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The Khvalynian Fauna of the Manych Depression A ISSN 1028-334X, Doklady Earth Sciences, 2008, Vol. 421A, No. 6, pp. 987–991. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2008. Original Russian Text © A.A. Svitoch, T.A. Yanina, V.M. Antonova, J. van der Plicht, 2008, published in Doklady Akademii Nauk, 2008, Vol. 421, No. 5, pp. 689–693. GEOGRAPHY The Khvalynian Fauna of the Manych Depression A. A. Svitoch, T. A. Yanina, V. M. Antonova, and J. van der Plicht Presented by Academician E.E. Milanovskii June 1, 2007 Received June 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X08060287 The Manych Depression confined to the eponymous During the field season of 2006, we found and stud- trough comprises three neotectonic depressions (West ied a series of new localities of the Khvalynian fauna Manych, Manych–Gudilov, and East Manych) sepa- (Fig. 1), the analysis of which allowed us to elucidate rated by the Zunda–Tolga and Sal’sk uplifts. In the some problems of the Khvalynian history of the Pleistocene, it served as a strait between the Caspian Manych Depression. and Azov–Black Sea basins. This is suggested by a (Locality A) The right bank of the Vostochnyi marine sequence alternating with lacustrine and allu- Manych River, 1 km east of the Chograi reservoir dam. vial deposits, which form up to five terraces in valleys The structure of the low fluvial terrace above the flood- of the West Manych and East Manych depressions [7]. plain with an altitude of about 20 m is exposed in a The first (Khvalynian) terrace is developed throughout quarry (Fig. 2a). The eolian silt and chestnut soil bed the region and clearly traced in the region testifying to (Bed 1) is underlain by the following beds: the last opening of the strait during the Khvalynian (Bed 2) Brown, tight sandy loam, 0.2 m thick (ter- transgression epoch of the Caspian Sea. restrial aqueous sediments?). Consensus of opinion on this event is lacking among (Bed 3) Yellow and brown-gray, well graded, tight researchers of the Ponto–Caspian region. Kvasov [2], sand with fragments of Didacna sp., Hypanis plicatus Chepalyga [10], and other researchers assumed a cata- (Eichw.), and Monodacna sp. mollusk shells. The strophic water overflow from the Khvalynian Caspian boundary is even. The thickness is 1.5 m. Sea filled with meltwater into the Neoeuxinian basin of (Bed 4) Thin laminas of sand and muddy gray- the Pontian. According to Fedorov [9], Popov [7], brown silt alternating with gray, thin-layered and fine Menabde and Svitoch [5], and Yanina [11], the process sand. Two interlayers of Khvalynian coquina with a was not catastrophic and promoted the development of similar species composition are revealed in the bed, the the equilibrium profile with slopes characteristic of upper one differing by the shell abundance. Taphoc- lowland rivers. Concepts of water salinity in this strait oenoses are mainly represented by Hypanis plicatus vary from water desalinated by meltwater [2, 4, 9] to (Eichw.) with a prevalence of large and medium-size brackish water (with normal Caspian-type salinity) [5, 10, 11], which was desalinated by river runoff. Don R. One of the reasons for this ambiguity is the lack of Novocherkassk the factual material, particularly on the Khvalynian D Lake Manych-Gudilo SEA fauna of the Manych Depression, which is mainly OF AZOV Astrakhan known from finds in the core of boreholes [1, 7, 9]. Nat- C Manych R. B ural sections (localities of Khvalynian mollusks) were Ä described only in the West Manych depression [3, 7, 8], and such descriptions are unavailable for the eastern SEA part of the paleostrait. CASPIAN BLACK SEA Fig. 1. Localities of the Khvalynian malacofauna. (A) Chograi Moscow State University, Moscow, dam; (B) Zunda–Tolga; (C) Levyi Island; (D) Manych–Bala- 119991 Russia bino. 987 988 SVITOCH et al. (‡) Column Species composition of shells Genesis of deposits m Bed no. Thickness, Soil covered with eolian 1 0.5 silt 2 0.2 Terrestrial aqueous deposits (?) Fragments of Didacna sp., Hypanis plicatus., Dynamic sedimen- Monodacna caspia tation environments 3 1.5 Lower Hipanis plicatus, Monodacna caspia, Didacna Khvalynian Calm sedimentation 4 0.8 ebersini, D. protracta, Dressena polymorpha marine environments deposits Stagnant sedimentation 5 0.2 environments (b) Soil covered with 1 0.7 eolian silt Deluvial apron 2 0.8 deposits (?) 