A Late Messinian Brackish Water Ostracod Fauna of an Aspect

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 151 (1999) 191–208

A late Messinian brackish water ostracod fauna of Paratethyan aspectfrom Le Vicenne Basin (Abruzzi, central Apennines, Italy)

E. Gliozzi *

Centro di Studio per il Quaternario e l’Evoluzione Ambientale, C.N.R., c=o Dip. Scienze della Terra,Universita degli Studi di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, P. le A. Moro, 5-00185 Roma, Italy

Received 28 March 1996; revised version received 27 January 1997; accepted 30 November 1998

Abstract

In the lower portion of the sedimentary succession of the Le Vicenne Basin (Abruzzi, central Italy) 8 m of siltitic clayscrop out, which bear a rich ostracod association in which the following fourteen taxa have been collected: Candona (Camp-tocypria) cf. C. (C.) venusta (Zalanyi), Candona (Camptocypria) sp., Leptocythere idonea Mandelstam, Markova, Rozyevaand Stepanajtys, Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental), Leptocythere propinqua(Livental), Euxinocythere (Maeotocythere) praebaquana (Livental), Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental), Tyrrhenocythereruggierii Devoto, Cyprideis agrigentina Decima, Cyprideis aff. C. tuberculata (Mehes), Loxoconcha eichwaldi Livental,Loxoconcha sp. and Loxoconcha cf. L. ludica Olteanu. The composition of the ostracod fauna shows a remarkableParatethyan influence (ten species out of twelve are characteristic of the Paratethys domain and, among those, Leptocytheremultituberculata, Leptocythere idonea and Loxoconcha cf. L. ludica are recorded for the first time in Italy). On the basis ofcomparison with similar ostracod assemblages found in the Mediterranean Basin (Spain, Corsica, France, Greece), the LeVicenne association has been referred to the Loxoconcha djaffarovi Zone (Carbonnel, 1978), correlated with the uppermostMessinian. During this time-interval the Mediterranean Basin was characterized by several isolated shallow water brackishbasins which reproduced the environmental conditions existing in the Paratethyan domain during the Neogene. Theexistence of these widespread brackish water-bodies favoured the westward migration of the Paratethyan ostracod faunasand their colonization of the Western Tethys domain. 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: lacustrine; ostracods; late Messinian; Lago-Mare; palaeobiogeography; systematics

1. Introduction

The ostracod fauna coming from the Le VicenneBasin (Abruzzi, central Apennines) is characterizedby a strong Paratethyan component as it was al-ready evidenced by Devoto (1967). This compo-nent is known to become prevalent in the wholeWestern Tethys ostracod assemblages at the end of

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the Messinian (Carbonnel, 1978). In this time-inter-val the Mediterranean Basin underwent a peculiarpalaeogeographic and palaeoenvironmental setting,which cancelled for a few hundred thousand yearsthe geographical and environmental barriers betweenParatethys and Western Tethys and favoured thewestward migration of some shallow water ostracodspertaining to the Paratethyan bioprovince.

Ostracod assemblages with Paratethyan affinitieswere distributed in the whole Mediterranean Basin at

0031-0182/99/$ – see front matter 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.PII: S 0 0 3 1 - 0 1 8 2 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 2 3 - 1

192 E. Gliozzi / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 151 (1999) 191–208

E. Gliozzi / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 151 (1999) 191–208 193

the end of the Miocene (Krstic and Stancheva, 1990)but have been scarcely studied in detail: in Italysystematical studies dealing with this biofacies havebeen undertaken only by Grekoff and Molinari, 1963and Devoto (1967, 1968, 1969) and in the WesternTethys particularly by Carbonnel (1978) (see Gliozziet al., in press, for details and references). In thepresent paper, the taxonomy and the autoecology ofthe ostracod fauna collected at the Le Vicenne Basin(Abruzzi, central Apennines, Italy) are discussed aswell as its geographical and chronostratigraphicaldistribution. Since the majority of the collected taxaare characteristic of the Paratethyan bioprovince, ithas been necessary to refer their chronostratigraphi-cal distribution to the chronostratigraphy of the dif-ferent Paratethyan domains (i.e. Central Paratethyswith the Dacic Basin, and Eastern Paratethys withthe Euxine and Caspian basins) (Fig. 1A). UpdatedParatethyan chronostratigraphies and correlation at-tempts between the different basins can be found inthe papers of Archambault-Guezou (1976), Feijfarand Heinrich (1986), Marinescu (1995), Papaianopoland Marinescu (1995), Popov (1996), Popov et al.(1996), and Nosovskiy (1996).

2. Geological setting

The Le Vicenne succession is located in thehomonymous basin in the Marsica sector (Abruzzi)of the central Apennines (Fig. 1B). It crops out notcontinuously for about 400 m along the N–S rimof an escarpment and the strata gently dip towardsSSW. The section has a total thickness of about50 m (see Cipollari et al., 1999a). From the baseto the top, it consists of: (1) well cemented poly-genic conglomerates with arenaceous reddish ma-trix, characterized by low textural maturity; (2) wellrounded clast conglomerates, with intercalations ofsiltitic–clayey levels bearing oligo–mesohaline mol-

Fig. 1. (A) Structural sketch map of the circum-Mediterranean orogenic belt with the uppermost Messinian–Lower Pliocene extensionof the Paratethyan basins (dashed areas) and with the location of the sites quoted in the text. Legend: a D Vera Basin; b D DSDP Site372 (Leg 42A); c D St. Ferreol, les Anlavaux (Rhone Basin); d D Aleria Basin; e D Belforte, Roccastrada; f D Castell’Arquato, CasaGiovanni Bello; g D Cura di Vetralla; h D Formignano; i D Maccarone; j D Le Vicenne; k D C. Ciucco; l D Roccacaramanico; m DEraclea Minoa; n D Mt. Medvenica; o D Corfou; p D Obrevoc; q D Pejnovic; r D Strimon Basin; s D Karhetiana; t D Prahova district;u D Kos; v D DSDP Site 375 (Leg 42A); w D DSDP Site 376 (Leg 42A); x D Samsun. (B) Structural sketch map of central Italy withthe location of Le Vicenne Basin. (C) Stratigraphical log of the Le Vicenne succession with the location of the analysed samples.

luscs and ostracods; (3) at the top, the successionis closed by poorly rounded conglomerates withfragmentary marine molluscs heteropic with fine-grained calcarenites and limestones bearing smallglobigerinids (Fig. 1C).

