An assemblage of fructifications and seeds of aquatic plants (8 charophyte species and 5 seeds/fruits) from upper Miocene deposits of the Yalvac Basin (Central Anatolia, Turkiye) is described and illustrated here for the first time. This flora has been recovered from 2 localities: a 39 m-thick sedimentary sequence near the village of Balci, dominated by limestones related to well-developed, alkaline, and deep lake; and a 252 m-thick borehole (SK-2) near the village of S,arkikaraagac, dominated by organic claystones and marls formed in a context of palustrine and shallow lake conditions. Both sequences are within the Goksogut Formation (upper Miocene-Pliocene). The assemblage at Balci is dominated by gyrogonites of the genus Sphaerochara cf. intricata, Chara vulgaris, Chara cf. aspera, Lychnothamnus duplicicarinatus, and Lychnothamnus cf. barbatus subsp. megalicarpus. Gyrogonites from the lower part of the SK-2 borehole at S,arkikaraagac are very diverse and well-preserved. The assemblage is composed of Sphaerochara intricata, Chara vulgaris, Chara globularis, Chara cf. hispida, Chara cf. aspera, Nitellopsis (Tectochara) etrusca, and Lychnothamnus duplicicarinatus. Several seeds/fruits of aquatic and helophytic plants occur associated with this charophyte flora, including Ceratophyllum, Aldrovanda, Scirpus, Ranunculus and Typha. The dominance of the species N. (T.) etrusca suggests that the base of the sedimentary sequence at S,arkikaraagac is late Miocene, most probably Vallesian-Turolian in age. Likewise, the occurrence of Lychnothamnus cf. barbatus subsp. megalicarpus at the base of the Balci sequence indicates that it probably dates back to the Turolian age. The facies assemblage and the associated fossils such as ostracods from both Balci section and the SK-2 borehole indicate that palustrine and lacustrine conditions prevailed in the Yalvac Basin during the late Miocene. The lake was stable, oligotrophic and oligohaline in the central part of the basin, while the water table fluctuated along the lake's edges where palustrine vegetated conditions prevailed. The species N. (T.) etrusca and L. duplicicarinatus and L. barbatus subsp. megalicarpus are being reported for the first time in Anatolia, providing significant information about the distributional pattern of these biostratigraphically significant taxa.

Nonmarine ostracods are widely distributed in a variety of aquatic habitats, from mountain lakes to underground waters, where each species tends to show species-specific habitat preferences with unique functional traits to increase their survival chances. To understand the patterns of such a relationship between habitat preferences and functional traits of the species, 101 different aquatic sites in the Kastamonu province (Turkiye) were randomly sampled during August 2023. A total of 39 ostracods (20 species, 19 unnamed taxa) were encountered from 49 sites. Seventeen species are new reports for the province. Among them, six species are the most common species with cosmopolitan (or cosmoecious) characteristics. The contribution of these species to the diversity of alpha species (p < 0.05) was more than 90 %. The species with relatively high ecological tolerances generally unveiled low-optimum estimates. Canonical correspondence analysis explained 62.5 % of the correlation between environmental variables and species in which redox potential, electrical conductivity, calcium, and pH were found to be the most related variables to the species (p < 0.05). Fundiversity analysis showed that the presence of swimming setae was correlated with high values of functional diversity, functional richness, and functional distribution of species among five elevation ranges. The results of the habitat selection index and the standardized selection index coincided with the functional traits of the most common species. The species characterized by their habitat selection can be considered as diagnostic species of those specific habitats. Among them, Neglecandona neglecta, reported primarily from dams, springs, and troughs, is considered a typical diagnostic species of these habitats, while Cypridopsis vidua found in lakes and dams can be used as an indicator species for these types of lentic habitats. Similarly, three species ( Heterocypris incongruens, , Ilyocypris bradyi, , Psychrodromus olivaceus) ) can play a critical role as diagnostic species in troughs but reporting them from different habitats such as ditches and rivers / lakes (I. I. bradyi) ) and dams (P. P. olivaceus and H. salina) ) indicated their wide range of habitat preferences. Hence, the results suggest that the occurrence of diagnostic species seems to correspond to certain habitat types and their functional traits.

