Bogusław Kołodziej

Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Foraminifera from Štramberk-type Limestones, Polish Outer Carpathians

Foraminifera studies were carried out on the Stramberk-type limestones which occur as pebbles to small boulders (exotics) within the uppermost Jurassic-Palaeogene flysch deposits of the Polish Outer Carpathians. The studies were focused on foraminifera from (1) reef and peri-reef facies, and (2) lagoonal algal-foraminiferal facies. The paper deals with 34 species (including 8 in open nomenclature) representing 30 genera, 22 families, 14 superfamilies, 11 suborders, and 7 orders. A more precise age determination has been obtained for 30 exotics, representing a Tithonian (mostly) to Valanginian age. Foraminiferal assemblages from at least two exotics suggest a Valanginian age as indicated by the co-occurrence of the species: Meandrospira favrei (CHAROLLAIS, BRONNIMANN & ZANINETTI), Montsalevia salevensis (CHAROLLAIS, BRONNIMANN & ZANINETTI), Patellina turriculata DIENI & MASSARI, Neotrocholina valdensis REICHEL, Hechtina praeantiqua BARTENSTEIN & BRAND, Istriloculina eliptica (IOVCHEVA) and I. emiliae NEAGU. Previous studies based on ammonites and calpionellids indicated the Tithonian to the Early Berriasian age of the Stramberk Limestone in Moravia (the Czech Republic), and their equivalents in Poland. However, Valanginian shallow-water limestones occur as pebbles in some deposits of the Outer Carpathians in the Czech Republic. Further evidence for Valanginian shallow-water marine carbonate sedimentation (algal facies) in the Polish part of the Tethyan margin comes from recent studies of the substrate drilled in the Carpathian Foredeep.

Taphonomic differentiation of Oxfordian ammonites from the Cracow Upland, Poland

Taphonomic analysis of Lower and Middle Oxfordian ammonites from the Cracow Upland, southern Poland (localities at Podłęże, Zalas, Młynka) revealed differences in ammonite preservation. The studied ammonites, usually termed as external and internal moulds, show a more complex state of preservation. In the Middle Oxfordian glauconitic marls, ammonites are preserved as internal moulds with neomorphic calcite shells showing relics of the original internal structure. In the Middle Oxfordian platy peloidal limestones, ammonites are preserved mostly as external moulds, without septal suture, however under microscope might show relics of internal whorls and septa and/or subtle differences in sediment filling phragmocone chambers. In sponge–microbial bioherms and biostromes, ammonite internal moulds have shells, which in contrast to ammonites from glauconitic marls are not strictly neomorphic ones, but originated by shell dissolution and subsequent filling of moldic porosity by calcite cement. In sponge–microbial nodular limestones, the ammonites are strongly deformed and the outer wall is usually removed by dissolution under pressure. Other important taphonomic differences include the rate of compaction (highest in platy limestones), sedimentary infillings, microborings, encrustations and preservation of siphuncular tubes. The majority of the ammonites appear to be phragmocones; aptychi in all facies are rare. Siphuncular tubes are fossilized exclusively in oppeliids, only in specimens from glauconitic marls and platy limestones, although their other taphonomic attributes are different. Tubes seem to have fossilized due to microbially mediated phosphatization that could be favoured by a set of parameters which operated rather at the scale of ammonoid carcasses: closed, poorly oxygenated conditions, and reduced pH. Taphonomic processes were controlled by the sedimentary environment (fragmentation, sedimentary filling, phosphatization of siphuncular tubes), as well as by early and late diagenesis (neomorphic transformation, dissolution, cementation, compaction) influenced by lithology.KurzfassungDie taphonomische Analyse von Ammoniten des unteren und mittleren Oxfordium im Krakauer Hochland, Südpolen (Lokalitäten Podłęże, Zalas, Młynka) zeigt faziesabhängige Unterschiede in der Erhaltung der Ammoniten. In glaukonitischen Mergeln des mittleren Oxfordium sind Ammoniten als Steinkerne mit neomorpher Kalzitschale erhalten und zeigen Reste der ursprünglichen internen Struktur. In plattigen, gebankten peloidalen Kalksteinen gleichen Alters sind Ammoniten überwiegend als externe Abformungen ohne Lobenlinien erhalten, die häufig Reste inerer Windungen mit Kammern und geringfügige Unterschiede in der Sedimentfüllung zeigen. In Schwamm/Mikroben Biohermen und Biostromen haben die Steinkern der Ammoniten eine “diagenetische” Schale, die im Gegensatz zu den Ammoniten aus den glaukonitischen Mergeln nicht neomorph ist, sondern ein Ergebnis der Auflösung der Schale und nachfolgender Füllung des Hohlraums durch Kalzitzement. In Schwamm/Mikroben Knollenkalken sind die Ammoniten stark deformiert und die äußere Wand ist meist weggelöst. Andere bemerkenswerte Unterschiede in der Taphonomie bestehen in der Kompaktionsrate (die am höchsten in plattigen Kalksteinen ist), Sedimentfüllungen, Mikrobohrungen, Inkrustationen und die Erhaltung der Siphonen. Bei den meisten Ammonitenresten handelt es sich um Phragmokone; Aptychen sind in allen Faziesbereichen selten. Siphonen sind ausschließlich Oppeliiden erhalten, und ausschließlich bei Ammoniten aus den glaukonitischen Mergeln und plattigen Kalksteinen, auch wenn die Ammoniten in anderen taphonomischen Eigenschaften abweichen. Die Siphonen haben sich offenbar durch eine mikrobiell gesteuerte Phosphatisierung erhalten, die bevorzugt in einem geschlossenen, sauerstoffarmen Milieu mit reduzierten pH Wert stattfand, z.B. in einem Ammonitenkadaver. Die taphonomischen Prozesse wurden vom Sedimentationsmilieu kontrolliert (Sedimentfüllung, Fragmentierung, Phosphatisierung der siphuncularen Röhren), so wie von früher und später Diagenese (Lösung, Kompaktion), kontrolliert von lithologischen Prozessen.

