Ostracoda (Crustacea) association and a new species (Dolerocypris anatolia nov. sp.) from the Pliocene-Pleistocene Afşin-Elbistan (Kahraman Maraş) Coal Basin of Turkey

Abstract

Ostracoda (Crustacea) association and a new species (Dolerocypris anatolianov. sp.) from the Pliocene-Pleistocene Afşin-Elbistan (Kahraman Maraş) Coal Basin of TurkeyThe Afşin-Elbistan Coal Basin, which is one of the largest and most important Pliocene-Pleistocene lignite basins of Turkey, is located in Eastern Anatolia. The basin was formed between two normal faults having NE-SW direction and these faults controlled both the sedimentation and the subsidence. The coal horizon of over 50 meters in thickness indicates the balance between the sedimentation and subsidence rates, and was preserved during peat deposition. Coals were generated in this extensive and shallow freshwater lake and evolved from the Pliocene to Pleistocene. Typical faunal and floral assemblages of this ancient Afşin-Elbistan freshwater lake are Ostracoda, Mollusca (Gastropoda and Pelecypoda), spore-pollen and Characeae (gyrogonites). Eleven Cypridoidea species were identified from the investigation area. Eight of them are already known (Candona neglectaSars,Candona iliensisMandelstam,Candonaaff.candida(Müller),Pseudocandona compressa(Koch),Cyclocypris ovum(Jurine),Ilyocypris gibba(Ramdohr),Cypris puberaMüller,Heterocypris salina(Brady)), whereas three belong to open nomenclature —Candonasp. andEucyprissp.;Dolerocypris anatolianov. sp. is proposed as a new species.DolerocyprisKaufmann is one of the largest genera among the freshwater Ostracoda. It has a very wide geographical distribution. Representatives of this genus are actively swimming species found in shallow zones of freshwater lakes and reported from small grassy water bodies with megascopic plants.Dolerocypris anatolianov. sp. is recorded from core samples of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Afşin-Elbistan Coal Basin for the first time.