The geometry of the deposits, which uncon-formably overlie the deformed Meso–Cainozoic sub-stratum, is referable to an open syncline with an E–W axis, probably due to a light compressional defor-mation during the orogenic event which affectedthe whole Marsica region during the MessinianLago-Mare=early Pliocene. This setting, togetherwith regional data concur to define the Le VicenneBasin as a thrust-top basin (Cipollari et al., 1999a).

The ostracods studied in the present paper havebeen recovered from eight samples collected at everymetre from the sandy–clayey intercalations in thebasal portion of the well rounded conglomerates ofthe Le Vicenne section.

3. The Paratethyan-influenced Lago-Mareostracod biofacies

The detailed systematic study reported in Ap-pendix A indicates that the assemblage collectedat Le Vicenne is definitely Paratethyan-influenced:ten species out of twelve (C. cf. C. (C.) venusta,L. idonea, L. multituberculata, L. palimpsesta, L.propinqua, E. (M.) praebaquana, T. pontica, T. rug-gierii, L. eichwaldi, and L. cf. L. ludica) are wellknown in the Paratethyan domain where they arerecorded mainly from the Pontian (C. (C.) venustaand L. eichwaldi from the Pannonian) to the Dacian(except for L. eichwaldi which is limited to the Pon-tian and L. palimpsesta, L. multituberculata and L.propinqua which are still living in the Caspian Sea);one species (C. agrigentina) is characteristic of theMediterranean domain and is widespread in all theWestern Tethys during the Lago-Mare event (Van


Harten, 1990); one species (C. aff. C. tuberculata) is,up to now, recorded only in Italy, and, therefore, itseems to be an endemic Italian form.

It is important to emphasize that the presence ofL. idonea at Le Vicenne represents the first record ofthis species in Italy, while L. multituberculata and L.cf. L. ludica are registered for the first time both inItaly and in the Western Tethys.

Paratethyan-influenced ostracod assemblagessimilar to the one recognized at Le Vicenne havebeen reported in the Western Tethys by Carbon-nel (1978) which stresses their potential biostrati-graphical value. Re-defining the Loxoconcha djaf-farovi Zone created by Sissingh (1972, 1976) on theKarhetiana Section (Crete, Greece) (s in Fig. 1A),Carbonnel correlates it with the top of the plank-tonic foraminiferal zone N17=base of the N18,that corresponds to the very end of the Messinian,on the base of micropalaeontological analyses ofseveral Mediterranean sections in the Vera Basin(Spain) (a in Fig. 1A), Aleria Basin (Corsica) (d inFig. 1A), Rhone Basin (St. Ferreol, les Anlavaux) (cin Fig. 1A) and in Italy [Castell’Arquato (Emilia) (fin Fig. 1A), Maccarone (Marche) (i in Fig. 1A), C.Ciucco (Abruzzi) (k in Fig. 1A)].

To these well dated sections, it is possible toadd some other Italian localities where Loxoconchadjaffarovi has been recorded together with a fewother species pertaining to the typical assemblage ofthe Loxoconcha djaffarovi Zone: several localities inTuscany (Bossio et al., 1993, 1996) and in Abruzzi(Patacca et al., 1991). All these localities are re-ferred, on the basis of the geological setting, to thepost-evaporitic Messinian, therefore confirming thechronostratigraphic position of the Loxoconcha djaf-farovi Zone proposed by Carbonnel (1978) (Fig. 2).

The ostracod association collected at Le Vicennelacks L. djaffarovi, but ten species out of the fourteencollected forms (C. (C.) venusta, Candona (Caspiol-la) sp., E. (M.) praebaquana, L. propinqua, L. ido-nea, L. palimpsesta, T. pontica, T. ruggierii, L. eich-waldi and Loxoconcha sp.) belong to the assemblageof the Loxoconcha djaffarovi Zone as re-describedby Carbonnel (1978). Moreover, the sedimentarysuccession of the Le Vicenne Basin is characterizedin the lower portion by a Lago-Mare biofacies andin the upper part by a marine biofacies (made upby small globigerinids), correlated, using regional

data, with the Early Pliocene transgressive event(Cipollari et al., 1999b); so it seems reasonable, alsofrom a geological point of view, to correlate thelower portion of the Le Vicenne succession bearingthe Paratethyan-influenced ostracofauna with the up-permost Messinian. Thus, the Le Vicenne ostracodassemblage represents a further record of the oc-currence of the Loxoconcha djaffarovi Zone in theItalian Peninsula.

The relevance of the Paratethyan-influenced fau-nas in the Western Tethys (Palaeo-Mediterranean)domain has already been underlined by several au-thors (Grekoff and Molinari, 1963; Devoto, 1967;Benson, 1976, 1984; Carbonnel, 1978). From apalaeogeographical point of view it emphasizes aunique moment of the history of the MediterraneanBasin (late Messinian) during which a temporaryisolation from the Atlantic Ocean, following theclosure of the Betic and Rif straits, occurred (Wei-jermars, 1988). Subsequently the Messinian salin-ity crisis event (Hsu et al., 1977), the hyper-haline Palaeo-Mediterranean waters were dilutedto oligo–mesohaline conditions by an intensiverunoff (McCulloch and De Deckker, 1989) linkedto more humid global climatic conditions and thisfact caused the break-off of the ecological bar-rier which, until that moment, had prevented thepenetration in the Palaeo-Mediterranean of ostra-cods of the Paratethyan bioprovince via the con-nection at present located in correspondence withthe Marmara Sea. As a consequence of the salin-ity crisis, the autochthonous Palaeo-Mediterraneanostracofaunas were severely impoverished (Benson,1976) (more than 40% turnover in marine speciesfrom the Messinian to the Pliocene, Benson, 1984),and the Paratethyan contingent became predominantin the Palaeo-Mediterranean ostracod assemblages ofthe uppermost Messinian also if it was representedonly by few species in comparison with the potentialof the Paratethyan bioprovince. Taking into accountthe Paratethyan guests recognized at Le Vicenne inthe present paper, in Spain and France by Carbonnel(1978) and in several other Palaeo-Mediterraneanlocalities (Gliozzi et al., in press; Cipollari et al.,1999b), the Paratethyan contingent can be evaluatedat around 25 species in comparison with the morethan 150 species which were living in the Dacic andEuxine basins during the late Pontian and the early


Fig. 2. Range chart of the ostracods collected at Le Vicenne with their distribution in the Western Tethys, in Italy, in the Western andCentral Paratethys and in the Eastern Paratethys. Asterisks indicate species still living in the Caspian Sea. Magnetostratigraphy fromBaksi (1993), nannoplankton zones from Martini (1971), planktic foraminiferal zones from Blow (1969) and Iaccarino (1985).

