The Famous Devonian Trilobites of Gerolstein
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Geoconservation Research 2021, Volume 4 / Issue 1 / pages(196-212) European UNESCO Geoparks: Original Article Crawlers on the Seabed – The Famous Devonian Trilobites of Gerolstein Jens Koppka* Naturkundemuseum Gerolstein, Hauptstraße 72, D-54568 Gerolstein, Germany Abstract This paper introduces the Middle Devonian trilobites of Gerolstein, found on the famous trilobite fields of Gees and at the Auberg hill in Gerolstein. The research history and local geology of both sites are briefly discussed and key publications for further studies are provided. Owing to the early start of trilobite related research in the early 19th century, many trilobite taxa of high taxonomic value are described Corresponding Author: from the region, which later on became name-givers for higher taxa, e.g., families and Jens Koppka even orders. The beautiful landscape and nature of Gerolstein, together with its rich Naturkundemuseum Gerolstein, geological and fossil heritage have been a magnet for early geotourism that started th Hauptstraße 72, D-54568 Gerol- already in the 19 century and continues today. Guided or independent hiking, stein, Germany following the many hiking trails in the area, including the famous “Eifelsteig”, are the main attractions. Today, fossil collecting is not allowed in the area, but many ORCID: /0000-0002-2985-3352 Email: [email protected] fantastic fossil treasures including the famous Devonian trilobites and crinoids can be seen in the exhibitions of the Natural History Museum of Gerolstein. The museum has the task to preserve the geological and fossil heritage of the region. It provides guided tours through exhibitions and geological hikes in Gerolstein, and offers for children special geoeducational programs, tours and courses. Keywords: Trilobites, Gerolstein, Eifel, Middle Devonian, Geotourism, Geopark Vulkaneifel, Germany Article information Received: 2020-12-06 Accepted: 2021-02-16 DOI: 10.30486/gcr.2021.1917009.1070 How to cite: Koppka J (2021). Crawlers on the seabed – the famous Devonian trilobites of Gerolstein. Geoconservation Research. 4(1):196-212. doi: 10.30486/gcr.2021.1917009.1070 Geoconservation Research e-ISSN: 2588-7343 p-ISSN: 2645-4661 © Author(s) 2020, this article is published with open access at http://gcr.khuisf.ac.ir This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. 196 Koppka: Crawlers on the seabed Introduction nate, Germany and is part of nature- and geopark The little town of Gerolstein is situated in the mid- Vulkaneifel (Fig. 1), a region well known for its dle of the Eifel Mountains in Rhineland-Palati- Quaternary volcanoes and maars. Figure 1. A) Germany with the Vulkaneifel district. B) Nature and Geopark Vulkaneifel. C) Simplified geological map (redrawn from Struve et al. 2008) of the Gerolstein area with the locations of Gees and Auberg; abbreviations: G.S. – Gerolstein syncline, SW. – Salmerwald syncline, D.S. – Dollendorf syncline. Gerolstein and its surroundings are also famous for for their extraordinary preservation and diversity, their Middle Devonian fossils, attracting countless with numerous new species described and unique amateur and professional geologists over the past to this area. two centuries, including famous visitors like Al- exander von Humboldt, Leopold von Buch, Georg Richter and Richter (1930) passed on a remark- A. Goldfuss, and Sir Roderick I. Murchison to able little tale: according to them, the famous Ger- name a few (Kowalski 1990b). Particularly, the man naturalist Alexander von Humboldt visited trilobites and crinoids (Fig. 2A–C) of Gerolstein Gees in 1845. He found so many fossils, including were highly desired and are famous worldwide trilobites, that the pockets of his tailcoat were full, 197 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 1 2021 / pages(196-212) Figure 2. Crinoids from the Givetian of Gerolstein. A) Melocrinites gibbosus (Goldfuss 1831), “Mühlwäldchen marl”, limit of Ahbach and Loogh Formation. B) Sphaerocrinites sp., Loogh? Formation, Gerolstein. C) Halocrin- ites abbreviatus (Goldfuss 1838), Daasberg, Loogh Formation; all photos E. Rieker. and he asked some astonished countrywomen to Numerous trilobites from Gerolstein and especial- sell him their long wool socks for the transport of ly from Gees, a village nearby, were prepared with his treasures. This tale illustrates the abundance of state-of-the-art techniques by S. Dohm and his fossils at that time, allowing the local teacher and collaborators and found their way into many mu- geologist Stefan Dohm in the early 20th century seums and private collections around the world (B. to establish a flourishing fossil business in Gerol- Dohm 1930), establishing the fame of Devonian stein. He also founded together with the hotelier trilobites from the Eifel that still lasts today (Sam Jakob Heck the first “geognostic” museum of the M. Gon III, Trilobites of Gees, http://www.trilo- Eifel, with an exquisite fossil exhibition in the Ho- bites.info/Gees.htm). In this context, it should be tel Heck, making Gerolstein together with his son noted that the trilobite