The Graptolitic Faunas of the Gotlandian in the Eastern Alps and their Relationships

Abstract

The years that followed the Great War saw a rapid development in knowledge of the graptolitic faunas of the Eastern Alps. Professor M. Gortani described many graptolites from the Carnic Alps, and papers from the Geological Department of the University of Graz dealt with the same subject, as well as the distribution of the graptolites over a wider area of the Eastern Alps. Especially noteworthy was the surprising discovery of graptolites in the so-called grauwacke zone of the Alps, which follows the southern margin of the Northern Calcareous Alps. In the grauwacke zone, which consists of Palaeozoic and more ancient strata, more or less metamorphosed, graptolites were found at the following localities, (a) Fieberbrunn in the Tyrol (1), where the zones of Monograptus cyphus to M. turriculatus are found, and the presence of M. priodon indicates that higher zones may occur; (b) environs of Eisenerz in Styria (2), where the zones of M. gregarius to M. griestoniensis are found, as well as the zone of M. nilssoni; (c) Montavon in Vorarl-berg (29), where a badly-preserved specimen of Monograptus, possibly M. priodon, was discovered.