We describe the first results of the GPS-observation processing in three successive GPS-campaigns... more We describe the first results of the GPS-observation processing in three successive GPS-campaigns from 1996, 1999, and 2002 of the Large Geodynamic Network of the Velenje Coal Mine. We present site velocities relative to the stable Eurasian plate, from which we derive the tectonic intepretation of active movements along the faults of the Periadriatic Fault System (PFS). As the PFS is a major post-collisional feature of the Alpine orogen, the study is interesting from regional point of view, as well as for intepreting the causes of earthquake activity in the wide area of the Velenje Coal Mine (in the Šaleška Valley region). Site velocities indicate predominately N- to NNEdirected movements in a range from 0.5 to 2mm/yr, which is consistent with the idea about the ongoing eastward extrusion of the Eastern Alpine domain at the rate of ~1.5 mm/yr, and the ~2mm/yr northward moving Adriatic microplate. PFS acts as the southern boundary of the extruding East Alpine domain, however, the def...
In the Southern Alps and the northern Dinarides the main Variscan deformation event occurred duri... more In the Southern Alps and the northern Dinarides the main Variscan deformation event occurred during Late Carboniferous (Bashkirian to Moscovian) time. It is represented locally by an angular unconformitiy, the “Variscan discordance”, separating the pre-Variscan basement from the post-Variscan (Moscovian to Cenozoic) sedimentary cover. The main aim of the present contribution is to investigate whether a Variscan thermal overprint can be detected and distinguished from an Alpine thermal overprint due to Permo-Mesozoic basin subsidence in the Alpine-Dinaric Transition Zone in Slovenia. Vitrinite reflectance (VR) is used as a temperature sensitive parameter to determine the thermal overprint of pre- and post-Variscan sedimentary successions in the eastern part of the Southern Alps (Carnic Alps, South Karawanken Range, Paški Kozjak, Konjiška Gora) and in the northern Dinarides (Sava Folds, Trnovo Nappe). Neither in the eastern part of the Southern Alps, nor in the northern Dinarides a br...
Lichenometry is a method of dating rockfalls using lichens that colonize the surface of rocks. So... more Lichenometry is a method of dating rockfalls using lichens that colonize the surface of rocks. So far, the method was used on the silicate rocks. During this task, I tested this method on the carbonate rocks. The measurements I obtained by measuring lichens gave me a growth curve and formula to calculate the age of the lichen. If we know their size we can easily calculate their age. Once we have age of lichens of same diameter and genus we can easily determinate rockfall's age. In the future, this method can determine the age of rockfalls whose age is not known and thus construct the history of rockfalls in our territory.
Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del tektonske enote Južnih Al... more Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del tektonske enote Južnih Alp. Med kartiranjem Velike planine smo raziskovali srednjetriasno zaporedje kamnin, za katerega smo ugotovili, da nalega neposredno na spodnjetriasne kamnine, katerih prisotnost na Veliki planini do sedaj ni bila znana. Spodnji trias predstavlja narivno ploskev, po kateri se je območje narinilo na karbonatne in piroklastične srednjetriasne kamnine planine Kisovec. Močno deformirane kamnine spodnjetriasnega zaporedja predstavljajo plastnati črni mikritni in bioturbirani apnenci in dolomiti, med katerimi se v spodnjem delu zaporedja pojavljajo tudi peščenjaki. Narivnico smo sledili proti zahodu, kjer jo je mogoče zaslediti na Kamniškem vrhu, Kriški planini in pod zgornjo postajo nihalke na Krvavcu. Narivnica se tu nadaljuje proti Kokrškemu sedlu. Na vzhod smo narivnici sledili na območju Velikega Rogatca, v dolini potoka Kanolščica in na pobočju Lemojce, zadnje izdanke narivnice Velike plan...
Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del geotektonske enote Južnih... more Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del geotektonske enote Južnih Alp. Med kartiranjem Velike planine smo raziskovali srednjetriasno zaporedje kamnin, za katerega smo ugotovili, da nalega neposredno na spodnjetriasne kamnine, katerih prisotnost na Veliki planini do sedaj ni bila znana. Spodnji trias predstavlja narivno ploskev, po kateri se je območje narinilo na drugače razvite srednjetriasne kamnine planine Kisovec. Močno deformirane kamnine spodnjetriasnega zaporedja predstavljajo plastnati črni mikritni in bioturbirani apnenci in dolomiti, med katerimi se v spodnjem delu zaporedja pojavljajo tudi peščenjaki. Makrofosili so zaradi močne deformiranosti kamenine zelo redki. Našli smo le lumakelo školjk Costatoria costata. Nad spodnjetriasnim zaporedjem se pojavijo črni plastnati mikritni apnenci, katerih debelina znaša do 50 m. Makroskopsko in mikroskopsko so povsem monotoni. Makrofosili so redki. Našli smo le rebro, ki najverjetneje pripada zavropte...
Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006
ABSTRACT We describe the structures and styles of deformation at the northeastern margin of the A... more ABSTRACT We describe the structures and styles of deformation at the northeastern margin of the Adria microplate during Miocene to recent times. Throughout the Miocene, deformation induced by Adria-Europe convergence was partitioned between thrusting in the Dinaric and South-Alpine belts and eastward escape in front of the Adriatic indenter, north of the Periadriatic fault zone. At the Miocene-Pliocene transition, a temporary termination of tectonic escape and the onset of Adria counterclockwise rotation triggered a major change in regional tectonics. At that time, major strike-slip and contractional deformation started between rigid Adria and the Periadriatic fault, accompanied by uplift, folding, strike-slip basin formation, and, perhaps, rigid-block rotation. There is a gradual eastward change in structural style from head-on thrusting in the Italian Alps to oblique and then to predominately strike-slip deformation in the Dinaric and Pannonian regions of Slovenia. Distribution of recent seismicity and first results of GPS measurements suggest that this, or a similar, mode of deformation is still active.
We describe the Gauss method for reconstructing paleostress tensors from heterogeneous fault-slip... more We describe the Gauss method for reconstructing paleostress tensors from heterogeneous fault-slip data. We define compatibility measure and compatibility function, which verify the compatibility of a given stress tensor with observed fault-slip data. In order to constrain inversion results to mechanically acceptable solutions, we additionally consider the ratio between the normal and shear stress on the fault plane, since it
ABSTRACT The right lateral transpressive, 200 km long, Sava fault in northern Slovenia is at the ... more ABSTRACT The right lateral transpressive, 200 km long, Sava fault in northern Slovenia is at the eastern part of the Periadriatic fault system. The fault strikes NW-SE to E-W and dips steeply towards the north. Upper Oligocene volcano-clastic rocks are apparently displaced by 25-70 km along strike (Placer, 1996) suggesting a long-term slip-rate between 1 and 5 mm/yr over the last 20 Ma (Jamšek Rupnik et al., 2012). On the other hand, GPS measurements yield a slip-rate of about 1 mm/yr (Vrabec et al., 2006). Moreover, no large earthquakes (M>5) have been reported on this major fault over the last 1000 yrs. To constrain the seismic hazard in this densely populated region of Europe, we studied the western part of the Sava fault between Jesenice and Kamnik to identify geomorphic indicators of its Quaternary activity, to determine the organization and hierarchy of the overall fault network, and to quantitatively constrain the displacement on this portion of the fault. From Jesenice to Preddvor, the NW-striking fault trace is almost rectilinear. Southeastward, the fault splays into multiple E-W striking branches. The fault also appears divided into several disconnected segments that are both right-stepping and left-stepping along the mean