Middle Jurassic Fossils from Daghestan. a Revision of Ammonites and Bivalves Collected by the Déchy Caucasus Expeditions (1884–1902)
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GALÁCZ, A. (ed.): 125th Anniversary of the Department of Palaeontology at Budapest University – A Jubilee Volume Hantkeniana 6, 109—125, Budapest, 2008 Middle Jurassic fossils from Daghestan. A revision of ammonites and bivalves collected by the Déchy Caucasus expeditions (1884–1902) 1 András GALÁCZ & István SZENTE (with 1 figure & 4 plates) M. DÉCHY, the Hungarian traveller organised several mountaineering trips to the Caucasus in the years 1884 to 1902, when geologist members of the parties collected rock and fossil samples. These were described by K. PAPP, later professor of the Department of Paleontology of the University of Budapest. The specimens went finally to the collections of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. A revision of the better-localized Bajocian and Callovian specimens, mostly from around the Daghestanian town Gunib are revised. Two ammonites: Stephanoceras liechtensteinii and Prorsisphinctes loczyi described as new by PAPP, and several other ammonites and bivalves are now re-described and illustrated with proper photographs. The positions of the fossils within the sequences are poorly known, thus the material has historical rather than stratigraphic value. Introduction MORIZ VON DÉCHY (1851-1917), a Hungarian specimens (PAPP 1910). All these works remained traveller and mountaineer studied law, geography almost unknown for the wider audience, only and geology at the University of Budapest, then some exceptionally well-informed researchers (e.g. published technical papers on his own studies in L.F. SPATH, W.J. ARKELL and some Russian various European high mountains (see PAPP 1918). authors) cited and discussed these records. He took up his residence – by marriage – in Even the specimens have their own story. Russia, and he became interested in travels in the Originally, DÉCHY donated all his collections to Caucasus. Between 1884 and 1902 he organised the Hungarian Geological Institute. In those times seven expeditions to all parts of the Caucasus K. PAPP was working in this institution, so the (BALÁZS 1992). In his third (1886), sixth (1898) paleontological specimens, after determination and and seventh (1902) expeditions outstanding publication went into the collection of the Hungarian geologists were invited in the parties, Institute. They were especially highly esteemed, who carried out geological observations and having been exhibited as a representative material collected samples, rocks and fossils alike. The from an exotic place in the public exhibition of the paleontological results of the studies of specimens paleontological collection of the Institute. As such, collected by F. SCHAFARZIK in 1886, K. PAPP in they were introduced with a detailed text and 1898 and D. LACZKÓ in 1902 were incorporated as figures in the guidebook to the Institute’s a chapter written by KARL PAPP in DÉCHY’s three- Collections (PAPP 1910). volume travelogue published in German in Berlin, When the building of the Hungarian Natural 1905-1907. An abridged version in Hungarian was History Museum was seriously damaged in a fire also published in 1907, which used the figures of during the 1956 Revolution in Budapest, the fossils as decorative illustrations, with a Hungarian institutions helped to rebuild the general description on the fossils of the Caucasus destroyed collections of the Paleontological by PAPP, but formal descriptions were left out Department. The Hungarian Geological Institute from this single volume. PAPP gave a similarly donated hundreds of specimens and several general description later, with figures of some 1 Department of Palaeontology, Eötvös University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány P. sétány 1/c, Hungary. E-mail [email protected] & [email protected] 110 Hantkeniana 6 (2008) smaller collections, including that of DÉCHY’s specimens survived the movings. While the new from the Caucasus. and figured specimens are available, some others Recently, in the time of moving the seem to be lost: e.g. ’Peltoceras’ species and Paleontological Department of the Natural History ’Reineckia anceps’ and many bivalves cannot be Museum in a new building, a good occasion found or impossible to trace their whereabouts emerged to revise the collections and update the now. information on the material. Apparently not all Middle Jurassic beds in Daghestan The most interesting fossils what PAPP schiefer’ in RENZ 1904, 1914) which is a dark, published are from Daghestan. This eastern part of mainly clayey series with occasional siltstones and the Caucasus has been a famous place for Jurassic sideritic concretions. The Upper Bajocian part (i.e. fossils. The geological descriptions of VON ABICH Niortense, Garantiana and Parkinsoni Zones) of (1878-1887) and the classic monograph of this member is 250 metres in thickess (BESNOSOV 2 NEUMAYR & UHLIG (1892) in which they worked 1967, p. 13). The Tsudakhar Formation continues out the Jurassic fossils of VON ABICH served as upward into the Lower Bathonian as indicated by bases for further studies, mainly