Coralliths of tabulate corals from the Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

Tabulates, an extinct Palaeozoic group of corals, developed diverse colony morphologies during the Silurian to Devonian peak of reef development. Coralliths, or circumrotatory colonies, are passively motile coral colonies constantly overturned by wave action or currents. Such overturning allows tissue growth on all sides of the colony. They are among the most rarely reported growth forms. Recent corallith-forming scleractinian corals mostly inhabit the shallowest reef environments, but coralliths can also develop at greater depths in areas of low topographic relief, unconsolidated substratum, low coral cover and high water movement. Here, we report on Devonian (Givetian Favosites goldfussi and Frasnian Alveolites? tenuissimus) coralla from the Holy Cross Moun-tains, Poland. Our analysis suggests these colonies are coralliths, although less mature than usually reported. These corals, unlike previously described growth forms of this kind, lived in relatively deep environments: probably the upper mesophotic (Givetian, Miłoszów), or deep reef fore-slope (Frasnian, Jaźwica and Kowala). Microfacies analysis of the Ja ́zwica site suggests unconsolidated substratum and high hydrodynamic energy. We conclude that these corals lived in deeper environments where bottom currents caused their autorotation. A good modern analogue for such a corallith-forming environment is the Wistari Channel (Southern Great Barrier Reef), where bottom tidal currents at nearly 30 m of depth are strong enough to overturn colonies of Stylocoeniella cf. guentheri reaching 15 cm in diameter. Our discovery shows that the spectrum of coral growth forms during the Devonian peak of reef development was broader than previously assumed, and that tabulate corals displayed numerous adaptive strategies to various environments

Spinatrypa Stainbrook 1951

Genus <i>Spinatrypa</i> Stainbrook, 1951 <p> TYPE SPECIES. — <i>Atrypa hystrix</i> var. <i>occidentalis</i> Hall, 1858 <i>sensu</i> Stainbrook 1945 (lapsus calami pro <i>Atrypa aspera</i> var. <i>occidentalis</i> Hall, 1858). Iowa, Late Givetian Cedar Valley limestone.</p>Published as part of <i>Halamski, Adam T., 2013, Frasnian Atrypida (Brachiopoda) from Silesia (Poland) and the age of the eo-Variscan collision in the Sudetes, pp. 289-308 in Geodiversitas 35 (2)</i> on page 300, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n2a1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4538035">http://zenodo.org/record/4538035</a&gt

Kyrtatrypa barnimi Halamski 2013, n. sp.

