Carboniferous Fauna of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin

Karbonská fauna podkrkono‰ské pánve

Jaroslav Zajíc

Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Praha 6 - Lysolaje, Czech Republic. zajic@gli.cas.cz

Abstract:The complete faunal list has been completed for the Upper Carboniferous lake deposits of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin. Fauna-bearingsites and boreholes of the PlouÏnice lake are divided into two main areas and two subareas on the basis of their sedimentary facies and faunal content.Stratigraphy and inter-basin correlations are discussed.

K e y w o r d s : faunal list, palaeogeography, palaeoenvironment, stratigraphy, Upper Carboniferous, Bohemian Massif.

ACTA MUSEI REGINAEHRADECENSIS S. A., 32 (2007): 11-16 ISBN: 978-80-85031-73-7

11

INTRODUCTION

The Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin (Fig. 2) belongs to asystem of post-orogenic extensional/transitional basinswhich formed in the Bohemian Massif (Fig. 1) in the earlypost-orogenic phase (Martínek et al. 2006). Northern andsouthern regions of the basin often differ in their litholo-gical development. The main Permo-Carboniferous fossil-bearing strata of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin were tra-ditionally called horizons until recently. The nature of themain ones (such as the PlouÏnice, Rudník, and KalnáHorizons) is, however, totally different. Their usual thick-ness of several tens of meters suggests that they representmembers, not horizons. Recent papers concerning the Per-mian sediments referred to “horizons”, such as the KalnáLake deposits (Blecha, Martínek & Mihaljeviã 1999) orthe Rudník Member (Martínek et al. 2006). This paperuses the term “lake deposits” because no exact definitionsof members have been provided yet for the Carboniferous“horizons” of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin. For a sim-plified geological map of the basin, see Fig. 2. Carbonife-rous sediments of the basin are divided into three sections– the Kumburk, Syfienov, and Semily Formations (see Fig.3). No fauna has been reported from the Kumburk For-mation. The generally known fauna of the Syfienov For-mation still comes from the Lt-1 Lib‰tát borehole but itssignificance for stratigraphic correlation with other basinsof the Czech Republic is substantial. The richest fauna (inboth specimens and taxa) is known from the youngestCarboniferous.

This paper was prepared within the IGCP project 491- Middle Palaeozoic Vertebrate Biogeography, Palaeoge-ography, and Climate. Herein presented data concerningthe Gzhelian age are mostly based on the unpublishedfinal report (Blecha et al. 1997) of the grant project No.205/94/0692 (Environmental changes on the Carbonife-rous/Permian boundary and their impact on the assem-

blages of organisms in fossiliferous horizons in theKrkono‰e Piedmont Basin ) of the Czech Science Foun-dation. Other data were summarized and shortly publis-hed by Zajíc in Pe‰ek et al. (2001) as a result of the grantproject No. 205/96/1231 (Origin and sedimentary fillingof the limnic Permo-Carboniferous basins in the Bohe-mian Massif) supported by the same grant agency.Recent investigations (e. g. ·tamberg 2001) yieldedadditional or corrected data.

The fauna-bearing localities and boreholes are supple-mented with sheets of maps 1: 25,000 in parentheses. Nofaunal remains come from the Kumburk Formation yet.

The Syfienov Formation

The Lower Syfienov Formation, Kasimovian (Stepha-nian B)

The only known fauna of this section comes from thelowermost part of the formation. The lacustrine origin ofthese sediments is assumed. No fauna is known from theoverlying Syfienov Coal Seams.

Fig. 1. Location of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin (black, simplified) inthe Czech Republic (dash-and-dot line) and in the Bohemian Massif(continuous line).