Triploporella remesi (Steinmann, 1903), dasycladalean green alga from the Tithonian–Lower Berriasian of Štramberk (Czech Republic) revisited

The dasycladalean green alga Triploporella remesi (Steinmann) is redescribed based on material collected from the Kotouč quarry near Štramberk (Moravia, Czech Republic), probably corresponding to the type locality. The alga is Tithonian–early Berriasian in age according to the age assigned to the Štramberk Limestone. The new material, in addition to the detailed description of Steinmann, indicates that the short club-shaped calcareous skeleton probably represents the fertile upper part of a far longer club-shaped thallus. The well-developed phloiophorous primary laterals are similar to those of other species of Triploporella in having a proximal cylindrical sterile part followed by a stronger distal cylindrical fertile part. Secondary phloiophorous laterals probably combined to create a cortex at their distal ends. The simple undivided spores inferred by previous authors are shown to be recrystallized cyst containers.

Origin and resedimentation of rhodoliths in the Late Paleocene flysch of the Polish Outer Carpathians

This study analyses the rhodolith-bearing deposits in the largest and most rhodolith-rich outcrop of the Polish Outer Carpathian flysch, located in the Silesian Nappe, at the village of Melsztyn. The rhodoliths and sparse associated biota occur as resedimented components in a deep-marine succession of siliciclastic conglomerates and coarse-grained sandstones, deposited by high-density turbidity currents and debris flows. The sediment was derived from a fan-delta system located at the southern margin of the Silesian flysch basin. Stratigraphic data indicate that the succession represents the Upper Istebna Sandstone deposited during the Late Paleocene. The rhodoliths are composed mostly of coralline red algae with seven genera and eight species representing the family Sporolithaceae and the subfamilies Mastophoroideae and Melobesioideae. Rhodoliths show sub-spheroidal and sub-ellipsoidal shapes with encrusting, warty and lumpy growth forms. Lumpy growth forms show massive inner arrangements, whereas the encrusting growth forms are usually made of thin thalli and show more loosely packed inner arrangements. The rhodoliths grew on a moderately mobile siliciclastic substrate in a shallow-marine environment with a low net sedimentation rate. It is inferred that the growth of rhodoliths was favored during a relative sea-level rise. During the subsequent sea-level fall, the rhodoliths and associated siliciclastic deposits were resedimented by gravity flows into the deep-sea setting. The analyzed deposits, like other Paleocene–Eocene deposits of the Polish Outer Carpathians, provide no evidence of coeval widespread shallow-marine carbonate sedimentation along the margins of the Outer Carpathian flysch basins.

New record of endolithic algae syn-vivo associated with an Early Cretaceous coral

Euendolithic microorganisms (boring endoliths) syn-vivo associated with modern corals are commonly reported, but their fossil record is extremely rare. This paper reports the new finding recognized in the colonial scleractinian coral Clausastrea saltensis from the Upper Barremian of Bulgaria. Large microborings (up to 50 µm, most ca. 15-25 µm in diameter) filled with calcite cement are distributed medially along coral septa of some corallites. Borings were produced by microeuendoliths growing from the skeleton interior outward during the life of the coral host. They are compared to traces produced by the recent oligophotic filamentous chlorophyte Ostreobium, which is known to be the most common skeleton-dwelling alga in modern living corals and regarded as neutral or beneficial to the coral. In terms of general morphology, diameter and distribution pattern, the borings are similar to those recently recognized in the Early Cretaceous microsolenid coral.