Stratigraphically important conodonts occurring in the Anisian/Ladinian boundary interval are preliminarily described and their evolutionary lineages discussed. Among them some new taxa are proposed. Gondolella constricta postcornuta ssp. n., G. fueloepi, sp. n. with two new subspecies, G. liebermani Kovacs & Krystyn sp. n. and G.? praehungarica sp. n. Two of the new ones, G. constricta postcornuta and G. ?praehungarica are recognized as zonal index forms in the Balaton Highland Middle Triassic.

During mapping between Aggtelek, J6svafO and Egerszog (Aggtelek Hills, Silica Nappe) a new basinal limestone sequence was recognised in between the Steinalm and Wetterstein platform limestones. It comprises Schreyeralm Fm. (base) and Raming Fm. (top) . The latter one is new for Hungary. We describe two section s (Nagy Jenei Hill and Baradla Cave). In both the Schreyeralm Fm. is characterised by reddish coquina rich micritic limestone. The Raming Fm. consists of allodapic calcarenites and reef detritus sand­ wiched between filament mud- to wackestones. In the upper part, the resedimented reef detritus becomes more and more frequent. In the Baradla Cave section radiolarite beds with a tuffite intercalation terminate the basinal succession. The base of the Schreyeralm Fm. is heterochronous (late Pelsonian to PelsonianlIlIyrian). The base of the Raming Fm. contains conodonts referring to an age interval of Trinodosus up to most part of Reitzi Zone (early-middle Illyrian). The top is also heterochronous.lts age is middle Illyrian (Trinodosus - most part of Reitzi Zone) in the NW and Fassanian (Curionii Zone) in the SE part. The sedimentation was controlled by a halfgraben morphology of the basement. The closest similarity to this formation can be found in the Slovak part of the Silica Nappe and in well oxi­ genated zones of Reifling basin in the Hronic Unit. In the Juvavic Domain of the Northern Calcareous Alps the "Southern" slope facies (s ensu Mandl 1999 , 2000) of the Wetterstein platform , where Raming-type allo­ dapic limestones interfinger with open marine variegated pelagic carbonates , is closely related to the newly recognised Raming Fm . in the Aggtelek Hills.

A shallowing-upward carbonate sequence was studied from the outcrop at Gyulakeszi, Tapolca Basin (western Hungary), and it is interpreted as a Middle Triassic (Curionii or younger) platform progradation. Two lithostratigraphic units are distinguished. Microfacies analysis and micropaleontological investigation conducted on the red nodular, cherry limestone (Vaszoly and Buchenstein formations) suggest that the lower unit was deposited during the Reitzi and the Secedensis ammonoid zones. The overlying white platform limestone (upper unit) is typical of a prograding platform and includes gravity-driven deposits at the base followed by periplatform facies deposited in shallow marine warm waters around the fair-weather wave base. The section at Gyulakeszi was unaffected by fabric-destructive dolomitization, which is uncharacteristic of similar platform facies in the Balaton Highland. Isopachous and radiaxial fibrous calcite cement found in the grainstone and boundstone facies are indicative of early lithification and diagenesis in the marine phreatic zone. "Evinospongiae"-type cement is described for the first time from the Balaton Highland and it is similar to the outer platform cements published previously from the Alps (Italy and Austria). The progradation could have advanced over the pelagic limestones as early as the Curionii zone, which is an undocumented event in the Veszprem Plateau. Similar event, however, is well known from the Western Dolomites, where aggradation was followed by intense progradation during the Gredleri and Archelaus ammonoid zones. The length of this progradation event at Gyulakeszi, however, is ambiguous since proven Ladinian (Longobardian) rocks are not exposed in the study area and were not penetrated by boreholes in the Tapolca Basin.