Dacian. It is possible to estimate the percentage ofParatethyan guests at around 16%. It is reasonable tothink that this percentage will increase when moretaxonomical studies on other uppermost Messiniandeposits will be performed but not in such a way toalter the present speculation. Nevertheless, although

this eastern contamination cannot be defined as arelevant event from a biogeographical point of view,probably for the existence of minor palaeoecologicalbarriers which could be understood only with a de-tailed study on the autoecology of each Paratethyanspecies, it represents a very important stratigraphical


marker which leads the recognition of the uppermostMessinian in the whole Mediterranean Basin.

4. Conclusions

The analysis of the ostracod assemblage collectedat Le Vicenne underlined the importance of ostracodsas a valuable tool for the stratigraphy and the palaeo-geographic reconstruction of the Palaeo-Mediter-ranean area at the end of the Messinian. In fact, thequasi-instantaneous migration of the Paratethyan os-tracod contingent in the Palaeo-Mediterranean, dueto its isolation from the Atlantic Ocean and to thesubsequent global climatic oscillation towards morehumid conditions, seems to testify the only realconnection between Parathetys and Western Tethyssince their separation occurred during the latest Bur-digalian (Hamor, 1988).

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to N. Krstic for the useful dis-cussions, to R. Whatley and J. Rodrıguez Lazarowhich revised the manuscript, improving it with pre-cious suggestions, and to L. Cabrera and Saez whichedited it carefully. Thanks to Mrs. L. Angeloni forthe technical support. S.E.M. photos were taken withthe Cambridge Stereoscan 250 and ORTEC System5000 (Centro di Studio per il Quaternario e l’Evolu-zione Ambientale, C.N.R.) with the help of Mr. A.Mancini.

Appendix A. Systematics

A.1. Methodology

Clay–siltitic samples were disaggregated in a hydrogen per-oxyde solution (20%), washed with current water using a 125µm mesh sieve and dried. About 100 g of each dried sievedsample were observed under the stereomicroscope (6–50 ð)and ostracods were hand-picked, measured and determined. Pho-tographs were made with a Cambridge Stereoscan 250 andORTEC System 5000. The frequencies of each species have beenobtained by counting the number of valves recovered in each 100g sample analysed. Some species are represented by very fewvalves, sometimes only by one, particularly the Leptocytheridae.Also these species were determined, in some cases with doubt,

for their stratigraphical and=or palaeogeographical relevance be-cause the Le Vicenne ostracod assemblages represent, up to thepresent, perhaps the most diversified Lago-Mare ostracofauna ofItaly.

All the specimens are stored in Gliozzi’s ostracod collec-tion (G.O.C. 18 and 19 at the C.S. Quaternario e EvoluzioneAmbientale, C.N.R., Roma).

A.2. Systematics

Subclass Ostracoda Latrerelle, 1806Order Podocopida Muller, 1894Superfamily Cypridacea Baird, 1845Family Candonidae Kaufmann, 1900Subfamily Candoninae Kaufmann, 1900Genus Candona Baird, 1845Subgenus Camptocypria Zalanyi, 1929

Candona (Camptocypria) cf. C. (C.) venusta (Zalanyi, 1929)(Plate IIb)

1929 Stenocypris venusta Zalanyi, pp. 72–73, text-figs. 33–34.1963 Candona cf. venusta (Zalanyi), Grekoff and Molinari, p. 2,

pl. 1, fig. 1.1965 Stenocypris venusta Zalanyi, Stancheva, p. 22, pl. 2, fig. 8.1972 Candona (Caspiolla) venusta (Zalanyi), Sokac, p. 47, pl.

20, figs. 7–13.1976 Candona (Caspiolla) venusta (Zalanyi), Hanganu and Pa-

paianopol, p. 64, 65, 68, pl. 5, fig. 6.1978 Caspiolla venusta (Zalanyi), Carbonnel, p. 111, pl. 1, figs.

13–14.1980 Candona (Caspiolla) venusta (Zalanyi), Freels, p. 51, pl.

7, figs. 7–10.1986 Candona (Caspiolla) venusta (Zalanyi), Olteanu, p. 57.1992 Caspiolla venusta (Zalanyi), Patacca et al., p. 426.

Material. Le Vicenne sample 1 (LV1): 4 fragmentary adult andjuvenile valves; LV5: 1 decalcified carapace (for the location ofthe samples inside the Le Vicenne section, see Fig. 1C).Remarks. The collected valves are very fragmentary. Only twoof them are sufficiently complete to allow the depiction ofthe outline that seems comparable to that of C. (C.) venusta(Zalanyi).

According to Krstic and Stancheva (1990) the subgenus Cas-piolla Mandelstam, 1960 (new spelling of the genus CaspiellaMandelstam, 1956), to which the species C. (C.) venusta waspreviously referred, is preoccupied and must be replaced byCamptocypria Zalanyi, 1929 following the informal opinion ofthe International Zoological Nomenclature Commission.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Hanganuand Papaianopol (1976) signal the species C. (C.) venusta in thelate Pontian and in the Dacian (both Getian and Parscovian) ofthe Prahova district (Dacic Basin) (t in Fig. 1A), while Olteanu(1986) records C. (C.) venusta from the late Pannonian to Pon-tian of the Dacic Basin. The species occurs also in the Pontianof Mt. Medvednica (Croatia) (n in Fig. 1A) (Sokac, 1972) and inthe late Pontian of Obrebovoc and Pejinovic (Serbia) (p and q inFig. 1A) (Zalanyi, 1929). Stancheva (1965a) records it from the


middle Pontian of Bulgaria and Freels (1980) reports this speciesfrom the Late Miocene of Samsun (Turkey, southern border ofthe Euxinic Basin) (x in Fig. 1A).

In the western Tethys Carbonnel (1978) signals the species inthe late Messinian of France (Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A) andSpain (Vera Basin) (a in Fig. 1A).

