The Oligocene–Miocene was a time characterized by major climate changes as well as changing plate configurations. The Middle Miocene Climate Transition (17 to 11 Ma) may even have been triggered by a plate tectonic event: the closure of the eastern Tethys gateway, the marine connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. To address this idea, we focus on the evolution of Oligocene and Miocene foreland basins in the southernmost part of Turkey, the most likely candidates to have formed this gateway. In addition, we take the geodynamic evolution of the Arabian–Eurasian collision into account. The Muş and Elazığ basins, located to the north of the Bitlis–Zagros suture zone, were most likely connected during the Oligocene. The deepening of both basins is biostratigraphically dated by us to occur during the Rupelian (Early Oligocene). Deep marine conditions (between 350 and 750 m) prevailed until the Chattian (Late Oligocene), when the basins shoaled rapidly to subtidal/intertidal environment in tropical to subtropical conditions, as indicated by the macrofossil assemblages. We conclude that the emergence of this basin during the Chattian severely restricted the marine connection between an eastern (Indian Ocean) and western (Mediterranean) marine domain. If a connection persisted it was likely located south of the Bitlis–Zagros suture zone. The Kahramanmaraş basin, located on the northern Arabian promontory south of the Bitlis–Zagros suture zone, was a foreland basin during the Middle and Late Miocene, possibly linked to the Hatay basin to the west and the Lice basin to the east. Our data indicates that this foreland basin experienced shallow marine conditions during the Langhian, followed by a rapid deepening during Langhian/Serravallian and prevailing deep marine conditions (between 350 and 750 m) until the early Tortonian. We have dated the youngest sediments underneath a subduction-related thrust at c . 11 Ma and suggest that this corresponds to the end of underthrusting in the Kahramanmaraş region, i.e. the end of subduction of Arabia. This age coincides in time with the onset of eastern Anatolian volcanism, uplift of the East Anatolian Accretionary Complex, and the onset of the North and East Anatolian Fault Zones accommodating westward escape tectonics of Anatolia. After c . 11 Ma, the foreland basin south of the Bitlis formed not (or no longer) a deep marine connection along the northern margin of Arabia between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. We finally conclude that a causal link between gateway closure and global climate change to a cooler mode, recorded in the Mi3b event (δ ¹⁸ O increase) dated at 13.82 Ma, cannot be supported.

For the first time a palaeobiogeographic framework is proposed for European Neogene freshwater systems. The distribution of 2226 species-group taxa of freshwater gastropods from over 2700 Miocene and Pliocene localities was evaluated. The localities were grouped into palaeo-freshwater systems based on latest palaeogeographic reconstructions. Cluster analyses were computed for four time slices, i.e., Early Miocene, Middle Miocene, Late Miocene, and Pliocene. The analyses demonstrate a generally high degree of provincialism for the Neogene freshwater systems and allow the definition of biogeographic units. The delimitations are based on the cluster analyses, the degree of endemicity, and geographical coherence. The Early Miocene is characterised by a relatively low degree of provincialism suggesting the distinction of three regions. Coinciding with the development of many endemic systems on the Dinarian–Anatolian Island and in central Europe, the Middle Miocene demonstrates a higher degree of provincialism, allowing the definition of six biogeographic regions. With the onset of the Late Miocene the retreat of the Central Paratethys and development of the huge Lake Pannon massively shaped faunal evolution and palaeobiogeography in general. The formation of the ‘Lago-mare’ environment fringing the Mediterranean Basin as well as the development of several restricted freshwater systems in western Europe additionally promoted biogeographic division. The increasing provincialism allowed the delimitation of six biogeographic regions, three of which could be subdivided into seven dominions. With the disappearance of Lake Pannon and the decline of western European and Mediterranean faunas at the Miocene–Pliocene boundary, biodiversity hotspots shifted towards eastern and southeastern Europe. For the Pliocene, four biogeographic regions, five dominions, and four provinces were defined.Most of the here proposed biogeographic units and faunal differences are governed by the varied existence of large, long-lived systems. Because of their prolonged duration they immensely influenced the community composition on the family level, differences of the relative species richnesses per biogeographic region, and the rising rate of endemicity. The underlying mechanism for this pattern is the ongoing continentalization of Europe triggered by the Alpidic orogenesis and the simultaneous retreat of the Paratethys Sea. The continuing restriction of this huge intracontinental sea from the Mediterranean promoted the evolution of endemic freshwater faunas. The arising long-lived systems like Lake Pannon, Lake Dacia or Lake Slavonia persisted over several millions of years and stimulated the evolution of highly diverse and endemic faunas