Durlachia Striata Gen. Nov., Spec. Nov., a New Beetle (Coleoptera) from the Upper Buntsand- Stein (German Lower Triassic) from Karlsruhe
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©Staatl. Mus. f. Naturkde Karlsruhe & Naturwiss. Ver. Karlsruhe e.V.; download unter www.zobodat.at carolinea, 67 (2009): 5-12, 3 Abb.; Karlsruhe, 15.12.2009 5 Durlachia striata gen. nov., spec. nov., a new beetle (Coleoptera) from the Upper Buntsand- stein (German Lower Triassic) from Karlsruhe EBERHARD FREY, SAMUEL GIERSCH & WOLFGANG MUNK Abstract Autoren A fossil beetle from the Upper Buntsandstein (Röt- EBERHARD FREY, SAMUEL GIERSCH & WOLFGANG MUNK, Folge, Lower Triassic) in Karlsruhe Durlach-Eisen- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Geowissen- hafengrund is described. The specimen is one of the schaftliche Abteilung, Erbprinzenstraße 13, 76133 oldest known beetle findings in Germany. According to Karlsruhe, Germany. E-mail of corresponding author: its stratigrafic context, the finding layer can be corre- [email protected]. lated with the Voltzia-Sandstone (E-France), which also yielded fossil beetles. The silty matrix, in which the bee- tle occurs, is interpreted as seasonal playa sediment. 1 Introduction The beetle was fragmented during extraction. The lack of diagnostic features of elytra, scutellum and prono- tum does not allow to assign the specimen to a family. The earliest fossil Coleoptera are reported from However, the elytral humeral callus, the set off prono- the Early Permian of southern Siberia and the tum with caudolaterally concave margins combined Ural Mountains (PONOMARENKO 2003). They are with the size of almost 15 mm allows a diagnostic referred to Tschekardocoleidae (Protocoleo- distinction from other coeval Coleoptera at least in Eu- ptera, ROHDENDORF 1944). Throughout the later rope. Therefore, it is justified to refer the specimen from Permian, beetle fossils are frequently found. Durlach-Eisenhafengrund to a new genus and species: These early beetles are referred to Archostema- Durlachia striata. ta with the families Permocupedoidea, Rhombo- coleoidea and Asiocoleoidea. All Permian taxa comprise animals with elongate elytra with large Kurzfassung Durlachia striata gen. nov., spec. nov., ein neuer pits between widely spaced striae (PONOMARENKO Käfer (Coleoptera) aus dem Oberen Buntsandstein 1969). Their body shape resembled that of ex- (Olenekian, Germanische Untertrias) aus Karls- tant elaterids or buprestids, but the body length ruhe-Durlach (Südwestdeuschland) scarcely exceeds 10 mm. Ein Käfer-Fossil aus Durlach-Eisenhafengrund bei The fossil record of the Triassic Coleoptera is Karlsruhe (Oberer Buntsandstein, Röt-Folge, Unter- sparse compared with the Permian, while the trias) wird beschrieben. Das Stück ist eines der ältes- diversity of major taxa slightly increases. Ar- ten bekannten Käferfunde Deutschlands. Stratigra- chostemata and Ademosyridae appear together phisch ist die Fundschicht mit dem Voltziensandstein with the obscure group of Schizophoriformia, Ostfrankreichs parallelisierbar, in welchem ebenfalls fossile Coleopteren gefunden wurden. Die siltige Ma- while Rhombocoleoidea vanish from the fos- trix, in die das Fossil eingebettet ist, wird als jahreszeit- sil record. The Adephaga and Polyphaga finally liche Playaablagerung interpretiert. appear during the Middle and Late Triassic and Die Coleoptere wurde bei der Bergung zerbrochen. rapidly reach a large diversity throughout the Das Fehlen diagnostischer Merkmale an Elytren, Scu- Mesozoic. tellum und Pronotum erlaubt keine zweifelsfreie Zuord- Especially in Central Europe Early and Middle nung des Stückes zu einer Familie. Die Schulterhöcker Triassic localities that yield fossil Coleoptera are auf den Elytren, das angesetzte Pronotum mit seinen exceedingly rare (for an overview see GRIMALDI & caudolateral konkaven Rändern in Verbindung mit der ENGEL 2005, BRAUCKMANN & SCHLÜTER 1993). With Größe von fast 15 mm ermöglicht eine diagnostische Trennung von anderen Coleopteren gleichen geologi- the exception of a questionable record that has schen Alters, zumindest in Europa. Es ist daher ge- tentatively been referred to Coleoptera (MÜLLER rechtfertigt, das Stück aus Durlach-Eisenhafengrund 1982), no fossil beetles have been reported from als neue Gattung und Art Durlachia striata gen. nov., the lower Early Triassic of Central Europe. The spec. nov. zu beschreiben. most diverse Central European coleopteran fos- ©Staatl. Mus. f. Naturkde Karlsruhe & Naturwiss. Ver. Karlsruhe e.V.; download unter www.zobodat.at 6 carolinea, 67 (2009) sils come from strata transitional from the late Early to the early Middle Triassic, especially from the Voltzia Sandstone of the Vosgues (northeast- ern France; PAPIER et al. 2005). Additionally, a few coleopteran remains have been reported from the early Middle Triassic of Lower Frankonia (BRAUCK- MANN & SCHLÜTER 1993). In the late Middle to Upper Triassic, the fossil record of Coleoptera in Central Europe becomes more abundant (e.g. GEYER & KELBER 1987, HENNIG 1969, HANDLIRSCH 1906-08). Here we report on an fragmentary, hence articulat- ed coleopteran fossil from the late Early Triassic (Upper Buntsandstein, Olenekian), which was found in 1959 during an excavation campaign near Durlach at Karlsruhe (southwestern Germany, JÖRG 1969). It was recently rediscovered in the col- lections of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe (SMNK) by one of us (W.M.). 