A new diverse charophyte flora and biozonation of the Eocene bauxite cover-sequence at Gánt (Vértes Hills, Hungary)

A diverse Eocene charophyte flora from a section at Gánt (Vértes Hills), Transdanubian Central Range, north-western Hungary, provides significant new information building on previous studies based only sub-surface data published the mid-twentieth century. This newly acquired material facilitates taxonomic revision and emendation of species Raskyella peckii thereby defines anagenetic lineage three successive varieties that were formerly considered as separate or subspecies: var. (early Lutetian–early Bartonian), caliciformis vadaszii (late Bartonian). Based this lineage, we propose local biozonation consists ‘Raskyella Superzone’ (Lutetian–Bartonian), sub-divided into partial range zones: Zone’ (Lutetian–lower-most Bartonian) characterized by an assemblage R. peckii, Gyrogona caelata forma caelata, G. monolifera Nitellopsis (Tectochara) aff. palaeohungarica, (lower caliciformis, monolifera, baccata, palaeohungarica Chara media, (upper vadaszii, bicincta, fasciata, tuberosa, Psilochara polita, sp., media subcylindrica. Future research may show applicable to whole Europe complementary current European biozonation. Our results sequences Gánt, which previously regarded upper mid-Eocene Lutetian–lower in age, appear represent longer chronostratigraphic interval: lower Lutetian Bartonian. imply more stepwise major transgression Range than thought.