The S,arkikaraagac coalfield is located in the north-western part of the Lake Beys,ehir Basin, which is the most significant graben area in the eastern flank of Isparta Angle, and hosts a 300-Mt coal resource. This study focuses on the first palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction of Pliocene and early Pleistocene coalbearing sequences cored in the two coal exploration wells (SK-1 and SK-2) using coal petrography, mineralogy, faunal (ostracod and mollusk), and floral (palynology and diatom) data from four coal seams (from bottom to top: B, A, X-1, and X-0) with the variable total thickness (1 to 7 m). According to the palynological data, warm and humid climate conditions prevailed during the early Pliocene, and the precursor peats of seams A and B were mainly accumulated under limno-telmatic conditions, with high contributions of herbaceous peat-forming plants. Nevertheless, the co-occurrence of syngenetic carbonate minerals and framboidal pyrites along with calcareous fossil and diatom remains implies neutral to weakly alkaline conditions within palaeomires of these seams. Furthermore, ostracod and gastropod fauna from these seams might imply nutrient-rich shallow water conditions and spring support (e.g., karstic aquifer) into palaeomires. Thus, algal activity within the palaeomires was presumably high, and freshwater algae and diatoms were commonly identified in these seams.With the development of increased uplift ratio of central Taurides and climatic changes towards to late stages of Pliocene and particularly early Pleistocene, the common peat-forming plants within palaeomires and vegetation in the surrounding areas were changed. The increased precipitation caused an elevation of water levels in the study area; hence, the precursor peats of the seam X-1 were accumulated under wet forest mire conditions. This increase also explains the existence of ostracod and mollusk fauna related to river and spring support underlying sequences of the seam X-1. With the ceasing of accumulation of peat of the seam X-1, the climate became drier, and very shallow water conditions have been common. The development of spring support and relatively high precipitation in a short period of time allowed for final peat accumulation (seam X-0) during the early Pleistocene. Nevertheless, this period was followed by the development of relatively colder conditions in the study area, and cold small water conditions were developed during the end of the early Pleistocene. Furthermore, microthermic vegetation was common in the vicinity of the palaeomires during the early Pleistocene. Overall, the peat accumulation and water level of lakes in the study area seem to be controlled by climatic oscillations and uplift of margins of the Lake Beys,ehir Basin during the Pliocene to early Pleistocene.

Here, a charophyte assemblage from lower Pleistocene deposits at the coal mine locality of Dursunlu (Ilgın Basin, Turkey) is described and illustrated for the first time. The assemblage is composed of 11 species recovered from 50 samples taken from an 18 m-thick sedimentary sequence. The base of the sequence is dominated by lignites and organic-rich claystones/siltstones with root marks attributed to palustrine facies. The charophyte assemblage in this palustrine interval is dominated by Chara vulgaris and C. globularis. The upper part of the section is constituted by light grey-yellowish marls, siltstones and a limestone bed related to shallow lacustrine deposits. Two charophyte species dominate this lacustrine interval, Chara hispida and Nitellopsis obtusa, which occurred in intervals in association with Chara pappii, Chara molassica var. notata, Chara sp.1, Chara sp.2, Sphaerochara prolifera, Sphaerochara intricata and Lychnothamnus barbatus var. antiquus. The palaeoenvironmental characteristics and evolution of the Ilgın palaeolake during the Early Pleistocene (Günz glaciation) are inferred from a facies analysis and the ecological requirements of the charophyte assemblages. The results suggest that during this glacial period, the Ilgın Basin was occupied by a very shallow eutrophic lake with a dense palustrine vegetation belt, which evolved to a shallow (2–15 m deep), stable, oligotrophic, alkaline and oligohaline lake. The increase in water availability in the palaeolake can be related to climatic oscillation during the Günz glaciation. Finally, the lake depocentre migrated towards the NW due to tectonism, and these deposits were later subjected to intense pedogenic alteration.

