Ammonites and ammonite stratigraphy of the uppermost Jurassic (Tithonian) of the Owadów–Brzezinki quarry (central Poland)

Authors

  • Bronisław MATYJA
  • Andrzej WIERZBOWSKI

Keywords:

ammonites, stratigraphy, correlation, Tithonian, “Volgian”, “Bolonian–Portlandian”, palaeogeography

Abstract

The Tithonian ammonite succession at the Owadów–Brzezinki quarry, central Poland shows the presence of Subboreal ammonites of both NE European (“Volgian”) and NW European (“Bolonian–Portlandian”) affinity, making possible the correlation between the relevant ammonite subdivisions. The former are represented by Zaraiskites – Z. regularis Kutek and Z. zarajskensis (Michalski) as well as an early form of Virgatites – V. gerassimovi Mitta which enable the recognition of the upper part of the Scythicus Zone (the Zarajskensis Subzone) and the lower part of the Virgatus Zone (the Gerassimovi Subzone) of the “Middle Volgian”. The latter are represented by Virgatopavlovia, which enables the correlation with the Fittoni Zone of the uppermost “Bolonian”, and by still younger assemblage of small-sized virgatitids – such as V. pusillus (Michalski), showing similarity to Progalbanites albani (Arkell) of the Albani Zone of the lowermost “Portlandian”. The new species established include: Zaraiskites lewinskii sp. nov. which represents a new member of the virgatitid lineage linking an older Z. pommerania (Arkell) with younger small-sized Virgatites, as well as two species of the genus Virgatopavlovia – V. janeki sp. nov. and V. dembowskae sp. nov. The appearance of ammonites of NW and NE European affinity in central Poland resulted from the opening of the new sea routes possibly related with tectonic activity in northern European areas at the transition from Early to Late Tithonian.

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