GeolCarp_Vol59_No5_367

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, OCTOBER 2008, 59, 5, 367—374

www.geologicacarpathica.sk

The Middle Miocene Badenian stratotype at Baden-Sooss

(Lower Austria)

FRED RÖGL

, STJEPAN ĆORIĆ

, MATHIAS HARZHAUSER

, GONZALO JIMENEZ-MORENO

ANDREAS KROH

, ORTWIN SCHULTZ

, GODFRID WESSELY

and IRENE ZORN

Natural History Museum of Vienna, Burgring 7, A-1010 Vienna, Austria; fred.roegl@nhm-wien.ac.at;

mathias.harzhauser@nhm-wien.ac.at; andreas.kroh@nhm-wien.ac.at; ortwin.schultz@nhm-wien.ac.at

Geological Survey of Austria, Neulinggasse 38, 1030 Vienna, Austria; stjepan.coric@geologie.ac.at; irene.zorn@geologie.ac.at

Departemento de Estratigrafia y Paleontologia, Universidad de Granada, Fuente Nueva s/n, E 18002 Granada, Spain

Siebenbrunnengasse 29, A-1050 Vienna, Austria; geowes@chello.at

(Manuscript received December 13, 2007; accepted in revised form June 12, 2008)

Abstract: The brickyard of Baden-Sooss, in the Austrian part of the Vienna Basin was selected as the stratotype of the
Middle Miocene regional stage Badenian for the Central Paratethys. Stratigraphy and correlation are up-dated, and the
present state of the art on fossil groups is shown. The stratotype belongs to the Upper Lagenidae Zone in a regional paleo-
ecological zonation. For interregional correlation the section belongs to a part of calcareous nannoplankton Zone NN5
without Helicosphaera waltrans, to dinocyst Zone Cte, and in planktonic foraminiferal zonation by the occurrence of
Orbulina suturalis to Zone M6, and to the middle part of the Langhian stage. The sediments of the so-called “Badener
Tegel” are part of the Baden Formation, correlated with the Lanžhot Formation in the Czech and Slovak part of the basin.
Deposition of the calcareous silty clays occurred at a water depth of around 200 m in a relatively warm, well-stratified
water column. Re-deposition of fossiliferous coarser sediments from shallow regions occurs.

Key words: Middle Miocene, Badenian, Paratethys, stratigraphy, stratotype Baden-Sooss.

Introduction

In the middle of last century a new stratigraphic order was in-
troduced for the Central European Paratethys marine realm. It
was  clear  that  for  the  Miocene  the  old  correlations  between
this area and the Mediterranean and Atlantic stage system of
Mayer-Eymar (1858) were incorrect (Seneš 1958). As a driv-
ing motor, Ján Seneš (Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratisla-
va)  organized  within  the  Committee  on  Mediterranean
Neogene Stratigraphy (CMNS – Paratethys Working Group)
and the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP)
one  of  the  early  projects  to  solve  the  open  problems  (IGCP
Project  No. 25:  Stratigraphic  Correlation  Tethys—Paratethys
Neogene). Coming home from the 4

CMNS Congress in Bo-

logna (1967), the members of the working group established a
series of new regional stages for the Central Paratethys (Cicha
& Seneš 1968; Papp et al. 1968).

At the beginning of the geological research, the terms “mari-

ner Tegel von Baden” and “Leythakalk” were in use for Mid-
dle  Miocene  sediments  in  the  Vienna  Basin  and  adjoining
areas. A stratigraphic subdivision of the Neogene was present-
ed by Fuchs (1873) with “I. und II. Mediterranstufe”. And lat-
er  the  stages  of  Mayer-Eymar  (1858)  were  introduced  by
Schaffer (1927), defining the marine Middle Miocene as Tor-
tonien.  The  new  stage  Badenien  replaced  this  term,  and  was
defined  by  the  stratotype  locality  Baden-Sooss,  Lower  Aus-
tria, and the formation “Badener Serie”. A formal definition of
the Badenian was given by Cicha et al. (1975) and a descrip-
tion of the holo-stratotype Baden-Sooss by Papp & Steininger
(1978). Historical annotations were given in that description,

together with fossil lists. Therefore only important groups and
new results are updated here.

