Geologie en Mijnbouw / Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 80 (2): 31-39 (2001) Vertebrate track bed stratigraphy of the Rot and basal Lower Muschelkalk (Anisian) of Winterswijk (East Netherlands) C. Diedrich1 1 Steinfurter Str. 128, D-48149 Miinster, Germany; email: [email protected], website: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/1654. ~*k ir Received: 28 June 2000; Accepted in revised form 18 March 2001 I ^1 G Abstract The 35.5 m thick Anisian section of theWinterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve (Eastern Netherlands) comprises the Upper Rot (Upper Rot Claystone Member) to the basal Lower Muschelkalk (Oolith Member). In the section 15 terrestrial or marine in­ fluenced parasequences are recognized. A fourth order sequence shows the increasing marine influence. New marker beds, ten vertebrate track beds, three bone beds and cephalopod remains have been documented. This enabled correlation to other sections in NW Germany. The tracks found in the Winterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve at the boundary Rot/Lower Muschel­ kalk are linked to the oldest known vertebrate skeleton remains of the Germanic Basin. It is the first time that the exact strati- graphic position of these vertebrate remains has been established. In the terrestrial influenced section of the Winterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve, the well preserved vertebrate track ways and vertebrate fauna will be of international importance and will provide new data of theTriassic carbonate tidal flat megatracksite concept and reptiles living in this environment. Key words: Anisian, Germanic Basin, lithostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, track bed stratigraphy, and megatrack sites. Introduction Lower Muschelkalk (e.g. Bachmann 1998) of the Germanic Basin into Members. The first stratigraphic descriptions of the Winters­ In 1973 the section was exposed down to the Dolo­ wijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve section (Gauss-Kriiger mite III ("Dolomite limestone VI" after Harsveldt, coordinates: R 2252,60 H 5758,60) (Fig. 1) can be 1973, Fig. 2). Harsveldt (1973) recognized six found in Harsveldt (1963, 1973) and Oosterink dolomitic horizons with coelestin and calcite concre­ (1986). tions (Dolomitic limestone I-VI, Fig. 2), which he de­ In a palynological study, Visscher & Commissaris scribed as marker beds. The classification of the (1968) demonstrated the presence of Upper Bunter dolomitic beds of Harsveldt, 1973 is top-down, and Lower Muschelkalk assemblages in rocks of the whereas the new numbering in the new section is in older quarries. De Boorder et al. (1985) described the normal stratigraphical order (Fig. 2). Harsveldt iron, lead and zinc mineralizations in the rocks from (1973) distinguished five lithological units: the Upper that area and Oosterink (1986) identified some verte­ Bunter, the Lower Wellenkalk, the Upper Wellenkalk, brate track beds and one bone bed in his section. Re­ the Clayey Marl and the Calcareous Marl (Fig. 2). cently, the stratigraphy of this section has been updat­ Vertebrate track beds found in the Osnabriicker ed (Diedrich & Oosterink, 2000) using the interna­ Bergland,TeutoburgerWald and North Hessia (all lo­ tional or German subdivision of the Middle Triassic cated in Northern Germany) have provided essential Geologie en Mijnbouw / Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 80(2) 2001 31 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.58, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:41:15, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016774600022290 500 m Fig. 1. Location of the studied section in the new quarry of the Winterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve near Win terswijk and palaeogeography showing current vertebrate track sites of the Lower to Middle Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic) of North West Germany. data for correlating sections within the western Ger­ seismites represent marine subtidal conditions. manic Basin (Diedrich 2000b, 2001a). They have fur­ The high-resolution stratigraphy of track beds in thermore been helpful in subdividing the Muschelka­ many Triassic sections from different locations will lk of Winterswijk by means of lithology, track beds, yield further information about the megatracksite sedimentary cycles and biostratigraphy of macrofos- concept. These megatracksites will give information sils (e.g. cephalopods). A new project to correlate the on the distribution of carbonate tidal flats in time and Lower Muschelkalk, applying various stratigraphic space in die future. disciplines in die entire Germanic Basin, is still in Finally the new stratigraphic subdivision of the progress. Recently subdivisions have been introduced Winterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve section is impor­ based on track beds (Diedrich, 2000b), tsunamites or tant for the exact position of die skeleton remains seismites (Knaust, 1998b) and palynomorphs (Gotz found the last years. In the basal bone bed the most & Feist-Burkhardt, 1998). Track beds were formed in ancient skeletons of the Germanic Triassic reptiles an intertidal terrestrial influenced facies, whereas were found. These fossils will yield very important 32 Geologie en Mijnbouw / Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 80(2) 2001 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.58, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:41:15, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016774600022290 Events/Marker horizons/Fossils ^ Track Bed X ^TrackBedlX —chanei \\\U Track Bed VIII • —Black Clay Bed IV Black Clay Bed III Legend High stand systems tract mfa Maximum flooding surface Transgressive 1ST systems tract vertebrate tracks vertebrate bones o 6. buchii N. orbicularis ^ mud crack • — ore layer ~~~ riPPle mark (after HARSVELDT 1973) r£^ bonebed nodular limestone J dolomite ] flasery marl Basalkonglomerat Bed III JUS mud crack marl imj grey laminate 1 greenish marl 1 dark grey marl [ ] grey marl $i) Track Bed VII I red marl Basalkonglomerat Bed II I violet marl \$U Track Bed VI | o I coelestin/calcite D pyrite 0 galenite | j//Track Bed V '' Basalkonglomerat Bed I *" "" '^^^^j/f^0"^~ X\V Track Bed IV Sauropterygian skeletons I^TrackBedl Black Clay Bed II • ^ Track Bed ll_B|ack C|ay Bed I -1 \W Track Bed I DIEDRICH 2001 Fig. 2. Complete section of the Lower to basal Middle Muschelkalk in the new quarry of theWinterswijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve. Geologie en Mijnbouw / Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 80(2) 2001 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.58, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:41:15, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016774600022290 systematic and phylogenetic information in due time. Upper Rot Claystone Member (so4 or Pelitrot in But the most important conclusion is that there is a Northwest Germany) is partly exposed in the Winter­ possible link between tracks and the track makers at swijkse Steen- en Kalkgroeve. this renowned fossil site. A website www.geocities.com/ CapeCanaveral/ Upper Rot Claystone Member Lab/ 1654/vertebratetracks.html to the "Triassic This member comprises three dolomitic Beds I-III megatracksites in carbonate tidal flats of the German­ (Fig. 2) and grey, dark grey, red-violet and greenish ic Basin" is still under construction, new sections, marls (Van Adrichem Boogaert & Kouwe, 1994, track types and track sites will be added in due time. NITG-TNO, 1998). Coelestin and calcite concretions are present in the yellowish 30-40 cm thick dolomitic Lithostratigraphy horizons (Harsveldt, 1973, Oosterink, 1986). In the Netherlands the Rot Formation is divided into Mud-cracked laminates overlay the dolomites. Clear four Members, the Main R6t Evaporite, the Interme­ visible are the dark coloured Black Clay Bed 1(10 cm) diate Rot Claystone, the Upper Rot Evaporite and and dark grey Black Clay Bed II (20 cm). Both con­ Upper Rot Claystone Member (cf. Van Adrichem tain pyrite. Red marls (1.8 m) and grey mud-cracked Boogaert & Kouwe, 1994; Geluk & Rohling, 1998). laminates (1.85 m) form the top of this member. In Germany the subdivision differs slightly. The Sali- The first vertebrate track beds of Rhynchosauroides narrot Formation consists of the Members Unteres peabodyi (Faber) and Procolophonichnium haarmuehlen- Rotsalinar, Rotsalinar-Zwischenschichten and Oberes sis (Hoist, Smith & Veenstra) were found below Rotsalinar. The Pelitrot Formation is divided into the Dolomite I (Track Bed I) and a second bed above Rotbraune Serie and the Grauviolette Serie. Dolomite I in laminate beds (Track Bed II). A third The Lower Muschelkalk Formation (Jena Forma­ track bed appears 2.6 m above the Dolomite I in grey- tion after Bachmann, 1998; or Lower Muschelkalk greenish, mud-cracked laminates (Track Bed III). Member after Van Adrichem Boogaert & Kouwe, 1994) in the marine facies of the Germanic Basin Lower Muschelkalk Formation consists of 90-150 m carbonates. It is subdivided into the Basalkonglomerat Member (muK), Lower Wel- In the Netherlands, the complete Lower Muschelkalk lenkalk Member (muWl), Oolith Member (muOo), Formation (or Member cf. Van Adrichem Boogaert & Middle Wellenkalk Member (muW2), Terebratula Kouwe, 1994) consists of a 100-121 m thick succes­ Member (muT), Upper Wellenkalk Member (muW3) sion of yellowish dolomites, greyish limestones, grey and Schaumkalk Member (muS) (see e. g. Schulz, marls and dark grey claystones (Van Adrichem 1972, Langer, 1989, Rosenfeld & Thiele, 1992, and Boogaert & Kouwe, 1994; Geluk, 1998, NITG-TNO,