Obszar geoedukacji Owadów-Brzezinki w Sławnie

The geoeducation area (called also “Owadów-Brzezinki Geopark”) located in the north-western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains (Tomaszów Syncline) at Sławno community (Łódź Voivodeship), was established in June 2019, in close vicinity of the Owadów-Brzezinki quarry. This locality is one of the most important palaeontological sites described recently in Poland. The area consists of the exhibition pavilion, educational routs and panoramic viewing platform, which is located along the edge of the quarry. The palaeontological exhibition shows the unique Late Jurassic fossils of marine and terrestrial organisms, many of them new to science, that have been excavated in the quarry during the last eight years. Among the most important fossils are: ammonites, lobster-like decapod crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, actinopterygian fish, a cryptodiran turtle, ichthyosaurs, as well as a small terrestrial  crocodyliform, pterosaurs and insects. In addition to the original fossils, the exhibition presents life-size reconstructions of animals, that inhabited the local seas and islands during the Late Jurassic. The palaeontological sites of Owadów-Brzezinki is referred to as a new “taphonomic window” of the Late Jurassic, providing insights about the evolution of life on Earth in the palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental context.Geoedukacyjny ośrodek (zwany też „Geoparkiem Owadów-Brzezinki”) znajdujący się na północno-zachodnim obrzeżeniu Gór Świętokrzyskich(synklina tomaszowska) w gminie Sławno (województwo łódzkie) został utworzony w czerwcu 2019 roku w bliskim sąsiedztwie kamieniołomu Owadów-Brzezinki. Stanowisko to jest jednym z ważniejszych odkryć paleontologicznych ostatnich lat z terenu Polski. Ośrodekobejmuje pawilon wystawowy, ścieżki edukacyjne oraz platformę widokową umiejscowioną w bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie kamieniołomu. W powstałym pawilonie paleontologicznym wyeksponowano unikatowe skamieniałości późnojurajskich zwierząt morskich i lądowych, w tym gatunki dotychczas nieznane, które zostały odkryte w kamieniołomie podczas ośmiu minionych lat. Do najważniejszych skamieniałości należą amonity, homaropodobne skorupiaki, skrzypłocze, ryby kostnoszkieletowe, żółwie skrytoszyjne, ichtiozaury, a także małe lądowe krokodylomorfy, pterozaury i owady. Oprócz oryginalnych skamieniałości w muzeum wyeksponowane są naturalnych rozmiarów rekonstrukcje zwierząt, które zamieszkiwały lokalne morza i wyspy w późnej jurze. Stanowisko paleontologiczne Owadów-Brzezinki jest określane jako nowe „okno tafonomiczne” późnej jury, ukazujące zapis ewolucji życia na Ziemi w kontekście paleogeograficznym i paleośrodowiskowym

X-ray microtomography (XMT) of fossil brachiopod shell interiors for taxonomy

The ability to see and understand the three-dimensional structure of an investigated object plays a key role in studying fossil remains. All living organisms are formed in three-dimensions, but unfortunately fossilization processes often reduce overall shape, making it difficult to gather information about real overall appearance, functionality, and inner structure. Here, using a specimen of the brachiopod Tere bratula terebratula we demonstrate a non-destructive technique for exploring the 3-D internal structure of fossil remains. The use of tomography allows the construction of a set of transverse serial sections in the manner used by brachiopod researchers for decades

First record of catacrinid crinoid from the Lower Permian of Spitsbergen

An early Permian (late Artinskian-Roadian) cladid crinoid (Catacrinidae gen. et sp. indet.) is reported for the first time from the Vøringen Member of the Kapp Starostin Formation of Spitsbergen. The specimen is partly articulated and preserves a considerable part of its stalk and a complete cup, but only the proximal portions of its arms. Thus, it can− not be identified with any degree of certainty at the generic level. Despite this, our finding is important as it constitutes one of the youngest records of catacrinid crinoids to date and con− siderably extends the palaeogeographic distribution of this group

A moment from before 365 Ma frozen in time and space

This study presents a detailed analysis of an exceptionally well-preserved articulated specimen of the trilobite Trimerocephalus from the Late Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. X-ray microtomography reveals the oldest direct evidence for a moulting episode known from the fossil record. The process of moulting as well as associated features observed in the investigated specimen are interpreted by comparison with extinct and extant Xiphosurida arthropods, which survived global P/T extinction and are among the closest extant relatives of trilobites. A very special moment frozen in time and space millions years ago provides rare insights into the behavior and physiology of these long-extinct arthropods

Arthropod trace fossils from Eocene cold climate continental strata of King George Island, West Antarctica

Siltstone and sandstone beds of the Mount Wawel Formation (Eocene) contain trace fossils interpreted as insect resting traces and arthropod trackways, the latest determined as Glaciichnium australis isp. nov. and cf. Pterichnus isp. Glaciichnium is included in a new ichnofamily Protichnidae, which embraces invertebrate trackways composed of straight central trail(s) and lateral tracks. The same deposits contain fragments of plant stems in growth position, delicate fern-like plant twigs and leaves of Nothofagus. Their deposition took place in very shallow but flowing water, probably in a marginal part of a lake, perhaps in a delta. The presence of mudcracks proves incidental exposure of the sediment. The trace fossils were produced by arthropods, especially insects and/or isopods, between episodes of deposition and were influenced by the water flow and subtle changes in substrate consistency. This resulted in several morphological variants of the traces. Glaciichnium australis is similar to those produced by some caddisflies (Trichoptera) in shallow puddles in the Tatra Mountains of Poland. The arthropod-dominated trace fossil assemblage is similar to the Glaciichnium ichnocoenosis, which is known from some Pleistocene lacustrine varve sediments of Europe. This fits well with the beginning of climatic cooling in Antarctica during the late Eocene. This also shows the recurrence of some ichnological features on both ends of the globe in similar palaeoenvironmental conditions and supports basics of the ichnofacies concept

A marine vertebrate assemblage from the Upper Jurassic of Krzyżanowice near Iłża - with turtles, crocodylomorphs and large pliosaurs

Vertebrate remains, mostly cryptodiran turtle shellfragments, pliosaur skull bones and teeth, plesiosaur vertebrae and crocodylomorph isolated teeth and skull fragments are described from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) limestone beds of Krzyżanowice in the NE margin of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. The vertebrate fossils were collected during the palaeontological excavations conducted in 2018 and 2019 by the authors, and in the 1960s by a scientific team from the Museum of the Earth and the Institute of Paleobiology Polish Academy of Sciences. All osteological remains are generally very well preserved. This interesting vertebrate bones association from the upper part of the Kimmeridgian represents fossils of animals from two different types of environment. The first contains costal reptiles, like turtles and crocodylomorphs, the second one contains large pelagic animals - pliosaurids and plesiosaurids. This new vertebrate fauna from Poland has been correlated with age-equivalents from other regions of Europe and both Boreal/Subboreal and Mediterranean palaeobiogeographical realms