The Rhenish Massif

The Rhenish Massif is part of the Variscan mountain chain, which resulted from the continental collision between Laurussia, Gondwana and peri-Gondwanan terranes.

The Rhenish Massif is a classical region for the study of Palaeozoic rocks and its rich fauna and flora from various facies settings, extending from deeper shelf-basin to shelf, reefal, deltaic, lacustrine and lowland terrestrial environments. Although Devonian and Carboniferous rocks dominate the geological record, older rocks (Ordovician and Silurian) are also present in the Rhenish Massif, providing insight into the Variscan Orogeny.

Due to its excellent fossil record and high-resolution biostratigraphy, the Rhenish Massif is a key area to study e.g. Devonian–Carboniferous anoxic events, extinction and innovation phases, and ecosystem-climate interactions. Numerous studies, including benchmark papers, have been published over the past 150 years. However, there is still a need for further research on a variety of topics. Two special issues have been published by Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments: the first in September 2022 (vol. 102, issue 3) and a follow-up in September 2024 (vol. 104, issue 3) will be available soon. The special issues and the series provide information about the state of the art geological/palaeontological research being done today on the Devonian to Mississippian in the Rhenish Massif. These publications will spark further interest in the region for perspective studies, including the application of innovative methods.