Teichertops battidohmi (St- Batti Dohm a center of paleontological research ruve 1982) from the Loogh Formation (Givetian) and early geotourism. He provided many of his of Gerolstein, originally assigned to Geesops, was best specimens to Rudolph and Emma Richter, the named to honor Batti Dohm. Names like Geesops, leading German trilobite specialists of that time, the most common trilobite genus found in Gees, and they honored Stefan Dohm by naming a spe- are still well known among trilobite enthusiasts. cies after him, Proetus dohmi Richter & Richter, Furthermore, also a small rare trilobite genus of 1918b. This species was later chosen by Lütke the order Lichida called Eifliarges was found at (1990) as type species of the new genus Dohm- Gees and is named after the Eifel. It is, therefore, iella. In addition, the beautiful horn coral Dohmo- no coincidence that the lower Middle Devonian phyllum Wedekind, 1923 was named after him. stage of the global stratigraphy was named the Eif- 198 Koppka: Crawlers on the seabed elian after the Eifel, with the type section (GSSP) of phacopids, based in parts on material collect- for the boundary of the Emsian (Lower Devonian) ed in Gees. The amateur paleontologist Heinz and Eifelian situated in the nearby Prüm syncline Kowalski published numerous papers about pale- at Schönecken (Ziegler & Klapper 1985). The Eif- ontological topics of the Eifel, including several el is the place to go for someone who wants to popular science publications about trilobites from study Eifelian fossils and stratigraphy! the Gerolstein area (Kowalski 1974, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989a, b, 1990a, b). Additional Literature review information about the famous spiny trilobite Cer- The number of papers dealing with the trilobites atarges armatus (Fig. 3A–C), first described from of the Gerolstein area is huge, particularly those Gees by August Goldfuss in 1839, was introduced from the classical trilobite locality of Gees. Early by the Eifel-collector Norbert Höller in 1987, who pioneers were Bronn (1825), Steininger (1831), figured some impressive specimens from his col- Goldfuss (1839, 1843), and Burmeister (1843), lection. who described several new and important taxa, like Asteropyge punctata (Steininger 1831), Pha- Among current researchers, Martin Basse is one cops latifrons (Bronn 1825), Cornuproetus cornu- of the few still active German trilobitologists, and tus (Goldfuss 1843) and Harpes macrocephalus he published four excellent and highly valued vol- Goldfuss, 1839. All these taxa are type species of umes about the trilobites of the Eifel (Basse 2002, genera that became name-givers for (sub)family 2003, 2006; Basse & Müller 2004). Rückert & names or even orders, e.g., Asteropyginae, Cor- Klever (2007) provided a good overview about the nuproetinae, Phacopida, and Harpetida. trilobite fauna of Gees, figured numerous species as complete specimens, and described four new Great contributors to knowledge of the Gees tri- species, one of which was considered by van Vi- lobites include the world-famous trilobitologists ersen et al. (2009a) to be a synonym of Cornupro- Rudolf and Emma Richter, with an impressive etus cornutus. Some of the rarest spiny trilobites number of publications (e.g., Richter 1909, 1914; known from Gees are figured, e.g., complete spec- Richter & Richter 1917a, b, 1918a, b, 1919, 1930, imens of Koneprusia, Radiaspis and Ceratarges. 1956a, b). A paper about new species of the ge- Led by the Dutch amateur paleontologist Allart nus Cyphaspis from Gees was published by Erben van Viersen, several more new species of Dohm- (1953). Additional work about proetid trilobites iella, Tropidocorype and Loreleiops (Fig. 3D) was provided by Lütke (1990), who in his review from the Gerolstein area were described and/or of the phylogeny of the Proetinae also handled revised (e.g., Cyphaspis ceratophthalma, Fig. 3E– material from Gerolstein. Highly important are F) by van Viersen & Prescher (2007, 2008, 2010), the contributions of Struve (1970, 1972, and 1982) van Viersen, Prescher & Savelsbergh (2009a, b), about new species and genera of the Phacopidae, van Viersen & Holland (2016), and van Viersen, in parts, also based on material from Gerolstein Taghon & Magrean (2017). and Gees. Wolfgang Struve was another famous German trilobitologist, who worked for decades Geological setting with his main research focus on the Eifel, par- The Middle Devonian sediments in the Eifel, ticularly the trilobites and brachiopods were his geologically a part of the Rhenish Massif, are re- specialty. He provided deep insights into the de- stricted to the subsidence area of the Eifel North- tailed stratigraphy (Struve 1996a. b; Struve et al. South-Zone. Eleven NE-SW oriented limestone 2008), paleontology and paleoecology of the Mid- synclines survived post-Variscan erosion and dle Devonian in the Eifel. Bruton & Haas (1997) can be found in the region between Salm in the published results on the functional morphology South and Sötenich in the North (Meyer 2013). 199 Geoconservation Research Volume 4 / Issue 1 2021 / pages(196-212) Figure 3. Trilobites of Gees, Ahrdorf Formation, middle Eifelian.