Pedicellariae from Middle Jurassic Ore Bearing Częstochowa Clay Formation and their significance in echinoid's life strategy

Numerous, well-preserved globiferous and ophiocephalous pedicellariae of echinoids have been found in samples from several brickyards of Central Poland: Gnaszyn and Kawodrza (Częstochowa), Blanowice (Zawiercie), Wrzosowa. This is the first study of the uppermost Bajocian and Bathonian pedicellariae from the Ore Bearing Częstochowa Clay Formation. Four new morphotypes are described. Effectiveness of the defensive echinoid strategy is discussed; the structures observed indicate the presence of poison in some but not all spines and pedicellariae of both living and fossil species. All main morphological types of pedicellariae are compared. Morphotype I of globiferous pedicellariae and morphotype III of ophiocephalous pedicellariae are similar to those from the recent family Parechinidae. Jurassic echinoid Pelanechinus has ophiocephalous pedicellariae reminding morphotype II, as described from the Polish Bathonian

The first record of Aspiduriella (Ophiuroidea) in the Upper Muschelkalk of Poland

The ophiuroid Aspiduriella sp. is recorded for the first time from the Upper Muschelkalk (Ceratites Beds), at Nietulisko, northern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland

Unraveling the hidden paleobiodiversity of the Middle Devonian (Emsian) crinoids (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) from Poland

Most previous publications on Devonian crinoids from the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland have concentrated on crinoid columns, and until now, little has been published about crinoid cups and calyxes. Herein, five crinoid taxa are described from an abundant occurrence of aboral cups and partial crowns from the Bukowa Góra Member (Emsian) in the Holy Cross Mountains of southern Poland. The following taxa are described: Bactrocrinites sp., Codiacrinus sevastopuloi sp. nov., Halocrinites geminatus (Bohatý, 2005), Halocrinites schlotheimii Steininger, 1831, and a single brachial plate from a flexible crinoid placed in Flexibilia incertae sedis. Simple discoid holdfasts are also present encrusted to cylindrical stromatoporoids. These taxa are the first crinoids described from the remains of partial crowns from Emsian strata of Poland

A preliminary report on dinosaur track assemblages from the Middle Jurassic of the Imilchil area, Morocco

Dinosaur tracks are reported from three new localities near Imilchil, in the Central High Atlas of Morocco. New dinosaur track assemblages are recognized in Bathonian and Bajocian beds. The Bathonian track assemblage comprises theropod, sauropod and ornithopod footprints. The Bajocian deposits contain a sauropod-thyreophoran track assemblage