The trace fossil Lepidenteron lewesiensis: a taphonomic window on diversity of Late Cretaceous fishes

The trace fossil Lepidenteron lewesiensis (Mantell 1822) provides an exceptional taphonomic window to diversity of fishes as shown for the Upper Cretaceous of Poland, in the Middle Turonian–Lower Maastrichtian deposits of the Opole Trough, Miechów Trough, Mazury-Podlasie Homocline, and SE part of the Border Synclinorium. Lepidenteron lewesiensis is an unbranched burrow lined with small fish scales and bones, without a constructed wall. It contains scales, vertebrae, and bones of the head belonging to ten taxa of teleostean fishes: two undetermined teleosteans, six undetermined Clupeocephala, one Dercetidae, and one undetermined euteleostean. The preservation of fish remains suggests that fishes were pulled down into the burrow by an animal, probably by eunicid polychaetes.Das Spurenfossil Lepidenteron lewesiensis (Mantell 1822) ermöglicht einen biostratinomischen Einblick in die Diversität von Fischen, wie Fossilmaterial aus der Oberkreide von Polen zeigt. Es stammt aus dem Mittelturonium bis Untermaastrichtium des südöstlichen Abschnittes der Grenz-Synklinale, dem Opolen-Trog, dem Miechów-Trog und der Masuren-Podlachien-Homoklinale. L. lewesiensis ist ein unverzweigter Grabgang ohne ausgekleidete Wände, dessen Ränder von kleinen Fischschuppen und—knochen gebildet werden. Diese setzen sich aus Schuppen, Wirbel und Schädelknochen von zehn Teleostei-Taxa zusammen und zwar aus zwei unbestimmte Teleosteer, sechs unbestimmten Clupeocephala, einem Dercetidae und einem unbestimmten Euteleostei. Die Erhaltung der Fischüberreste deutet darauf hin, dass die Fische von einem Tier, wahrscheinlich einem Polychaeten der Familie Eunicidae, in den Bau gezogen wurden.We are very grateful to Dr. Lionel Cavin (Geneva) and the anonymous reviewer for constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Additional support was provided by the Jagiellonian University (DS funds), National Science Center (Grant Number: PRO-2011/01/N/ST10/07717), and the Laboratory of Geology (University of Lodz) BSt Grant No. 560/844. We are grateful to Dr. Johann Egger (Wien) and Kilian Eichenseer M.Sc. (Erlangen) for help with translating the abstract into German. We are grateful to Dr. Ursula Göhlich (Wien) for access to the Dercetis specimen

Tectonic subdivision of Poland-state of the art and attempt to revision

A geological map shows an outcrop pattern of rock units (usually lithostratigraphic) which after having experienced more or less severe tectonic deformation have become structural parts of the solid earth crust. Thus, such a map along with a complementary cross section(s) depicts tectonic structure of a given region at appropriate scale. While speaking about geology of the region one has to identify tectonic units and their boundaries (i.e. deformational structures) on the map and distinguish them by applying proper tectonic terms. In any region, such terms should be accompanied by geographical names to allow for the distinction between particular, more local tectonic units. Once given name should not be changed or replaced by others without producing justified reasons for that. This is an essence of tectonic regionalization which is often misused in recent practice conducted in Poland. In consequence, some units are addressed by 3 or 4 different terms, not seldom with different genetic connotations, or refer to units without determined boundaries. Such an unwelcome practice should be abandoned as it produces serious confusions and misunderstandings among geologists and still more, which is even worse, among non-geologists. The geological structure of Poland requires presentation on two maps. One of them is to show the picture available after removing Cenozoic cover and the other showing the picture after removing Permo-Mesozoic strata. A brief glossary of tectonic terms recommended by the Committee for Geological Sciences PAS is attached

Tectonic subdivision of Poland: southwestern Poland

Geologically, southwestern Poland is located between the Upper Elbe Fault Zone on the SW and the Dolsk Fault Zone on the NE. It comprises two major crustal blocks: the Lower Silesian Block and the South Wielkopolska Block separated by the narrow Middle Odra Horst. The Lower Silesian Block is principally subdivided into the Fore-Sudetic Block and the Sudetic Block. These blocks are further subdivided into several smaller tectonic units. Their boundaries and main features are briefly characterized. It is proposed here to initiate a discussion on internally coherent tectonic subdivision of the region, principles of such subdivision and due revision of the hitherto used terminology. The discerned tectonic units generally do not coincide with physiogeographic subdivision, thus it is not recommended to confuse the geographic and geologic regionalization

Indications of HP events in the volcanosedimentary succession of the Orlica–Śnieżnik Dome, NE Bohemian Massif: data from a marble-amphibolite interface

A volcanosedimentary succession of the Młynowiec-Stronie Group (MSG) in the Orlica–Śnieżnik Dome (OSD), the Sudetes, NE Bohemian Massif underwent multiple folding and shearing during the Variscan Orogeny. In the sheared domains, there are less deformed pods in which rocks preserve better records of metamorphic events prior to the regional temperature peak. In one such pod, near Gniewoszów on the western limb of the dome, marbles enclosed by massive amphibolites occur. In these rocks, zoned plagioclase with actinolite and epidote inclusions and zoned amphibole grains allowed recognition of three mineral assemblages and three P-T stages at: (1) 310°C/3–4 kbar, (2) 480–500°C/10.5 kbar, (3) 500–530°C/6–6.5 kbar, based on isopleth intersections and checked against conventional thermobarometry. These define a steep clockwise P-T path and a geothermal gradient of 17°C/km before peak conditions were attained, which suggests subduction of the metavolcano-sedimentary rocks (Stronie Formation of the MSG) on the western limb of the OSD, with a transient yet discrete higher pressure episode. Mineral relicts capable of demonstrating a higher pressure event are scarce in the supracrustal rocks of the dome, mainly because they became more thoroughly equilibrated and obliterated during the temperature peak at mid-amphibolite facies conditions and the subsequent ubiquitous greenschist facies overprint

Quartz c-axis fabrics in constrictionally strained orthogneisses: implications for the evolution of the Orlica-Śnieżnik Dome, the Sudetes, Poland

The Orlica-Śnieżnik Dome (OSD), NE Bohemian Massif, contains in its core several gneiss variants with protoliths dated at ~500 Ma. In the western limb of the OSD, rodding augen gneisses (Spalona gneiss unit) are mainly L>S tectonites with a prominent stretching lineation. The few quartz LPO studies have produced somewhat discrepant results. Reexamination of these rocks revealed that texture formation was a protracted, multistage process that involved strain partitioning with changing strain rate and kinematics in a general shear regime at temperatures of the amphibolite facies (450–600°C). Quartz c-axis microfabrics show complex yet reproducible patterns that developed under the joint control of strain geometry and temperature; thus the LPOs are mixed features represented by pseudogirdle patterns. Domainal differences in quartz microfabrics (ribbons, tails, quartzo-feldspathic aggregate) are common in the Spalona orthogneisses but uncommon in the sheared migmatitic gneisses. In the latter rocks, the constrictional strain was imposed on the originally planar fabric defined by high-temperature migmatitic layering. The constrictional fabric of the Spalona gneisses may have developed in the hinge zones of kilometer-scale folds, where the elongation occurred parallel to the fold axes. Other occurrences of rodding gneisses throughout the Orlica-Śnieżnik Dome are thought to occupy similar structural positions, which would point to the significance of large-scale folds in the tectonic structure of the dome