Thomas A. Neubauer

Stepwise onset of the Icehouse world and its impact on Oligo-Miocene Central Asian mammals

Central Asia is a key area to study the impact of Cenozoic climate cooling on continental ecosystems. One of the best places to search for rather continuous paleontological records is the Valley of Lakes in Mongolia with its outstandingly fossil-rich Oligocene and Miocene terrestrial sediments. Here, we investigate the response by mammal communities during the early stage of Earth’s icehouse climate in Central Asia. Based on statistical analyses of occurrence and abundance data of 18608 specimens representing 175 mammal species and geochemical (carbon isotopes) and geophysical (magnetic susceptibility) data we link shifts in diversities with major climatic variations. Our data document for the first time that the post-Eocene aridification of Central Asia happened in several steps, was interrupted by short episodes of increased precipitation, and was not a gradual process. We show that the timing of the major turnovers in Oligocene mammal communities is tightly linked with global climate events rather than slow tectonics processes. The most severe decline of up 48% of total diversity is related to aridification during the maximum of the Late Oligocene Warming at 25 Ma. Its magnitude was distinctly larger than the community turnover linked to the mid-Oligocene Glacial Maximum.

Tectonics, climate, and the rise and demise of continental aquatic species richness hotspots.

Significance To our knowledge, this study is the first investigation of the evolution of species richness hotspots in continental aquatic systems. We demonstrate the development of European richness hotspots over the last 23 My based on a comprehensive dataset combining recent and fossil occurrences of gastropod species. We show that changes in species richness patterns can be related to geodynamic and climatic processes. The addition of tectonics, geological time, and spatial scales to ecology and climate is essential for understanding hotspot development in general. These insights also provide a foundation to explain the modern, uneven distribution of species richness as a whole. The pattern for Recent European faunas is a geologically young phenomenon, triggered by the ice sheet retreat after the Last Glacial Maximum. Continental aquatic species richness hotspots are unevenly distributed across the planet. In present-day Europe, only two centers of biodiversity exist (Lake Ohrid on the Balkans and the Caspian Sea). During the Neogene, a wide variety of hotspots developed in a series of long-lived lakes. The mechanisms underlying the presence of richness hotspots in different geological periods have not been properly examined thus far. Based on Miocene to Recent gastropod distributions, we show that the existence and evolution of such hotspots in inland-water systems are tightly linked to the geodynamic history of the European continent. Both past and present hotspots are related to the formation and persistence of long-lived lake systems in geological basins or to isolation of existing inland basins and embayments from the marine realm. The faunal evolution within hotspots highly depends on warm climates and surface area. During the Quaternary icehouse climate and extensive glaciations, limnic biodiversity sustained a severe decline across the continent and most former hotspots disappeared. The Recent gastropod distribution is mainly a geologically young pattern formed after the Last Glacial Maximum (19 ky) and subsequent formation of postglacial lakes. The major hotspots today are related to long-lived lakes in preglacially formed, permanently subsiding geological basins.

Synopsis of European Neogene freshwater gastropod localities: updated stratigraphy and geography

The last overview of Cenozoic localities with records of freshwater gastropods was provided more than 80 years ago. Since then, a wealth of new information has been published: new localities have been discovered and fundamental changes occurred in regional stratigraphy. In addition, many localities are still attributed to erroneous or outdated stratigraphical concepts even in recent papers. Geopolitical evolution of Europe has, furthermore, led to name changes and confusion regarding the exact origin of samples in collections. Here we provide a fully georeferenced dataset for almost all published Miocene and Pliocene freshwater gastropod localities (2,930), including updated stratigraphic data where possible. This basic update will serve as an essential fundament for any future work related to the freshwater deposits and respective faunas in general. Thomas A. Neubauer. Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria thomas.neubauer@nhm-wien.ac.at Elisavet Georgopoulou. Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria elisavet.georgopoulou@nhm-wien.ac.at Andreas Kroh. Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria andreas.kroh@nhm-wien.ac.at Mathias Harzhauser. Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria mathias.harzhauser@nhm-wien.ac.at Oleg Mandic. Geological-Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria oleg.mandic@nhm-wien.ac.at Daniela Esu. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, “Sapienza” University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy daniela.esu@uniroma1.it

The Middle Miocene freshwater mollusk fauna of Lake Gacko (SE Bosnia and Herzegovina): taxonomic revision and paleoenvironmental analysis