2 Location and Geological Setting At the time of excavation in 1958 the locality was an abandoned quarry in an area called “Eisen- hafengrund” near Karlsruhe-Durlach. The quarry named “Rittershofer” was operated for the so- called Plattensandstein also known as Pfinztal Sandstone. Today the locality is buried by the garbage deposit “Karlsruhe Ost”, which mean- while is recultivated. The excavation campaign in 1958 yielded an abundant but paucispecific fish assemblage Figure 1. Palaeogeography of Middle European Lower (Praesemionotus aculeatus JÖRG, 1969, Peri- Triassic (Buntsandstein) with localities of fossil Coleo- centrophorus minimus JÖRG, 1969, Dorsolepis ptera (symbols), changed after GROSCHOPF & VILLINGER virgatus JÖRG, 1970), numerous decapod crusta- 1998. ceans (e.g. Aspidogaster durlachensis FÖRSTER, 1967), masses of conchostacans, a large quan- tity of plant remains and a few tetrapod trackways varies in the different laminae. The underlying (JÖRG 1969). The fossil beetle was discovered in Corophioides-Bank probably represents remains a part of the collection that comprised amongst of a big playa lake and is characterised by the other material “problematica”. The fossil coleo- ichnotaxon Corophioides luniformis BLANCKEN- pteran presented here is preserved in a green- HORN. The Corophioides-Bank laterally expands ish-grey, slightly reddish flamed and thin layered throughout the regional outcrop. The facies of mudstone. The fossil was labelled as “Käfer?”, this horizon is uniform and represents the most but it has never been studied since its integration important key layer of this sections. into the collection. According to VILLINGER (1995) the entire sec- tion between the paleosol VH 2 at the top of Geology the Hardegsen Formation (ORTLAM 1974) and the According to JÖRG (1969) the finding layers were “Rötton” (Clays in the Röt-Folge) is referred to as exposed in a seven metres wide lentil of mud- “Plattensandstein”, which represents the lower stone in the upper “Plattensandstein”. The section part of the Röt-Folge in the northern Black For- is characterised by a 0.32 m thick bank consisting est (German Stratigraphic Commission 2002). of partly reddish or greenish mostly sub-millimet- The upper “Plattensandstein” and the overlying rically laminated mudstone. The content of sand “Rötton” are coeval with the Voltzia-Sandstone ©Staatl. Mus. f. Naturkde Karlsruhe & Naturwiss. Ver. Karlsruhe e.V.; download unter www.zobodat.at FREY et al.: New beetle from the Bundsandstein, South-West Germany 7 (Grés á Voltzia) from the Northern Vosgues Diagnosis: Same as for the only known species (PERRIAUX 1961, GALL 1971, TRUNKÓ 1984). In the international stratigraphical system (GRADSTEIN Durlachia striata spec. nov. & OGG 2004) the Röt-Folge marks the border Text-figures 2A-B, 3 between Early (Olenekian) and Middle Triassic Derivation of name: Latin striata, striped, refer- (Anisian). ring to the striae on the surface of the elytra. Lenticular mudstone deposits are abundant in the entire “Pattensandstein”. They are interpreted as Holotype: Slab and counterslab with articulated sediments of occasionally flooded oxbow lakes. pair of elytra, scutellum and caudal fragment of Some coarse-grained layers might indicate short pronotum. The specimen is housed in the palae- termed fluvial events. Probably, after seasonal ontology collection of the Staatliches Museum heavy rain fall, flow channels and ponds became für Naturkunde Karlsruhe under the collection stagnant with the end of the flood and clay sedi- number SMNK-PAL 6098 a + b (slab and coun- mentation set in. During the dry season most ter-slab). ponds rapidly became shallow and finally desic- cated. With the evaporation, the pond water be- Biometry: came hypersaline, which is proved by halite crys- Total length of elytra: 13.4 mm tals and salt pseudomorphs on surfaces of many Maximum width of elytra: 9.3 mm laminae. The Durlach-Eisenhafengrund section Width of pronotum: 4.25 mm was probably part of an extensive braided river Width of scutellum: 1.0 mm system. Its channel fillings laterally interdigitate Length of scutellum: 0.65 mm with playa clays. The remains of fossil fishes and decapod crustaceans indicate an at least sea- Locus typicus: Former Rittershofer Quarry sonal connection to a larger river system, which („Hochstädt“),