Below the Middle to lower Upper Jurassic ophiolitic melange and their overlying ophiolite nappes of the Dinaridic Ophiolite Belt in the Zlatibor Mountain area occur olistoliths and slide-blocks. These consist of Triassic carbonates and radiolarites of variable age and palaeogeographic provenance. The matrixes of these blocks are late Middle Jurassic radiolarites and clays. The different carbonate rocks were commonly interpreted to derive from the near-by Drina-Ivanjica Unit. In contrast, the radiolarites should represent the original sedimentary cover of the ophiolitic rocks of the Dinaridic Ophiolite Belt, i.e. the obducted oceanic crust of the Neotethys Ocean, originally located far to the east. The carbonate blocks in the Zlatibor (Sirogojno) melange reach several tens to hundreds of metres in size, occasionally even kilometres. Several olistoliths and blocks contain well-preserved parts of the Middle Triassic sedimentary succession. Their stratigraphy and facies evolution allowed the reconstruction of a sedimentary succession originating from the same palaeogeographic provenance of a relatively proximal passive continental margin setting, located originally east of the Drina-Ivanjica Unit. Different red nodular limestones of the Bulog Formation were deposited on top of a drowned Middle Anisian (Pelsonian) shallow-water carbonate ramp; beside condensed sections of red nodular limestones equal-aged thick successions with megabreccias occur, indicating the creation of steep fault escarpments and rapid subsidence. In contrast to this continuous sedimentary succession, Triassic sections of the relatively autochthonous Drina-Ivanjica Unit indicate Late Pelsonian uplift of the Middle Anisian carbonate ramp. After a hiatus (Late Pelsonian to Early Illyrian), deposition of grey cherty limestones with shallow-water debris (newly described as Rid Formation) started in the Middle to Late Illyrian. The focus of this paper is on the age, the depositional environment and the facies characteristics of the Late Anisian hemipelagic successions. Based on this study it is concluded that in the Inner Dinarides domain the Middle Anisian Neotethyan break-up resulted in the generation of a horst-and-graben topography. Blocks were uplifted in a rift shoulder manner and asymmetric basins were formed. Mass flows and slide blocks were mobilized along normal faults of the evolving western passive continental margin of the Neotethys Ocean.

Comparative volcanological, mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical studies of blocks of Triassic submarine basalt occurrences hosted by the Jurassic mélange have been carried out. The studied localities are located in displaced parts of the Dinarides in NE-Hungary (Darnó Unit), in the Dinarides (Kalnik Mts., Croatia and Vareš-Smreka, Bosnia and Herzegovina), and in the Hellenides (Stragopetra, Greece). The common characteristic of the studied occurrences is the well observable result of the lava–water-saturated sediment mingling, i.e., the presence of the so-called carbonate peperitic facies. Mixing of the basaltic lava with pelagic lime mud (representing the unconsolidated stage of the red, micritic limestone), as well as fluid inclusion and chlorite thermometry data support that the carbonate peperite was formed above CCD and at the Bosnian locality, a shallower water, about 1.4 km depth is proven. The igneous rocks show mainly within-plate basalt geochemical characteristics; MORB signatures are not common. Low temperature (<200°C) hydrothermal alteration is characteristic to the pillow basalt blocks with peperitic facies. The similarities in the volcanological, geochemical, and textural characteristics observed at the different localities support a strong genetic connection among them. The results of this study suggest to the advanced rifting stage origin of the Triassic basaltic suits and their distinction from the true oceanic basalt pillow units of the Dinarides can be based on the occurrences of the peperite facies.

The study is based on the radiolarian assemblages of five radiolarite outcrops and two boreholes from the Darno and Szarvasko Complex, Hungary, and three radiolarite sections from the western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit in Serbia. These investigated sections belong to a Mesozoic volcano-sedimentary melange belt that can be followed from the Hellenides, through the Dinarides to the western Carpathians. Samples from radiolarite localities in the Darno and Szarvasko Complex contain a mixture of Middle Triassic (Illyrian to Longobardian) and Upper Triassic (Carnian) fairly poorly preserved radiolarian assemblages. Radiolarite samples from the western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit (Gostilje, Krs Gradac and Bukovi) yielded poorly preserved Upper Triassic (Carnian-?Norian) radiolarians. Co-occurrences of Middle and Upper Triassic radiolarian specimens in Darno and Szarvasko Complex suggest resedimentation during the Carnian or later. One new radiolarian species (Baumgartneria szarvaskoensis n. sp.) is described herein from the Darno and Szarvasko Complex.