Geological setting

The type locality Baden-Sooss is positioned near the west-

ern border of the Southern Vienna Basin (Fig. 1). The NNE-
SSW  oriented  Vienna  Basin  is  > 200 km  long  and  about
50 km wide, situated at the Alpine-Carpathian junction. In the
central part of the basin Neogene sediment thickness exceeds
5000 m.  The  lateral  eastward  extrusion  of  the  Eastern  Alps
caused the formation of the Vienna Basin transform system as
a  pull-apart  basin  in  the  Middle  Miocene  (Royden  1985;
Ratschbacher et al. 1991; Decker & Peresson 1996). The Bad-
enian sedimentary history and basin development was recent-
ly  compiled  by  Jiříček  &  Seifert  (1990),  Kreutzer  (1993),
Weissenbäck  (1996),  Wessely  (2000,  2006),  Kováč  et  al.
(2004).  Depending  on  the  position  within  the  basin,  Lower
Miocene  (Eggenburgian  to  Karpatian)  marine,  brackish  or
fresh-water beds were deposited. Sedimentation occurred still
in  a  piggy-back-position.  Karpatian  sedimentation  ended  in
the southern part of the basin with the meandering river system
of the Aderklaa Formation and the Láb Member. In the north-
ern basin marine conditions ended with the Závod Formation.

After an erosion phase at the Karpatian/Badenian boundary,

marine conditions returned. In contrast to earlier interpreta-
tions, the first Lower Badenian transgression occurred during
nannoplankton Zone NN4 (Martini 1971), dated in marine
marls on top of the “Gainfarn breccia” and between the “Vös-

368

RÖGL, ĆORIĆ, HARZHAUSER, JIMENEZ-MORENO, KROH, SCHULTZ, WESSELY and ZORN

lau  conglomerate”  in  the  southern  Vienna  Basin  (Wessely  et
al.  2007).  The  next  transgression  followed  within  the  lower
part  of  Zone  NN5,  in  the  horizon  with  Helicosphaera  wal-
trans  recorded  along  the  borders  of  the  basin  (Gajary,  Su-
chohrad  and  Leváre  Depressions  in  the  east,  and  in  the
Niederleis and Frättingsdorf embayments in the west). Recent
nannoplankton  investigations  of  marine  sandy  intercalations,
allowed dating of the upper part of the Aderklaa Conglomer-
ate in the Aderklaa drill site 40 as NN5 with H. waltrans and
being  time-equivalent  to  the  above  cited  marine  marls.  Con-
glomerates of the Zohor Member along the eastern basin bor-
der  are  correlated  with  the  Aderklaa  Conglomerate.  This
Lower  Badenian  transgressions  covered  also  the  Alpine-Car-
pathian Foredeep north of the Danube.

Nannoplankton investigations of Lower Lagenidae Zone

sediments with the “Lanzendorf Fauna” (Grill 1941, 1943) in
boreholes  south  of  Vienna  (e.g.  Oberlaa  Thermal 1)  did  not
contain the horizon with H. waltrans. These marls of nanno-
plankton Zone NN5 are therefore younger and correspond to
the cycle of deposition of the “Badener  Tegel” of the Baden
and Lanžhot Formation. Shoals, such as the Leitha Mountains
corallinacean  limestones  of  the  “Leithakalk”  indicate  high-
stand system tracts (Strauss et al. 2006). Within the basin pel-
itic  sedimentation  prevailed  in  the  Middle  Badenian,  with
various intercalations of deltaic sand bodies. Upper Badenian
transgressive  sedimentation  of  the  Bulimina-Bolivina  Zone
(nannoplankton Zone NN6) is characterized by the Studienka
Formation,  the  Sandberg  Member  and  corallinacean  lime-

stones. It ended in parts of the basin with the regressive phase
of the “Rotalienzone” or “Verarmungszone” (impoverished
zone). A strong erosion marks the Badenian/Sarmatian bound-
ary. The younger sedimentary history of the basin and the Sar-
matian to Pannonian basin filling was interpreted recently by
Harzhauser & Piller (2004) and Harzhauser et al. (2004).

