FAUNA MARINĂ BADENIANĂ DE PE VALEA NEAGONEA (MEHEDINŢI) [305437]

Diaconu Florina, 2015: The Badenian marine fauna from Neagonea Valley ([anonimizat]), Marisia, [anonimizat]. XXXV, p.143-154, Târgu Mureș

The Badenian marine fauna from Neagonea Valley

([anonimizat])

Florina Diaconu

Iron Gates Region Museum, 2 Independenței Str., [anonimizat], Romania [anonimizat]

Abstract: The paper presents the results of research on the marine fauna from the Badenian deposits located in the Neagonea Valley ([anonimizat]). [anonimizat]. [anonimizat] (Jiu and Olteț area) or one from Buituri (Hunedoara District). Three species are new for this area: [anonimizat].

Keywords: molluscs, corals, Badenian, Mehedinți, Romania

Introduction

This study is focused on data issued from the research on marine fauna from the Badenian deposits located in the Neagonea Valley. This valley is situated 12 [anonimizat], being part of the Mehedinți Plateau Geopark. [anonimizat] (gastropods and bivalves) and corals.

Previous researches

Ștefănescu (1897) described in the Badenian marls of Ogașul cu Pârâu at Ilovăț, 24 species of gastropods and bivalves.

Marinescu et al. (1962) [anonimizat] a list of 42 species of bivalves and 97 species of gastropods. In his monography “Neogene stratigraphy of the Western Dacic Basin” Marinescu (1978) [anonimizat]/[anonimizat].

Far later, 10 mollusc species originating from deposits cropping out on the left slope of the Neagonea Valley were identified by Diaconu & Meilescu (2011).

Diaconu & Meilescu (2012) proposed a [anonimizat], the first of its kind in Mehedinți District. [anonimizat].

[anonimizat], [anonimizat] "marls with globigerinae" from Muntenia (Marinescu, 1978). These Badenian deposits form a [anonimizat], at Bala on Râienilor Valley. [anonimizat], near the contact with the metamorphic rocks the Badenian is cropping out. [anonimizat].

[anonimizat], sands, [anonimizat]- and tuffite or tuffitic clays.

Locally, [anonimizat]-[anonimizat]rl clay. They also include a layer of volcanic tuffite. To the north, sands and marl clays reach big thickness, replacing the gravel.

The Badenian deposits sequence exposed on the left bank of Neagonea Valley contains (fig.1): gravel with boulder (2 m), fossiliferous gravel (1.5 m), clay with tuffite lens (1m), coarse gravel mixed with boulders (4 m), sandy layers and blocks (5 m).

Fig. 1: Lithologic section of the Badenian deposits of Neagonea Valley

Material and methods

The material presented here was collected for improving the paleontological collection of the Iron Gates Region Museum in Turnu Severin. The findings are important because they originate from the sands and clay sands where they were preserved. The species were assigned based on measurements and morphology, than compared with the specimens described and figured in paleontological references.

Systematic part

Class Anthozoa

Order Hexacoralia

Family Faviidae

Genus Favia, Oken, 1815

Favia magnifica Reuss, 1871 (Pl.I, Figs. 2,3)

1909 Favia magnifica, Macovei, p.130-131, pl. VII, fig. 4

1999 Favia magnifica, Enache, Popescu, Calopăreanu, p. 36, pl. I, fig. 1, 2

Description.Irregular colonies, with round calices sometimes garbled. Calices stuck between them, rises about 1 mm above the surface of the colony. Inside the calices is observed at least 12 main blades that meet in the center on columelle.

Order Hexacoralia

Genus Solenastraea, A. E. Reuss, 1864

Solenastraea manipulata Reuss, 1871 (Pl. I , Fig. 3)

1909 Solenastraea manipulata, Macovei, p. 135, pl. IX, fig.3

1972 Solenastraea manipulata, Macarovici, Turculeț, pag.181, pl. LVI, fig.10

1973 Solenastrea manipulata, Clichici, pl. XIX, fig.10.

Description. Colonies of circular calices with a diameter of lesser than about 2 mm, which rises above the level of the intercalice. The two fragments are identical to those listed by Clichici (1973). Large colony, well individualized polipyers with 3 mm diameter, separated by spaces 1 mm wide. Septa are extended outwards.