In Italy, C. (C.) venusta has been recovered from the lateMessinian of Maccarone (Marche) (i in Fig. 1A) and Roc-cacaramanico (Abruzzi) (l in Fig. 1A) (Carbonnel, 1978; Pataccaet al., 1991) and from the surroundings of Cura di Vetralla(Latium) (g in Fig. 1A) (Gliozzi, unpubl. data), while it is doubt-fully recorded by Grekoff and Molinari (1963) from the latestMessinian of Castell’Arquato (Emilia) (f in Fig. 1A).

Candona (Camptocypria) sp.

Material. LV1: 10 fragmentary adult and juvenile valves; LV5: 3fragmentary juvenile valves; LV6: 1 juvenile valve.Remarks. Several fragmentary adult and juvenile valves, refer-able to Candona (Camtocypria), were recovered in three levelsof the Le Vicenne section. The material does not allow anyspecific attribution also if it is possible to recognise a certainsimilarity with the specimen pictured by Carbonnel (1978, pl. 1,fig. 15), referred by him to Caspiolla sp. 1.

Abundant valves of a Candona (Camptocypria) very similarto those of Le Vicenne have been recovered in Italy in the lateMessinian of Cura di Vetralla (Latium) (g in Fig. 1A) (Gliozzi,unpublished data).

Superfamily Cytheracea Baird, 1850Family Leptocytheridae Hanai, 1957Genus Leptocythere Sars, 1925

All the following Leptocytheridae are referred, by severalauthors such as Hanganu and Papaianopol (1976), Carbonnel(1978), and Olteanu (1986, 1995), to the genus AmnicythereDevoto, 1965 created as a subgenus of Leptocythere on thebasis of peculiar differences in the external ornamentation ofthe carapace, in the hinge structure and in the marginal porecanal pattern, and subsequently raised at the rank of genus byStancheva (1968) and accepted by the majority of the East-ern European palaeontologists. On the contrary, Whatley andMaybury (1981) do not accept as valid the genus Amnicythere.According to them, in fact, this genus is questioned because inits diagnosis Devoto emphasizes the importance of the secondaryreticulate ornamentation which, actually, is observable also intrue Leptocythere species. In this paper the more general attri-bution to genus Leptocythere is retained waiting for a generalsystematic review of the Paratethyan Leptocytheridae.

Leptocythere idonea Mandelstam, Markova, Rozyeva andStepanajtys, 1962 (Plate Ia)

1962 Leptocythere idonea Mandelstam, Markova, Rozyeva andStepanajtys

1978 Amnicythere idonea (Mandelstam, Markova, Rozyeva andStepanajtys), Carbonnel, p. 112, pl. 1, fig. 18; pl. 2, figs.4–5.

Material. LV6: 1 adult right valve; length 0.52 mm; height 0.25mm.Remarks. The single valve collected at Le Vicenne has beenreferred to L. (A.) idonea on the basis of the comparison with thespecimen figured in Carbonnel, 1978.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. L. idoneais known from the Pliocene of Turkmenistan (Caspian Basin)(Mandelstam et al., 1962). In the western Tethys Carbonnel(1978) records this species from the latest Messinian of Corsica(Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A), Spain (Vera Basin) (a in Fig. 1A)and France (Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A). The specimen collectedat Le Vicenne is the first record of this species in Italy.

Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental, 1929) (Plate IIa)

1929 Cythere multituberculata Livental, p. 14, pl. 1, figs. 36–38.1962 Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Mandelstam et

al., p. 299, pl. 37, fig. 6.1965 Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Stancheva, p.

24–25, pl. 1, fig. 3.1969 Leptocythere ? multituberculata (Livental), Gramann, p.

498, pl. 34, fig. 12.1972 Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Sokac, p. 71, pl.

32, figs. 14–15 (cum syn.).1975 Leptocythere (Amnicythere?) multituberculata (Liv.),

Krstic, p. 216, pl. 3, fig. 15.1986 Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Papaianopol and

Olteanu, pp. 76, 79–80, pl. 5, fig. 1.1986 Leptocythere multituberculata (Livental), Olteanu, p. 58.1995 Amnicythere multituberculata (Livental), Olteanu, p. 290,

pl. 16, figs. 1–8.

Material. LV5: 1 adult left valve and 1 instar; length 0.84 mm;height 0.40 mm.Remarks. Only two valves referable to the genus Leptocytherehave been identified as L. multituberculata on the basis of thecomparisons with the specimens figured by Olteanu, 1995.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Thespecies is known in the Paratethys from the Pontian of theCaspian Basin (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Caucasus) (Mandel-stam et al., 1962), from the early Pontian of the Pannonic Basin(Olteanu, 1995), from the late Pontian to the Dacian (particu-larly in the early Dacian) of the Dacic Basin [Romania (Olteanu,1995; Papaianopol and Olteanu, 1986) and Bulgaria (Stancheva,1965b)] and from the Pontian of Croatia (Sokac, 1972) andSerbia (Krstic, 1975).

L. multituberculata is herein recovered for the first time forboth Italy and Western Tethys. Gramann (1969) records it fromthe Choumnikon Beds (Pontian) of the Strimon Basin (easternMacedonia) (r in Fig. 1A).Ecology and palaeoecology. L. multituberculata is still living inthe Caspian Sea (Gofman, 1966 in Sokac, 1972) from 10 to 800m (but with maximum frequency above 100 m), in waters withsalinities between 11.5 and 13.5‰. It seems to prefer muddybottoms.

Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental, 1929) (Plate Ie–f)

1929 Cythere palimpsesta Livental, p. 15, pl. 1, figs. 3–4.


PLATE I

(a) Leptocythere (Amnicythere) idonea, right valve in external view (LV5).(b) Euxinocythere (Maeotocythere) praebaquana, right valve in external view (LV5).(c) Leptocythere (Amnicythere) propinqua, right valve in external view (LV5).(d) Loxoconcha eichwaldi, right valve in external view (LV1).(e–f) Leptocythere (Amnicythere) palimpsesta, right valve in (e) external.(f) internal views (LV5).(g) Loxoconcha cf. L. ludica, right valve in external view (LV6).(h) Loxoconcha sp., right valve in external view (LV3).

1929 Cythere andrusovi Livental, p. 16, pl. 1, figs. 6–7.1929 Cythere picturata Livental, p. 16, pl. 1, fig. 5.1929 Cythere saljanica Livental, p. 17, pl. 1, figs. 8–10.1962 Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental), Mandelstam et al.,

pp. 196–197, pl. 31, figs. 3–4.1963 Leptocythere? lacunosa (Reuss), Grekoff and Molinari, p.

3, text-fig. 1, pl. 2, figs. 3–4.

