Redescription of the rugose coral Macqeea (Rozkowskaella) sandaliformis (Rozkowska, 1980) from the Upper Frasnian of het Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

The discovery of horseshoe dissepiments at the base of some coralla of Trigonella sandaliformis ROZKOWSKA, 1980, type species of Rozkowskaella WRZOLEK, 1987 from the Upper Frasnian of Poland, leads to consider this taxon as a subgenus of Macgeea WEBSTER, 1889. Moreover, Debnikiella ROZKOWSKA, 1980, whose type species is D. formosa ROZKOWSKA, 1980 also from the Upper Frasnian of Poland, can probably be placed in synonymy with Rozkowskaella. For comparison, a few topotypes of Pachyphyllum solitarium HALL & WHITFIELD, 1873, type species of the genus Macgeea are described

A revision of the Devonian rugosan phillipsastreid genus Smithicyathus

The rugose coral genus Smithicyathus is diagnosed in this paper as massive to phaceloid phillipsastreid, with common horseshoe dissepiments and major septa that are very short in the tabularium. Revised taxonomy of this genus is based on analysis of over 20 numerical characters measured in sections and/or extracted from the literature data. Species are distinguished either by morphometric non−overlap in at least one, key feature or by geographic–stratigraphic isolation. The earliest possible representatives of the genus are known from the Eifelian of Angara (S.? emendatus and S.? russakovi). In the Upper Frasnian Smithicyathus is represented by seven species; in western Euramerica occur S. cinctus and S. mcleani sp. nov.; south−eastern Euramerican shelf area is with S. lacunosus, S. cf. lacunosus, S. smithi, S. cf. smithi, and S. lubliniensis; one probable species is recorded in Angara: S.? belkovskiense. The genus did not survive the Frasnian– Famennian crisis. Smithicyathus lived in tropical and sub−tropical shallow−marine carbonate environments, with the possible exception of the northern mid−latitudes species from Siberia. In the Holy Cross Mountains, S. lacunosus and S. smithi show a preference for restricted−marine facies. They may make up over 90% of all rugosan colonies collected in such locations, whereas in the more open−marine settings they are rare both in numbers and in proportion to other rugosan species

Rozkowskaella, a new name for Devonian tetracoral Trigonella Rozkowska, 1980

Różkowska (1980) established the genus Trlgonella for a Frasnian tetracoral from the Świętokrzyskie Mts. (= Holy Cross Mts., Poland), choosing as the type species T. sandaliformis Różkowska, 1980. The name was subsequently used by Hill (1981: F740). Professor Jerzy Fedorowski has drawn my attention to the fact that the name Trigonella has been preoccupied for a modern bivalve by da Costa, 1778 (fide Moore 1969: N595). Therefore, I propose the new name Rozkowskaella, in honour of Late Maria Różkowska, an eminent Polish student of Rugosa. The type species and its type specimen remain the same, as it was indicated by Różkowska (1980: 24, fig. 4, pl. 2: 6a—c)

Devonian history of diversity of the rugosan Cyathaxonia fauna

Literature data indicate above average diversity of the Cyathaxonia fauna in the Devonian period,both in absolute numbers of (sub)families and genera per age and also with respect to taxonomic diversities as calculated per Ma (10⁶ years). The Emsian and Famennian faunas,although represented by most numerous (sub)families and genera,have less than average diversities,due to their more than average durations,whereas the shorter intervals of the Pragian and Givetian have the highest values for diversity per Ma,and Frasnian faunas the lowest diversities,for both (sub)families and genera. The post−Givetian crisis may have been responsible for the Frasnian minimum,although limited temporal resolution of the analysis does not allow for a more precise description of the Givetian/Frasnian transition. However,“silent taxa” are extremely numerous in the Frasnian,i.e.,taxa which are present both prior to and after the Frasnian,but missing from the Frasnian record itself indicating that the Famennian Cyathaxonia fauna contains significant numbers of Lazarus and/or Elvis taxa