The Avdella Mélange in the northern Pindos Mountains and its equivalent formation, the Loggitsion Unit in the Othris Mountains expose early Mesozoic (Mid-Late Triassic) oceanic fragments beneath the Western Greek Ophiolite Belt of the Inner Hellenides, Northern Greece. The mélange consists of locally interfingering blocks and slices of ribbon radiolarite, radiolarian chert and pillow basalt and is usually overthrust by Jurassic ophiolites. New Middle and Upper Triassic radiolarian biostratigraphic data are presented from radiolarites and basalt-radiolarite sequences within mélange blocks. Pillow basalts associated with the radiolarites provide clues to the opening of the Neotethyan ocean basin. The radiolarians indicate a Middle Triassic age (latest Anisian, probably early Illyrian), which is documented for the first time in the northern Pindos Mountains. The new radiolarian biostratigraphic data suggest that rift-type basalt volcanism already began in pre-Ladinian time (late Scythian?—Anisian). These basalts were then overlain by Upper Anisian to Carnian (?Norian) radiolarites.

The directly underlying sediments of the Recsk andesite stratovolcano contain characteristic Priabonian larger foraminifera and on their top the calcareous nannoplankton indicates the NP 21 zone marking about the vicinity of the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Priabonian limestones of the neighbouring areas do not contain tuffaceous intercalations. Nannofossils of the above age also have been extracted from the intercalations of the lower part of the stratovolcanic andesite, and the older group of relevant radiometric ages detect similar ages (31–37 Ma). The first tuffs in the neighbouring territories appear in the lowermost Oligocene sediments. The younger group of relevant radiometric ages marks 27–30 Ma. Sediments directly overlying the andesite contain characteristic Oligocene larger foraminifera indicating most probably the basal part of the Chattian. Approximately the same age can be given based on the calcareous nannoplankton from the Kiscell clay just above the larger foraminiferal sediments. Tuffitic intercalations in the vicinity of Recsk can be followed throughout the Rupelian and up to about the first one-third of the Chattian. Thus, the polycyclic volcanic activity in Recsk lasted about 7 million years and seems to have been extending during the first two-third of the Oligocene from about 34 to 27 Ma. This interval covers practically the whole duration of the Kiscellian in the Central Paratethyan subdivision corresponding to the whole Rupelian and also to the first one-third of the Chattian. recsk_kotet_20080208.indd 59 2008.02.08. 20:01:02 György Less, Mária Báldi-Beke, Sarolta Pálfalvi, János Földessy, Botond Kertész 60

Sponges from the Middle Triassic reef limestone of the Aggtelek Karst (NE Hungary) The hypercalcified sponge fauna of the Middle Triassic (Anisian-Ladinian) reef limestone exposed between Aggtelek-Jósvafő-Égerszög (northern Hungary) is described. Almost all the identified species are chambered sponges ("sphinctozoa"). Only two fragments of a not determinable species of non-chambered species ("inozoa") were identified. Hexactinellid sponges are not found. The majority of the Middle Anisian "sphinctozoans" are absolutely different genera, not known from the Permian reefs. The sponge fauna of the Triassic pioneer reefs in the Aggtelek Karst are distinctly small-scaled occurring in "Tubiphytes"-dominated carbonates. The following taxa are described: Amblysiphonella sp., Celyphia zoldana Ott, Pisa & Farabegoli, Colospongia catenulata catenulata Ott, C. catenulata macrocatenulata Scholz, Follicatena cautica Ott, Kovacsia baloghi (Kovács), Solenolmia manon manon (Münster), S. radiata Senowbari-Daryan & Riedel, Olangocoelia otti Bechstädt & Brandner, Thaumastocoelia dolomitica Senowbari-Daryan, Zühlke, Bechstädt & Flügel, Thaumastocoelia cf., Th. cassiana Steinmann.

The 1:10,000 scale mapping of the southern part of the Aggtelek Plateau (Western Carpathians, Silica Nappe, NE Hungary) and the study of five sections revealed two Middle Triassic reef bodies. In the late Pelsonian the uniform Steinalm Platform was drowned and dissected due to the Reifling Event. A connection with the open sea was established, indicated by the appearance of gladigondolellid conodonts from the early Illyrian. Basins and highs were formed. In the NW part of the studied area lower - middle? Illyrian basinal carbonates were followed by a platform margin reef (early?-middle Illyrian; reef stage 1) developed on a morphological high. This is the oldest known Triassic platform margin reef within the Alpine-Carpathian region. The reef association is dominated by sphinctozoans and microproblematics. The fossils are characteristic of the Wetterstein-type reef communities. Differently from this in the SE part of the studied region a basin existed from the late Pelsonian until the early Ladinian. During the late Illyrian- early Ladinian, the reef prograded to the SE, and reef stage 2 was established. Meanwhile, on the NW part of the platform a lagoon was formed behind the reef. Based on our palaeontological study the stratigraphic range of Colospongia catenulata, Follicatena cautica, Solenolmia manon manon, Vesicocaulis oenipontanus must be extended down to the middle Illyrian. Synsedimentary tectonics were detected in the 1. Binodosus Subzone, 2. Trinodosus Zone - the most part of the Reitzi Zone, 3. Avisianum Subzone.

