A multi-phase succession of karst sinkhole deposits in the tectonic zone of the Owad & oacute;w-Brzezinki limestone quarry at the north-western margin of the Holy Cross Mts. was studied in detail, using petrographic, palynological and other palaeontological methods. Upper Jurassic limestones are covered by a residual reddish brown clay layer of terra rossa type and a yellow-brown, loose calcareous deposit of a silt fraction. The yellow-brown calcareous silt consists of rhombohedral calcite grains, which may have been formed by the disaggregation of speleothems. The colouration of both deposits and clay mineral admixtures point to intensive weathering under a subtropical climate. The successive deposits of the sinkholes include coaly clay and a layer of whitish, microcrystalline, siliceous sinter. The coaly clay yielded a rich Middle Miocene palynofloral assemblage, indicative of a warm temperate and humid climate, as well as freshwater algae, which inhabited surface-water pools. The origin of the siliceous sinter probably is related to the activity of a hot spring. The youngest, massive infillings of the sinkholes consist of grey silty clays, which yielded marine bivalves, gastropods and Dichotomites ammonites, diagnostic for the Upper Valanginian as well as white yellow quartz sands of Upper Hauterivian? - Middle Albian age. The massive siliciclastic deposits probably slumped into the sinkholes during their final collapse. The sinkhole infillings document the development and timing of karst processes, Middle Miocene climatic conditions and the original succession of Lower Cretaceous-Neogene strata of the study area, which were removed from the surface by erosion.

The Late Jurassic shallow-water carbonates with intervening clayey-marly deeper-water deposits in the Holy Cross Mts. area formed over large bank of the elevated part of the Northern Tethyan Shelf during about 12 myr. They comprise three main successions (I, II and III) deposited partly in different environmental conditions, controlled by tectonic and climatic factors, and still preserved in the north-eastern margin, the north-western margin and the south-western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains. The history of sedimentation is presented according to the concept of the large tectono-stratigraphic units COK, LUK and KVB, which owe their origin to variable rates of tectonic subsidence, as introduced by Kutek (1994) for the area of central Poland. The studied deposits of the COK megasequence corresponding to the Upper Oxfordian and the Lower Kimmeridgian up to the Hypselocyclum Zone consist of coral limestones, various grained (including oolitic) limestones, and micritic limestones formed over the gradually enlarging shallow-water carbonate platform of the Holy Cross Mts. This platform was subsequently subdivided into two elevated areas, separated by a depressed zone in the middle, bounded by the Nowe Miasto–Iłża–Bałtów Fault Zone in the north-east and the Holy Cross Fault System in the south. The younger megasequence LUK with it strongly transgressive character marks the successive stages of the marine transgression which entered the central, lowered part of the area of the Holy Cross Mts. from the west, where it appeared already in the early Hypselocyclum Chron. It successively spread across the Holy Cross Mts. area towards the north-east and south bringing everywhere the deposition of various oyster lumachelles and marls with ammonites at the end of the Hypselocyclum Chron and during the Divisum Chron of the Early Kimmeridgian to the Acanthicum/Mutabilis Chron of the earliest Late Kimmeridgian. The following megasequence KVB is represented by the detrital lumachelles and chalky limestones with nereineids of the Eudoxus Chron of the Late Kimmeridgian marking the development of still younger shallow-water carbonate platform in the uplifted areas in the north-eastern and possibly the south-western margins of the mountains, allegedly subdivided by a deeper area of sedimentation of marly deposits. The youngest Late Jurassic deposits of the Holy Cross Mts., are very fragmentarily preserved, mostly because of Early Cretaceous uplift and erosion. They suggest an initial episode of complete drowning of the carbonate platform which became covered by marly deposits during the Early Tithonian, and the subsequent restoration of shallow-water carbonate sedimentation at the end of the Early Tithonian.

The transgressive succession of deposits of the late Early Kimmeridgian at Małogoszcz in the south-western margin of the Holy Cross Mts. in central Poland yielded diversified faunas of ammonites. The commonly represented Submediterranean ataxioceratid ammonites include the last members of Ataxioceras in the Hypselocyclum Zone and the assemblage of various Crussoliceras, Garnierisphinctes and Progeronia, mostly developed in the Divisum Zone, and associated upwards (Uhlandi Subzone) with aspidoceratids (Pseudhimalayites). A few typical Mediterranean ammonites (Nebrodites, Presimoceras, Idoceras, Taramelliceras) are indicative of the Herbichi Zone. The Subboreal ammonites include mostly Eurasenia, Involuticeras in addition to some Rasenia and Rasenioides of the uppermost Cymodoce Zone, corresponding to the Askepta Subzone. The changes in composition of ammonite faunas and comparison with the coeval faunas of other areas of Europe give indications on the evolutionary development of some Ataxiocertidae and Aulacostephanidae at the end of Early Kimmeridgian. The development of the Crussoliceras, Garnierisphinctes and Progeronia, having possibly their roots in the Mediterranean areas, was strictly correlated with the overall transgression and oscillations of sea-level controlled possibly by climatic eccentricity cycles in northern Tethyan shelf. This resulted also in decline of older Ataxioceras and its nearby allies. The indigenous lineage of Aulacostephanidae includes the transition from Eurasenia to Pararasenia. The development from Rasenioides to Aulacostephanoides occurred mostly in the Subboreal areas – although some late representatives of Rasenioides like R. moeschi reached the area of study. The existence of an independent lineage leading from Rasenia involuta to heavily-ribbed Aulacostephanoides/Aulacostephanus is also suggested.