<i>Kyrtatrypa barnimi</i> n. sp. <p>(Figs 2-4)</p> <p> <i>Atrypa reticularis</i> – Dames 1868: 496, 497. —? Gunia 1966: 310, pl. 8: 9.</p> <p> <i>Atrypa</i> ex gr. <i>reticularis</i> – Grocholski 1969: 246 (e.p.), non pl. 5: 2.</p> <p>TYPE MATERIAL. — Articulated shell MB.B.2425, holotype. 58 paratypes: MB. B 2416-2418, 2419 c, 2420, 2422, 2426, 2427; PIG 139.II.35-37; MGUWr 191s, 323s, 5361s.1-7 and fragments MGUWr 5359s, 5361s, 5363s.</p> <p>ETYMOLOGY. — In honour of Wilhelm Barnim Dames (1843-1898), collector of a large part of the type material.</p> <p>TYPE HORIZON. — Pogorzała Formation, Late Frasnian.</p> <p>TYPE LOCALITY. — Abandoned quarry “Lake Daisy”, Mokrzeszów (Oberkunzendorf), Świebodzice Depression, Sudetes, Poland.</p> <p>STRATIGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHIC RANGE. — Only type locality and horizon.</p> <p> DIAGNOSIS. — <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> with slightly to markedly dorsibiconvex shell and moderately fine ornamentation. Spiralia of about eight whorls.</p> <p>DESCRIPTION</p> <p>Shell approximately as wide as long (width to length ratio from 0.86 to 1.15; mean value 1.01, N=23), rounded through subrectangular to subtriangular in outline, slightly to markedly dorsibiconvex, up to 35.7 mm wide and to 27.0 mm thick. Maximum width and thickness at ⅓ to ½ of the shell length from the umbo. Anterior commissure rectimarginate in young specimens to uniplicate in adults, its deflexion rounded to triangular in outline, very low to low, occupying ⅓ to ½ of the shell width. Ventral interarea anacline; ventral beak strong, incurved, appressed to the dorsal valve. Dorsal interarea and beak not visible. Ribs undulose, relatively fine, straight, 5-6(-7) per 5 mm at anterior commissure, new ones arising by bifurcation on both valves. Growth lamellae fine. Frills (Fig. 3) up to 16 mm long.</p> <p>Interior (Fig. 4): shell relatively thick walled, with a thick tertiary layer. Ventral valve: pedicle callist thick and continuing anteriorly for about 5 mm; teeth stout, with strong lateral lobes; dental nuclei absent. Dorsal valve: median septum moderately strong; a weak cardinal process in form of a pad, enclosed within the cardinal pit; hinge plates stout; socket plates thin, arcuate; crural base strong, jugal process rather long and stout; spiralia of about 8 thin whorls.</p> <p>DISCUSSION</p> <p> This species is assigned to <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> Struve, 1966 on account of its dorsibiconvex to aequibiconvex shell and presence of frills. Its internal structures are very similar to those of <i>Kyrtatrypa culminigera</i> Struve, 1966 (Copper 2002: fig. 947e-g), except for a higher number of spiralia whorls (11) in the latter. The internal structures of <i>Kyrtatrypa balda</i> Havlíček, 1987 (Havlíček 1987: fig. 2) are also similar to those of the described species.</p> <p> <i>Kyrtatrypa barnimi</i> n. sp. differs from <i>K. brandonensis</i> (Stainbrook, 1938) from the Lower Frasnian Cedar Valley beds of Iowa in its finer ornamentation (Stainbrook 1938). <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> ? <i>teicherti</i> (Coleman, 1951), a poorly known taxon from the Frasnian of Western Australia, has a flatter ventral valve and finer ornamentation (Coleman 1951; Grey 1977); the generic assignment of this species is uncertain (Ma <i>et al.</i> 2006: 798). The nearest species seems to be the early Givetian <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> n. sp. from Błonia Sierżawskie near Świętomarz (see Halamski & Segit 2006) in the northern part of the Holy Cross Mountains (<i>K. pauli</i>, <i>nomen nudum</i>, Halamski 2004:text-fig.31-33; pl. 6: 8, 7: 1-4; = <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> sp. <i>sensu</i> Zapalski 2005) from which the species described here differs in less convex dorsal valve and more convex ventral one, smaller apical angle, and more dense ornamentation.</p> <p> The genus <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> was once supposed to occur up to the end of the Frasnian stage (Copper 1998: fig. 1); however, its Late Frasnian occurrences have appeared doubtful (Copper 2002: 1396) due to imprecise biostratigraphic dating (Racki 1998: 396) and uncertain taxonomy (Ma <i>et al.</i> 2006: 798). As a matter of fact, Frasnian representatives of <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> are scarce, including only <i>K. brandonensis</i> from Iowa and <i>K. teicherti</i> from the Canning Basin (see above for details); both taxa come from lower parts of the Frasnian. Consequently, <i>K. barnimi</i> n. sp. from the Late Frasnian represents probably the last known representative of the genus and, additionally, the first Frasnian species from Europe.</p> <p> It may be noted that this species is distinguished from co-occurring <i>Pseudogruenewaldtia tschernyschewi</i> Rzhonsnitskaya, 1960 by the presence of frills (present in several representatives of the subfamily Atrypinae Gill, 1871, absent in the Pseudogruenewaldtiinae Rzhonsnitskaya, Yudina & Sokiran, 1997; see Copper 2002).</p> Genus <i>Pseudogruenewaldtia</i> Rzhonsnitskaya, 1960 <p> TYPE SPECIES. — <i>Pseudogruenewaldtia tschernyschewi</i> Rzhonsnitskaya, 1960. Timan, Late Frasnian.</p>Published as part of <i>Halamski, Adam T., 2013, Frasnian Atrypida (Brachiopoda) from Silesia (Poland) and the age of the eo-Variscan collision in the Sudetes, pp. 289-308 in Geodiversitas 35 (2)</i> on pages 294-295, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n2a1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4538035">http://zenodo.org/record/4538035</a&gt

Kyrtatrypa Struve 1966

Genus <i>Kyrtatrypa</i> Struve, 1966 <p> TYPE SPECIES. — <i>Atrypa</i> (<i>Kyrtatrypa</i>) <i>culminigera</i> Struve, 1966. Eifel Mts, middle Eifelian.</p>Published as part of <i>Halamski, Adam T., 2013, Frasnian Atrypida (Brachiopoda) from Silesia (Poland) and the age of the eo-Variscan collision in the Sudetes, pp. 289-308 in Geodiversitas 35 (2)</i> on page 292, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n2a1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4538035">http://zenodo.org/record/4538035</a&gt

Pre-Taghanic (Lower to lower Middle Givetian) brachiopods from Miłoszów in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