3 0.4 Terrestrial aqueous sediments (?) Didacna ebersini, D. protracta, Monodacna caspia Dynamic 4 0.8 sedimentation environments Didacna ebersini, D. protracta, Monodacna caspia, Lower Khva- Hypanis plicatus, Adacna laeviuscula, Dreissena lynian Calm sedimentation polymorpha marine environments 5 1.7 deposits Nearly stagnant 6 0.5 sedimentation environments (c) Subaerial deposits 1 1.0 worked out by soil processes Dynamic sedimentation 2 1.5 environments Lower Khva- Didacna protracta, D. ebersini, D. subcatillus, lynian Slightly dynamic Monodacna, caspia, Hypanis plicatus, Adacna 3 2– marine sedimentation 3 laeviuscula, Dreissena rostriformis distincta, deposits environments Dr. polymorpha Calm (estuarine) 4 1.0 sedimentation environments; 12 3 4 5 6 Fig. 2. The structure of Khvalynian malacofauna localities. (a) Chograi dam; (b) Zunda–Tolga; (c) Levyi Island; (1) sand; (2) loam; (3) sandy loam; (4) clay; (5) soil; (6) mollusk shells. Predominating mollusk species are given in bold. shells. Monodacna caspia (Eichw.) and Didacna eber- tics, sedimentation proceeded under stagnant (Bed 5), sini Fed. (D. trigonoides chvalynica Svit.) are abun- calm (Bed 4), and rather dynamic (Bed 3) conditions. dant. D. protracta (Eichw.) and Dreissena polymorpha (Locality B) The Zunda–Tolga area. The structure of Pall. shells are rare. Shells of Khazarian species with the slightly southward inclined Khvalynian plain (alti- traces of redeposition are solitary. Transition to the tude 50–30 m) is exposed in the abrasion scarp on the underlying bed is gradual. The thickness is 0.7–0.8 m. northern shore of the Chograi reservoir (Fig. 2B). The eolian silt and soil sequence (Beds 1–2) is underlain by (Bed 5) Muddy brown-gray silt with thin laminas of the following beds: ferruginized sand. The apparent thickness is 0.2 m. (Bed 3) Brown-gray sand and silt with spots of fer- Beds 3–5 represent lower Khvalynian deposits char- rugination and obscure horizontal bedding in the lower acterized by a mollusk community with early Khva- part. The boundary is distinct. The thickness is 0.4 m lynian index species Didacna ebersini Fed. and D. pro- (terrestrial aqueous sediments similar in structure and tracta (Eichw.). Judging from their facies characteris- position to Bed 2 in Section A). DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES Vol. 421A No. 6 2008 THE KHVALYNIAN FAUNA OF THE MANYCH DEPRESSION 989 (Bed 4) Yellow-gray and yellow, well-graded sand ABCD with a very thin horizontal-wavy and banded bedding Didacna protracta related to layer-by-layer ferrugination. The bed con- D. ebersini tains rare shells of Khvalynian mollusks Didacna eber- D. subcatillus Monodacna caspia sini Fed., D. protracta (Eichw.), and Monodacna cas- Hypanis plicatus pia (Eichw.). The apparent thickness is 0.6 m. Adacna laeviuscula Dreissena polymorpha The highest part of the Khvalynian plain exposed Dr. rostriformis distincta 1.5 km eastward shows the following underlying beds: (Bed 5) Gray, graded, fine-grained, wavy and diag- 1234 onally bedded sand with shells of mollusks mainly rep- resented by Didacna ebersini Fed. and small D. pro- Fig. 3. The species composition of the Khvalynian fauna in tracta (Eichw.). Representatives of the Monodacna different localities: (A) Chograi dam, (B) Zunda–Tolga, (C) Levyi Island, (D) Manych–Balabino. Relative abundance caspia (Eichw.) and Dreissena polymorpha Pall. spe- of species shells: (1) abundant, (2) numerous; (3) rare; cies are rare. Hypanis plicatus (Eichw.), Adacna lae- (4) sporadic specimens. viuscula (Eichw.), and Sphaerium sp. are sporadic. The lower boundary is distinct. The thickness is 1.7 m. (Bed 6) Muddy brown-gray sand and sandy loam tion conditions (chocolatelike clay of Bed 4) by less (more rarely loam). The sand is more washed and yel- calm (Bed 3) and dynamic (Bed 2) conditions. low with thin horizontal and wavy bedding. The appar- (Locality D). The Manych–Balabino area situated in ent thickness is 0.5 m. the western part of the Manych Depression has been described repeatedly in the literature [3, 7, 8, 11]. We The Zunda–Tolga section exposes the following analyzed previously the malacofauna found in the three lithological members of lower Khvalynian depos- deposits [8, 11]. Marine sediments are represented by its, which reflect different sedimentation conditions. sandy loam and poorly graded sand. The sediments The upper member (Bed 4) is represented by washed comprise abundant mollusk shells with different laminated sand, which characterizes dynamic sedimen- degrees of preservation. They have a mixed ecological tation conditions. The middle member (Bed 5), which and age compositions indicating the relation to differ- is the main locality of the early Khvalynian microfauna, ent paleobasins. Only the depleted Khvalynian assem- is made up of sand and sandy loam with diverse bed- blage is found in situ. It is composed of rare representa- ding that indicates more calm sedimentation condi- tives of the Didacna ebersini Fed. species, abundant Dre- tions. The lower member (Bed 6) is composed of issena polymorpha Pall. and Dr. rostriformis distincta muddy sand and sandy loam reflecting calm (nearly Andrus., and subordinate Monodacna and Adacna. stagnant) conditions of the basin. The Khvalynian malacofauna from the studied (Locality C) The western edge of Levyi Island on localities comprises representatives of three cardioid Lake Manych. The abrasion scarp exposes the Khva- genera (Didacna Eichw., Monodacna (Eichw.), and lynian terrace (altitude 25–27 m) overlapped by a thin Adacna Eichw.) and the Dreissena van Beneden genus cover of subaerial deposits and well-reworked steppe of the Dreissena family. The Didacna protracta Eichw., soil at the top (Bed 1).
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