The Upper Burdigalian (Ottnangian) brachiopod fauna from the northern coast of the Upper Marine Molasse Sea in Bavaria, Southern Germany

This study presents the first detailed description of brachiopods from the Early Miocene of the Paratethys. Six brachiopod taxa have been identified from the Late Burdigalian (Ottnangian) of the Upper Marine Molasse of Bavaria, Southern Germany. A new genus of short-looped terebratulide, Gurlarnella gen. nov. is introduced. Two species, Aphelesia winebergeri sp. nov. and Gurlarnella waltli gen. et sp. nov., are new to science. Two well-known species of the family Megathyrididae, Megathiris detruncata (GMELIN, 1791) and Argyrotheca cf. subradiata (SANDBERGER, 1863) are recorded. Two additional taxa, Lingula sp. and Terebratula? sp., are described in open nomenclature. This low diversity brachiopod assemblage is distinctly different in taxonomic composition from the brachiopod faunas from the Middle Miocene of the Paratethys, but closely resembles a Miocene assemblage described from a comparable facies on Malta. This suggests that these brachiopod assemblages are facies controlled.