The Kızılırmak Delta was declared as a Ramsar Site because of its location on the birds migration routes and high exposure to anthropogenic pressures on the delta. There are recent comprehensive studies conducted to determine the trophic levels of the lakes in the delta, together with faunal studies to assess its biodiversity. However, there are limited preliminary studies on the freshwater snail fauna. In this study, we determined 15 species, including two from Neritimorpha, three from Caenogastropoda, and ten from Heterobranchia, at 25 stations in the research area. Gyraulus piscinarum (N: 462) was abundant at most stations, while Acroloxus lacustris (N: 1) was determined at one station. We recorded Armiger crista, G. piscinarum, and A.lacustris for the first time from the study area and in the Black Sea Region. Theodoxus major and Ecrobia maritima, which arePonto-Caspian species, are classified as "Data Deficient" (DD)according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species Data (2022). In addition, the populations of Valvata macrostoma (LC-Decreasing) aredeclining, and there is no information about the population status of Ecrobia ventrosa (LC), Planorbis planorbis (LC), and G.piscinarum (LC). Detailed fauna studies should be completed in our country urgently to determine the factors that threaten freshwater snails and to take the necessary protective measures. This is the first comprehensive study to determine the freshwater snail fauna of the Kızılırmak Delta to close the malacofaunal gap in the region.

Despite global and local evidence of significant precipitation changes since the Little Ice Age (LIA), their impact upon lake hydrology and surrounding vegetation has yet to be investigated in NW Anatolia. Moreover, the LIA, as a trigger to the social/political recession of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century is expected to have these impacts. To address this important gap, we studied three cores from Lake Sünnet, a landslide-dammed high altitude lake with extreme sedimentation rates, by using a wide range of proxies including lithology, stable isotopes of O and C, diatoms, pollen, and ostracods. The LIA timespan of AD 1510–1750 is represented by poorly preserved diatom flora and scarce ostracod fauna that collectively suggest very shallow aquatic conditions. The period AD 1640–1710 within the LIA is standing out with higher Abies and total herb pollen percentages that denotes considerably cooler conditions. During and soon after this cold and dry period precisely overlapping the Maunder Minimum, the currently deep Lake Sülüklü in close vicinity was a dry lowland where tall trees were growing. Progressive warming/lake level rise in Lake Sünnet after the AD 1750s is suggested based on a continuous diatom record with increasing planktonic share, increase in diverse and warm demanding arboreal cover, and a positive shift in δ 18 O of the lake muds. Following the relatively dry/cold period of AD 1800–1850 (Dalton Minimum) when the lake level was stationary and Artemisia cover became the most expanded of the whole record, a relatively warmer climate has dominated the area until the end of the 20th century.

In this study, the high-resolution palynological data derived from two cores taken from Mogan Lake in the Gölbaşı Basin of the Ankara region in central Anatolia (Turkey) are presented. The results provide the palaeobotanical, palaeoclimatological and palaeoenvironmental records of the last ca. 3100 years for the region which is characterised by rich natural resources and a long human occupation history. The major climatic events and the archaeological-historical periods, which are well established in previous works, along with textual sources, are related to vegetation history inferred from the palynological investigation in the study area. Five main vegetation phases are distinguished and interpreted. Our findings demonstrate that the phases of limited woody vegetation cover are chiefly coupled to several dry climate periods, with some exceptions. Steppe vegetation in an open landscape accompanied by more cultural indicators and lesser arboreal elements is inferred during the Near-East Aridification Phase at the LBA–Iron Age transition (c. 1200–850 BCE), Roman Warm Period before 700 CE, Medieval Warm Period at about 1020 CE, the 1500s and twentieth century. Only during the three dry episodes in the 1600s, 1800s and at the start of Modern Warming Period (in the twentieth century) partial arboreal recovery is deduced, and land-cover patterns are related to both natural and human-induced factors. The most extensive pine-dominated forest cover coincides mainly with the three wet climatic episodes, in Galatians times of the Hellenistic Period at c. 2080 BP, the 700s CE of the middle Byzantine era, the Seljuqs Dynasty and the earlier Ottoman Periods (c. 1165–1432/1435 CE). The former episode is represented by remarkable signs of human interference, while the others have marks of sporadically less cultivated landscape. It is concluded that a combination of various factors can be taken into account as the drivers of vegetation changes in the Ankara region, but climate appears to have been the primary agent in shaping the land-cover.

