Pronounced tectonic and paleogeographic changes were detected in the Alpine–Pannonian region during the Miocene at the interface between the Alps, the Dinarides, and the Pannonian Basin. To ...understand the major tectonic, paleogeographic, and paleoclimatic changes during this period, geochemical and mineralogical investigations were carried out on the fine-grained clastic sedimentary rocks in the Tunjice Hills. The paleoweathering indicates a cold and/or arid to a warm and humid period. The paleoclimate and the regional climatic conditions correspond well with the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. The mineral composition shows an abundance of quartz and calcite. Quartz is associated with detrital origin from volcanic and metamorphic rocks of the Eastern and Southern Alps and with authigenic processes in sediments. Calcite is related to authigenic origin formed in shallow marine environments and to detrital provenance from the Southern Alps. Not all discriminant functions based on major oxides provided adequate results in determining the tectonic setting. The source rocks were subjected to oceanic island arc and collision. Moreover, sedimentation was influenced by both active and passive margin settings. The former is related to the Alpine collision, which continued from the Cenozoic onward, and the latter is connected to the processes associated with the formation of the Pannonian Basin System, which began in the late Early Miocene.
The first known fossil specimens of pipehorses (Haliichthyinae) were unearthed from the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) beds of the Coprolitic Horizon in the Tunjice Hills, Slovenia. These fossil ...pipehorses belong to a new genus and species Hippohaliichthys edis, which was similar to the extant species Haliichthys taeniophorus. The body morphology indicates that the described fossil pipehorses were also closely related to the pygmy pipehorse Hippotropiscis frenki and the seahorse Hippocampus sarmaticus, two taxa which were also found in the Coprolitic Horizon. The described fossil material of pipehorses indicates that seahorses evolved from a group of pipehorses that were similar in size and shape to extant and fossil pipehorses of the Haliichthyinae subfamily.
Les premiers spécimens fossiles connus de pseudo-hippocampes (Haliichthyinae) ont été récoltés dans les niveaux du Miocène moyen (Sarmatien) de l’horizon coprolithique des collines de Tunjice, en Slovénie. Ces pseudo-hippocampes fossiles appartiennent au nouveau genre et à la nouvelle espèce Hippohaliichthys edis, semblable à l’espèce actuelle Haliichthys taeniophorus. La morphologie du corps indique une relation étroite entre le pseudo-hippocampe fossile décrit ici et le pseudo-hippocampe pygmée Hippotropiscis frenki et l’hippocampe Hippocampus sarmaticus, deux taxons trouvés eux aussi dans l’horizon coprolithique. Le matériel fossile des pseudo-hippocampes décrit ici indique que les hippocampes ont évolué à partir d’un groupe de pseudo-hippocampes semblables en taille et en forme aux pseudo-hippocampes actuels et fossiles de la sous-famille Haliichthyinae.
In the contribution Miocene molluscs from Tunjice hills are dealt with. At Stolnik were found stony casts of mytilidbivalves that are very rare in Slovenia. Other finds belong to bivalve families ...Crassatellidae,Cardiidae,and Veneridae. Frequent are in addition gastropods of family Turritellidae.
