title: Propeamussiidae, Inoceramidae, and other Bivalvia from the Lower Cretaceous Puez Formation (Valanginian-Cenomanian; Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy).
abstract: A bivalve assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous Puez Formation at the type locality, Piz de Puez (Dolomites, South Tyrol, northern Italy) is described. Given the large amount of sedimentary rock screened during the course of this study, the <50 bivalves examined here, although occurring in very low abundance, are considered to represent a reasonably comprehensive sample. The assemblage provides insight into an autochthonous, Mesozoic, deep-water bivalve community, which was dominated by glass scallops. Two species are described as new,Parvamussium pizpuezensen. sp. and the giantP. mordsdrumn. sp. Presumably, they lived as epifaunal-reclining carnivores and preyed on various meiofauna, occupying a similar ecologic niche as their modern counterparts. Scarce epifaunal, suspension-feeding Inoceramidae entered only by occasional recruitment of larvae into an environment that is inferred to have been characterised by low levels of suspended nutrients.
authors.affiliation: CASP, West Building, 181A Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DJ, UK; GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Paläoumwelt, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Loewenichstrasse 28, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand; Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Crampton
authors.affiliation: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Geologisch-Paläontologische Abteilung, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lukeneder
keywords: Barremian; Deep water; Inoceramidae; Palaeoecology; Propeamussiidae; Tethys