The Darnó Unit in NE Hungary contains basalt and associated sediments related to the advanced rifting stage of Triassic age in the Neotethys. A detailed field study of five key outcrops and two deep wells revealed that only distal facies of basaltic lava flows of submarine volcanoes occur as blocks in the Jurassic mélange; the central and the most distal facies are missing. The advanced rifting-related Triassic and oceanic stage-related Jurassic basalt flows of the same mélange can be distinguished on the basis of lithostratigraphic, structural and textural features. The paper contains for the first time the detailed description of the key outcrops of peperitic facies consisting of a mixture of basalt and red micritic limestone. The occurrence of this facies is the principle key feature for discrimination in the field between Triassic and Jurassic basalt. In addition, four types of Triassic basalt were recognized: the Báj-patak-type, the Mély Valley-type, the Nagy-Rézoldal-type and the Reszél Hill-type. The observed peculiarities of advanced rift-related basalt are also compared to characteristics of volcanics encountered in wells drilled in the Darnó Unit. This comparison solves many problems of earlier interpretations of the studied wellbore sections.

The Mid-Hungarian (or Zagreb-Zemplin) Line of WSW-ENE strike divides the Pannonian basement into two mega-units, the Tisia Composite Terrane in the SE and the ALCAPA Composite Terrane in the NW. They became juxtaposed no earlier than the Middle Miocene (Karpathian). Their present adjacent zones show very different Variscan and Alpine evolution and relationships, which are briefly reviewed here and confronted in the light of detailed correlational work published during the last decade. The present contribution summarizes Variscan and Alpine evolution of units/terranes juxtaposed along the Mid-Hungarian Line, the major terrane boundary in the pre-Neogene basement of the Pannonian Basin, as can be seen on the Circum-Pannonian terrane maps.

The geologic key section at the northwestern margin of the village of Bodvalenke represents the stratotype of the Triassic Bodvalenke Limestone Formation and can be considered as the type section of the Bodva Unit of the Rudabanya Hills. The age of the exposed part of the formation in the type section ranges from the Late Anisian (Gondolella constricta cornuta partial range zone) to the early Late Carnian (Gondolella polygnathiformis interval zone). Its typical variety consists of purplish red to pinkish, strongly chertified, thinly-bedded micritic limestone, with frequent intercalations of mmthick purplish red shale layers and whitish-gray coquina beds. These beds are made up of tiny shells of Posydonia-like juvenile bivalves, often showing gradation. This deep water facies represents the transition between Hallstatt Limestone and red radiolarite. This facies type occurs from Oman via southern Turkey throughout the western ophiolite belt of the Hellenides-Dinarides until the Zagorje region in NW...

The Mid-Hungarian Zone is a WSW-ENE trending composite structural unit in the basement of the Pannonian Basin that is made up of displaced crustal fragments (terranes) of South Alpine and Dinaridic origin. In the early stage of the Alpine evolution these fragments were located in various sectors of the NW Neotethys region, representing different paleogeographic settings from passive margin through continental slope to oceanic basement. Middle to Late Jurassic closure of the Neotethys led to the development of a suture zone made up of subduction-related complexes that can be followed all along the strike of the Dinarides. During the Cretaceous compressional stages, nappe stacks were formed from the accretionary complex and the fragments of the previously disrupted passive margin. Eastward extrusion (escape) of the ALCAPA Mega-unit during the Oligocene to Early Miocene led to large-scale displacement of fragments of this nappe stack, transporting them to their present-day position, and resulted in dispersal of the northwestern segment of the suture zone. The paper summarizes the basic characteristics of the dislocated blocks, evaluates their relationships and determines their original setting.

