Findings of daphnia (Ctenodaphnia) dybowski et grochowski (branchiopoda: Cladocera) in cenozoic volcanogenic lakes in germany, with discussion of their indicator value

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to describe fossil representatives of the Daphniidae Straus, 1820 (Eucrustacea: Cladocera) from German Cenozoic Maar lakes and lacustrine sediments and discuss an indicator value of their ephippia for palaeoecological reconstructions. All females and ephippia (modified moulting exuvia of females containing resting eggs) from the late Early/early Middle Miocene Randeck Maar (about 17-15 m.y.a., mammal zone MN5) and ephippia from the Late Oligocene lacustrian locality Rott (23-24 m.y.a., mammal zome MP30) belong to Daphnia (Ctenodaphnia) Dybowski et Grochowski, 1895. We conclude that these cladocerans were very common in European Eocene-Miocene water bodies. In case of German volcanogenic Maars, numerous ephippia of Daphnia (Ctenodaphnia), including their clusters, in a fossil layer could indicate shallow water conditions and seasonality in such water body.