Sand pit at Maurerkopf hill near Edelbeuren: MN 5, Germany
collected by V. Sach 1987

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Pseudocandona sp.
Strandesia sp.
Mediocypris candonaeformis
Limax sp. Linnaeus 1758
    = Deroceras sp.
Salvador et al. 2015
Angiospermae - Rosales - Ulmaceae
Celtis sp. Linnaeus 1753
Charales - Characea
Chara sp. Linnaeus 1753
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Prolagus oeningensis (König 1825)
Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae
Sciuridae indet. Gray 1821
Mammalia - Rodentia - Gliridae
Paraglirulus werenfelsi Engesser 1972
Microdyromys miocaenicus
Miodyromys aegercii Baudelot 1972
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Democricetodon mutilus (Fahlbusch 1964)
Megacricetodon lappi Mein 1958
Megacricetodon minor Lartet 1851
Cricetodon meini Freudenthal 1963
Eumyarion medius Lartet 1851
Mammalia - Rodentia - Eomyidae
Keramidomys thaleri Hugueney and Mein 1968
Mammalia - Carnivora
Carnivora sp. Bowdich 1821
"Mustelidae vel Viverridae indet."
Carnivora indet. Bowdich 1821
Mammalia - Carnivora - Viverridae
Semigenetta sansaniensis
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
Trocharion albanense Forsyth-Major 1903
Mammalia - Carnivora
Proputorius sansaniensis Filhol 1891
Mammalia - Suidae
Hyotherium soemmeringi von Meyer 1834
Mammalia - Cainotheriidae
Cainotherium huerzeleri Heizmann 1983
Mammalia - Tragulidae
Dorcatherium guntianum von Meyer 1846
Mammalia - Palaeomerycidae
Palaeomeryx sp. von Meyer 1834
Mammalia - Cervidae
Procervulus dichotomus Gervais 1849
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Chalicotheriidae
Chalicotherium grande (de Blainville 1849)
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet. Gray 1821
Mammalia - Talpidae
Talpidae indet. (Fischer de Waldheim 1817)
Mammalia - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814
Miosorex sp. Kretzoi 1959
Mammalia - Dimylidae
Plesiodimylus sp. Gaillard 1897
Mammalia - Erinaceidae
Galerix symeonidisi Doukas 1986
Erinaceinae sp. Fischer de Waldheim 1817
"Mioechinus vel Amphechinus sp."
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotherium angustidens Burmeister 1837
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
Geochelone sp. Fitzinger 1835
Testudo sp. Linnaeus 1758
Reptilia - Testudines - Geoemydidae
Mauremys sp. Gray 1870
Ptychogaster sp. Pomel 1847
Reptilia - Testudines - Trionychidae
Reptilia
Aves indet. (Linnaeus 1758)
Diplocynodon sp. Pomel 1847
Reptilia - Anguidae
Anguidae indet. Gray 1825
Reptilia
Serpentes indet. (Linnaeus 1758)
Reptilia - Crotalidae
Vipera sp. Laurenti 1768
Reptilia - Lacertidae
Lacerta sp. Linnaeus 1758
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Urodela
Mioproteus caucasicus Estes and Darevsky 1978
Amphibia - Temnospondyli
Latonia gigantea Lartet 1851
Actinopteri
Teleostei indet. (Müller 1846)
Actinopteri - Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Palaeoleuciscus sp. Obrhelová 1969
Palaeocarassius sp. Obrhelová 1970
Actinopteri - Anabantiformes - Channidae
Channidae indet. Berg 1940
Actinopteri - Moronidae
? Moronidae indet.
"Percoidei indet. (?Wolfsbarsch)"
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Planorbidae
Planorbarius cornu (Brongniart 1810)
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Lymnaeidae
Lymnaea armaniacensis
    = Galba cf. dupuyiana Noulet 1845
Salvador et al. 2015
Lymnaea dilatata (Noulet 1854)
Tudorella conica
    = Lymnaea dilatata Noulet 1854
Salvador et al. 2015
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Elonidae
Klikia coarctata (Klein 1853)
    = Klikia sp. Pilsbry 1895
Salvador et al. 2015
Tropidomphalus zellii
    = Pseudochloritis incrassata Klein 1853
Salvador et al. 2015
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Helicidae
Palaeotachea renevieri (Maillard 1892)
Salvador et al. 2015
Cepaea sp. in Sach, 1999/2014
Cepaea silvana Wenz 1923
    = Megalotachea silvana Klein 1853
Salvador et al. 2015
recombined as Palaeotachea silvana
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Clausiliidae
Clausiliidae indet. Gray 1855
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Filholiidae
Triptychia sp. Sandberger 1876
Salvador et al. 2015
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Zonitidae
Archaeozonites costatus Sandberger 1876
Salvador et al. 2015
Valvata sp. in Sach, 1999
Gastropoda - Heterostropha - Subulinidae
Opeas minutum (Klein 1853)
Salvador et al. 2015
Gastropoda - Bithyniidae
Bithynia sp. Leach 1818
Bivalvia - Unionida - Margaritiferidae
Unionidae sp. Rafinesque 1820
"Unio vel Margaritifera sp."
    = Margaritifera flabellata Goldfuss 1837
Salvador et al. 2015
Malacostraca - Decapoda - Potamidae
Potamon sp. Savigny 1816
Ostracoda - Podocopida - Cyprididae
Eucypris hagni
see common names