Remarks. The species Solenastraea manipulata Reuss was reported in the Badenian limestone from Curchia in Bahna basin and in the eastern side of the Șimleu basin.

Genus Heliastraea,

Heliastrea conoidea Reuss, 1871 (Pl. I, Figs. 4-7)

1909 Solenastraea conoidea Macovei, p. 132-123, pl.VII, fig.5

1972 Solenastraea conoides Macarovici, Turculeț, p. 181, pl. LVI, fig. 5

1973 Soleastrea manipulata Clichici, pl. XIX, fig.10.

Description. Conic colony, elongated, with circular calices, joined. Their edge rises well above the intercalicial space. The diameter of polipyers is 2-3 mm, separated by 1 mm.

Remarks. Marinescu et al. (1962) reported this species at Pârlage.

Heliastraea reussiana Edwards & Heime, 1953 (Pl. II , Figs. 1,2 )

1909 Heliastraea reussiana, Macovei, pl.VII, fig.5 a,b

1972 Heliastraea reussiana, Macarovici, Turculeț, pag.181, pl. LVI, fig. 5

1973 Heliastraea reussiana, Clichici, pl. XIX, fig. 9

Description. Irregular colony with polipyers well individualized, with circular diameter of 2.5-3 mm, separated spaces with irregular widths of 1-2 mm. Around the calices are 24 prominent septa.

Remarks. This species differs from Solenastraea manipulata by irregular spaces between polipyers and the lack of columelar axis.

class Bivalvia

Order Ostreoida

Family Ostreidae Wilkes, 1810

Genus Ostrea Linné, 1758

Subgenus Ostrea Linné, 1758

Ostrea (Ostrea) digitalina Dubois, 1831 (Pl. II, Figs. 3, 4)

1955 Ostrea (Ostrea) digitalina, Moisescu, pag. 108-109, pl. VIII, fig.24

1972 Ostrea digitalina, Macarovici, Turculeț, pag. 185-186, pl. VI, fig. 16a, pl. VII, fig. 2b

Description. Upper valve is quite thin almost flat, smooth, and the muscular imprint pear-shaped. Bottom valve is smooth. On the cardinal plateau sees a ligament fosse deep enough. The muscular imprint is big with an oval outline, in the back side.

Family Carditidae

Genus Cardita Bruguiere, 1792

Cardita jouanneti Basterot, 1852 (Pl. II, Fig. 5)

1955 Cardita (Megacardita) jouanneti, Moisescu, pag. 86-87, pl. IV, fig.1,3

1972 Cardita (Megacardita) jouanneti, Macarovici, Turculeț, pag.183, pl.LVI, fig.176

1973 Cardita jouanetti, Clichici, pl. XII, fig.5.

Description. Valves are big and thick. The external surface of the valve is covered with broad radial ribs. The inter-rib narrower are ranges. The ribs and inter-rib widen from umbonal part up to the lower edge of the valve. These are covered by well highlighted growth striations.

Remarks. It is the only Badenian species of Cardita missing tubercles on the ribs, but exposes growth striations well marked.

Family Pectinidae Lamark

Genus Pecten Müler, 1776

Pecten revolutus Michelotti, 1897 (Pl. II, Fig. 6)

1977 Pecten revolutus, Clichici, p. 126-127, pl. III, fig. 1-4

Description. The right valve is curved and the left valve almost flat. The left valve is ornamented with 11-12 radial ribs, smooth, well highlighted, separated by inter-rib area twice wider than the ribs. On the inner face shows wide ribs corresponding to inter-rib space on the external face.

Remarks. The left valve differs from that of the species Pecten subbenedicuts, by flatter ribs and narrower than the inter-rib spaces.

Pecten cf. hornensis Deperet & Roman, 1902 (Pl. II, Fig. 7)

1960 Pecten cf. hornensis, Popa, p. 333-335, pl. I, fig.3, pl. II, fig. 9.

Description. Triangular-rounded shell with specific ears. The dorsal face exhibits ribs that widen to the lower edge, flattened, with edges at right angles. Inter-rib spaces are less wide (1/2 the width of the coast).