For over ten years, the Lower to Upper Tithonian boundary beds cropping out in the Owadów–Brzezinki quarry have yielded numerous fossils of ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, xiphosurans, decapods, insects, and vertebrates – including actinopterygian fishes and various reptiles and others, all of which exhibit fine preservation of their anatomical details due to special environmental conditions during their fossilization. The Owadów–Brzezinki section is also important for stratigraphical correlations because it contains ammonite faunas indicative of the NE European and NW European Subboreal zonal schemes, as well as Tethyan calpionellids. The whole faunal as-semblage, which represents taxa of many iconic groups of Mesozoic animals, has created the opportunity to establish the ‘Owadów–Brzezinki geopark’, a geoeducation area where the public, and especially the young, can learn about the beauty of the natural history of the region.

The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Kimmeridgian Stage (Jurassic System), at Flodigarry, Staffin Bay, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK Journal Item How to cite: Wierzbowski, Andrzej; Barski, Marcin; Coe, Angela L.; Hounslow, Mark W.; Matyja, Bronisław A.; Price, Gregory D.; Wierzbowski, Hubert; Wright, John K.; Atrops, with contributions from Francois; Grabowski, Jacek; Mattioli, Emanuela; Morton, Nicol; Ogg, James G.; Olóriz, Federico; Page, Kevin; Parent, Horacio; Przybylski, Piotr; Schweigert, Guenter and Villaseñor, Anna Bertha (2023). The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Kimmeridgian Stage (Jurassic System), at Flodigarry, Staffin Bay, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK. Episodes (Early Access).

The geoeducation area (called also “Owadów-Brzezinki Geopark”) located in the north-western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains (Tomaszów Syncline) at Sławno community (Łódź Voivodeship), was established in June 2019, in close vicinity of the Owadów-Brzezinki quarry. This locality is one of the most important palaeontological sites described recently in Poland. The area consists of the exhibition pavilion, educational routs and panoramic viewing platform, which is located along the edge of the quarry. The palaeontological exhibition shows the unique Late Jurassic fossils of marine and terrestrial organisms, many of them new to science, that have been excavated in the quarry during the last eight years. Among the most important fossils are: ammonites, lobster-like decapod crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, actinopterygian fish, a cryptodiran turtle, ichthyosaurs, as well as a small terrestrial crocodyliform, pterosaurs and insects. In addition to the original fossils, the exhibition presents life-size reconstructions of animals, that inhabited the local seas and islands during the Late Jurassic. The palaeontological sites of Owadów-Brzezinki is referred to as a new “taphonomic window” of the Late Jurassic, providing insights about the evolution of life on Earth in the palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental context.

The Czertezik Succession of the Pieniny Klippen Belt in Poland is assigned herein to its type area of occurrence – the main Pieniny Range, between Zamkowa Góra and Czertezik mounts. The reworked deposits of uppermost Pliensbachian, Toarcian and possibly Aalenian to lowermost Bajocian discovered in crinoidal limestones which indicate redeposition processes, especially during the Bajocian, are considered to be clearly important for reconstructing the depositional history. The redeposited Pliensbachian is represented by clasts of spotty limestones, the Toarcian by ferruginous grains and fragments of crusts/large oncoids of the ammonitico-rosso type (?Adnet Fm.), whereas the Aalenian and lowermost Bajocian is possibly represented by clasts of siliciclastic deposits and phosphatic nodules. This part of the succession resulted from the activity of rifting phases at the end of the Early Jurassic, and in the Bajocian, which caused the development of the special sedimentary environments typical of the Czertezik Succession. The younger Middle to Late Jurassic deposits represented by nodular limestones, radiolarites and micritic well-bedded limestones show a less distinct facies pattern, which is in part similar to that of other successions of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, although some rock-units such as the newly established Zamkowa Góra Bed, revealing the continuation of redeposition processes, remain specific to the Czertezik Succession. The Jurassic structure of the central part of the Pieniny Klippen Belt in Poland is revised due to the introduction of the Czertezik Ridge as a new palaeogeographic unit being the place of deposition of the Czertezik Succession. The revised position of the deposits shifts the structural affinity of the Czertezik Succession from the Subpieniny Nappe to the base of the Pieniny Nappe sensu Uhlig, 1907, and implies its closer palaeogeographic position to the Branisko–Pieniny successions than to the Czorsztyn–Niedzica successions as has been interpreted so far.

