Terrestrische Paläoklimatologie

Manuela Aiglstorfer, Dr.

Curriculum Vitae

10/2002 - 09/2008

12/2009 - 5/2014

12/2010 - 04/2011

6/2014 - 6/2016

since 2016

Research interests

Climate archives of the Neogene

The composition of large mammal fauna represents one of the indispensable bases for the reconstruction of palaeoclimate and palaeoecology of terrestrial, Neogene habitats. In addition to reflecting fauna as a whole, the individual fossil remains also archive climate-related and ecological information which can be deciphered by isotope investigations.

At the Middle Miocene to Upper Miocene transition well dated and taxonomically rich terrestrial vertebrate discoveries, which allow a reconstruction of the climatic and environmental conditions are very rare in the Paratethys area. With the Sarmatian locality Gratkorn in Styria [A], it is possible for the first time to comprehensively investigate a terrestrial ecological system in a period frequently nicknamed as a palaeobiological “blackout“. Beside the reconstruction of the large mammal fauna by morphologic description and taxonomic classification, my thesis also focuses on stable isotopes (C/O), Sr-isotopy and Ba/Ca-ratios, in order to clear ecological and climatological questions. The examination of large mammal remains forms an essential component for the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment of this unique site. This dissertation is supervised by M. Böhme and H. Bocherens in cooperation with G. Rössner (Munich) and U. Göhlich (Wien).

Furthermore, I aim to geographically expand my investigations to other localities, in order to contribute to a comprehensive picture of the Neogene environment.

The Toarcian of Southern Germany

Around the world, the term Posidonia Shale Formation (Lower Toarcian) stands for outstanding finds of marine vertebrate fossils such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and marine crocodiles. The unique Konservat- and Konzentratlagerstaette has pulled researchers under its spell for centuries. Despite the long research tradition, these deposits still provide many unanswered questions. Their clarification would bring us closer to a better understanding of ocean circulations and the genesis of black shales for example.

Through biostratigraphic investigations of the Toarcian in Southern Germany and the palaeogeographic interpretation using sedimentological and faunal indices, we try to clarify some of these questions. Besides geographical and stratigraphical distribution of ammonites, other topics are the genesis of belemnite “battle fields” and biostratigraphic levels.

Mesozoic marine crocodiles from the South Germany Jurassic seas

Along with the famous finds such as Archaeopteryx, an enigmatic group of marine crocodiles is found, in the Upper Jurassic lithographic limestones of Southern Germany. In the process of evolution they had adapted to a fully aquatic life. In order to enable a better understanding of the adaption of these highly-specialized Metriorhynchidae in the course of the phylogenetic development within the Thalattosuchia, a thorough examination of the South German material is particularly important.

Publications

Van der Made J., Prieto J., Aiglstorfer M., Böhme M., Gross M. 2014: Taxonomic study of the pigs (Suidae, Mammalia) from the late Middle Miocene of Gratkorn (Austria, Styria). Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments DOI 10.1007/s12549-014-0152-1

Aiglstorfer, M., Heissig, K. & Böhme, M. (2014): Perissodactyla from the late Middle Miocene Gratkorn locality (Austria). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 71-82.

Aiglstorfer, M., Bocherens, H. & Böhme, M. (2014): Large Mammal Ecology in the late Middle Miocene locality Gratkorn (Austria). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 189-213.


Aiglstorfer, M., Göhlich, U.B., Böhme, M. & Gross, M. (2014): A partial skeleton of Deinotherium (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from the late Middle Miocene Gratkorn locality (Austria). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 49-70.


Aiglstorfer, M., Rössner, G.E. & Böhme, M. (2014): Dorcatherium naui and pecoran ruminants from the late Middle Miocene Gratkorn locality (Austria). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 83-123.


Gross, M., Böhme, M., Havlik, P. & Aiglstorfer, M. (2014): The late Middle Miocene (Sarmatian s.str.) Fossillagerstätte Gratkorn – First decade of research, geology, stratigraphy and vertebrate fauna. - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 5-20.


Havlik, P., Aiglstorfer, M., Beckman, A., Gross, M. & Böhme, M. (2014): Taphonomical and ichnological considerations on the late Middle Miocene Gratkorn locality (Styria, Austria) with focus on large mammal taphonomy. - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 94: 171-188.


Arp, G., Aiglstorfer, M., Havlik, P., Krause, T., Schulbert, C. & Seppelt, S (in press): New exposure of the Ludwigskanal section near Dörlbach – a key section for the Lower Jurassic in the Franconian Alb, Southern Germany. - Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften.


Made van der, J., Prieto, J., Aiglstorfer, M., Böhme, M. & Gross, M. (accepted): Taxonomic study of the pigs (Suidae, Mammalia) from the late Middle Miocene of Gratkorn (Austria, Styria). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments.

Böhme, M., Aiglstorfer, M., Antoine, P.-O., Appel, E., Havlik, P., Métais, G., Phuc, L.T., Schneider, S., Setzer, F., Tappert, R., Tran, D.N., Uhl, D. & Prieto, J. (2013): Na Duong (northern Vietnam) – an exceptional window into Eocene ecosystems from Southeast Asia. - Zitteliana, A 53: 120-167.

