent an adaptation to increase resistance to the enormous breaking forces that occur during intraspecific combats between males. The robust anterior limbs in males, especially metacarpals, increase the stability of animal during the intraspecific combats. The protruding orbits of L. vallisarni may indicate the presence of a well-developed mane, which, according to Geist (1971), is an important secondary sexual character that has a certain social significance in modern bison and could cover also a part of head of L. vallisarni, as in steppe bison. This mane may also have a function of protection against injures during the intraspecific combats. Therefore, one can conclude that the importance of social interaction in L. vallisarni increased since the species was more gregarious than its forerunner L. etruscus. L. vallisarni looks as a specialized open-landscape dweller with adaptations that superficially remind the bison-like ecotype. Nonetheless, Kostopoulos’ (2006) opinion that L. vallisarni could be a true primitive bison is not supported (Croitor & Popescu, 2011).

Remarks on evolution and biogeography. Remains of L. etruscus are reported from MN18 of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Romania, and Georgia (Croitor & Popescu, 2011 and references therein). L. etruscus, most probably, arrived in Europe from Caucasian Land and was better adapted to mountain forest biotopes. L. vallisarni is known only from the Italian peninsula so far. Apparently, such a small area of distribution limited by natural zoogeographic obstacles like Alps and sea shores, suggests endemic character of the species origin. One can assume that during the latest Villafranchian, the ecological niche of a large open country ruminant herbivore remained unfilled in Italian Peninsula because the dispersal of large-sized open landscape ruminants (for instance, Libralces gallicus) was impeded during Late Villafranchian by the Western Balkan zoogeographical filter created by the Dinaric mountain forests. Apparently, L. vallisarni resulted from the process of local evolution of L. etruscus that occupied unfilled ecological niche of large open-landscape ruminant that emerged on Italian Peninsula during the gradual climate aridization. References De Giuli, C., 1986. Late Villafranchian faunas of Italy: the Selvella Local Fauna in the southern Chiana Valley –

Umbria. Palaeontographia Italica 74, 11-50. Croitor, R., Popescu, A., 2011. Large-sized ruminants from the Early Pleistocene of Leu (Oltenia, Romania)

with remarks on biogeographical aspects of the “Pachycrocuta event”. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie 261, 353-371.

Duvernois, M.-P., 1992. Mise au point sur le genre Leptobos (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Bovidae); implications biostratigraphiques et phylogénétiques. Geobios 25 (1), 155-166.

Geist, V., 1971. The relation of social evolution and dispersal in ungulates during the Pleistocene, with emphasis on the old world deer and the genus Bison. Quaternary Research 1 (3), 285-315.

Geraads, D., 1992. Phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Bovini (Mammalia : Artiodactyla). Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society 104, 193-207.

Köhler, M. 1993. Skeleton and habitat of recent and fossil Ruminants. Münchner Geowissenschaftlichen (A) 25, 1-88.

Kostopoulos, D. 2006. Greek bovids through time. Hellenic Journal of Geosciences 41, 141-152 Masini, F., 1989. I Bovini Villafranchiani dell’Italia. Vol. 1, 2. PhD Dissertation in Palaeontology, Modena and

Florence University. Merla, G., 1949. I Leptobos Rütim. italiani. Palaeontographica Italica 16, 41-155.


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POSTER

Upper Palaeolithic mammals from Duruitoarea Veche Cave, Republic of Moldova

David, A.1 & Pascari, V.1

1Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Academiei Str., MD- 2028, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: palaeolicthic, Duruitoarea Veche Cave, Gravetian, Epigravetian, fossil mammals.

Introduction

In the Duruitoarea Veche Cave located northeast to the nominative locality (Râşcani District, Republic of Moldova), on the left bank of Prut River in the middle section of this hydrographic basin, there is a well known Palaeolithic multi-layered site bearing human remains, firstly discovered and studied by the archaeologist Nicolae Chetraru (Кетрару 1965, 1973). In the excavations, attended by one of us (A. D.) there were identified three settlement levels belonging to the Palaeolithic man (old stone): two lower levels (IV and III) related to the Early Palaeolithic (Acheulean culture) and the upper level (II) assigned to Late Palaeolithic (Middle Gravetian or Lower Epigravetian culture; Chetraru, 1995; Chetraru, Borziac, 2005).

In dwellings were discovered large and interesting amounts of bones of hunted animals, also called by archaeologists "kitchen scraps" acquired by the Palaeolithic man, as well as small insectivores, bats, microtine teeth and bones, which arrived and died accidentally in these human settlements.

The fossil vertebrate record is evidence on the mammalian fauna of the ancient area, about main and favorite animals prayed by Palaeolithic hunters, about palaeogeography of this territory. In this context, a special interest is represented by the mammal bones from the upper settled level. These data are presented in the following contribution.

Materials and methodology

There were about 9,000 assignable skeletal remains of large and small mammals collected during the archaeological excavations at the settlement from the level II of the human Palaeolithic site Duruitoarea Veche, dated about 20,000 to 18,000 y. BC (Chetraru and Borziac, 2005).

The osteological sample was collected on ground net squares (1 x 1 meter). The study of the bones and teeth was done by one of the authors of this contribution (Давид, 1980, Давид and Кетрару, 1970) and partial (small mammals) by Лозан (1970, 1971), through specific archaeozoological and paleontological methods.

Concise results of the studies

Investigation of bones collected from level II shows that in the Middle Prut area, left bank, about 20-18,000 y. BC the vertebrate fauna included at least 50 species of mammals: Insectivora: Erinaceus europaeus L., Talpa europaea L.; Chiroptera: Myotis blythi T., Vespertillio sp.; Lagomorpha: Lepus europaeus Pall., L. tanaiticus Gur., Lepus sp., Ochotona spelaea Owen; Rodentia: Marmota bobak Mull., M. cf. marmota L., Spermophilus (Citellus) suslica Guld., Citellus sp., Castor fiber L., Nanospalax leucodon Nordm., Spalax polonicus Mehely, Spalax sp., Allactaga jaculus L., Apodemus sylvaticus L., A. flavicollis Melch., Cricetus cricetus L., Dicrostonyx guilielmi Sanford, Lagurus lagurus Pall., L. luteus Eversm., Arvicola terrestris L., Microtus arvalis Pall., M. oeconomus Pall., M. (Stenocranius) gregalis Pall., Clethrionomys glareolus Schreb., Microtina; Carnivora: Canis lupus L., Canis sp.(cf. familiaris ?), Vulpes vulpes L., Vulpes sp., Alopex lagopus L., Ursus arctos L., Crocuta spelaea Goldf., Mustela erminea L., M. nivalis L., M. (Putorius) eversmanni Lesson, M. (P.) putorius L., M. ( Putorius ) sp., Martes martes L., M. foina Erxl., Gulo gulo L., Meles meles L., Felis silvestris Schreb., F. (Lynx) lynx L., Panthera spelaea Gold.; Proboscidea: Mammuthus primigenius Blum.; Perissodactyla: Equus (E.) latipes Grom., Equus sp., Coelodonta antiquitatis Blum.; Artiodactyla: Capreolus capreolus L., Cervus elaphus L., Megaloceros giganteus Blumenbach, Alces alces L., Rangifer tarandus L., Rupicapra rupicapra L., Bison priscus Boj.

The ecological peculiarities of mammals recorded at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Duruitoarea Veche cave shows that at the end of Late Pleistocene in cave surroundings, representatives of


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different geographical areas and biotopes were coeval. The largest group consisted of open spaces species, steppe and semi-desert species (Ochotona spelaea, Marmota bobac, Cricetus cricetus, Spermophilus suslica, Nanospalax leucodon, Spalax polonicus, Allactaga jaculus, Lagurus lagurus, Eolagurus luteus, Putorius eversmanni, Crocuta spelaea, Panthera spelaea, Equus latipes, Mammuthus primigenius, Bison priscus). Another group is constituted species of forest dwellers from Middle Prut Valley (Apodemus sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Castor fiber, Ursus arctos, Martes martes, Putorius putorius, Meles meles, Felis silvestris, F. (Lynx) lynx, Sus scrofa ferus, Alces alces). The species Talpa europaea, Lepus europaeus, Microtus arvalis, Mustela nivalis, M. erminea, Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus, Megaloceros giganteus are considered as forest-steppe animals. We have to mention the presence of tundra species from subarctic and alpine zones (Lepus tanaiticus, Marmota cf. marmota, Microtus gregalis, M. oeconomus, Dicrostonyx guilielmi, Alopex lagopus, Gulo gulo, Rangifer tarandus, Rupicapra rupicapra). In the composition of this faunal associations are the species inhabiting forested wetlands and related areas (Castor fiber, Microtus oeconomus, Arvicola terrestris).

The wolf, the hyena and the lion were considered as dangerous to humans. The wooly rhinoceros with strong horns, sharp and dangerous on the frontal bones, was hunted, probably for meat and coat.

Conclusions

The research of these mammal bones (about 9,000 items) originating from the Upper Palaeolithic site Duruitoarea Veche Cave evidence that on the left bank of Middle Prut at least 50 species of mammals were coeval. The rodents (18 species), carnivores (16 species) and artiodactyls (7 species) were more diverse, most common being the horse, reindeer, field mouse, bison, steppe marmots, ochotona and European hare.

The faunal community includes species originating from different environments: semi-desert, steppe, forest-steppe, local floodplain forests, valleys and dales, tundra, subarctic and alpine.

This faunal composition ecologically diverse was particular for so-called periglacial area with long and cold winters, short and warm summers at the end of the last Pleistocene glaciation – Weichsel in Europe. References Chetraru, N.A., 1995. Contribuţii la cunoaşterea Paleoliticului inferior in Moldova. Anuarul Muzeului Naţional

de Istorie a Moldovei, II, Chişinau p.93-138. Chetraru, N., Borziac, I., 2005. Paleoliticul superior din grota Duruitoarea Veche. Tiragetya, p.5-28. Давид, А.И., 1980. Териофауна плейстоцена Молдавии. Кишинев, 186 c. Давид, А.И., Кетрару, Н.А., 1970. Фауна млекопитающих палеолита Молдавии. Фауна кайнозоя

Молдавии. Кишинев, Изд. «Штиинца», с. 3-53. Кетрару, Н.А., 1965. Палеолитческая стоянка в гроте Старые Дуруиторы . Краткие сообщения

Института археологии АН СССР, вып. 105. Москва, стр. 79-84. Кетрару, Н.А., 1973. Памятники эпох палеолита и мезолита. Ахеологическая карта Молдавской ССР,

вып.1. Кишинев, 180 с. Лозан, М.Н., 1970. Грызуны Молдавии. Кишинев, 168 стр. Лозан, М.Н., 1971. Грызуны Молдавии. Кишинев, 184 стр.


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New Upper Miocene mammal localities from the Republic of Moldova

Delinschi, A.

National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova, Department of Natural Sciences, 82, Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 2009 Chisinau, Repubic of Moldova, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Upper Miocene, mammal localities, Republic of Moldova.

The Upper Miocene continental deposits from the Republic of Moldova are rich in vertebrate remains (e.g. Lungu 1981, Delinschi, 2009, Lungu & Rzebik-Kowalska 2011). The Turolian localities Gura Galbene, Gradiște, Razeni, are of special interest. Due to the intensive fieldwork in the last years, an illustrative rich sample of small vertebrates of an exceptional scientific value was collected in these localities. The fauna includes fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammal remains.

Gura Galbene (46.710398 N, 28.694637 E) is located in the northern side of the village Gura Galbene, Cimislia District in a quarry of sand, 23 km far to Cimișlia and 48 km to Chișinău. This location bearing small vertebrate fauna was discovered in summertime of 2011. The faunal assemblage has some similitude with Cimișlia, therefore is assigned to MN12 unit. A preliminary list from this locality was reported by Delinschi (2012), but it still requires some clarifications.

Gradiste (46.617492 N, 28.764298 E) is located in the northern side of the village Gradiște, Cimislia District, in a quarry of sand (open pit), 13 km far to Cimișlia and 55 km to Chișinău. This outcrop was discovered in the summer of 2012 and for instance the study of this fauna is in progress.

Razeni (46.788763 N, 28.911261 E) is located near the highway M3, Ialoveni District. The vertebrate fossils were collected from the gravels of a clay/sand open pit, 23 km far to Chișinău. This outcrop was discovered in same time with the previous one and its related fauna is still under study. References Delinschi, A., 2009. Contribution to the study of Maeotian Hipparion faunas from the Republic of Moldova.

Oltenia Journal for Studies in Natural sciences, XXV/2009, Craiova: 391-395. Delinschi, A., 2012. Some dates about paleontological sites in the vicinity of village Gura Galbenei.

Buletinul Ştiinţific al Muzeului Naţional de Etnografie şi Istorie Naturală a Moldovei 16(29): 88-92. [in Romanian]

Lungu, A., 1981. Hipparion fauna of the Middle Sarmatian from Moldavia (Insectivora, Lagomorpha, Rodentia). Izdatelistvo ”Shtiintsa”, 118 pp. [in Russian].

Lungu, A., Rzebik-Kowalska, B., 2011. Faunal assemblages, stratigraphy and taphonomy of the Late Miocene localities in the Republic of Moldova. Institute of systematic and evolution of animals. Krakow, 62 pp.


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A new Palaeocene Rivulariaceae species of calcareous algae from Middle Atlas, Morocco

Dragastan, O.N.1, Herbig, H.G.2 & Popa, M.E.1

1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Laboratory of Palaeontology, 1, Nicolae Bălcescu Ave., 010041, Bucharest, Romania. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Universität zu Köln, Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Arbeitsgruppe für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, Zülpicher Strasse 49a, 50674, Köln, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]

The cyanoliths were first menitoned as cyanoids, as they were discovered and described by one of the authors (Herbig, 1994). These cyanoliths were recorded along the Oued Bou Yachtifène Valley, in the Lower Palaeocene – Danian of Irbzer Formation, Middle Atlas, Morocco. They were described as monospecific cyanoids of the Rivularia morphotype. The cyanoliths are ovoid-ellipsoidal in shape, sometimes with irregular oultine, they reach 8 mm in height and 2-3 mm in width. This shape and height indicate a vertical growth habit, reflecting a cementing fastening, without a holdfast. The vertical growth habit is reflected by superposed hemispheroids, up to seven, each with different thickness. The thalli are crossed by radiated, long, fine, slightly sinuous dichotomic tubes. The boundaries between the fan-shaped hemispheroids are marked by a thin microbialite layer. Considering the shape and the inner morphology of the thalli for the so-called “Rivularia morphotype”, we ascribe this alga to Apophoretella atlasica nov. sp., of the Family Rivulariaceae (Cyanophyta). The new taxon was compared with marine species of the genus Apophoretella, such as A. dobunnorum Elliott 1975 (Middle Jurassic, UK), A. bancilai Dragastan 1998 (Late Jurassic, Romania), A. brindusae Dragastan 1998 (Late Jurassic, Romania), and A. mutiui Dragastan 1998 (Early Aptian, Romania). Apophoretella atlasica nov. sp. is different of the considered species by the shape of thalli, with vertically superposed hemispheroids, with a different ecology (living in a brachish peritidal lake, along a coastal plain). The age of the Irbzer Formation is reconsidered using the lithostratigraphy, introducing three sub-units: the Member A (Danian in age, with fine, calcareous sandstones and three levels of cyanoliths with Apophoretella atlasica nov. sp., with dessicating cracks), Member B (Selandian in age, consisting of red conglomerates and massive sandstones), and Member C (Early Thanetian in age, with platty, white, calcareous sandstones and clays). Using the sea level curve of Haq et al. (1997) and the recent Global Stratigraphic Scale (GSS) by Menning and Hendrich (2012) for the age of the Palaeocene stages, we established the ages more precisely. Moreover, we used the transgressive tract of the Danian, the regressive tract of the basal Selandian, a short regressive phase in the base of Early Thanetian (followed also by a sedimentation gap to its topmost part) to refine the age of the Irbzer Formation. This formation is unconformably overlain by the Bekrit-Tihmadit Formation, Middle Thanetian in age, with Halimeda nana Assemblage Zone (Dragastan et al., 2012).


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New Palaeogene calcareous algae from Espéraza (Aude, France), the Western Iraqi desert and Central High Atlas (Morocco)

Dragastan, O.N.1, Herbig, H.G.2 & Popa, M.E.1

1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Laboratory of Palaeontology, 1, Nicolae Bălcescu Ave., 010041, Bucharest, Romania. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 2 Universität zu Köln, Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Arbeitsgruppe für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, Zülpicher Strasse 49a, 50674, Köln, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]

Holosporella segonzacii nov. sp. (Dasycladaceae) is defined and described from the Thanetian limestone of Espéraza (Aude, France), as well as from the wells from Block 7 of the Western Iraqi Desert (borehole samples KH-12 and KH-17, fide Segonzac, 1979 and Radoicic, 1990). The following species: Neomeris plagnensis Deloffre 1970, N. craniphora (Morellet 1908) Génot 1980, Ovulites arabica (Pfender 1938) Massieux 1986, and rhodolites with many spheroidal hypothallus growths of Archaeolithothamnion nummuliticum (Gümbel 1971-72) Rothpletz 1891 (Sporolithaceae) are described from the Upper Thanetian of Central High Atlas (Morocco). From the same region are described Holosporella marocana nov. sp., Neomeris avellanensis (Segonzac 1970) Deloffre et Génot 1982 (Dasycladaceae), Ovulites pyriformis Schwager 1883, O. elongata Lamarck 1816 (Udoteaceae), found in Halimeda tuna Assemblage zone, Early Ypresian in age (Dragastan et al., 2012). The species Ovulites margaritula (Lamarck 1801) Lamarck 1816 is recorded in the Late Ypresian of the same region. Pseudopenicillus sp., previously assigned to genus Ovulites Lamarck 1816, is now recorded from the Lower Lutetian deposits of the same region. The paper emphasizes the stratigraphic ranges of different species, previously considered to have longer ranges which are now better dated.


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Actual status of the paleontological sites in the Hațeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark: scientific interest vs. neglect

Dumbravă, D.M.1, Andrei, A.R.2, Solomon, A.Al.1 & Codrea, A.V.1

1Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, 1, Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. e-mails: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, 1 N. Bălcescu Ave., RO-010041, Bucharest, Romania. e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Hațeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark, Tuștea nesting site, dinosaur eggs and nests, misma-nagement. Abstract

This work is focused on the excavation history of the Tuștea Dinosaur nesting site from the Hațeg Basin and its unfortunate, compromised current state. The aim is to provide a short summary of the excavations carried out at this site in the recent years and to draw attention to the mismanagement and/or disinterest which led to the current state of what is a protected paleontological site of some scientific notoriety both nationally and abroad. Also this presentation touches on the subject of the Hațeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark in general, and some other paleontological sites in particular pointing out the current state of this protected area and the benefits (or lack thereof) that it has brought to the area and its economy.

Acknowledgements

Part of this research was supported by grant CNCS PN –II–ID–PCE 2011–3–0381 (Al.S., V.A.C.). References Codrea, V., Smith, T., Dica, P., Folie, A., Garcia, G., Godefroit, P., van Itterbeeck, J., 2002. Dinosaur egg nests,

mammals and other vertebrates from a new Maastrichtian site of the Hateg Basin (Romania). Comptes Rendus Palevol 1, 173–180

Grigorescu, D., 1983. A stratigraphic, taphonomic and paleoecologic approach to a “forgotten land”: the dinosaur-bearing deposits of the Haţeg Basin (Transylvania–Romania). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 28, 103–121.

Grigorescu, D., Şeclăman, M., Norman, D.B., Weishampel D.B., 1990. Dinosaur eggs from Romania. Nature, 346, 417.

Grigorescu, D., Weishampel, D.B., Norman, D.B., Şeclăman, M., Rusu, M., Baltreş, A., Teodorescu, V., 1994. Late Maastrichtian dinosaur eggs from the Hateg Basin (Romania). In Carpenter, K., Hirsch, K. F., Horner, J. R. (Eds.), Dinosaur Eggs and Babies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 75–87.

Grigorescu, D., 2005. Rediscovery of a “forgotten land”: the last three decades of research on the dinosaur-bearing deposits from the Haţeg basin. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 5, 191–204.

Grigorescu, D., Csiki, Z., 2008. A new site with megaloolithid egg remains in the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 6, 115–121

Van Itterbeeck, J., Săsăran, E., Codrea, V., Săsăran, L., Bultynck, P., 2004. Sedimentology of the Upper Cretaceous mammal- and dinosaur-bearing sites along the Răul Mare and Bărbat rivers, Haţeg Basin, Romania. Cretaceous Research 25, 517–530.


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ORAL

New data on fossil birds from Oarda de Jos.

Dyke, G.J.1 & Vremir, M.2

1Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH UK e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Department of Natural Sciences, Transylvanian Museum Society (EME), Cluj Napoca Romania email: [email protected] Keywords: Aves, Enantiornithes, anatomy, phylogenetic position.

In 2012, we reported (Naturwissenschaften 99:435) a remarkable egg-eggshell-bone lens accumulation collected a few years earlier by MV. Because this lens of calcareous mudstone is in some places >80% eggshell, contains a number of either complete, or nearly complete, eggs that are devoid of bone inside alongside several adult and numerous juvenile bird bones, we interpreted this accumulation as the (at the time) first evidence for colonial nesting in Cretaceous avians. Many of the adult bony elements preserve characters hypothesised by phylogenetic studies to be enantiornithine synapomorphies. In this presentation, we report our additional work on the Oarda assemblage presenting discussion of adult and neonate bird bones, many recently prepared from the calcareous blocks by MV. In Dyke et al. (2012), we described enantiornithine characters on just a proximal humerus, a scapula and coracoid: here we are in a position to discuss the anatomy of two complete humeri, a partial tibiotarsus, almost complete coracoid and scapula. Several intruiging adult vertebrae are also present in the Oarda assemblage alongside more than 60 identifiable juvenile bird bones. In this presentation, we will also discuss new insights to the taphonomy of this assemblage as we have completed counts of eggshell orientations as well as numerous radial and tangential thin sections. It is clear that there will be much more to say about the curious Oarda egg-supported lens, an unique find from the Transylvanian Late Cretaceous.

References Dyke, G. J., Vremir, M., Kaiser, G., Naish, D. 2012. A drowned Mesozoic bird breeding colony from the Late

Cretaceous of Transylvania. Naturwissenschaften 99, (6) 435-442.


38

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Early Badenian planktonic foraminifera assemblages recovered from the geotechnical wells drilled in Cluj Napoca

Filipescu, R.1 & Filipescu, S.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology. Str. Kogălniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: planktonic foraminifera, biostratigrapy, palaeoenvironment.

Cores taken from 6 wells of about 30 m recently drilled on a construction site in the central area of Cluj-Napoca recovered Badenian mudstones and gypsum. The mudstones contain several types of foraminifera assemblages, which are diagnostic for the early Badenian age and palaeoenvironmental settings.

The oldest foraminifera assemblage from the analysed cores is dominated by large planktonic taxa and its stratigraphic position should belong to the Orbulina suturalis biozone in a broad sense (even if the index species is not present). Although the specimens are quite badly preserved due to deformation, identified taxa (mainly species of Globigerina and Globigerinoides) demonstrate deep sea settings and oligotrophic conditions.

The following assemblages are dominated by small planktonics (Globigerina, Tenuitellinata), suggesting more eutrophic conditions compared to the above mentioned assemblage.

A particular assemblage dominated by Jenkinsella and Globoconella has been identified in a higher stratigraphic position. This was probably the deepest thriving assemblage in the investigated interval.

The composition of foraminifera assemblages changed just below the evaporitic interval (gypsum), becoming shallower and less diverse, with higher proportions of benthic taxa.

The succession of mentioned assemblages suggests changes in sea-level and sedimentary input during the early Badenian. In the absence of index taxa defining the standard biozones, identified assemblages provide data on palaeoenvironmental changes and therefore can be useful for correlations at a regional scale or for increasing the biostratigraphic resolution within the inferred biozones.


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The Cretaceous echinoids of Ormeniş (Braşov, Perşani Mountains, Eastern Carpathians): systematics, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeographic

significance

Gallemí, J.

Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB, Departament de Paleontologia, Parc de la Ciutadella s/n, 08003 Barcelona, Spain, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Echinoida, taxonomy, Turonian/Coniacian, Romania, Simionescu. Introduction

Into a report of the Imperial Geological Institute dated May the 31st 1899, J. (Ion) Simionescu (1899a) presented his preliminary research on the fossils that F. Herbich had collected from the “Inoceramid marls at Ürmös” (= Ormeniş), on the eastern slope of the Perşani Mountains (central Carpathians). Simionescu provided a list of “identified forms that will be published in the Romanian Academy of Sciences” in which, apart from ammonites and bivalves (mainly inoceramids), two echinoids were mentioned: “Stenonia tuberculata Defr.” and Cardiaster pseudo-Italicus n. f.” (op. cit., 231-232). Although Simionescu’s opinion was that the species represented the Turonian and Senonian stages, he pointed out that: 1) “Stenonia tuberculata appears very often at the Vicentin in the uppermost layers of the Scaglia, as well as in the Danian of Mancha Real (Spain)”, and 2) “At both localities, the former species appears in company of Cardiaster Italicus, a species very similar to the carpathian C. pseudo-Italicus”. Simionescu, finally, compared Ormeniş fauna with that of Glodu (Panaci, Suceava) studied by Athanasiu (1898): apart from several inoceramid species common to both localities, “two badly preserved echinoids very similar to [his] Cardiaster pseudo-Italicus” (op. cit., 232-233) were mentioned.

In fact, a single specimen of “Stenonia tuberculata Defr.” and three “Cardiaster pseudo-Italicus n. f.” from Ormeniş were fully described and illustrated later on (Simionescu, 1899b: 271-274; pl. 3, figs. 6, 7). The paper included several comments of the Danian age attributed to the former and to “Cardiaster Italicus” (a species very close to the latter) in the Southern Alps Scaglia and in Mancha Real (Spain).

Biostratigraphy

Walaszczyk & Szasz (1997) revised Herbich’s inoceramid faunas from Ormeniş, assigning them to the topmost Turonian-lowermost Coniacian (op. cit., fig. 2 and 785) in the Mytiloides scupini and the Cremmnoceramus rotundatus Zones, possibly extending into the C. deformis-C. crassus Zone.

Taxonomy and palaeobiogeography

The revision of the echinoids from Ormeniş described by Simionescu and kept in the Paleontology-Stratigraphy Museum belonging to the Faculty of Biology and Geology of the Babes-Bolyai University at Cluj, has resulted in the validation of Stenonaster tuberculatus (Defrance, 1816) and the recognition of Rispolia subtrigonata (Catullo, 1827); “Cardiaster pseudo-Italicus” Simionescu, 1899 is synonymised to the latter.

Both species are characteristic of the Scaglia-like facies from their type localities in the Vicentino region (Southern Alps, Veneto, NE of Italy), the Djidde (= Cide) area (N Turkey), the southern Prepyrenees (NE of Spain) and the Betic Ranges (SE of Spain) in the northern side of the Western Tethys, to the Seybouse basin (NE Algeria) or near Tunis (N of Tunisia) in its southern side. They are generally associated to deep sedimentary beds (oceanic basins) without or with scarce terrigenous inputs.

Rispolia subtrigonata was already quoted in SE Romania at Baia North Quarry (Gallemí et al., 2011, 49) together with inoceramid species representative of the so-called Cremnoceramus deformis-crassus Zone dating the uppermost Lower Coniacian (vide a poster by Gallemí, López and Lazăr in this symposium).


40

Conclusions

The revision of the echinoids mentioned at Ormenis, highlights their biostratigraphical significance and provides new information to establish both the depositional conditions of the “Inoceramid marls” of Ormenis and the palaeogeographical connections with other Tethyan areas.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Liana Săsăran (UBB, Cluj) for proving access to Simionescu's Ormenis material and logistic support. This is a contribution to projects “Central Tethys” (Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB) and CGL2011-25581 of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. References Athanasiu, S., 1898. Studii geologice în districtul Suceava. Buletinul Societăţiĭ de Sciinţe din Bucuresci -

România, Anul VII(1), 61-84. Gallemí, J., Lazăr, I., López, G., Martínez, R., 2011. The Turonian-Coniacian macrofaunal distribution in the

Babadag Syncline (Northern Dobrogea, SE Romania) revisited. First results. Abstract Book, 8th Romanian Symposium of Paleontology (Bucharest, 29-30 September 2011), pp. 48-49.

Simionescu, I., 1899a. Ueber die ober-cretacische Fauna von Ürmös (Siebenbürgen). Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt 8, 227-234.

Simionescu, I. 1899b. Fauna cretacică superióră de la Ürmös (Transilvania). Academia Română, Publicaţiunile Fondului Vasilie Adamachi 4, 237-274, pls. 1-3.

Walaszczyk, I., Szasz, L., 1997. Inoceramid bivalves from the Turonian/Coniacian (Cretaceous) boundary in Romania: revision of Simionescu's (1899) material from Ürmös (Ormenis), Transylvania. Cretaceous Research 18, 767-787.


41

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Echinoid species distribution in the Upper Cretaceous of Dobrogea, SE Romania

Gallemí, J.1, López, G.1 & Lazăr, I.2

1Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB, Departament de Paleontologia, Parc de la Ciutadella s/n, 08003 Barcelona, Spain, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 2Laboratory of Palaeontology, Dpt. of Geology, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Balcescu Ave., Bucharest, RO-010041 Romania. Email: [email protected] Keywords: Echinoida, Turonian, Coniacian, Moesian Platform, Babadag basin, Romania. Introduction

The only previous taxonomic and biostratigraphic paper dealing with the cretaceous echinoids of Dobrogea (Chiriac, 1956) exclusively deals with those of South Dobrogea (Moesian Platform). No echinoids from the Cretaceous formations of N Dobrogea (Babadag Syncline) had been reported until now. Besides echinoids, fieldwork (2008, 2009 and 2010) provided ammonoids and inoceramids which allow setting a biostratigraphic framework for the echinoid species. The project included the revision of echinoids collected in Dobrogea, mainly Chiriac's (1956) type and figured specimens (University of Bucharest) and the rest of his echinoid collection from Southern Dobrogea stored at the National Museum of Geology (Bucharest). A preliminary biostratigraphic framework for these faunas was proposed by Gallemí et al. (2011).

Taxonomy and biostratigraphy

Middle to uppermost Turonian echinoids of the Moesian Platform. Localities with echinoids are geographically grouped around Medgidia. Identified echinoid species

are: Conulus subrotundus Mantell, 1822 and Camerogalerus minimus (Desor, 1842) from the lower Middle Turonian of La Porcărie (Peştera), the Middle or Upper Turonian of Peştera Quarry and the Upper Turonian of Amzalia Hill; Protocardiaster cotteauanus (d'Orbigny, 1855) in the lower Middle Turonian of La Porcărie (Peştera); Epiaster michelini (Agassiz, 1847) in the middle part of the Upper Turonian of Amzalia Hill and Cazemate, and Micraster normanniae Bucaille, 1883 in the upper Middle Turonian of Remus Opreanu and the uppermost Turonian of Amzalia Hill.

Lower Coniacian echinoids of the Babadag Syncline Localities providing echinoids are limited to the surroundings of Baia. Plesiocorys (Plesiocorys)

placenta (Agassiz, 1847) in the Lower Coniacian and Rispolia subtrigonata (Catullo, 1827) from the Lower Coniacian to the uppermost Lower Coniacian are recorded at Baia North Quarry. Two holasteroid specimens (Holasteropsis?) appeared in the Lower Coniacian of Bal Bair Hill.

Acknowledgments

This is a contribution to projects “Central Tethys” (Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB) and CGL2011-25581 of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. References Chiriac, M., 1956. Contribuţiuni la cunoaşterea faunei de echinoide cretacice din Dobrogea de Sud. Buletin

Ştiinţific, Academia Republicii Populare Române, Secţia de geologie şi geografie 1-2(1), 69-105. Gallemí, J., Lazăr, I., López, G., Martínez, R., 2011. The Turonian-Coniacian macrofaunal distribution in the

Babadag Syncline (Northern Dobrogea, SE Romania) revisited. First results. Abstract Book, 8th Romanian Symposium of Paleontology (Bucharest, 29-30 September 2011), pp. 48-49.


42

ORAL

A multi-proxy approach to the assessment of vegetation history, climate and human impact in Rodna Mountains during the Holocene

Geantă, A.1, 2, Tanţău, I.1, Auer, A.1, Hutchinson, S.M.3 & Feurdean, A.2, 4

1Department of Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] 2”Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology, Cluj Napoca, Romania. 3School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, UK. E-mail: [email protected] 4Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] Keywords: palaeoclimate, pollen, charcoal, plant macrofossil, loss on ignition, magnetic properties. Introduction

High altitude environments have a particular sensitivity to climate and land use changes. This sensitivity in alpine and sub-alpine environments is likely to lead to a higher proportion of species loss under future climate changes, than in lower altitude environments. Here, we have used a number of methods to research the link between vegetation, climate, fires and human impact in two sites from Rodna Mountains, Northern Romania.

Methods

A multi-proxy analysis (pollen, spores, stomata, micro- and macro-charcoal, loss on ignition - LOI, mineral magnetic properties and AMS 14C dating) was employed for the Buhăiescu Mare site (core length 127 cm). Pollen analysis was performed for the Gărgălău (core length 185 cm) site and the data was compared to the Buhăiescu Mare pollen and spores diagram.

The peat was sampled using metallic U-shaped profiles and the lake sediments using a “Russian” corer and a gravity corer. Magnetic susceptibility and Saturated Isothermal Remanent Magnetisation (SIRM) were used to aid lithological interpretation of the sediment profile and to detect episodes of erosion following climatic wet phases, land clearance by humans, the intensification of grazing and natural and anthropogenic fires (Hu et al., 2002). Magnetic susceptibility was performed every 2 cm with a Bartington MS2 meter (with a C sensor on site and with a B sensor in the laboratory). SIRM measurements used a Molspin pulse discharge magnetiser. The resultant magnetic remanences were measured with a Molspin Minispin fluxgate magnetometer and were used as a proxy for the abundance of magnetic mineral particles (Akinyemi et al., 2013).

For total organic content (via LOI) samples were dried at 105 °C over night, combusted for 5 hours at 550 °C and expressed as percentage loss of the original weight. The results were used to estimate the organic content of the sediments (Heiri et al., 2001).

2 cm3 sub-samples were retrieved at 1 cm intervals for macroscopic charcoal analysis. Samples were gently wet-sieved through a 160-μm mesh. The total number of macro-charcoal particles was counted using a stereomicroscope in order to estimate past changes in fire activity (Feurdean et al., 2012).

All samples were chemically treated for pollen, spores, stomata and micro-charcoal analysis and counted using a light microscope.

Results

The Gărgălău sequence covers almost the entire Holocene period, while the Buhăiescu Mare sequence starts in the Early Holocene and has a hiatus before 4200 cal BP, with the Boreal and Atlantic phases probably missing. The lower part of the pollen diagrams belonging to the Preboreal phase indicates a colder climate in both sites, with Pinus and Picea forests dominating the high altitude landscape. Artemisia indicates steppe-like vegetation in treeless areas. LOI shows lower organic productivity in this lower part of the Buhăiescu Mare sequence. Coniferous stomata have been found only in this section, indicating a higher position of the treeline in the Early Holocene.

During the Boreal phase, the regional vegetation reflected in the Gărgălău pollen diagram shows the beginning of the establishment of mixed deciduous wooded vegetation (Alnus viridis, Corylus, Ulmus, Betula). This trend is consistent with previous studies on the area (Tanţău, 2006, Feurdean et al., 2013) and continues in the Atlantic phase, accompanied by the expansion of herbaceous plants.


43

The Subboreal phase is marked by the first occurrence of cereal pollen, while in the Subatlantic herbaceous plants show an increased diversity and the total Non arboreal pollen increases, suggesting enhanced deforestation and the enlargement of locally grazed areas. Human impact is also indicated by the peaks in charcoal.

Conclusions

The multi-proxy approach presented in this study enhances our understanding of the vegetation history, climate changes and human impact on the mountain environment in the Rodna Mountains (Eastern Carpathians). Coniferous forests dominated the landscape of Northern Romania in Early Holocene, compared to the herb and shrub dominated landscape, locally grazed, seen in more recent times. The anthropogenic impact in the last 1200 years is marked by an extension of grazed areas, a reduction in the tree cover and increased erosion (for the last 300 years).

Fires occurred naturally in the area, but were enhanced by anthropogenic activities especially in modern times.

References Akinyemi, F.O., Hutchinson, S. M., Mîndrescu, M., Rothwell, J.J., 2013. Lake sediment records of atmospheric

pollution in the Romanian Carpathians. Quaternary International 293, 105-113. Feurdean, A., Spessa, A., Magyari, E.K., Willis, K.J., Veres, D., Hickler, T., 2012. Trends in Biomass Burning

in the Carpathian Region over the Last 15,000 Years. Quaternary Science Reviews 45, 111-125. Feurdean, A., Parr, C., Tanţău, I., Fărcaş, S., Marinova, E., Persoiu, I., 2013. Biodiversity variability across

elevations in the Carpathians: Parallel change with landscape openness and land use, Holocene. DOI: 10.1177/0959683612474482.

Heiri, O., Lotter, A.F., Lemcke, G., 2001. Loss on Ignition as a Method for Estimating Organic and Carbonate Content in Sediments: Reproducibility and Comparability Of Results. Journal of Paleolimnology 25, 101–110.

Hu, S., Deng, C., Appel, E., Verosub, K. L., 2002. Environmental Magnetic Studies of Lacustrine Sediments. Chinese Science Bulletin 47, 613-616.

Tanţău, I., 2006. Histoire de la vegetation tardiglaciaire et holocene dans les Carpates Orientales (Roumanie). Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 200 p.


44

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Early Middle Anisian (Middle Triassic) ammonoids assessing the age of pillow basalts in the Niculițel Unit (North Dobrogean Orogen)

Grădinaru, E.

Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bd. Bălcescu Nicolae 1, RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: basaltic lava flows, siliceous limestones, Hallstatt-like limestones, volcanic seamounts.

The age of the pillow basalts in the Niculițel Unit has long been a matter of debate in the geological literature on the North Dobrogean Orogen. While in the older literature only inferences have been done (e.g., Savul, 1931; Atanasiu, 1940; Mutihac, 1964), the first biostratigraphic data arguing the age of the submarine basaltic lava flows have been provided by Mirăuță (1982). Based on the conodont faunas retrieved from the calcareous sedimentary rocks, the last author claims that several phases of basalt eruptions took place during the late Olenekian (Spathian)-Middle Anisian time interval.

Due to the intense folding and tectonic duplication, the establishing of the primary stratigraphic relationships between the carbonate sedimentary rocks and the pillow basalts is rather difficult. In such a situation, only the correct interpretations of the relationships among the sedimentary rocks and the basalts, and also the availability of age-diagnostic fossils, allow an accurate dating of the basalts. From this point of view, it shall be noted that the late Olenekian (Spathian) conodont fauna mentioned by Mirăuță (1982) comes from limestone slices tectonically amalgamated into the basalts.

The common sedimentary rocks which were coevally associated with the pillow basalts are gray, occasionally reddish, cherty nodular limestones alternating with varicoloured marly shales. Hallstatt-like limestones, occurring now as strongly deformed lenses, were also coevally associated with the basaltic lava flows. These are pelagic massive limestones, rich in ammonoid faunas, that topped the basaltic seamounts, while the siliceous limestones were laid down in the deeper sedimentary environments. Thus, Mutihac (1990) wrongly interpreted the lenses of Hallstatt-like limestone as being olistoliths embedded in a wildflysch bearing post-Middle Triassic basalts.

The first ammonoids recovered from the Hallstatt-type limestones were described by Grădinaru, in Mirăuță et al. (1985). The ammonoids, that are often crushed, were extracted from lenses of Hallstatt-like reddish massive limestones associated to the basalts occurring in the Bujor and Tătaru hills, north of the Nicolae Bălcescu village. The following taxa have been certainly identified: Procladiscites yasoda DIENER, 1895, Epacrochordiceras sp., Megaphyllites sp., Isculites sp., Hollandites sp., Sturia sansovinii (MOJSISOVICS, 1869), to which new identified taxa are added here, such as Vorobyevites unicus SHEVYREV, 1995, Norites labensis SHEVYREV, 1995, Epacrochordiceras inflatum SHEVYREV, 1995, Nicomedites tkhachensis (SHEVYREV, 1968), Longobarditoides sp., Robinsonites sp., Pseudohollandites densicostatus SHEVYREV, 1995, Caucasites inflatus SHEVYREV, 1968, Megaphyllites prometheus SHEVYREV, 1961. This ammonoid assemblage is indicative for the early Middle Anisian (Bithynian).

Having in view that the Hallstatt-like limestones were primarily topping the basaltic seamounts, the above-listed ammonoid fauna is assessing an early Middle Anisian age for some of the submarine basaltic lava flows occurring in the Niculițel Unit of the North Dobrogean Orogen. References Atanasiu, I., 1940. Privire generală asupra geologiei Dobrogei. Ed. Inst. Arte Grafice “Bravo”, Iași, 89 p. Mirăuță, E., 1982. Biostratigraphy of the Triassic deposits in the Somova-Sarica Hill zone (North Dobrogea)

with special regard on the eruption age. Dări de seamă ale ședințelor, Institutul de Geologie și Geofizică, 67/4 (1979-1980), 63-78, București.

Mirăuță, E., Antonescu, Em., Baltreș, A., Boștinescu, S., Codarcea, V., Gheorghian, D., Grădinaru, E., Iordan, M., Mantea, G., Nițoi, E., Rusu, A., Ștefănescu, M., 1985. Elaborarea hărților naționale geologice, geofizice, metalogenetice, hidrogeologice. Harta geologică scara 1:50.000, Foaia Cataloi (pregătire). Tema 6.10. Institutul de Geologie și Geofizică, București.

Mutihac, V., 1964. Zona Tulcea și poziția acesteia în cadrul structural al Dobrogei. Anuarul Comitetului Geologic, 34 (1), București, p. 215-263.

Mutihac, V., 1990. Structura geologică a teritoriului României. Ed. Tehnică, București, 419 p.


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Savul, M., 1931. Erupțiunile de diabaze din Nordul Dobrogei. Dări de seamă ale ședințelor, Institutul Geologic al României,18 (1929-1930), București, p. 231-254.


46

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Thalassodromeus sebesensis: A 42 million year anachronistic new crested pterosaur species from the Cretaceous Haţeg Island

Grellet-Tinner, G.1,2, Codrea, A.V.3 & Solomon A.Al.3

1The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA, e-mail: [email protected] 2Investigador Correspondiente of CONICET, Argentina. 3Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology-Paleontology, Faculty of Biology-Geology, 1 Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected];

Keywords: Thalassodromeus sebesensis, Tapejarid pterosaurs, Hațeg Island, Maastrichtian, Angiosperms. Abstract

Tapejaridae, a clade of edentulous and crested pterosaurs, was temporally constrained to Early Cretaceous Lagerstätten throughout the subtropical archipelagos and regions bordering the Tethyan Ocean. We report here the first occurrence of a new thalassodromine tapejarid pterosaur, Thalassodromeus sebesensis, from the Late Cretaceous locality of Oarda de Jos in southwestern Transylvania, Romania. The distinctive premaxillary crest, previously hypothesized as a tapejarid ecomorphological adaptation to the expansion of angiosperms during the Early Cretaceous, was recovered at the base of an exposure already notorious for its assemblage of fossil angiosperms, namely Icacinacee, Lauracee, Mastixiacee, Euphorbiacee and Palmae. This new discovery further supports the hypothesis of the co-evolution between angiosperms and tapejarid pterosaurs, and extends this adaptation to Thalassodrominae. This Maastrichtian tapejarid from the Oarda de Jos locality doubles the thalassadromine fossil record, extends its paleogeographic distribution to Europe, and reveals a 42 million year ghost lineage with its Aptian conspecies from Brazil. Moreover, its presence in the already singular ecosystem of the Late Cretaceous Haţeg Island demonstrates once more the role of Haţeg as a refuge of endemic taxa typically found in Asia and the Gondwanan landmasses during the Early Cretaceous.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant 1930/2009 and PN-II-PCE-2011-3-0381 of the CNCS (V.A.C., Al.S.). References Buffetaut, E., Grigorescu, D., Csiki, Z., 2003. Giant azhdarchid pterosaurs from the terminal Cretaceous of

Transylvania (Western Romania). In Buffetaut, E., Mazin J.-M. (Eds.), Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs. The Royal Society, London, Special Publication No. 24, 91–104.

Codrea, V., Dica, P., 2005. Upper Cretaceous-lowermost Miocene lithostratigraphic units exposed in Alba Iulia-Sebeş-Vinţu de Jos area (SW Transylvanian Basin). Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Geologia 50(1-2),19–26.

Codrea, V., Vremir, M., Jipa, C., Godefroit, P., Csiki, Z., Smith, T., Fărcaş, C., 2010a. More than just Nopcsa's Transylvanian dinosaurs: A look outside the Haţeg Basin. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 293, 391–405.

Codrea, V., Barbu, O., Jipa-Murzea, C., 2010b. Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) land vertebrate diversity in Alba District (Romania). Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece. Proceedings of the 12th International Congress XLIII( 2), 594–601.

Frey, E., Martill, D.M., Buchy, M.C., 2003. A new species of tapejarid pterosaur with soft-tissue head crest. In Buffetaut, E., Mazin J.-M. (Eds.), Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs. The Royal Society, London, Special Publication No. 24, 65–72.

Givulescu, R., Codrea, V., Vremir, M., 1995. A new contribution to the knowledge of Romanian fossil flora. Acta Palaeoboanica 35, 233–236.

Grellet-Tinner, G., Codrea, V., Folie, A., Higa, A., Smith, T., 2012. First Evidence of Reproductive Adaptation to ‘‘Island Effect’’ of a Dwarf Cretaceous Romanian Titanosaur, with Embryonic Integument In Ovo. PLoS ONE 7, e32051.

Iamandei, E., Iamandei, S., Codrea, V., 2005. Telephragmoxylon transsylvanicum sp. nov. (Cheirolepidiaceae), in Latest Cretaceous from Oarda-Lancrăm and Râpa Roşie, Romania. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai, Geology 50, 19–26.


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Kellner, A.W.A., 1989, A new edentate pterosaur of the Lower Cretaceous from the Araripe Basin, Northeast Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 61, 439–446.

Kellner, A.W.A., 2004. New information on the Tapejaridae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) and discussion of the relationships of this clade. Ameghiniana 41, 521-534.

Kellner, A.W.A., Campos, D.A., 2002. The function of the cranial crest and jaws of a unique pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. Science 297, 389–392.

Kellner, A.W.A., Campos, D., 2007. Short note on the ingroup relationships of the Tapejaridae (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea). Boletim do Museu Nacional 75, 1–14.

Kellner, A.W.A.,Wang, X., Zhou, Z., Campos, D., 2007. On a new tapejarid (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from the Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Jehol Biota, China): the oldest toothless pterosaur. Journal of Vertetrate Paleontology 27, 98A.

Lu, J.C., Yuan, C.X., 2005. New tapejarid pterosaur from western Liaoning, China. Acta Geologica Sinica 79, 453–458.

Unwin, D.M., 2003. On the phylogeny and evolutionary history of pterosaurs. In Buffetaut, E., Mazin J.-M. (Eds.), Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs. The Royal Society, London, Special Publication No. 24, 139–190.

Vremir, M., Unwin, D.M., Codrea, V., 2009. A giant azhdarchid (Reptilia, Pterosauria) and other Upper Cretaceous reptiles from Râpa Rosie – Sebes (Transylvanian basin, Romania) with a reassessment of the age of the Sebes Formation. The 7th Romanian Symposium on Paleontology, Abstracts volume, Cluj-Napoca. 125–128.

