Discontinuities in the microfossil record of middle Eocene Lake Messel: clues for ecological changes in lake’s history?

We analysed the sediment and small fish coprolites from the 140-m thick lacustrine sediments of the middle Eocene maar lake Messel using material from different outcrops and from the Research Drilling Project 2001 (RDP 2001). The microfauna and microflora of Lake Messel underwent detectable changes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironments 2017-06, Vol.97 (2), p.295-314
Main Authors: Richter, Gotthard, Baszio, Sven, Wuttke, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Biodiversity
Change detection
Drilling
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Eocene
Fish
Fossils
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Lacustrine sedimentation
Lake sediments
Lakes
Microfauna
Microflora
Original Paper
Outcrops
Paleontology
Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Sediment
Sediments
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Summary:We analysed the sediment and small fish coprolites from the 140-m thick lacustrine sediments of the middle Eocene maar lake Messel using material from different outcrops and from the Research Drilling Project 2001 (RDP 2001). The microfauna and microflora of Lake Messel underwent detectable changes during the lake’s existence. However, only few of these changes can be satisfyingly interpreted to date. We suggest a three-level ecozonation for the history of Lake Messel on the basis of our microfossil analyses. Our results are not in full concordance with the current geological interpretation of the sediments and thus may spark further investigation and discussion.
ISSN:1867-1594
1867-1608
DOI:10.1007/s12549-016-0254-z