Aiglstorfer, M. & Costeur, L. (2013): The Moschidae of Dorn-Dürkheim 1 (Germany). - Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 93-2: 207-215.

Havlik, P., Aiglstorfer, M., El-Atfy, H. & Uhl, D. (2013): A peculiar bone-bed from the Norian Stubensandstein (Löwenstein-Formation, Late Triassic) of southern Germany and its palaeoenvironmental interpretation. - Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 269(3): 321-337.

Böhme, M., Aiglstorfer, M., Uhl, D., & Kullmer, O. (2012): The Antiquity of the Rhine River: Stratigraphic Coverage of the Dinotheriensande (Eppelsheim Formation) of the Mainz Basin (Germany), - PLoS ONE, http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036817.

Abstracts

Aiglstorfer, M., Göhlich, U.B., Böhme, M. & Gross, M. (in press): A partial skeleton of Deinotherium (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from the late Middle Miocene Gratkorn locality (Austria) and the discussion on taxonomy of late Middle and early Late Miocene Deinotheriidae. VIth International Conference on Mammoths and their Relatives, 5-12 May 2014, Grevena-Siatista, Greece.

Aiglstorfer, M., Böhme, M. & Rössner, G.E. (2013): New insights into tragulid phylogeny of Europe: Dorcatherium naui from the latest Middle Miocene of Austria – Zitteliana, 31, International Conference on Ruminant Phylogenetics Munich 2013: 17, München.

Böhme, M., Aiglstorfer, M., Boev, Z., Bullmann, L., Dolezych, M., Havlik, P., Hristova, L., Ilg, A., Markov, G., Ognjanova, N., Prieto, J., Uhl, D., Vasilyan, D. & Spassov, N. (2013): Staniantsi - an exceptional vertebrate locality from the Miocene-Pliocene transition of Western Bulgaria. – Abstracts, 5th International Workshop on the Neogene from the Central and South-Eastern Europe Varna, 16th - 20th May 2013, Varna.

Aiglstorfer M., Böhme M., Uhl D. & Kullmer O. (2012): The Antiquity of the Rhine River - Stratigraphic Coverage of the /Dinotheriensande (Eppelsheim Formation). - Abstracts, RCMNS Workshop May 16th - 20th, 2012 Tübingen - Bad Krumbad.


Havlik, P., Aiglstorfer, M. & Böhme, M. (2012): The Salmendingen “fissure fillings” (Swabian Alb, SW Germany) – Sedimentology and Genesis of an Early Hominoid Site - Abstracts, RCMNS Workshop May 16th - 20th, 2012 Tübingen - Bad Krumbad.


Aiglstorfer M., Böhme M., Gross M., Made J. Van der, Prieto J. & Rössner G.E. (2011): Tragulidae and pecoran ruminants from the latest Middle Miocene (Sarmatian, Late Astaracian) of Austria. - Abstracts Book, Joint RCMNS-RCANS Interim Colloquium (Sierro F.J. & González-Delgado J.A., eds.): 58-59, Salamanca.


Aiglstorfer M., Böhme M., Gross M., Made J. Van der, Prieto J. & Rössner G.E. (2011): Tragulidae and pecoran ruminants from the latest Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) of the Styrian Basin (Austria). - Abstracts, 4th International Workshop on the Neogene from the Central and South-Eastern Europe, 12.-16.9.2011, Banska Bystrica.


Böhme, M., Prieto, J., Schneider, S., Aiglstorfer, M., Havlik, P., Vasilyan, D., Phuc, L.T., Pha, P.D. & Tran, D.N. (2011): Newly discovered Eocene vertebrate and invertebrate faunas from Na Duong (northern Vietnam). – Abstracts, The World at the Time of Messel: Puzzles in Palaeobiology, Palaeoenvironment, and the History of Early Primates, 22nd International Senckenberg Conference: 33, Frankfurt.

Aiglstorfer, M., Bocherens, H., Böhme, M., Gross, M. & Prieto, J. (2010): Gratkorn [A] – A unique terrestrial Sarmatian (~12 Ma) locality - Larger herbivores in outstanding high quality and rich quantity for their time. – Zitteliana, 29: 13-14, München.

Havlik, P., Aiglstorfer, M. & Lautenschlager, S. (2008): New considerations on the old Posidonia Shale Formation – A palaeogeographic reinterpretation. - Erlanger Geologische Abhandlungen, Sonderband, 6; 33-34, Erlangen.

Popular Publications

Furze, R., Aiglstorfer, M. & Havlik, P. (2010): Die Tongrube Geisingen – Ein klassischer Fundort am Fuße der Westalb.– Fossilien, 2/10: 10 S.

Aiglstorfer, M. (2008): Erfahrungen mit Schülerführungen in der Ausstellung aus Sicht einer Ausstellungsführerin.– Projekte Regional, 3/2008: 44-60.