1965 Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental), Stancheva, pp. 23–24, pl. 3, fig. 3.

1971 Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental), Krstic, p. 397.1972 Leptocythere palimpsesta (Livental), Sokac, p. 69, pl. 32,

fig. 3.1975 Leptocythere (Amnicythere) palimpsesta (Livental), Krstic,

p. 215, pl. 2, figs. 4–6.


1976 Amnicythere palimpsesta (Livental), Hanganu and Papa-ianopol, text-fig. 2.

1978 Amnicythere palimpsesta (Livental), Carbonnel, pp. 112–113, pl. 2, fig. 14.

1995 Amnicythere palimpsesta (Livental), Olteanu, p. 291, pl.18, figs. 8–9.

Material. LV1: 1 adult left valve; LV2: 1 adult carapace; LV4:2 adult right valves and 1 juvenile right valve; LV6: 2 adultcarapaces, 1 adult left valve and 1 juvenile left valve; length0.54–0.57 mm; height 0.30–0.32 mm.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Thespecies is known from the Pontian and the Plio–Pleistoceneof the Caspian Basin (Azerbaijan, Caucasus and Turk-menistan)(Mandelstam et al., 1962), from the Pontian (and spo-radically from the Getian) of the Dacic Basin (Olteanu, 1995;Stancheva, 1965b) and from the Pontian of Mt. Medvednica(Croatia) (n in Fig. 1A) (Sokac, 1972).

In the western Tethys L. palimpsesta is recorded from thelatest Messinian of Corsica (Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A), France(Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A) and Italy [C. Ciucco (Abruzzi) (k inFig. 1A), Castell’Arquato and Casa Giovanni Bello (Emilia) (f inFig. 1A)] (Grekoff and Molinari, 1963; Krstic, 1971; Carbonnel,1978).Ecology and palaeoecology. L. palimpsesta is still living inthe Caspian Sea (Gofman, 1966) from 25 to 180 m of depth,spanning a salinity range of 12.50–13.50‰ and a temperaturerange around 10–14ºC; it prefers silty, sandy or coarse substrate(Gofman, 1966);

Leptocythere propinqua (Livental, 1929) (Plate Ic)

1929 Cythere propinqua Livental, p. 20, pl. 1, figs. 21–22.1962 Leptocythere propinqua (Livental), Mandelstam et al., p.

201, pl. 31, fig. 18.1972 Leptocythere cymbula (Livental), Sokac, p. 69, pl. 32, figs.

7–9.1978 Amnicythere propinqua (Livental), Carbonnel, p. 113, pl.

2, fig. 1.1995 Amnicythere propinqua (Livental), Olteanu, p. 298, pl. 24,

figs. 1, 3, 6; pl. 36, fig. 12.

Material. LV5: 1 adult right valve; length 0.48 mm; height 0.29mm.Remarks. Leptocythere propinqua was considered synonymouswith Leptocythere cymbula (Livental) by Schornikov (1966) andby Sokac (1972), but these authors gave the priority to thelatter name. According to the International Code of Zoologi-cal Nomenclature (I.C.N.Z.) the name propinqua should havepriority over the name cymbula, having been described firstlyby Livental (1929) (respectively at pp. 20 and 21). However,Agalarova et al. (1961) consider the taxon cymbula as a varietyof Leptocythere propinqua, and, more recently, these two specieshave been considered as valid, independent taxa (Yassini andGhahremann, 1976; Carbonnel, 1978; Olteanu, 1995). Accordingto Olteanu (1995) L. propinqua shows slight morphological dif-ferences in comparison with L. cymbula in the hinge structureand in the marginal pore canals.

Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. In theParatethys the species is recorded from the Pliocene and Pleis-tocene of Turkmenistan (Mandelstam et al., 1962), from theParscovian of the Dacic Basin (Olteanu, 1995) and from thePontian of Mt. Medvednica (Croatia) (n in Fig. 1A) (Sokac,1972).

In the western Tethys Carbonnel (1978) has shown its pres-ence in the latest Messinian of Corsica (Aleria Basin) (d inFig. 1A) and of Italy, in the sediments outcropping at C. Ciucco(Abruzzi) (k in Fig. 1A).Ecology and palaeoecology. L. propinqua lives at present in theCaspian Sea where it can be found most frequently between 10and 15 m (but also down to 100 m) and under salinity conditionsfrom 7.5 to 13.5‰ (with an optimum around 12–12.5‰). Itseems to prefer silty–sandy bottoms.

On the coast of the Pahlavi Lagoon (Iran), Yassini andGhahremann (1976) report the presence of L. cymbula in thechannels connecting the lagoon with the Caspian Sea, in waterswith salinities between 4 and 6‰.

Genus Euxinocythere Stancheva, 1968Subgenus Maeotocythere Stancheva, 1968

Euxinocythere (Maeotocythere) praebaquana (Livental) Suzin,1956 (Plate Ib)

1956 Leptocythere praebaquana (Livental) Suzin, p. 88, pl. 2,figs. 19–21.

1956 Leptocythere praebacuana Livental (sic), Agalarova, p.105, pl. 11, fig. 31a.

1963 Callistocythere ex gr. bendovanica (Livental), Grekoff andMolinari, p. 4, pl. 1, figs. 6–8.

1967 Leptocythere praebacuana (Livental) (sic), Agalarova, p.100, pl. 12, figs. 1–7.

1971 Leptocythere (Amnicythere) praebaquana (Livental),Krstic, p. 397.

1975 Leptocythere? (Maeotocythere) praebaquana (Liv. in Ag.et al.), Krstic, p. 218, pl. 2, figs. 7–8.

1977 Leptocythere praebaquana (Livental), Krstic, p. 3971978 Maeotocythere praebaquana (Livental), Carbonnel, pp.

113–114, pl. 2, figs. 2–3.1991 Amnicythere praebaquana (Livental), Patacca et al., p. 4241995 Amnicythere praebacuana (Livental) (sic), Olteanu, p. 290,

pl. 16, fig. 2.

Material. LV5: 1 right adult valve; length 0.34 mm; height 0.18mm.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. In theParatethys E. (M.) praebaquana is recorded from theKimmerian–Pontian of the Caspian Basin (Agalarova, 1956,1967), from the Pontian–Getian of the Dacic Basin (Olteanu,1995) and from the Pontian (Portaferrian) of the PannonianBasin (Krstic, 1971).

