Jurassic (Pliensbachian, Toarcian, Aalenian) gastropod faunas from Franconia (Southern Germany)

Section Fossil Molluscs

Project titel Jurassic (Pliensbachian, Toarcian, Aalenian) gastropod faunas from Franconia (Southern Germany)
Gastropods are commonly the most abundant and diverse group in marine Early to Middle Jurassic fine-grained dark shales form southern Germany. Most of these gastropods are small and do not exceed an adult size of 10 mm. Despite their abundance, gastropods are largely neglected in paleoecological studies of this facies. Ongoing collections in the Jurassic of Franconia have resulted in rich well-preserved material and abundance data, especially from the Amaltheenton Formation.  

Rich faunas have also been obtained from a clay pit near the small village of Mistelgau (Upper Franconia, Germany). There, unique section from the Pliensbachian to the Early Aalenian is exposed. The ammonite stratigraphy was studied by Christian Schulbert. The section also contained a rich microgastropod assemblage, especially in the Late Toarcian to Early Aalenian period. During that period the assemblages changed considerably in composition and diversity. This has major implications for the knowledge of the Pliensbachian/Toarcian extinction event in this region.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Alexander Nützel

Cooperations

Christian Schulbert, (Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Erlangen)
Joachim Gründel (Freie Universität Berlin).

Publications

Schulbert, C. & Nützel, A. 2009. Über die jurassische Gastropodenfauna der Tongrube Mistelgau bei Bayreuth. Berichte der Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Bayreuth 26: 475-499.

Schubert, S., Gründel, J. & Nützel, A. 2008. Early Jurassic (Upper Pliensbachian) gastropods from the Herforder Liasmulde (Bielefeld, Northwest Germany). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 82: 17-30.

Nützel, A. 2008. Leben am Meeresboden – Über die Fauna des fränkischen Amaltheentons. Freunde der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie München e.V., Jahresbericht 2007 und Mitteilungen 36: 42-61.

Nützel, A. & Gründel, J. 2007. Two new gastropod genera from the Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Franconia (South Germany). Zitteliana 47: 61-69.

Nützel, A. & Hornung, T. 2002. Katosira undulata (Benz) (Gastropoda) aus dem Lias Frankens und eine Gastropoden-Assoziation des oberen Pliensbachiums. Geologische Blätter für  Nordost Bayern 52: 55-62.

Gründel, J. & Nützel, A. 1998. Gastropoden aus dem oberen Pliensbachium (Lias δ, Zone des Pleuroceras spinatum) von Kalchreuth östlich Erlangen. Mitteilungen der Bayrischen Staatssammlung 38: 63-96.

Nützel, A. & Kießling, W. 1997. Gastropoden aus dem oberen Pliensbachium (Amaltheenton) von Kalchreuth (Süddeutschland). Geologische Blätter Nordost-Bayern 47: 381-414.