The stratigraphical interval of the Kimmeridgian between the Bimammatum and the Hypselocylum zones in the SW margin of the Holy Cross Mts. shows a transition from the open shelf deep-neritic sponge megafacies to the shallow-water carbonate platform, including its development and decline. The uniform progradation of the shallow-water carbonate platform occurred at the end of the Planula Chron. Development of the shallow-water carbonate platform was controlled by climatic and tectonic factors. The former induced by orbital cyclicity resulted in changes of sea-level, revealed i.a. by the incoming of open-marine ammonite faunas, the latter were related to the synsedimentary activity of faults which resulted in contrasted facies changes. The episodically occurring strong influx of siliciclastic material was at least partly controlled by the tectonic activity. The newly elaborated formal lithostratigraphic subdivision takes into account the facies development of the succession in relation to climatically and tectonically induced changes. Such is e.g. the Małogoszcz Oolite Formation, corresponding to a single 100-kyr eccentricity cycle from the late Platynota Chron to the earliest Hypselocyclum Chron, bordered from the base and top by two transgressive climatically-controlled levels. The final stage of the shallow-water platform development at the end of the Hypselocyclum Chron was marked by the successive limitation of restricted environments, and the appearance of more open-marine conditions related to tectonic subsidence of the area of study. Comparison between the carbonate platform development of the Holy Cross Mts. in central Poland, and the coeval shallow-water carbonates of the Jura Mts. in northern Switzerland and south-eastern France provides an opportunity to consider similarities in the successions which can be attributed to the climatically-controlled sedimentary cyclicity and/or the wide-ranged tectonic phenomena. The palaeontological part of the study gives comments on the classification and phylogeny of ammonites of the families Ataxioceratidae and Aulacostephanidae.

The first Early Cretaceous (Valanginian–Hauterivian) ammonite fauna from the lower part of the Kościeliska Marl Formation (Wściekły Żleb Member) of the Lower Sub-Tatric (Krížna) Nappe, in the Lejowa Valley of the Tatra Mountains are described. The fauna is precisely placed in the succession and consists of five species: Olcostephanus densicostatus, Spitidiscus cf. cankovi, Criosarasinella cf. subheterocostata, Crioceratites primitivus, and Crioceratites coniferus and additionally an aptychus Didayilamellaptychus seranonis. Remarkable are the valves of anomiid bivalves attached to body chamber of large size heteromorph ammonite C. primitivus. Moreover, a variety of stratigraphically important organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts are recovered from this locality. Dinoflagellates: Cymososphaeridium validum, Circulodinium vermiculatum, and representatives of Bourkidinium define the Upper Valanginian–Lower Hauterivian Sentusidinium sp. A Dinocyst Subzone of the Cymososphaeridium validum Zone. The character of deposits, the palynofacies, and associations of dinoflagellate cysts indicate a calm marine outer neritic environment.

Ammonites recovered from Upper Bajocian to Upper Kimmeridgian strata in a core drilled at Sentralbanken High in the northern Barents Sea are described and chronostratigraphically interpreted. The lower part of the core comprises Upper Bajocian to Upper Callovian deposits of the Fuglen Formation with ammonites of the genus Cranocephalites near the base, and Longaeviceras in the upper part. The overlying Oxfordian to Kimmeridgian deposits of the Hekkingen Formation are thin and condensed. The Hekkingen Formation is dominated by Boreal cardioceratid ammonites (Cardioceras, Amoebites, Euprionoceras, Hoplocardioceras), with numerous Subboreal aulacostephanid ammonites (Rasenia, Zenostephanus) at two levels. The occurrences of Boreal and Subboreal ammonites are discussed in relation to the palaeogeography and fluctuations of ammonite faunas within the Boreal Realm during the Kimmeridgian with special attention to levels rich in Subboreal ammonites whose appearance has been controlled by tectonic and climatic factors. The uppermost part of the succession deposited during a time of maximum flooding in the Late Kimmeridgian is dominated by Boreal ammonites.