In the western Tethys this species has been collected from thelatest Messinian of Corsica (Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A), Spain(Vera Basin) (a in Fig. 1A), France (Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A)and Italy [Castell’Arquato and Casa Giovanni Bello (Emilia) (fin Fig. 1A); C. Ciucco (Abruzzi) (k in Fig. 1A)] (Krstic, 1971;


PLATE II


Carbonnel, 1978) and from the post Messinian salinity crisisdeposits of Roccacaramanico (Abruzzi) (l in Fig. 1A) (Patacca etal., 1991).

Family Hemicytheridae Puri, 1953Subfamily Hemicytherinae Puri, 1953Genus Tyrrhenocythere Ruggieri, 1955

Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental) in Agalarova et al., 1961(Plate IIc–l; Plate IIId)

1961 Cythereis pontica Livental in Agalarova et al.1967 Hemicytheria pontica (Livental), Devoto, p. 35.1969 Tyrrhenocythere ballesioi Carbonnel, pp. 154–156, pl. 13,

figs. 11–13.1969 Tyrrhenocythere cf. pignatti Ruggieri, Gramann, pp. 501–

503, pl. 36, figs. 6–7.1976 Tyrrhenocythere ballesioi Carbonnel, Guernet et al., p. 66,

pl. 1, figs. 12–13.1977 Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental) in Agalarova et al.,

Krstic, pp. 396, 400, pl. 2, figs. 1–2.1978 Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental), Carbonnel, p. 116, pl.

2, fig. 17.1982 Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental), Olteanu, pp. 53–54,

pl. 6, figs. 1–2, pl. 8, figs. 24–25.1989 ‘Hemicytheria’ pontica (Livental), Olteanu and Vekua, p.

69, text-figs. 6–8; pl. 2, figs. 1–4.1989 ‘Tyrrhenocythere’ pontica (Livental), Olteanu and Vekua,

p. 69, text-figs. 6–8, pl. 1, fig. 1, pl. 2, figs. 5–7.1995 Tyrrhenocythere pontica (Livental), Olteanu, p. 301, pl. 25,

fig. 8.

Material. LV1: 1 carapace, 4 adult left valves, 6 adult rightvalves, 61 instars; LV2: 1 adult right valve, 6 instars; LV3: 3carapaces, 2 adult left valves, 6 instars; LV4: 1 adult left valve, 1instar; LV5: 3 carapaces, 1 adult left valve, 2 adult right valves,39 instars; LV6: 1 adult left valve, 12 instars; LV7: 1 carapace;length 0.79–0.89 mm; height 0.48–0.54 mm.Remarks. Devoto (1967) referred Livental’s species to the genusHemicytheria Pokorny, 1955 on the basis of the morphologicallysimple and straight (instead of fasciculated) radial pore canals

PLATE II

(a) Leptocythere (Amnicythere) multituberculata, left valvein external view (LV5).

(b) Candona (Camptocypria) venusta, fragmentary left valvein external view (LV1).

(c–l) Tyrrhenocythere pontica.(c) Left juvenile valve in external view (LV1).(d–e) Right valves in external view (LV5 and LV1).(f) Left valve in external view (LV1).(g) Carapace in dorsal view (LV3).(h) Left valve in external view (LV2).(i) Right valve in internal view (LV1).(l) Left valve in internal view (LV1).

of some specimens collected from the Messinian of Roccastrada(Tuscany, central Italy). Olteanu and Vekua (1989) showed that T.pontica is represented by two morphotypes probably linked withthe decrease of salinity: the ‘Tyrrhenocythere’ morphotype, withfasciculated marginal pore canals and the ‘Hemicytheria’ mor-photype with straight and simple radial pore canals, which occurin the adult stages only under unstable ecological conditions.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. In theParatethys domain T. pontica occurs from the Portaferrian (middlePontian) to the Getian (early Dacian) of the Caspian Basin (Azer-baijan), of the Euxinic Basin (south Ukraine and Kerch Penin-sula) and of the Dacic Basin (Romania and Bulgaria) (Krstic,1977). Gramann (1969) reports this species (as T. cf. pignatti)from the Pontian of the Chouchmnikon Beds (Strimon Basin, east-ern Macedonia) (r in Fig. 1A) and Guernet et al. (1976) signal itfrom the latest Miocene or Early Pliocene of the island of Kos(the Dodecanese, Greece) (u in Fig. 1A). Besides, it is signalled asvery frequent in the Quaternary of the Danube delta.

In the western Tethys the species is recorded from the latestMessinian of Corsica (Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A), France(Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A) (Carbonnel, 1978) and Italy [CasaGiovanni Bello, Emilia (f in Fig. 1A) and Roccastrada, Tuscany(g in Fig. 1A)] (Devoto, 1967; Krstic, 1977).Ecology and palaeoecology. The living species Tyrrhenocythereamnicola (Sars) inhabits mesohaline waters (9–13‰) but alsotolerates low salinities, down to 1‰. Generally it is found atdepths ranging 0–30 m (Krstic, 1977). Tyrrhenocythere sicula(Brady), considered synonymous with T. amnicola by Krstic(1977), is reported from the Issyk-Kul’ Lake (Kazakhstan) rang-ing between 0.75 and 50 m and more (Bronshtein, 1947) andfrom the Caspian Sea down to 200 m (highest frequency above30 m) and under salinity conditions of 12–13‰ [Yassini andGhahremann, 1976 as T. scitula (sic)].

According to Krstic (1977) fossil forms of the genusTyrrhenocythere lived in shallow waters with an estimated salin-ity of 5–15‰.

Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii Devoto, 1967 (Plate IIIa–c)

1967 Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii Devoto, pp. 31–35, text-figs.5–8.

1968 Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii Devoto, Devoto, p. 403.1969 Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii Devoto, Devoto, p. 20.1969 Tyrrhenocythere cf. ruggierii Devoto, Gramann, p. 503,

pl. 36, fig. 8.1978 Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii Devoto, Carbonnel, p. 116, pl.

2, fig. 18.?1982 Tyrrhenocythere aff. ruggierii Devoto, Olteanu, p. 54, pl.

1, figs. 1–6.

