Authors: M. Antczak, M. Stachacz, M. Ruciński, M. Matysik Presentation for 1ST PALAEONTOLOGICAL VIRTUAL CONGRESS, December 1st - 15th, 2018

1. M. Antczak , M. Stachacz, M. Ruciński, and M. Matysik

2. Geology
Location of the study area – Palaeogeographic map of the Germanic
Basin in the Middle Triassic. The Upper Silesia Region (white rectangle)
was situated close to the Tethys Ocean (after Matysik, 2004).

3. Geology
Location of the study area – Present outcrop distribution of the Middle Triassic
(Muschelkalk) carbonates in the Upper Silesia Region (Southern Poland) (after
Matysik, 2004).
Vertebrate material for preliminary studies was collected
from outcrops marked with red arrows.

4. Generalized stratigraphic section for the
Lower–Middle Muchelkalk of Upper Silesia,
showing thickness, overall lithological
character, provisional formation names and
range of epigenetic dolomitization (after
Matysik, 2014).

5. Project goals
Consideration of stratigraphic,
geographic and
environmental changes in
taxonomical composition
in the Middle Triassic sea,
owing to analysis of different
lithostratigraphic units in a
dozen localities.
A: two facies: limestone with numerous bivalve shells (upper strata) and
crinoids (lower strata); B: Traktowa street quarry in Dąbrowa Górnicza,
C: Górzysta street quarry in Dąbrowa Górnicza.
A
CB
Establishing the taxonomical variety of fish
and reptile remains will be the base of the
description of ecological diversity and
deposition character.

6. Ats-scientific.com
Viame.pl
The collected material includes both micro- and macrofossils. Microfossils were
picked up under the binocular after dissolution of the crushed sediment samples
in the 10% acetic acid.
Macrofossils were manually prepared by students of the Jagiellonian University.
Material and methods
1. Dissolution 2. Sieving 3. Microscopic identification

7. Preliminary results
Preliminary results reported herein present part of the expected diversity of
small vertebrates (chondrichtyans, ichtiopterygians and reptiles) from
several localities as well as skeletal elements of larger reptiles, mostly
nothosaurids.
Medium-sized fossils (2-4 mm) from Płaza including ?bowfin (Amiidae)
toothplate (B), ichtiosaurian vertebra (C), reptilian humerus (D) and
nothosaurian tooth (E).
A B
C
D
E
exact localization of the outcrop

8. Preliminary results: macrofossils
Macrofossils from Żyglin include difficult for taxonomical identification reptilian long
bones fragments (e.g., J, K, L), placodontid tooth (P), ribs (M, C - gastralia), coracoid
(E), phalangee (F), thoracic vertebra (H) and possibly hybodontid spine (B).
BA C
D E F G H I
J K L
M N
O
P

9. Preliminary results: macrofossils
1cm
Macrofossils from different localities: hybodontid
spine – Hybodus (A) and reptilian long bone –
nothosaur femur (B), vertebra (C) and rib (D).
A
B
C
D

10. Preliminary results: microfossils (part 1)
Microfossils from Dąbrowa Górnicza (Koksownicza street) include
actinopterygian fish scales (A, D), teeth (G, I, J, K) and jaw fragments (?
E, F,) and chondrichtyan fish teeth (C, H). Some can be assinged to
family/genus level, e.g., Hybodus (C), Lissodus (H), Amiidae (F),
Severnichthys (G, J), Gyrolepis (K).
A B C
D E F G
H I J
K

11. Preliminary results: microfossils (part 2)
Microfossils from Dąbrowa Górnicza (Koksownicza street)
include actinopterygian fish scales (E), teeth (B, F, H, ?I) and
chondrichtyan fish teeth (C, G), spines (D) or (?reptilian) vertebra (A).
Some can be assinged to family/genus level, e.g., Duffinselache (C),
Macrosemiidae (E), Gyrolepis (B), Hybodontidae (D).
A D E F
B C
G H
I
exact localization of the outcrop

12. What can we conclude?
Fish and reptile diversity
correlates with different
ecological niches, thus it can
be used for description of
sediment (tempestite)
origin and transport.
Preliminary results reveal
occurrence of semi-aquatic
reptiles along with predatory
and durophagous fishes,
including some fresh-water
or brackish taxa. Ecological diversity of fishes on the example of
Cretaceous vertebrate microfossils from Iberia
(Blanco et al., 2016)
Terminology for description of
isolated teeth (Heckert, 2004).

13. Different faunas in different localities?
Żyglin – abundandt remains of large reptiles (nothosaurids, placodontids);
Płaza – small reptilian remains (nothosaurids, ichtiosaurids);
Dąbrowa Górnicza – microfossils of actinopterygians and sharks;
Winterswijk – pistosauroids and other large reptiles (Sander et al., 2013);
Gogolin, Lamerden – pachypleurosaurids + microfossils (Kowal-linka &
Bodzioch, 2012; Diedrich, 2015)
Possible geographic differences
Mixosaurus, N. Tamura

14. Possible stratigraphic differences
Different species in distinct stratigraphic units?
Röt (Olenkian) – pachypleurosaurids (Kowal-Linka & Bodzioch, 2012),
reptile eggshells (Kardynał et al., 2015);
Lower part of Muschelkalk (Anisian) – nothosaurids, ichtiosaurids;
Upper part of Muschelkalk (Lanidian) – nothosaurids, the most
abundant ichtyofauna.
Dactylosaurus, dinopedia.wikia.com

15. Summary
 Preliminary results confirm that Middle Triassic faunas of Southern
Poland are diverse and include actinopterygians, chondrichtyans and
different kinds of reptiles.
 Future studies considering large number of specimens from a dozen
localities and different stratigraphic units will allow reconstructing the
diversity of mid-Triassic environments in time and space.
 Large number of specimens will allow describing new species and verifying
the stratigraphic range of existing taxa. For example, preliminary results
suggest the occurrence of Amiidae (bowfin) fish, whose the oldest
representatives are known from Jurassic deposits (Grande & Bemis, 1998).
Amia, lets-fish.com

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