strike of the fault zone. These geometrical arrangements suggest that the fault segments west of Preddvor have a vertical component of slip in addition to their dominant right lateral one, while the vertical component appears to be the dominant one southeast. The segments are 3.5 to 15.5 km long and according to scaling laws, they could produce earthquakes with magnitude 5.6 to 6.5. Dextral bending for 1.3 to 5.4 km of all major rivers crossing the fault are evidences of the fault activity over several thousands of years. Changes in river regime with incision north of the fault and active aggradation with inset terrace formation south of it also suggest ongoing vertical displacement which is yet to be quantified. Three sites near Tržič, Preddvor and Kamnik, where the fault trace is particularly sharp, have been investigated in detail. Fluvial terraces appear displaced and on the eastern portion of the fault, near Cerklje several parallel faults segments with a clear reverse component are observed. The southernmost segment offsets vertically the Kokra alluvial fan with a maximum displacement of 5 m. In the future we will date those alluvial surfaces and perform paleoseismological studies. References Jamšek Rupnik, P., Benedetti, L., Bavec, M. and Vrabec, M. 2012. Geomorphic indicators of Quaternary activity of the Sava fault between Golnik and Preddvor. RMZ - Material and Geoenvironment, Vol. 59, No. 2/3, pp. 299-314. Placer, L. 1996. Displacement along the Sava fault. Geologija, Vol. 39, pp. 283-287. Vrabec, M., Pavlovčič Prešeren, P. and Stopar, B. 2006. GPS study (1996-2002) of active deformation along the Periadriatic fault system in northeastern Slovenia: tectonic model. Geologica Carpathica, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 57-65.
Razširjeni povzetek Periadriatski prelomni sistem (PPS) je ena izmed najbolj pomembnih postkolizi... more Razširjeni povzetek Periadriatski prelomni sistem (PPS) je ena izmed najbolj pomembnih postkolizijskih struktur v Alpah. V procesih miocenske ekstruzije ozemlja Vzhodnih Alp proti vzhodu se je ob PPS, ki je imel vlogo ju&ne meje ekstruzije, izvršilo najmanj 100 km desnega premika. Jedro prelomne cone PPS po zaetku srednjega miocena sicer ni bilo veaktivno, saj najvzhodnejši del cone, ki izdanja vzhodni
We describe the Multiple-slip method for the construction of the displacement gradient tensor, wh... more We describe the Multiple-slip method for the construction of the displacement gradient tensor, which describes the faulting-related deformation of the region. Three elements must be known for each fault: (1) the fault plane orientation, (2) the slip direction, and (3) the number of parallel faults in the same size range. The data on the orientation of faults and the direction
ABSTRACT In the theory of Cosserat continuum, the faulting-related deformation of rocks is descri... more ABSTRACT In the theory of Cosserat continuum, the faulting-related deformation of rocks is described using translational and rotational degrees of freedom, producing definitions for a symmetric macrostrain tensor and a skew-symmetric relative microrotation tensor. The macrostrain tensor describes the large-scale deformation of the region, whilst the relative microrotation tensor describes the difference between the large-scale regional rotation and local systematic microrotations of blocks between faults. Faults are activated when the resolved shear stress in the direction of movement exceeds frictional resistance for sliding, according to Amontons's Law of Friction. The direction of slip along the faults depends on the Cosserat strain tensor, which is defined as the sum of the macrostrain tensor and the relative microrotation tensor. We develop a constitutive relation for the faulting-related strain of rocks (cataclastic flow) based on the J-2 plasticity model for the Cosserat continuum, from which we derive the generally asymmetric stress tensor. We also develop the Cosserat stress–strain inverse method for fault-slip data analysis. We show that the geometry of fault systems is controlled by both the Cosserat strain tensor and the stress tensor, and present a field example of a fault system that conforms to the predictions of the Cosserat theory.