Sixty-eight brachiopod species are reported from the upper part of the Skały Formation at Miłoszów (Łysogóry Region of the Holy Cross Mts., central Poland) on the basis of over 2,200 specimens. The fauna is Early to early Middle Givetian in age (timorensis to rhenanus/varcus conodont zones) and thus predates the Middle Givetian Taghanic Bioevent. One new genus and three new species are described. Leiocyrtia Baliński gen. nov. (type species: Leiocyrtia rara Baliński gen. et sp. nov.; Spiriferida, Cyrtiidae) is characterised by a non-costate shell with prominent sulcus and fold and capillate microornament. Undispirifer sidoniae Halamski and Baliński sp. nov. is characterised by transverse shells and dense ribbing. Moravilla andreae Baliński and Halamski sp. nov. is characterised by relatively coarse radial capillate ornament and is the first representative of the genus outside the type species from the Givetian of Moravia. The most abundant species are: Spinulicosta cf. spinulicosta, Antirhynchonella linguiformis, Pentamerelloides davidsoni, Peratos beyrichi, Plectospira ferita, Spinatrypa wotanica (confirmed to belong to that genus and not to Spinatrypina), Ambothyris sp., and Echinocoelia dorsoplana. ‘Spirifer’ quadriplicatus Sandberger and Sandberger, 1856, a rare species known from Miłoszów and the Rhenish Massif, is an orthide and belongs to Teichertina. The relationship between Skenidioides polonicus and S. cretus, formerly understood as anagenesis, is re-interpreted as budding cladogenesis. Davidsonia septata is reported as an epizoan on rugosan corals, a relationship never previously observed in representatives of that genus. Brachiopods represent different palaeoecological groupings, from relatively shallow-water taxa (BA3, globetum) to deep-water mud-dwelling ones (BA5, deeper brachiopodetum). The richest beds are M1-IIa (28 brachiopod species), M3-7 (23 species), and M0-9 (22 species). Eighteen species described here were not known previously in the Holy Cross Mountains, so the corrected total number of brachiopod species from the Middle Devonian of the Łysogóry Region is 140

Atrypides (Brachiopodes) frasniens de la Silésie (Pologne) et l’âge de la collision éo-varisque dans les Sudètes

La révision systématique des brachiopodes atrypides du Frasnien (Dévonien supérieur) de la Dépression de Świebodzice dans les Sudètes (Silésie, sud-ouest de la Pologne) conduit à reconnaître trois genres et trois espèces. Kyrtatrypa barnimi n. sp. est la première espèce du genre décrite du Frasnien supérieur et en est l’un des derniers représentants avant l’extinction des atrypides à la limite Frasnien-Famennien. Pseudogruenewaldtia tschernyschewi Rzhonsnitskaya, 1960 est décrite pour la première fois en dehors de ses localités-types dans le Timan. Sa présence permet de dater la faune entière du Frasnien supérieur. Spinatrypa mariaetheresiae n. sp. ressemble aux espèces contemporaines S. lambermontensis Mottequin, 2003 and S. rossica Rzhonsnitskaya in Rzhonsnitskaya et al., 1998 par une languette prononcée (peu importante chez la majorité des représentants du genre) mais elle en diffère par la densité de l’ornementation. Cette espèce possède deux morphotypes, situation analogue au dimorphisme décrit chez certaines Spinatrypina Rzhonsnitskaya, 1964. Un tableau synoptique résume la distribution des atrypides dans le Dévonien des Sudètes. Étant donné l’absence de conodontes et les doutes au sujet de l’âge des autres espèces de la macrofaune, les brachiopodes atrypides donnent actuellement la meilleure datation – un terminus ante quem pré-famennien – de la collision éo-varisque de la Bohême avec la Saxo-Thuringie.Frasnian (Late Devonian) Atrypida (Brachiopoda) from the Świebodzice Depression in the Sudetes (Silesia, south-western Poland) are revised. Three species are recognised. Kyrtatrypa barnimi n. sp. is the first described Late Frasnian species of the genus and one of the latest representatives of the genus before the atrypide extinction at the Frasnian-Famennian boundary. Pseudogruenewaldtia tschernyschewi Rzhonsnitskaya, 1960 is described for the first time outside the type area of the species, the Timan Mts. It allows to date the entire fauna to the Late Frasnian. Spinatrypa mariaetheresiae n. sp. is similar to coeval S. lambermontensis Mottequin, 2003 and S. rossica Rzhonsnitskaya in Rzhonsnitskaya et al., 1998 in having a high tongue (low in most representatives of the genus) but differs from them in ornamentation density. This species is represented by two morphotypes; an analogous dimorphism was described in some Spinatrypina Rzhonsnitskaya, 1964. A synoptic table of Devonian atrypides from the Sudetes is given. At present, given the lack of conodonts and unclear status of other diagnostic macrofauna, atrypide brachiopods are the best time markers giving a pre-Famennian terminus ante quem for the eo-Variscan collision of Bohemia and Saxothuringia.</p