Material. LV1: 1 adult left valve, 1 adult right valve; LV2: 2adult right valves, 1 adult left valve; LV3: 1 carapace; LV5: 1carapace, 1 adult right valve, 1 adult left valve, 9 instars; LV7: 1adult left valve, 1 adult right valve; length 0.86–0.89 mm; height0.54 mm.Remarks. According to Krstic (1977), T. ruggierii is probablysynonymous with T. truncata (Schneider) and, under this name,she gives a wide distribution from the Caspian Basin to Western


PLATE III


Tethys. This interpretation is not accepted by Carbonnel (1978)and Olteanu (1982) who consider it as a valid species.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Tyrrheno-cythere ruggierii has been collected from the latest Messinianof Spain (Vera Basin) (a in Fig. 1A), Corsica (Aleria Basin) (din Fig. 1A) and Italy [Le Vicenne (j in Fig. 1A) and C. Ciucco(k in Fig. 1A) (Abruzzi)] (Devoto, 1967, 1968, 1969; Carbon-nel, 1978). Gramann (1969) reports a doubtful record of thisspecies from the Chouchmnikon Beds of the Strimon Basin (r inFig. 1A) in eastern Macedonia (Pontian age). The sole recordsfrom the Paratethys is that of Olteanu (1982) who reports T. aff.ruggierii from the mid and late Pontian of the Dacic Basin.Ecology and palaeoecology. See ‘Ecology and palaeoecology’ ofT. pontica.

Family Cytherideidae Sars, 1925Subfamily Cytherideinae Sars, 1925Genus Cyprideis Jones, 1857

Cyprideis agrigentina Decima, 1964 (Plate IIIe–h; Plate IVa–c; e)

1964 Cyprideis pannonica agrigentina Decima, p. 108, pl. 6,figs. 4a–8b, pl. 7, figs. 1a–10, pl. 8, figs. 1a–2, pl. 14,figs. 16–21.

1967 Cyprideis pannonica cf. agrigentina Decima, Devoto, p.30.

1968 Cyprideis cf. pannonica agrigentina Decima, Gramann,p. 508, pl. 35, figs. 6–7.



?1969 Cyprideis torosa (Jones), Carbonnel, p. 78, pl. 12, figs.14–15.

1976 Cyprideis agrigentina Decima, Vismara Shilling et al., p.291, text-figs. 11.12–11.15.

1978 Cyprideis pannonica Mehes, Benson, p. 778, pl. 2, figs.4–8.

1988 Cyprideis agrigentina Decima, De Deckker et al., p. 354.1990 Cyprideis agrigentina Decima, van Harten, p. 196.

PLATE III

(a–c) Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii.(a) Left valve in external view (LV7).(b) Right valve in external view (LV7).(c) Left valve in internal view (LV2).(d) Tyrrhenocythere pontica, right valve in internal view

(LV1).(e–h) Cyprideis agrigentina.(e) Left valve in external view (LV1).(f) Left valve in internal view (LV5).(g) Right valve in internal view (LV5).(h) Right valve in external view (LV1).

Material. LV1: 1 carapace, 3 adult left valves, 1 right valve,8 instars; LV3: 1 adult left valve, 3 instars; LV4: 2 adult leftvalves; 2 instars; LV5: 2 carapaces, 1 adult right valve; 1 adultleft valve, 1 instar; length 0.96 mm, height 0.57 mm (female);length 0.95 mm, height 0.51 mm (male).Remarks. This species is represented by juvenile and adultvalves. The specific attribution of Cyprideis species is gener-ally difficult when specimens are not very abundant becausediagnostic characteristics can be often detected only on a sta-tistical basis (Decima, 1964). Nevertheless, the comparison ofseveral characteristics such as the high outline, the weak me-dian sulcus, the feebly punctate valve surface, the dimensions ofthe female valves and the number of the marginal pore canalscorrespond to those described by Decima (1964) for Cyprideispannonica var. agrigentina. According to Krstic (1968a,b), thespecies C. pannonica does not extend westwards into the Tethysand Decima’s specimens must be attributed to a phylogeneticallynear but not identical different species. Van Harten (1990) men-tions the species C. agrigentina as a typical ubiquitous form forthe Messinian Lago-Mare facies of the Western Tethys.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. C. agri-gentina is recorded in the Western Tethys from the latestMessinian of Eraclea Minoa (Sicily) (m in Fig. 1A) (Decima,1964), of Le Vicenne (Abruzzi) (j in Fig. 1A) (Devoto, 1967,1968, 1969) and, doubtfully from the latest Messinian of France(Rhone Basin (c in Fig. 1A) (Carbonnel, 1969). It is widespreadin the Messinian of the western and eastern Mediterranean fromDSDP Site 372 (Algero–Provencal Basin) (b in Fig. 1A) andDSDP sites 375–376 (Florence rise, west of Cyprus) of Leg 42A(v,w in Fig. 1A) (Benson, 1978; De Deckker et al., 1988) and inthe Late Messinian of Corfou (o in Fig. 1A) (Vismara Shilling etal., 1976).

Gramann (1969) reports this species from the Pontian (veryabundant) and Maotian (rare) of the Strimon Basin (easternMacedonia, Greece) (r in Fig. 1A).Ecology and palaeoecology. The genus Cyprideis is a typicalbrackish dweller with a wide salinity tolerance. It is definedby Van Harten (1990) as ‘anomalohaline’ because also if it isgenerally found in marine-derived waters, it can inhabit waterswith aberrant alkaline water composition.

The present living Cyprideis torosa Jones can survive inextremely varied salinity conditions which range from 0.4 to150‰ (Neale, 1988), but it is more typical of oligo–mesohalineconditions.

Following Benson (1978), Cyprideis is a littoral genus whichinhabits shallow waters, probably not deeper than 50 m. Thisfigure is accepted also by Van Harten (1990), particularly for C.agrigentina.

Cyprideis aff. C. tuberculata (Mehes, 1908) (Plate IVd–h)

1964 Cyprideis tuberculata tuberculata (Mehes), Decima, p.125 (partim), pl. 27, figs. 1–6e, pl. 37, figs. 8–9.

1967 Cyprideis tuberculata (Mehes), Devoto, p. 30.1968 Cyprideis tuberculata (Mehes), Devoto, p. 402.1968b Cyprideis cf. tuberculata (Mehes), Krstic, p. 154.1969 Cyprideis tuberculata (Mehes), Devoto, p. 20–21


PLATE IV


Material. LV1: 4 adult valves, 3 instars; LV3: 1 adult rightvalve; LV4: 1 instar; LV5: 2 adult right valves, 5 instars; LV6: 1carapace, 1 adult right valve, 2 instars; length 0.85 mm; height0.44 mm.Remarks. Some Cyprideis valves, characterized by a punctateto almost reticulate surface, ellipsoid outline and a remarkablemedian sulcus, are clearly distinguishable from those of C. agri-gentina and are comparable with those figured by Decima (1964)from the late Messinian of Formignano (Romagna). Decima re-ferred these specimens to C. tuberculata tuberculata (Mehes)but, according to Krstic (1968a,b) they are not identifiable withcertainty as belonging to that species and, more probably, arerelated to a different form, near to C. tuberculata. The scarcity ofspecimens collected at Le Vicenne does not permit a taxonomicalrevision, so these valves are generically referred to Cyprideys aff.C. tuberculata (Mehes).Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Cyprideisaff. C. tuberculata has been recorded only in Italy. In additionto Le Vicenne (j in Fig. 1A) it is recorded from the latestMessinian of Formignano (Romagna) (h in Fig. 1A) (Decima,1964) and from the ‘Messinian’ of Belforte (Tuscany) (e inFig. 1A) (Devoto, 1967, 1968).