Rugose corals from the Devonian Kowala Formation of the Holy Cross Mountains

Rugose corals of the Givetian to Lower Frasnian Kowala limestone Formation in the environs of Chęciny, SW Holy Cross Mts and in its age equivalents in the Silesian-Cracow region of Southern Poland represent five distinct assemblages of restricted time-and-space distribution. Within the Stringocephalus Beds the high diversity Pseudohexagonaria(?) laxa assemblage indicates open-shelf conditions whereas low diversity Temnophyllum occidentale assemblage represents restricted conditions. The transgressive Jaźwica Mbr. locally contains diversified and cosmopolitan Acanthophyllum sp. n. fauna. Following temporally coral assemblages, i.e. Disphyllum (lower Sitkówka and Chęciny Beds) and Macgeea-Thamnophyllum (Kadzielnia Mbr, upper Sitkówka Beds) are mostly biostromes of branching corals of low taxonomical diversity typical for restricted relatively setting, rather unfavorable for rugosans. Exceptional are two Hexagonaria horizons with common massive colonies. Diffiisolasma gen. nov., Sociophyllum severiacum sp. nov., Temnophyllum zamkowae sp. nov. and Hexagonaria hexagona kowalae subsp. nov. are proposed as the new taxa.Koralowce czteropromienne z żywecko-frańskiej formacji wapieni z Kowali SE części Gór Świętokrzyskich (Fig. 1) układają się w następstwo pięciu charakterystycznych zespołów, wyznaczających lokalne zony biostratygraficzne. Dwie najniższe z nich stwierdzono w obrębie warstw stringocefalowych żywetu. Pierwsza, Zona Pseudohexagonaria(?) laxa, zawiera stosunkowo zróżnicowany zespół gatunków, wiele z nich występuje również poza obszarem świętokrzyskim (w tym w wapieniach z Dziewek obszaru Śląsko-Krakowskiego), co wskazuje na „otwarty” charakter morza stringocefalowego. Kolejny zespół, Temnophyllum occidentale, jest znacznie słabiej zróżnicowany taksonomicznie; także wskaźniki facjalne sugerują relatywnie „zamknięty” charakter zbiornika tej doby. Górnożywecki zespół Acanthophyllum sp. n. występuje jedynie lokalnie w obrębie ogniwa wapienia mikrytowego z Jaźwicy (dokładniej: w poziomie liliowcowo-koralowcowym Sowich Górek), lecz jego silne zróżnicowanie gatunkowe oraz kosmopolityczny charakter koralowców są typowe dla pulsu transgresywnego (cykl T-R IIb Johnsona et. al. 1985, patrz Racki 1993). Kolejne zespoły, Disphyllum (dolne warstwy sitkówczańskie i wapienie chęcińskie; także wapienie łomu karmelickiego w Dębniku) oraz Macgeea-Thamnophyllum (Ogniwo z Kadzielni, górne warstwy sitkówczańskie) ponownie charakteryzują się zubożeniem gatunkowym. Choć Rugosa pojawiają się tu niekiedy masowo, to jednak jako nieliczne gatunki, a także jako podrzędny ilościowo składnik kompleksów skalnych, w których występują. Świadczy to o relatywnie „zamkniętym” typie późnożywecko-wczesnofrańskiego zbiornika SE części Gór Świętokrzyskich. Z drugiej strony słabym echem wczesnofrańskiego cyklu T-R IIc jest zapewne zastąpienie zespołu Disphyllum przez Macgeea-Thamnophyllum. Nowe taksony, zaproponowane w niniejszej pracy to: Diffusolasma gen. nov., gatunek typowy Cyathophyllum diffusum Wrzołek 1982, duży osobniczy disfyllid, pochodzący zapewne od Spinophyllum i wykazujący homeomorfię do niektórych osobniczych Cyathophyllum (sensu Birenheide 1963); Sociophyllum severiacum sp. nov., z nadzwyczaj rzadkimi presepimentami i wklęsłym do płaskiego profilem tabularium; Temnophyllum zamkowae sp. nov., bez grubej septoteki, z septum głównymi(?) zazwyczaj skróconym i z bardzo krótkimi sepiami drugiego rzędu; Hexagonaria hexagona kowalae subsp. nov., z karinacją septów słabiej zaznaczoną niż u podgatunku nominalnego

Coral growth in Oligophylloides pachylhecus Rozkowska, 1969

Coral growth in Heterocorallia is described and illustrated for the first time. It has been studied in Oligophyltoides pachythecus Różkowska, 1969 from the Upper Famennian of the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains, Poland. One single offset at a time was formed laterally with respect to the parent polyp. It did not inherit any, septa from the parent corallite forming its own, independent set of septa. The young polyp was for a long time connected with the parent by soft tissue being separated from its skeleton by a tabulotheca. The theca and possibly all the other skeletal elements of the species studied grew centrifugally. Evidence is presented that O. pachythecus had a distal part of its corallite in the shape of a slender distal cone with a set of septa protruding on top of the cone