from German- Oraniceras and other parkinsoniids (see speaking Europe. REDLICH (1895) worked out the BESNOSOV et al. 1973), then after a stratigraphic fossils which were collected by the chemist P. hiatus and profound facies change Callovian beds CONRATH in the Caucasus. RENZ took several follow. There is a basal conglomerate traditionally trips, and his results were published in numerous ranged into the Lower Callovian, which is papers (e.g. RENZ 1904, 1914). followed around Gunib by the Armhi Formation Most of the ammonites determined by PAPP (see BENENSON 1983, p. 47) with light gey, came from Gunib, a famous locality even in those greenish, clayey limestones containing clayey or times (Text-fig. 1). Additional sporadic specimens silty intercalations. This greyish limestone, which are from other places, which are not discussed is rather thin (3.5-4 m) here around Gunib, yielded here, because the preseravation of, or the the Callovian ammonites and bivalves indicating information on the specimens are too poor to make the Middle Callovian. them any value. One exception was made: the Many previous authors indicated Gunib as a wonderful type specimen of Stephanoceras locality of Upper Bajocian ammonites, and some liechtensteinii, a species introduced by PAPP is sporadic specimens were figured from here. discussed below. However, almost all of these specimens are PAPP described 15 Jurassic bivalve taxa, without sound stratigraphy. It seems most possible including two species as new, from the material that the fossils were picked up from the debris at collected by members of the Déchy expeditions. the foothills or in the riverbeds as specimens in Most of them are poorly preserved internal moulds concretions weathered out from the shales. This is whose identification even at genus level is probably true for all previous records in NEUMAYR uncertain. Three species seem to be, however, & UHLIG and RENZ, and later authors probably worthy of discussion. Most of the bivalves came followed this easy and quick way of collecting. from Gunib, but some specimens from the Kuban Thus the discussions and descriptions below are Valley are also treated here. not for stratigraphic use but for evaluations in The local geology of the Middle Jurassic paleobiogeography, and the whole material has a formations was discussed in detail by ZHIVAGO historical value more than anything else. (1958) then BESNOSOV (1967). The rocks which ________________________________ have yielded the here discussed fossils in Gunib 2 belong into two formations. The Upper Bajocian In the NEUMAYR & UHLIG monograph not only VON ammonites came from the Mogoh Member of the ABICH’s, but the small material collected by the Swedish Tsudakhar Formation (= ’schwarze Geoden- engineer HJ. SJÖGREN (1889) was also treated. GALÁCZ, A. & SZENTE, I.: Middle Jurassic fossils from Daghestan 111 Text-fig. 1. Simplified map of Daghestan and the surrounding Caucasian regions (modified from BESNOSOV & MITTA 1998). Shaded areas = Middle Jurassic outcrops. # = the locality of Stephanoceras liechtensteinii; * = Gunib. Systematic descriptions of ammonites (A.G.) Dinolytoceras zhivagoi BESNOSOV, 1958 with slightly flattened flanks. It is sculptured with Pl. 1, figs 5-6. dense, rounded single ribs which run sinuously on the shell, being separated by narrow intercostal 1907. Lytoceras Linneanum D’ORB. – PAPP, p. spaces. One of the specific rounded collars, which 145. are so characteristic to the specimens of the type 1914. Lytoceras polyanchomenum GEMM. – RENZ, series, is also visible. p. 665, pl. 27, fig. 4. Remarks: D. zhivagoi is seemingly a Caucasian 1958. Dinolytoceras zhivagoi sp. n. – BESNOSOV, lytoceratid, as shown by the citations mentioned in p. 86, pl. 22, fig. 1, pl. 23, figs 1, 2, pl. 24, figs the synonymy. The single extra-Caucasian record 1,2, text-fig. 32. (PAVIA, 1972) is doubtful as hinted by PAVIA non 1972. Lytoceras cfr. zhivagoi (BESNOSOV) – PAVIA, p. 96, pl. 15, fig. 4. himself. 1982. Dinolytoceras zhivagoi BESNOSOV – BESNOSOV (1958) – while he did not give AZARIAN, p. 47, pl. 7, figs 5,6. ’derivatio nominis’ – most probably named this species after N.V. ZHIVAGO, the geologist who Material: A single body chamber fragment (M gave the best stratigraphic data on the Jurassic of 63 3308) determined by K. PAPP as „Lytoceras Daghestan. Linneanum D’ORB.” Description: The dimensions of this preserved Putealiceras laubei (NEUMAYR, 1871) short body-chamber fragment cannot be measured Pl. 2, fig. 4. properly, but the characteristic morphology makes possible to determine it even in this state. It has a 1871. Harpoceras Laubei nov. sp. – NEUMAYR, p. 29, rounded, somewhat higher than wide cross-section pl. 9, fig. 4. 112 Hantkeniana 6 (2008) 1933. Hecticoceras laubei NEUMAYR – CHIKHACHEV, p. preserved half of the body chamber. The outer 25, pl. 3, fig. 2; pl. 6, figs 1,7,8. ribs become radial or slightly rectiradial and 1964. Hecticoceras (Rossiensiceras) laubei NEUMAYR – rounded on the body chamber. The shell is septate STANKEVITCH, p. 64, pl. 20, fig. 2. up to about 800 mm diameter, showing 1¼ whorl 1975. Putealiceras (Zieteniceras) laubei (NEUMAYR, body chamber, thus probably only a short apertural 1871) – LOMINADZE, p. 55, pl.