Karpov Yar Locality
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| Karpov Yar Locality | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Middle Miocene | |
| Type | Site |
| Overlies | Cretaceous conglomerate and chert |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Clay, Marl, Diatomite |
| Location | |
| Country | Moldova |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Karpov Yar |
The Karpov Yar Locality is a paleontological site located in northern Moldova dating to the Middle Miocene. These layers contain a number of fish specimens with a different faunal composition to similar sites in the region. Unlike in other localities, clupeids are the most common fish group with more benthic fish also making up a large amount of the biota. Similar to other sites in the region, the Karpov Yar Locality represents an ecosystem within the Eastern Paratethys which would have been largely separated from the rest of the inland sea at the time of preservation.
Comparisons with other biotas
The Karpov Yar Locality is located in northern Moldova near the township of Naslavcea, specifically within a nearby ravine. It is largely made up of layers of marls and diatomites with the base of the site being made up of clays. The locality unconformably overlies conglomerates and cherts that have been dated to the Upper Cretaceous. The fish specimens found at the locality are found throughout the more marine sediments while only leaf fossils are found at the base.[1]
The ichthyofauna of the Karpov Yar Locality is different from other localities in the region due to the fact that clupeids are not the dominant fish family at the site, rather being atherinids. Even with this being the case, clupeids are common though not as common as gobies. The only site from a similar time and region is the Tsurevsky assemblage in Russia with a very different fauna that only shares a few genera with the Karpov Yar Locality. Benthic fish are also much more common at Karpov Yar, especially with gobies. It has been suggested that this large difference in fauna is due to an interrupted connection between the basin.[1]