THE MIDDLE SMITHIAN (EARLY TRIASSIC) AMMONOIDS OF GORNJI BRCELI (SOUTHERN MONTENEGRO)

A rich Early Triassic (Smithian) ammonoid fauna discovered near the village of Gomji Brceli (southern Montenegro) is unique for the Early Massie of the western Tethys. The Smithian there is represented by a series of several tens of meters thick brown-red to grey-green mails and clays with intercalated, mica-rich, thin dark grey sandstones, and subordinate occurence of redeposited oolitic limestone. The fossils have been collected as scree material over a few square meters but are considered as contemporaneous since no unnatural association (condensation) was detected. The anunonoid assemblage is represented by 15 species, belonging to the genera Aspenites, Cordilierites, Dienerocerus, Abrekites, Owenites, Pseudaspenites, Pseudosagecetas, Truentpycerar, Wyomingites, Hanielites, Caffettites, Parahedenstroemia, Lingpnites and Pseudeemingiks, and can, by the presence of Oweniles zillelii Smith, be correlated with the late Middle Smithian Nyamalites angustecostaho beds of the southern Tethys, the upper Owenites koeneni beds of South China or the Owenites beds of North America. Taxonomic composition of the ammonoid assemblage shows great similiarity with those of Spiti (India), NW Guangxi (China) and Nevada (USA), but also some with those of Salt Range (Pakistan) and Timor. A markedly dominance of involute, oxycone and platycone morphologies distinguishes the Gornji Brceli fauna from other contemporaneous faunas and points to specific palaeoecological environmental conditions. Previously, three new species were described from this locality and in the present paper one more is added (Paraheden-stroemia? tatjanae). Two species hitherto considered as synonyms (Abrekites arthaberi and Owenites tittek) are revised and treated as valid based on new material from Gornji Brceli.

Automated summary

A rich Early Triassic ammonoid fauna was discovered near Gomji Brceli in Montenegro, which is unique for the Early Massie of the western Tethys. The fossil assemblage consists of 15 species belonging to various genera and shows similarities with faunas from India, China, and the USA. The dominance of specific morphologies suggests specific paleoecological conditions. This study adds one more new species to the previously described three species from this locality and revises the status of two previously considered synonyms.