Abstract The early Middle Miocene Lake Gacko was part of the Dinaride Lake System (DLS) and gave rise to a poorly known freshwater mollusk fauna. This was subject to malacological studies from the late 19th century onwards. Herein, we provide the first thorough taxonomic survey of Lake Gacko including revisions of several taxa. A total amount of 1,077 specimens was obtained from 17 samples, comprising at least 11 freshwater and 2 terrestrial gastropod species and 6 bivalve species. So far, none of the described taxa has been documented outside the Dinarides and the DLS, respectively. The fauna shows variable overlap with other paleolakes of the DLS, proofing once more the complex biogeographic patchwork of this system. The current paleoenvironmental reconstructions are tested and refined by application of a statistical analysis. This confirms the partition of the sedimentary history of Lake Gacko into three major depositional phases responding to astronomically forced climate changes. The low diverse mollusk assemblage in the initial phase, with abundant pulmonate and rissooid gastropods, signals a more arid climate with lowered lake level. During the second interval, the fauna becomes more diverse with common rissooid and melanopsid gastropods. It represents a more humid interval with enhanced precipitation and increased lake level, entailing the installation of a perennial lacustrine environment. The final phase is a return to arid conditions with the same elements as in the initial pulmonate‐rissooid assemblage. The sphaeriid Pisidium vukovici n. sp. is introduced as new species. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Synopsis of valid species-group taxa for freshwater Gastropoda recorded from the European Neogene.

Abstract Here we present a complete list of all valid species-group taxa of freshwater gastropods reported from Miocene and Pliocene deposits in Europe. The last comparable work dates back to the 1920s and covered about 1,600 names. The extensive literature research underlying the present work revealed considerable changes in the taxonomic and systematic frameworks of Neogene freshwater gastropods and yielded a total number of 2,156 accepted taxa. Each taxon is accompanied by a full citation of its first description; where the information is available, page number and illustration reference are provided. First descriptions available as open-access full-text sources on the web were linked via hyperlink to the first page of the publication.

A Middle Miocene endemic freshwater mollusc assemblage from an intramontane Alpine lake (Aflenz Basin, Eastern Alps, Austria)

The mollusc fauna of the early Middle Miocene (Langhian) intramontane Alpine Lake Groisenbach is described for the first time. The shells derive from the Feistring Formation in the Aflenz Basin in Austria, which was covered by Lake Groisenbach. The assemblage is moderately diverse with 12 gastropod and 2 bivalve species, suggesting shallow lacustrine and fluvial settings. Among the gastropods, only Theodoxus crenulatus (Klein, 1853) is known from other Miocene localities, whilst all other species are documented so far only from Lake Groisenbach. None of the Early and Middle Miocene lake systems of the Alpine-Carpathian Foredeep and the Balkan Peninsula displays any faunistic resemblance with this new fauna. Even coeval lake faunas from the close-by Graz Basin have no species in common with Lake Groisenbach. This pattern points to a surprising endemicity and biogeographic fragmentation in the Central European freshwater systems during the Early and Middle Miocene. The uniqueness of the newly described fauna is also indicated by the completely erratic occurrence of the otherwise African-Mediterranean genus Bulinus, which is unknown from all other central European Miocene freshwater systems. Emmericia roetzeli Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Nematurellazuschini Neubauer and Harzhauser nov. sp., Romania fastigata Neubauer and Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia groisenbachensis Neubauer and Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia pompatica Neubauer and Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia styriaca Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Planorbis austroalpinus Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Gyraulus sachsenhoferi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Bulinus corici Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Ferrissia crenellata Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp. and Stagnicola reinholdkunzi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp. are introduced as new species.KurzfassungErstmals wird die Molluskenfauna des intramontanen alpinen Groisenbach-Sees aus dem frühen Mittel-Miozän (Langhium) beschrieben. Die Schalen stammen aus der Feistring-Formation des Aflenzer Beckens, in dem sich im mittleren Miozän der Groisenbach-See entwickelte. Die Vergesellschaftung ist mit 12 Gastropoden und 2 Bivalven Arten moderat divers und deutet auf seicht lakustrine und fluviatile Ablagerungsbedingungen. Unter den Gastropoden ist nur Theodoxus crenulatus (Klein, 1853) auch aus anderen miozänen Fundstellen bekannt, während alle anderen Arten bisher nur aus dem Groisenbach-See bekannt sind. Keines der früh- und mittelmiozänen Seen-Systeme der Alpen-Karpaten-Vortiefe und des Balkans zeigt faunistische Beziehungen zu der neuen Fauna. Selbst die gleichaltrigen Faunen des geographisch nahen Grazer Beckens weisen keine gemeinsamen Arten auf. Diese Muster deuten auf einen überraschend hohen Endemismus sowie auf eine starke biogeographische Fragmentierung der mitteleuropäischen Süßwassersysteme während des frühen und mittleren Miozäns. Die Einzigartigkeit der Fauna zeigt sich auch in dem erratischen Auftreten der ansonsten afrikanisch-mediterranen Gattung Bulinus, die aus keinem anderen miozänen See Mitteleuropas bekannt ist. Emmericia roetzeli Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Nematurella zuschini Neubauer und Harzhauser nov. sp., Romania fastigata Neubauer und Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia groisenbachensis Neubauer und Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia pompatica Neubauer und Harzhauser nov. sp., Odontohydrobia styriaca Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Planorbis austroalpinus Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Gyraulus sachsenhoferi Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Bulinus corici Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Ferrissia crenellata Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., und Stagnicola reinholdkunzi Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp. werden als neue Arten eingeführt.