Anadolu’nun Batı Karadeniz kıyılarının arkeolojik araştırmalar açısından uzun yıllarıdır ihmal edilmiştir. Bölgede yürütülen arkeolojik çalışmaların büyük bir bölümü yüzey araştırmalarından oluşmaktadır. Kastamonu’nun Devrekani ilçesi yakınlarındaki Kınık yerleşiminde yürütülen çalışmalar ve Kdz. Ereğli’nin Karadeniz kıyısına yakın bir noktada bulunan Yassıkaya’da 2000 yılında gerçekleştirilen tek sezonluk kazı, bölgenin tarihöncesi kültürlerinin anlaşılmasına yönelik veri sağlayan kazılar olma özellikleri uzun yıllar korumuşlardır. 2017 yılında başlayan ve devam etmekte olan İnönü Mağarası kazıları ile birlikte bölgede tabakaya bağlı buluntu elde edilen yerleşimlere bir yenisi eklenmiştir. Bu nedenle, Yassıkaya ve İnönü Mağarası kazıları bölge arkeolojisi açısından önemli bir yere sahiptir. İnönü Mağarası kazıları aynı zamanda Zonguldak ilinde yürütülen ilk çok tabakalı yerleşim yeri kazısıdır. Söz konusu mağarada gerçekleştirilen kazılarda ulaşılan veriler, Batı Karadeniz kıyılarının tarihöncesi kültürler açısından son derece zengin ve özgün bir yapıya sahip olduğuna dair kanıtlar sunmuştur. Arkeolojik bulgular yanında farklı tabakalara ait radyokarbon tarihleri, bölgenin mutlak kronolojisin oluşturulması konusunda nerdeyse ilk verileri oluşturmaktadır. Beş ayrı kültür katmanı tespit edilen İnönü Mağarası’nda gerçekleştirilen kazılarında Kalkolitik Çağ’dan başlayarak aralıklarla Ortaçağ’a kadar uzanan bulgularla karşılaşılmıştır. Farklı uzmanlık alanları tarafından incelenen bu bulgular üzerinde yapılan çalışmalar, bölgenin kültürel gelişimine ve bölgeler arası ilişkilerine ışık tutmaktadır. Bu çalışmada İnönü Mağarası kazılarından elde edilen ilk sonuçların bir sentezi sunulacaktır.

Since its first description from Madagaskar, there are about 16 living (Recent) species of the genus Zonocypris reported from Afrotropical, Neotropical and Palearctic regions. Similarly, there are about 16 fossil with two (sub)species of the genus known from the Early Cretaceous (e.g., India, France, Russia, China, Brazil) to Holocene (e.g., Albania). Among the species, the only species known with fossil and living species is Zonocypris costata. In Turkey, Zonocypris membranae with two subspecies (Z. m. membranae,Z. m. quadricella) is the only fossil species known while living individuals of Z. costata were encountered the southeast Anatolia. Additionally, Zonocypris mardinensis n. sp. is now proposed as a new species which shows clear differences in the soft body parts (e.g., aesthetasc ya in A1, knife-type G2 claw, shapes of clasping organs and hemipenis) and carapace structure (e.g., LV with extension, RV with posterior denticles). Overall, living species reported herein seem to inhabit comparatively warm (15–30 °C) within the ranges of slightly acidic to alkaline (pH 6.81–8.44) and low to well oxygenated waters (3.05–18.8 mg/l) where they can tolerate salinity (electrical conductivity 103–1910 μS/cm) values within a limited elevational range (336–991 m). Our results suggest that geographic distribution of the living species of the genus is limited within southern parts of Turkey while fossil forms seem to exhibit much wider distribution in northern parts. Anatolian Diagonal as physical barrier may be considered to play a critical role on separating fossil (east-north regions) and extant (southeast region) species of the genus in Turkey. This is the first supportive evidence provided by the species of the genus Zonocypris that geographic barrier could have played the main role on its distribution.

