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Late Triassic Konservat-Lagerstätten within the Carnian Pluvial Episode 150 Years of Scientific Excavations in Austria
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Topics in Geobiology
Late Triassic Konservat-Lagerstätten within the Carnian Pluvial Episode
150 Years of Scientific Excavations in Austria
Alexander Lukeneder
Science / Earth Sciences / General
This open access book delves into 150 years of research on the Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) - a global climatic crisis during the Triassic period, occurring 233-235 million years ago. It explores how this ecological disaster, marked by massive volcanic activity and CO2 emissions, triggered dramatic climate shifts and a mass extinction in Mesozoic oceans. Evidence from rocks and fossils of the Alpine Triassic, particularly in Austria’s Northern Calcareous Alps and the Styrian Eisenwurzen UNESCO Global Geopark, reveals the profound impact of this event on marine ecosystems. The narrow geological zone of the Reifling Basin, stretching from Mödling in Lower Austria to Großreifling in Styria, exhibits exceptionally well preserved fossils, including ammonites, squids, mussels, crabs, fish, and even lungfish. Unique discoveries, such as the first evidence of squid cartilage and soft-tissue preservation, make this area a Konservat-Lagerstätten belt with rare and invaluable sites for paleontological study.
By analyzing these deposits, the book addresses critical questions: How did colossal volcanic events alter the global climate? What were the consequences for terrestrial and marine ecosystems? The CPE’s global influence, spanning two million years, left behind marine sediments that offer glimpses into the greenhouse climate of the Late Triassic. Monsoon-like rains increased sediment runoff into oceans, suffocating reefs and depleting oxygen on the seafloor.
With contributions from an international research team, this work combines historical insights with cutting-edge discoveries, offering a comprehensive view of a pivotal moment in Earth’s history. It is an essential resource for understanding the interplay between volcanic activity, climate change, and mass extinction.
Priv. Doz. Dr. Mag. Alexander Lukeneder - born in 1972 in Steyr, Austria, is a leading Austrian paleontologist and geoscientist. He studied Earth Sciences and Paleontology in Vienna and has been a scientist and curator at the Natural History Museum Vienna since 2004, specializing in Mesozoic collections. In 2016, he earned his habilitation in paleontology at the University of Vienna, where he also lectures.
He has led multiple FWF-funded research projects on the Mesozoic era, including the discovery of Austria's first Pliosaur in 2019 and recent studies on the latest Cretaceous Austrian ichthyosaurs. As a prolific author, he has published over 180 scientific and popular articles and several books, including Abenteuer Dolomiten, Akte Dinosaurier, Wandern in die Welt der Dinos, and UNESCO Global Geopark Steirische Eisenwurzen. He is also an active science communicator, giving hundreds of talks and leading outreach programs, such as the Fossilfinder Project with an innovative app launched in 2020.
Since 2019, Dr. Lukeneder has served as a scientific advisor to the Styrian Eisenwurzen UNESCO Geopark. Currently, he is leading a collaborative research project on the global Carnian Crisis (~235 million years ago), funded by the Federal Government of Lower Austria, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the Society of Friends of the Natural History Museum Vienna. He is a member of the scientific editorial teams of Scientific Reports, Papers in Palaeontology, Palaeontology, and Historical Biology.
| Publication Date: | 10 August 2026 |
| Publisher: | Springer Nature Switzerland |
| Imprint: | Springer |
| ISBN-13: | 9783032197764 |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Page Count: | 444 |