New data on the terrestrial gastropods from the Oligocene-Miocene transition in the Valley of Lakes, Central Mongolia

The Oligocene-Miocene terrestrial gastropod fauna of the Valley of Lakes, Central Mongolia, is described for the first time based on SEM images. These allowed detailed anatomical analyses and resulted in better species delimitation and taxonomic rectifications. The assemblage comprises six pupilloid species of the genera Gastrocopta, Vallonia, and Pupoides. Vallonia stworzewiczae Neubauer, sp. nov. is introduced as a new species. Two samples from the Loh Formation exposed at the Hotuliin Teeg locality have yielded excellently preserved specimens. Based on a small mammal fauna, these samples are proposed to span the interval of the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. A comparison with ecological requirements of modern congeners suggests the presence of rather open but vegetated habitats in the Valley of Lakes during sedimentation of the Loh Formation.

Stratigraphic and paleogeographic significance of lacustrine mollusks from the Pliocene Viviparus beds in central Croatia

The mollusk fauna from the Pliocene Viviparus beds of Vukomericke Gorice hills in central Croatia was investigated at four sites in the region of Kravarsko, S of Zagreb. The region represents a Pleistocene dome-anticline at the southern margin of the Sava depression. Sediments are dominated by clay, bearing some sand, gravel and lignite intercalations. The mollusks, comprising 11 gastropod and 2 bivalve species, prove the studied deposits to derive from the long-lived, highly endemic Lake Slavonia. The taxonomic revisions include the introductions of Viviparus kochanskyae n. sp. for specimens from Lake Slavonia previously identified with V. fuchsi NEUMAYR, 1872 and Prososthenia ? praeslavonica n. nom. replacing the primary homonym Hydrobia vitrella BRUSINA, 1897 non Stefanescu, 1896. Recognized as an independent phase in the geodynamic evolution of the Pannonian Basin, the new regional stage Cernikian is introduced for the succession, defined by the complete depositional sequence of the Viviparus beds. Two stratigraphic horizons detected in the studied sites are constrained by the Lower Cernikian Viviparus kochanskyae and the Upper Cernikian Viviparus hoernesi zones and stay in perfect agreement with previous regional data. Timing of the Lake Slavonia history is enabled through several zonal markers calibrated to the Geological Time Scale in the Dacian Basin. Accordingly, the Lower Cernikian transgression dates to c. 4.3 Ma, the Upper Cernikian to c. 3.1 Ma, indicating strong alteration of the lacustrine depositional settings during the Pliocene, most likely related to changes in the regional climate. Interestingly, the second transgression of Lake Slavonia is marked by the evolution of strongly sculptured viviparid shells and coincides with the Pliocene Climate Optimum.

Terrestrial and lacustrine gastropods from the Priabonian (upper Eocene) of the Sultanate of Oman