The ancient Gulf of Latmos is an iconic example of a dynamic landscape and humankind's historical relationship with it. Using extensive new primary data and original models for calibrating radiocarbon dates in transitional lagoon environments, we demonstrate that Lake Bafa (or Bafa Golu, in Turkish) formed at a much earlier date than previously thought. In questioning the logical process by which previous dates were achieved, we re-examine the relationship between sedimentological data, archaeology and written history. We reassert the need to establish independently dated environmental data sets as the foundation of regional studies as distinct from archaeological and historical interpretive processes. We conclude that Lake Bafa slowly transitioned to become an isolated lagoon sometime between the end of the second millennium B.C. and end of the first millennium B.C.; becoming a fully closed brackish lake during the second millennium A.D. This marks a major shift in our understanding of the nature of human occupation and activity here during the last four millennia but also in the way we date ancient lagoons and integrate historical and environmental data in general.

During the excavations conducted at level V of Inonti Cave, which is located on the western Black Sea coast of Anatolia, 10.198 beads were found in a small pot above the bedrock. While 93 of the beads, the vast majority of which were produced from steatite, were produced from agate, 27 of them were produced from gold, 1 of them was produced from electrum, and 1 of them was produced from radiolarite. C14 analyses that were performed to obtain the absolute dates of this level, which bears the traces of the first settlers of the cave, and to date this group of finds, revealed that this level belonged to the last quarter of the 5th millennium BC (cal. 4260-3976 BC). The SEM-EDS analyses of 7 beads selected from among the steatite beads in inonti Cave were performed to understand steatite bead production techniques in the Chalcolithic Age. Furthermore, their detailed images were obtained with a polarization microscope. These studies revealed that steatite beads consisted of two sections, including the inner main body/core and the section covering the outer part of the bead, and produced by heat treatment. Based on these data, beads were attempted to be experimentally produced in the laboratory environment. The definition, analogical and chronological evaluation of these steatite beads and SEM-EDS analyses and experimental practices are comprehensively presented in this study.

Acıgöl (Nevşehir, Central Anatolia) is a drained crater lake. Acıgöl maar was formed by the violent vapor explosions due to the interaction of hot rhyolitic magma with the (sub-)surface water during the latest Pleistocene. A 844 cm-deep borehole was drilled at the maar and 713 cm-thick Acıgöl Core Succession (ACS) was retrieved. The ACS is mainly composed of lower laminated and upper non-laminated mudstones (sandy, silty, and clayey) with rare organic and volcanic interlayers. Eleven ostracod taxa (Cypris pubera, Plesiocypridopsis newtoni, Heterocypris salina, Eucypris cf. heinrichi, Candona candida, Candona meerfeldiana, Pseudocandona marchica, Cyclocypris sp., Ilyocypris bradyi, Limnocythere inopinata, and Darwinula stevensoni) were determined in this study. Along with ostracods, gastropods (Gyraulus piscinarum and Stagnicola sp.), pelecypods (Pisidium personatum), charophytes, and fish remains were also observed, while diatoms are the most frequent and abundant assemblage of the ACS. The assemblage at the lower parts of ACS mainly indicates wetter, freshwater to oligohaline, and oligotrophic and relatively deep lacustrine conditions alternating with short lake shrinkage intervals. On the other hand, the fauna at the upper part of the ACS points out to saline, shallow, and warmer lacustrine conditions.

Palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations are reconstructed from the sedimentary sequences of the Late Oligocene and Miocene-Pliocene boundary in the cankm-corum Basin based on evidence obtained from palynofloras and ostracod and mammal faunas. Information on the main role of mixed mesophytic and broad-leaved evergreen forests was obtained from the Late Oligocene data from the Giivendik Formation. The pollen records of the formation showed a greater proportion of the hygrophytic forest communities. Thermophilic taxa and the taxonomic diversity of these forest communities developed mainly under dry subtropical climate conditions.Palynofloras and ostracods of the Latest Miocene and Earliest Pliocene were determined from coal bearing sediments of the Akaglaki Formation in Central Turkey. The Latest Miocene palynoflora was represented by low diversity and abundance of spores and pollen, and it was characterized by mainly grassland species. The Earliest Pliocene palynoflora differs from that of the Latest Miocene through the presence of abundant and diverse palynomorphs. This palaeovegetation diversification from the Latest Miocene to Earliest Pliocene can be related to changes in temperature and precipitation in the southern part of the cankm-corum Basin. The identified ostracods, palynomorphs indicative of brackish environments, and a high abundance of gypsum crystals observed from the lower part of the Akkasdagi Formation suggest brackish conditions during the Latest Miocene. Palynological evidence and results using the Coexistence Approach indicate that climate evolution in Central Turkey during this period can be referred to ongoing tectonic activity in this area and global climate change during the Neogene. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calisma alani, Aydin iline bagli Soke ilcesinin yaklasik 40 km batisinda yer almaktadir. Soke Havzasi, Neojen ve Kuvaterner yasli istiflere sahiptir. Temel kayalari uzerine uyumsuz olarak gelen Soke Formasyonu, tabanda, temelden tureyen bloklu cakiltaslari, cakiltaslari ve kumtaslarindan olusan Kemalpasa Konglomera Uyesi ile temsil edilmektedir. Istif uste dogru kirinti baskin Seytan Uyesi’ne gecmekte, karbonat ve komur iceren seviyeler de gozlenmektedir. Kirectaslarinin hakim oldugu Maden Kirectasi Uyesi ise gecisli olarak uzerlemektedir. Soke Formasyonu’nun uzerine uyumsuz olarak Orta Miyosen yasli Davutlar Konglomerasi gelmektedir. Eylul 2011’de Soke Formasyonu’ndan iki adet olculu stratigrafik kesit (OSK) alinmistir. Seytan Uyesi’nden 25 ve Maden Kirectasi Uyesi’nden ise 17 ornek toplanmistir. Ostrakod faunasi yalnizca 11 ornekte saptanmistir. Seytan Uyesi’nde Ostracoda sinifindan Darwinula stevensoni, Candona candida, Candona sp. cf. C. procera, Pseudocandona sp. cf. P. rostrata, tatli su baliklarinin Cyprinidae familyasindan Barbus sp., Gastropoda sinifindan Valvata sp. ve Planorbis sp. ile Charophyta florasindan Sphaerochara ulmensis bulunmustur. Maden Kirectasi Uyesi’nde ise Ostracoda sinifindan Darwinula stevensoni, Candona decimai, Candona sp.1, Candona sp.2, Candona sp. cf. C. procera, Fabaeformiscandona sp. ve tatli su baliklarinin Cyprinidae familyasindan Barbus sp.’ye ait formlar elde edilmistir. Soke Formasyonu’nun yasi, ostrakod fauna toplulugu ve onceki calismalarda elde edilen veriler kullanilarak, gec Erken-Orta Miyosen olarak belirlenmistir. Seytan ve Maden Kirectasi Uyesi’nden saptanan ostrakod fauna toplulugu ile diger faunal ve floral veriler, cokelimin bir tatli su ortaminda gerceklestigini isaret etmektedir. Tum veriler degerlendirildiginde, Seytan Uyesi’nin sig ve kirinti baskin bir gol ortaminda, Maden Kirectasi Uyesi’nin ise daha derin ve karbonat baskin bir gol ortaminda cokeldigi dusunulmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Ostrakod, Miyosen, Tatli Su, Paleoortam, Soke.

