Hydrological Changes in Restricted Basins: Insights From Strontium Isotopes on Late Miocene‐Pliocene Connectivity of the Eastern Paratethys (Dacian Basin, Romania)

The Dacian Basin was uniquely situated to record late Miocene hydrological changes that influenced depositional environments and faunal dispersal patterns in Central Eurasia's mega-lake Paratethys. Differences between the high strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) of waters from Lake Pannon local Carpathian rivers low 87Sr/86Sr Eastern Paratethys (Black Sea ‒ Caspian Sea) allow a thorough investigation connectivity water fluxes transient Basin. We present detailed for Basin, which provides an exceptional basin latest Tortonian (ca. 7.7 Ma) until early Pleistocene 1.8 Ma). Data show transgression (7.6–7.4 started with incursion into after became dominant source mostly freshwater Messinian. regional Maeotian-Pontian transitional interval (6.3–5.9 records second waters, but this time additional marine (Mediterranean) influx coinciding short-lived salinity incursion. During Messinian Salinity Crisis Mediterranean, progressively connected (5.9–5.5 Ma), it restricted during peak Mediterranean lowstand (5.5 filled river (5.5–5.3 Plio-Pleistocene, reconnected the, at isolated, Black Sea, shows similar as Last Glacial Maximum.