Locality and sections

The former brickyard of Wienerberger Company at Baden-

Sooss was proposed as the type locality of the Badenian stage
by Cicha et al. (1975). The clay pit of the Wienerberger brick-
yard  is  positioned  at  the  southern  end  of  the  town  of  Baden,
Lower  Austria,  east  of  the  Vöslauer  Strasse  and  east  of  the
“Südbahn”  railway.  It  belongs  to  the  suburb  of  Sooss.  The
Baden embayment lies at the south-western border of the Vi-
enna  Basin,  where  Neogene  sediments  transgress  on  the
nappes  of  the  Calcareous  Alps  (Fig. 2).  Fault  systems  cross
the embayment. The main fault along the Vienna Basin in the
area  is  the  Baden  Fault  reaching  a  displacement  of  about
100 m, and a series of lesser faults perpendicular to it, with the
Merkenstein Fault-system. The basement is formed by an ero-
sional  relief,  and  the  Mesozoic  carbonates  are  a  reservoir  of
thermal water (drilling Josephsplatz 1). At the surface most of
the area is covered by Badenian basinal sediments, only along
the  coastline  breccias,  conglomerates,  sands  and  bryozoan
marls are developed. Upper Sarmatian fine pelitic sediments,
the  Kottingbrunn  Beds  are  preserved  by  downthrust  along
faults.  Erosional  relics  of  brownish  sandy  gravels  and  con-
glomerates  belong  to  the  Lower  Pannonian  Hartberg  Con-
glomerate (Brix & Plöchinger 1988).

By the courtesy of H. Summesberger (Natural History Mu-

seum of Vienna) it was possible to find out in the archives
about the old brickyards at Baden. The clay pits of Doblhoff
brickyard were situated along the Vöslauer Strasse, NE of the
present military camp. Most of the 19

century descriptions of

foraminifera, ostracods and molluscs come from there. Sam-
ples preserved in the museum’s collections showed nanno-
plankton Zone NN5 (without H. waltrans) and foraminifera of
the Lower Lagenidae Zone.

A description of the stratotype locality and section (from

1969) is given by Papp & Steininger (1978). The section in
the “Badener Tegel” consisted of two parts, the lower one
4.5 m and the upper one 6.0 m thick, divided by an exploita-
tion level. A bed with terebratulid brachiopods forms the base
of the section.

The southern part of the pit was cut by the N-S running

Baden Fault, displacing Upper Sarmatian sediments. The up-
permost part of the clay pit (not included in the Papp & Stein-
inger  section)  was  sampled  in  a  combined  action  of  the
Paleontological Institute and the Natural History Museum of
Vienna  in  1990.  The  clay  pit  was  later  transformed  into  a
waste  depository.  Only  a  small  area  was  kept  free  and  pro-
tected  at  the  north-eastern  side  of  the  pit  (240 m  NN,
47°59’24” N,  16°13’54” E).  For  scientific  research  a  deep
well  was  drilled  at  the  north-western  corner  of  the  clay  pit
(Wagreich et al. 2008) for a drilling depth of 102 m.

The sediments in the type locality consist mainly of blue-

grey bioturbated clayey calcareous sandy silts with rare mac-

Fig. 1. Geological setting of the Vienna Basin at the Alpine-Car-
pathian junction (provided by K. Decker, University of Vienna).

369

THE MIDDLE MIOCENE BADENIAN STRATOTYPE AT BADEN-SOOSS (LOWER AUSTRIA)

rofossils (“Tegel”). Pyrite concretions and pyrite infilling of
tests are common. Lenses of sand and gravel with rich biogen-
ic material are intercalated. Beside corallinacean algal debris,
the most common fossils are foraminifera and molluscs trans-
ported from shallow regions, some bryozoans, echinoid re-
mains, and fish otoliths.

