Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Andreetto, G. Aloisi, F. Raad, H. Heida, R. Flecker, K. Agiadi, J. Lofi, S. Blondel, F. Bulian, A. Camerlenghi, A. Caruso, R. Ebner, D. Garcia-Castellanos, V. Gaullier, L. Guibourdenche, Z. Gvirtzman, T. M. Hoyle, P. T. Meijer, J. Moneron, F. J. Sierro, G. Travan, A. Tzevahirtzian, I. Vasiliev, W. Krijgsman
Summary: The article summarizes the significant changes in the late Miocene evolution of the Mediterranean Basin, including salinity crises, geological sedimentation, and biological evolution. Studies have shown a transition in the hydrological regime of the Mediterranean from high salinity to low salinity, but the causes and mechanisms behind this change are still unclear.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Katja Muzek, Oleg Mandic, Valentina Hajek Tadesse, Mathias Harzhauser, Marijan Kovacic, Tomislav Kurecic, Durdica Pezelj
Summary: Lake Pannon, a large lake in the late Neogene period, played a significant role in the Pannonian Basin. The lake's benthic fauna went through adaptive radiation, resulting in the emergence of many endemic species. Some of these species serve as markers for the Lago Mare interval in the Mediterranean Basin. The outflow of water from Lake Pannon to the Eastern Paratethys did not occur at the same time as the hypothetical drainage event in the Mediterranean Basin.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geology
Gijs van Dijk, Jasper Maars, Federico Andreetto, F. Javier Hernandez-Molina, Francisco. J. J. Rodriguez-Tovar, Wout Krijgsman
Summary: A unique sedimentary deposit called the Arenazzolo Formation in the Sicilian Caltanissetta Basin, Italy, has been studied to understand its origin and its link to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. This sandy deposit was formed by persistent bottom currents during a transgression, possibly associated with the reconnection of major isolated water bodies.
Article
Geography, Physical
F. Andreetto, K. Matsubara, C. J. Beets, A. R. Fortuin, R. Flecker, W. Krijgsman
Summary: The debate over the water level of the Mediterranean during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) has been examined using sedimentary records and Sr isotope ratios of ostracods in marginal basins of SE Spain. The results suggest that these basins required an additional water source with a lower Sr isotope signature, likely derived from the main Mediterranean waterbody, indicating a relatively high and fluctuating water level in at least the Western Mediterranean during the Lago-Mare stage of the MSC.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weizhao Yang, Nathalie Feiner, Daniele Salvi, Hanna Laakkonen, Daniel Jablonski, Catarina Pinho, Miguel A. Carretero, Roberto Sacchi, Marco A. L. Zuffi, Stefano Scali, Konstantinos Plavos, Panayiotis Pafilis, Nikos Poulakakis, Petros Lymberakis, David Jandzik, Ulrich Schulte, Fabien Aubret, Arnaud Badiane, Guillem Perez I de Lanuza, Javier Abalos, Geoffrey M. While, Tobias Uller
Summary: The study reveals the evolutionary history and genetic structure of common wall lizards using population genomic and phylogenomic analyses, identifying six major lineages and demonstrating the significant impact of Mediterranean geology and climate on the evolutionary history and population genetic structure of extant species.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Victoriano Pineda, David Artiaga, Francisco J. Ruiz-Sanchez, Plini Montoya, Jesus M. Soria, Hugo Corbi, Luis Gibert
Summary: The Campo Coy Basin in Southeast Spain contains a thick evaporitic succession associated with the Messinian time. Through the use of paleomagnetism, biostratigraphy, and geochemistry, the age, origin, and paleogeographic evolution of the sedimentary succession were determined. The results indicate that the sediments were deposited in a continental environment, the Betic Seaway was closed in the late Tortonian, and a dry continental environment preceded the Messinian Salinity Crisis.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
A. G. Mousouliotis, S. Pechlivanidou, K. Albanakis, A. Georgakopoulos, B. Medvedev
Summary: Salt-bearing basins are commonly deformed due to gravity mechanisms and regional tectonics, with the study area in the eastern part of the Herodotus Basin showing deformation associated with the flow of Messinian salt deposited during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The research reveals significant thickness variations of the salt sequence and overlying sediments, as well as distinct salt-tectonic structural provinces characterized by different deformation styles. The compressional thickening of the Messinian salt driven by gravity mechanisms results in the absence of a bathymetric step on the seafloor in the western side of the study area.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Sian L. Evans, Christopher A. L. Jackson, Davide Oppo
Summary: Despite the profound impact on salt-influenced basins, spatial and temporal variations in rates of salt flow, and their key controls, remain largely unconstrained. This study investigates early stage salt-detached gliding using a 3D seismic data set, revealing lateral variations in translation rates and the importance of local stresses in controlling the direction and rate of salt flow.
