Biotic and abiotic response to palaeoenvironmental changes at Lake Pannons' western margin (Central Europe, Late Miocene)

A multidisciplinary study was performed on a c. 30m thick, limnic–deltaic sequence in the Styrian Basin (Austria). Geophysical (gamma ray activity, rock magnetism), geochemical (organic carbon, sulphur) and sedimentological observations were combined with palaeontological information (mainly ostracods). On this base, several ecological factors were deduced (terrigenous influx, salinity, water depth and oxygenation). Based on integrated stratigraphy as well as on palaeomagnetic results the whole section is set to Chron C5r.2r−1n (11.308–11.263Ma) and covers a period of less than 45kyr. In addition to the long-term record, we analysed short-term changes by high-resolution sampling (5mm sample interval; ostracods, magnetic susceptibility). This ~2.3m-thick interval spans in total