Eocene flora and trace fossils from the Hruby Regiel section in the Tatra Mountains (Poland) : taxonomic revision of the Wiktor Kuźniar fossil plant collection

Latest Eocene plant macrofossils and trace fossils collected a century ago by Wiktor Kuźniar are revised and their stratigraphical and palaeoecological meaning is re-considered. They derive from marine limestones and marls cropping out on the northern slope of the Hruby Regiel mountain in the Western Tatra Mountains. Leaves belonging to the families Fagaceae and Lauraceae and fruits of the palm Nypa are recognized. The co-occurrence of the planktonic foraminifer taxa Chiloguembelina cf. gracillima and Globigerinatheca cf. index and fruits of Nypa suggests a latest Eocene age of the fossil flora. The plant assemblage is typical of paratropical or subtropical evergreen forests in a warm and humid subtropical climate, recent counterparts of which occur in southeast Asia. The presence of Nypa is characteristic of mangroves. The good state of preservation of the leaves suggests coastline proximity during sedimentation of the plant-bearing deposits

Neogene karst sinkhole and its deposits from Górażdże Quarry, Upper Silesia : archive for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions

A sinkhole, developed in Middle Triassic limestones and filled with clastic and organic deposits, including lignite, was studied, in terms of its origin and age. The sinkhole represents a solution sinkhole, which originated through the subsidence of surficial deposits into an underlying cave system. The study permitted the recognition of three main stages of sinkhole evolution. During the initial stage, subterranean and surface karstification proceeded concurrently. As a result, a terra rossa cover developed at the surface and a cavern system was formed in the underlying bedrocks. During the second phase, both systems became connected and the soil cover subsided. This, in turn, involved the formation of a depression at the land surface and ponding of the drainage water. The pond was filled with plant debris, later giving rise to lignite formation. During the third and final stage, the sinkhole was filled with quartz sands with kaolinite, derived from eroded, Upper Cretaceous sandstones and marls. Results of pollen analysis from the sinkhole indicate the presence of mesophytic forests and show a significant role of riparian forests and herbaceous vegetation. The occurrence of abundant, freshwater algae and the pollen of aquatic plants evidences sedimentation of the infill in a water body (pond). The apparent dominance of arctotertiary and cosmopolitan, palaeofloristical elements, as well as the occurrence of only sparse, palaeotropical elements (mainly subtropical), indicate a warm-temperate climate (cooler than during the Early and Middle Miocene period). A comparison of the sporomorph association from the sinkhole with those from other Neogene sites provides evidence of its Late Miocene age (Late Pannonian-Early Pontian)

Palynology of Oligocene lignites in two karst palaeosinkholes at Górażdże, Upper Silesia, Poland

A palynological analysis was carried out on about 115 samples from two borehole cores, containing the infills of two palaeosinkholes at Górażdże. In both sinkholes, well preserved palynofloras were found in several lignite samples. A total of 54 fossil species, including 5 species of cryptogam spores, 7 species of gymnosperm pollen and 42 species of angiosperm pollen, were identified. No marine palynomorphs or microremains re-deposited from older sediments have been found in these samples. The spore-pollen assemblage made it possible to date the sinkhole deposits. The composition of the assemblage (e.g., abundance of small tricolporate pollen grains of the Fagaceae family, including Cupuliferoipollenites pusillus, Fususpollenites fusus, and Quercoidites microhenricii) indicates that the age of the lignites in both sinkholes is early Oligocene. Thus, the deposits at Górażdże correspond to the 5th Czempiń lignite seam group. The 5th seam occurs mainly in northwestern Poland and its lignites were deposited in isolated wetland basins with marine influences. The terrestrial Górażdże palynoflora without any marine influence shows mainly local early Oligocene vegetation from the surrounding area. The results are also direct evidence of the multiphase palaeokarst of the Silesian-Cracow Upland, including the deposition of lignites of various ages

Debarya glyptosperma (De Bary) Wittrock 1872 (Zygnemataceae, Chlorophyta) as a possible airborne alga : a contribution to its palaeoeocological interpretation

This paper reports the fi nding of Debarya glyptosperma zygospores in xeric grasslands far from the natural habitat of algal species. This fact suggests that this species is an airborne alga and this has not been reported before. What is more the discoidal shape of the zygospores may dispose this taxon among the Zygnemataceae family towards air dispersion. This new information may assist in assessing it as an indicator of limnic conditions. However, the simple discovery of Debarya without any accompanying algal taxa and/or other water plants should not be conclusively interpreted as proof of the existence of water bodies because the zygospores might originate from distant transport

Unique geological, palaeobotanical and archaeological site in Witów near Brzesko Nowe (Southern Poland)

