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

Devonian rugose corals of the "Phillipsastrea hennahii" species group

Massive phillipsastreid tetracorals similar to Phillipsastrea hennahii, defined as a Ph. hennahii species group, are characterized by reduced intercorallite walls (thamnasterioid or subthamnasterioid habit), by variable but generally good development of horseshoe dissepiments at the tabularium/dissepimentarium boundary, and by strongly deflected peripheral platforms at corallite margins. Seven species of the Ph. hennahii species group, mostly from the Givetian of southern Euramerica, Iberia and northern Gondwana, are reviewed. Two species, the Middle Givetian Phillipsastrea sobolewi (RÓŻKOWSKA 1956) and the Late Givetian Phillipsastrea jachowiczi, a new species described herein, both from the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) are described and illustrated. Also described from that area is Phillipsastrea falsa COEN-AUBERT 1987 from the Upper Frasnian

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

XIV Szkoła Terenowa Geologów Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. Chańcza k/Rakowa Świętokrzyskiego, 31 marca – 5 kwietnia 1994. Streszczenia referatów

Spis treści A. Bishady - Alkaline Ring Complexes of Egypt. 4 P. Filipiak, W. Krawczyński - Mieczogony (Xiphosura) z karbonu NE obrzeżenia GZW. 5 E. Galuskin, Ł. Karwowski, M. Urbańczyk - Bliźniaki aragonitu ze sferosyderytów Faustianki (z kolekcji Muzeum Ziemi Uniwersytetu Śląskiego). 8 E. Galuskin, W. Krawczyński - Muzeum Ziemi UŚl - co dalej? 12 E. Głuchowski - Liliowce z dolomitów triasowych niecki tarnogórskiej. 17 J. Janeczek, K. Kozłowski, J.Żaba - Pozycja geologiczna i petrograficzna skał ultrazasadowych z Bystrzycy Górnej w Górach Sowich. 19 J. Lewandowski - Problemy kenozoiku Jury Polskiej. 22 K. Malik - Sedymentologia wczoraj i dziś - próba podsumowania. 24 L. Marynowski, Ł. Karwowski - Substancja organiczna towarzysząca żyłom hydrotermalnym w Śluchowicach. 26 M. Narkiewicz - Analiza subsydencji bruzdy środkowopolskiej w permie i mezozoiku. 31 G. Racki - Drogi i bezdroża współczesnej biostratygrafii. 34 M.A. Takla, I.M. Khalaf, M.H. Hathout & H.A. Eliwa - Petrology and Opaque Mineralogy of Um Arta volcanics, Northern Eastern Desert, Egypt. 37 T. Wrzołek - Czy paleontologia jest naszej uczelni potrzebna? 41 T. Wrzołek - Granica kreda - trzeciorzęd raz jeszcze. 42 T. Wrzołek - Dewońskie koralowce Rugosa wschodniej części Gór Świętokrzyskich. 44Streszczenia referatów przedstawionych na XIV Szkole Terenowej Geologów Uniwersytetu Ślaskiego

Tabulate Corals after the Frasnian/Famennian Crisis: A Unique Fauna from the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

Famennian tabulate corals were very rare worldwide, and their biodiversity was relatively low. Here we report a unique tabulate fauna from the mid- and late Famennian of the western part of the Holy Cross Mountains (Kowala and Ostrówka), Poland. We describe eight species (four of them new, namely ?Michelinia vinni sp. nov., Thamnoptychia mistiaeni sp. nov., Syringopora kowalensis sp. nov. and Syringopora hilarowiczi sp. nov.); the whole fauna consists of ten species (two others described in previous papers). These corals form two assemblages-the lower, mid-Famennian with Thamnoptychia and the upper, late Famennian with representatives of genera ?Michelinia, Favosites, Syringopora and ?Yavorskia. The Famennian tabulates from Kowala represent the richest Famennian assemblage appearing after the F/F crisis (these faunas appear some 10 Ma after the extinction event). Corals described here most probably inhabited deeper water settings, near the limit between euphotic and disphotic zones or slightly above. At generic level, these faunas show similarities to other Devonian and Carboniferous faunas, which might suggest their ancestry to at least several Carboniferous lineages. Tabulate faunas described here represent new recruits (the basin of the Holy Cross mountains was not a refuge during the F/F crisis) and have no direct evolutionary linkage to Frasnian faunas from Kowala. The colonization of the seafloor took place in two separate steps: first was monospecific assemblage of Thamnoptychia, and later came the diversified Favosites-Syringopora-Michelinia fauna