Vremir, M., Kellner, A.W.A., Naish, D., Dyke, G.J., 2013. A New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania: Implications for Azhdarchid Diversity and Distribution. PLoS ONE 7, e54268.

Wang, X., Zhou, Z., 2003. A new pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea, Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China and its implications for biostratigraphy. Chinese Science Bulletin 48, 16–23.

Wang, X., Zhou, Z., 2006. Pterosaur assemblages of the Jehol Biota and their implication for the Early Cretaceous pterosaur radiation. Journal of Geology 41, 405–418.

Vullo, R., Marugán-Lobón, J., Kellner, A.W.A., Buscalioni, A.D., Gomez, B., Fuente, M. de la, Moratalla, J.J., 2012. A New Crested Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain: The First European Tapejarid (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchoidea). PLoS ONE 7, e38900.

Wellnhofer, P., Kellner, A.W.A., 1991. The skull of Tapejara wellnhoferi Kellner (Reptilia, Pterosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin, Northeastern Brazil. Mitteilungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontogie und Historical Geology 31, 89–106.


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Holocene vegetation history in the Apuseni Mountains

Grindean, R.1, Tanţău, I.1 & Fărcaş, S.2 1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Institute of Biological Researches, 48 Republicii Street, 4000015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Holocene, age-depth model, pollen analysis, vegetation history, human activity, Romania. Introduction

Due to their orographic conditions, the geological setting and the abundant precipitations, the Apuseni mountains host over half of the oligotrophic peat bogs in Romania. The trees that form the present forests are linked to the sheltered areas, formed as a result of the extension of the karstic zones that persisted during the last cold and dry periods in this part of the Romanian Carpathians. Furthermore, from the beginning of the Neolithic (ca 8000 cal yr BP) onwards, the Transylvanian highlands were being populated by the human communities of Carcea-Gura Baciuli-Ocna Sibiului type (Lazarovici, 1993; Mantu, 1998). All these characteristics have been the basis of numerous palynological studies in this area. Through this preliminary multi-proxy study of the peat bogs from Iaz and Ic Ponor, we attempt to establish a chronology of the forest history and human impact in the western Romanian Carpathians.

Methodology

The cores collected at Ic Ponor and Iaz were regularly sub-sampled at 3- 5 cm (Ic Ponor) and 5 cm (Iaz) intervals for pollen analysis. The sample preparation (1cm3) followed the standard procedure: acetolysis in case of peat and gyttja samples and flotation with Thoulet liquid or ZnCl2. Seven samples for Ic Ponor and six for Iaz were dated by the conventional method at the Radiocarbon Laboratory in Poznán, Poland.

Results

The age-depth models together with the analysis of the preliminary pollen diagrams, illustrate some notable similarities, as well as differences, in the sedimentation rate as well as the pollen distribution in the two studied sites.

The sedimentation rates reconstructed from the age-depth models show a relatively similar lower rate tendency starting with the end of the Late-Glacial in Ic Ponor, and the first part of Boreal in Iaz. These rates correspond with the changing conditions from the boundary of the last cold period and the dry and warm conditions of the Boreal period, which instigate a lower sediment delivery. Towards the end of the period, the sedimentation rate increases, with a more noticeable increase in the Ic Ponor site.

Despite the hiatus in sedimentation, which occurs abruptly at Ic Ponor site at around 6000 cal BP, the sedimentation rate of the preceding environmental period, corresponding to the Atlantic, display once more an alike tendency in both sites but with an enhanced sediment delivery due the wet and warm climate of this period. At Iaz site the sedimentation rate maintains a uniform increasing trend along the last 5000 years.

The difference in the inclination of the interpolation line between the two age-depth models is probably due to the sediment input which is determined by the different altitude and regional climatic conditions in the two sites (Ic Ponor ca. 1020 m, Iaz ca. 300 m).

These interpretations of the age-depth models can also be associated with climatic events identified in the preliminary pollen diagrams of Iaz and Ic Ponor sequences.

The bottom part of Ic Ponor sequence recorded the Late Glacial/Holocene boundary, where Pinus throve dominating the landscape with Betula alongside.

The beginning of the Holocene is better represented at Ic Ponor and it is characterized by the expansion of the Picea, Ulmus and Corylus at the expense of Pinus. At Iaz, due to the lower altitude, Tilia has a stronger influence than Picea during the forest expansions in this period. Corylus starts expanding at around 10 600 cal yr BP at Ic Ponor and reaches a maximum at 8400 cal yr BP, while at Iaz only the maximum is visible at 7100 cal yr BP.


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Both Carpinus and Fagus have their first occurrence in the Iaz forests at 7600 cal yr BP. The first one reaches its maximum at 5000 cal yr BP, while the latter one 800 cal yr BP ago. Due to the hiatus in sedimentation which occurred at Ic Ponor, the exact emergence and the respective maximum values of Carpinus and Fagus could not be established.

The first indications of human activities at Iaz and Ic Ponor appear during the Boreal period (9000-10 000 cal yr BP) with the first occurrence of Cereales pollen.

Conclusions

The peat bog sequences Iaz and Ic Ponor provide new records on the Holocene forest dynamics and climate history in the Apuseni Mountains.

The age-depth models provide the sedimentation rates in correlation with the main aspects of the climatic events identified in the two sequences, despite the interruptions in sediment delivery (hiatus) and differences in altitude.

A further correlation with other proxies will provide a wider and more accurate climate history of the Apuseni Mountains. References Lazarovici, G., 1993. Les Carpates Méridionales et la Transylvanie. In: Kozlowski, J., Van Berg, P.L. (Eds.),

Atlas du Néolithique européen. L’Europe orientale. Etudes et Recherches Archéologiques de l’Université de Liége, Marcel Otte publisher, Liége, pp. 243–284.

Mantu, C.-M., 1998. The Absolute Chronology of the Romanian Neolithic and Aneolitic/Chalcolitic Periods. The State of Research. Mémoires de la Société Préhistorique Francaise, T. XXVI, 1999. Suppl. 1999 Revue d’Archéométrie, Actes du colloque ‘‘C14– Archéologie’’, 6 avril 1998, pp. 225–231.


50

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New petrified woods from AICU Collection

Iamandei, S.1, Brânzilă, M.2 & Țabără, D.2

1Geological Institute of Romania, 1st Caransebes Street, sect. 1, 012271-Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 2„A. I. Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv., 700505 Iasi, Romania; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: university collection, petrified wood, morphotaxa, extant correspondent, environmental significance.

Some petrified woods present in geological collection of “Al. I. Cuza” University from Iași were studied here. Taxonomic identification was done by classic methodology of microscopic study of standard oriented thin slides on an original material found years ago in Moldavian region. Comparative study of fossil wood structures to those of the actual vegetation led to the identification of existing trees in those geological periods. A Cupressinoxylon and an Ulmoxylon were identified as correspondents of extant Cupressus (Cypress) and, respectively, Ulmus (elm). So, the list of already identified flora from those localities is completed with these new species, which could contribute to the better environmental image during the sedimentation of geological formations in which have been identified.


51

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Old collection of Petrified Wood in the National Geological Museum of Bucharest

Iamandei, S.1 & Iamandei, E.

1Geological Institute of Romania, 1st Caransebes Street, sect. 1, 012271-Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: petrified wood, museum collection, taxonomic identification, environmental significance.

Fascinated by one of the most frequent fossil found in various terrigenous formations, the petrified wood, many field geologists collected such small or big pieces as curiosities and delivered them to museums. But there is the possibility to identify them as coming from some fossil trees, ancestors of the current trees, living around us. In the big paleontological collection hosted by the National Museum of Geology from Bucharest we found some pieces, sometimes monumental, which are studied here. Using an adequate methodology of preparation to obtain oriented thin slides of petrographic type and microscopic study, these pieces of petrified wood can be framed in some species and also we can get some environmental significance. The present study has as result the taxonomic identification of 14 specimens as Conifers (Cupressinoxylon, Thujoxylon, Taxodioxylon) and Dicotyledons (Rhysocaryoxylon, Quercoxylon) collected from various Tertiary sites from Romania: Bozovici, Făget, Pârlagele, Comănești. Knowing their field origin, these samples will contribute not only to the individual value of each fossil, but could be integrated in the specific knowledge of the original geological formation, yielding valuable environmental information. In this case the value of the museum’s collection is growing and the information on the past geological environments is enhanced.


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Review of the large mammals from the Pleistocene of Rateş (Galaţi County), housed in the Tecuci Mixed Museum

Ilie, R. M.1, 2 & Vasile, Ş.3

1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Laboratory of Paleontology, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2S.C. Prospecţiuni S. A., 1 Caransebeş street, 012271 Bucharest, Romania Keywords: Quaternary, fossil vertebrates, herbivores, megafauna.

The Rateş fossil site is located on the left bank of Bârlad River, about 1 km downstream from the

city of Tecuci (Galaţi County). Because of the large number of fossil vertebrate remains it yielded, the site was decreed a palaeontological natural reserve (Legea 5/2000). Most fossil remains collected from the Rateş site were taken to the Tecuci Mixed Museum, where they are presently housed.

Although brief reports on the material collected from Rateş were also made by Macarovici (1959; 1968), the most extensive description belongs to Apostol & Vicoveanu (1970). The latter authors attribute the fossil remains from Rateş to elephantids (Mammuthus meridionalis, Ma. primigenius), rhinocerotids (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and bovids (Bison priscus, Bos primigenius). Apostol & Vicoveanu (1970) consider that the megaherbivore fossil assemblage of Rateş is indicative of the Late Pleistocene, except for a couple of Ma. meridionalis molars, which they believe to be reworked from older deposits. The presence of cervids is reported by Macarovici (1959), who attributed mandible fragments housed at the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University from Iaşi to a “Cervus (Megaceros) euryceros”; Apostol & Vicoveanu (1970) mention the presence of “Megaceros giganteus”, without describing or illustrating the material referred to this taxon.

The revision of the material housed at the Tecuci Mixed Museum was performed for two main reasons: to assess the taxonomical affinities of the specimens collected after Apostol & Vicoveanu’s (1970) study, and to apply more recent methods of taxonomical attribution, unavailable to the above-mentioned authors. Such methods include the morphodimensional approach of discerning between the species of the genus Mammuthus, as described by Maglio (1973), and van Essen (2011), or between the species of Quaternary rhinocerotids, as per Guerin (1980).

Following the reassessment of the material present in the Tecuci Mixed Museum collection, the taxonomical attribution made by Apostol & Vicoveanu (1970) was confirmed for the bovids (Bison priscus and Bos primigenius), for Megaloceros giganteus, and for the rhinocerotid (Coelodonta antiquitatis).

The case was not the same for the elephantids: although the presence of Ma. meridionalis and Ma. primigenius dentognathic remains was confirmed, most of the specimens previously attributed to Ma. primigenius were found to fit the morphodimensional parameter range of Ma. trogontherii.

Other taxa, previously not reported from Rateş, include the cervid Cervus elaphus, represented by skullcaps and antlers, and an unidentified species of Equus, represented by a couple of maxillary toothrows.

Because there is no precise information on the stratigraphic level from which the vertebrate fossils from Rateş were collected, their usefulness in assessing the age of the deposits cropping out at this site is only partial. Most taxa are typical for the Late Pleistocene (e. g. Petronio et al., 2011), thus hinting towards an Upper Pleistocene age of the deposits from the Rateş sequence. However, the addition of Ma. trogontherii to the faunal list fills the temporal gap between Ma. meridionalis and Ma. primigenius, and indicates the Middle Pleistocene was also present. The three Mammuthus species are part of a monophyletic lineage, and replaced each-other gradually, from the more basal latest Pliocene–Early Pleistocene Ma. meridionalis, to the Middle Pleistocene Ma. trogontherii, and ending with the more derived latest Pleistocene–Early Holocene Ma. primigenius (Lister et al., 2005). Such continuity lends support to the hypothesis that at least the Middle and Upper Pleistocene are present in the sedimentary section from Rateş. If this is the case, the outcrop from Rateş includes deposits of the Middle Pleistocene Barboşi-Babele Formation, but possibly those of the lowermost Middle Pleistocene Vânători Formation as well (for the definition and description of the Quaternary stratigraphic units of the Eastern Dacian Basin, see Andreescu et al., 2011; 2013).


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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Costel Ilie („Paul Păltănea” History Museum, Galaţi) for bringing the existence of the material from the Tecuci Mixed Museum to their attention, as well as the staff from the Tecuci Mixed Museum for allowing the study of the specimens and for the assistance granted during this work. References Andreescu, I., Codrea, V., Enache, C., Lubenescu, V., Munteanu, T., Petculescu, A., Ştiucă, E., Terzea, E.,

2011. Reassessment of the Pliocene/Pleistocene (Neogene / Quaternary) boundary in the Dacian Basin (Eastern Paratethys), Romania. Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii 27, 1, 197-220.

Andreescu, I., Codrea, V., Munteanu, T., Petculescu, A., Ştiucă, E., Terzea, E., 2013. New developments in the Upper Pliocene–Pleistocene stratigraphic units of the Dacian Basin (Eastern Paratethys), Romania. Quat. Int. 284, 15-29.

Apostol, L., Vicoveanu, D., 1970. L’étude des eléphantidés, des rhinocéridés et de bovidés des dépots quaternaires de la vallée inférieure du Bîrlad, existants au Musée de Tecuci (Dép. Galatzi). Travaux du Muséum d’histoire naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 10, 359-364.

Guerin, C., 1980. Les rhinocéros (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) du Miocène terminal au Pleistocène supérieur en Europe Occidentale. Comparaison avec les espèces actuelles. Documents des laboratories de géologie Lyon 79, 1, 1-401.

Legea nr. 5 din 6 martie 2000 privind aprobarea Planului de amenajare a teritoriului naţional – Secţiunea a III-a – zone protejate. Monitorul Oficial al României, 152/12 aprilie 2000.

Lister, A. M., Sher, A. V., van Essen, H., Wei, G., 2005. The pattern and process of mammoth evolution in Eurasia. Quat. Int. 126-128, 49-64.

Macarovici, N., 1959. Asupra cerbilor fosili din Cuaternarul Moldovei. Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iaşi 5, 1, 125-136.

Macarovici, N., 1968. Geologia Cuaternarului. Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, Bucureşti, 234 p. Maglio, V. J., 1973. Origin and evolution of the elephantidae. Transactions of the American Philosophical

Society 63, 3, 1-149. Petronio, C., Bellucci, L., Martiinetto, E., Pandolfi, L., Salari, L., 2011. Biochronology and palaeoenvironmental

changes from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene in Central Italy. Geodiversitas 33, 3, 485-517. van Essen, H., 2011. Tracing transitions – An overview of the evolution and migration of the genus Mammuthus

Brookes, 1828 (Mammalia, Proboscidea). PhD dissertation, Leiden University, 251 pp.


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Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene foraminifera from Tarcău Nappe (Varnița Brook, Eastern Carpathians)

Ionesi, V.1 & Mare, S.1

1University „Al. I. Cuza” from Iaşi, Departament of Geology, Bd. Carol I, nr. 20A, 700505, Iasi, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: microfauna, agglutinated foraminifera, calcareous foraminifera, Hangu Formation, Runcu Formation, Izvor Formation.

We have analysed foraminifera founded in clay deposits from Hangu, Runcu (Ionesi, 1998) and Izvor Formations on Varniţa Brook, starting from the confluence with Voroneţ Brook which is a tributary of Moldova River.

In this region, studies of Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene microfauna have been achieved by Ionesi and Tocorjescu in 1968, and Ionesi (1971, 1975). At the upper part of Hangu Formation they have highlighted a foraminifera assemblage with Abathomphalus mayorensis Bolli, which indicates the age of deposits as being Upper Maastrichtian. For the Izvor Formation, association with agglutinated foraminifera indicate Danian Age.

The microfaunal analyses were carried out on 12 samples from Hangu Formation, 2 samples from Runcu Formation (Ionesi, 1998) and 11 samples from Izvor Formation, being identified 58 taxa: 49 in Hangu Formation, 17 in Runcu Formation 22 in Izvor Formation.

In Hangu Formation we have found calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera, while in Runcu and Izvor Formation only agglutinated foraminifera.

Among the calcareous foraminifera identified in Hangu Formation we have founded Abathonphalus mayorensis Bolli, which indicates the Upper Maastrichtian age of this formation. Based on the agglutinated foraminifera founded in Izvor Formation, we have identified an interval zone with Rzehakina fissistomata (Grzyb.), (according to Olszewska, 1997), indicating the Paleocene age of this formation.

From a total of 58 taxa that we have mentioned in this study, 27 are listed for the first time in this area. References Ionesi, L., 1971. Flişul Paleogen din bazinul văii Moldovei, Ed. Academiei Republicii Socialiste România,

București, 238 p. Ionesi, L., 1975. Limite Maestrichtien-Paléocéne et Cuisien numulitiques dans les flysch de Bucovine.

Excursion L. Guide micropaleontologique du mésozoïque et de tertiare des Carpates Roumaines-14 th European Micropaleontological colloquium, Bucureşti, p. 145-150.

Ionesi, L., 1998. Formation de Runcu des nappes de Vrancea et de Tarcău. An. St. Univ. „ Al. I. Cuza” Iaşi, Geologie, Tomul XLII-XLIII, p. 107-113.

Ionesi, L., Tocorjescu, M., 1968. Date microfaunistice asupra limitei cretacic superior-paleogen în flişul extern din bazinul văii Moldovei, An. St. Univ. „ Al. I. Cuza” Iaşi, secţia a II-a (geol., geogr.), XIV. p. 61-68.

Olszewska, B., 1997. Foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Polish Outer Carpathians: a record of basin geohstory. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, Krakow, 67 (2-3): 325-337.


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New data to the knowledge of Miliolida from Lower Sarmatian of Rădăuți Depression

Ionesi, V.1 & Dumitriu, S.D.1

1University „Al. I. Cuza” from Iaşi, Departament of Geology, Bd. Carol I, nr. 20A, 700505, Iasi, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Moldavian Platform, Upper Middle Miocene, calcareous foraminifera.

The Lower Sarmatian (Upper Middle Miocene) deposits from Rădăuţi Depression area (Moldavian Platform) have been micropaleontological studied by Ionesi (1968 - the boreholes from Frătăuţii Vechi, Măneuţi and Marginea), Ionesi and Ionesi (1968 – the outcrops from Costişa and Dorneşti), Ionesi and Guevara (1993 –1002 Bădeuţi borehole).

In this paper we studied 30 samples and we have identified several taxa of miliolids. This samples was collected between 1994 – 2012 from the FH3P1 Rădăuţi borehole and from outcrops (Costişa and Dorneşti). We described and figurated 15 miliolids taxa: Quinqueloculina akneriana akneriana (d’Orbigny), Quinqueloculina akneriana argunica Gerke, Quinqueloculina minakovae ukrainica Didkovski, Articularia karreriella (Venglinsky), Cycloforina cristata (Millett), Cycloforina fluviata (Venglinsky), Cycloforina karreri ovata (Serova), Cycloforina predcarpatica (Serova), Cycloforina karreri karreri (Reuss), Pseudotriloculina consobrina consobrina (d’Orbigny), Pseudotriloculina consobrina nitens (Reuss), Varidentella rotunda (Gerke), Varidentella pseudocostata (Venglinsky), Nodobaculariella ovalis Venglinski, Nodobaculariella cf. sulcata Reuss.

Compared to previous studies, in samples studied by us, the taxa of Quinqueloculina minakovae ukrainica Didkowski, Cycloforina cristata (Millett) have not been identified in this area. Also, the species of Cycloforina cristata (Millett) has not been mentioned until now in the Sarmatian deposits from Moldavian Platform. References Ionesi, B., 1968. Stratigrafia depozitelor miocene de platformă dintre Valea Siretului şi Valea Moldovei, Ed.

Acad. R.S. România, Bucureşti. 395 p. 41 planşe. Ionesi, B., Ionesi, L., 1968. Contribuţii la cunoaşterea Buglovianului dintre Valea Siretului şi Valea Sucevei

(Platforma Moldovenească), An. Şt. Univ. ,,Al. I. Cuza”, Iaşi p. 69-78. Ionesi, B., Guevara, I., 1993. Studiul depozitelor sarmaţiene din forajul 1002 Bădeuţi (NV Platformei

Moldoveneşti), Bul. Soc. Geol. Rom., Bucureşti. s. 4, vol. 14, p. 79-87.


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The microfauna assemblages from Sarmatian deposits from four oil boreholes of central-southern part of the Moesian Platform

Ioniță, C.1, Șindilar, V.D.1 & Stoica, M.2

1OMV Petrom SA – E&P – ICPT Câmpina, Culturii Blvd. 29, 105600, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Balcescu Blvd. 1, 010041, Roumania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Volhynian, Bessarabian, foraminifera, ostracods, brackish environment.

In this poster we present the microfauna assemblages of Sarmatian deposits intercepted by four oil boreholes from Videle, Blejesti and Balaria fields. The Sarmatian deposits of these structures belong to Urziceni Formation from the central-southern part of Moesian Platform.

Were analysed 68 samples from 25 cores. The drilling depth varies from 622.70 m to 900.00 m. In the analysed samples we identified foraminifera, ostracods, statoliths of Mysidae, fish otoliths, bivalves, gastropods and rare radiolarians, spicules of sponges, annelid tubes, bryozoans and algae.

Based on foraminifers were identified the following biozones: Varidentella reussi Zone and Elphidium reginum Zone for Volhynian stage, Dogielina sarmatica Zone and Porosononion aragviensis Zone for Bessarabian stage (according to Popescu, 1995). A scarce association with few taxa of Anomalinoides dividens and Ammonia beccarii was found in Early Sarmatian sediments. This association is supposed to belong to Anomalinoides dividens Zone (Early Volhynian). Correlating these associations with others associations described in Central and Eastern Paratethys (Filipescu, 2005; Görög, 1992; Grill, 1941; Harzhauser & Piller, 2004; Łuczkowska, 1974; Papp, 1974; Rögl, 1998; Shatilova et al., 2012; Silye, 2010; Zlinska et al., 2010) was established the stratigraphical position and sedimentary environment for these formations.

In most of the analyzed samples the predominant taxa belong to the benthic genera Elphidium ( E. aculeatum, E. crispum, E. fichtelianum, E. haueriunum, E. josephinum, E. macellum aculeatum, E. macellum macellum, E. multacamerum, E. nataliae, E. poyeanum, E. reginum), Porosononion (P. martkobi, P. subgranosus hyalinum, P. subgranosus subgranosus), Nonion (N. bogdanowiczi, Nonion commune) and Ammonia( A. beccarii) that are tolerant euryhaline species. In some samples the porcelaneous foraminifera are prevalent:Meandroloculina conico-cameralis, Spirolina mariae, Quinqueloculina angustioris, Q. consobrina, Q. voloshinovae pectiniformis, Varidentella reussi, , Dogielina kaptarenko, D. sarmatica, Articulina problema and A. tamanica.

Ostracods are frequent and the most common taxa are represented by Cyprideis pannonica, Aurila merita, A. mehesi, Hemicytheria omphalodes omphalodes, Callistocythere egregia, Leptocythere tenuis, L. mironovi efigiata, Loxoconcha punctatella, Xestoleberis pseudofuscata.

Depending on fluctuations of the sea level, these associations are typical for shallow brackish water situated in a warm to temperate climate (Murray, 2006). At certain depth were determined the taxa affected by pyritization which indicate a sedimentation under reducing conditions. References Filipescu, S., Silye, L., Krezsek, C., 2005. Sarmatian micropaleontological assamblages and sedimentary

paleoenvironments in the southern Transyvanian Basin. Acta Paleontologica Romaniae v. 5, p. 173-179. Görög, Á., 1992. Sarmatian foraminifera of the Zsámbék basin, Hungary. Annales Universitatis Scientiarium

Budapestinensis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae, Geologica, v. 29, p. 31-153. Grill, R., 1941. Stratigraphische Untersuchungen mit Hilfe von Mikrofaunen im Wiener Becken und der

benachbarten Molasse-Anteilen. Oel und Kohle, v. 31, 595-602. Harzhauser, M., Piller, W.E., 2004. Integrated stratigraphy of Sarmatian (Upper Middle Miocene) in the western

Central Paratethys. Stratigraphy, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 65-86. Łuczkowska, E., 1974. Miliolidae (Foraminiferida) from Miocene of Poland. Part II. Biostratigraphy,

Palaeoecology and Systematics. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, v. 19, p. 1-176. Murray, J.W., 2006. Ecology and applications of benthic Foraminifera. Cambridge Universsity Press. Papp, A., 1974. Chronostratigraphie und Neostratotypen. Miozän der Zentralen Paratethys, v. 4, p. 31-34

Bratislava.