Important fossil groups

Dinoflagellate cysts

Dinoflagellate cysts have been investigated from the Bade-

nian  type  locality  for  the  first  time  (Jiménez-Moreno  et  al.
2006). The accessible section covered only 2.9 m with 4 sam-
ples  studied.  The  main  components  are:  Lingulodinium
machaerophorum  (Deflandre  &  Cookson)  Wall,  Operculodi-
nium  centrocarpum  (Deflandre  &  Cookson)  Wall,  O.  israe-
lianum  (Rossignol)  Wall,  Cribroperidinium  tenuitabulatum
(Gerlach)  Helenes,  Cleistosphaeridium  placacanthum  (De-
flandre  &  Cookson)  Eaton  et  al.,  Batiacasphaera  sphaerica
Stover, and Spiniferites spp. The following are of stratigraphi-
cal importance: C. tenuitabulatum, Achomosphaera cf. anda-

lousiensis (Jan du Chęne) Jan du Chęne & Londeix, Cerebro-
cysta  poulsenii  de  Verteuil  &  Norris,  Habibacysta  tectata
Head, Norris & Mudie, Labyrinthodinium truncatum (Piasec-
ki)  de  Verteuil  &  Norris,  Palaeocystodinium  miocaenicum
Strauss,  and  Trinovantedinium  harpagonium  de  Verteuil  &
Norris.  The  investigated  section  is  correlated  with  dinocyst
Zone Cte.

Calcareous nannoplankton

Kamptner (1948) reported about rich calcareous nanno-

plankton assemblages from the brickyard Baden-Sooss. Nan-
noplankton assemblages from the type locality have been
described in more detail by Fuchs & Stradner (1977), Stradner
& Fuchs (1978) and Fuchs in Papp & Steininger (1978).

Recently, 13 samples were quantitatively studied from the

uppermost 9 m of the type locality Baden-Sooss. Besides the
stratigraphical  marker  Sphenolithus  heteromorphus  Deflan-
dre,  the  nannoplankton  assemblages  contain  numerous  and
well preserved forms with: Braarudosphaera bigelowii (Gran
&  Braarud)  Deflandre,  Coccolithus  pelagicus  (Wallich)
Schiller,  Coronocyclus  nitescens  (Kamptner)  Bramlette  &

Fig. 2. Geological map of the Baden embayment. Distribution of Miocene sediments on the Mesozoic basement of Northern Calcareous
Alps (G. Wessely).

370

RÖGL, ĆORIĆ, HARZHAUSER, JIMENEZ-MORENO, KROH, SCHULTZ, WESSELY and ZORN

Wilcoxon, Coronosphaera mediterranea (Lohmann) Gaarder,
Cyclicargolithus  floridanus  (Roth  &  Hay)  Bukry,  Holodis-
colithus macroporus (Deflandre) Roth, Sphenolithus morifor-
mis  (Brönnimann  &  Stradner)  Bramlette  &  Wilcoxon,  and
Umbilicosphaera jafari Müller. Helicoliths are represented by
Helicosphaera  carteri  (Wallich)  Kamptner  and  H.  walbers-
dorfensis  Müller.  Among  reticulofenestrids,  the  most  fre-
quently  are  small-sized  forms  Reticulofenestra  minuta  Roth
and R. haqi Backman. Regular occurrences were observed of
Reticulofenestra  pseudoumbilica  (Gartner)  Gartner  (5—7 µm)
and R. gelida (Geitzenauer) Backman too. Very low numbers
of  reworked  specimens  from  the  Upper  Cretaceous  (e.g.
Arkhangelskiella  cymbiformis  Vekshina,  Eiffellithus  gorkae
Reinhardt,  Microrhabdulus  decoratus  Deflandre)  and  the
Lower Eocene (e.g. Discoaster lodoensis Bramlette & Riedel,
D.  kuepperi  Stradner,  Sphenolithus  radians  Deflandre)  were
determined.

Regular occurrences of S. heteromorphus and the absence

of  H.  ampliaperta  together  with  blooms  of  small  reticu-
lofenestrids are characteristic for the NN5 Zone in the Bade-
nian.  The  absence  of  H.  waltrans  Theodoridis  marks  a
position in the younger part of NN5. The abundances of small
reticulofenestrids  point  to  a  relatively  warm,  well-stratified
water column. In contrast to assemblages from the drill site of
Baden-Sooss discoasterids are absent in the investigated pro-
file. This indicates slight cooling in the uppermost part of the
sections.