XIX Szkoła Terenowa Geologów Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. Wojcieszów 1–6 kwietnia 1999. Materiały konferencyjne

Spis treści Andrzej Muszyński, Wstep do budowy geologicznej Gór Kaczawskich. 1; Eugeniusz Galuskin i Elżbieta Bukowska-Jania, Morfologia i geneza kalcytu kriogenicznego. 6; Edward Głuchowski, Leszek Marynowski i Franciszek Czechowski, O pigmentach kopalnych liliowców (Crinoidca). 12; Janusz Janeczek, Z badań nad lokalizacją geologicznego składowiska odpadów promieniotwórczych w Polsce. 14; Łukasz Karwowski i Roman Włodyka, Granaty tytanowe z sillu pikrytowego w Międzyrzeczu Górnym koło Bielska-Białej. 18; Janusz Kropka, Zmiany chemizmu wód podziemnych w nadmiernie eksploatowanym triasowym zbiorniku Gliwice. 21; Kazimiera Malik, O ichnologii, ichnosach, ichnoskamieniałościach i pseudoichnoskamieniałościach – z sedymentologicznego punktu widzenia. 27; Grzegorz Racki, Globalne zdarzenia w kredzie – klucz do interpretacji kryzysu późnodewońskiego? 30; Andrzej Różkowski, Systemy przepływu wód podziemnych w Górnośląskim Zagłębiu Węglowym. 33; Jacek Różkowski i Sylwester Sadowski, Wybrane zagadnienia hydrologii krasowej Wyżyny Krakowskiej. 40; Mariusz Salamon, Liliowce dolnego wapienia muszlowego z Piekoszowa w Górach Świętokrzyskich. 47; Eligiusz Szełęg, Co jest powodem zmiennego składu chemicznego tytanitu? 49; Elena Yazykova, Cenomanian – Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) event (The brief literature review). 52Materiały konferencyjne XIX Szkoły Terenowej Geologów Uniwersytetu Śląskiego zawierające streszczenia referató

Deep in shadows, deep in time: the oldest mesophotic coral ecosystems from the Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

This research was funded by the National Science Center of Poland, (decision No. DEC-2013/09/D/ST10/04058), a research Grant to MKZ. MKZ would like to express his sincere thanks to B. R. Rosen (London) for inspiring discussions, P. Muir (Townsville) for access to coral collections, S. Cairns (Washington), J. Stolarski (Warsaw) and N. Santodomingo (London) for information on azooxanthellates. M. Ginter (Warsaw) provided advice on the shark on the reconstruction figure. Mr. B. Waksmundzki (Warsaw) kindly drew reconstructions of Platyaxum colonies and the reconstruction of the Laskowa MCE, and we are deeply indebted to him for this work. Dr. A. Boczarowski (Sosnowiec) kindly made his specimens available for the study. The managers of Laskowa Quarry, Mr. H. Ciosmak and R. ?wi?tek, are cordially thanked for allowing access to the quarry. Separate thanks are due to J. Pickett (Sydney) for commenting on the final version of the text and linguistic corrections.Recent mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) occur at depths between 30 and 150 m and are characterized by dominance of platy corals. Such morphology is an effect of specific adaptation to efficient light harvesting. Here, we describe and analyze platy coral assemblages from two Middle Devonian localities in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) that during this time were located on the southern shelf of Laurussia at tropical latitudes. The Eifelian argillaceous sediments of Skały are dominated by platy and encrusting tabulate corals (Roseoporella, Platyaxum and Alveolites). Coeval faunas from the shallow-water parts of the Holy Cross Mountains basin display bulbous and branching morphology, thus indicating a Paleozoic coral zonation similar to that known in the Recent. Hence, the Skały site seems to be the oldest known MCE (ca. 390 Ma). A Givetian biostrome from Laskowa Quarry is a second example dominated by platy corals, with abundant branching forms; this site can be recognized as another Devonian MCE. Frondescent Platyaxum, common at both sites, had a growth habit similar to that of Recent Leptoseris, Mycedium or Pavona. Platy morphology is photoadaptive and may evidence photosymbiosis in tabulate (Alveolites, Roseoporella, Platyaxum) and rugose corals (Phillipsastrea). Furthermore, it may serve as a tool for recognition of the lower euphotic zone in the fossil record.National Science Center of Polan

