Occurrence and paleoecological significance of lyssacinosid sponges in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of southern Poland

Cretaceous lyssacinosid sponges (Hexactinellida) are rare and poorly recognized. This is the first description of lyssacinosid sponges from the Cretaceous of Poland. The sponges (including six species and three types of root tufts) come from the Upper Turonian-Lower Coniacian of the Opole Trough, Upper Campanian of the Miechów synclinorium, and Upper Campanian of the SE part of the border synclinorium. All localities lie southwards of the previous reports, widening thus the paleogeographic distribution of the group within the North European Province. Cretaceous lyssacinosids seem to be a useful tool in paleoecological interpretations. The presence of thin-walled lyssacinosids with root tufts indicates a soft substrate, slow rate of sedimentation, and calm and deeper water conditions

Opoka – a mysterious carbonate-siliceous rock: an overview of general concepts

The opoka is a carbonate-siliceous marine sedimentary rock, forming a thick succession of Upper Cretaceous age in Poland and in other regions of Europe. This rock has been studied for over 150 years, but only the use of modern analytical techniques enables for the formulation of its mineralogical definition, which identifiesthe distinct features of opoka and allows it to be distinguished from other rocks (e.g. chalk, gaize). Parallel to the petrographic research on opoka, its palaeobathymetric interpretations, which were based on the palaeotectonic models of Danish-Polish Trough inversion has been revised. Depending on the model of palaeotectonic history, opoka has been interpreted as a deep-water or shallow facies, without detailed petrographic studies of its mineralogical composition. The paper presents various aspects of opoka, including history of the term, nomenclature, mineralogical composition, microtexture and palaeoecological significance of Cretaceous opoka. New data which permit precise definition of this rock term, and its mineralogical composition are discussed in the light of palaeoecological reconstructions, bathymetry and existing models of opoka distribution

Incorporation of the sphenoid sinuses' septum / septa in the carotid canal : evaluation before the fess

The purpose of the research was to define the frequency prevalence of the incorporation of sphenoid sinuses’ septum / septa in the carotid canal of the adult population. Materials and Methods: 296 computed tomography (CT) scans of the patients (147 females, 149 males), who did not present any pathology in the sphenoid sinuses, were evaluated in this retrospective analysis. Spiral CT scanner - Siemens Somatom Sensation 16 - was used to glean the medical images. Standard procedure applied in the option Siemens CARE Dose 4D. No contrast medium was administered. Multiplans reconstruction (MPR) tool was used in order to obtain frontal and sagittal planes from the transverse planes previously received. Results: Bilateral incorporation of the main septum (MS) in the carotid canal was not present in any of the patients, whereas unilateral incorporation was noticed in 21.96% of the patients (17.68% females, 26.17% males). On the right side it occurred in 11.82% of cases (10.88% females, 12.75% males), and on the left side in 10.14% of cases (6.8% females, 13.42% males). Bilateral incorporation of the additional septum (AS) was found in 8.45% of the patients (4.08% females, 12.75% males), whereas unilateral incorporation was noted in 28.37% of the patients. It was seen on the right side in 11.82% of cases (12.93% females, 10.74% males), and on the left side in 16.55% cases (15.65% females, 17.45% males). The most common variant was the incorporation of only one of the septa (either the MS or the AS) in the wall of the carotid canal unilaterally. Such situation took place in 30.07% of the patients (29.25% females, 30.87% males). Incorporation of two septa on the same side was noticed in 4.39% of cases (4.08% females, 4.7% males), and incorporation of three septa in 0.34% of cases (0.7% males). Conclusions: The anatomy of the paranasal sinuses is varied to a great extent, hence performing a CT scan is crucial before the scheduled surgery, as it may lessen the unforeseeable surgical complications, that may result from the high prevalence of variants in the sinuses

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

Taxonomy and palaeoecology of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Phymatellidae (lithistid demosponges) from the Miechów and Mogilno-Łódź synclinoria (southern and central Poland)

Phymatellid demosponges are common fossils in the Campanian deposits of central Europe. In Poland, the Campanian phymatellids were known mostly from the opoka facies of the Miechów Synclinorium (southern Poland), where they occur mainly in the characteristic horizons of siliceous nodules in the lower Campanian opoka succession. Similarly preserved early Campanian phymatellids were identified in a redeposited lithistid assemblage in the Neogene gravels, exposed in the Bełchatów Lignite Mine (Mogilno-Łódź Synclinorium, central Poland). Rare phymatellids were noted for the first time in the upper Campanian gaize of the Miechów Synclinorium. The taxonomic descriptions of 16 phymatellid species presented here, including one new species, Kalpinella fragilis, completes existing knowledge of the taxonomic diversity of these sponges in the Late Cretaceous basins of central Europe. The present study also supplements the data on the stratigraphic ranges and spatial distribution of these species. The palaeoecology of Cretaceous phymatellids is discussed on the basis of their occurrence in the various facies

Porosphaera globularis (Phillips, 1829) (Porifera, Calcarea) in the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of extra-Carpathian Poland

The stratigraphical distribution of Porosphaera globularis, a common calcareous sponge in the Upper Cretaceous (mostly Campanian and Maastrichtian) of Poland was studied. The presented material, both new and from museum collections, comes from the Campanian of the Miechów Synclinorium, in southern Poland, and from the Lower Campanian of Mielnik in the south-eastern part of the Mazury-Podlasie Homocline, in eastern Poland. The significance of the species in extra-regional correlation, its palaeobiogeography and stratigraphical potential is critically reviewed

A record of sequestration of plant material by marine burrowing animals as a new feeding strategy under oligotrophic conditions evidenced by pyrite microtextures

Lepidenteron mantelli is a trace fossil produced by a burrowing marine invertebrate (probably a polychaete) that sequestered plant macroremains in Cenomanian-Coniacian marly calcareous sediments of the Central European Basin during transgression events. For more than a century and half, this trace fossil has been mistaken for a fossil plant. In this paper, L. mantelli is described from upper Turonian marly limestones deposited under offshore, oligotrophic conditions in the Opole Trough, Southern Poland and its taxonomy and occurrences are summarized. Based on detailed studies of pyrite microtexture on wood fragments within the burrow and surrounding sediment, the feeding strategy of the L. mantelli trace maker is interpreted