Plesching (Upper Austria) - Linz Formation (Oligocene of Austria)

Also known as Austernbank

Where: Upper Austria, Austria (48.3° N, 14.3° E: paleocoordinates 48.3° N, 11.5° E)

• coordinate stated in text

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Linz Formation, Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• The Oligocene part of the Linz Formation at the Plesching section attains a thickness of 6-8 metres. Coarse sand directly overlies the crystalline bedrock. In the basal part of the log occurs an oyster bed of up to 50 cm thickness. Upsection follows mollusc-bearing sand with thin intercalations of sandstone. Dated as Early Egerian=upper Chatian

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: offshore; poorly lithified, shelly/skeletal sandstone

• Coral rubble and teeth in the basal sand layer reflect an immediately fully marine transgression, A well-agitated nearshore environment in the shallow-subtidal, close to the shoreline, can be expected for the oystered and the associaed brachiopod fauna. Deepening upward is indicated in the overlying part with abundant ophiomorpha bioturbation, and medium-depth sublittoral molluscs. Overall the fauna is stenohaline, sandy bottom, fully marine shallow to moderately deep sublittoral environments.
• Mollusc-bearing sand with thin intercalations of sandstone. Lithification not mentioned in text, but plates suggest at least poor-lithification in places.

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: quarrying,

• Lists obtained from previous accounts and material obtained from collections at Inst. of Pal. Vienna, Geol. Surv. Austria Vienna, and Mus. Nat. Hist. Vienna.

Primary reference: M. Harzhauser and O. Mandic. 2001. Late Oligocene gastropods and bivalves from the Lower and Upper Austrian Molasse Basin. Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Schriftenreihe der Erdwissenschaftlichen Komimissionen 14:671-795 [A. Miller/A. Hendy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 55237: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 30.09.2005

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Exhaustive for Mollusca. Nomenclature follows modern usage, with revisions and new taxonomic descriptions in present manuscript. KEY: r - rare; f - frequent; a - very abundant
Gastropoda
 Trochoidea - Turbinidae
Angaria cf. scobina Brongniart 1823 snail
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
Jujubinus aff. multicingulatus Sandberger 1860 top snail
Calliostoma cf. hegeduesi Baldi 1973 top snail
 Lepetellida - Fissurellidae
Emarginula sp. Lamarck 1801 snail
 Cerithioidea - Turritellidae
Turritella (Haustator) venus d'Orbigny 1852 turret shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Aporrhaidae
 Neogastropoda - Fasciolariidae
? Fasciolaria plexa Wolff 1897 tulip snail
 Neogastropoda - Conidae
Conus sp. Linnaeus 1758 cone shell
 Neogastropoda - Costellariidae
Orthosurcula regularis Koninck 1837 ribbed mitre
 Neogastropoda - Muricidae
"? Boreotrophon capito" = Eopaziella capito
"? Boreotrophon capito" = Eopaziella capito Philippi 1843 murex snail
Subspecies: Boreorophon? capito vel deshayesi
 Sorbeoconcha - Ficidae
Ficus concinnus Beyrich 1854 fig shell
Ficus cf. conditus Brongniart 1823 fig shell
 Sorbeoconcha - Cassidae
Galeodea megacephala Philippi 1843 snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
Cypraea sp. Linnaeus 1758 cowry
 Sorbeoconcha - Xenophoridae
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
Euspira helicina Brocchi 1814 moon snail
 Opisthobranchia - Cylichnidae
Scaphander sp. Monfort 1810 snail
Bivalvia
 Arcida - Glycymerididae
 Pectinida - Anomiidae
Anomia ephippium Linnaeus 1758 jingle
 Pectinida - Pectinoidae
 Ostreida - Malleidae
 Ostreida - Pinnidae
Atrina cf. pectinata Linnaeus 1758 oyster
 Ostreida - Gryphaeidae
"Pycnodonte cf. gigantica" = Gigantostrea gigantica
"Pycnodonte cf. gigantica" = Gigantostrea gigantica Solander in Brander 1766 oyster
Subspecies: Pycnodonte gigantica callifera
 Mytilida - Mytilidae
 Lucinida - Lucinidae
 Poromyida - Cuspidariidae
 Pholadomyida - Pholadomyidae
Pholadomya puschi Goldfuss 1840 clam
 Pandorida - Clavagellidae
"Clavagella (Stirpulina) oblita" = Stirpulina
"Clavagella (Stirpulina) oblita" = Stirpulina clam
 Thraciida - Thraciidae
Thracia ventricosa Philippi 1843 clam
 Cardiida - Glossidae
 Cardiida - Arcticidae
 Cardiida - Veneridae
Cordiopsis incrassata Nyst 1836 venus clam
 Cardiida - Ungulinidae
"Diplodonta rotundata" = Diplodonta (Diplodonta) rotundata
"Diplodonta rotundata" = Diplodonta (Diplodonta) rotundata Montagu 1803 clam
 Hiatellida - Hiatellidae
"Panopea menardi" = Panopea (Panopea) menardi
"Panopea menardi" = Panopea (Panopea) menardi Deshayes 1829 clam
 Carditida - Astartidae
 Carditida - Carditidae
 Carditida - Crassatellidae