Synoptic chart of the proposed chronology for the Lower to Middle Miocene sediments in the Bavarian part of the NAFB: lithostratigraphic units (according to Doppler et al. 2005; UL Limnische Untere Serie, UF Fluviatile Untere Serie, NV Nördlicher Vollschotter) and stratigraphic coverage of studied sections (red bars; including those from the eastern part of the basin, see Abdul Aziz et al. 2008; for the geographic position of sections see Fig. 1). 1 Marine Molasse, 2 Grimmelfingen beds, 3 Kirchberg Formation, 4 Sand–Kalkmergel–Serie and untere Bunte Mergel Serie, 5 Oncophora beds, 6 Ortenburg gravel, 7 UL at Offingen, 8 limnic freshwater beds, Feinkörnige Deckschichten, 9 Albstein, 10 fluvial freshwater beds, 11 UL at Ichenhausen, 12 UF at Untereichen-Altenstadt, 13 NV lower part, 14 Quarzrestschotter, 15 Su¨ßwasserkalk, 16 UF at Burtenbach, 17 Zahling-2 glass-tuff, 18 NV early upper part, 19 Krumbad bentonite, 20 UF at Mohrenhausen, 21 Oberschoneberg bentonite, 22 Unterneul bentonite, 23 Zwischenmergel, 24 Brock-horizon, 25 UF at Ziemetshausen, 26 Geröllsande, 27 NV late upper part, 28 Thannhausen bentonite, 29 Laimering bentonite, 30 Landshut area bentonites, 31 Lower Bavarian bentonites, 32 Sand-Mergel-Decke, 33 Lower Laimering Series, Ubergangsschichten, 34 Steinbalmensande, 35 obere Bunte Mergel-Serie, 36 UF at Oberbernbach. OFF Offingen section, ICH Ichenhausen section, UA Untereichen-Altenstadt section, PUT Puttenhausen section, FTH Furth section, UWB Unterwattenbach section, UEB Unterempfenbach section, SZ Sandelzhausen section, BRR Bruckberg section, PFZ Pfaffenzell section, OBB Oberbernbach section, KRE Kreut section. Colors: light gray hiatus, blue marine sediments, light blue brackish sediments, pink paleosols, green fine-grained freshwater sediments, light green sands, yellow and orange coarse-grained sediments. Black ellipses indicate 40Ar/39Ar-dated volcanic ashes, gray ellipses are non-dated ashes. (Note that the chronology of sediments older than 17.6 Myr is still tentative).