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Popescu, G., 1995. Contribution to the knowledge of the Sarmatian Foraminifera of Romania. Romanian Journal of Paleontology, v. 76, p. 85-98.

Rögl, F., 1998. Paratethys Oligocene-Miocene stratigraphic correlation. In: Cicha, I., Rögl, F., Rupp, C., Ctyroka, J. (eds.) Oligocene - Miocene foraminifera of the Central Paratethys. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, v. 549, p. 49-50.

Shatilova, I., Maissuradze, L., Kokolashvili, I., Koiava, K., 2012. The comparison of the results of palynological and microfaunistical investigations of the Sarmatian Deposits of Eastern Georgia. Bulletin of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 138 – 144.

Silye, L., 2010. Asociatii de foraminifere sarmatiene din sudul Bazinului Transilvaniei si semnificatia acestora in reconstituirea mediilor depozitionale. Ph. D. Thesis, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Facultatea de Biologie si Geologie, Cluj-Napoca.

Zlinská, A., Hudáćková, N., Koubová, I., 2010. Lower Sarmatian foraminifera from marginal marine environments in the Malaky vicinity (Vienna Basin). Geol. výzk. Mor. Slez., 16thConference on Upper Tertiary Brno, p. 104 - 106.


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Lower and Middle Jurassic foraminifera from the Mihailovici sequence, Lim River area, NE Montenegro

Ivanova, D.1, Metodiev, L.1, Rabrenović, D.2, Mojsić, I.2 & Koleva-Rekalova, E.1

1Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2Department of Geology, Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, 6 Kamenićka Str., 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Internal Dinarides, East Bosnian-Durmitor thrust sheets, microfossils, age, basal Jurassic.

The object of the present study is a highly discontinuous, condensed and rapidly varying Lower-Middle Jurassic sequence from the Northern Montenegro. The Mihailovici section located between the towns of Pljevlja (NE Montenegro) and Prijepolje (SW Serbia), south-west to the Lim River valley is exanimate. This is the wide area of the East Bosnian-Durmitor thrust sheets and represents a case-section of the scattered basal Jurassic strata from the Internal Dinarides. In this area, the Jurassic deposits occur in small and isolated outcrops, as scattered erosional remnants of formerly larger sedimentary cover. Usually, the Jurassic rocks lie upon a basement of massive to thick-bedded bioclastic limestones of Middle to Late Triassic age. Typically, they are composed of highly discontinuous, thinly developed and often condensed peri-platform and pelagic carbonates: bioclastic limestones and red nodular, ammonite-bearing limestones (Lower Jurassic), and micritic limestones with filaments of Bositra buchi (Middle Jurassic), associated with ophiolite mélange rocks of the Diabase-radiolarite Formation (Middle-Upper Jurassic).

The section studied represents small and partly quarried outlier, located 6.0 km ESE to the town of Pljevlja (North Montenegro), near the Montenegro-Serbia border. Its total thickness is 21.25 m. At the top, a fault between the serpentinites of the Diabase-radiolarite Formation and the uppermost Middle Jurassic beds cuts out the top part of the section. The proper basement is unknown. Four distinct hardground surfaces within the sequence confirm it to be highly discontinuous, by missing of more or less stratigraphic record. The foraminifers and the ammonites are biostratigraphically valuable fossils of the Mihailovići section and no other fossils have been found. The Sinemurian and the Bajocian were determined at the bottom and at the top of the section by foraminifers herein. The preliminary results have already been published (Rabrenović et al., 2012; Metodiev et al., 2013).

A rich foraminiferal assemblage was determined from the first two packs (No. 1 and 2) and it consists of: Involutina liassica (Jones), Coronipora etrusca (Pirini), Reinholdella planiconvexa Fuchs, Spirillina? iranica Senowbari-Daryan, Rashidi & Torabi, Trocholina umbo Frentzen, T. ultraspirata Blau, Dentalina sinemuriensis Terquem, Lingulina gr. tenera Bornemann, Nodosaria regularis Terquem, N. dispar Franke, Pseudonodosaria cf. multicostata (Bornemann), Marginulina cf. prima d’Orbigny, Verneuilinoides mauritii (Terquem), Ophthalmidium liasicum (Kübler & Zwingli), O. leischneri Kristan-Tollmann, Planiinvoluta carinata Leischner, Lenticulina spp., and Glomospira spp. Amongst the abundant species recorded from these two packs, the Sinemurian age of the rocks has been dated by the presence of the following taxa: Ophthalmidium liasicum, O. leischneri, Trocholina ultraspirata, Pseudonodosaria cf. multicostata, Lingulina gr. tenera, Dentalina sinemuriensis, Marginulina cf. prima and Reinholdella planiconvexa. The rest of the species from this assemblage are characteristic for the Sinemurian as well, but having earlier appearance and common distribution in older strata than the Sinemurian, as documented by Senowbari-Daryan et al. (2010)

The first incoming of the earliest protoglobigerinids of the genus Globuligerina and subsequent range of this genus upwards indicate the Bajocian age of uppermost packs (No.5 and 6). It seems that our sequence records a straight transition to a planktonic mode of life from benthic ancestors (e.g., Praegubkinella spp. found from below in the Toarcian, pack No. 4), but further more detailed study needed to confirm that. The Bajocian planktonic foraminiferal assemblage is nearly mono-specific, and displays stable morphology, although there is some variation in spire height rate of expansion of the chambers of the specimens found. As the study of the foraminifers has been done uniquely on thin-sections, two species were determined only, and they gave the age: Globuligerina bathoniana and Globuligerina oxfordiana (Wernli & Görög, 2000, 2007).


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This review is founded upon on the empirical data obtained from the Mihailovići section by the authors themselves. As fresh material has given rise to new evidence, it appeared that yet further additions to the stratigraphy, fossils and depositional evolution of this succession have become necessary. We were fully aware that the newly obtained evidence is too much that it is worth to put it forward. This particularly applies to the ammonites and foraminifers that give a new meaning to the older records from the biostratigraphic and taxonomic point of view. The investigation gives new details on the facies and biostratigraphic re-interpretation of the Lower-Middle Jurassic beds of section Mihailovići. It is based on the study of petrographic thin sections and ammonites, which are part of the Bulgarian Geological Institute collections.

Acknowledgments

This work is a contribution to Project No 176015, granted by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia. References Metodiev, L., Rabrenović, D., Mojsić, I., Ivanova, D., Koleva-Rekalova, E., 2013. The ammonites of the

Bifrons zone (Toarcian, Lower Jurassic) from Mihailovići (Internal Dinarides), Montenegro. C.R. Acad. bulg. Sci., 66, 1, 67-76.

Rabrenović, D., Metodiev, L., Ivanova, D., Koleva-Rekalova, E., Radulovic, V., Mojsić, I., 2012. The lower and the Middle Jurassic Facies and Biostratigraphy (Ammonites and Foraminifers) of the Lim river area (Internal Dinarides), Montenegro. C.R. Acad. bulg. Sci., 65, 12, 1705-1716.

Senowbari-Daryan, B., Rashidi, K., Torabi, H., 2010. Foraminifera and their associations of a possibly Rhaetian section of the Nayband Formation in central Iran, northeast of Esfahan. Facies, 56, 567-596.

Wernli, R., Görög, A., 2000. Determination of Bajocian protoglobigerinids (Foraminifera) in thin sections. Revue Paleobiology, 19 (2), 399-407.

Wernli, R., Görög, A., 2007. Protoglobigerinids and Oberhauserellidae (Foraminifera) of the Bajocian-Bathonian of the Southern Jura Mts, France. Revue de micropaléontology, 50, 185–205.


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Lower Cretaceous microfossils from the Circum-Rhodope Belt in the Chalkidiki Peninsula and the Rhodope-Thrace districts, Northern Greece

Ivanova, D.1, Chatalov, A.2 & Bonev N.2

1Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: [email protected] 2Faculty of Geology & Geography, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Berriasian, Valanginian, Foraminifera, Calpionellids, Calcareous dinocysts, Northern Aegean region.

In the Hellenides, the high-grade Serbo-Macedonian and Rhodope massifs are separated by the lowgrade Circum-Rhodope Belt from the Vardar suture zone. The Circum-Rhodope Belt (CRB) was introduced by Kauffmann et al. (1976), suggesting continuity of the sedimentary successions. This contribution examines the micropaleontological context of Lower Cretaceous limestones in the Circum-Rhodope Belt, NE Greece. The sections under study are located in the southwestern and northeastern parts of CRB – the Chalkidiki Peninsula and Rhodope-Thrace district. Object of our study are microfossil associations from the limestone sequences which refine the Toroni section (Chalkidiki Peninsula) to Late Berriasian-Early Valanginian substage and the Aliki section (Rhodope-Thrace district) to Valanginian stage.

At Toroni section (Chalkidiki Peninsula), the Early Cretaceous rocks are white, crudely bedded, pure fossiliferous limestones with predominant massive structure. The fossil assemblage includes mostly fragments from corals, crinoids, bryozoans, bivalves, echinoids, foraminifers, and calpionellids. Microencrusters of the association Lithocodium aggregatum–Bacinella irregularis and Crescentiella morronensis Crescenti are specific elements, too. The distinguished microfacies types comprise bioclastic rudstones, grainstones, packstones, and wackestones. These rocks contain variable amount of intraclasts derived from bioclastic and lime mud sediments plus some peloids. Bioclastic-peloidal packstones and bioclastic mudstones (with calpionellids and foraminifers) are subordinate microfacies types in the section. The age of the limestones was determinate as Late Berriasian-Early Valanginian based on foraminifera species: Meandrospira favrei (Charollais, Brönnimann & Zaninetti), Montsalevia salevensis (Charollais, Brönnimann & Zaninetti), Protopeneroplis ultragranulata (Gorbachik), Coscinophragma cribrosum (Reuss), Istriloculina eliptica (Iovcheva), I. emiliae Neagu as well as on single calpionellids and calcareous dinocysts species: Calpionellites cf. major (Colom), Tintinnopsella carpathica (Murgeanu & Filipescu), Stomiosphaera wanneri Borza, and Colomisphaera vogleri (Borza).

The carbonate sediments were deposited in shallow marine environment without siliciclastic input probably above the fair-weather wave base. The deposition occurred in the photic zone as is revealed by the presence of corals and encrusting taxa. The bottom hydrodynamics had variable intensity resulting in both winnowed and non-winnowed fabrics. The rich benthic fossil assemblage including stenohaline organisms indicates normal marine salinity and oxic conditions on the sea floor. The particular occurrence of photozoan organisms reflects sedimentation in tropical climate regime.

At Aliki section (Rhodope-Thrace districts), the early Cretaceous limestones have characteristics of packstone–grainstone–wackestone–mudstone, whose textures and constituent allochemes define shallow water environment with moderate hydrodynamic regime, normal salinity, high oxygen level, subtropical conditions and low siliciclastic input. The depositional environment can be interpreted as a semi-restricted sector (lagoon) of carbonate shelf which was presumably marked by the occurrence of small, isolated rudist-dominated buildups (with rhodoliths and microencrusters as binding organisms).

Valanginian age of the Aliki limestones is suggested herein on the basis of a newly discovered benthic foraminifera association: Protopeneroplis ultragranulata (Gorbachik), Haplophragmoides joukowskyi (Charollais, Broennimann & Zaninetti), Montsalevia salevensis (Charollais, Broennimann & Zaninetti), Pseudocyclammina lituus (Yokoyama), Neotrocholina friburgensis Guillaume & Reichel, Earlandia conradi Arnaud-Vanneau, Vercorsella sp., Pfenderina sp., Glomospira sp., Bolivinopsis sp., Gaudryinopsis sp., Trocholina sp., Istriloculina sp. The absence of specific


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Hauterivian species in the samples forced a reconsideration of the initial opinion that the age of the limestone is considerably younger (Ivanova et al., 2011)

The results represent strong stratigraphic argument for the pre-Valanginian termination of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Balkan orogeny, which was sealed by Early Cretaceous carbonate sedimentation the Circum-Rhodope Belt and enable regional correlation between isochronic carbonate rocks exposed in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Acknowledgments.

The work was undertaken in the framework of the research project DDVU 02/94: “Mesozoic (Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) subduction-accretionary evolution of the Rhodope terrane” and was financially supported by research grant of the Bulgarian Scientific Fund. References Ivanova, D., Chatalov, A., Bonev, N., 2011. Age and depositional environment of Aliki Limestone, NE Greece.

8th Romanian Symposium on Paleontology, September, 2011, Bucharest, Abstract book, 68-69. Kauffmann, G., Kockel, F., Mollat., H., 1976. Notes on the stratigraphic and paleogeographic position of the

Svoula Formation in the Innermost Zone of the Hellenides (Northern Greece). Bull. Soc. Geol. France (7), 28, 2, 225-230.


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Palynological data on the Middle Miocene vegetation from Satovcha Basin, SW Bulgaria

Ivanov, D.

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: pollen, Neogene, palaeovegetation, palaeoclimate

The Satovcha Basin is located on the southern slopes of the Western Rhodopes. The Tertiary freshwater sediments revealed in a strip, located in the north-northeast direction to the east of the village of Satovcha (Fig. 1). The Basin is about 7 km long, ca 1.5 km wide, and includes a total area of approximately 10 km2. The sediments of the Satovcha Graben are subdivided by Vatsev & Pirumova (1983) into the two official lithostratigraphic units.

The lower part of the Satovcha Graben is filled in of Paleogene sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Satovcha Formation. Miocene sedimentary rocks of the Sivik Formation lie discordantly on them and are presented by sandstones, aleurolites, sandy clays and diatomites with coal streaks.

Palaeobotanical data are available by the studies of Bozukov (2000), Bozukov & Ivanov (1995), Bozukov & Palamarev (1992) and others. The palynological study carried out recently on profile from the Sivik Formation provides new data about the composition and structure of the fossil vegetation.

Fig. 1. Shematic map and section of area north of the village of Kochan (Western Rhodopes) [Redrawn after Paskalev & Stefanov (1994)]: 1 – Alluvium (Quaternary); 2 – Pebbles and sands suite (Pliocene); 3 – The Satovcha Graben (Late Oligocene – Miocene); 4 – Rhyolites (Late Oligocene); 5 – Granites (Paleozoic); 6 – Marbles (Early Proterozoic); 7 – Gneisses-schists (Early Proterozoic); 8 – Fault; 9 – Blocks (olistostromes) into the Satovcha Graben.

The palaeolake was surrounded by the mountain slopes of the cyclically rising Rhodopes, and the paleorivers and streams carried out and deposited in it various vegetation material in ecological requirements and coenobiotic affinity. So the fossil flora from the Satovcha Graben is a polytopic flora, resulting from the mixing of several coexistent ecological complexes.

The main vegetation type was mixed mesophytic forests dominated by Quercus, Carpinus, Castanea, Fagus, Juglans, Alnus, and Magnolia. Accessory elements included Tilia, Acer, Corylopsis, Zelkova. Mid- and high- altitude vegetation elements are presented by Pinus, Keteleeria, Cathaya, Tsuga, Betula. Swamp vegetation with high proportion of Alnus and Taxodiaceae, and minor percentages of Cyrillaceae, Myrica, Cyperaceae, Nyssa, as well as some ferns also existed. Species of Platanus, Carya, Alnus, Ostrya, and Juglans played important roles in the riparian vegetation. The aquatic vegetation consists of Sparganium, Typha, Butomus, Nymphaeaceae and Cyperaceae.

Palynological data suggest that throughout the time interval studied the climate was humid, warm-temperate to subtropical, with temperatures above 15-16 oC, and precipitation above 1000 mm. This type of climate coincides with the trend in the regional middle Miocene climate from other parts of Bulgaria.


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Acknowledgements

This study is a contribution to the bilateral project DNTS/Slovakia 01/7, NSF, Bulgaria/SRDA SK-BG-0033-10, Slovak Republic and to the international research program “Neogene Climate Evolution in Eurasia – NECLIME”. References Bozukov, V., 2000. Miocene macroflora of the Satovcha Graben (Western Rhodopes). I. Systematics. 5.

Magnoliophyta: Araliaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Celastraceae, Rhamnaceae, Vitaceae, Apocynaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Convolvulaceae, Macclintockia; Smilacaceae, Cyperaceae, Sparganiaceae, Typhaceae. Phytol Balcan. 6, 15-30.

Bozukov, V., Ivanov, D., 1995. Davallia haidingeri Ett. a new species to Bulgarian flora - a leaf impression and spores in situ. Phitol. Balcan. 1, 15-18.

Bozukov, V., Palamarev, E., 1992. Taxonomiche Zusammensetzung der Gattungen Populus L. und Alnus Gaerth. in der fossilen Flora von Satovcha Graben in West-Rhodopen (Bulgarien). Documenta naturae 76, 10-19.

Paskalev, M., Stefanov, P., 1994. Structural investigations in part of the Southwestern Rhodopes. Rew. Bulg. Geol. Soc. 55, 103-112.

Vatsev, M., Pirumova, L., 1983. Lithostratigraphy of the Tertiary sediments from Satovcha Graben. Ann. Inst. Geol. & Mining, Sofia, 2, 169-179 (in Bulgarian).


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Early evolution of the modern avian wing.

Kaiser, G.W.1, Dyke, G.J.2 & Naish, D.2

1Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2 Canada e-mail: [email protected]. 2Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH UK e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]. Keywords: Aves, origin of flight, remiges, wing plumage

The wing skeletons of flying vertebrates are highly conserved; the fossil record shows that even small structural modifications evolved extremely rarely within the three flapping lineages, birds, bats and pterosaurs. In birds, the forelimb comprises three basic components, retained from earlier theropod dinosaurs: the brachial wing supported by the humerus, the prebrachial wing supported by the radius and ulna, and the outer wing supported by the carpometacarpus and digits of the hand. The fossil record also shows that feathers, including pinnate ‘primaries’, first evolved outside of an aerodynamic context. As we discuss, all components of the ‘avian wing’ are present in maniraptoran taxa that diverged from the avialan branch prior to the appearance of Archaeopteryx.

The present form of the avian outer wing, with reduced skeletal components and functionally sophisticated primary feathers, was a recent evolutionary innovation long thought closely associated with flapping flight. We note that all described non-avialan theropods and early birds with preserved forelimb feathers evidence well-developed remiges attached to the manus and ulna along their posterior edges. Neither fossils nor living birds show comparable feathers attached to the humerus or the proximal part of the wing closest to the body. This conserved wing pattern - the absence of remiges on the humerus - has often been depicted in phylogenetic reconstructions of wing evolution and is corroborated by fossils, but has thus far escaped discussion. We discuss, in combination with new fossil evidence, the functional and aerodynamic significance of this wing feathering pattern. References Brush, A. H., 2000. Evolving the protofeather. American Zoologist 40, 631-639. Clarke, J. A., Zhou Zhonghe, Zhang Fuchang, 2006. Insight into the evolution of avian flight from a new clade

of early Cretaceous ornithurines from China and the morphology of Yixianornis grabaui. J. Anatomy 208,287-308.

Dyck, J., 1985. The evolution of feathers. Zool. Scripta 14,137-154. Elowson, A. M., 1984. Spread-wing postures and the water repellency of feathers: a test of Rijke’s hypothesis.

Auk 101, 373–383. Elowson, A. M., 1987. Response to A. M. Rijke. Auk 104, 142–143. Longrich, N. R., Vinther, J., Qinjin Meng, Quangguo Li, Russell, A. P., 2012. Primitive wing feather

arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi. Current Biology (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.52..

Peters, D.S., Gutman, W. F., 1985. Constructional preconditions for flight in the tetrapod bauplan. In: Hecht, M. K., Ostrom, J. H., Viohl, G., Wellnhofer, P. (Eds.), The beginnings of birds: Proceedings of the International Archaeopteryx Conference Eichstätt 1984. Freunde des Jura-Museums, Eichstätt, pp. 233-242.

Pennycuick, C. J., 2008. Modelling the flying bird. Theoretical Ecology Series, Academic Press (Elsevier Inc.). Prum, R.O., Brush, A. H., 2002. The evolutionary origin and the diversification of feathers. Quarterly Rev. Biol.

77, 261-295. Prum, R. O., Williamson, S., 2001. Theory of the growth and evolution of feather shape. J. Experim. Zool. Part

B Molecular and Developmental Evolution B291, 30-57. Rijke, A. M., 1970. Wettability and phylogenetic development of feather structure in water birds. J. Experim.

Biol. 52, 469–479. Rijke, A. M., 1987. The water repellency of water-bird feathers. Auk104, 140–142. Rijke, A., Jesser, W. A., Mahoney, S., 1989. Plumage wettability of the African Darter Anhinga melanogaster

compared with the Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus. Ostrich 60, 128–132. Stettenheim, P. R., 2000. The integumentary morphology of modern birds – an overview. American Zoologist

40, 461-477.


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Badenian benthic foraminifers from the Haţeg Basin.

Kövecsi Szabolcs, A.1 & Silye, L.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology,1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. Keywords: Miocene, Palaeoecology, Past program, Transylvania, Romania.

The village Pui lies in the Haţeg Basin. Due to construction of a new road in this area, we managed to collect a few samples from Badenian complex.

The sampling interval of this complex is 142.4 cm, which have been distinguished into 20 separate rock samples (e.g. medium silt, fine grain sand, coarse sand). In the decantation residuum shells, mollusca and echinodermata shell-elements were found along with quartz grains, mica grains, and garnets.

From the samples we could determine 74 different foraminifera species. We have drawn our conclusions regarding the salinity and other features of the marine setting from the feeding habits, the epifaunal and the recent ecological data concerning the family of these foraminifera species.

By means of the PAST program, microfossil-complexes were analyzed using cluster analysis. We succeeded in differentiating every group taking into consideration stratigraphic and paleoecological data. References Hammer, Ø., Harper, D.A.T., Ryan, P.D., 2001. Past: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education

and Data Analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, v. 4, 1, art 4, p. 1-9. Murray, J.W., 1991. Ecology and Palaeoecology of benthic foraminifera. Longman Scientific&Technical,

Harlow, 397 pp. Murray, J.W., 2006. Ecology and Palaeoecology of benthic foraminifera. Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge, 426 pp. Savu, H., Pavelescu, M., Stancu, J., Lupu, D., 1968. Harta Geologică scara 1:200000, L-34-XXIV 26, p. 24-27.


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Microbialites – metazoans interactions through the Middle-Upper Jurassic transition (Rucăr-Bran zone, South Carpathians, Romania)

Lazăr, I.1, Grădinaru, M.1 , Andrăşanu, A.1 & Grigore, D. 2

1University of Bucharest, Department of Geology, N. Bălcescu Bd, 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2Geological Institute of Romania, Caransebeş 1st., Bucharest 012721, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: microbialites, metazoans, microfacies, Jurassic, South Carpathians.

Condensed deposits of the Middle/Upper Jurassic transition are spread over vast areas of peri-Tethyan Europe from Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, to Romania (Matyja and Wierzbowski, 2006). Numerous hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of these deposits, most of these hypotheses being related to the geo-tectonic events produced by recognized general extension in the Tethyan domain. In Southern Carpathians the effects of these geo-tectonic events are recognized within the sedimentary successions belonging to the Getic Nappe, one of the major geotectonic units of the Median Dacides (Săndulescu 1984). In South Carpathians, the sedimentary cover of the Getic Domain is represented by Triassic–Lower Cretaceous sediments preserved in different zones (e.g., Rucăr-Bran zone, Bucegi Mountains, Piatra Craiului Mountains) related to the Getic-Supragetic continental crust (Iancu et al. 2005), in several so-called ”ridge” areas (e.g., Leaota Ridge cf. Murgeanu 1937; Patrulius 1969).