This study focuses on the Pleistocene Gölbaşı-Harmanlı coal deposit located in the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ), SE Turkey. The principal aim of the study is to determine factors that controlled peat accumulation by means of palaeontological data, routine coal analyses (proximate-ultimate), mineralogical composition based on XRD and SEM-EDX, and coal petrography. The basin-infillings consist of alluvial, fluvial, and lacustrine sediments. Palaeolake levels along with sedimentation were presumably controlled by the EAFZ during Late Pliocene to Holocene times. The investigated coal-bearing zone is composed of a thick coal seam (up to 39m) with thin clastic intercalations of fossiliferous claystones. Palaeontological data from these clastic bands imply that the coal accumulated during Middle Pleistocene times, an uncommon period for the formation of thick coals in Turkey.We suggest that the movements of the EAFZ caused rapid subsidence, and along with favourable climatic conditions, allowed large peat accumulation in a relatively short period of time. The results of proximate and ultimate analyses from 29 coal samples obtained from two cores show high ash yields (av. 32%), relatively low sulphur content (av. 1.8%), low net calorific value (av. 11.6MJ/kg) and low total carbon content (av. 35.5%) on an air-dry basis. The mean random reflectances of eu-ulminite B indicate a low-rank coal. Maceral compositions and maceral indices indicate that the peat accumulated under limno-telmatic, mesotrophic conditions, with peat-forming vegetation being composed of mainly herbaceous plants.Ostracoda and Mollusca fauna from intercalating clastic layers within the coal seam provide important information about the geographic distribution of fossil taxa, environmental evaluation of the intercalations, and the age of the studied coal seam. The Ostracoda species Gomphocythere geareyi was identified within the coal seam for the first time. Humphcypris subterranea is the first fossil record of this Ostracoda genus in Turkey. These, along with the presence of the Gastropoda subspecies Bithynia phialensis syriaca, imply a transport into the palaeomire via migratory birds from the Eastern Mediterranean areas. Discovery of Humphcypris subterranea, Bithynia phialensis syriaca, and the African originated genus Gomphocythere in the Gölbaşı-Harmanlı coal deposit marks their northernmost worldwide occurrence.

The study area is located about 40km west ofAydin city in western Turkey and includesNeogene to Quaternary sediments of the Fevzipasa Formation, which unconformably overlies the Miocene rock units. The Fevzipasa Formation is composed of conglomerates, sandstones, mudstones, marls, limestones and tuff layers and is unconformably overlain by recent deposits of the Söke-Milet Basin. The lower part of the Fevzipasa Formation is represented by coarse clastics and lacustrine carbonates followed by fine to coarse-grained sandstones bearing mollusc shells. Prominent tuff layers (lower and upper tuff layers) of this dominantly sandstone succession were radiometrically dated between roughly 2 and 1Ma. Based on small mammal fauna the age of the upper part of the formation is Early to Late Pleistocene. To investigate the paleoenvironmental evolution of the succession, forty-two samples were collected along two stratigraphic sections. Ostracoda assemblages together with Chara flora, Gastropoda and Pelecypoda and fish remains were recovered from only twenty-nine samples. Ostracoda assemblages include Candona neglecta, Cyclocypris ovum, Ilyocypris gibba, I. bradyi, Heterocypris salina and Scottia cf. S. pseudobrowniana. Additionally, fish remains belonging to the Cyprinidae family (Tinca sp., Leuciscus sp. and Leuciscus etilius) and Characeae gyrogonites referable to Nitellopsis obtusa, Chara sp., C. aspera, C. globularis, C. hispida, C. vulgaris, Lychnothamnus sp. and Sphaerochara sp. occurred in the samples. The ostracod, fish, and gyrogonite records all indicate that the Fevzipasa Formation was deposited in a paleoenvironmental setting characterized by permanent and shallow water bodies. According to the identified Ostracoda assemblages and combining all available stratigraphic data, the age of middle part of the Fevzipasa Formation is suggested as Early Pleistocene (Calabrian).

The study focuses on the firstly documented Çardak coal seam cored in the Neogene Acıgöl Basin (Denizli Province) being formed in a late stage of Alpine orogeny in SW Turkey. The aim is to contribute reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental conditions before, during and after coal formation, on the basis of coal-petrology, mineralogical and palaeontological data combined with the results of previous studies. The basin infilling consists of alluvial, fluvial and lacustrine sediments; their deposition depended on the water level in the basin, which in turn, was controlled by the interplay between tectonics and climate. Coal seam was probably formed in Latest Miocene/Early Pliocene under the influence of basin's fluvial regime in oxbow and terminal lakes. The coal seam comprises alternating inorganic and coal layers logged between depths of 599.00 to 627.00m beneath surface. The coal being lignite to subbituminous in rank, displays moderate to high ash yield (21.31–46.11wt.%, on dry basis) and high total sulphur content (up to 13.30wt.%, on dry, ash-free basis). The maceral composition points to an origin from mainly herbaceous helophytes along with woody species. In the upper part of the core the presence of salinity-tolerant ostracod species along with gypsum and halite are documented. The palaeontological and mineralogical data obtained imply changes of climate, water level and lake chemistry in the basin.