Stanowisko w Witowie, położone ok. 50 kilometrów na północny wschód od Krakowa, jest znane z odsłonięcia osadów określanych mianem serii witowskiej. Były one przedmiotem badań paleobotanicznych, paleozoologicznych, sedymentologicznych i petrograficznych. W osadach serii witowskiej znaleziono oznaczalne makroszczątki roślin iglastych i okrytozalążkowych. Szczególnie interesujące są kopalne gatunki Pinus cf. palaeostrobus, Zelkova zelkovifolia i Spirematospermum wetzleri. Wyniki badań szczątków roślinnych wskazują na późnomioceński lub plioceński wiek serii witowskiej. Kopalne zbiorowiska roślinne, które występowały w okolicy Witowa można porównać do współczesnych podzwrotnikowych lasów wilgotnych obszaru Kolchidy i Niziny Tałyskiej na Zakaukaziu oraz środkowych Chin. Obecność szczątków roślinności ciepłolubnej wskazuje na cieplejszy niż obecnie klimat okresu sedymentacji serii witowskiej. Witów jest znany także ze stanowisk archeologicznych. Obszar ten od neolitu był wielokrotnie zasiedlany. Ślady najintensywniejszego osadnictwa pochodzą z końca epoki brązu i początków epoki żelaza (1000-600 BC) i są odnoszone do kultury łużyckiej. Na stanowisku w Witowie znaleziono także średniowieczny cmentarz datowany na koniec jedenastego wieku po Chrystusie, będący pierwszym dowodem na obecność średniowiecznego osadnictwa na tym terenie. Położenie Witowa na brzegu doliny Wisły zapewne dawało mu kontrolę nad okolicznymi szlakami oraz, być może, także nad brodami. Możliwe, że Witów sprawował także polityczną kontrolę na otaczających go terenach. Biorąc pod uwagę naukową wartość stanowiska w Witowie i wynikającą stąd konieczność jego ochrony, postulowane jest utworzenie na jego obszarze rezerwatu przyrody.The study area near village Witów situated about 50 kilometres north-east of the Kraków city is famous for its exposed deposits called the "Witów Series" on which palaeobotanical, micro- and macrofaunistic, malacological, sedimentological and petrographical studies have already been performed. From deposits of the Witów Series, plant macroremains belonging to gymnosperms and angiosperms were reported. Pinus cf. palaeostrobus, Zelkova zelkovifolia and Spirematospermum wetzleri are particularly interesting. Results of investigations on fossil plant remains point to the Late Miocene to Pliocene age of the Witów Series. Plant communities that existed in the vicinity of Witów could be compared to recent warm temperate and humid forests of the Colchis and Talysh Lowland in Transcaucasus and to forests of Central China. Presence of remains of termophilous taxa point to warmer climate of the period of sedimentation of the Witów Series than recent climate of Poland. The Witów region is also famous for archaeological localities that has been known since the turn of the twentieth century. The site was being repeatedly settled beginning with the late Stone Age (the Neolithic Period). Traces of the most intensive periods of settlement come from the late Bronze and early Iron Ages (1000-600 BC) and are attributed to the so-called Lusatian culture. The site also yielded a medieval cemetery that can be dated to the turn of the twelfth century AD. This is the first confirmation of the presence of medieval settlements on this site. Location of Witów in the Vistula river valley may have allowed this settlement to control nearby routes and possibly river fords and also probably exercised political control over the surrounding areas. Considering scientific value of the Witów locality and necessity of their protection, creation of natural reserve on this area is suggested

The long-range transport of Pinaceae pollen : an example in Kraków (southern Poland)

High Pinaceae pollen concentrations in the air and on the surface of puddles before the main pollen season started were observed in Kraków (southern Poland) in May 2013. The paper presents the results of detailed studies of the composition and source of the “yellow rain” in 2013, and as a comparison, the Pinaceae pollen concentrations and samples collected from the ground surface in 2014 were considered. The air samples were collected using the volumetric method (Hirst-type device), while pollen grains sampled from the ground surface were processed using a modified Erdtman acetolysis method. Finally, all samples were studied using a light microscope. In 2013, the period of higher Abies, Picea and Pinus pollen concentrations was observed from the 5 to 12 of May, earlier than the main pollen season occurred. The presence of rainfall on the 12 and 13 of May 2013 caused the pollen deposition on the ground surface, where the prevalence of Pinaceae pollen was found. The synoptic situation and the analysis of the back-trajectories and air mass advection at the beginning of May 2013 indicated that Pinaceae pollen grains could have been transported from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In contrast, Pinaceae pollen grains deposited on the ground surface as a “yellow” film in May 2014, originated from local sources

Molecular taxonomy of bambusicolous fungi: Tetraplosphaeriaceae, a new pleosporalean family with Tetraploa-like anamorphs

A new pleosporalean family Tetraplosphaeriaceae is established to accommodate five new genera; 1) Tetraplosphaeria with small ascomata and anamorphs belonging to Tetraploa s. str., 2) Triplosphaeria characterised by hemispherical ascomata with rim-like side walls and anamorphs similar to Tetraploa but with three conidial setose appendages, 3) Polyplosphaeria with large ascomata surrounded by brown hyphae and anamorphs producing globose conidia with several setose appendages, 4) Pseudotetraploa, an anamorphic genus, having obpyriform conidia with pseudosepta and four to eight setose appendages, and 5) Quadricrura, an anamorphic genus, having globose conidia with one or two long setose appendages at the apex and four to five short setose appendages at the base. Fifteen new taxa in these genera mostly collected from bamboo are described and illustrated. They are linked by their Tetraploa s. l. anamorphs. To infer phylogenetic placement in the Pleosporales, analyses based on a combined dataset of small- and large-subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (SSU+LSU nrDNA) was carried out. Tetraplosphaeriaceae, however, is basal to the main pleosporalean clade and therefore its relationship with other existing families was not completely resolved. To evaluate the validity of each taxon and to clarify the phylogenetic relationships within this family, further analyses using sequences from ITS-5.8S nrDNA (ITS), transcription elongation factor 1-α (TEF), and β-tubulin (BT), were also conducted. Monophyly of the family and that of each genus were strongly supported by analyses based on a combined dataset of the three regions (ITS+TEF+BT). Our results also suggest that Tetraplosphaeria (anamorph: Tetraploa s. str.) is an ancestral lineage within this family. Taxonomic placement of the bambusicolous fungi in Astrosphaeriella, Kalmusia, Katumotoa, Massarina, Ophiosphaerella, Phaeosphaeria, Roussoella, Roussoellopsis, and Versicolorisporium, are also discussed based on the SSU+LSU phylogeny