12

Fig

. 2.A

sim

plifi

ed g

eolo

gica

l map

of t

he K

rkon

o‰e

Pie

dmon

t Bas

in (

base

d on

Ble

cha

et a

l. 19

97;

Fig

. 4.1

.) w

ith p

alae

ogeo

grap

hy o

f the

Plo

uÏni

cean

d ·t

ûpan

ice-

âik

vásk

y la

ke d

epos

its. T

he H

k-1

Hor

ní K

alná

bor

ehol

e re

pres

ents

a d

ista

nt s

ubar

ea o

f the

·tû

pani

ce-â

ikvá

sky

area

, the

site

of N

ová

Pak

a –

aero

drom

e re

pres

ents

a s

peci

al s

ubar

ea o

f the

Plo

uÏni

ce a

rea.

Num

bers

of s

ites

in b

oth

area

s ar

e si

mpl

ified

.

13

Locality:* Lt-1 Lib‰tát borehole (03-413 Semily); depth 860.60 m;

(Zajíc 1986, Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997) Elonichthys sp.(scales)

The Black Shales Lake Deposits of the Upper Forma-tion, Gzhelian (Stephanian B)

The thickness of the deposits is 13–23 m (Prouza &Tásler in Pe‰ek et al. 2001). The finely laminated deep-water claystones were sedimentologically paralleled withthe M‰ec Member (Central and Western BohemianBasins) and the Jívka Member (Intra-Sudetic Basin) bySkoãek (1990). The correlation with the large and deepM‰ec Lake is in accordance with the faunal content. Areinterpretation of the determinable actinopterygian scalesfrom the Lt-1 Lib‰tát borehole was made by Zajíc inPe‰ek et al. (2001)

Locality:* Lt-1 Lib‰tát borehole (03-413 Semily); depth

795.10–807.25 m; (Zajíc 1986; Zajíc in Blecha et al.1997, Zajíc in Pe‰ek et al. 2001) Spinarichthys dispersus(scales); Zaborichthys fragmentalis (scales); Elonichthyssp. (scales); Actinopterygii indet. (scales, teeth)

The Semily Formation

Lacustrine deposits of the Middle Semily Formationare represented by two different facies (see chapter Palae-ogeography of the PlouÏnice Lake).

·tûpanice-âikvásky Lake Deposits (northern area ofthe basin), Gzhelian (Stephanian C)

Member is formed by two or three intervals of a com-plete thickness of 95–130 m including intercalated strata(Prouza & Tásler in Pe‰ek et al. 2001). Coal seams are

locally present. For the location of the adits see Havlena(1957, Fig. 2).

Localities:* HK-1 Horní Kalná borehole (03-413 Semily); depth

899.15 m; (Zajíc 1984; Zajíc 1989; Zajíc in Blecha et al.1997)

Acanthodes sp. (fin spine); Actinopterygii indet. (sca-les, fulcrum)

* Ko‰Èálov – dump of the Nadûje adit (03-413 Semily);(Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scales); Spinarichthys dis-persus (scales); Actinopterygii indet. (scales, bone frag-ments); coprolites

* Kouty – dump of the Adolf and Glück adits (03-413Semily); (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scales)* Kv-1 Ko‰Èálov borehole (03-413 Semily); depth

499.90–500.00 m; (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)ostracodes „Carbonita“ sp.; Sphaerolepis kounoviensis

(scales); Actinopterygii indet. (bone fragments, a tooth,scales, fulcra, segments of lepidotrichia); coprolites

* Lt-1 Lib‰tát borehole (03-413 Semily); depth 727.50m; (Zajíc 1986; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997, Zajíc in Pe‰eket al. 2001)

Elonichthys sp. (scale); Actinopterygii indet. (scales,fulcrum); coprolite

* Nedvûzí – dump of the Otto adit (03-413 Semily);(Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

ostracodes „Carbonita“ sp.; Acanthodes sp. (fin spi-nes); Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scales, bone fragments);Actinopterygii indet. (scales, bone fragments); coprolites

* Nedvûzí – dump of the Rohan adit (03-413 Semily);(Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (parasphenoid, scales); Spi-

Fig. 3. Upper Carboniferous of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin: age, lithostratigraphy and local bio/eco zonation.