Article
Paleontology
Anton Matoshko, Arjan de Leeuw, Marius Stoica, Oleg Mandic, Iuliana Vasiliev, Alina Floroiu, Wout Krijgsman
Summary: The study investigates a section in the Eastern Paratethys, which is important for understanding the Late Miocene stratigraphy in the Mediterranean-Paratethys region. Findings show that there was a significant early marine incursion during the Late Zekepian, starting at approximately 6.1 Ma, while the onset of the early Middle Zekepian occurred at 6.0 Ma, coinciding with the major regression period (5.9-5.6 Ma). Late Zekepian sedimentation became relatively stable, with a gradual transition in fauna to assemblages characteristic of the Dacian stage, significantly differing from other areas in the Eastern Paratethys.
Article
Ecology
Victor Noguerales, Pedro J. Cordero, L. Lacey Knowles, Joaquin Ortego
Summary: The study revealed the existence of two North African cryptic lineages in the genetic evolution of the saltmarsh band-winged grasshopper and supported the divergence of trans-Mediterranean populations of the species in the Pleistocene, with evidence suggesting the permeability of the Strait of Gibraltar to gene flow post-Messinian. Spatial patterns of genetic differentiation are best explained by the configuration of emerged landmasses and environmentally suitable habitats during glacial periods.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Massimo Bellucci, Daniel Aslanian, Maryline Moulin, Marina Rabineau, Estelle Leroux, Romain Pellen, Jeffrey Poort, Anna Del Ben, Christian Gorini, Angelo Camerlenghi
Summary: The study of salt tectonics at salt-bearing margins reveals differences in the Western Mediterranean Sea compared to other regions, with a clear relationship between salt structures and crustal segmentation. The influence of temperature parameters on salt deformation is suggested to play a significant role in the mechanisms of salt tectonics.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maximilian Wagner, Stamatis Zogaris, Patrick Berrebi, Joerg Freyhof, Stephan Koblmueller, Pierre Magnan, Martin Laporte
Summary: In the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, freshwater fishes, particularly the freshwater blenny species of the Salaria genus, are studied for their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships. The research shows that the freshwater blennies are a good model for studying phylogeographic structure in the Mediterranean basin, with differentiation dating back to major environmental changes in the Messinian salinity crisis and further during the Plio- and Pleistocene periods. Despite the wide distribution of Salaria fluviatilis, there are conservation concerns for some distinct populations within the species.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Francesca Bulian, Tanja J. Kouwenhoven, Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Wout Krijgsman, Nils Andersen, Francisco J. Sierro
Summary: Integration of foraminiferal and geochemical data from West Alboran Basin allowed evaluation of the effects of the initial Mediterranean-Atlantic restriction event preceding the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The study revealed profound impacts on deep waters in the basin, as well as a correlation between the local Mediterranean change and the global Late Miocene Carbon Isotope Shift.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Magdalena Lukowiak, Gerardo Meiro, Beltran Pena, Perfecto Villanueva Guimerans, Hugo Corbi
Summary: The Messinian Salinity Crisis had a negative impact on the benthic fauna in the Mediterranean area, causing changes in their geographical distribution. A unique assemblage of sponge spicules was discovered in the Guadalquivir Basin in southwestern Spain, indicating a diverse sponge community. Interestingly, some sponge taxa with their closest relatives in distant areas survived the crisis in refugia.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Speranta-Maria Popescu, William Cavazza, Jean-Pierre Suc, Mihaela Carmen Melinte-Dobrinescu, Nadia Barhoun, Christian Gorini