The sediment of Lake Çubuk in NW Anatolia, which is situated very close to the climate boundary between the dry Central Anatolia and the wet Marmara region, is regarded as a suitable climate archive to test inward and outward movements of this boundary in accordance with past climate variations. Herein, we study the stratigraphic record of the last 2800 years of this landslide-dammed lake at 1030 m elevation, using multi-proxy tools (sedimentology, major and trace element geochemistry, stable isotopes, pollen, diatoms and ostracods) and compare the results with other contemporaneous Anatolian climatic records. Our findings indicate that Lake Çubuk recorded seven distinct climatic periods in the last 2800 years that have been previously revealed elsewhere in Anatolia. The most arid period occurred at the end of the Near-East Aridification Phase at approximately 200 BC when the δ18O shifted to very negative values, and the planktonic diatom ratio considerably decreased. The Dark Ages and the late Byzantine periods between AD 670 and 1070 are characterized by more positive δ18O values, increasingly higher lake levels and the most extensive arboreal cover of the entire record. The ‘Little Ice Age’ appeared suddenly, within 40 years, at AD 1350 and is reflected in all of the proxies, including a positive shift in δ18O, a sharp decrease in pollen of shrub and herb to the benefit of pine trees and a rapid increase in benthic diatom abundance indicating a lake level shallowing. In many parts of the record, a close match between the stable isotopes and the pollen assemblage zones in the last 2800 years demonstrates that climate rather than human activity was the primary driver of vegetation cover in this mid-altitude mountain of NW Anatolia.

The identification of past connection routes between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, other than the traditional one through to the Bosphorus Strait, would be of considerable interest to the international scientific community. Nazik et al. (Geo-Mar Lett 31:75–86 (2011) doi: 10.1007/s00367-010-0216-9) suggest the possibility of two alternative waterway connections via lakes Sapanca and İznik. Their Black Sea to Sea of Marmara multi-connection hypothesis, which is based on undated marine fossils collected in both lakes from surficial grab samples, conflicts with many earlier studies. In this contribution, the hypothesis and the underlying data are discussed in the light of previous tectonic, sedimentological and limnological findings showing that it is impossible to have had marine connections through lakes Sapanca and İznik during the last 11.5 ka. Global sea-level trends and tectonic uplift rates would accommodate a connection between the Sea of Marmara and Lake İznik in the middle Pleistocene. Uplift rates for the northern block of the North Anatolian Fault, when compared with the global sea-level curve, clearly indicate that there cannot have been a connection through the İzmit Gulf–Lake Sapanca–Sakarya Valley for at least the past 500 ka. Moreover, borehole sediments along the western shores of Lake Sapanca, which reach down to the bedrock, do not contain any marine fossils.

Lake Sünnet, a freshwater landslide-dammed lake in NW Anatolia, comprises a10m thick widespread of Early-to-mid Holocene deltaic sediments. Paleo-environmental interpretation of these deposits coupled with a high-resolution data (18yrs/sample) of stable O and C isotopes, magnetic susceptibility and total organic and carbonate contents, allows an understanding of the nature of the mid-Holocene climatic transition as well as the short duration extreme events in relatively humid NW Turkey. Detailed sedimentological logging showed that four phases of progradation of deltaic sand bodies over pro-delta muds occurred. It is suggested that they correspond to phases of increased precipitation. A sudden vertical transition from lacustrine muds to subaerial colluvial facies at 5.9kacal BP is considered to be due to lake level drop related to water deficit. Oxygen isotope data suggest that the Mid-Holocene transition with high mean summer temperatures initiated at 7.3kacal BP and continued until the end of the section, with an interruption by a humid event between 6.8 and 6.0kacal BP. Centennial extreme events characterized by sharp δ18O positive shifts (1–2 permil) are also encountered at 9.2, 8.9, 8.2, and 7.6kacal BP. A comparison of the Lake Sünnet record with previous Aegean and Sea of Marmara palynological and sea surface temperature data shows a good fit in terms of the timing and nature of mid-Holocene transition and Early Holocene cold events. The Lake Sünnet stable isotope record particularly suggests gradually increasing summer temperatures and hence continentality during the mid-Holocene cooling in the Mediterranean.