Remarks on age of the Middle Miocene deposits in the Szydłów area (southern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains

The Middle Miocene sediments outcropping between Szydłów and Brzeziny are represented by the Pińczów Beds and the Chmielnik Beds. The Pińczów Beds are developed as the Heterostegina sands with intercalations of red algal limestones. These sediments contain numerous fossils of foraminifera, bryozoans, bivalves, ostracods, echinoids, crustaceans and corallinacean red algae. Foraminifera (Amphistegina, Heterostegina, Orbulina suturalis) point to the early Badenian age of the Pińczów Beds. The Chmielnik Beds contain mainly organodetritical limestones, which are composed mainly of grains eroded from the Badenian red algal limestones. The organodetritical limestones contain pebbles and blocks of microbial-serpulid limestones, Abra limestones, marls and rare lenses of quartz sands. Numerous pectenids, other small bivalves, gastropods, foraminifera and rhodolites occur here. The fossils point to mainly Anomalinoides dividens Zone. New literature data show that this zone, commonly accepted as diagnostic for the beginning of Sarmatian, is diachronic. Therefore, the Badenian-early Sarmatian age is suggested for the Chmielnik Beds. The presence or absence of normal-marine biota as an age criterium for the Badenian-Sarmatian boundary, the commonly accepted idea for the brackish Sarmatian basin of the central Paratethys has been challenged recently. Both Badenian (not redeposited) and Sarmatian fossils occur in the Chmielnik Beds. Therefore, part of deposits in the Szydłów area assumed so far to be of Sarmatian age, can in fact represent late Badenian age

Trilobites, their traces and associated sedimentary structures as indicators of the Cambrian palaeoenvironment of the Ociesęki Range (Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

Enrolled specimens of trilobite species Strenuella polonica, partly preserved within their escape structures and burrows from the Cambrian Series 2 Ociesęki Sandstone Formation, are described. The specimens are interpreted as buried during storm episodes. Their occurrence in a few horizons, the presence of non-bioturbated tempestites with combined wave-current ripples and groovemarks interbedded with bioturbated beds suggest a depositional environment between normal and storm wave base. The trace fossils Monomorphichnus and some Rusophycus have been interpreted as structures formed during the storm when animal tried to take refuge. Well-preserved syndepositional Rusophycus and its different taphonomic variants are discussed. The part of the Ociesęki Sandstone Formation studied is interpreted as deposited on a lower shoreface with storm influence

Ichnology of Czarna Shale Formation (Cambrian, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

Ten ichnogenera and seven ichnospecies are described from the Czarna Shale Formation, possibly representing the Terreneuvian and Cambrian Series 2 of the Holy Cross Mountains. Moreover, five other ichnotaxa are described in open nomenclature. Phycodes circinatus, ?Taenidium isp., Trichichnus linearis and ?Dictyodora isp. are described from the Cambrian of the Holy Cross Mountains for the first time. The stratigraphic ranges of Trichichnus linearis and Phycodes circinatus are extended. The trace fossil assemblage and associated, sedimentological features point to deposition in the upper and lower offshore. Periodic, anoxic events may have occurred on the sea bed

New finds of Rusophycus from the lower Cambrian Ociesęki Sandstone Formation (Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

The Ociesęki Sandstone Formation represents the Holmia-Schmidtiellus and the Protolenus-Issafeniella zones. Seven ichnospecies of Rusophycus, including Rusophycus exsilius isp. nov, are recognized in this formation. Moreover, Rusophycus ispp. A, B, C are recognized. The diagnoses for R. dispar, R. crebrus and R. magnus have been emended and the stratigraphic range of R. versans has been extended. The presence of Rusophycus dispar may suggest a palaeozoogeographical connection between the Małopolska Block, the Baltica palaeocontinent and the Laurentia palaeocontinent

Ichnological analysis of the lower cambrian formations from the Holy Cross Mountains : the Czarna shale formation, the Ociesęki sandstone formation and the Kamieniec shale formation

