Molasse.Net is a network of earth scientists working in the SW-German part of the Miocene Northern Alpine Foreland Basin, better known as Molasse Zone. Molasse.Net represents a platform for news and views in the very broad field of Molasse research and provides a download area for open scientific recources such as a locality database, documents and outcrop image galleries. |
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News and Views:
| Aug 2009: Molasse Group Meeting 2010: First Circular |
Palaeontology Munich Invites You to Participate in the Visit the Meetings Homepage at http://www.Molasse.Net/meeting10.htm
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| May 2009: Molasse Group Meeting 2010 |
The next Molasse Group Meeting in 2010 will be organised by Bettina Reichenbacher in Munich.
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| Apr 2009: The Special Volume of the Molasse Group Meeting 2008 is in press |
The volume was submitted to the Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie. All accepted articles are "in press" now. The volume will be published in 2009 Table of content:
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| May 2008: MOLASSE GROUP MEETING FINAL CIRCULAR AND PROGRAMME |
The final circular and programme of the Molasse Group Meeting 2008 is available. Download: [Final circular as pdf] |
| Feb 2008: Molasse Group Meeting |
The circular of the Molasse Group Meeting 2008 is available. Download: [Circular as pdf]
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| Jan 2008: Field Guide Marine Molasse |
Now available for downlad: Bieg, U, Nebelsick, JH, Rasser MW (2007) North Alpine Foreland Basin (Upper Marine Molasse) of Southwest Germany: Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology. Geo.Alp 4: 149-158. Download: [download pdf] Two of the localites (Ursendorf, Rengetsweiler) will be visited during the Molasse Meeting 2008.
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| Nov 2007: New paper by the team of Bettina Reichenbacher |
Pipperr, M., Reichenbacher, B., Witt, W., Rocholl, M. (2007) The Middle and Upper Ottnangian of the Simssee area (SE Germany): Micropalaeontology, biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy. - N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Abh. 245/3: 353-378 Download: [Abstract as jpg] For a pdf version of this article, please contact Bettina Reichenbacher [b.reichenbacher@lrz.uni-muenchen.de]
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| Sep 2007: Symposium at the International Geological Congress Oslo 2008 |
International Geological Congress Oslo 2008 The Symposium SES-06 Foreland basins: Palaeoecology, climate, and chronostratigraphy is dedicated to studies in foreland basins on chronostratigraphy and palaeoclimate. Abstract: Foreland basins are tectonically active areas characterized by rapidly changing sedimentation dynamics and patterns. This symposium will discuss the relation between uplift and climate change in the Paratethys basins, and foreland basins in general. We will address the question as to whether it is possible to recognize global climate signals in these tectonically active areas. Moreover, we will discuss how eustatic sea-level changes can be distinguished from tectonically induced changes of the palaeoenvironment. A reliable time control is essential for a more complete understanding of the processes occurring in foreland basins; however, chronostratigraphic control in foreland basins is often poor and largely based on biostratigraphy of endemic species (e.g. charophytes, mollusks, ostracods, fishes). Multi-proxy studies that combine data from magnetostratigraphy, isotopes, palaeontology, and sedimentology represent a far more reliable approach for time control in sedimentologically dynamic areas. We encourage all colleagues interested in foreland basins, and using multidisciplinary approaches to address palaeoecology, climate change, and chronostratigraphy to participate in this symposium. Convener: Bettina Reichenbacher, Munich; Iuliana Vasiliev, Utrecht Download: [this text] [IGC programme]
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| Sep 2007: Abstract and Poster download |
New results about the so-called Erminger Turritellenplatten, a Miocene mass accumulation of Turritelline gastropods were presented at the Sediment 2007 meeting in Bressano (Regional annual meeting of the SEPM-CES) and at the Annual meeting 2007 of the German Palaeontological Society in Freiberg. Visit the Download Area or click below: Download: Sediment 2007 [Abstract] - [Poster] / Palaeont. Soc. 2007 [Abstract] - [Poster]
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| Sep 2007: Guestbook added to this Website |
Please visit our new guestbook and feel free to leave a message about this homepage or about Molasse-related topics.
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| Aug 2007: Download the paper of Eronen & Rössner (2007) |
The article of Eronen & Rössner (2007) on the Miocene community dynamics in large herbivorous mammals from the German Molasse Basin is available in the download area as pdf file (thanks to Gertrud Rössner for the article). The authors dicuss the following questions: The main conclusion of the paper is that the evolution of large-mammal communities in the Molasse Basin occurred in two phases: build up and decline. The build-up phase was characterized especially by a high abundance of small-sized browsers and mixed feeders. The diversity was especially high during the built-up phase, indicating a highly differentiated wetland habitat. The decline phase saw a very different community structure with fewer mixed feeders and with larger sized mammals dominating. The difference between these phases was largely the consequence of regional extinctions of species and genera. The Molasse Basin community dynamics also differ from those of the rest of Europe.