Summary: Multiple studies have shown evidence that marine reflooding occurred prior to the Zanclean GSSP, with the most reliable evidence coming from southern Calabria.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Severine Fauquette, Jean-Pierre Suc, Speranta-Maria Popescu, Francois Guillocheau, Sophie Violette, Anne Jost, Cecile Robin, Justine Briais, Guillaume Baby
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mihovil Brlek, Steffen Kutterolf, Sean Gaynor, Klaudia Kuiper, Mirko Belak, Vlatko Brcic, Katarina Holcova, Kuo-Lung Wang, Koraljka Bakrac, Valentina Hajek-Tadesse, Ivan Misur, Marija Horvat, Sanja Suica, Urs Schaltegger
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Speranta-Maria Popescu, William Cavazza, Jean-Pierre Suc, Mihaela Carmen Melinte-Dobrinescu, Nadia Barhoun, Christian Gorini
Summary: Multiple studies have shown evidence that marine reflooding occurred prior to the Zanclean GSSP, with the most reliable evidence coming from southern Calabria.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Viktoria Baranyi, Koraljka Bakrac, Kresimir Krizmanic, Daniel Botka, Emoke Toth, Imre Magyar
Summary: The new palynological data from the deep-water Gusterita section in the Transylvanian Basin provides insights into the late Miocene evolution of Lake Pannon. The analysis of spores, pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts sheds light on the vegetation, climate, and lake ecology during this period. The study also highlights the relationship between the expansion of Lake Pannon, changes in vegetation, and the influence of mountain uplift and volcanism.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Speranta-Maria Popescu, Gonzalo Jimenez-Moreno, Stefan Klotz, Gilles Lericolais, Francois Guichard, M. Namik Cagatay, Liviu Giosan, Michel Calleja, Severine Fauquette, Jean-Pierre Suc
Summary: High-resolution pollen analyses were conducted on cores from the western Black Sea and Marmara Sea, revealing significant changes in regional flora over the past 20,000 years due to climatic fluctuations. Evidence of relict thermophilous-hygrophilous trees was found in certain refugia up to the Holocene, and the study provided insights into vegetation dynamics and paleoclimatic reconstructions in the region.
PALAEOBIODIVERSITY AND PALAEOENVIRONMENTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Speranta-Maria Popescu, Jean-Pierre Suc, Severine Fauquette, Mostefa Bessedik, Gonzalo Jimenez-Moreno, Cecile Robin, Loic Labrousse
Summary: The study evaluates the diversity of past mangroves with respect to latitude during three Cenozoic thermal maxima and reveals changes in latitudinal distribution of plants in relation to climate. It is found that Avicennia mangroves had a wider range of northward expansion compared to other mangrove taxa during the Early Eocene and Mid-Miocene. The study also suggests that plate tectonics and global cooling may have influenced the provincialism and taxonomic impoverishment of mangrove species.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tomislav Kurecic, Neven Bocic, Lara Wacha, Koraljka Bakrac, Anita Grizelj, Dinko Tresic Pavici, Christopher Luethgens, Andreja Sironi, Sinisa Radovi, Loris Redovnikovi, Markus Fiebig
Summary: Archaeological excavations in a cave in Croatia exposed an undisturbed sequence of sediments, allowing for the recognition of changes in depositional mechanisms. Using a multiproxy approach, the researchers characterized the cave sediments and revealed several stages in the development of clastic filling in the cave channels, with sedimentation taking place under different climatic conditions during the Pleistocene-Holocene period. Stratigraphic calibration based on luminescence dating and radiometric dating of cave sediments and speleothems was performed for the first time in this study.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Viktoria Baranyi, Peta J. Mudie, Imre Magyar, Adam Kovacs, Maria Suto-Szentai, Koraljka Bakrac