Geography
Country:Germany State/province:Baden-Wurttemberg County:Biberach
Coordinates: 48.1° North, 10.0° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:48.4° North, 8.6° East
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Altitude:560 meters
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Neogene Epoch:Miocene
Stage:Langhian 10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 5
Key time interval:MN 5
Age range of interval:15.98000 - 13.82000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Molasse Formation:Upper Freshwater Molasse
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: Middle Miocene, mammal zone MN 5, latest Orleanien (Sach, 2010)
there are several fossiliferous horizons which occupy a relatively narrow stratigraphic interval of about 4 m (Sach, 2010)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:"cross stratification",fine,micaceous,quartzose poorly lithified sandstone
Lithology description: “Die heute aufgelassene Sandgrube am Maurerkopf bei Edelbeuren (Landkreis Biberach/Riss) erschließt eine Sedimentabfolge der Oberen Süßwassermolasse mit feinkörnigen, schräggeschichteten Quarzglimmersanden in Wechsellagerung mit Ton- und Mergeleinschaltungen sowie fossilführenden Aufarbeitungslagen. Das in der Grube anstehende Feinsediment (‚Pfohsande‘) ist stark verdichtet, sehr standfest und bildet deshalb eine nahezu senkrechte Grubenwand. Durch Kalk verfestigte Sandpartien wittern bankartig aus der Wand heraus” [The abandoned sand pit at the Maurerkopf hill near Edelbeuren (Biberach/Riss county) exposes a sedimentary succession of the Upper Freshwater Molasse with fine-grained, cross-bedded quartzose and micaceous sands intercalated by clay and marl beds as well as fossiliferous beds with pieces of reworked sedimentary rocks. The exposed fines (locally called ‘Pfohsande’) are strongly compacted and very firm and thus form an almost vertical pit wall. Intervals which are cemented by calcium carbonate are weathering out of the pit wall as thick beds] (Sach, 2010).
Die Grundmasse der Aufarbeitungslagen besteht aus muskovitreichem Feinsand und kleinen Sandsteinkonkretionen, in die Ton- und Mergelgerölle (Durchschnittsgröße 1-5 Zentimeter, Einzelstücke bis etwa 15 Zentimeter) sowie vereinzelte Fossilreste eingelagert sind. Bei den aufgefundenen Fossilien handelt es sich zumeist um verkieselte Holzreste, Schneckengehäuse, Bruchstücke von Muschelschalen oder um Reste von Wirbeltieren” [The matrix of the fossiliferous beds consists of muscovite-rich fine sand and small sandstone concretions that contain clay and marl pebbles (mean size 1-5 cm, maximum 15 cm) and, sporadicly, fossils. The fossils encountered are mainly silicified wood, gastropod shells, bivalve debris or vertebrate remains] (Sach, 2010).
Environment:lacustrine - small Tectonic setting:foreland basin
Geology comments: “Insgesamt kann der ehemalige Lebensraum an der Fundstelle am besten rekonstruiert werden als zeitweise durchströmtes Stillgewässer in einer dynamischen Flusslandschaft” [In summary, the ancient environment in the locality can be best interpreted as a temporarily fluvially affected body of standing water within a dynamic river plain] (Sach, 2010).
The depth of the small lake is said to have been about 4 m (Sach, 2010).
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,original aragonite
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils,microfossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:variable
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:surface (in situ),sieve,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:SMNS
Collectors:V. Sach Collection dates:1987 and later
Collection method comments: Because the abandoned sand pit is in a natural reserve, collecting mainly was restricted to specimens that were weathering out of the pit wall. Only in 1996 some samples were recovered for screenwashing (Sach, 2010).
Taxonomic list comments:Very abundant are teeth and jaws of cricetids (more than 50% of the small mammal material). Among the large mammals the most abundant taxa are rhinocerotids, Procervulus and Dorcatherium (Sach, 2010).
Metadata
Database number:175727
Authorizer:J. Mueller, M. Clapham Enterer:T. Liebrecht, M. Clapham
Modifier:M. Clapham Research group:freshwater,vertebrate
Created:2016-01-06 13:43:25 Last modified:2023-08-05 13:39:17
Access level:the public Released:2016-01-06 13:43:25
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
57549. V. Sach. 2010. Einmal Miozän und zurück – Zeitreise am Maurerkopf bei Edelbeuren. Oberschwaben Naturnah 2010:41-45 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht]

Secondary references:

85575 R. B. Salvador, V. J. Sach, and B. L. Valentas-Romera. 2015. The fossil continental mollusks in the upper freshwater molasse (Middle Miocene) of the districts of Biberach, Ravensburg and Neu-Ulm, Germany. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 18:201-216 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]