Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of echinoderm assemblages from Bathonian ore-bearing clays at Gnaszyn (Kraków-Silesia Homocline, Poland)

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the variability of echinoderm assemblages from Bathonian ore-bearing clays from Gnaszyn. Remains of Crinoidea, Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea, and Holothuroidea have been studied from 38 rock samples. The most common echinoderms represented are the crinoids Balanocri- nus berchteni and Chariocrinus andreae and a few species of the holothurian genera Priscopedatus, Calclamna, Staurocaudina, Eocaudina, Achistrum, Theelia and Hemisphaeranthos. The echinoderms from Gnaszyn show var- ious life strategies: benthic or epibenthic forms, sessile sestonophages (Crinoidea), motile macrophages (Asteroidea) and detritivores (Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea), infaunal and epifaunal detritus feeders, sediment feeders or rake-feeders (Holothuroidea). Their presence suggests well oxygenated and presumably relatively cold bottom marine waters. The parts of the Gnaszyn section around concretion horizons and characterized by the ubiquitous occurrence of the holothurian Theelia and echinoids were deposited during phases of optimal living conditions with sufficient influx of plant detritus and good oxygenation of the sea bottom. These parts commonly host echin- oderm associations dominated by crinoid remains, which occasionally are still articulated (or disarticulated but re- maining intact) – this points to a quiet environment with normal oxygenation of the bottom waters but anaerobic/dysaerobic conditions in the sediment

Niekończąca się opowieść - przepis na wykład z pasją

The article aims to provide the readers with useful and practical advice on how to improve their skills in preparing presentations, as well as building effective lecturerstudent relationship. In other words, it presents components of a good lecture. The author depicts various ways of inspiring students to attend lectures by taking care of the way factual knowledge is communicated, as well as by what means it is going to get to students, which would render a lecture clear, coherent and comprehensible. The article’s author discusses, among other issues, objectives set by a lecturer, ways of determining who the recipients are, the choice of good and reliable equipment and software, which he illustrates with multiple examples. The paper ends with ten practical pieces of advice

Spectroscopic Studies on Organic Matter from Triassic Reptile Bones, Upper Silesia

Fossil biomolecules from an endogenous source were previously identified in Cretaceous to Pleistocene fossilized bones, the evidence coming from molecular analyses. These findings, however, were called into question and an alternative hypothesis of the invasion of the bone by bacterial biofilm was proposed. Herewith we report a new finding of morphologically preserved blood-vessel-like structures enclosing organic molecules preserved in ironoxide-mineralized vessel walls from the cortical region of nothosaurid and tanystropheid (aquatic and terrestrial diapsid reptiles) bones. These findings are from the Early/Middle Triassic boundary (Upper Roetian/Lowermost Muschelkalk) strata of Upper Silesia, Poland. Multiple spectroscopic analyses (FTIR, To F-SIMS, and XPS) of the extracted "blood vessels" showed the presence of organic compounds, including fragments of various amino acids such as hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine as well as amides, that may suggest the presence of collagen protein residues. Because these amino acids are absent from most proteins other than collagen, we infer that the proteinaceous molecules may originate from endogenous collagen. The preservation of molecular signals of proteins within the "blood vessels" was most likely made possible through the process of early diagenetic iron oxide mineralization. This discovery provides the oldest evidence of in situ preservation of complex organic molecules in vertebrate remains in a marine environment

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ore-bearing clays at Gnaszyn

Multidisciplinary studies of the Middle–Upper Bathonian ore-bearing clays at Gnaszyn revealed variable palaeoenvi- ronmental conditions during the deposition of this seemingly monotonous sequence. We interpret the conditions in the bottom environment and the photic zone, and also evaluate the influence of the adjacent land areas, based on sedi- mentology, geochemistry, sporomorphs and palynofacies composition, benthic (foraminifera, gastropods, bivalves, scaphopods, echinoderms), planktonic (calcareous nannoplankton, dinoflagellate cysts), and nektonic (sharks) fossils. The Gnaszyn succession originated relatively close to the shore, within reach of an intense supply of terrestrial fine clas- tic and organic particles. The latter are mainly of terrestrial origin and range from 1.5 to 2.5 wt.%. The precise water depth is difficult to estimate but most likely ranges from several tens of metres to a few hundred metres. All fossil groups show minor changes throughout the succession. As the climate seems to have been quite stable during this period we consider sea-level fluctuations to have been the main factor responsible for the changes. The terrestrial input, includ- ing freshwater and land-derived clastic and organic particles (sporomorphs and cuticles), increased during periods of sea-level lowstand. As a consequence, stress conditions (lower salinity, higher nutrient availability, lower water trans- parency) in the photic zone caused blooms of opportunistic planktonic taxa. Furthermore, a faster sedimentation rate led to oxygen depletion and deterioration of the living conditions in the bottom environment due to an increased accumulation of organic matter. As a result, the benthic biota became taxonomically impoverished and commonly dominated by juvenile forms. During periods of high sea level, the source areas were shifted away from the basin, resulting in a decrease in the terrestrial influx, increase in the salinity of surface waters, the appearance of more diverse phytoplank- ton assemblages, a lower sedimentation rate, and an improvement of living conditions at the bottom