Terrestrial and aquatic gastropods from the upper Eocene (Priabonian) Zalumah Formation in the Salalah region of the Sultanate of Oman are described. The assemblages reflect the composition of the continental mollusc fauna of the Palaeogene of Arabia, which, at that time, formed parts of the southeastern Tethys coast. Several similarities with European faunas are observed at the family level, but are rarer at the genus level. These similarities point to an Eocene (Priabonian) rather than to a Rupelian age, although the latter correlation cannot be entirely excluded. At the species level, the Omani assemblages lack any relations to coeval faunas. This suggests the possible presence of a distinct biogeographic province during the Palaeogene or may simply reflect the extremely sparse non-marine fossil record of the Eocene in the Tethys region. The occurrence of the genera Lanistes, Pila, and Gulella along with some pomatiids, probably related to extant genera, suggests that the modern African–Arabian continental faunas can be partly traced back to Eocene times and reflect very old autochthonous developments. In contrast, the diverse Vidaliellidae went extinct, and the morphologically comparable Neogene Achatinidae may have occupied the equivalent niches in extant environments. Carnevalea Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Arabiella Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Pyrgulella Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. gen., Salalahia Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Omanitopsis Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Arabicolaria Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Pacaudiella Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Goniodomulus Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Eoquickia Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Omanillya H. Nordsieck nov. gen. and Omanifera H. Nordsieck nov. gen. are introduced as new genera. Pila neuberti Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Arabiella arabica Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pyrgulella parva Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. sp., Salalahia thaytinitiensis Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Omanitopsis vandammei Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Procyclotopsis eocenica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Palaeocyclotus kuehschelmi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Arabicolaria arabica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella omanica Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella flammulata Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Goniodomulus solaniformis Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Cerastus hyznyi Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Omanillya lunellifera H. Nordsieck nov. sp., Omanillya costellata H. Nordsieck nov. sp., and Omanifera euclista H. Nordsieck nov. sp. are described as new species.KurzfassungTerrestrische und aquatische Gastropoden aus der obereozänen (Priabonium) Zalumah-Formation in der Salalah-Region des Sultanats Oman werden beschrieben. Die Vergesellschaftungen reflektieren die Zusammensetzung der kontinentalen Molluskenfaunen des Paläogens Arabiens, das zu dieser Zeit die südöstliche Küste der Tethys formte. Ähnlichkeiten mit europäischen Faunen lassen sich auf Familien- und selten auch auf Gattungsniveau nachweisen. Diese Übereinstimmungen sprechen eher für ein eozänes Alter (Priabonium) als für eine Einstufung ins Rupelium, obwohl letzteres nicht völlig ausgeschlossen werden kann. Auf Artniveau fehlen Bezüge zu gleichalten Faunen. Das könnte auf eine diskrete paläogene Bioprovinz hinweisen oder einfach aus dem extrem dürftigen nicht-marinen Fossilbefund des tethyalen Eozäns resultieren. Das Vorkommen von Gattungen wie Lanistes, Pila und Gulella, gemeinsam mit einigen Pomatiiden, die mit rezenten Gattungen verwandt sein dürften, zeigt, dass die Wurzeln der modernen afrikanisch-arabischen kontinentalen Molluskenfauna zumindest teilweise bis ins Eozän zurückreichen. Im Gegensatz dazu starben die artenreichen Vidaliellidae aus, und die morphologisch ähnlichen Achatinidae dürften ihre ökologischen Nischen im Neogen übernommen haben. Carnevalea Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Arabiella Kadolsky, Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Pyrgulella Harzhauser, Kadolsky und Neubauer nov. gen., Salalahia Kadolsky, Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Omanitopsis Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Arabicolaria Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Pacaudiella Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Goniodomulus Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Eoquickia Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. gen., Omanillya H. Nordsieck nov. gen. und Omanifera H. Nordsieck nov. gen. Werden als neue Gattungen eingeführt. Pila neuberti Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Arabiella arabica Kadolsky, Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Pyrgulella parva Harzhauser, Kadolsky und Neubauer nov. sp., Salalahia thaytinitiensis Kadolsky, Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Omanitopsis vandammei Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Procyclotopsis eocenica Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Palaeocyclotus kuehschelmi Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Arabicolaria arabica Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella omanica Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Pacaudiella flammulata Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Goniodomulus solaniformis Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Cerastus hyznyi Harzhauser und Neubauer nov. sp., Omanillya lunellifera H. Nordsieck nov. sp., Omanillya costellata H. Nordsieck nov. sp. und Omanifera euclista H. Nordsieck nov. sp. werden als neue Arten beschrieben.

Distribution patterns of European lacustrine gastropods: a result of environmental factors and deglaciation history

Contemporary climate and deglaciation history have received strong support as drivers of species richness and composition for several European taxa. We explored the influence of these factors on patterns of species richness and faunal composition of 244 freshwater gastropod species from 898 European lakes. We evaluated the influence of late Pleistocene deglaciation and seven physiographical and climatic factors on gastropod distributions using multiple linear regression models. We investigated species beta diversity patterns and the influence of species dispersal abilities and/or environment on species composition between lake subsets with different deglaciation history. Contemporary factors and deglaciation history explain parts of variation in species richness across European lakes. Beta diversity analysis revealed moderate to high differences in species composition between the predefined groups. Patterns of species replacement and species loss indicate that lacustrine gastropod faunas of formerly glaciated areas are subsets of non-glaciated ones. Dispersal limitations and environmental gradients control patterns of beta diversity within different lake subsets. We find strong support that the distribution of European limnic gastropods, at least partially, carries the imprint of the last Ice Age. The differences in species richness and composition point towards a gradual, ongoing process of species recolonization after deglaciation.