During the Middle Miocene, the northern Croatian Medvednica Mt. was an island within the Pannonian Basin System, situated on the SW margin of the Central Paratethys Sea. Miocene sedimentary rocks (the Late Badenian Bulimina–Bolivina Zone and Ammonia beccarii ecozone), from the SW slopes of Medvednica Mt. clearly reflect a transgressive-regressive cycle with emersion during the Badenian/Sarmatian boundary. After the initial phase of transgression, the pioneer Elphidium–Asterigerinata–Ammonia benthic foraminiferal assemblage is present in bioclastic limestones, such as those at the Borovnjak locality. This marginal marine assemblage from a highly energetic, normally saline environment is characterized by poor preservation of foraminiferal tests, low diversity and strong domination. Advanced transgression is followed by establishment of the Elphidium–Asterigerinata assemblage, which is found in biocalcsiltites from the laterally deeper and more sheltered environment at Gornje Vrapče. This diverse assemblage is typical for inner/middle shelf environment with sufficient oxygen content. A general shallowing upward trend can be recognized at both localities, followed by visible interchange of different sedimentological and biotic features. Successive and oscillatory regression in the marginal marine environment was followed by salinity fluctuations and final brackish conditions with Ammonia–Elphidium assemblage. The laterally deeper environment reacted to regressive trends on finer scale with almost regular changes of benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the laminae (Heterolepa–Bolivina assemblage/Bolivina–Cassidulina assemblage/Elphidium–Asterigerinata assemblage). It might reflect sea-level oscillations with periodically increased siliciclastic and nutrient input from land or influence of seasonality on benthic assemblages, which occurred in the advanced phase of the regression near the Badenian/Sarmatian boundary.
1 March 2018 in REM - International Engineering Journal
Eight anatomically and taxonomically different finds are presented in this paper, and they belong to four taxa: woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and dog (Canis familiaris). All specimens represent allochthonous Late Pleistocene and Holocene animal remains, and all were dredged during the gravel exploitation at the Sekuline site near Molve (Podravina region, SW Pannonian basin, NE Croatia). Mammoth remains (bone and tusk fragments) were radiocarbon dated, and these are the first absolute dates on mammoths in Croatia. One upper last left deciduous premolar (dP4 sin.) also belongs to the same species. Ascribed to a dog is one well-preserved skull with a peculiar abscess scar on the maxillary bone as the result of an inflammatory process on the carnassial (P4) premolar. The Late Pleistocene cervid remains are giant deer, while the other cervid finds were determined to be red deer of the Holocene age. Morphometrical and taphonomical data are presented for each specimen. Such fossil and recent bone/tooth aggregates are characteristic of fluvial deposits and selective collecting. Although lacking stratigraphic provenance, these finds help to fulfil the gaps in palaeoenvironmental, palaeoecological, and palaeoclimate reconstructions of Podravina and its neighbouring areas.