A revision of the nomenclature of well-known gastropod fauna from the Upper Triassic Dachstein Limestone of Budapest (Buda Hills) and thoughts on fate of the type collection

Abstract

In the first half of the 20th century, outcrops of Dachstein Limestone in the Budai-hegység (= Buda Hills, Budapest)
yielded the most abundant and diverse Norian gastropod fauna of the Alpine Triassic, especially from the Remete-hegy
locality. This fauna is complemented by Late Carnian species from the Fazekas-hegy. Even today this collection can be
regarded as one of the richest available sources of information for studies on the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic faunal
changes. However, its optimal applicability requires a systematic revision of nomenclature; this is mainly because of the
developments which have occurred over a period of more than seven decades since publication of the first results.
This paper summarises the results of the revisions that have been carried out so far. It also centres on the history of this
particular science and looks at some interesting details concerning the original collection of the fauna. Detailed
documentation and selection of types are planned for further publications about the formal revision; these are already in
preparation. Here details are presented about the revisions of the genera which have been established on type-species from
the Budapest (Budai-hegység) Norian gastropod fauna. The modified characterisation, based on a systematic updating of
the respective compositions, does not support the earlier assumption that the gastropod fauna has distinct Palaeozoic
features. Because of the high ratio of taxa occurring locally, the faunal list shows considerable differences, even between
other Alpine-type gastropod assemblages of a similar age; the Norian gastropod faunas from remote areas also show
markedly different processes of evolution.