Techniques simples et efficaces pour gérer de petites banques de données, illustrées par une étude de cas : données bibliographiques issues du bulletin d'information " Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera " de 1972 à 2010

La gestion de banques de données de taille modeste, c'est-à-dire comportant moins de 15000 entrées, est parfois réalisées par le biais de systèmes complexes, parfois inappropriés, et souvent onéreux. Nous présentons et abordons brièvement quelques exemples de banques de données, relationnelles ou non, et leurs systèmes d'exploitation, à code protégé ou ouvert, interrogeant sur un serveur distant ou embarqués sur l'ordinateur de l'utilisateur. Avec quelques 7000 notices bibliographiques collectées pendant une quarantaine d'années d'existence, "Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera (FC&P)", le bulletin d'information de l' "International Association for Study of Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera", a été sélectionné comme exemple d'application. L'analyse des tendances temporelles dans la banques de données bibliographiques FC&P montre une diminution au cours du temps du nombre de publications effectivement enregistrées dans FC&P. Presque toutes les références pertinentes de la décennie 1981-1990 y figurent, mais le bon taux de couverture tombe à moins de 50% après l'an 2000 ; par conséquent, la question de la représentativité est traitée dans notre interprétation. À côté des logiciels classiques de gestion de données et de type tableur, qui ont été utilisés dès le départ dans notre étude de cas, nous présentons deux options embarquées distinctes, plates et à code ouvert, dont les données peuvent être lues en utilisant n'importe quel navigateur Internet, et qui sont tout à fait adaptées pour gérer la plupart des petites bases de données (documents de type XML ou JS) telles que celle présentée dans cette note brève.Small databases, i.e., with less than 15,000 entries, are sometimes handled using inappropriate, complex, and often expensive data management systems. We present and briefly discuss a few types of proprietary and open-source, relational and non-relational, server-based versus portable databases and specific tools to handle the latter. With a collection of nearly 7,000 bibliographic notes during its 40-year history "Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera (FC&P)", the newsletter of the "International Association for Study of Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera", was chosen as a case study. The analysis of the temporal trends in the FC&P bibliographic database shows a decrease over the years in the number of publications effectively reported in FC&P. Almost all relevant papers for the decade 1981-1990 are reported, but this good coverage ratio falls down to less than 50% after 2000; accordingly, the concern about the data representativeness is addressed in our interpretation. Besides the classical database management systems and spreadsheet software, which were originally used with the FC&P case study, we present two discrete, open-source, flat and portable options where data can be displayed using any widely available Internet browser, and that are suitable to handle most small databases (XML or JS files) as documented herein

Occurrence of dyctid hexactinellid sponges in the Upper Devonian of the Holy Cross Mts

Hexactinellid sponges with rigid, laterally fused, dictyonine skeletons are reported from the Frasnian rocks of the Holy Cross Mts, Central Poland. This occurrence with nearly contemporary undescribed forms from Belgium and Western Australia, extend the range of the Hexactinosa back from the Triassic, the previously earliest described sponges of the order

The early devonian continental : marine succession at Chęciny in the Holy Cross Mts, and its palaeographic and tectonic significance

The early Devonian transgressive deposits at Chęciny in the Holy Cross Mts, which rest on a weathered surface of Lower Cambrian claystones, are represented by diverse terrigenous looks containing scarce marine fossils in their higher part. The lower part represents a laical waste, redeposited under continental conditions. The thin development of the transgressive terrigenous sequence (8 m) points to slow subsidence and a rapid advance of marine conditions. These deposits are overlain by carbonate-terrigenous (chiefly dolomitic) rocks containing a diversified open-marine fauna. The paleogeography of the early Devonian is discussed. Evidence is presented for a swell, trending E-W, in the southern part of the Holy Cross area; also for the presence of an epicontinental basin filled with Lower Devonian deposits over 1 km thick in the northern periphery of that area. It is concluded that there is little evidence for the concept of Caledonian geosyncline in southern Central Poland