The methodology for this study included complementary sedimentological, mineralogical, geochemical and taphonomical approaches. One hundred fifty petrographic thin sections have been prepared and analyzed to determine the grains composition and the types of carbonate cements, microstructures and microfacies types; thirty polished slabs were examined under cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy. Samples were analysed for carbon and oxygen stable isotopes.

Three Jurassic sections located in the Rucăr-Bran zone (= Dâmbovicioara couloir cf. Patrulius, 1969), represented by mixed carbonate-siliciclastic condensed sequences (Bajocian–Oxfordian) were studied: (1) Purcărete Valley - a new discovered section on a left-side tributary of Râuşor Valley; (2) Gruiul Lupului – the topmost part of the Lupului Valley: rediscovery of the classic Callovian-Oxfordian section from where Simionescu (1899) described first the ammonites and brachiopods fauna; (3) Cheia – Grădişte section - we studied the “remains” of the section that has been described previously by Patrulius (1969) as “the most complete section of Middle Jurassic from Dâmbovicioara zone”. Nowadays, this section is almost complete destroyed by the extension of the touristic complex of Cheia locality.

The sector of Leaota ridge corresponding to Rucăr-Bran zone, evolved during the Bajocian – Oxfordian interval from a mid- to distal shelf setting to a deep-water near to the topmost part of the slope setting. Due to the faulting and differential subsidence of this ridge, the resulted faulted-blocks acted like short-lived swells where condensed deposits and Fe-mineralized hardgrounds have been generated. Contemporaneous tectonic activity related to the extensional processes within the strongly deformed European continetal margin are for the first time documented in the studied zone by: the difference in thickness and stratigraphic extension of the condensed members within the studied sections, as well as by the presence of neptunian dykes, clastic dykes and tectonic breccias developed on submarine fault scarps.

Specific environments/microenvironments appropriate for development of different types of deep-water microbialites associated with certain types of metazoans have been developed in connection with the previously presented events. Three types of microbialites-metazoans assemblages have been observed in the studies succesions:

- the first one is referring to the ferruginous microstromatolites that cover the hardgrounds surfaces and erosional cavities or form the cortex of the oncoids and macro-oncoids, associated with dense colonies of serpulids, agglutinated polychaete worms, bryozoans and encrusting foraminiferans; these assemblages are developed in the topmost part of the Bathonian condensed level;

- the second one is referring to sub-horizontal, irregular cavities of variable (0,1-0,3m) thickness, filled with red bioclastic packstone-wackestone; intensive microbial activity within this


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submarine cavities is documented by the presence of Fe- endostromatolites, Frutexites-like structures and by the local development of agglutinated stromatolites containing numerous microcoprolites of a new Favreina species. This cavities occur in the topmost part of a pink bioclastic, micritic and pelmicritic limestone (1,5 m) containing ammonites attesting the Middle to Late Callovian age (cf. Simionescu, 1899; Patrulius, 1969).

- the third is represented by stromatactis cavities and other types of submarine fissures and cavities containing troglobite metazoans (sensu Aubrecht, 1995) such as ostracod Pokorniopsis and rare serpulids (e.g. Durandella Dragastan, 1970 emend Mišík et al. 1999) associated with peloidal agglutinated stromatolies; these assamblages were observed in the topmost part of Callovian limestone beds.

Such microbialites - metazoans assemblages are palaeoecologically significance as they represent records of discrete, short-term events producing fluctuation of palaeoenvironmental parameters (such as water energy, degree of oxygenation, availability of food resources, availability of grains with specific sized and shapes, and of protected hard substrates necessary for settlement) during prolonged intervals of condensed sedimentation. The multidisplinary approach of the present study allows the evaluation of small-scale changes within the past environments where such interactions are rarely recorded. Such studies are of importance as they could be correlated with synsedimentary tectonics, that likely have been associated with locally hydrothermal vents, but they also reflects the effects of the regional and global changes documented for this time interval in different peri-Tethyan areas. Acknowledgemets

The present study represents the results of an extensive project supported by CNCS PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0025. References Aubrecht, R., Kozur, H., 1995. Pokornyopsis (Ostracoda) from submarine fissure fillings and cavities in the

Late Jurassic of Czorsztyn unit and the possible origin of the Recent Anchialine faunas. Neues Jahrb. Geol. Palaöntol. Abh. 196 (1), 1 – 17.

Dragastan, O., 1970. Durandella, un nouveau genre de Tintinnidae du Jurassique supérieure de Roumanie. Bull. Soc. Géol. France 7, XII, 5, 937-939.

Iancu, V., Berza, T., Seghedi, A., Gheuca, I. & Hann, H.P., 2005. Alpine polyphase tectono-metamorphic evolution of the South Carpathians: a new overview. Tectonophysics, 410, 337–365, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2004.12.038

Matyja, B. Wierzbowski, A., 2006. The oceanic "Metis Geotectonic Event" (Callovian/Oxfordian) and its implications for the peri-Tethyan area of Poland. Volumina Jurassica, International Congress on the Jurassic System, Abstracts Volume, Kraków, Poland.

Mišík, M., Soták, J. & Ziegler, V., 1999. Serpulid worms Mercierella Fauvel, Durandella Dragastan and Carpathiella Nov. Gen. from Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene of the Western Carpathians. Geologica Carpathica, 50(4), 305-312.

Murgeanu, G., 1937. Sur une cordillére antésénonienne dans le géosynclinal du flysch carpatique. Inst Géol de Roumanie, 21, 69–85.

Patrulius, D., 1969. Geologia Masivului Bucegi şi a Culoarului Dâmbovicioara. Editura Academiei RSR, Bucureşti, 329 p.

Săndulescu, M., 1984. Geotectonica României. Ed Tehnică, București, 336 p.


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Biotical fluctuations linked to the Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events of the Romanian Carpathians: the state of the art

Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C.

National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology (GEOECOMAR), Department of Marine Geology and Sedimentology, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street, 024053 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: OAEs, Valanginian-Campanian interval, micropalaeontological fluctuation, palaeoenvironment, Eastern and Southern Carpathians.

An important feature of the Cretaceous times is related to the occurrence of global Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs), which represents one of the most intriguing geological aspects of this period. The overprints of these events are black shale deposition, as well as significant excursion of δ13C isotope, accompanied by considerable biotical turnover, in special of marine planktonic taxa, very sensitive to environmental changes. The Romanian Carpathians display significant development of Cretaceous sedimentary successions in various facies, i.e., pelagic, hemipelagic and turbiditic, in which several OAEs have been identified.

The oldest known Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event, namely the Weissert Event, is placed within the Valanginian-Hauterivian boundary interval, globally characterised by a positive excursion of the δ13C isotope and by a drastic shift of the Tethyan nannofloral, i.e., nannooconids (Erba et al., 2004). In Romania, this event was pointed out based only on palaeobiological evidences discovered in the Bucegi Mountains, being described as ‘the Valanginian Nutrification Event’ (Barbu and Melinte-Dobrinescu, 2008), corresponding to the globally recognised Weissert OAE.

Most of the known Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) took place during Mid-Cretaceous times (Larson, 1991; Jenkyns et al., 1994) being linked to pronounced changes in the Earth system, such as oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, modification in carbon, phosphorus and oxygen biogeochemical cycles, as well as fluctuation in marine biotas. Most of the Mid-Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic events (OAE1a, OAE1b, OAE1c and OAE1d) took place within Aptian-Albian and were accompanied by significant shift in nannofossils and foraminiferal assemblages.

In Romania, only few Mid-Cretaceous OAEs have been identified, so far. In the Apuseni Mountains, OAE1a, OAE1b and possibly OAE1c and OAE1d were recognized (Papp et al., 2012).

Recently, the OAE1d have been pointed out based on the modification on benthonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils and isotope fluctuation (Melinte-Dobrinescu et al., submitted). The Oceanic Anoxic Event OAE1d was observed in the Cernatu Valley (Teleajen Nappe) and spans the Late Albian-Early Cenomanian, interval covered by the NC10a calcareous nannofossil zone, and respectively the Plectorecurvoides alternans and Haplophragmoides falcatosuturalis foraminiferal zones. Besides, the lower part of the section contains taxa belonging to the ammonite genus Stoliczkaia. The lithology is characteristic for a dysoxic facies, i.e. grey shales interbedded with blackish shale, which contain two slight positive excursions of the isotope δ13C.

One of the most prominent Cretaceous Oceanic Event is OAE2, known also as the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary event of the Bonarelli Event. The OAE2 was evidenced in the Southern Carpathians, in the SE Haţeg region, where the positive excursion of δ13C isotope was observed (Melinte-Dobrinescu and Bojar, 2010).

This isotope event is accompanied by a significant turnover in calcareous nannofloras. Hence, in the Ohaba-Ponor section, the nannofossils indicative for the surface water high fertility, such as Biscutum constans and Zeugrhabdotus erectus, showed high fluctuations including specific blooms below and coincident with OAE2. These modifications are linked to the shift in the primary productivity that possibly significantly increased during initial stages of OAE2, but almost collapsed at the end of this anoxic event because the excess in atmospheric and dissolved CO2.

Another two OAEs that globally characterised the Late Cretaceous interval, were idendified in the Romanian Carpathians. Hence, in the SE part of the Haţeg region, towards the top of Micraster coranguinum echinoid zone, in the red marls and clays of the Fizeşti Formation, increasing δ13C values from 2.15 ‰ up to 2.44 ‰ were observed (Melinte-Dobrinescu and Bojar, 2010). This δ13C


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positive excursion, assigned to the Middle Santonian OAE, is placed between the successive last occurrences of the nannofossils Lithastrinus septenarius and Eprolithus floralis.

The youngest Cretaceous OAE described so far is named the Santonian/Campanian Boundary Event, situated within the Marsupites testudinarius crinoid zone. In the Haţeg region, an increasing of δ13C values (from 2.38 ‰ up to 2.58 ‰) was observed (Melinte-Dobrinescu and Bojar, 2010), a geochemical event coincident with the first occurrence of the nannofossil Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis. Afterwards, the content in δ13C decreases, but at the level coincident with the first occurrence of the crinoid Marsupites testudinarius it shows a new recovery up to 2.59‰. The level where Marsupites testudinarius became extinct is coeval with maximum δ13C value, up to 2.65‰. This geochemical event is situated between the successive first occurrences of the nannofossils Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis and Broinsonia parca parca.

In conclusion, several Cretaceous OAEs, covering the Late Valanginian-Early Campanian interval, were distinguished in the Romanian Carpathians, most of them in the Southern Carpathians, and very few in the Eastern Carpathians. To note that especially in the Southern Carpathians, the lithological overprint of OAEs (i.e., black shale deposition) is missing, but the biotical and geochemical signal allow recognising these events.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the PROJECT IDEI (IDEAS) PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0162 of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI. References Barbu, V., Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C., 2008. Latest Jurassic to Earliest Cretaceous Paleoenvironmental Changes

in the Southern Carpathians (Romania): Regional Record of the Late Valanginian Nutrification Event. Cretaceous Research 29, 790-802.

Cetean, C.G., Bălc, R., Kaminski, M., Filipescu, S., 2008. Biostratigraphy of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the Eastern Carpathians (Dâmboviţa Valley): preliminary observations. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai, Geologia 53, 11-23.

Erba, E., Bartolini, A., Larson, R.L., 2004. Valanginian Weissert oceanic anoxic event. Geology 32, 149-152. Jenkyns, H., Gale, A.S., Corfield, R., 1994. The carbon-and oxygen-isotope stratigraphy of the English Chalk

and Italian Scaglia and its palaeoclimatic significance. Geological Magazine 131, 1-34. Jenkyns, H.C., 1980. Cretaceous anoxic events: From continents to oceans. J. Geol. Soc. London 137, 171-188. Larson, R.L., 1991. Latest pulse of Earth: Evidence for a mid-Cretaceous superplume. Geology 19, 547-550. Melinte-Dobrinescu M.C., Bojar. A.-V., 2008. Biostratigraphic and isotopic record of the Cenomanian-Turonian

deposits in the Ohaba-Ponor section (SW Haţeg, Romania). Cretaceous Research 29, 1024-1034. Melinte-Dobrinescu, M.C., Bojar, A.-V., 2010. Late Cretaceous carbon- and oxygen-isotope stratigraphy,

nannofossil events and paleoclimate fluctuations in the Haţeg area (SW Romania). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 295-305

Melinte-Dobrinescu M.C., Roban, R.-D., Stoica, M. Palaeoenvironmental changes in the Albian-Cenomanian boundary interval of the Eastern Carpathians linked to the Late Albian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1d. Cretaceous Research (under review).

Papp, D.C., Cociuba, I., Lazăr, D.F., 2012. Carbon and oxygen-isotope stratigraphy of the Early Cretaceous carbonate platform of Pădurea Craiului (Apuseni Mountains, Romania): A chemostratigraphic correlation and paleoenvironmental tool. Applied Geochemistry doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2012.09.005


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Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous limestones from Piatra Craiului: correlations based on microfossils

Mircescu, C.V.1, Bucur, I.I.1 & Săsăran, E.1

1Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology,1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: microfacies, microfossils, bioconstructions, depositional environment.

In the northern part of Piatra Craiului Massif, Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous carbonate deposits crop out on a large scale. Four sections were correlated using types of microfacies and microfossils: Western Vlădușca, Eastern Vlădușca, Padina Închisă and Lehmann’s Road. Upper Jurassic limestones were intercepted on the western side of Piatra Craiului Massif in Western Vlădușca and Padina Închisă sections. Eastern Vlădușca and Lehmann’s Road sections are located on the eastern side and consist of Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian) limestones.

In the lower part of Padina Închisă and Western Vlădușca sections, coral-microbial boundstones and framestones alternate with coarse grainstones, rudstones and packstones. The internal sediment of the bioconstructions is represented by peloidal wackstone/packstone wich contains encrusting organisms, echinids, gastropods and bivalves. Rudstone levels comprise reefal detritus, fragments of encrusting organisms and sthromatholitic/thrombolitic microbial structures. In Padina Închisă section, packstone levels are silicified. Nevertheless, bioconstructions are less developed compared with Vlădușca section and microbial organisms are the main bioconstructors.

In the upper part of these sections, peritidal limestones are present. We identified the following common type of microfacies for both sections: bioclastic intraclastic grainstone with black pebbles, fenestral mudstone/wackestone, ooidic/pisoidic coarse grainstone. Padina Închisă section also contains the following type of microfacies: Packstone/grainstone with cyanobacterian nodules, fenestral packstone/grainstone, bioclastic wackestone with rudists and calcretes with iron oxides.

The micropaleontological assemblage contains common microfossils for both Western Vlădușca and Padina Închisă sections (Fig. 1 A-D). Some of these microfossils are represented by: foraminifera [Protopeneroplis sp., Charentia evoluta (Gorbachik), Mohlerina basiliensis (Mohler), Andersenolina alpina (Leupold), Troglotella incrustans Wernli & Fookes, , Lenticulina sp., Coscinophragma sp.,], dasycladalean algae [Clypeina sulcata (Alth), Salpingoporella pygmaea (Gümbel), encrusting organisms [Crescentiella morronensis (Crescenti), bacinellid structures, Lithocodium aggregatum Elliott, Radiomura cautica Senowbari-Daryan & Schäfer, Perturbatacrusta leini Schlagintweit & Gawlick], sponges (Neuropora lusitanica Termier, Thalamopora lusitanica Termier & Termier and (?) worm tubes (Mercierella dacica Dragastan)].

Bassed on this micropaleontological assemblage we asigned an Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian – Tithonian) age for the carbonate deposits outcropping in West Vlădușca and Padina Închisă sections.

Eastern Vlădușca section is located on the eastern side of Piatra Craiului Massif as well as Lehmann’s Road section. The identified microfacies type (mainly poorly fossiliferous mudstone and fenestral wackestone/packstone) indicate lagoonar (supratidal) and intertidal depositional environments. The micropaleontological assemblage of Eastern Vlădușca section is represented by foraminifera [Pfenderina neocomiensis (Pfender), ?Vercorsella camposauri (Sartoni & Crescenti), Conicopfenderina? balkanica Peybernès, Andersenolina cherchiae (Arnaud-Vanneau, Boisseau & Darsac), Pseudotextulariella curtionensis Broennimann], dasycladalean algae [(Salpingoporella annulata Carrozzi)] and udoteacean algale (Boueina sp.).

In Lehmann’s Road section, packstone with cyanobacteria, peloidal intraclastic mudstone, fenestral wackestone/packstone and bioclastic grainstone with gastropods are predominant. Micropaleontological assemblage is a bit different from Eastern Vlădușca section, being represented only by foraminifera [Ammobaculites sp., Bielorusiella sp., Lenticulina sp., Vercorsella sp., Melathrokerion sp., Andersenolina alpina (Leupold), Protopeneroplis ultragranulata (Gorbachik) and Conicopfenderina? balkanica Peybernès] (Fig. 1 E-H). Conicopfenderina? balkanica represents a good correlation tool between the two sections.


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This micropaleontological assemblage indicates a Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian) age for the carbonate deposits outcropping on the eastern side of Piatra Craiului Massif (Eastern Vlădușca and Lehmann’s Road sections). Acknowledgements. The study represent a contribution to the research project PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0025

Fig. 1 (A-D: Upper Jurassic microfossils; E-H: Lower Cretaceous microfossils. Scale: 1 mm)

A – Clypeina sulcata; B – Salpingoporella pygmea; C – Neuropora lusitanica; D – Lithocodium aggregatum E - Conicopfenderina? balkanica F – Pfenderina neocomiensis G – Bielorusiella sp. H – Salpingoporella annulata


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Additional data on the taphonomy and systematic diversity of the Upper Sarmatian (Khersonian) fauna from Pocşeşti, Republic of Moldova

Obadă, T.F. 1 & Marareskul, V.A.2

1Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, 1, Academiei Str., Chişinău, MD-2080, Republic of Moldova, e-mail: [email protected] 2The State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Transnistria, Tiraspol, Yunosti, 58/3, MD-3300, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Late Sarmatian, Miocene, Dniester-Prut area, Sirenia, Physeteroidea. Introduction

The fossil site of Pocşeşti is assigned to the „Balta Formation” (Barbot de Marny, 1866) and is located at the boundary between the Оrhei and Străşeni districts, Republic of Moldova, 26 km northwest from Chişinău. Details on the geological log, the systematical composition of the fossil assemblage, and some aspects regarding the complex taphonomy of the site were presented in a series of publications (e.g. Lungu, Bilinchis, 1979; Lungu, Chemîrtan, 2001; Lungu, Rzebik-Kowalska, 2011).

Methodology

According to the palaeomagnetic data, the bone-bearing rocks present normal magnetization, and refer to the 9th magnetic polarity chron (between 10 and 9 Ma) (Pevzner et al., 1987), corresponding to the first half of the Late Sarmatian (Early Khersonian, 9.8 Ma; mammal unit MN 10).

The sandy-clay deposits of the „Balta Suite” mostly occur in the central area of the Dniester-Prut inter-fluvial area. The sedimentation of these deposits took place between the end of Middle Sarmatian and the end of the Pontian (Hubca, 1962).

During the Early Khersonian, a marine transgression occurred in the southern part of the Dniester-Prut interfluvial area, which extended to the north until the latitude of the villages Lăpuşna–Truşeni–Caramanova. The central area of the above-mentioned territory was an accumulative floodplain, whereas the northern part mostly represented an erosion area. The „Balta Suite” Formation is represented by alluvial, lacustrine, and swamp deposits. Deltaic and foredelta deposits are widespread south of Chişinău (Hubca, 1962).

The fossils collected from the Pocşeşti site are kept in the following collections: the Geological-Palaeontological Museum of the „T.G. Şevchenko” State University of Tiraspol (Tiraspol); the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History (Chişinău); the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Science of Moldova (Chişinău).

Results

Detailed osteological research of the specimens allowed the identification of marine mammals of the order Sirenia as part of the fossil assemblage from Pocşeşti (Marareskul, 2012). Recent data suggest that the sirenian material from this site show significant morphological differences, leading to the conclusion that it belongs to two different genera. However, the fragmentary nature of the material does not allow the precise determination of these genera. Specimens assigned to Delphinidae and to the fossil sperm whales Physeteroidea indet. were also identified in this fossil assemblage, the latter considered most similar to Scaldicetus caretti Du Bus, 1867 (Gol’din, Marareskul, in print).

Conclusions

The new data, which complete the composition of the fossil faunal complex from Pocşeşti, as well as the additional data on taphonomy (gathered during the brief fieldwork performed at this site in 2011 and 2012), allow the assumption that the bone specimens were not buried in a continental, but rather in a semi-marine or marine environment, near the shoreline. The accumulation of the sedimentary deposits and of the fossil vertebrate remains at Pocşeşti probably took place in the foredelta area of a large Sarmatian fluvial system, with numerous braids and channels.

Acknowledgmets


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The authors are thankful to: Prof. Vlad Codrea (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca) for the useful discussions and suggestions regarding the systematical assignment of the marine mammal specimens from Pocşeşti; Ştefan Vasile (University of Bucharest) for his contribution to the English version of this text.

References Barbot de Marny, N. P. 1866. Über der jüngere Ablagerungen des südlichen Russland. Sitzungsbericht d. Akad.

Wissensch. LIII. Gol’din, P.E., Marareskul, V.A., In print. The first records of Miocene sperm whales (Cetacea, Physeteroidea)

from the Eastern Europe. Journal of Zoology, Kiev. Hubka, A. N., 1962. The main regularities of layering of the Upper Sarmatian deposits of the Dniester-Prut

region. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Moldavskoy SSR, Ser. biol.-chem. sc., 4, 35–43 (In Russian). Lungu, А.N., Bilinchis, G.M., 1979. O novom mestonahojdenii gipparionovoy fauny v baltiskyi otlojenyiax

Tsentralinoy Moldavii. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Moldavskoy SSR, Ser. phis.-tehn. sc., №2, 79-85 (In Russian).

Lungu, A.N., Chemîrtan, G.D., 2001. Cuibul fosilifer de la Pocşeşti – rezervaţie paleontologică de importanţă europeană. Simpozion jubiliar consacrat aniversării a 30 ani de la formarea rezervaţiei „Codrii” (vol. II), 27-28 septembrie 2001, Lozova, 43-44.

Lungu, A.N., Rzebik-Kowalska, B., 2011. Faunal assemblages, stratigraphy and taphonomy of the Late Miocene localities in the Republic of Moldova. Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, 62 pp.

Marareskul, V.А., 2012. The first confirmed record of a sirenian (Mammalia: Sirenia) from the Late Miocene of Moldova. Materials XXXIV Session Paleontol. Soc. NAS Ukraine. Kiev, pp. 116–118 (In Russian).

Pevzner, М. А., Lungu, А. N., Vangengeym, E. А., Basilyan, А. E., 1987. Occurrences of Vallesian-age Hipparion fauna in Moldavia and their placement on the magnetic polarity scale. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Ser. geol., 4, 1987, 50–59 (In Russian).


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Micropaleontological assemblages in the limestones of the Buila-Vânturarița Massif and their relationship with the environment

Pleș, G.1, Bucur, I.I.1 & Săsăran, E.1

1Department of Geology and Center for Integrated Geological Studies, Babes-Bolyai University, M. Kogalniceanu 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous, Southern Carpathians, micro-organisms, palaeoenvironment. Introduction

The Buila–Vânturarița Massif is represented by a NE–SW trending calcareous crest located in the central-southern part of the Southern Carpathians. Together with other areas in the Southern Carpathians where Mesozoic deposits crop out, this massif represents the sedimentary cover of the Getic Nappe. The carbonate deposits from this area mainly consist of massive Upper Jurassic reef limestones (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) associated with a various amount of microbial crusts, encrusting micro-organisms and stromatoporoids (Pleş et al., 2013). Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian–Valanginian and Barremian–Aptian) deposits are known from several areas from the south-eastern part of the Vânturarita crest, being located on the top of the Upper Jurassic deposits. The present study focuses on the micropaleontological assemblages and their paleoenvironmental and paleogegraphical importance within the carbonate deposits of the Buila–Vânturarița Massif.

