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First record of insects in lignite-bearing formations (upper Eocene) of the central German Leipzig Embayment

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Abstract

The first unequivocal insect remains from compression plant assemblages of the central German Leipzig Embayment (former Weißelster Basin) are reported and briefly described. The fossil taphocoenosis comes from the upper Bartonian or lower Priabonian Luckenau Clay complex (lignite-bearing Borna Formation) that represents sediments of coastal alluvial braidplain origin. Autecological interpretations of insect taxa are in accordance with plant-based environmental reconstructions as three of five insect taxa are closely related to freshwater environments. Based on the accompanying plant assemblage the palaeoclimate of the habitat is characterized as “subtropical” and humid, but with a distinctive seasonality in precipitation.

Kurzfassung

Die ersten eindeutigen Insektenreste aus fossilen Pflanzenvergesellschaftungen in Inkohlungserhaltung aus der mitteldeutschen Leipziger Bucht (früher Weißelster-Becken) werden bekannt gemacht und in knapper Form beschrieben. Die fossile Taphozönose entstammt dem Luckenau-Tonkomplex der braunkohleführenden Borna-Formation (oberes Bartonium oder unteres Priabonium), welcher ästuarine und alluviale Sedimente beinhaltet. Eine autökologische Interpretation der Insekten-Taxa steht im Kontext zu den pflanzenfossilbasierten Rekonstruktionen. Drei der fünf Insektentaxa sind Anzeiger von Süßwasserhabitaten. Auf der Grundlage der assoziierten Pflanzenvergesellschaftung kann das Paläoklima des Habitats als ‘subtropisch’ und humid mit einer ausgeprägten Saisonalität der Niederschläge charakterisiert werden.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Mibrag mbH company Zeitz (Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany) for giving the permit to do field work and sampling in the Profen-Süd opencast mine as well as for the maps and geological sections provided, in particular we thank former chief geologist Thomas Fischkandl for his kind support. During sampling and processing of the samples, the authors were supported by the staff members of the palaeobotanical section of Senckenberg Dresden Carola Kunzmann and Denise Hennig. We are also grateful to Jörg Ansorge (Greifswald), an anonymous reviewer and the editor-in-chief (Mike Reich) for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

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Kunzmann, L., Müller, C., Moraweck, K. et al. First record of insects in lignite-bearing formations (upper Eocene) of the central German Leipzig Embayment. PalZ 91, 315–326 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-017-0367-3

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