The term otoliths refers to the ear bones of fishes. These calcareous structures are a part of the stato-acustical organ of advanced fishes. This organ corresponds to the inner ear (labyrinth) and is responsible for the ability to hear and the equilibrium sense. Otoliths are usually only a few mm in length, since the calcareous material that forms these microfossils is well preservable it is possible to investigate them even after million of years. Each otolith has a characteristic shape and is typical for a certain species of fish. This is why fossils species or even whole faunas can be recognised without a single fish bone present.
The oldest known otoliths are those of palaeoniscid fishes from the Middle or even Lower Devonian, this means that they are about 380 million years old. Until the late Jurassic, about 145 million years ago, they occur only rarely. The otolith material of the Geosciences Collection is mainly between 65 and 2 million years old.
The otoliths of the Menzel collection
Herbert Menzel from Bremen, born in 1927, collected the otolith materialof the Geosciences Collection. He was working in the field of mechanical engineering, but in his spare-time he dealt with otoliths since 1968. At the beginning of his career dealing with microfossils was closely related to the limited space at his home, collecting megafossils would have been too space-consuming as a permanent hobby Dr. Thorwald Kruckow encouraged him to do research on otoliths and after a short while he became a recognised specialist for these fossils. He collected otoliths from Northern Germany, especially from the Oligocene and Miocene (5-34 million years ago), a part of his collection comes from the famous former Sunder clay pit in Twistringen, south of Bremen. In co-operation with the Niedersächsischen Landesamt für Bodenforschung (Institute for subsurface research of the state of Lower Saxony) he worked on many drilling holes in Lower Saxony. This work was based on fossil material for comparison from other parts of Germany as well as Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands. He also dealt particularly intensive with the otoliths of Turkey, that are Oligocene to Pleistocene in age. Material for comparison with modern fishes were provided for his collection by the Bundesforschungsanstalt für Fischerei in Bremerhaven (Federal Research Institute for Fishing in Bremerhaven).
| Country/region | Locality |
Material from drilling cores
|
Age |
| Northern Germany, Lower Saxony | |||
| Achim | Miocene | ||
| Ahausen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Apensen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Astrup | Oligocene | ||
| Bevern |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Bornberg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Bossel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Bötersen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Buschhörne |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Dersdorf |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Dollern |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Dreilingen |
x
|
Oligocene-Miocene | |
| Ellenbruch |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Engelbostel | Hauterivian | ||
| Freetz near Sittensen | Miocene | ||
| Gartow |
x
|
Oligozän | |
| Goldbeck |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Gräpel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Hackmühlen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Hamersen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Harsefeld | Miocene | ||
| Hassendorf near Rotenburg | Miocene | ||
| Hellwege |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Horst |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Jesteburg | Miocene | ||
| Karwitz |
x
|
Oligocene | |
| Kassebruch |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Kesselhofkamp |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Kuhla |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Linnewedel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Lohfeld |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Lüneburg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Luhner Holz |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Narthausen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Nieder-Ochsenhausen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Nindorf |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Nordlohne | Miocene | ||
| Oerreller Moor |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Oldendorf |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Ostedt |
x
|
Oligocene and Miocene | |
| Pohlkotte | Oligocene | ||
| Rhaden near Lamstedt | Miocene | ||
| Rhadereistedt |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Scheeßel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Secklendorf |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Secklingen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Söllingen near Jerxheim | Oligocene | ||
| Steinfeld |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Tarmstedt | Miocene | ||
| Tegel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Twistringen | Miocene | ||
| Wangersen |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Wedehof |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Weyhausen |
x
|
Oligocene | |