The minute troglobitic species, Zospeum isselianum Pollonera, 1887 (Eupulmonata: Ellobioidea, Car... more The minute troglobitic species, Zospeum isselianum Pollonera, 1887 (Eupulmonata: Ellobioidea, Carychiidae) is widely distributed within its Southern Alpine-Dinaric range. Its broad distribution and highly variable shell has caused this species to be historically lumped into its current taxonomic state of ambiguity. In an integrative taxonomic approach, phenotypic and genotypic data are synthesized to assess the intraspecific variability recently inferred for this taxon. We collected 16 Zospeum specimens in the Slovenian Alpine Arc encompassing the type locality for Z. isselianum. The material comprises five morphologically recognized (sub)species. The species are re-evaluated using SEM, X-ray nanotomography (nano-CT), conchological, histological and molecular data. Four well-defined lineages are present, which can be attributed to i) Z. isselianum s.str. from its new type locality (Turjeva jama), ii) a highly morphologically variable lineage that so far cannot be attributed to a single morphospecies, iii) Z. kupitzense A. Stummer, 1984 (raised to species rank) and iv) a lineage comprising the two subspecies Z. alpestre alpestre (Freyer, 1855) and Z. alpestre bolei Slapnik, 1991 plus Z. isselianum individuals. The latter is treated as a single taxon Z. alpestre. After considering the severely degraded syntype material of Zospeum isselianum, we provide a taxonomic re-description and propose a neotype for this species. Furthermore, new diagnostic information is revealed regarding the columella of Zospeum isselianum and allied species. Detailed anatomical study reveals new structural aspects of Zospeum morphology and provides groundwork for future investigations.
We describe the first results of the GPS-observation processing in three successive GPS-campaigns... more We describe the first results of the GPS-observation processing in three successive GPS-campaigns from 1996, 1999, and 2002 of the Large Geodynamic Network of the Velenje Coal Mine. We present site velocities relative to the stable Eurasian plate, from which we derive the tectonic intepretation of active movements along the faults of the Periadriatic Fault System (PFS). As the PFS is a major post-collisional feature of the Alpine orogen, the study is interesting from regional point of view, as well as for intepreting the causes of earthquake activity in the wide area of the Velenje Coal Mine (in the Šaleška Valley region). Site velocities indicate predominately N- to NNEdirected movements in a range from 0.5 to 2mm/yr, which is consistent with the idea about the ongoing eastward extrusion of the Eastern Alpine domain at the rate of ~1.5 mm/yr, and the ~2mm/yr northward moving Adriatic microplate. PFS acts as the southern boundary of the extruding East Alpine domain, however, the def...
In the Southern Alps and the northern Dinarides the main Variscan deformation event occurred duri... more In the Southern Alps and the northern Dinarides the main Variscan deformation event occurred during Late Carboniferous (Bashkirian to Moscovian) time. It is represented locally by an angular unconformitiy, the “Variscan discordance”, separating the pre-Variscan basement from the post-Variscan (Moscovian to Cenozoic) sedimentary cover. The main aim of the present contribution is to investigate whether a Variscan thermal overprint can be detected and distinguished from an Alpine thermal overprint due to Permo-Mesozoic basin subsidence in the Alpine-Dinaric Transition Zone in Slovenia. Vitrinite reflectance (VR) is used as a temperature sensitive parameter to determine the thermal overprint of pre- and post-Variscan sedimentary successions in the eastern part of the Southern Alps (Carnic Alps, South Karawanken Range, Paški Kozjak, Konjiška Gora) and in the northern Dinarides (Sava Folds, Trnovo Nappe). Neither in the eastern part of the Southern Alps, nor in the northern Dinarides a br...
Lichenometry is a method of dating rockfalls using lichens that colonize the surface of rocks. So... more Lichenometry is a method of dating rockfalls using lichens that colonize the surface of rocks. So far, the method was used on the silicate rocks. During this task, I tested this method on the carbonate rocks. The measurements I obtained by measuring lichens gave me a growth curve and formula to calculate the age of the lichen. If we know their size we can easily calculate their age. Once we have age of lichens of same diameter and genus we can easily determinate rockfall's age. In the future, this method can determine the age of rockfalls whose age is not known and thus construct the history of rockfalls in our territory.
Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del tektonske enote Južnih Al... more Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del tektonske enote Južnih Alp. Med kartiranjem Velike planine smo raziskovali srednjetriasno zaporedje kamnin, za katerega smo ugotovili, da nalega neposredno na spodnjetriasne kamnine, katerih prisotnost na Veliki planini do sedaj ni bila znana. Spodnji trias predstavlja narivno ploskev, po kateri se je območje narinilo na karbonatne in piroklastične srednjetriasne kamnine planine Kisovec. Močno deformirane kamnine spodnjetriasnega zaporedja predstavljajo plastnati črni mikritni in bioturbirani apnenci in dolomiti, med katerimi se v spodnjem delu zaporedja pojavljajo tudi peščenjaki. Narivnico smo sledili proti zahodu, kjer jo je mogoče zaslediti na Kamniškem vrhu, Kriški planini in pod zgornjo postajo nihalke na Krvavcu. Narivnica se tu nadaljuje proti Kokrškemu sedlu. Na vzhod smo narivnici sledili na območju Velikega Rogatca, v dolini potoka Kanolščica in na pobočju Lemojce, zadnje izdanke narivnice Velike plan...
Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del geotektonske enote Južnih... more Velika planina je kraška planota v Kamniško-Savinjskih Alpah, ki so del geotektonske enote Južnih Alp. Med kartiranjem Velike planine smo raziskovali srednjetriasno zaporedje kamnin, za katerega smo ugotovili, da nalega neposredno na spodnjetriasne kamnine, katerih prisotnost na Veliki planini do sedaj ni bila znana. Spodnji trias predstavlja narivno ploskev, po kateri se je območje narinilo na drugače razvite srednjetriasne kamnine planine Kisovec. Močno deformirane kamnine spodnjetriasnega zaporedja predstavljajo plastnati črni mikritni in bioturbirani apnenci in dolomiti, med katerimi se v spodnjem delu zaporedja pojavljajo tudi peščenjaki. Makrofosili so zaradi močne deformiranosti kamenine zelo redki. Našli smo le lumakelo školjk Costatoria costata. Nad spodnjetriasnim zaporedjem se pojavijo črni plastnati mikritni apnenci, katerih debelina znaša do 50 m. Makroskopsko in mikroskopsko so povsem monotoni. Makrofosili so redki. Našli smo le rebro, ki najverjetneje pripada zavropte...
Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006
ABSTRACT We describe the structures and styles of deformation at the northeastern margin of the A... more ABSTRACT We describe the structures and styles of deformation at the northeastern margin of the Adria microplate during Miocene to recent times. Throughout the Miocene, deformation induced by Adria-Europe convergence was partitioned between thrusting in the Dinaric and South-Alpine belts and eastward escape in front of the Adriatic indenter, north of the Periadriatic fault zone. At the Miocene-Pliocene transition, a temporary termination of tectonic escape and the onset of Adria counterclockwise rotation triggered a major change in regional tectonics. At that time, major strike-slip and contractional deformation started between rigid Adria and the Periadriatic fault, accompanied by uplift, folding, strike-slip basin formation, and, perhaps, rigid-block rotation. There is a gradual eastward change in structural style from head-on thrusting in the Italian Alps to oblique and then to predominately strike-slip deformation in the Dinaric and Pannonian regions of Slovenia. Distribution of recent seismicity and first results of GPS measurements suggest that this, or a similar, mode of deformation is still active.