Dolnokambryjskie formacje: łupków Czarnej, piaskowców z Ociesęk i łupków z Kamieńca z południowego bloku Gór Świętokrzyskich były analizowane głównie w małych odsłonięciach a także w kilku rdzeniach wiertniczych. Z badanych formacji oznaczono 39 ichnorodzajów oraz 64 ichnogatunki. Formacja piaskowców z Ociesęk wykształcona jest w postaci arenitów kwarcowych i wak, zawierających przeławicenia łupków mułowcowych. Formacja łupków Czarnej oraz formacja łupków z Kamieńca wykształcone są jako łupki mułowcowe z przeławiceniami łupków ilastych oraz nielicznymi przeławiceniami piaskowców kwarcowych. Dla badanych formacji przyjęto wiek Holmia-Schmidtiellus i Protolenus Issafeniella. Formacja łupków Czarnej i formacja łupków z Kamieńca cechują się niezbioturbowanym lub bardzo słabo zbioturbowanym osadem a większość formacji piaskowców z Ociesęk całkowitym zbioturbowaniem osadu. W niektórych warstwach formacji łupków Czarnej oraz formacji łupków z Kamieńca występują słabo zróżnicowane skamieniałości śladowe ichnofacji Cruziana. W dolnej części formacji piaskowców z Ociesęk występują liczne i zróżnicowane taksonomicznie skamieniałości śladowe ichnofacji Cruziana a w jej górnej części skamieniałości śladowe ichnofacji Skolithos. Zaproponowano wyróżnienie nowego ichnogatunku Rusophycus, ponadto wśród okazów opisanych w nomenklaturze otwartej mogą również występować nowe dla ichnologii taksony. Zdecydowana większość opisanych ichnotaksonów pochodzi z formacji piaskowców z Ociesęk. Struktury sedymentacyjne oraz zespoły skamieniałości śladowych w skałach formacji łupków Czarnej oraz formacji łupków z Kamieńca wskazują na depozycję w obrębie górnego i dolnego odbrzeża (upper and lower offshore) i częściowo w obrębie głębszego szelfu. Struktury sedymentacyjne oraz zespoły skamieniałości śladowych w formacji piaskowców z Ociesęk wskazują na depozycję starszej części tej formacji w obrębie dolnego przybrzeża (lower shoreface) oraz depozycję młodszej części formacji w obrębie środkowego przybrzeża (upper shoreface). W formacji piaskowców z Ociesęk głównym czynnikiem kontrolującym depozycję i rozwój bentosu były sztormy. Podobne zespoły skamieniałości śladowych są znane z dolnego kambru z wielu miejsc na świecie. Zespoły skamieniałości śladowych z dolnego kambru Gór Świętokrzyskich wykazują największe podobieństwo do zespołów opisanych z kambru polskiej części platformy wschodnioeuropejskiej oraz Szwecji, obszarów należących w kambrze do kontynentu Baltiki.The Lower Cambrian Czarna Shale Fm, Ociesęki Sandstone Fm and Kamieniec Shale Fm have been analyzed in small outcrops and a few cores. They contain thirty nine ichnogenera and sixty four ichnospecies. The Ociesęki Sandstone Formation is developed as quartz arenites and wackes with intercalations of silty shales. The Czarna Shale and the Kamieniec Shale formations are composed of silty shales with intercalations of clayey shales and rare beds of quartz sandstones. All the studied formations represent the Holmia-Schmidtiellus and the Protolenus-Issafeniella zones. Sediments of the Czarna Shale Fm and the Kamieniec Shale Fm are non-bioturbated or very poorly bioturbated, but the Ociesęki Sandstone Fm sediments are mostly totally bioturbated. Low diversified and uncommon trace fossils of the Cruziana ichnofacies in the Czarna Shale Fm and the Kamieniec Shale Fm occur only in some beds. Diversified and numerous trace fossils of the Cruziana ichnofacies in the lower part and the Skolithos ichnafacies in the upper part of the Ociesęki Sandstone Fm have been observed. A new ichnospecies of Rusophycus was proposed. A few other possibly new ichnospecies of different ichnogenera have been described in open nomenclature. The highest number of ichnotaxa comes from the Ociesęki Sandstone Fm. Sedimentological structures and trace fossil assemblages from the Czarna Shale and the Kamieniec Shale formations point to deposition mainly in the upper and lower offshore and partly in the outer shelf. The same features from the Ociesęki Sandstone Fm suggest that the older part of this formation was deposited in the lower shoreface while its younger part was deposited in the middle shoreface. Storm episods were the main factor controlling sedimentation and activity of bentos in the studied formations. Trace fossil assemblages similar to these from the Lower Cambrian of the Holy Cross Mountains are known from many places in the world. The ichnoassemblages from Polish part of the East European Platform and from Sweden, which represent the Baltica palaeocontinent, display the closest similarity