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| Aug 2007: Cancellation |
The field trip announced for the Sediment 2007 meeting in Brixen (see announcement below) had to be cancelled. Alternatively, this field trip will be organised during the Molasse Meeting 2008 in Stuttgart.
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| July 2007: Announcement for the Molasse Group Meeting |
The next meeting of the Molasse Group will take place from May 16th to 17th 2008 at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. Please visit the meeting homepage.
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| June 2007: Sediment '07 meeting and field guide |
Within the frame of the Sediment 2007 meeting in Brixen, we are organising a two-days post-conference field trip to Southern German Molasse. The field guide will be published in the Innsbruck journal Geo.Alp.
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| May 2007: Update |
The link page was updated. Find links to colleagues that alow download of their articles about the Molasse Zone.
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| Oct. 2006: GSA Meeting in Philadelphia |
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Results of our working group are presented at the GSA Meeting by J.H. Nebelsick. Read the abstract (external link).
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| Oct. 2006: Foundation of Molasse.Net |
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Uli Bieg, J.H. Nebelsick and M.W. Rasser found the domain Molasse.Net as an open platform for Molasse research.
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| Sep. 2006: Field work at the localities Ursendorf and Rengetsweiler |
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The two OMM localities Ursendorf and Rengetsweiler close to Sigmaringenwere studied. A brief report will follow. Geographical details about the localities are available our outcrop database and in the galeries.
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| Aug. 2006: A turritelline gastropod mass occurrence in Ermingen |
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A non-scientific article about Turritelline gastropod mass occurrences, known as "Erminger Turritellenplatte" was published in the popular German journal "Fossilien" (Heft 4/2006). Here is the English abstract: Turritelline gastropods are known to occur in high densities, both in present-day and in fossil environments. Lower Miocene sediments of the 'Obere Meeresmolasse' in Ermingen near Ulm SW Germany, which is part of the Molasse Zone, reveal one of these extraordinary mass occurrences. The sediments known as the 'Erminger Turritellenplatte' and are characterised by turritelline gastropods, mostly Turritella turris , in rock-forming quantities. In summer 2005, the State Museum of Natural History and the University of Tübingen conducted an excavation that aimed to document the sedimentary succession and interpret the environmental conditions the led to the formation of this fossil assemblage.We found a 3.5 m thick succession dominated by turritelline sandy limestone, sandstones and sands as well as clayey sediments that lack gastropods. Furthermore, the bivalve Pitar helvetica as well as oysters and fragments of barnacles occur. Detailed studies are still in preparation, but the results of the excavation suggest that the fossils are reworked and were transported into the area of the 'Erminger Turritellenplatte'. Read an online article in German language
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| May 2006: Molasse Meeting 2006 and 2008 |
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At the Molasse meeting 2006 in Fribourg, organised by J.-P. Berger, it was agreed to organise the Molasse meeting each two years and that the next meeting will take place in Tübingen. Due to rebuilding activities at the University of Tübingen, however, the meeting will take place at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. If you wish to receive further information about the Molasse Meeting 2008, please visit the meeting homepage
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| Dec. 2005: Doctoral Thesis of Uli Bieg is available online |
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The Doctoral Thesis of Uli Bieg dealing with "Palaeooceanographic modeling in global and regional scale: An example from the Burdigalian Seaway, Upper Marine Molasse (Early Miocene)" can be downloaded from the University of Tübingen: URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:21-opus-21322 IMPORTANT: Please don't forget to read the "license" link that contains information about the copyright.
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| Sep. 2005: Diploma Thesis of Olaf Höltke |
Olaf Höltke finished his Diploma Thesis with the title "Die Molluskenfauna der Oberen Meeresmolasse von Ermingen und Ursendorf" treating the taxonomy and palecology of molluscs from two important OMM-localities. This thesis is in preparation for publication at the Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde (external link)
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| Sep. 2005: Excavation of a Turritelline mass occurence in Ermingen near Ulm |
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Excavations at the natural heritage of the so-called Erminger Turritellenplatte. This is a particular and unusual mass occurrence of Turritelline gastropods from the OMM (Middle Miocene) close to Ulm. Read more about this locality in the outcrop database. Link to the Erminger Turritellenplatte in German language: www.turritellenplatte.de (external link)
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