We describe the Gauss method for reconstructing paleostress tensors from heterogeneous fault-slip... more We describe the Gauss method for reconstructing paleostress tensors from heterogeneous fault-slip data. We define compatibility measure and compatibility function, which verify the compatibility of a given stress tensor with observed fault-slip data. In order to constrain inversion results to mechanically acceptable solutions, we additionally consider the ratio between the normal and shear stress on the fault plane, since it
ABSTRACT The right lateral transpressive, 200 km long, Sava fault in northern Slovenia is at the ... more ABSTRACT The right lateral transpressive, 200 km long, Sava fault in northern Slovenia is at the eastern part of the Periadriatic fault system. The fault strikes NW-SE to E-W and dips steeply towards the north. Upper Oligocene volcano-clastic rocks are apparently displaced by 25-70 km along strike (Placer, 1996) suggesting a long-term slip-rate between 1 and 5 mm/yr over the last 20 Ma (Jamšek Rupnik et al., 2012). On the other hand, GPS measurements yield a slip-rate of about 1 mm/yr (Vrabec et al., 2006). Moreover, no large earthquakes (M>5) have been reported on this major fault over the last 1000 yrs. To constrain the seismic hazard in this densely populated region of Europe, we studied the western part of the Sava fault between Jesenice and Kamnik to identify geomorphic indicators of its Quaternary activity, to determine the organization and hierarchy of the overall fault network, and to quantitatively constrain the displacement on this portion of the fault. From Jesenice to Preddvor, the NW-striking fault trace is almost rectilinear. Southeastward, the fault splays into multiple E-W striking branches. The fault also appears divided into several disconnected segments that are both right-stepping and left-stepping along the mean strike of the fault zone. These geometrical arrangements suggest that the fault segments west of Preddvor have a vertical component of slip in addition to their dominant right lateral one, while the vertical component appears to be the dominant one southeast. The segments are 3.5 to 15.5 km long and according to scaling laws, they could produce earthquakes with magnitude 5.6 to 6.5. Dextral bending for 1.3 to 5.4 km of all major rivers crossing the fault are evidences of the fault activity over several thousands of years. Changes in river regime with incision north of the fault and active aggradation with inset terrace formation south of it also suggest ongoing vertical displacement which is yet to be quantified. Three sites near Tržič, Preddvor and Kamnik, where the fault trace is particularly sharp, have been investigated in detail. Fluvial terraces appear displaced and on the eastern portion of the fault, near Cerklje several parallel faults segments with a clear reverse component are observed. The southernmost segment offsets vertically the Kokra alluvial fan with a maximum displacement of 5 m. In the future we will date those alluvial surfaces and perform paleoseismological studies. References Jamšek Rupnik, P., Benedetti, L., Bavec, M. and Vrabec, M. 2012. Geomorphic indicators of Quaternary activity of the Sava fault between Golnik and Preddvor. RMZ - Material and Geoenvironment, Vol. 59, No. 2/3, pp. 299-314. Placer, L. 1996. Displacement along the Sava fault. Geologija, Vol. 39, pp. 283-287. Vrabec, M., Pavlovčič Prešeren, P. and Stopar, B. 2006. GPS study (1996-2002) of active deformation along the Periadriatic fault system in northeastern Slovenia: tectonic model. Geologica Carpathica, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 57-65.
Razširjeni povzetek Periadriatski prelomni sistem (PPS) je ena izmed najbolj pomembnih postkolizi... more Razširjeni povzetek Periadriatski prelomni sistem (PPS) je ena izmed najbolj pomembnih postkolizijskih struktur v Alpah. V procesih miocenske ekstruzije ozemlja Vzhodnih Alp proti vzhodu se je ob PPS, ki je imel vlogo ju&ne meje ekstruzije, izvršilo najmanj 100 km desnega premika. Jedro prelomne cone PPS po zaetku srednjega miocena sicer ni bilo veaktivno, saj najvzhodnejši del cone, ki izdanja vzhodni
We describe the Multiple-slip method for the construction of the displacement gradient tensor, wh... more We describe the Multiple-slip method for the construction of the displacement gradient tensor, which describes the faulting-related deformation of the region. Three elements must be known for each fault: (1) the fault plane orientation, (2) the slip direction, and (3) the number of parallel faults in the same size range. The data on the orientation of faults and the direction
ABSTRACT In the theory of Cosserat continuum, the faulting-related deformation of rocks is descri... more ABSTRACT In the theory of Cosserat continuum, the faulting-related deformation of rocks is described using translational and rotational degrees of freedom, producing definitions for a symmetric macrostrain tensor and a skew-symmetric relative microrotation tensor. The macrostrain tensor describes the large-scale deformation of the region, whilst the relative microrotation tensor describes the difference between the large-scale regional rotation and local systematic microrotations of blocks between faults. Faults are activated when the resolved shear stress in the direction of movement exceeds frictional resistance for sliding, according to Amontons's Law of Friction. The direction of slip along the faults depends on the Cosserat strain tensor, which is defined as the sum of the macrostrain tensor and the relative microrotation tensor. We develop a constitutive relation for the faulting-related strain of rocks (cataclastic flow) based on the J-2 plasticity model for the Cosserat continuum, from which we derive the generally asymmetric stress tensor. We also develop the Cosserat stress–strain inverse method for fault-slip data analysis. We show that the geometry of fault systems is controlled by both the Cosserat strain tensor and the stress tensor, and present a field example of a fault system that conforms to the predictions of the Cosserat theory.