Bolboforma, phytoplankton incertae sedis

In the fine fraction of some samples from Baden-Sooss

abundant tests of Bolboforma moravica Redinger and B. reti-
culata Daniels & Spiegler are present. These species are indic-
ative for the Bolboforma reticulata Biozone (Spiegler & Rögl
1992).

Foraminifera

The clay pits of Baden have been sources for many impor-

tant  publications.  The  first  monograph,  based  on  the  collec-
tions  of  Joseph  von  Hauer  was  published  by  d’Orbigny
(1846). Additions to this work were given by Czjzek (1847),
Reuss (1850a), and Karrer (1861, 1877). A first revision based
on new samples was published by Marks (1951), followed by
an  updated  list  of  Verhoeve  (1970).  Only  Papp  &  Schmid
(1985) studied the orginal material of d’Orbigny for their revi-
sion.  A  list  of  species  from  the  investigated  sections  in  the
Baden-Sooss  brickyard  was  presented  by  Papp  &  Steininger
(1978). These authors observed in the middle part of the lower
section  (3.0—4.5 m)  a  reduction  in  planktonic  foraminiferal
numbers,  in  a  horizon  of  sand  lenses  (“Molluskenbank”).  In
these  lenses  rolled  Amphistegina,  Planostegina,  Borelis  and
mollusc remains are common.

Some biostratigraphically important species, indicating the

Upper Lagenidae Zone are listed:

Planktonic foraminifera: Globigerina concinna Reuss, G.

diplostoma Reuss, Globoturborotalita woodi (Jenkins), Glo-
bigerinella regularis (d’Orbigny), Globigerinoides trilobus
(Reuss), Orbulina suturalis (Brönnimann).

Benthic foraminifera: Amphistegina mammilla (Fichtel &

Moll),  Bolivina  dilatata  Reuss,  B.  viennensis  Marks,  Borelis
melo  melo  (Fichtel  &  Moll),  B.  melo  curdica  Reichel,  Pla-
nostegina  costata  (d’Orbigny),  Uvigerina  grilli  Schmid,  U.
semiornata (d’Orbigny).

For paleoecological interpretations, the common occurrenc-

es  of  miliolids  (Cycloforina,  Quinqueloculina,  Triloculina),
textulariids  from  the  shelf  region  (Gaudryina,  Textularia,
Spirorutilus),  lenticulinas,  siphonodosarias,  bolivinids,  uvi-
gerinds, and cibicidids are important. The environment is in-
terpreted as a muddy bottom of about 200 m water depth with
partly  dysoxic  conditions  at  the  sediment-water  interface,  as
also  indicated  by  pyrite.  Transported  material  from  the  near-
shore is present in sand lenses.

Ostracods

Reuss (1850b) described the first ostracod species from the

“unterer Tegel” of Baden, namely Cypridina asperrima and a
few species from Möllersdorf and Vöslau. Subsequently ostra-
cods  have  been  mentioned  by  several  authors  from  the  clay
pits  of  Baden  and  Baden-Sooss,  but  rarely  selected  species
have  been  described  or  figured  (e.g.  Triebel  1949;  Kempf  &
Nink 1993). Altogether around 10 species were known in lit-
erature. For the description making the Baden-Sooss clay pit
the holo-stratotype of the Badenian, ostracods were not inves-
tigated. A current study of 10 samples from the 9 m high sec-
tion  of  the  uppermost  part  of  the  clay  pit  (see  above)
determined around 50 species. The main elements of the ostra-
cod  fauna  are  Cytherella  with  several  species,  including
Cytherella compressa (Münster) sensu Reuss (1850b) and C.
dilatata (Reuss), Parakrithe crystallina (Reuss), Krithe oertlii
Dieci & Russo, Pterygocythereis jonesii (Baird), Henryhowel-
la  asperrima  (Reuss),  Bosquetina  carinella  (Reuss),
Cytheropteron  vespertilio  (Reuss),  Buntonia  subulata  (Rug-
gieri),  and  Argilloecia  acuminata  G.W.  Müller.  This  assem-
blage indicates an environment on the outer shelf with water
depths  of  more  than  200 m,  which  is  also  confirmed  by  the
rare occurrence of Pseudocythere armata Bonaduce et al. and
P. mediterranea Bonaduce et al. Many of the other species are
supposed  to  represent  an  allochthonous  fauna  which  was
transported  from  shallower  water.  In  the  Central  Paratethys
the occurrence of several species is stratigraphically restricted
to  the  Badenian,  for  example,  Aurila  angulata  (Reuss),
Bosquetina  carinella  (Reuss),  Cnestocythere  lamellicosta
Triebel and Cytheridea acuminata Bosquet.