Remarks. Present in the Early Miocene.

Genus Chlamys

Chlamys elegans Andrzejowski, 1870 (Pl. III, Figs. 1-4)

1968 Chlamys elegans, Iliescu, Hinculov, Hinculov, p. 87, pl. 8, fig. 2,3.

1977 Chlamys elegans elegans, Nicorici, p.137-138, pl. XXIV, fig.1,2,3, pl. XXV, fig.1, 2, pl. XXVII, fig.3,4,5

Description. Triangular-rounded shell with specific ears. The dorsal face shows ribs with sharp rounded ridges around the crochet. Then, these are divided into 3 ridges which widen towards the lower edge, flattened, with right angled edges. The inter-rib rear is covered by a secondary ornamentation represented by fine blades.

Remarks. The samples figured by Nicorici (1977) in pl. XXVII come from Ilovăț. Marinescu et al. (1962) reported this species at Pârlage.

Pectunculus (Glycymeris) pilosus Linné (Pl. III, Figs. 5-6)

1968 Pectunculus (Glycymeris) pilosus Hinculov, pl. IV, fig.3.

1972 Pectunculus (Glycymeris) pilosus Macarovici, Turculeț, p. 184, pl. LVII, fig. 4.

Description. Valves thick, convex, with rounded contours, almost circular. Umbonal part high, opistogire, slightly inclined towards the cardinal edge. The outer surface shows radial flattened ribs, starting at umbonal part, trace the growth and rare concentric ribs, irregularly. Teething heterodont with 4-5 teeth disposed on each side of the cardinal plateau, the median being toothless.

Remarks. The illustrated specimen differs of Pectunculus (Axinaea) deshaesi (Mayer) by the smaller number of teeth, and by Glycymeris cor, because it has some asymmetry of the shell.

Familly Tellinidae

Genus Tellina Linné 1758

Tellina donacina Linné, 1758 (Pl. IV, Figs. 1-2)

1955 Tellina donacina, Moisescu, p. 79, pl. II, fig. 3

1972 Tellina donacina, Macarovici, Turculeț, p. 182, pl. LVI, fig. 15

Description. Valves are oval-elongated, asymmetrical, thin and slightly convex. The umbonal part is opistogire, slightly elevated above the small cardinal shelf. The length is 13-20 mm.

Familly Corbulidae

Genus Corbula Bruguire, 1797

Corbula carinata Dujardin, 1837 (Pl. IV, Figs. 3-4)

1955 Corbula (Corbula) carinata, Moisescu, p. 112-113, pl. 6, 8

Description. Valves asymmetric inequilaterally with elongated oval contour. The right valve is bigger than the left one. The backside edge joins with the bottom one an acute angle with rounded top. On the dorsal side, the surface is lined with coarse concentric ribs.

Familly Cardiidae

Genus Laevicardium, Swainson, 1840

Laevicardium herculeus Dollfus, Cotter et Gomez, 1904 (Pl. IV, Figs. 5-6)

1955 Laevicardium (Discors) herculeus, Moisescu, p. 85-86, pl. III, fig. 1, 2

Description. It has a thick, asymmetric large shell, with oval-triangular shape, developed in height. The convexity decreases to edges. The external surface has multiple radial ribs (over 20), contoured toward the middle of the valve. From spot to spot presents concentric ribs. A previous muscular impression is visible. The rear one is less visible.

Remarks. This species is widespread in Miocene.

Class Gasteropoda

Familly Cerithidae

Genus Cerithium Bruguire, 1789

Cerithium europaeum Mayer, 1878 (Pl. IV, Fig. 7)

1909 Cerithium europaeum, Macovei, p. 157, pl. XI, fig. 13

2007 Cerithium europaeum, Vazza, Cecalupo, p. 182, Pl. 5 fig. i.

Description. Prominent conical shell. The shifts of mind partially are overlapping. The suture is impressed and allowed to see the granular cingulum. The aperture is narrow and smooth. The edge of columella is sightly callosous.

