Abstract

The Serbian Lake System (SLS) is a key area for early to middle Miocene freshwater environments in southeastern Europe. Here, we describe a rich fossil association of freshwater fish otoliths of late Badenian to early Sarmatian (Serravallian, MN 7+8 zone) age. The studied material was collected from several small outcrops along the Grabovac stream near Vracevic. The Vracevic locations are part of the Valjevo?Mionica Basin (VMB). We identified nine different species, including two in open nomenclature and three new to science: Aphanius jeani, Aphanolebias bettinae n.sp., Klincigobius andjelkovicae, Klincigobus haraldahnelti n. sp., Klincigobius serbiensis, Klincigobius sp., Ponticola sp., Toxopyge campylus, Toxopyge vracevicensis n.sp. We found that the composition of this fish fauna correlates well with the slightly older fauna from the early to middle Miocene of Klinci. Both localities were most likely part of a continuous environment during the existence of the Valjevo?Mionica Basin. The composition of the community of freshwater gobies from the early to early middle Miocene of southeastern Europe indicates the presence of a ?lost? Miocene freshwater goby fish fauna that existed prior to and was unrelated to the Ponto-Caspian fish fauna that prevails today. The new data may prove to be helpful in reconstructing the paleogeographical evolution of the Valjevo?Mionica Basin in detail.

Highlights

  • D u rin g the last decade, s ig n ific a n t attention has been paid to the system o f paleolakes th a t extended across a w id e area o f Serbia, the Serbian Lake System (SLS) (N eubauer e t al., 2016, 2020; Simić et al, 2017; Sant et al, 2018a; Marić e t al., 2019; Bradić-M ilinović et al, 2019)

  • In o u r assessment o f the fish fauna from Klinci, we concluded that it represented a European freshw ater goby assemblage w ith lineages th at became e xtin ct a fte r the MCO (B radić-M ilinović et al, 2019)

  • We have to consider th a t the faunal change in term s o f freshw ater fishes was probably more gradual in certain areas w here clim ate conditions rem ained suitable for a continuation of those lineages, fo r instance in the SLS

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Summary

In tro d u c tio n

The sedim ents o f the Neogene continental lacustrine systems o f the states o f the fo rm e r Yugoslavia have been a subject o f research interest among geologists and paleontologists fo r m ore than a century. Tw o large freshw ater systems are recognized: the D inaride Lake System (DLS) and a younger one, th e Serbian Lake System (SLS) (K rstić et al, 2003, 2 007; D e L eeuw e t al., 2010; M andic e t al., 2010, 2 012; Sant e t al., 2018a, b; N eubauer e t al., 2 0 2 0 ). These tw o lake system s w e re fir s t recognized b y S. The composition of the fauna shows some congruence between the Vračević paleo-lake and neighboring Valjevo paleo-lake and certain differences, which may indicate a difference in time between the two basins

Geological Setting
Monte n e g ro
System atic P a Ie o n to lo g y
Discussion
Stratig rap h ic considerations
Ponticola sp
Faunal Comparison and Evolution

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