Molluscs

The earliest geological studies in Austria already referred to

the diverse mollusc faunas of the Baden area (e.g. Prevost
1820; Boué 1833). During the 19

century a large part of the

fauna became known to science by the key-papers of Hörnes
(1852—1856, 1870) and Hoernes & Auinger (1879—1891). Nu-
merous smaller systematic papers followed (see Schultz
2001—2005 for references). Up to now a total of 402 mollusc
species became known from the Badenian of Baden, consist-
ing of 272 gastropods, 121 bivalves, 7 scaphopods, 1 polypla-
cophoran, and 1 cephalopod. The enormous diversity reflects

371

THE MIDDLE MIOCENE BADENIAN STRATOTYPE AT BADEN-SOOSS (LOWER AUSTRIA)

the  late  phase  of  the  Middle  Miocene  Climatic  Optimum,
which  allowed  numerous  thermophilic  proto-Mediterranean
species to migrate into the Paratethys (Harzhauser et al. 2003).
Moreover,  the  diversity  is  a  result  of  mixing  of  faunas  from
different  habitats.  The  moderately  deep  soft  bottom  environ-
ment  was  settled  mainly  by  thin-shelled  infaunal  borrowing
bivalves  such  as  Nuculana  fragilis  (Chemnitz),  N.  nucleus
(Linné)  and  Solemya  doderleini  Mayer  along  with  the  thin-
shelled  epifaunal  pectinids  Costellamussiopecten  cristatum
badense  (Fontannes)  and  C.  spinulosus  (Münster).  The  deep
water  oyster  Neopycnodonte  navicularis  (Brocchi)  and  the
chemosymbiont-bearing  lucinids  Megaxinus  incrassata
(Dubois) and Saxolucina suessi Kautsky are further typical au-
tochthonous elements. Scaphopods such as Antalis bouei (De-
shayes),  Fissidentalium  badense  (Partsch)  and  Gadilina  jani
(Hörnes)  and  carnivorous  and  scavenging  naticids,  nassariid
and turrid gastropods are abundant. Due to the high diversity
of  the  turrids  (formerly  called  Pleurotoma)  the  Baden  Tegel
was also known as the “Pleurotomen-Tegel” in the older liter-
ature.  Most  of  the  molluscs,  however,  derive  from  shallow
water and near-shore settings and were transported by storms
together  with  coarse  sediments.  The  bivalves  Glycymeris  pi-
losa  (Linné)  and  Megacardita  jouanneti  (Basterot)  and  the
gastropod Strombus bonellii (Brongniart) are typical.

The huge mollusc fauna is clearly distinguished from Early

Miocene faunas by the occurrence and arrival of new taxa. Es-
pecially the pectinid fauna displays a typical Middle Miocene
character with taxa such as Propeamussium felsineum (Fores-
ti),  Pseudamussium  septemradiatum  (Müller),  Aequipecten
malvinae  (Dubois),  Costellamussiopecten  spinulosus  (Mün-
ster), and Flabellipecten besseri (Andrzejowski) which are re-
stricted  to  the  Badenian  stage.  Nevertheless,  several  species,
which are typical for the Lower Lagenidae Zone of the Styrian
Basin  and  the  North  Alpine  Foredeep  are  already  missing  in
the fauna (cf. Harzhauser et al. 2003).