Methodology

Our study is based on the investigation of 1200 samples collected from eight different sections: Bistriţei Gorges, Arnota Mountain, Costeşti Gorges, Cacova Mountain, Albu Mountain, Ștevioara Sector, Curmătura Oale Sector and Valea Cheii Gorges. The sampling was performed at intervals between 5–6 m up to 10 m. Detailed investigation was made in order to reveal microfacies characteristics and micropalaeontological assemblages. Microphotographs were taken by using a Cannon Powershot A640 digital camera attached to a Zeiss Axioscope microscope.

Microfacies associations and micropaleontological assemblages

The carbonate succession of Bistriţa Gorges section is composed of Upper Jurassic intraclastic-bioclastic rudstone/grainstone and coral-microbial-microencruster boundstone. The second studied section is located in the central part of Arnota Mountain, and contains besides the Upper Jurassic reef levels, the Lower Cretaceous deposits, which mainly consist in intraclastic-peloidal packstone and peloidal-bioclastic fenestral wackestones. The Upper Jurassic rocks beneath are represented by breccified coral-microbial boundstone and intraclastic-bioclastic floatstone/rudstone. The Costeşti Gorges section is made of Upper Jurassic coral-microbial and stromatoporoid boundstone/framestone alternating with reef coarse debris represented by biclastic-intraclasic grainstone/rudstone. On the top of this succession the Lower Cretaceous deposits (Barremian-Aptian) are transgresivelly disposed, represented mainly by wackestones and packstones. The facies associations of Cacova sector are represented by Upper Jurassic bioclastic-peloidal wackestone/packstone, bioclastic-intraclastic grainstone/rudstone and sporadically coral-microbial boundstones. The Barremian-Aptian deposits were intercepted also in this carbonate succession and consist in bioclastic-peloidal-fenestral wackestone/packstone. The Muntele Albu section is composed of Kimmeridgian-Tithonian reef carbonate micro-breccias interlayered with coral-microbial bioconstructions in the lower and median part of the succession. The upper part is made of fine bioclastic grainstone/packstone. Ștevioara and Curmătura Oale sections are represented by reef bioclastic-intraclastic grainstone/packstone, bioclastic rudstone and coral-microbial-sponge bioconstructions for the Upper Jurassic and biomicrite and laminated pelmicrite for the Lower Cretaceous. The last studied section is located in the northern part of the Buila–Vânturarița Massif, and bioconstructions and reef micro-breccias dominate the whole limestone succession. The micropaleontological content for the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian interval is taxonomically diverse, and it is composed besides corals of encrusting stromatoporoids (Neuropora lusitanica, Ellipsactinia sp., Thalamopora lusitanica, Murania reitnieri, Calcistella


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jachenhausenensis, Calciagglutispongia yabei, Actinostromaria sp., Cylicopsis verticalis, Tubuliella fluegeli), foraminifera (Lenticulina sp., Ammobaculites sp., Acruliammina sp., Lituola baculiformis, Mohlerina basiliensis, Coscinophragma sp., Andersenolina alpina, A. delphinensis, Protopeneroplis ultragranulata, Bulopora aff. laevis, Troglotella incrustans), calcareous algae (Salpingoporella pygmaea, Clypeina sulcata, Nipponophycus ramosus, Thaumatoporella parvovesiculifera, Solenopora sp.) and encrusting microorganisms (Crescentiella morronensis, Labes atramentosa, Lithocodium aggregatum, Bacinella-type structures, Radiomura cautica, Petrurbatacrusta leini, Koskinobulina socialis, Iberopora bodeuri). The Lower Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) microfossil associations consist in Parakoskinollina jourdanensis, Vercorsella hensoni, Vercorsella cf. camposaurii, Charentia sp., Everticyclammina sp., Lithocodium aggregatum and Bacinella-type structures.

Conclusions

The distribution of facies associations coroborated with the micropaleontological content indicate different depositional envinronments for the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. From the margins of the carbonate platform (slope, fore reef and reef crest) to more inner platform micritic facies with rivulariacean cyanobacteria or stromatolitic levels with fenestrae and spar filled cavities. The encrusting activity of many microorganisms have stabilized the carbonates of the slope facies types and favored the development of bioconstructions in the Buila-Vânturarița Massif. Low sedimentary rates are indicated by the large presence of microbial structures. Also the presence of coral-stromatoporoid bioconstructions can indicate normal marine environment.

Acknowledgments

This work was possible with the financial support of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007–2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/107/1.5/S/76841 with the title ,,Modern Doctoral Studies: Internationalization and Interdisciplinarity’’.

References Pleş, G., Mircescu, C.V., Bucur, I.I., Săsăran, E., 2013. Encrusting micro-organisms and microbial structures in

Upper Jurassic limestones from the Southern Carpathians (Romania). Facies, 59(1), 19-48.

Fig. 1. Microfossils from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous deposits of Buila-Vânturarița Massif. A-Andersenolina delphinensis; B-Salpingoporella pygmaea; C-Vercorsella hensoni; D-Lenticulina sp.; E-Clypeina sulcata; F-Parakoskinollina jourdanensis; G-Large stromatoporoid-micro-encruster bioconstruction with Cylicopsis verticalis (C), Tubuliella fluegeli (T) and Perturbatacrusta leini (P)


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Middle Triassic (Anisian) carbonate microfacies from the East of Tulcea Unit (Murighiol – Dunavăţu de Sus area), North Dobrogean Orogen

Popescu, D.A.1, Popescu, L.G1, Popa, L.M.2 & Grădinaru, E.3

1Department of Geography, Faculty of History and Geography, Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13, Universităţii, 720 229 Suceava, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Reservoir Management Department, Asset IV South Moesia, OMV Petrom S.A., 22 Coralilor Street, 013 329 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 3Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bd. Bălcescu Nicolae 1, RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: Carbonate microfacies, algae, foraminifera, inner carbonate platform, Tulcea Unit, North Dobrogea.

The North Dobrogean Orogen is built up of several Cimmerian tectonic units: Măcin Unit, the

innermost, Consul Unit, Niculiţel Unit and Tulcea Unit, the outermost one. These tectonic units, excepting the Niculiţel Unit which is a Cimmerian ophiolitic suture zone, are regarded as high-angle thrusts (Săndulescu, 1984) that involve relicts of a Variscan Orogen and comprise a large variety of rock assemblages, including metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous complexes. Late Cretaceous deposits of Babadag Basin unconformably cover them.

Triassic sedimentary deposits occur in all of the major tectonic units of the North Dobrogean Orogen, cropping out especially on the large areas in the two last units.

The litho- and biostratigraphic features of the North Dobrogea Triassic sedimentary rocks are of Tethyan-type, but the most important characteristics are revealed by the most complete stratigraphic succession of the Triassic System cropping out in the Tulcea Unit.

Triassic sedimentation of the Tulcea Unit starts with Scythian terrigenous deposits lying transgressively on the Variscan basement, and continues with wide spreading and varied carbonate facies deposited during the Early Spathian to Norian time interval. The carbonate deposits are differentiated in several major facies zones, showing a gradual transition from the shallow-water carbonate platform facies in the eastern part of the Tulcea Unit towards the deeper water carbonate platform facies in the central part and the basinal facies occuring in the western part of the same unit (Grădinaru, 2000).

The investigated carbonate deposits occuring in the Duna Hill, in the Murighiol – Dunavăţu de Sus area, are generally grey thin-bedded limestones alternating with thick-bedded limestones bearing few oncoid – algal levels. These limestones represent the Anisian of the Murighiol Formation (Dragastan & Grădinaru, 1975).

The microscopic analysis of the thin sections reveals some litho-biofacies types according to the frequence and abundance of certain non-skeletal grains and bioclasts: wackestone, grainstone, packstone - grainstone, packstone, mudstone.

These facies include few subtypes: peloidal wackestones with ostracods, oncoid bioclastic wackestones, spiculite wackestones, crinoid wackstones partially dolomitised; oncoid algal foraminiferal grainstones, peloidal grainstones, peloidal packstones with echinoderms, oncoidal grainstones, lithoclastic grainstones; dasiclad packstone - grainstone, peloidal packstone – grainstone; poorly sorted peloidal packstones, peloidal mudstone partially dolomitised.

Bioclastic content consists of dasycladacean green algae, foraminifera, ostracods, echinoderms, gastropods, bivalves, calcimicrobes and various microbial structures. Algal association - Oligoporella pilosa pilosa Pia, Diplopora annulata Schafhäutl and Diplopora annulatissima Pia, Macroporella alpina Pia and foraminiferal association - Glomospira roesingi Blau, Wenzel, Senf & Lukas, Trochammina almtalensis Koehn-Zaninetti, Tetrataxis nana Kristan-Tollman, Meandrospira deformata Salaj, Flatschkofelia anisica Rettori, Senowbari-Daryan & Zühle, Duostomina magna Trifonova, Earlandinita elongata Salaj document the Pelsonian – Illyrian age for the carbonate deposits from the Murighiol – Dunavăţu de Sus area.

The corresponding paragenetic sequence comprise in its first phase selective dissolution, micritization of the bioclasts, fibrous cement and dolomitization with nonluminescent crystals in marine waters. Mouldic pores and aragonite recrystallization, stylolites and blocky calcite are


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common in the early diagenesis stage. The most common imprint of late burial diagenesis is the appearance of microfractures filled by bright luminescent blocky calcite and the second stage of dolomitization translated into overgrowth of luminescent dolomite crystals over non-luminescent dolomite rims. The meteoric diagenesis includes dedolomitization processes caused by the subaerial exposure of the rocks.

Microfacies data indicate the existence of a inner carbonate platform. Relatively low diversity, high abundance of algae and the association with euryhaline organisms prove a high energy, shallow warm water-lagoon environment. As long as the diagenetic history, the burial depth can be estimated around 1000 m, as neomorphic recrystallization and ductile deformation under the influence of tectonic stress have not been observed.

References Dragastan, O., Grădinaru, E., 1975. Asupra unor alge, foraminifere, sphinctozoare şi microproblematice din

Triasicul din Carpaţii Orientali şi Dobrogea de Nord. Studii şi Cercetări de Geologie, Geofizică, Geografie- Geologie, 20(2), 247-254.

Grădinaru, E., 2000. Introduction to the Triassic Geology of North Dobrogea Orogene. In: Grădinaru E. (Ed.), Workshop on the Lower-Middle Triassic (Olenekian-Anisian) boundary, 7-10 June 2000, Tulcea, Romania, Conference and Field Trip. Field Trip Guide, 5-37, Bucharest.

Săndulescu, M., 1984. Geotectonica Românei. Ed. Tehnică, Bucureşti, , 336 p.


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Facies and depositional environments identified in Barremian limestones from the northwestern part of Pădurea Craiului Mountains (Romania)

Săsăran, E.1, Bucur, I.I.1 & Pleş, G.1

1Department of Geology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, M. Kogalniceanu 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Keywords: facies, depositional environments, Barremian limestone.

The Barremian limestones from Pădurea Craiului Mountains, known in the old literature as „Lower pachyodont limestones” belong to the Coposeni Member of the Blid Formation. These carbonate deposits were analysed in two areas, the Șerbota Hill and Osoiu Hill. The limestones from Șerbota Hill are well stratified, represented by centimetric or decimetric beds, limited by subaerial exposure surfaces. The most frequent facies are „muddy”, other facies as bioclatic peloidal packstone/grainstone occur subordinately. The „muddy” facies is represented by mudstone/wackestone with charophytes, ostracods and gastropods, wackestone with small foraminifers and dasycladalean algae, peloidal wackestone with rivulariacean-type cyanobacteria, packstone with charophytes and bioturbated packstone with dasycladalean algae. The most important strucures evidencing the subaerial exposure of these deposits are the pseudo-microcarst and the microcarst surfaces, brecciated zones, pedogenetic cracks, nodules, root traces and horizontal, planar and circumgranular cracks. Based on the facies analysis and the sedimentary structures we identified subtidal, normal-marine or restrictive, brackish/lacustrine and palustrine environments. In some cases the subtidal limestones are subaerial exposed, in other cases the depositional environments have a cyclic distribution. Based on the biotic component we recognized three evolutive stages: 1) marine, shallow-water subtidal; 2) brackish/lacustrine and 3) palustrine. The marine fauna and flora are well represented by dasycladaleans algae, foraminifers, rudist fragments and rivulariaceean-type cyanobacteria. The marine stage was shifted to a more brackish/lacustrine one, with charophytes, ostracods, gastropods and small bivalvs with thin tests. The products of the vadose diagenesis are represented by stalactitic and meniscus type cements. The freatic diagenesis is evidenced by intense dissolution of the bioclasts and by the scalenoedric „dog-tooth” cement types. In the last stage, the lacustrine deposits are subaerially exposed and the limestones undergo pedogenetic processes. The limestones from Osoiu Hill cropp out in a 90 m thick section, and are very good stratified. The main microfacies are represented by peloidal-oncoidal-fenestral grainstone, peloidal-fenestral packstone and fenestral wackestone/mudstone. Besides, we also identified mudstone/wackestone with ostracods and gastropods, ooidal-pisoidal grainstone/packstone, algal-microbial mats and unfossiliferous dolomitized, breccified mudstone/wackestone. Based on the identified facies and carbonate microfacies, we consider that these limestones were formed in the intertidal and supratidal domains. The facies associations and depositional environmens, indicate that the limestones from Șerbota Hill were accumulated on a depressionary area on the Barremian carbonate platform, and the Osoiu Hill limestones were formed on a more flat area, a little higher then the previous one. It is possible that the distribution of the carbonate environments from the Barremian platform in Pădurea Craiului was controled by the irregular topography inherited after the Tithonian-Berrriasian exondation event. Acknowledgments: This work is a contribution to the research project financed through COB Romania-Austria, 554/2012 grant.


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The ostracod fauna in the Deșli Caira section (North Dobrogea): a GSSP candidate for the Olenekian-Anisian boundary

Sebe, O.-G.1,2,3, Crasquin, S.2 & Grădinaru, E.1

1Geological Institute of Romania – National Geological Museum, Kiseleff Pavel Dimitrievici G-ral. Ave., No.2, Sct.1, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 2CNRS, CR2P, UPMC-Paris 6, Laboratory of Micropaleontology, T.46-56, E.5, case 104, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France; e-mail: [email protected] 3Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bd. Bălcescu Nicolae 1, RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Ostracods, biostratigraphy, Olenekian-Anisian (Lower-Middle Triassic), North Dobrogean Orogen.

After the most drastic biological crisis of Phanerozoic times, 252 My ago, the Lower Triassic is marked by a long recovery period. Whereas the Upper Triassic ostracods are quite well known, particularly in the Tethyan domain, ostracod faunas of the Lower and Middle Triassic interval stay poorly documented.

In the North Dobrogean Orogen, the Triassic deposits crop out over large areas and are present in all of its tectonostratigraphic units: Măcin Unit, Consul Unit, Niculițel Unit and Tulcea Unit. The Triassic is most completely developed in the Tulcea Unit, where many sections are well calibrated by ammonoid and conodont biostratigraphy (Grădinaru, 2000).

At the Deșli Caira section (Agighiol Hills, Tulcea Unit), which is a candidate for the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Olenekian-Anisian stage boundary, i.e. the Lower-Middle Triassic series boundary, the classic Agighiol lithofacies (fossiliferous limestone in Hallstatt-like facies) is exposed. It shows an impressive occurrence of macrofaunas (ammonoids) and microfaunas (conodonts, foraminifera and ostracods) in the Olenekian-Anisian boundary interval.

This study includes a taxonomic inventory of the ostracods from the Upper Spathian and Lower Anisian deposits of the Deșli Caira section and their stratigraphic range around the Olenekian-Anisian (Lower-Middle Triassic) boundary.

The ostracods were extracted by the hot acetolysis method (Lethiers & Crasquin-Soleau, 1988; Crasquin-Soleau et al., 2005). Most of the ostracod assemblages are very well preserved and over 25 species have been identified. They belong to the Podocopida (Bairdiidae) including Bairdia cf. B. finalyi (Méhes), Bairdia cf. B. letangae Forel, Bairdia cf. B. gaelleae Crasquin, Bairdia (R.) cf. B.(R.) sandulescui Crasquin-Soleau & Grădinaru, Bairdia cf. B. wailiensis Crasquin-Soleau, Bairdia sp. 1, 3, 8, 13, 30, Bairdia popescui Sebe, Bairdiacypris anisica Kozur, Bairdiacypris aff. B. anisica Kozur, Bairdiacypris sp. 1, Fabalicypris sp. 2, Fabalicypris sp. 3 cf. Cavellina sp. 1, Petasobairdia collini Forel, Acratia cf. A. hungarica Kozur, Acratia cf. A. posthungarica Kozur, Acratia cf. A. posteroinclinata Kozur, Acratia triassica Kozur, Spinocypris vulgaris Kozur, Baschkirina cf. B. ballei Crasquin, Baschkirina cf. B. huzhouensis Forel, Baschkirina? sp. 1, Paracypris cf. P. gaetanii Crasquin-Soleau, Triassocythere thierryi Crasquin-Soleau & Grădinaru, Basslerella? sp. 1, Healdia (Healdia) reniformis (Méhes), Healdia (Healdia) cf. H.(H.) anisica Kozur, Hungarella sp. 1, Hungarella sp. 2, Gen et sp. indet. 1, and the Myodocopida (Polycopidae) including Polycope baudi Crasquin-Soleau & Grădinaru, Polycope bourquinae Crasquin-Soleau & Grădinaru, Polycope sp. 3, Discoidella niculaei Sebe, Discoidella sp.

The Olenekian-Anisian (Lower-Middle Triassic) boundary is not marked by a particular change in the ostracod fauna. In the Deșli Caira section, at base of the Anisian the ostracod fauna assemblage is largely dominated by smooth species of Bairdia which are indicative of an open-marine environment. The ostracod biostratigraphy in the Deșli Caira section is supported by ammonoids, nautiloids and conodont faunas (Grădinaru et al., 2006; Grădinaru & Sobolev, 2006; Orchard et al., 2007).

Present data on the ostracod biostratigraphy in the Deșli Caira section, which is made up of Hallstatt-like limestones laid down on pelagic swells, are correlated with data on the biostratigraphy of the coeval deep-water ostracods in the Uzum Bair section (Crasquin-Soleau & Grădinaru, 1996: Sebe et al., in press).


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References Crasquin-Soleau, S., Grădinaru, E., 1996. Early Anisian ostracode fauna from the Tulcea Unit (Cimmerian

North Dobrogean Orogen, Romania). Annales de Paléontologie, 82 (2): 59–116, Paris. Crasquin-Soleau, S., Vaslet, D., Le Nindre, Y.M., 2005. Ostracods from Permian-Triassic boundary in Saudi

Arabia (Khuff Formation). Palaeontology, 48 (4): 853-868, Edinburgh. Grădinaru, E., 2000. Introduction to the Triassic geology of North Dobrogea Orogene – An overview of the

Triassic System in the Tulcea Unit and the ammonoid biostratigraphy. In: Grădinaru, E. (Ed.), Workshop on the Lower-Middle Triassic (Olenekian-Anisian) boundary, 7-10 June 2000, Tulcea, Romania, Field Trip Section, 5-18, Bucharest.

Grădinaru, E., Kozur, H.W., Nicora, A., Orchard, M.J., 2006. The Chiosella timorensis lineage and correlation of the ammonoids and conodonts around the base of the Anisian in the GSSP candidates at Deșli Caira (North Dobrogea, Romania). Albertiana, Vol. 34, 34-38, Utrecht.

Grădinaru, E., Sobolev, E.S., 2006. Ammonoid and nautiloid biostratigraphy around the Olenekian-Anisian boundary in the Tethyan Triassic of North Dobrogea (Romania): correlation with the Boreal Triassic. In: Nakrem, H.A. & Mork, A. (Eds), Boreal Triassic 2006, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, 16-19 August 2006, NGF Abstracts and Proceedings of the Geological Society of Norway, Vol. 3, 56-58, Trondheim.

Lethiers, F., Crasquin-Soleau, S., 1988. Comment extraire des microfossiles à tests calcitiques de roches calcaires dures. Revue de Micropaléontologie 31: 56-61, Paris.

Orchard, M.J., Grădinaru, E., Nicora, A., 2007. A summary of the conodont succession around the Olenekian-Anisian boundary at Deșli Caira, North Dobrogea, Romania. In: Lucas, S.G. & Spielmann, J.A. (Eds), The Global Triassic, New Mexico Museum of natural History and Science Bulletin, Vol. 41, 341-346, Albuquerque.

Sebe, O.-G., Crasquin, S., Grădinaru, E., in press. Early Anisian deep-water ostracods (Crustacea) from Tulcea zone, North Dobrogea (Romania): paleoecologic significance. POSDRU (107/1.5/S/80765), Bucharest.

Sebe, O.-G., Crasquin, S., Grădinaru, E., in press. Early and Middle Anisian (Triassic) deep-water ostracods (Crustacea) from North Dobrogea (Romania). Revue de Paléobiologie, Geneva.


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Cricetids (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the Middle Turolian of Republic of Moldova. A preliminary report

Sinitsa, M.¹ & Delinschi, A.²

¹National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Paleontological Museum, 15, Bohdan Khmelnitsky Street, 01030, Kiev, Ukraine, e-mail: [email protected] ²National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova, Department of Natural Sciences, 82, Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 2009 Chisinau, Repubic of Moldova, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Cricetidae, Middle Turolian, Republic of Moldova.

Representatives of the family Cricetidae are widely represented in the Middle Turolian faunas of several Upper Miocene vertebrate localities in Southern Republic of Moldova. According to the last researches, the fossils previously assigned to Neocricetodon (Kowalskia) browni DAXNER-HOCK, 1992, Neocricetodon sp. and Pseudocricetus orienteuropaeus TOPACHEVSKI & SCORIK, 1992 (Delinschi 2009; Lungu and Rzebik-Kowalska, 2011) from Cimișlia, all belong in fact to the species Kowalskia progressa TOPACHEVSKI & SCORIK, 1992. Same species was also reported in Gura Galbenă and Gradiște. The large presence of this species in same communities with other rodents as Myomimus, Vaseuromys, Lophocricetus, proves that paleontological associations of these three localities are almost coeval.

References Delinschi, A., 2009. Contribution to the study of Maeotian Hipparion faunas from the Republic of Moldova.

Oltenia Journal for Studies in Natural sciences, XXV/2009, Craiova: 391-395. Lungu, A., Rzebik-Kowalska, B., 2011. Faunal assemblages, stratigraphy and taphonomy of the Late Miocene

localities in the Republic of Moldova. Institute of systematic and evolution of animals. Krakow, 62 pp.


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The micropalaeontological study of the foraminifera and ostracoda of the Badenian deposits from Gemenii Valley (Nemeşeşti) and Popii Valley

(Coşteiu de Sus), Timiş county

Şornea, A.-D.

University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, 6 Traian Vuia St., 020956 Bucharest 2, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Foraminifera, Ostracods, Badenian, Gemenii Valley, Popii Valley.

The samples used to document our research have been collected from two valleys: Popii Valley (Coşteiu de Sus) and Gemenii Valley (Nemeşeşti), both from Timiş county. Geographically, these two valleys are located in the north-western part of Poiana Ruscă Mountains and south from Mureş River.

The purpose of this paper is to study and to describe the microfauna from Gemenii and Popii Valleys. The micropaleontological samples from these deposits reveal an extremely rich microfauna with a large variety of foraminifera specimens: agglutinated specimens such as Spirorutilis carinatus (d’Orbigny), Textularia danae (Popescu), Karreriella chilostoma (Reuss), Semivulvulina serrata (Karrer), porcelaneous foraminifera such as Cornuspira plicata (Cjszek), Dervieuxina aspergilla (Karrer), Ptychomiliola separans (Brady), Lenticulina armata (Neugeboren), Cancris auriculus (Fichtel & Moll) or foraminifera with hyaline test like - Globigerinoides altiapertura (Bolli), Globigerinoides triloba (Reuss), Globoquadrina praealtispira (Popescu). Also, the samples are rich in ostracods specimens: Cytheridea acuminata (Bosquet), Olimfalunia plicatula (Reuss), Aurila similis (Reuss), Pokornyella deformis (Reuss), Loxoconcha punctatella (Reuss) and Xestoleberis tumida (Reuss).