Brachiopods and stratigraphy of the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) succession of the Radlin Syncline (Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

The lower part of the Frasnian succession in the Radlin Syncline (KielceLagów Synclinorium, southern region of the Holy Cross Mountains), in the two studied successions: Józefka at Górno and (for the first time) Radlin, consists of the rhythmic marly Szydlówek Beds, the fossil-rich limestones of the Wietrznia Beds (locally) and the atypically developed, calcareous Kostomloty Beds. The carbon isotope chemostratigraphic pattern overall corresponds well to the global EarlyMiddle Frasnian biogeochemical perturbation, even if the major punctata positive excursion is only fragmentarily recorded in the Kostomloty intrashelf basin. Two brachiopod assemblages are abundantly represented in both sections: the Phlogoiderhynchus polonicus Assemblage, typical of the Szydlówek Beds, and the Biernatella lentiformis Assemblage, limited to the middle part of the Wietrznia Beds. Both are highly dominated by the index species. Twenty nine lower Frasnian brachiopod species (Craniida-1 species, Strophomenida-1, Productida-2, Protorthida-1, Orthida-5, Pentamerida-1, Rhynchonellida-4, Atrypida-4, Athyridida-3, Spiriferida-4, Spiriferinida-3) are described from the Szydlówek and Wietrznia Beds. Seven new species are introduced: Skenidioides cretus Halamski sp. nov., Biernatium minus Baliński sp. nov., Monelasmina montisjosephi Baliński sp. nov., Atryparia (Costatrypa) agricolae Halamski and Baliński sp. nov., Davidsonia enmerkaris Halamski sp. nov., Leptathyris gornensis Baliński sp. nov., and Echinocoelia parva Baliński sp. nov. Davidsonia enmerkaris Halamski sp. nov. is intermediate between Davidsonia Bouchard-Chantereaux, 1849 and Rugodavidsonia Copper, 1996 and is the youngest known representative of the suborder Davidsonioidea Copper, 1996. Skenidioides cretus Halamski sp. nov. is the last representative of the genus. Statistical investigation of a large sample of Spinatrypina (Exatrypa) explanata did not confirm the existence of two dimorphic forms, coarse- and fine-ribbed. The high-diversity Biernatella lentiformis Assemblage is quite dissimilar to coeval brachiopod assemblages described heretofore from the Holy Cross Mountains region. It is interpreted as consisting of mostly parautochthonous dwellers of deep-slope muddy habitats and a local, occasionally storm-agitated, intra-basin brachiopod-crinoid-coral shoal. The fauna was adapted probably to cooler and nutrient-poor waters during an initial phase of the severe carbon cycle perturbation

Possible hominin footprints from the late Miocene (c. 5.7 Ma) of Crete?

© 2017 The Geologists' Association. We describe late Miocene tetrapod footprints (tracks) from the Trachilos locality in western Crete (Greece), which show hominin-like characteristics. They occur in an emergent horizon within an otherwise marginal marine succession of Messinian age (latest Miocene), dated to approximately 5.7 Ma (million years), just prior to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The tracks indicate that the trackmaker lacked claws, and was bipedal, plantigrade, pentadactyl and strongly entaxonic. The impression of the large and non-divergent first digit (hallux) has a narrow neck and bulbous asymmetrical distal pad. The lateral digit impressions become progressively smaller so that the digital region as a whole is strongly asymmetrical. A large, rounded ball impression is associated with the hallux. Morphometric analysis shows the footprints to have outlines that are distinct from modern non-hominin primates and resemble those of hominins. The interpretation of these footprints is potentially controversial. The print morphology suggests that the trackmaker was a basal member of the clade Hominini, but as Crete is some distance outside the known geographical range of pre-Pleistocene hominins we must also entertain the possibility that they represent a hitherto unknown late Miocene primate that convergently evolved human-like foot anatomy

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