The late Messinian Lago-Mare biofacies in central Apennines: the ostracod perspective

Elsa Gliozzi (*), Francesco Grossi (*), Domenico Cosentino (*) & Annalisa Iadanza (*)
(*) Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, L.go S. Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146 Roma. E-mail: gliozzi@uniroma3.it

The different phases of colonization of the Palaeo-Mediterranean by the Paratethyan ostracods during the Lago-Mare event of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, as recognized in the whole Palaeo-Mediterranean area, are investigated in the central Apennines. The studied localities showed the record of the first colonization (5.59-5.40 Ma) by Loxoconcha mülleri and Tyrrhenocythere sp. in the Majella Mt. area (Colle di Votta and Decontra sections) and the arrival of the huge Paratethyan contingent (5.40-5.33 Ma) made by several species of Candoninae, Leptocytheridae and Loxoconchidae (among which Loxocorniculina djafarovi, fig. 1) in the deposits of Latium (Cura di Vetralla and Mondragone) and Abruzzi (Le Vicenne and Majella Mt.). The latest phase of the Lago-Mare event (5.35-5.33 Ma) is documented in the Cura di Vetralla, Le Vicenne, Fonte dei Pulcini and Decontra sections by the presence of Amnicythere costata, A. litica, A. subcaspia, Pontoniella verrucosa, Loxoconcha kochi and Tyrrhenocythere ruggierii.

Ostracods, Lago-Mare biofacies, Messinian Salinity Crisis, central Apennines