Ichnological record of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary interval : two examples from the Holy Cross Mts (Central Poland)

The Frasnian-Famennian (Late Devonian) boundary interval within the carbonate-siliciclastic series in the Kowala and Płucki sections (Holy Cross Mts, Central Poland) has been analysed to evaluate the influence of the Kellwasser event on the macrobenthic tracemaker community. The Upper Kellwasser event has a lithologically variable record, as horizons of flints (Kowala) and as a bed of bituminous, black, cephalopod limestone (Płucki). Both sections show mostly laminated, unbioturbated beds of marlstones or shales just above the Frasnian-Famennian boundary, which point to events of anoxia on the sea floor. However, the first anoxic horizon occurs below the Frasnian-Famennian boundary. The trace fossils and bioturbational structures are uncommon and poorly diversified. Trichichnus and Multina are the only frequent trace fossils in some beds. Moreover, one horizon above the Frasnian-Famennian boundary contains numerous Multina and a single? Planolites. Such poorly diversified trace fossil assemblage suggests an unfavourable environment for most of burrowing organisms and fluctuations in oxygenation from anoxic, to dysoxic conditions. The occurrence of the trace fossils and bioturbational structures as spotted and mottled ichnofabrics from the 1.3 m above the Frasnian-Famennian boundary is interpreted as an improvement in bottom water oxygen conditions after the Upper Kellwasser event

Lower/Middle Ordovician (Arenigian) shallow-marine trace fossils of the Pochico Formation, southern Spain: palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic implications at the Gondwanan and peri-Gondwanan realm

Nineteen ichnospecies belonging to thirteen ichnogenera (Archaeonassa, Catenichnus, Cochlichnus, Cruziana, Didymaulichnus, ?Diplichnites, Gordia, Lingulichnus, Lockeia, cf. Monocraterion, Planolites, Ptychoplasma, and Rusophycus) occur in the Pochico Formation (Arenigian) in the Aldeaquemada section, Sierra Morena, southern Spain, just above the Armorican Quartzite. They belong to the archetypal Cruziana ichnofacies, indicating a lower shoreface-upper offshore zone. The low degree of sediment reworking may be due to a high rate of sedimentation. The trace fossil assemblage, rich in large Cruziana, is typical of the Armorican Quartzite that developed on the margins of Gondwana and peri-Gondwanan microcontinents. The distribution of ichnofauna during the Early Ordovician was partly palaeogeographically controlled, although ichnological data from the literature point to paths of migration between Gondwana, Baltica and Laurentia. Differences between the ichnofauna of Gondwana and Baltica could be conditioned by facies (clastics in Gondwana and carbonates in Baltica) causing a taphonomic filter, because Cruziana requires diversified clastic deposits for preservation. The ichnofauna would also be influenced by trophic group amensalism between filter feeding and deposit feeding fauna, the former prevailing in Baltica and the latter in Gondwana.Se presenta el análisis sedimentológico/icnológico de los materiales de la Formación Pochico (Arenigian) de la sección de Aldeaquemada, Sierra Morena, Sur de España, provincia de Jaén, justo por encima la Cuarcita Armoricana. Se han reconocido diecinueve icnoespecies pertenecientes a trece icnogéneros (Archaeonassa, Catenichnus, Cochlichnus, Cruziana, Didymaulichnus, ?Diplichnites, Gordia, Lingulichnus, Lockeia, cf. Monocraterion, Planolites, Ptychoplasma, y Rusophycus). Las características icnológicas junto con los rasgos sedimentológicos permiten asignarlas a las icnofacies arquetípicas de Cruziana, comunes de las zonas de shoreface inferior a offshore superior. El grado de bioturbación relativamente bajo puede estar relacionado con una alta tasa de depósito. La asociación registrada, dominada por grandes Cruziana, es típica de la Cuarcita Armoricana desarrollada en los márgenes de Gondwana y peri-Gondwana. La distribucción de icnofósiles del Ordovícico temprano posee, en gran medida, un control paleogeográfico, aunque datos icnológicos procedentes de la literatura indican la existencia de migraciones entre Gondwana, Baltica y Laurentia. Las diferencias entre las asociaciones de Gondwana y Báltica pueden estar asociadas a las diferentes facies, con el dominio de materiales clásticos en Gondwana y de carbonatados en Báltica, causando un filtro tafonómico ya que el potencial de conservación de Cruziana es mucho mayor en las facies clásticas heterolíticas. A estos factores habría que añadir las estrategias de alimentación asociadas, diferenciando entre filtradores y aquellos que se alimentan de las partículas existentes en el sedimento, los primeros podrían verse favorecidos en Báltica y los segundos en Gondwana.Research by R.-T. was supported by Projects CGL2008-03007, and CGL2012-33281 (Secretaría de Estado de I+D+I, Spain), Project RNM-3715 and Research Group RNM-178 (Junta de Andalucía)

