The radiolarian biostratigraphy of the Middle–Upper Jurassic pelagic siliceous sediments (Czajakowa Radiolarite
Formation) in the Niedzica succession of the Pieniny Klippen Belt (Carpathians) is interpreted in terms of their
age in a stratotype section, and facies equivalents in other tectonic-facies units of this region. The siliceous sediments
are represented by radiolarian cherts and silicified limestones which are underlain and overlain by red nodular
limestones, equivalents of the Rosso Ammonitico facies. The radiolarian association includes thirty-seven
taxa belonging to twenty one genera which represent the Northern Tethyan Palaeogeographic Province. Key radiolarians
recorded provide a means of correlation with zonation schemes based on Unitary Associations defined
for the Jurassic Tethyan sediments. The age of the Czajakowa Radiolarite Formation in the stratotype section
is determined as U.A.Z.9 to U.A.Z.11 corresponding to middle Oxfordian up to Kimmeridgian. Comparison of
radiolarian biozones from the stratotype section with other facial equivalent sections in the Pieniny Klippen Belt
reveals a significant diachronism for both the lower and the upper limits of the Jurassic pelagic siliceous facies.
The shallow-marine carbonate deposits of the Reuchenette Formation (Kimmeridgian, Upper Jurassic) in
northwestern Switzerland and adjacent France yield highly diverse bivalve associations, but only rarely contain
remains of pinnid bivalves. The three occurring taxa Pinna (Cyrtopinna) socialis d’Orbigny, 1850, Stegoconcha
granulata (J. Sowerby, 1822) and Stegoconcha obliquata (Deshayes, 1839) have been revised. A lectotype for
Pinna (C.) socialis was designated and the taxon is assigned herein to P. (Cyrtopinna) Mörch, 1853, the first record
of the subgenus from the Jurassic. A brief review of Stegoconcha Böhm, 1907 revealed two species groups
within the genus. Species close to the type species S. granulata are characterized by a nearly smooth anterior
shell, followed posteriorly by deep radial furrows and rows of pustules covering the dorsal flank. Another group
comprises radially ribbed species related to S. neptuni (Goldfuss, 1837). It includes among others the Paleogene
species S. faxensis (Ravn, 1902), extending the known range of Stegoconcha from the Middle Jurassic into the
Paleogene. The paper suggests a relationship between Stegoconcha and the Cretaceous Plesiopinna Amano,
1956, with S. obliquata as a possible intermediate species leading to Plesiopinna during the Early Cretaceous.
Furthermore, a possible relationship between Stegoconcha and Atrina Gray, 1842 is discussed.
Triceratium barbadense Greville, 1861a, T. brachiatum Brightwell, 1856, T. inconspicuum Greville, 1861b and
T. kanayae Fenner, 1984a, are among the most common diatoms reported worldwide from lower to middle Eocene
biosiliceous sediments. Due to complicated nomenclatural histories, however, they are often confused. A morphometric
analysis performed herein indicates that T. brachiatum is conspecific with T. inconspicuum, and that both
were previously often misidentified as T. barbadense. Triceratium barbadense sensu stricto is a distinct species
similar to Triceratium castellatum West, 1860. Triceratium brachiatum and T. kanayae are transferred herein
to a new genus, Fenneria, for which a close phylogenetic relationship with Medlinia Sims, 1998 is proposed.
A review of the geographic and stratigraphic distribution of Fenneria shows that the best constrained records of
its occurrences are found at DSDP Site 338, and ODP Sites 1051 and 1260. The ages of the base (B) and top (T)
of each species’ stratigraphic range are calibrated here to the Geomagnetic Polarity Timescale either directly or
inferred via correlation with dinocyst biostratigraphy. Latitudinal diachroneity of ~7 million years is documented
for F. brachiata, which disappears earlier in tropical and mid-latitude sites than in the northern high latitudes. These
observations, coupled with a preliminary compilation of the Chron C20n taxonomic composition of pelagic diatom
assemblages for Sites 338, 1051 and 1260, indicate that diatoms diversified palaeobiogeographically considerably
earlier than the Eocene−Oligocene Transition, as commonly believed. This study also emphasizes the importance
of the detailed examination of specimens from both museum collections and deep-sea cores as a step toward enhancing
the utility of Palaeogene diatoms in palaeoceanographic and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.
This malacological analysis was conducted at a site with peat and calcareous tufas in Łapsze Niżne, Podhale
(southern Poland). The study was carried out in 6 main and several complementary sections, in which 37 mollusc
species were recognized represented by almost 11 000 specimens. The study enabled the reconstruction of
environmental changes during the accumulation of the Holocene deposits (from the Boreal Phase till present).
Conclusions drawn from these reconstructions were compared with results of malacological and palynological
studies from other sites in Podhale. As a result, regional environmental reconstructions for the Holocene of the
area were made. The specific composition, ecological structure and succession of molluscan assemblages from
Łapsze Niżne indicate a significant role for local factors, thus demonstrating the variability of environmental
conditions within a geographic region.
An accumulation of glacial sediments is located near Písečná village in the depression between the Sokol Ridge
and Zlaté Hory Highlands NNE of Jeseník town (Eastern Sudetes). The accumulation lies at the lateral side
of the mountain valley of the Bělá River and fills a preglacial palaeovalley of this river. Research combining
facies analysis of outcrops, ground penetrating radar survey, interpretation drilling survey, and modelling of
the preglacial relief was undertaken at the site. According to the results obtained, the upper part of the sedimentary
accumulation represents a coarse-grained terminoglacial glaciofluvial delta of the Gilbert type. The
development of the accumulation has dominantly been driven by the preglacial morphology. Facies typical for
foresets of coarse-grained deltas represented mainly by high-density flows, cohesionless debris flows, debris
falls and less common low-density flows were found in the outcrops. The delta near Písečná prograded into
a lake dammed by the ice-sheet front in the north. The lake was bounded by the slopes of Sokol Ridge, Zlaté
Hory Highlands and Góry Parkowe on other sides. The lake level reached an altitude of up to 430 m a.s.l., as
the coarse-grained delta plain base lies at this level.
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