| Wistedt |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Wittkoppenberg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Wittkopsbostel |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Worth near Rotenburg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Northern Germany, Northrhine-Westphalia | |||
| Dahlheim |
x
|
Oligocene | |
| Dingden – Berg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Doberg near Bünde | Oligocene | ||
| Hilden near Düsseldorf | Oligocene | ||
| Matzerath | Oligocene | ||
| Rheinberg | Oligocene | ||
| Wachtendonk |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Northern Germany, Schleswig-Holstein | |||
| Groß Pampau | Miocene | ||
| Langnklint | Miocene | ||
| Pinneberg |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Tornesch |
x
|
Miocene | |
| Northern Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |||
| Kobrow near Sternberg | Oligocene | ||
| Malliß | Oligocene | ||
| Pinnow | Oligocene | ||
| Hessen, Southern Germany | |||
| Ahnetal | Oligocene | ||
| Deute, Gudensberg | Oligocene | ||
| Hallgarten | Oligocene | ||
| Höllkopf near Glimmerode | Oligocene | ||
| Kassel | Oligocene | ||
| Niederkaufungen | Oligocene | ||
| Oberkaufungen | Oligocene | ||
| Weinheim | Oligocene | ||
| Wöllstein | Oligocene | ||
| Saarland, Southern Germany | |||
| Breitenheim | Perm | ||
| Meisenheim | Permian, Rotliegendes | ||
| Belgium | |||
| Balegem near Gent | Eozän | ||
| Edegem | Miocene | ||
| Egem | Eozän | ||
| Heist op den Berg | Miocene | ||
| Kallo | Pliozän | ||
| Denmark | |||
| Gram | Miocene | ||
| France | |||
| Blaincourt | Eozän | ||
| Chateau Rouge | Eozän | ||
| Damery | Eozän | ||
| Fayel | Eozän | ||
| Fercourt | Eozän | ||
| Fleury la Riviere | Eozän | ||
| Grignon | Eozän | ||
| Saucats | Miocene | ||
| Villiers St. Frederic | Eozän | ||
| Italy | |||
| Campore, Salomaggiore | Pliozän | ||
| Cutrofiano | Pliozän | ||
| Cava Caudana Monteu Roero | Pliozän | ||
| S.Agata | Miocene | ||
| Netherlands | |||
| Miste near Winterswijk | Miocene | ||
| Austria | |||
| Baden | Tertiary, indeterminate | ||
| Gainfarn near Baden | Miocene | ||
| Laa a. d. Thaya | Miocene | ||
| Stetten, Teiritzberg | Miocene | ||
| Teiritzberg near Korneuburg | Miocene | ||
| Turkey | |||
| Deliilyas near Sivas | Miocene | ||
| Fethiye near Mugla | Pliocene | ||
| Kale near Denizli | Miocene | ||
| Kalecik near Ankara | Miocene | ||
| Kalikik near Ankara | Miocene | ||
| Kangal Becken near Sivas | Miocene | ||
| Kasaba Ebene near Antalya | Miocene | ||
| Göynük near Bolu | Pleistocene | ||
| Kale near Denizli | Miocene | ||
| Kas near Antalya | Miocene | ||
| Sabuncu near Kütahya | Pliocene-Pleistocene | ||
| Samandagi near Hatay | Tertiary, indeterminate | ||
| Saruhanli near Manisa | Miocene | ||
| Selendi Becken near Manisa | Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene | ||
| Sussurluk near Balikesir | Miocene | ||
| Yerkesik Gebiet near Mugla | Oligocene-Miocene |
All of these different sources allowed Herbert Menzel to build up a unique collection for comparison that he donated to the Geosciences Collection in autumn 2002. The material is well-labelled and completely implemented in a data base. He published parts of his collection by himself in more than 30 publications on this topic.
References
- Menzel, H. (1978): Otolithen und ihre Bedeutung in der Paläontologie. – Aufschluss 29: 89-92.
- — (1979): Die Fischfauna aus dem Mittelmiozän von Twistringen. – Abhandlungen Naturwissenschaflicher Verein Bremen 39: 83-127.
- — (1980): Die Fischfauna aus dem Oberoligozän von Astrup bei Osnabrück. – Abhandlungen Naturwissenschaflicher Verein Bremen 39: 263- 282.
- Menzel, H. & Becker-Platen, J. D. (1981): Otolithen aus dem Tertiär der Türkei (Känozoikum und Braunkohlen der Türkei. – Geologisches Jahrbuch 42, 5 -91.
- Menzel, H. (1982): Ein Vergleich fossiler mit rezenten Otolithen. – Aufschluss 33: 397-403.
- — (1983): Die Otolithen einiger oligozäner Vorkommen vorwiegend aus dem Kasseler Meeressand (Oberoligozän). – Geologisches Jahrbuch Hessen 111: 5-45.
- Menzel, H. & George, P. (1984): Untersuchung einer tertiären Scholle in einer Sandgrube bei Tarmstedt, nordöstlich von Bremen. – Abhandlungen Naturwissenschaflicher Verein Bremen 40: 137-154.
- Menzel, H., George, P. & von Fick, C. C. (1984): Untersuchung des Profils der Tongrube Twistringen sw. Bremen (Mittelmiozän; Reinbek-Stufe). – Aufschluss 35: 137-150.
- Menzel, H. (1985): Anormal gestaltete fossile Otolithen. – Aufschluss 36: 165-167.
- — (1986): Otolithen aus dem Oligozän und Miozän von Nordwestdeutschland (zwischen Elbe-Weser-Aller). – Nordwestdeutschland im Tertiär, Teil 1. – (Beitr., Reg. Erde) 18: 446-502.- Bornträger, Berlin-Stuttgart.
- — (1991): Revision der Fischfauna von Twistringen (Mittelmiozän, Bez. Bremen). – Aufschluss 42: 201-206.
- — (1992): Ein Otolith der Familie Caproidae aus dem Miozän von Norddeutschland. – Aufschluss 43: 229-230.
- Menzel, H., George, P. & Schick, H. (1994): Eine miozäne Scholle aus der Tongrube in Rhaden bei Lamstedt. – Aufschluss 45: 11-25.
- Menzel, H. (1997): Die Tongrube der Ziegelei Sunder in Twistringen (Bez. Bremen). – Aufschluss 48: 16-20.
- — (1997): Die Ziegeleitongrube Sunder in Twistringen-Typuslokalität miozäner Fossilien. – Aufschluss 48: 154-160.
- — (2000): Fossile Otolithen der Ordnung Siluriformes Cuvier 1817 aus dem Tertiär von Nord- und Westdeutschland. – Aufschluss 51: 355-359.
- — (2001): Otolithen der Gattung Coelorinchus (Fam. Macrouridae) aus dem Tertiär des Nordsee-Beckens. – Aufschluss 52: 187-191.