The Owadow-Brzezinki Geopark – a remarkable palaeontological site made available for geotourism. A b s t r a c t. The Owadow-Brzezinki Geopark, located in the western margin of the Holy Cross Mountains in Slawno community (Łodź Voivodeship), was established in June 2019 in close vicinity of the Owadow Brzezinki quarry. The geopark consists of palaeontological museum, educational trail and panoramic viewing platform, located along the quarry edge. The palaeontological museum exhibits unique fossils of marine and terrestrial organisms that were excavated in the quarry during the last six years. Among the most important fossils, which can be seen there are: horseshoe crabs, crustaceans, ammonites, insects, actinopterygian fish, turtles, ichthyosaurs, crocodylomorphs and pterosaurs. In addition to the original fossils, the museum presents life-size reconstructions of animals that inhabited the local seas and islands in the Late Jurassic, and plates illustating palaeogeographical and paleoenvironmental history of this site. Thanks to many important palaeontological and palaeobiological discoveries, this geopark has great geotourist and educational potential. The geopark’s design was drawn upon similar palaeontological museums such as the Jura Museum Eichstatt in the Solnhofen region and the Hauff Museum in the Holzmaden in Germany.

The ammonite biostratigraphy as well as the organic matter content, its type and maturity of the Paluki Formation, belonging to the fine, siliciclastic Kimmeridge Clay type facies, were investigated in five deep boreholes from the central-eastern part of the Łodź Synclinorium in Central Poland. The studied deposits are assigned to the Eudoxus and Autissiodorensis zones of the Upper Kimmeridgian as well as the Klimovi, Sokolovi, Pseudoscythica and Puschi (=Tenuicostata) zones of the Lower Tithonian (“Lower Volgian”). The Paluki Formation shows in its lower and middle parts average TOC concentrations of ca. 2.5 wt.% and prominent, restricted increases in organic matter content, which are found in the mid-Eudoxus Zone, the lowermost part of the Autisiodorensis Zone, and at the Sokolovi–Pseudoscythica zone boundary. These stratigraphical intervals correlate well with rich in organic matter levels present in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of NW Europe. The periodic expansions of Submediterranean and Subboreal-Boreal ammonites corresponded mostly to the transgressive phases, often correlated with a higher content of organic matter. The development of special morphologies of ammonites, such as the small-sized, nectopelagic forms of Nannocardioceras in the Late Kimmeridgian, has also been related to the deposition of shales rich in organic matter during the transgression maxima. The organic matter present in the Paluki Formation mostly consists of Type II kerogen and is immature or early mature with respect to hydrocarbon generation, which is in agreement with previously published data. Evaluation of the new and published geochemical, lithological and structural data from the Paluki Formation in the central-eastern part of the Łodź Synclinorium shows that these deposits could not have been a considerable source of crude oil or gas.

A b s t r a c t.An excavation dug out in the glacially transported rock masses at Go³aszyn near £uków (eastern Poland), revealed the presence of deposits unknown so far in this area.These are older than the only known so far here glacially transported clays containing concretions with splendidly preserved ammonites of late Callovian at £apiguz brickyard of £uków.The succession exposed consists of sands and sandstones of Middle Callovian age which rest on red-brownish clays.The latter may be compared with the Triassic -Buntsandstein deposits of the northwestern Lithuania, that is the home area of glacially transported rock masses, commonly occurring in eastern Poland in the £uków area.The new geological discoveries markedly increase a set of attractions for the promotion of the £uków region for the education and geotourism purposes.

The Early Kimmeridgian succession in the Rogaszyn Quarry at Kodrab (Radomsko elevation) represents mostly shallow-water carbonate platform deposits that, over wide areas of central Poland were controlled by the activity of the tectonic zone being the prolongation of the Holy Cross lineament. The ammonites collected enable precise recognition of ammonite zones - the Platynota and the Hypselocyclum zones, some subzones and horizons. The precise dating enables detailed correlation of the particular units of the succession with those recognized at the eastern and northern borders of the Wielun Upland and the NW margin of the Holy Cross Mts. The deposits at Kodrab from the top of the Planula Zone, through the Platynota Zone, up to the lower part of the Hypselocyclum Zone, reveal markedly smaller thicknesses equaling similar to 15-20% of those of coeval deposits from the adjoining areas. The differences in sedimentary evolution at Kodrah during the Early Kimmeridgian resulted mostly from local synsedimentary tectonic movements of fault blocks. Beginning from the late Hypselocyclum Chron, these differences markedly diminished, which resulted from the uniform subsidence of a wider area, and disappearance of the shallow-water deposits of the carbonate platforms, being replaced by deeper-water deposits of the Burzenin Formation.

Detailed study of all the ammonite collections gathered by the authors in the Staffin Bay sections has resulted in minor changes in the distribution of ammonite taxa, and slight modification of the position of the Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian boundary. Most significant is the discovery of Pictonia (Triozites) cf. seminudata which results in the placing of the stage boundary 0.16 m below the level formerly proposed. This study discusses the evolution of the Subboreal family Aulacostephanidae, and the Boreal family Cardioceratidae, indicating changes in the patterns of individual development in the evolution of both families in terms of heterochrony. The Oxfordian/ Kimmeridgian boundary interval shows major morphological changes in both ammonite families which were released from phylogenetic constraints by heterochrony, closely related to changes in environmental conditions.