Summary: The biota of the brackish-water Lake Pannon in the Pannonian Basin shows remarkable endemism due to the isolated evolution of the lake for 8 million years. The large variation in the morphology of brackish-water dinoflagellate cysts challenges taxonomy and complicates interpretations. This ecophenotypic variation has led to evolutionary development of new dinoflagellate cyst species and genera.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jitka Kopecka, Katarina Holcova, Mihovil Brlek, Filip Scheiner, Lukas Ackerman, Jan Rejsek, Rastislav Milovsky, Viktoria Baranyi, Sean Gaynor, Ines Galovic, Vlatko Brcic, Mirko Belak, Koraljka Bakrac
Summary: This study provides a detailed paleoenvironmental and depositional history of the Middle Miocene deposits from Mt. Pozeska Gora (the east part of Croatia). The results show that the marine system of the Mediterranean-Paratethys region in the Middle Miocene was influenced by global climatic changes, resulting in two episodes of flooding and significant changes in water temperature, nutrient contents, and salinity.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kelly Pasquon, Julien Gargani, Gwenael Jouannic
Summary: This study investigates the influence of economic, demographic, and urban planning strategies on the construction of buildings in coastal flooding areas in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy. Using satellite images and aerial photos from 1954 to 2017, the research finds that the number of buildings in coastal flooding areas is higher in Saint-Martin. The increase in buildings constructed in marine inundation risk areas is attributed to tax reduction policies and demographic growth, while the vulnerability to marine inundation is a result of economic policy during the 1980-2010 period.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dario Hrusevar, Koraljka Bakrac, Slobodan Miko, Nikolina Ilijanic, Martina Sparica Miko, Ozren Hasan, Bozena Mitic
Summary: The aim of this study was to reconstruct the vegetation changes, fire history and local landscape dynamics of central Croatia from 9800 cal yr BP to the beginning of the Common Era. The results showed different vegetation zones during different time periods, including a milder climate with less extreme temperatures during the Preboreal. The presence of alder on the mire for a long period was also observed. The increase in secondary anthropogenic indicators suggests human influence from the 6th century BC to the beginning of the Common Era.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nina Trinajstic, Mihovil Brlek, Sean P. Gaynor, Julie Schindlbeck-Belo, Sanja Suica, Radovan Avanic, Steffen Kutterolf, Kuo-Lung Wang, Hao-Yang Lee, Katarina Holcova, Jitka Kopecka, Viktoria Baranyi, Valentina Hajek-Tadesse, Koraljka Bakrac, Vlatko Brcic, Duje Kukoc, Monika Milosevic, Ivan Misur, Reka Lukacs
Summary: The Middle Miocene volcaniclastic layers on Mt. Medvednica play a significant role in stratigraphy and understanding of depositional environments in the Carpathian-Pannonian Region. Through an integrated approach of volcanological, geochronological, and paleontological analyses, the age, deposition environment, and provenance of two volcaniclastic horizons have been deciphered.
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Philippe Charlier, Anais Augias, Raphael Weil, Francoise Bouchet, Joel Poupon, Maria Speranta Popescu, Philippe Decloquement, Said Azza, Emmanouil Angelakis, Pascale Richardin, Philippe Colson, Gregory Dubourg, Matthieu Million, Didier Raoult
Summary: Analysis of the relics of King Saint-Louis suggests that he may have died from scurvy and inflammatory jaw disease, with infection by oral commensals potentially being the main cause of the illness.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jasenka Sremac, Marija Bosnjak, Josipa Velic, Tomislav Malvic, Koraljka Bakrac
Summary: This paper focuses on the significance of less widespread deeper-water deposits in the Croatian part of the Pannonian Basin System (CPBS) in environmental and applied geology. The authors consulted previous data and combined it with their own research to observe the connection between tectonic structures and deep marine canyons and depressions within the Paratethyan shallows.