Author(s): Dulai, A.
Title: Early Messinian (Late Miocene) micromorphic brachiopods from Borelli (Italy, Piemonte)
Year: 2010
Volume: 28
Pages: 21-31.
Abstract: A small Messinian brachiopod fauna is described from the collection of Naturalis Natural History Museum in Leiden (the
Netherlands). The fauna is derived from washed residues of bulk samples from the Lower Messinian Sant’Agata Formation (Montaldo Sand
Member) (Borelli, Piemonte). The 26 available specimens represent 6 species of 6 genera. Dominant faunal elements are Cryptopora lovisati
(DREGER, 1911) and Megerlia truncata (LINNAEUS, 1767), while all the other species are represented only by one specimen each: Eucalathis aff.
tauriniensis (SEGUENZA, 1866), Megathiris detruncata (GMELIN, 1791), Joania aff. falunica (DE MORGAN, 1915) and Lacazella mediterranea (RISSO, 1826).
This is the second fossil record of Eucalathis from Europe and confirms that this genus also belongs to the several brachiopod genera, which did
not re-appear in the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity crisis. On the basis of the taxonomic composition (dominance of deeper-water
Cryptopora and Megerlia, and the very limited number of shallow-water Lacazella, Megathiris and Joania), the Borelli brachiopod fauna refer to deeper
water environment at 300–400 meter depth. This estimation is in correspondence with the flexoturbiditic origin of the sediments, as well as with
the results of molluscan and otolith studies.Keywords: Miocene, Italy, Brachiopoda, Messinian, Mediterranean, Naturalis, Eucalathis
Subject: palaeontology
Journal: Fragmenta Palaeontologica HungaricaJournal abbreviation: Fragm. Palaeont. Hung.ISSN: 1586-930XPublisher: Hungarian Natural History Museum, BudapestEditor(s): Szabó, J. & Dulai, A.