The present review provides an explanation to the Triassic sheet of the "Tectonostratigraphic terrane and paleoenvironment maps of the Circum-Pannonian Region" series. Five multiple composite terranes (named herein as megaterranes) are distinguished in the region regarding their Variscan and Alpine evolution: ALCAPA (including the Gemer-Bukk-Zagorje Composite Terrane at its southernmost part), Dacia, Tisia, Adria-Dinaria and Vardar. We present in this review their Early Alpine/early Neotethyan evolution, beginning with the Middle Permian transgression on the eastern part of the Camic-Dinaridic microplate, which gradually reached the Peritethyan region by the early Middle Triassic (except some parts of the Dacia Megaterrane), when intense carbonate production started. The Neotethyan oceanic rifting began in the Middle-Late Anisian by the disrupture and breakdown of the Steinalin-type carbonate ramp. However, establishment of new oceanic crust has been proven from the latest Anisian/earliest Ladinian (Oertlispongus inaequispinosus radiolarian zone) onward. In the Ladinian the paleogeographical pattern of the Neotethys NW-end became fully established: an oceanic domain in the middle, and its continental margins: the European or Carpatho-Balkanide developed on the Variscan Mediterranean Crystalline Zone and on the continuation of the Moldanubian Zone, and the Adriatic one developed on the Variscan Carnic-Dinaridic microplate. The former included the northern and central parts of the present ALCAPA Megaterrane, the Tisia Megaterrane and the Dacia Megaterrane; whereas the latter included the southern parts of the ALCAPA Megaterrane (the Bakonyia Terrane and the Zagorje-Bukk-Gemer Composite Terrane). The Early-Middle Anisian carbonate ramp stage was ended by a drowning event in the Late Anisian. It was followed by development of an articulated see-bottom, when platforms (Wetterstein-type) and basins (Reining and Buchenstein Formations) came into being on both margins. Additionally, as the main difference compared to the European margin, on the Adriatic margin Anisian synsedimentary tectonic movements resulted in emersion and erosion of certain blocks, marked by Richthofen-, Uggowitz- and Otarnik-type conglomerates and breccias, that were followed by intense, controversially interpreted (island arc or early rift type?), mainly calc-alkaline volcanism with the paroxism in the Ladinian (formerly known in the Dinarides as the "Porphyrite-Chert Formation"). During the Carnian "Raibl or Lunz event", related to humid climate, the basins in between the Wetterstein platforms became filled up mainly by siliciclastics and on the smoothed surface intense carbonate production (Dachstein Limestone, "Main Dolomite") took place from the Late Carnian till the end of the Triassic (which continued on large parts of the Adriatic-Dinaridic Carbonate Platform till the end of the Mesozoic). Well-expressed facies polarity shown by the gradual Neotethyan transgression from the Middle Permian to the earliest Middle Triassic and by Late Triassic facies zones (Hallstatt/Bodvalenke Limestone on the distal drowned part of the continental margin - Dachstein Limestone with reef facies on the outer shelf zone - Hauptdolomit or "Main Dolomite" on the inner shelf zone - Carpathian Keuper or Keuper-like continental siliciclastics in the Peritethyan zone) is the best indicator of the existence of displaced/exotic terranes in the Circum-Pannonian Region, regarding especially the two sides of the Periadriatic-Balaton and Zagreb-Zemplin or Mid-Hungarian lineaments.Thus, the Pannoian basement represents a school/textbook example of such a kind of terrane, brought about mainly by sizeable Tertiary (pre-Middle Miocene) strike-slip and rotational displacements, or dispersions. However, at the NE border of the Zagorje-Bukk-Gemer Composite Terrane the lateral displacement, regarding dispersed remnants of the Hallstatt - Meliata Zone, should have preceded the Cretaceous nappe stacking.The Bosnian-Serbian sector in the southern part of the Circum-Pannonian Region represents the NW-most part of the complex Neotethyan suture zone(s) extending from SE Asia up to here over a length of some 12,000 km. Further to the N, or NW and NE only small fragments (representing typical examples of disrupted terranes) of the Neotethyan accretionary complexes can be found in the area of the "Carpathian loop" (Zagorje-Bukk/Darno and Meliata Units, Transylvanides), dispersed due to late Mesozoic to Tertiary tectonic movements; a fact, which cannot be neglected in Early Mesozoic palcogeographical reconstructions.