Family Conusidae

Genus Conus Linné, 1758

Conus ponderosus Brocchi, 1814 (Pl. IV, Fig. 9, 10)

1955 Conus (Lithoconus) ponderosus, Moisescu, p. 164-165, pl. XIV, fig. 10, 11

1972 Conus ponderosus, Macarovici, Turculeț, p. 188, pl. LVIII, fig. 11

Description. The conical shells, with 8-9 shifts, the last variant form occupies ¾ of the height of the shell. The surface of shell is smooth, without carving. The aperture is oval, slightly elongated. The height of shell is 18-30 mm.

Remarks. The species is present in Badenian deposits of Europe.

Family Turritellidae

Genus Turritella Lamark, 1799

Turritella sp. (Pl. IV, Fig. 8)

Description. A fragment of a very poorly preserved specimen that does not allows species’ identification.

Paleoecological considerations

In the assemblage from Neagonea Valley are present also molluscs with primitive characters (e.g. Cerithium). A wide variety of molluscs of the genera Pecten, Chlamys, Ostrea, Cardita, Turritella, Conus, and corals indicate relatively warm seas.

In the sub-littoral realm of subtropical basins up to 70 m depth one can meet Turritella and Cerithium and temperatures above 21 °C. Turritella is a representative of Indo-Pacific marine species that prefer shallower waters (1-27 m).

In the assemblage of bivalves from Neagonea Valley one can noticet epi-faunal representatives. Most of them actually live in the coastal realm and have a maximum development up to 300 m in depth (Pecten, Chlamys). In the juvenile stage, Chlamys is living as fixed organism on bedrock, and in adulthood becomes free.

Among the carnivorous gastropods, Conus is a sifonostomate species, which lives only in seas with normal salinity in coastal-tropical zones (1 to 80 m depth), in rich oxygen water, in association with other molluscs, on the coral reefs (Tița, 2009).

Conclusions

In the outcrop from Neagonea Valley collected a very taxonomically diverse Badenian invertebrate fauna, including mainly molluscs and corals.

The fauna of Neagonea River hydrographic basin and adjacent areas has affinities with the Badenian fauna from Bahna and Toplița areas, but lesser to the one in eastern Oltenia (Jiu and Olteț) or one from Buituri. Among the collected and studied taxa, it mention three species that were not reported so far in this area: Corbula carinata, Pecten revolutus and Laevicardium herculeus.

The paleoecological conditions in the Neagonea River basin show the existence of a coastal marine environment with normal salinity waters, in subtropical climate.

References

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fauna marină badeniană de pe valea neagonea

(Județul Mehedinți, ROMÂNIA)

(Rezumat)

Acestă lucrare prezintă rezultatele cercetărilor privind fauna marină din depozitele badeniene de pe Valea Neagonea. Din punct de vedere taxonomic asociația faunistică badeniană cuprinde în principal moluște și corali.

Fauna din bazinul pârâului Neagonea și din zonele adiacente are afinități cu faunele badeniene de la Bahna și Toplița și mai puțin cu cele din estul Olteniei (dintre Jiu și Olteț) sau cu fauna de la Buituri. Dintre taxonii colectați și descriși, menționăm trei forme nesemnalate până în prezent în această zonă: Corbula carinata, Pecten revolutus și Laevicardium herculeus.

Plate I

1, 2 – Favia magnifica; 3- Solenastraea manipulata; 4-7 Heliastraea conoidea

Plate II

1, 2 – Heliastraea reussiana; 3, 4 – Ostrea (Ostrea) digitalina; 5 – Cardita jouanneti; 6 – Pecten revolutus; 7 – Pecten cf. hornensis

Plate III

1 – 4 Chlamys elegans; 5 – 6 Pectunculus (Glycymeris) pilosus.

Plate IV

1 – 2 Tellina donacina; 3 – 4 Corbula carinata; 5 – 6 Laevicardium herculeus; 7 – Cerithium europaeum; 8 – Turritella sp.; 9 – 10 Conus ponderosus.