Cyprideis sp. (instars)

Material. LV1: 11 instars; LV2: 4 instars; LV7: 1 instar; LV8: 2instars.Remarks. Several juvenile valves are referable to the genusCyprideis, but no specific attribution is possible.

Family Loxoconchidae Sars, 1925Subfamily Loxoconchinae Sars, 1925Genus Loxoconcha Sars, 1866

Loxoconcha eichwaldi Livental, 1929 (Plate Id)

1929 Loxoconcha eichwaldii Livental, p. 34, pl. 1, figs. 42–43.1961 Loaoconcha eichwaldii Liv., Agalarova et al., p. 141, pl.

79, figs. 4a–b.

PLATE IV

(a–c) Cyprideis agrigentina.(a) Right juvenile valve in external view (LV1).(b) Muscle scars of a right valve, inside view (LV5).(c) Carapace in dorsal view (LV1).(d) Cyprideis aff. C. tuberculata, right valve in dorsal view

(LV1).(e) Cyprideis agrigentina, left juvenile valve in external view

(LV1).(f–h) Cyprideis aff. C. tuberculata.(f) Right valve in internal view (LV1).(g) Right valve in external view (LV1).(h) Muscle scars of a right valve (detail of (f)), inside view

(LV1).

1961 Loaoconcha bairdyi Mull., Agalarova et al., pl. 89, figs.2a–b (fide Krstic, 1972).

1967 Loxoconcha eichwaldii Livental, Sokac, pl. 4, fig. 6.1972 Loxoconcha (Loxoconcha) cf. eichwaldii Livental, Krstic,

p. 248, pl. 7, figs. 4–5.1978 Loxoconcha eichwaldii Livental, Carbonnel, p. 114, pl. 1,

fig. 4.

Material. LV1: 12 adult valves, 4 instars; LV2: 1 adult valve, 1instar; LV3: 1 adult valve, 2 instars; LV4: 1 adult valve; LV5:7 adult valves, 15 instars; LV6: 1 adult valve, 2 instars; length0.57–0.73 mm; height 0.39–0.48 mm.Remarks. Following the articles 25–28 and Appendix D (III)of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the nameeichwaldii must be emended into eichwaldi (Kempf, 1980, 1991;International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, 1985).

According to Krstic (1972) L. eichwaldi is a true Loxoconchareferable to the rhomboidea group.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. In theParatethyan domain, the species is widespread in the Plioceneof Azerbaijan (Caspian Basin), in the Pontian of Azerbaijan,Turkmenistan, Crimea, Caucasus and Moldavia (Agalarova et al.,1961), in the Pannonian and Pontian of Serbia (Krstic, 1972) andin the Pontian of Bosnia (Sokac, 1967).

In the Tethyan domain, L. eichwaldi is reported from thelatest Messinian of Corsica (Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A), ofFrance (Rhone Basin) (c in Fig. 1A) and of Italy (Maccarone,Marche) (i in Fig. 1A) (Carbonnel, 1978).Ecology and palaeoecology. The genus Loxoconcha comprises,at the present day, numerous species inhabiting mesohaline toeuhaline waters worldwide. Some of them are stenohaline andlimited to the marine littoral environment (Loxoconcha multifora(Norman): 25–35‰; Loxoconcha batei Bate and Gurney: around50‰) (Neale, 1988), while others are euryhaline such as L.rhomboidea (Fischer), which can tolerate salinities from 7 to>30‰ and L. elliptica (Brady) (0.5–30‰) (Wagner, 1957).

Loxoconcha sp. (Plate Ih)

1978 Loxoconcha kochi Mehes, Carbonnel, p. 114, pl. 1, figs. 5,9–10.

Material. LV1: 1 carapace; LV3: 2 adult valves; LV5: 1 adultvalve; length 0.53–0.57 mm; height 0.32–0.33 mmRemarks. The specimens collected at Le Vicenne are comparableto those figured by Carbonnel (1978, pl. 1, figs. 5, 9–10) asLoxoconcha kochi Mehes, but not with the holotype of thisspecies figured by Mehes (1908, pl. 9, figs. 5–9) or to thespecimens of L. kochi illustred by Krstic (1972, pl. 1, fig. 9 andpl. 5, fig. 4). The specimens of Le Vicenne differ from L. kochifor the lacking of the median depression which, in the holotype,divides the anterior and posterior surfaces of the male valve, thatare slightly inflated.

The scarcity of the material from Le Vicenne does not allowany specific attribution.Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. In theTethyan domain Carbonnel (1978) reports this form from thelatest Messinian of Spain (Vera Basin) (a in Fig. 1A), Corsica


(Aleria Basin) (d in Fig. 1A) and France (Rhone Basin) (c inFig. 1A).

Loxoconcha cf. L. ludica Olteanu, 1989 (Plate Ig)

1989 Loxoconcha ludica Olteanu, p. 165, pl. 27, figs. 1–2.1995 Loxoconcha ludica Olteanu, Olteanu, p. 307, pl. 30, figs.

Material. LV6: 2 adult valves; length 0.63 mm; height 0.38 mm.Remarks. Two valves of Loxoconcha are doubtfully referred to L.ludica Olteanu on the basis of the comparisons with specimensfigured by Olteanu (1989, 1995).Geographical and chronostratigraphical distribution. Thespecies is known only from the Dacic Basin where is widespreadfrom the Portaferrian (middle Pontian) to the Parscovian (lateDacian).

If confirmed, its recovery at Le Vicenne represents the firstrecord of L. ludica in Italy and in the Tethyan domain.

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