The minute troglobitic species, Zospeum isselianum Pollonera, 1887 (Eupulmonata: Ellobioidea, Car... more The minute troglobitic species, Zospeum isselianum Pollonera, 1887 (Eupulmonata: Ellobioidea, Carychiidae) is widely distributed within its Southern Alpine-Dinaric range. Its broad distribution and highly variable shell has caused this species to be historically lumped into its current taxonomic state of ambiguity. In an integrative taxonomic approach, phenotypic and genotypic data are synthesized to assess the intraspecific variability recently inferred for this taxon. We collected 16 Zospeum specimens in the Slovenian Alpine Arc encompassing the type locality for Z. isselianum. The material comprises five morphologically recognized (sub)species. The species are re-evaluated using SEM, X-ray nanotomography (nano-CT), conchological, histological and molecular data. Four well-defined lineages are present, which can be attributed to i) Z. isselianum s.str. from its new type locality (Turjeva jama), ii) a highly morphologically variable lineage that so far cannot be attributed to a single morphospecies, iii) Z. kupitzense A. Stummer, 1984 (raised to species rank) and iv) a lineage comprising the two subspecies Z. alpestre alpestre (Freyer, 1855) and Z. alpestre bolei Slapnik, 1991 plus Z. isselianum individuals. The latter is treated as a single taxon Z. alpestre. After considering the severely degraded syntype material of Zospeum isselianum, we provide a taxonomic re-description and propose a neotype for this species. Furthermore, new diagnostic information is revealed regarding the columella of Zospeum isselianum and allied species. Detailed anatomical study reveals new structural aspects of Zospeum morphology and provides groundwork for future investigations.
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Papers by Marko Vrabec
Four well-defined lineages are present, which can be attributed to i) Z. isselianum s.str. from its new type locality (Turjeva jama), ii) a highly morphologically variable lineage that so far cannot be attributed to a single morphospecies, iii) Z. kupitzense A. Stummer, 1984 (raised to species rank) and iv) a lineage comprising the two subspecies Z. alpestre alpestre (Freyer, 1855) and Z. alpestre bolei Slapnik, 1991 plus Z. isselianum individuals. The latter is treated as a single taxon Z. alpestre. After considering the severely degraded syntype material of Zospeum isselianum, we provide a taxonomic re-description and propose a neotype for this species. Furthermore, new diagnostic information is revealed regarding the columella of Zospeum isselianum and allied species. Detailed anatomical study reveals new structural aspects of Zospeum morphology and provides groundwork for future investigations.
Four well-defined lineages are present, which can be attributed to i) Z. isselianum s.str. from its new type locality (Turjeva jama), ii) a highly morphologically variable lineage that so far cannot be attributed to a single morphospecies, iii) Z. kupitzense A. Stummer, 1984 (raised to species rank) and iv) a lineage comprising the two subspecies Z. alpestre alpestre (Freyer, 1855) and Z. alpestre bolei Slapnik, 1991 plus Z. isselianum individuals. The latter is treated as a single taxon Z. alpestre. After considering the severely degraded syntype material of Zospeum isselianum, we provide a taxonomic re-description and propose a neotype for this species. Furthermore, new diagnostic information is revealed regarding the columella of Zospeum isselianum and allied species. Detailed anatomical study reveals new structural aspects of Zospeum morphology and provides groundwork for future investigations.