The micropalaeontological content indicate a Badenian age for these deposits, especially Moravian to Wieliczian (Lower to Middle Badenian). The 5 samples from Gemenii Valley were collected from deposits characterised by argillaceous sands rich in fossil content, but also from deposits such as bioclastic sandstones with grey argillaceous sands interval and deposits with fine-grained yellowish-grey sandstones. The 3 samples from Coşteiu de Sus were collected from withish sandstones and sandy marls with sandy bands.

Biostratigraphically, the microfauna from these two valleys is part of the Lagenidae Zone (Lower Badenian).

The Badenian deposits from the study area are part of a small marine (maybe shoreline) basin, the depositional conditions being characterised by two types of facies: a shallow facies represented by limestone reefs associated with neritic deposits and a deeper facies, represented by pelitic, marly or argillaceous deposits (Duşa, 1969). Considering the microfauna found in the study area, the Badenian deposits from Coşteiu de Sus and Nemeşeşti localities indicate a well-oxygenated and normal salinity marine basin. References Duşa, A., 1969. Stratigrafia depozitelor mezozoice şi terţiare de la Căprioara-Coşteiu de Sus. Ed. Acad.

Republicii Socialiste România, Bucureşti.


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New data about the Palaeozoic formations from Moldavian Platform and South Dobrogea

Țabără, D.1, Olaru, L.1 & Chirilă, G.1

1„Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv, 700505 Iaşi, Romania; e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Keywords: Silurian-Devonian, Moldavian Platform, Moesian Platform, graptolites, palynomorphs, trilobites.

In this paper will be presented some biostratigraphycal, lithofacial and hydrocarbon potential aspects of the Silurian-Devonian deposits from Moldavian Platform and Eastern Moesian Platform (Southern Dobrogea).

From the drilling data obtained so far, the Silurian deposits from Moldavian Platform are found in two synchronous facies (Ionesi, 1994): limestone in the central and eastern part (assigned at Bătrîneşti Formation) and clayey, with graptolites (Rădăuți Formation) in the north-western part. Brachiopods fauna (Strophochonetes cingulatus, Atrypa reticularis, a.o.), trilobites and graptolites (Callograptus dichotomus) from Bătrîneşti Formation, which indicate Wenlock - Ludlow age, was previosly described by Macarovici (1956, 1971), Macarovici și Paghida (1962), Iordan (1999). Rădăuți Formation have a thickness of over 1200 m (in 49, 50, 51 Rădăuți wells), beeing represented by limestone in base (about 300 m) and clayey, partly bituminous, in the middle and upper part. Based on graptolites species (Neodiversograptus nilssoni, Bohemograptus bohemicus a.o.), ostracods, brachiopods and palynomorphs, the deposits of this formation have been assigned to Wenlock – Ludlow age (Pătruț, 1982). This formation has been highlighted in Grănicești well (10 km SE of Rădăuți). Between 1950 - 2118 m depth was intercepted a sequence of calcareous clays and quartzitic sandstones, chitinozoan association identified (Ancyrochitina ancyrea Eis., A. fragilis Eis., Angochitina capillata Eis., Conochitina lagenomorpha Eis., C. decipiens Taug. et De Jekh., Cyathochitina cf. kukersiana Eis., Lagenochitina baltica Eis., L. cf. prussica Eis., Rhabdochitina magna Eis. a.o.) indicating Ludlow age.

Amount of organic matter (inferred by the TOC content) from the Silurian deposits of Moldavian Platform is not very well known. We conducted geochemical analyzes on 5 samples from 3501 Nicolina-Iaşi well (Bătrînești Formation). The Silurian (Ludlow) of this well was intercepted between 356-602 m depth (Macarovici, 1956, 1971), consisting of black calcareous sandstones, limestones and dark gray marl-limestones. The 5 samples analyzed come from depth between 390 - 600 m, having a TOC of 0.33 to 0.55% (potential poor → fair).

Silurian-Devonian deposits from South Dobrogea were analyzed from a borehole located in NE of Bulgaria, near the Romania border. In the core samples taken from more than 2000 m depth, consisting of graptolite shale and black argillites, was identified a fauna with graptolites, trilobites and brachiopods. Among the species of graptolites identified we mention on Oktavites spiralis, Streptograptus wimani and Monoclimacis sp. that can be assigned at lower lapworthi graptolite Biozone (Upper Llandovery; Loydell and Nestor, 2006; Loydell et al., 2009). This biozone with graptolites not been identified so far in Southern Dobrogea, being cited only biozone attributed to Wenlock and Ludlow (Seghedi et al., 2005; Seghedi, 2012). From the same well was identified a fragment of trilobite (determined as Comura sp.) being quoted frequently from Devonian of Morocco. References Ionesi, L., 1994. Geologia unităţilor de platformă şi a orogenului Nord-Dobrogean. Editura Tehnică Bucureşti. Iordan, M., 1999. The palaeozoic brachiopods of Romania. Geo-Eco-Marina, 4, 135 – 145. Loydell, D.K., Nestor, V., 2006. Isolated graptolites from the Telychian (Upper Llandovery, Silurian) of Latvia

and Estonia. Palaeontology 49 (3), p. 585-619. Loydell, D.K., Sarmiento, G.N., Štorch, P., Gutiérrez-Marco, J.C., 2009. Graptolite and conodont

biostratigraphy of the upper Telychian–lower Sheinwoodian (Llandovery–Wenlock) strata, Jabalon River section, Corral de Calatrava, central Spain. Geol. Mag. 146(2), p. 187-198.

Macarovici, N., 1956. Asupra faunei Silurianului din fundamentul Podişului Moldovenesc. An. Şt. Univ. Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, sect. II, St. Nat., 1, Iaşi.


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Macarovici, N., 1971. La faune silurienne du fundament du Plateau Moldave (les forages de Iassy et de Todireni – Botoşani). An. Şt. Univ. Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, sect. biol., geol., XVII, Iaşi.

Macarovici, N., Paghida, N., 1962. Observaţii startigrafice asupra forajului de la Todireni (raion Botoşani). An. Şt. Univ. Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, sect. II, Şt. Nat., b, Geol. – Geogr., VIII.

Pătruţ, I., 1982. Le Silurien de la Plate-forme Moldave et sa position dans le cadre géologique régional. Lucrările Sesiunii „G. Cobălcescu” 1981, p. 181 – 190.

Seghedi, A., Vaida, M., Iordan, M. & Verniers, J., 2005. Palaeozoic evolution of the Moesian Platform, Romania: an overview. Geologica Belgica 8, p. 99–120.

Seghedi, A., 2012. Palaeozoic Formations from Dobrogea and Pre-Dobrogea – An Overview. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 21, p. 669-721.


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Norian coiled nautiloids from the Timon Klippe (Rarău Syncline, Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

Țibuleac, P.

1Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Department of Geology, 20A, Carol I, 700505 Iași, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]. Keywords: Late Triassic, coiled nautiloids, orthocerids, previous and new records. Introduction

The Triassic nautiloid fauna is mostly a continuation of the Late Paleozoic groups, the Permian-Triassic mass-extinction did not mark significant changes in their evolutionary history (Kummel, 1959). Still on, during the Triassic period there were quoted new occurrences and also extinctions of several taxa being known certain attempts to use them for Boreal Realm biozonation (e.g. Sobolev, 1994; Zakharov et al., 1997; Bragin et al., 2012) . The end-Triassic crisis drastically affected the nautiloids, only one genus – Cenoceras surviving into Early Jurassic to give rise to a significant adaptative radiation.

Historical background

In the Rarău Syncline, nautiloids were firstly recorded by Mojsisovics (1882), who quoted Orthoceras (=Trematoceras/Virgoceras) politum (KLIPSTEIN, 1843/McCOY, 1851), and Nautilus sp. from the limestone of Dealul Cailor Klippe. Later, Simonescu (1913- fide Turculeţ, 1986) assigned the last taxon to Syryngonautilus zinae (AIRAGHI, 1902).

Mutihac (1968), Turculeţ and Bosancu Poptămaş (1979), and Turculeţ (1980, 1986, 2004) added new nautiloids taxa from three areas (the klippen of Dealul Cailor-Pârâul Cailor, Măcieş Hill, and Timon-Ciungi) generally describing orthocerids and coiled nautilids. Orthocerid specimens seem to be more frequent being quoted in Timon and Dealul Cailor-Pârâul Cailor klippen. Coiled nautiloids are listed by taxa of all three main Triassic stocks: Tainoceratidae, Grypoceratidae – Syringonautilidae, respectively Clydonautilidae – Gonionautilidae – Liroceratidae. Timon Klippe delivered the most various and frequent Triassic nautiloids within the framework of Rarău Syncline.

Geological setting

Generally, the Rarău Syncline is built by autochthonous and allochthonous nappes belonging to Mediane Dacides or informal Cristalline-mesozoic Zone of Eastern Carpathians. One or two par-autochthonous nappes were recognized within the syncline framework: Bucovinian or Bucovinian and Infrabucovinian nappes. The allochthonous Transylvanides are only known by sedimentary and volcanic klippen embedded in the Early Cretaceous Wildflysch of Bucovinian Nappe.

Nowadays, the Timon Klippe (the natives called the stream Timăn, but first name is largely used in the geological literature) seems to be only the isolated remnants of large and facies-varied limestone block after it was largely quarried in the past. The main limestone types can still be observed: the light-grey, yellow and white massive limestone, which was the best developed, the dark red to violet massive limestone, subordinately nodular or breccious limestone, and the light red limestone breccias (Popescu and Popescu, 2010).

Material and methodology

The previous nautiloid records (Table 1) from the Timon Klippe are mainly hosted in the Museum of Paleontology – Original Collections, University of ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi. The paper deals with these previous coiled nautiloid records, and also includes several newly described taxa. The new specimens were collected from a level of reddish nodular limestone, togheter with ammonoids, brachiopods, bivalves and crinoids (Sevatian, and, most proably, the end of previous Alaunian substage - Halorites macer Zone). Within the coiled nautiloids, the ornamented Tainoceratidae Family seems to be less frequent (Germanonautilus sp.). Grypoceratidae and Syringonautilidae are more often (Grypoceras, Syringonautilus, and Juvavionautilus), the families Liroceratidae-


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Clydonautilidae-Gonionautilidae being the best represented by taxa and specimens (Paranautilus, Proclydonautilus, Gonionautilus). Also, normal and large orthocerids accompany them.

Table 1. Nautiloid taxa quoted until now in The Timon Klippe (Rarău Syncline, Eastern Carpathians, Romania) according with the original paper.

References Bragin, N.Y., Konstantinov, A., Sobolev, E.S., 2012. Stratigraphy and Palaeobiogeography of Upper Triassic

deposits from the Boiler Island (New Siberian Islands). Stratigraphy. Geological correlation, 20/ 6, 54–80 (in Russian).

Kummel, B., 1959. Triassic-Jurassic cenoceratids from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophisics, 2/3, 421-428.

Mosisovics, E., 1882. Die Cephalopoden der mediterranen Triasprovinz. Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt, X, 320 pp.

Mutihac, V., 1968. Structura geologică a compartimentului nordic din Sinclinalului marginal extern (Carpaţii Orientali). Editura Academiei, 128 p.

Popescu, D.A., Popescu, L, Gh., 2010. Triassic limestone microfacies and microfossils from the Transylvanian Nappes (East Carpathians). Case study of the limestone klippe on the Timon brook, the Rarău Syncline. Analele Ştiinţiifice ale Universităţii “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi, Geologie, s II, 56, nr. 1, 33-43, 1 pl.

Sobolev, E.S., 1994. Stratigraphic range of Triassic Boreal Nautiloidea. Mémoires. de Géologie, Lausanne, 22, 127–138.

Turculeţ, I., Bosancu Poptămaş, A., 1979. Noi contribuţii privind studiul faunei triasice de pe Pârâul Cailor (Rarău). Analele Ştiinţiifice ale Universităţii “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi, Geologie, s II, 25, 37-42.

Turculeţ, I., 1980. Fauna noriană din klippa de la Ciungi (Rarău – Bucovina). Analele Ştiinţiifice ale Universităţii “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi, Geologie, 26, s II, 25-29.

Turculeţ, I., 1986. Asupra unor faune de nautiloidee neotriasice din Pânza Transilvană a Sinclinoriului Rarău-Breaza. Academia RSR, Studii şi Cercetări de Geologie, Geofizică şi Geografie, Geologie, 31, 126-137.

Turculeţ, I., 2004. Paleontologia Triasicului transilvan din Rarău. Editura Arvin Press București. 170 p, 15 pl. Zakharov, V.A., Bogomolov, Yu.I., I1jina, V.I., Konstantinov, A.G., Kurushin, N.I., Lebedeva, N.K., Meledina,

S.V., Nikitenko, B.L., Sobolev, E.S., Shurygin, B.N., 1997. Boreal zonal standard biostratigraphy of the Siberian Mesozoic. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 38/5, 965-993.

Nr. crt. Families Name of taxa Reference Age

1 Orthoceratidae Orthoceras campanile MOJSISOVICS 1869 Mutihac, 1968 Norian 2 O. dubium (HAUER,1847) Mutihac, 1968 Norian 3 O. aff. austriacum MOJSISOVICS Turculeţ, 1980 Norian 4 Michelinoceras sp. Turculeţ, 2004 Norian/Sevatian 5 Tainoceratidae ? Germanonautilus sp. Turculeţ, 2004 Norian/Sevatian

6 Grypoceratidae Grypoceras mesodicum (QUENSTEDT-HAUER, 1845/1846)

Turculeţ, 1986 Norian/Sevatian

7 G. aff. mesodicum (HAUER),Grypoceras mesodicum subsulcatum TURCULET, 1986

Turculeţ, 1980 1986

Norian/Sevatian

8 Syringonautilidae Nautilus zinae AIRAGHI,1902 Mutihac, 1968 Norian 9 Juvavionautilus heterophyllus (HAUER, 1849) Turculeţ, 1980 Norian 10 Juvavionautilus aff. trapezoidalis (HAUER, 1860) Turculeţ, 2004 Norian/Sevatian 11 Liroceratidae Paranautilus simonyi (HAUER, 1849) Turculeţ, 1980 Norian

12 Clydonautilidae Clydonautilus (Proclydonautilus) triadicus (MOJSISOVICS, 1873)

Turculeţ, 1986 Norian/Sevatian

13 Gonionautilidae Gonionautilus securis (DITTMAR, 1866) Turculeţ, 1986 Norian/Sevatian


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The Upper Pleistocene giant deer Megaloceros giganteus (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) at Movileni (Vaslui District)

Ursachi, L.1, Codrea, A.V.2 & Brânzilă M.3

1Vasile Pârvan Museum, Natural Sciences Branch, Bârlad, 731050, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 2Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology-Paleontology, Faculty of Biology-Geology, 1 Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

3„Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi, Department of Geology, 20A Carol I Blv, 700505 Iaşi, Romania; e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Late Pleistocene, large herbivores, giant deer, Moldova, Romania.

The presence of the Pleistocene large herbivores is rather often recorded in Vaslui District, due to the large presence of fluvial deposits bearing such fossils. In the last decade, illustrative vertebrate remains were reported in such deposits exposed in few new Upper Pleistocene localities as Roșiești (Ursachi et Codrea, 2008), Zorleni (Codrea et al., 2011), Simila (Codrea et al., 2013) or Movileni (Codrea et Ursachi, 2010). The last one of these localities yielded steppe bison (Bison priscus BOJANUS 1827) remains collected on Hreasca Creek, originating from fluvial white-yellowish sands. Now, we report from the same location the presence of the giant deer Megaloceros giganteus (BLUMENBACH 1803) documented by antler and lower jaw fragments. Therefore, Movileni is a new locality for this species in Moldova. It still remain unclear if at Movileni the fossil-bearing deposits are related to the last Pleistocene glacial (Weichsel/Würm), or they are somewhat older, from the penultimate glacial (Saale/Riss). For a better dating, a richer sample of fossils from Hreasca Creek is still needed. References Codrea, V., Ursachi, L., 2010. The Pleistocene steppe bison (Bison priscus, Bovidae, Mammalia) from Movileni

(Vaslui District). Oltenia, Studii şi comunicări, Ştiinţele Naturii. 26, 2/2010: 281-286. Codrea, A.V., Bejan, D., Ursachi, L., Solomon, Al., 2011. Upper Pleistocene vertebrates from Zorleni-Dealul

Bour (Vaslui District). Studii şi cercetări, Geology-Geography, 16: 69-79. Codrea, V., Rățoi, G.B., Ursachi, L., Solomon, Al., Brânzilă, M., 2013. The Pleistocene of Simila open-pit

(Scythian Platform, Romania). Oltenia, Studii şi comunicări, Ştiinţele Naturii. /in print/. Ursachi, L., Codrea, V., 2008. Date asupra descoperirii de Mammuthus trogontherii (Pohlig, 1855)

(Proboscidea, Mammalia) de la Roşieşti (Vaslui). Acta Musei Tutoveneis, III: 180-187.


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Isopteran trace fossils from the Upper Cretaceous of Central-Eastern Europe

Vasile, Ş.1, Bodor, E.R.2, 3, Csiki-Sava, Z.1 & Szentesi, Z.2, 4, 5

1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Laboratory of Paleontology, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mails: [email protected], [email protected] 2Eötvös Lorand University, Department of Paleontology, 1-3 Egyetem tér, 1050 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 3Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary, Department of Geological and Geophysical Collections,14 Stefánia út., 1143 Budapest, Hungary 4Hungarian Natural History Museum, Department of Geology and Palaeontology, 2-6 Ludovika tér, 1083 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 5MTA-MTM-ELTE Research Group for Paleontology, P.O. Box 120, H-1518 Budapest, Hungary. Keywords: termites, coprolites, Hungary, Romania, Santonian, Maastrichtian.

The Upper Cretaceous fluvial deposits of the Bakony Mountains (western Hungary) and Haţeg Basin (western Romania), are well-known for the rich and diverse Santonian, and, respectively, Maastrichtian vertebrate assemblages they yielded (for reviews, see Ősi et al., 2012; Grigorescu, 2010). Maastrichtian vertebrate fossil assemblages comparable to those known from the Haţeg Basin have been reported from the neighbouring Rusca Montană Basin as well (Codrea et al., 2009; 2012; Vasile, Csiki, 2011). The invertebrate record from the same deposits is scarce, and based mostly on molluscs (e.g., Pană et al., 2002; Szentesi, 2008; Vasile, Csiki, 2012). The presence of other invertebrates was only recently reported, based on trace fossils assigned to insects (dermestid coleopterans, isopterans, and lepidopterans) (Csiki, 2006; Vremir, 2009).

Intensive searches for microvertebrates, via screen-washing, in the Santonian of Iharkút (Hungary) and the Maastrichtian of Haţeg and Rusca Montană basins (Romania) led to the accumulation of a large number of structures identified as termite coprolites. The morphology of these specimens is similar to the Microcarpolithus hexagonalis ichnotaxon (Vangerow, 1954), which was formerly classified as angiosperm seed. Such coprolites were found in Romania and Hungary either isolated or in clusters, and are represented by hexagonal cylinders comparable in shape and size to those produced by the extant “dry-wood termites”, members of the isopteran families Kalotermitidae and Mastotermitidae (Colin et al., 2011).

The X-ray fluorescence analysis of both the coprolites and the surrounding matrix showed significant differences between the sediment and the fossils; certain chemical elements usually linked to biotic activity (e.g., phosphorus, sulphur) are present almost exclusively in the coprolites, further supporting the biotical nature of these structures. Some metals, most notably iron and calcium, but also zinc, nickel, and copper, were similarly found in higher concentrations in the coprolites than in the surrounding sediment. Along with a marked decrease in silicon, such elements were reported to occur in higher concentrations in, or near, the epigeal termite mounds (e.g., Semhi et al., 2008), and are useful for maintaining appropriate conditions for the symbiotic microbiota living inside the isopteran digestive tract, and helping in the digestion of lignocelluloses from wood – the main food source of termites (Vu et al., 2004).

The isopteran termite ichnites discussed here occur in fairly large numbers in fossiliferous beds 6, 7 and 8 from Iharkút (Bakony Mountains) (for a detailed stratigraphy of the site, see Bodor & Barany, in press), as well as in the microvertebrate fossil sites Negoiu (Rusca Montană Basin), Budurone, and Pui “swamp” (Haţeg Basin); they are somewhat less abundant in the Fântânele 1 microvertebrate fossil site (Haţeg Basin). Their abundance in the Santonian of Hungary and the Maastrichtian of Romania shows that dry-wood termites were an important part of the Late Cretaceous ecosystems of Central-Eastern Europe. The observed differences in the chemical composition between the Hungarian and Romanian coprolites might suggest they were produced by different isopteran taxa. Such differences can, however, also be induced during the unavoidable diagenetic exchange of soluble chemical elements between the coprolites and the surrounding sediment.


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Acknowledgments

This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Program (Ş.V.), from the CNCSIS Grant 1930/2009, and from the University of Bucharest Internal Project 1001/2012 (both to Z. C.-S.)

The Iharkutian (Hungary) fieldwork was supported and facilitated by the Hungarian Natural History Museum, the Hantken Foundation and the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA PD 75021 and NF 84193). Z. Sz. was also supported by TÁMOP 4.2.2./B-10/1-20110-0030.

Cristian Panaiotu and Daniela Dimofte (University of Bucharest) are thanked for helping with the XRF geochemical measurements, whereas Krisztina Buczkó and Attila Virág helped operate the SEM at the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest. References Bodor, E. R., Baranyi, V., In Press. Palynomorphs of the Normapolles group and related plant mesofossils from

the Iharkút vertebrate site, Bakony Mountains (Hungary). Central European Geology. Codrea, V. A., Godefroit, P., Smith, T., 2012. First discovery of Maastrichtian (Latest Cretaceous) terrestrial

vertebrates in Rusca Montană Basin (Romania). In: Godefroit, P. (Ed.), Bernissart dinosaurs and Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, pp. 571-581.

Codrea, V., Godefroit, P., Smith, T., Jipa-Murzea, C., 2009. Maastrichtian land vertebrates in Rusca Montană Basin (Romania). In: Godefroit, P., Lambert, O. (Eds.) Tribute to Charles Darwin and Bernissart iguanodons: New Perspectives on Vertebrate Evolution and Early Cretaceous Ecosystems, Brussels, pp. 29.

Colin, J.-P., Néraudeau, D., Nel, A., Perrichot, V., 2011. Termite coprolites (Insecta: Isoptera) from the Cretaceous of western France: A palaeoecological insight. Rev. micropal. 54, 129-139.

Csiki, Z., 2006. Insect borings in dinosaur bones from the Maastrichtian of the Haţeg Basin, Romania - Paleoecological and paleoclimatic implications. In: Csiki, Z. (Ed.), Mesozoic and Cenozoic Vertebrates ans Paleoenvironments – Tributes to the career of Prof. Dan Grigorescu, Editura Ars Docendi, Bucharest, pp. 101-109.

Grigorescu, D., 2010. The Latest Cretaceous fauna with dinosaurs and mammals from the Haţeg Basin – A historical overview. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclim. Palaeoec. 293, 271-282.

Ősi, A., Rabi, M., Makádi, L., Szentesi, Z., Botfalvai, G., Gulyás, P., 2012. The Late Cretaceous continental vertebrate fauna from Iharkút (western Hungary): a review. In: Godefroit, P. (Ed.), Bernissart dinosaurs and Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, pp. 533-570.

Pană, I., Grigorescu, D., Csiki, Z., Costea, C., 2002. Paleo-ecological significance of the continental gastropod assemblages from the Maastrichtian dinosaur beds of the Haţeg Basin. Acta Pal. Rom. 3, 337-343.

Semhi, K., Chaudhuri, S., Clauer, N., Boeglin, J. L., 2008. Impact of termite activity on soil environment: A perspective from their soluble chemical components. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech. 5(4), 431-444.