Echinoderms

At the holo-stratotype Baden-Sooss, the silty clays of the

“Badener  Tegel”  yielded  only  sparse  echinoderm  remains.
Most  records  consist  of  fragmented  cidaroids:  Stylocidaris?
polyacantha  (Reuss)  and  spatangoid  spines  (Spatangoida  in-
det.). Additionally, tiny dwarf urchins (Echinocyamus transyl-
vanicus  Laube)  and  deformed  coronas  or  moulds  of  the
burrowing  heart  urchin  Schizaster  karreri  Laube  are  docu-
mented in the collections (Kroh 2005). Lenticular sand inter-
calations  interpreted  as  distal  storm  deposits  contain  an
allochthonous death assemblage derived from nearby shallow-
water habitats:  Eucidaris zeamays (Sismonda), Diadematidae
indet., Genocidaris sp., Schizechinus sp., Tripneustes sp., Cly-
peasteroid indet., and Cassiduloida indet. (mostly fragmented
spines  and  plates).  From  the  “Badener  Tegel”  exposures  of
Bad  Vöslau  (south  of  Baden)  two  additional  species  are
known:  Brissopsis  ottnangensis  Hoernes  and  Schizaster
laubei Hoernes.

Asteroid and ophiuroid remains are rare and documented by

disarticulated ossicles only: “Astropecten” verrucosus Heller,
Amphiura? badensis Küpper, and Ephipipiellum symmetricum
Łomnicki (Heller 1858; Łomnicki 1902; Küpper 1954). No

holothurian sclerites have been recorded so far, despite intense
sampling.

The echinoderm paleo-community of the “Badener Tegel”

as  outlined  above  is  characteristic  for  low-energy  mud-bot-
toms  below  the  photic  zone.  Omnivores/predators  (cidaroids
and  asteroids)  and  burrowing  deposit-feeder  (spatangoids)
make up the bulk of the echinoderm fauna. The occurrence of
true shallow-water taxa is restricted to sand intercalations and
represents transported debris.

Brachiopods

At the base of the stratotype section, a bed with numerous

large, fragmented terebratulid brachiopods was exposed (Papp
& Steininger 1978). The formation of this accumulation is un-
clear. The lack of anchoring possibilities on the clay substrate
and apparent absence of secondary hardgrounds seem to sug-
gest an allochthonous origin.

Bryozoa

In the “Badener Tegel” bryozoa are scarce and low in diver-

sity.  Free-living  bryozoa-like  Cupuladria  and  Batopora  are
the  taxa  most  commonly  found.  In  the  sand  lenses  a  rich,
transported  and  abraded  shallow-water  bryozoan  fauna  con-
sisting of incrusting colonies on coralline red algae debris and
erect forms is preserved.

Fish remains

The fish fauna consists of around 30 taxa. Sharks are ob-

served by isolated teeth:  Notorynchus primigenius (Agassiz),
Carcharias  acutissimus  (Agassiz),  C.  cuspidatus  (Agassiz),
Anotodus  retroflexus  (Agassiz),  Megaselachus  megalodon
(Agassiz),  Galeocerdo  aduncus  Agassiz,  Carcharhinus
priscus (Agassiz).

Otoliths are common. They were described by Brzobohatý

(1978), and Brzobohatý in Papp & Steininger (1978) and up-
dated now. The most common species is Trisopterus sculptus
(Koken),  followed  by  Palaeogadus  emarginatus  (Koken),
Merluccius  merlucius  Linné,  Phycis  blenioides  (Brünnich),
Coelorinchus  coelorhinchus  (Risso),  and  Gadiculus  labiatus
(Schubert).  The  dominant  species  are  neritic,  but  meso-  to
bathypelagic  species  of  the  Myctophidae  and  Coelorinchus
are immigrants from the deeper sea.