A new plant assemblage of Cerová-Lieskové from Lower Miocene (Karpatian) deposits in the Vienna Basin (western Slovakia) is preserved in a relatively deep, upper-slope marine environment. ...Depositional conditions with high sedimentation rates allowed exceptional preservation of plant remains. The plant assemblage consists of (1) conifers represented by foliage of Pinus hepios and Tetraclinis salicornioides, a seed cone of Pinus cf. ornata, and by pollen of the Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Pinus sp. and Cathaya sp., and (2) angiosperms represented by Cinnamomum polymorphum, Platanus neptuni, Potamogeton sp. and lauroid foliage, by pollen of Liquidambar sp., Engelhardia sp. and Craigia sp., and in particular by infructescences (so far interpreted as belonging to cereal ears). We validate genus and species assignments of the infructescences: they belong to Palaeotriticum Sitár, including P. mockii Sitár and P. carpaticum Sitár, and probably represent herbaceous monocots that inhabited coastal marshes, similar to the living grass Spartina. Similar infructescences occur in the Lower and Middle Miocene deposits of the Carpathian Foredeep (Slup in Moravia), Tunjice Hills (Žale in Slovenia), and probably also in the Swiss Molasse (Lausanne). This plant assemblage demonstrates that the paleovegetation was represented by evergreen woodland with pines and grasses in undergrowth, similar to vegetation inhabiting coastal brackish marshes today. It also indicates subtropical climatic conditions in the Vienna Basin (central Paratethys), similar to those implied by other coeval plant assemblages from Central Europe
The first known fossil record of pygmy pipehorses is described. The fossils were collected in the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) beds of the Coprolitic Horizon in the Tunjice Hills, Slovenia. They belong ...to a new genus and species Hippotropiscis frenki, which was similar to the extant representatives of Acentronura, Amphelikturus, Idiotropiscis, and Kyonemichthys genera. Hippotropiscis frenki lived among seagrasses and macroalgae and probably also on a mud and silt bottom in the temperate shallow coastal waters of the western part of the Central Paratethys Sea. The high coronet on the head, the ridge system and the high angle at which the head is angled ventrad indicate that Hippotropiscis is most related to Idiotropiscis and Hippocampus (seahorses) and probably separated from the main seahorse lineage later than Idiotropiscis.
L’article décrit la première découverte connue de fossiles d’hippocampes « pygmy pipehorses ». Les fossiles ont été trouvés dans les plages du Miocène moyen (Sarmatien) de l’horizon coprolithique dans les collines de Tunjice, en Slovénie. Le fossile appartient au nouveau genre et à la nouvelle espèce Hippotropiscis frenki, semblable aux représentants existants des genres Acentronura, Amphelikturus, Idiotropiscis et Kyonemichthys. Hippotropiscis frenki vivait dans les herbiers marins, les macro-algues et probablement aussi dans la boue et le limon des eaux côtières peu profondes et tempérées de la partie occidentale de la Parathétys centrale. La haute couronne sur la tête, le système des crêtes et l’angle élevé sous lequel la tête est orientée vers le ventre indiquent que Hippotropiscis est étroitement apparenté àIdiotropiscis et Hippocampus et probablement séparé plus tard qu’Idiotropiscis de la lignée principale des hippocampes.
Two new and the only known extinct seahorse species
Hippocampus
sarmaticus and
Hippocampus slovenicus are described from the Middle Miocene beds (Lower Sarmatian) in Slovenia, representing the oldest ...known fossil record of seahorses.
Hippocampus
sarmaticus was most similar to the extant seahorse species
Hippocampus
trimaculatus, while
H. slovenicus can be most easily compared to the extant pygmy seahorses
H. bargibanti,
H. denise, and
H. colemani. These Sarmatian seahorses lived among seagrasses and macroalgae in the temperate shallow costal waters of the western part of the Central Paratethys Sea.
Deux nouvelles espèces fossiles d’hippocampes, qui sont les seules actuellement connues :
Hippocampus sarmaticus et
H. slovenicus, sont décrites dans le Miocène moyen (Sarmatien) de Slovénie. Elles constituent le plus ancien registre connu d’hippocampes fossiles.
Hippocampus sarmaticus ressemble à l’espèce actuelle
H. trimaculatus, alors que
H. slovenicus peut être comparée aux hippocampes nains actuels :
H. bargibanti,
H. denise et
H. colemani. Ces hippocampes sarmatiens ont vécu parmi les varechs et les algues dans des eaux tempérées peu profondes de la partie occidentale de la Paratethys.
In the contribution Miocene molluscs from Tunjice hills are dealt with. At Stolnik were found stony casts of mytilidbivalves that are very rare in Slovenia. Other finds belong to bivalve families ...Crassatellidae,Cardiidae,and Veneridae. Frequent are in addition gastropods of family Turritellidae.
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