Szentesi, Z., 2008. The Iharkutian Late Cretaceous amphibian fauna. Master thesis, Lorand Eötvös University, Budapest, 74 pp. [in Hungarian with English abstract].

Vangerow, E. F., 1954. Megasporen und andere pflanzlich Mikrofossilien aus den Aachen Kreide. Palaeontographica (B) 96, 24-38.

Vasile, Ş., Csiki, Z., 2011. New Maastrichtian microvertebrates from the Rusca Montană Basin (Romania). Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 27, 1, 221-230.

Vasile, Ş., Csiki, Z., 2012. Maastrichtian continental gastropods from Fărcădeana (Rusca Montană Basin, Romania). Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii 28, 2, 203-210.

Vremir, M.M., 2009. Insect-related traces associated to the Maastrichtian vertebrate assemblages of Alba-Iulia and Haţeg areas (Romania). In: Bucur, I. I., Săsăran, E., Pop, D. (Eds.), Seventh Romanian Symposium on Palaeontology, Cluj-Napoca, 22-24 october 2009, Abstract book, Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, pp. 119-121.

Vu, A.T., Nguyen, N. C., Leadbetter, J. R., 2004. Iron reduction in the metal-rich guts of wood-feeding termites. Geobiology 2, 239-247.


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First find of ectothermic vertebrates from the Pleistocene „Copăceni Beds” (southern Romania)

Vasile, Ş.1, Ştiucă, E.2 & Venczel, M.3

1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geology, Laboratory of Paleontology, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 2Romanian Academy, „Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology, Department of Geospeleology and Speleopaleontology, 13-15 Calea 13 Septembrie, 050711 Bucharest, Romania, e-mail:[email protected] 3Ţării Crişurilor Museum, 1-3 Dacia Avenue, 410464 Oradea, Romania, e-mail:[email protected] Keywords: Quaternary, microvertebrates, herpetofauna, Central Dacian Basin.

The “Copăceni Beds” are a stratigraphic unit of uncertain status from the Central Dacian Basin. It comprises fine-grained fluvial deposits that might represent either the basal part of the Coconi Formation, or a distinct formation, transitional between the Frăteşti Formation (Lower Pleistocene) and the Coconi Formation (Middle Pleistocene) (Andreescu et al., 2011; 2013).

The silts and fine sands of the “Copăceni Beds” crop out southwest of Bucharest, along the Argeş river, which in this area marks the boundary between Copăceni (Ilfov County) and Adunaţii-Copăceni (Giurgiu County).

So far, the “Copăceni Beds” have yielded a fairly rich and diverse fossil assemblage, including: molluscs (especially unionid bivalves and microgastropods; for a taxon list, see Andreescu et al., 2013), large mammals (elephantids, rhinocerotids, cervids and bovids; Ştiucă et al., 2012; Vasile et al., in press), and micromammals (rodents and insectivores; Andreescu et al., 2011; 2013; Ştiucă et al., 2012). The large mammal assemblage is indicative of the Early–Middle Pleistocene, whereas the micromammal and bivalve assemblages include taxa typical of the late Early Pleistocene (Andreescu, 1982; Ştiucă et al., 2012).

Screen-washing of the fine-grained sediments from Copăceni and Adunaţii-Copăceni led to the discovery of a large number of ectothermic vertebrate fossil remains, including fish, amphibians, lizards and snakes, associated with the micromammals.

Fish remains are the most common, in both diversity and abundance, and consist almost exclusively in isolated teeth. Cyprinid pharyngeal teeth are the most frequent, and by comparison with the tooth morphology of extant cyprinids are referred to the genera Carassius, Tinca, Rutilus, Squalius (=Leuciscus), and Scardinus. Predatory fish teeth are also represented, supporting the presence of the genera Esox and Silurus.

The only tailed amphibian material consists in a trunk vertebra assigned to an indeterminate species of Triturus. Anurans are much better represented, mostly by appendicular elements belonging to the genera Bufo and Rana.

A single lizard fragmentary vertebra has been discovered so far, and is tentatively assigned to the Lacertidae. Among the squamates, snake remains are much more abundant in the “Copăceni Beds”. Most ophidian vertebrae are assigned to Natrix sp., as is, tentatively, a maxillary fragment. Due to its incompleteness, a single partial caudal vertebra is provisionally assigned to Zamenis (= Elaphe).

The Natrix sp. vertebrae are in a good state of preservation, and in some cases they are articulated. The anuran remains are also fairly complete, and some cyprinid teeth are still attached to the pharyngeal bone. The good state of preservation of the ectothermic vertebrate remains from the “Copăceni Beds” suggests that the fossil assemblage closely reflects the composition of an autochthonous Pleistocene freshwater herpetofauna from the Central Dacian Basin.

The ectothermic vertebrates from the “Copăceni Beds”, in addition to the large mammal and micromammal fossil assemblages, increase the knowledge on the composition of the Pleistocene vertebrate assemblages from Romania. This is the first report of Pleistocene ectothermic vertebrates from the Dacian Basin; the only other herpetofaunas of this age described so far from Romania were based on material reported from the Braşov Depression (Bolkay, 1913; von Szunyoghy, 1932) and on more abundant samples from Bihor County (e. g., Bolkay, 1913; von Szunyoghy, 1932; Venczel, 1990; 1991; 2000).


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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Alexandru Petculescu, Dr. Marius Vlaicu, Marius Robu, Ionuţ Mirea (all from the „Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology, Bucharest), as well as Ana Buduşan and Florin Ştiucă (Bucharest) for the help granted during field activities that led to the discovery of the material presented here. References Andreescu, I., 1982. Biocronologia şi cronostratigrafia Pliocenului şi Pleistocenului inferior din Bazinul Dacic.

Analele Universităţii Bucureşti, Geologie 31, 55-66. Andreescu, I., Codrea, V., Enache, C., Lubenescu, V., Munteanu, T., Petculescu, A., Ştiucă, E., Terzea, E.,

2011. Reassessment of the Pliocene/Pleistocene (Neogene / Quaternary) boundary in the Dacian Basin (Eastern Paratethys), Romania. Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii 27, 1, 197-220.

Andreescu, I., Codrea, V., Munteanu, T., Petculescu, A., Ştiucă, E., Terzea, E., 2013. New developments in the Upper Pliocene–Pleistocene stratigraphic units of the Dacian Basin (Eastern Paratethys), Romania. Quat. Int. 284, 15-29.

Bolkay, S. J., 1913. Additions to the fossil herpetology of Hungary from the Pannonian and Preglacial periode. Mitt. Jb. Kgl. Ung. Geol. Reichsanst. 21, 3, 217-230.

Ştiucă, E., Petculescu, A., Vasile, Ş., Tiţă, R., 2012. Macro-and micromammal faunas associated with Mammuthus (Archidiskodon) meridionalis in the Lower-Middle Pleistocene from Copăceni (Ilfov County, Romania). In: Murariu, D., Adam, C., Chişamera, G., Iorgu, E., Popa, L. O., Popa, O. P. (Eds.), Annual Zoological Congress of “Grigore Antipa” Museum, Book of Abstracts, Editura Medialux, Bucharest, pp. 76-77.

Vasile, Ş., Ştiucă E., Panaitescu D., In press. First find of elephantid remains from the Pleistocene of Copăceni (Ilfov County, Romania). Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 28.

Venczel, M., 1990. Date asupra herpetofaunei fosile de la Subpiatră (jud. Bihor). Crisia 20, 543-552. Venczel, M., 1991. New contributions to the fossil herpetofauna of Subpiatră (Bihor County, Romania).

Nymphaea 21, 81-88. Venczel, M., 2000. Quaternary snakes from Bihor (Romania). Publishing House of the Ţării Crişurilor

Museum, Oradea. 142 pp. von Szunyoghy, J., 1932. Beiträge zur vergleichenden Formenlehre des Colubridenschädels, nebst einer

kranialogischen Synopsis der fossilen Sclangen ungrans mit nomenklatorischen, systematischen und phyletischem Bemerkungen. Acta Zool. 13, 1-56.


92

ORAL

Additional albanerpetontid remains from the Maastrichtian of Haţeg Basin (Romania)

Venczel, M.1 , Vasile, Ş.2, Alexandru, A.3 & Csiki-Sava, Z.2

1Ţării Crişurilor Museum, 1-3 Dacia Blvd., 410464 Oradea, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Bălcescu Blvd, 010041 Bucharest, Romania; e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 3Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Bălcescu Blvd, 010041 Bucharest, Romania; e-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Albanerpetontidae; Europe; Late Cretaceous; paleobiogeography; taxonomy

The Albanerpetontidae are an extinct group of superficially salamander-like amphibians, whose

exact phylogenetic relationships are still unclear, although they are probably related to lissamphibians (e.g., Maddin et al., 2013; Marjanovic & Laurin, 2013). Albanerpetontids are first recorded during the Middle Jurassic, with a fossil record restricted mainly to present-day Europe until the later part of the Early Cretaceous, where they were represented by a moderately diverse assembly of three genera (Anoualerpeton, Celtedens, and Wesserpeton) (e.g., Sweetman & Gardner, 2013). Albanerpetontids made their appearance only during the later part of the Early Cretaceous in western North America. Here, they became widespread and have a more or less continuous fossil record until the Paleocene, represented by several species of the genus Albanerpeton. Meanwhile, more basal albanerpetontids disappeared in their ancestral European range after the Albian, and the group re-established itself only with the Santonian.

After the Santonian, European albanerpetontids have a peculiar, patchy fossil record, being restricted to the Late Cretaceous, and the Oligocene to earliest Pleistocene, respectively (for a review, see Gardner & Böhme, 2008). During the Cenozoic, they are represented exclusively by derived members of the so-called “robust-snouted” clade of the genus Albanerpeton (e.g., Venczel & Gardner, 2005). However, although Upper Cretaceous albanerpetontid occurrences are fairly numerous in Europe, including elements which allow a positive assignment to the family, more diagnostic elements are rare and fragmentary, thus their precise taxonomical affinities remain difficult to discern; nonetheless, apparently they were represented by members of the same derived genus (Albanerpeton) (e.g., Szentesi et al., 2013).

Due to this pattern of chronostratigraphic and paleogeographic distribution of the albanerpetontids, the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic affinities of the Late Cretaceous European albanerpetontids might offer important clues for understanding faunal evolution and paleobiogeography of the European province during this time interval.

Just as in the case of many other Late Cretaceous European vertebrate assemblages, those from the Maastrichtian of Romania also yielded a number of amphibian remains of undisputed albanerpetontid origin. Their previous referral to the genus Albanerpeton was based on fragmentary frontals and jaws, whereas their specific assignment remained unclear (Grigorescu et al., 1999; Folie & Codrea, 2005).

More recently discovered, diverse and better preserved additional material from the Maastrichtian continental beds of the Haţeg Basin confirms the presence of the genus Albanerpeton in this area and offers supplementary information concerning the affinities of the Haţeg albanerpetontids. This material, including diagnostic elements such as frontals, maxillae and premaxillae, allows a better specific assignment of the Haţeg albanerpetontids; most of these cranial elements suggest the presence of a taxon closely related, even possibly belonging, to A. inexpectatum, or at least that of a member of the “robust-snouted” clade.

The morphological and dimensional variation of the diagnostic skull elements, as registered in the available albanerpetontid material, would support the presence of two different taxa in the local assemblage; alternatively, this variability might represent a case of significant allometric changes in the skull during ontogeny. Choosing between these hypotheses requires the recovery of additional, better preserved material.

As A. inexpectatum is known exclusively from Upper Cenozoic (mainly Miocene) deposits, its possible range extension through the Haţeg material into the Late Cretaceous would offer important new insights into the paleobiogeograhy and evolution of European albanerpetontids. Conversely, in


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case the Haţeg material belongs to other, possibly new, member(s) of the “robust-snouted” clade, it still offers important information on the timing of the albanerpetontid re-colonization of Europe after the mid-Cretaceous albanerpetontid hiatus.

Acknowledgments

This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Program (ŞV), as well as from the CNCS grant PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0381 to V. Codrea (ZCs-S, MV). References Folie, A., Codrea, V., 2005. New lissamphibians and squamates from the Maastrichtian of Haţeg Basin,

Romania. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 20, 1, 57–71. Grigorescu, D., Venczel, M., Csiki, Z., Limberea, R., 1999. New latest Cretaceous microvertebrate fossil

assemblages from the Haţeg Basin (Romania). Geologie en Mijnbouw 78, 301–314. Gardner, J.D., Böhme, M., 2008. Review of Albanerpetontidae (Lissamphibia), with comments on the

palaeoecological preferences of Tertiary European albanerpetontids. In: Sankey, J.T., Baszio, S. (Eds.), Vertebrate Microfossil Assemblages: Their role in Paleoecology and Paleobiogeography. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indianopolis, pp. 178–218.

Maddin, H.C., Venczel, M., Gardner, J.D., Rage, J.-C., 2013. Micro-computed tomography study of a three-dimensionally preserved neurocranium of Albanerpeton (Lissamphibia, Albanerpetontidae) from the Pliocene of Hungary. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33, 568–587.

Marjanovic, D., Laurin, M., 2013. The origin(s) of extant amphibians: a review with emphasis on the “lepospondyl hypothesis”. Geodiversitas 35, 207–272. doi:10.5252/g2013n1a8.

Sweetman, S.C., Gardner, J.D., 2013. A new albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 58, 295–324.

Szentesi, Z., Gardner, J.D., Venczel, M., 2013. Albanerpetontid amphibians from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) of Iharkút, Hungary, with remarks on regional differences in Late Cretaceous Laurasian amphibian assemblages. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 50, 268–281.

Venczel, M., Gardner, J.D., 2005. The geologically youngest albanerpetontid amphibian, from the Lower Pliocene of Hungary. Palaeontology 48, 1273–1300.


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LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

ALEXANDRU, Ana University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Blvd. RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ANDRĂȘANU, Alexandru University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Blvd. RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ANDREI, Răzvan A. University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Blvd. 010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ANISTOROAE, Anca “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iași Departament of Geology Bd. Carol I, nr. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ANIŢĂI, Nicoleta University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Blvd. 010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ANTONIADE, Claudia Geological Institute of Romania National Geological Museum Kiseleff Pavel Dimitrievici G-ral. Ave., No.2 Sct.1, Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] AUER, Andreea Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected]

AROLDI, Carlo Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] BARBU, Victor Senergy A.S., Strandkaien 2, P.O. Box 832, Zip Code 4004, Stavanger, Norway, e-mail: [email protected] BEDELEAN, Horea Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] BINDIU, Raluca Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] BODOR, Reka Emese Eötvös Lorand University Department of Paleontology 1-3 Egyetem tér, 1050 Budapest, Hungary and Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary Department of Geological and Geophysical Collections 14 Stefánia út., 1143 Budapest, Hungary e-mail: [email protected] BOGA, Cristian Rudolf University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology and Geophysics 6 Traian Vuia St. 020956 Bucharest 2, Romania e-mail: [email protected]


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BOJAR, Ana – Voica Department of Geography and Geology, Salzburg University, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] BOJAR, Hans Peter Department of Mineralogy, Studienzentrum Naturkunde, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Weinzöttlstraße 16, A-8045 Graz, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] BONEV, Nikolay Faculty of Geology & Geography Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mails: [email protected] BRÂNZILĂ, Mihai “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iași Departament of Geology Bd. Carol I, nr. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] BRICEAG, Andrei National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania e-mail [email protected] BUCUR, Ioan I. Babeș-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] CHATALOV, Athanas Faculty of Geology & Geography Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: [email protected]

CHELARIU, Ciprian “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] CHIRA, Carmen M. Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] CHIRILĂ, Gabriel “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] CODREA, Vlad A. Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] CRASQUIN, Sylvie CNRS, CR2P, UPMC-Paris 6 Laboratory of Micropaleontology T.46-56, E.5, case 104, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France e-mail: [email protected] CROITOR, Roman Center for Archaeology Institute of Cultural Heritage Academy of Sciences of Moldova 1 Stefan Cel Mare str. 2001 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova e-mail: [email protected] CSIKI-SAVA, Zoltán University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Blvd. RO-010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected]


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CURCUDEL, Ionuț “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected]

DAVID, Anatolie Academy of Sciences of Moldova Institute of Zoology Academiei Str., MD- 2028, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova e-mail: [email protected] DELINSCHI, Andrian National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova Department of Natural Sciences 82, Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 2009 Chisinau, Repubic of Moldova e-mail: [email protected] DRAGASTAN, Ovidiu N. University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology and Geophysics Laboratory of Palaeontology 1, N. Balcescu Ave. 010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] DUMBRAVĂ, Mihai D. Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] DUMITRIU, Simina “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] DYKE, Gareth J. Ocean and Earth Science National Oceanography Centre University of Southampton Southampton SO14 3ZH UK e-mail: [email protected]

FĂRCAȘ, Simona Institute of Biological Research Republicii 48 400015 Cluj Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] FEURDEAN, Angelica Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. e-mail: [email protected] FILIPESCU, Rodica Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology-Paleontology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] FILIPESCU, Sorin Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology-Paleontology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] GALLEMÍ, Jaume Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB Departament de Paleontologia Parc de la Ciutadella s/n Barcelona, Spain e-mail: [email protected] GEANTĂ, Anca Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology-Paleontology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] GRĂDINARU, Mihaela Department of Geology Faculty of Geology and Geophysics University of Bucharest 010041-Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected]


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GRĂDINARU, Eugen University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology and Geophysics Laboratory of Palaeontology 1, N. Balcescu Ave. 010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] GRELLET-TINNER, Gerald Associate Researcher at the Field Museum Chicago, USA and Journey Museum Rapid City, USA. e-mail: [email protected] GRIGORE, Dan Geological Institute of Romania 1 Caransebes Street 012721 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] GRINDEAN, Roxana Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] GRGASOVIĆ, Tonći Croatian Geological Survey Sachsova 2 10000 Zagreb, Croatia e-mail: [email protected] HERBIG, Hans-Georg Universitat zu Köln Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie Arbeitsgruppe für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, Zülpicher Strasse 49a 50674, Köln, Germany, e-mail: [email protected] HUTCHINSON, Simon M. School of Environment & Life Sciences University of Salford, Salford, UK. e-mail: [email protected] IAMANDEI, Eugenia Geological Institute of Romania 1st Caransebes Street 012271 – Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected]

IAMANDEI, Stănilă Geological Institute of Romania 1st Caransebes Street 012271 – Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ILIE, Radu University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Ave. Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] IONESI, Viorel “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] IONIȚĂ, Corina OMV Petrom SA E&P – ICPT Câmpina Culturii Blvd. 29, 105600, Romania e-mails: [email protected] IVANOVA, Daria Geological Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: [email protected] IVANOV, Dimiter Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: [email protected] KAISER, Gary Royal British Columbia Museum 675 Belleville Street, Victoria BC V8W 9W2 Canada e-mail: [email protected]


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KOLEVA-REKALOVA, Elena Geological Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: [email protected] KÖVECSI SZABOLCS, Attila Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] LAZĂR, Iuliana University of Bucharest Department of Geology 1 N. Balcescu Ave. Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] LÓPEZ, Gregorio Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB Departament de Paleontologia Parc de la Ciutadella s/n Barcelona, Spain e-mail: [email protected] MARARESKUL, Vlad A. The State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Transnistria, Tiraspol Yunosti, 58/3, MD-3300 e-mail: [email protected] MARE, Silvia “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] MELINTE-DOBRINESCU, Mihaela C. National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul Street RO-024053 Bucharest, Romania e-mail [email protected]

METODIEV, Lubomir Geological Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: [email protected] MICLĂUȘ, Crina “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iași Departament of Geology Bd. Carol I, nr. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] MIRCESCU, Cristian V. Babeș-Bolyai University Department of Geology and Center for Integrated Geological Studies 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] MOJSIĆ, Ivana Department of Geology Faculty of Mining and Geology University of Belgrade 6 Kamenićka Str., 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] MUNNECKE, Axel GeoZentrum Nordbayern Loewenichstr. 28 D-91054 Erlangen, Germany e-mail: [email protected] NAISH, Darren W. Ocean and Earth Science National Oceanography Centre University of Southampton Southampton SO14 3ZH UK e-mail [email protected] NEGRU, Radu Dimitrie Cantemir University Department of Geography Bodoni Sandor 3-5, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania e-mail: [email protected] NOE, Sybile GeoZentrum Nordbayern Loewenichstr. 28 D-91054 Erlangen, Germany


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OBADĂ, Theodor Institute of Zoology Academy of Sciences of Moldova 1, Academiei Str., Chişinău MD-2080, Republic of Moldova e-mail: [email protected] OLARU, Leonard “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] PASCARI, Viorica Academy of Sciences of Moldova Institute of Zoology Academiei Str., MD- 2028, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova e-mail: [email protected] PLEȘ, George Department of Geology and Center for Integrated Geological Studies Babes-Bolyai University M. Kogalniceanu 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mails: [email protected] POPA, Mihai E. University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology and Geophysics Laboratory of Palaeontology 1, N. Balcescu Ave. 010041, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: [email protected] POPA, Livia M. Reservoir Management Department Asset IV South Moesia OMV Petrom S.A. 22 Coralilor Street, 013 329 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] POPESCU, Daniela A. Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava Department of Geography 13 Universitații Street 720229 Suceava, Romania e-mails: [email protected]

POPESCU, Liviu Ghe. Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava Department of Geography 13 Universitații Street 720229 Suceava, Romania e-mails: [email protected] RĂȚOI, Bogdan “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] RABRENOVIĆ, Dragoman Department of Geology Faculty of Mining and Geology University of Belgrade 6 Kamenićka Str., 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: [email protected] SĂSĂRAN, Emanoil Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] SEBE, Oana Geological Institute of Romania National Geological Museum Kiseleff Pavel Dimitrievici G-ral. Ave., No.2, Sct.1, Bucharest, Romania and CNRS, CR2P, UPMC-Paris 6 Laboratory of Micropaleontology T.46-56, E.5, case 104, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France e-mail: [email protected] SILYE, Lorand Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected]


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SINITSA, Maxim National Museum of Natural History National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Paleontological Museum 15, Bohdan Khmelnitsky Street, 01030, Kiev, Ukraine e-mail: [email protected] SMITH, Thierry Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Directorate Earth and History of Life Rue Vautier 29, B-1000, Bruxelles, Belgium e-mail: [email protected] SOLOMON, Alexandru Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] STOICA, Marius Department of Geology University of Bucharest, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Street, 010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] SZENTESI, Zoltán Hungarian Natural History Museum Department of Geology and Palaeontology 2-6 Ludovika tér, 1083 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] ȘARAMET, Mihai “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ȘINDILAR, Vasile OMV Petrom SA E&P – ICPT Câmpina Culturii Blvd. 29, 105600, Romania e-mails: [email protected]

ȘORNEA, Alina Department of Geology University of Bucharest, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Street, 010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ȘTEFĂNUȚ, Victorița. I. Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ȘTIUCĂ, Emil Romanian Academy „Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology Department of Geospeleology and Speleopaleontology 13-15 Calea 13 Septembrie, 050711 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected] TANȚĂU, Ioan Babes-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ȚABĂRĂ, Daniel “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] ȚIBULEAC, Paul “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi Department of Geology Bd. Carol I, no. 20A 700505, Iasi, Romania e-mail: [email protected] UNGUR, Ciprina Gheorghița Babeș-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected]


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UNGUREANU, Răzvan Babeș-Bolyai University Department of Geology 1 Mihail Kogalniceanu Street 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania e-mail: [email protected] URSACHI, Laurențiu Vasile Pârvan Museum Natural Sciences Branch Bârlad, 731050, Romania e-mail: [email protected] VASILE, Ștefan Department of Geology University of Bucharest, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Street, 010041 Bucharest, Romania e-mail: [email protected]

VENCZEL, Márton Țării Crișurilor Museum Department of Natural History B-dul Dacia 1-3 410464 Oradea, Romania e-mail: [email protected] VREMIR, Mátyás Department of Natural Sciences Transylvanian Museum Society (EME) 2-4 Napoca Street Cluj-Napoca 400009, Romania e-mail: [email protected]