Stratigraphy and correlation

A paleoecological subdivision by means of foraminifera

was developed for the local Vienna Basin Miocene stratigra-
phy by Grill (1941, 1943). The Badenian (former Tortonian)
was subdivided into the following eco-zones:

a) uppermost impoverished Tortonian with Rotalia beccarii

in drilling Schossberg 1;

b) fauna with Bolivina dilatata from the Tortonian in drill-

ing Aderklaa 1;

c) rich marine fauna with Spiroplectammina carinata in

drilling Aderklaa 1;

372

RÖGL, ĆORIĆ, HARZHAUSER, JIMENEZ-MORENO, KROH, SCHULTZ, WESSELY and ZORN

d) rich marine fauna with common lagenids and Robulus

cultratus in drilling Aderklaa 1;

e) “Lanzendorf fauna” from the Tortonian of the Maus-

trenk 1 borehole and from the Hörersdorf-Frättingsdorf out-
crops.

This subdivision was simplified and based on evolutionary

lineages of Uvigerina by Papp & Turnovsky (1953) (Fig. 3):

– For the uppermost part of the Badenian, in the oil indus-

try the terms “Rotalia” (correctly Ammonia) Zone or Im-
poverished Zone are in use, followed down-hole by:
Bulimina-Bolivina Zone;

– Zone of agglutinated foraminifera (“Spiroplectammina”

= Spirorutilus Zone);

– Upper Lagenidae Zone;
– Lower Lagenidae Zone.
The Badenian stratotype locality Baden-Sooss belongs to

the Upper Lagenidae Zone (Fig. 3), which is characterized
by the presence of Orbulina suturalis Brönnimann, Uvigeri-
na grilli Schmid, and Bolivina viennensis Marks. Calcareous
nannoplankton of Zone NN5 is represented by Sphenolithus
heteromorphus Deflandre, Helicosphaera carteri (Wallich)
Kamptner, Discoaster exilis Martini & Bramlette, D. formo-
sus Martini & Worsley. In the scientific borehole at Baden-
Sooss similar assemblages, without H. waltrans are present.
In the deepest part of the core the last occurrence of Praeor-

bulina circularis Blow is observed. In a lithostratigraphic
subdivision the “Badener Tegel” belongs to the Baden For-
mation, correlated with the Lanžhot Formation in the Czech
and Slovak part of the basin.

The occurrence of O. suturalis and the absence of H. wal-

trans allow a correlation with the upper part of the NN5 nan-
noplankton Zone and with planktonic foraminiferal Zone M6,
within the middle part of the Langhian stage, Middle Miocene
(Lourens et al. 2004a; Ćorić et al. 2007).

In a cyclostratigraphic interpretation for the Vienna Basin

Middle Miocene sedimentation (Strauss et al. 2006; Kováč
et al. 2007; Rögl et al. 2007), the Badenian stratotype and
section falls in cycle TB2.4 of third order sequences (Haq et
al. 1988). It lies near the sequence boundary SB2 of Strauss
et al. (2006), correlated to an important sea-level drop in the
Vienna Basin. In an astronomical tuning the scientific Baden
core has been dated as 14.379—14.142 Ma (Hohenegger et al.
2008).

The base of the Badenian stage used in this study, corre-

sponds to the first appearance of the planktonic foraminiferal
genus Praeorbulina at 16.303 Ma, as described by Lourens et
al. (2004a,b). The base of the Langhian in the time table of the
same publication contrasts this bio-event and is positioned on
top of the paleomagnetic Chron C5Cn at 15.97 Ma without
presenting new results or a new stratotype section. The same

Fig. 3. Middle Miocene stratigraphy and correlation with the position of the Badenian type-locality and Baden-Sooss borehole. The base of
the Langhian based on the FO of Praeorbulina sicana, according to EEDEN project at the base of Chron C5Cn.1r. Paleomagnetic chronolo-
gy (ATNTS2004) and ages of biostratigraphic markers according to Lourens et al. (2004a,b), global 3

-order sequences re-calibrated (Haq

et al. 1998; Rögl et al. 2007), position of Baden core according to Hohenegger et al. (2008).

373

THE MIDDLE MIOCENE BADENIAN STRATOTYPE AT BADEN-SOOSS (LOWER AUSTRIA)

datum was used as the base of the Badenian by Piller et al.
(2007), who do not correspond to the first appearance of Prae-
orbulina sicana (Blow).

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