Diversity of vertebrate remains from the Lower Gogolin Beds (Anisian) of southern Poland

Middle Triassic (Muschelkalk) limestones and dolostones of southern Poland contain vertebrate remains, which can be used for palaeoecological and palaeogeographical analyses. The results presented concern vertebrate remains uncovered at four localities in Upper Silesia and one on Opole Silesia, a region representing the south-eastern margin of the Germanic Basin in Middle Triassic times. The most abundant remains in this assemblage are fish remains, comprising mostly actinopterygian teeth and scales. Chondrichthyan and sauropsid remains are less common. Reptilian finds include vertebrae, teeth and fragments of long bones, belonging to aquatic or semi-aquatic reptiles, such as nothosaurids, pachypleusorosaurids, and ichthyosaurids. Also, coprolites of possibly durophagous and predacious reptiles occur. In the stratigraphic column of Mikołów, actinopterygian remains are the most numerous and no distinct changes of the taxonomic composition occur. Although this assemblage differs from those described at other localities (Ząbkowice with numerous chondrichthyans, Żyglin, and Płaza with common sauropsid fossils), sampling bias has to be considered

Large cruzianid trace fossils in the Ordovician of the peri-Baltic area : the case of the Bukówka Formation (Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

The Middle Ordovician Bukówka Formation, composed of fine-grained quartz sandstones with siltstone intercalations, belongs to the Kielce Region of the Holy Cross Mountains (peri-Baltic palaeogeographic position). It contains trace fossils of low diversity and poor preservation. Particularly noteworthy are the large Cruziana and Rusophycus, that are typical of peri-Gondwanan areas. They consist of casts of bilobate furrows showing diverse preservation. Other trace fossils include mostly horizontal pascichnia, cubichnia, and fodinichnia, but also vertical domichnia. The trace fossil assemblage is typical of the archetypal Cruziana and partly of the Skolithos ichnofacies. Some beds contain abundant orthid brachiopods. The trace fossils and sedimentary structures (horizontal, low-angle and wave ripple cross-laminations, hummocky cross-stratification) suggest deposition on the middle and lower shoreface with storm influence. The poor preservation and low diversity of the trace fossils are related to the homogeneous lithology, low accumulation rate, shallow burial of organic matter and strong bioturbation. Therefore, animals burrowed strongly but mostly in shallow tiers. Thus, the preservation potential of their traces was much lower than in many peri-Gondwanan sections but still higher than in Baltica sedimentary rocks. This explains the provincial differences in ichnofauna during the Ordovician, which at least partly were influenced by the preservation potential