Turritellenplatte

The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen ("Erminger Turritellenplatte" near Ulm, Germany) is a type of very rich fossil-bearing rock which is of particular interest to geologists and paleontologists. It occurs in a very restricted outcrop and is protected in its entirety as a natural monument.

This outcrop of these marine sedimentary rocks is situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) and it is famous for a superabundance of the shells of "Turritella turris", a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. [J. Baier: "Über die Tertiärbildungen im Ulmer Raum" - Documenta Naturae, 168, 1-32; München, 2008. ISBN 978-3-86544-168-3 ] The fauna of this gastropod-rich sandstone reflects mainly near-coastal and shallow marine conditions. [ J. Baier, K.-H. Schmitt & R. Mick: "Notizen zur untermiozänen Hai- und Rochenfauna der Erminger Turritellenplatte (Mittlere Schwäbische Alb, SW-Deutschland)." - Jahresbericht Mitt. oberrhein. geol. Ver., N.F. 86, 361-371; Stuttgart, 2004 ISSN|0078-2947 ( [http://www.ogv-online.de/Publikationen/Jahresberichte/2004/nf86-5.html Abstract] ) ] Petrographical and palaeontological data allow a correlation of the "Turritellenplatte" of Ermingen with Burdigalian (Lower Miocene). The Sr-isotope composition of shark teeth in the deposit suggests an age of about 18,5 Ma for the "Turritellenplatte" of Ermingen. [ J. Baier: "Ein Beitrag zur Erminger Turritellenplatte (Mittlere Schwäbische Alb, SW-Deutschland)." - Jahresbericht Mitt. oberrhein. geol. Ver., N.F. 90, 9-17; Stuttgart, 2008. ISSN|0078-2947 ( [http://www.ogv-online.de/Publikationen/Jahresberichte/2008/nf90-1.html Abstract] )]

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