HORNUNG, T. (2006)

Conodont biostratigraphy of the Lercheck / Königsleiten section near Berchtesgaden (Late Ladinian - Hallstatt Limestones)

Abstract

Grey to faintly red-coloured, well-bedded limestones in the south-western part of the Lercheck-Hallstatt Limestone succession near Berchtesgaden, Southern Germany, were age-dated by conodonts into the Langobardian 1-2. This disagrees with other studies, which assigned the succession to the "Carnian and Norian" limestones. These investigations, however, did not provide detailed biostratigraphical data. Within the reddish-coloured limestones, in the lower part of the studied section, the monospecific occurrence of Gladigondolella tethydis (Huckriede) is characteristic for the Budurovignathus truempyi to B. hungaricus conodont assemblage zone (A.Z.), representing Fassanian 2 to Langobardian 1. The assemblage of five species (Budurovignathus mungoensis, Gladigondolella malayensis, Gl. tethydis, Neogondolella inclinata and Gondolella trammeri), found in bedded grey limestones in the upper part of the section, most probably indicates the B. mungoensis A.Z. (Langobardian 2).
Lithologically, the limestones can be compared to the thick-bedded grey limestones of the uppermost Langobardian to lower Julian. As exposed at the adjacent Freygutweg section and in the Jakobberg gallery, the Lercheck and Königsleiten section can be interpreted as their downward continuation (Hornung and Brandner 2005, Hornung 2006, this volume).