14

narichthys dispersus (scales); Actinopterygii indet. (sca-les, bone fragments); coprolites

PlouÏnice Lake Deposits (southern area of the basin),Gzhelian (Stephanian C)

The member consist of two intervals, each 10–60 mthick, and one intercalated stratum 10–30 m thick (Prouza& Tásler in Pe‰ek et al. 2001).

* Bradlecká Lhota – Zlatník wood (03-431 Lomnicenad Popelkou); (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997); specimensare deposited in the National Museum in Prague.

Actinopterygii indet. (scales)* Krsmol (03-431 Lomnice nad Popelkou); (Fritsch

1901; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997; ·tamberg 2001)This locality was probably erroneously named Kromle

in the Czech version of the Fritsch’s paper (Fritsch 1901).Carbonicola bohemica (unrevised name); Arthrolycosa

sp.; Insecta indet. (wings); Turnovichthys magnus (a finspine fragment); Bohemiacanthus sp. (tooth); Sphaerole-pis kounoviensis (scales)

* Kyje – railroad cut, 11.55 m of the section describedin Blecha et al. 1997 (03-431 Lomnice nad Popelkou);(Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Amphisauropus cf. intermedius (tetrapod footprints)* Kyje – railroad cut with no detailed location (03-431

Lomnice nad Popelkou); (Friã 1912; Schneider 1983;Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Spiloblattina lawrenceana (wings or wing fragments);Sysciophlebia rubida (wings or wing fragments); Neorth-roblattina cf. multineuria (wings or wing fragments);Anthracoblattina sp. (wings or wing fragments); Protriton-ichnites lacertoides (tetrapod footprints)

* Nová Paka – aerodrome (03-432 Nová Paka);(Kamarád 1959; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Lioestheria paupera (after Kamarád 1959; includingjuveniles); Insecta indet. (wings)

* Nová Ves nad Popelkou – a field near Îìár u Kum-burku (03-431 Lomnice nad Popelkou) (new unpublishedfinds of Mr. Lapacík)

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scale); Actinopterygiiindet. (fulcra)

* PlouÏnice – a railroad cut A, 0–1.3 m of the sectiondescribed in Blecha et al. 1997 (03-431 Lomnice nadPopelkou); (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Actinopterygii indet. (scales, fulcra, bone fragments)* PlouÏnice – a railroad cut C, 2.9–3.5 m of the section

described in Blecha et al. 1997 (03-431 Lomnice nadPopelkou); (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Sphenacanthus sp. (scales); Progyrolepis speciosus(tooth); Actinopterygii indet. (scales, fulcra); xenacanthidspiral coprolites; coprolites

* PlouÏnice – a railroad cut, ·imÛnek’s excavation No. 1in 1996 (03-431 Lomnice nad Popelkou); (Zajíc in Blechaet al. 1997)

Sphenacanthus sp. (scale); ?Progyrolepis speciosus (atooth fragment); Actinopterygii indet. (scales, fulcra, seg-ments of lepidotrichia); xenacanthid spiral coprolites;coprolites

* PlouÏnice – a railroad cut with no detailed location

(03-431 Lomnice nad Popelkou); (Friã 1912; Kamarád1951; Schneider 1983; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Pseudestheria tenella; ?Lioestheria paupera; Neorth-roblattina germari; Acanthodes sp. (fin spines, scales);Sphenacanthus sp. (scales); xenacanthids (tooth frag-ments, spine fragments, calcified cartilage fragments);Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scales); Elonichthys sp. (ascale); Progyrolepis speciosus (a tooth); Zaborichthysfragmentalis (a scale); Actinopterygii indet. (bone frag-ments, teeth, scales, fulcra, segments of lepidotrichia);branchiosaurids (vertebrae, bone fragments); a xenacant-hid spiral coprolite; coprolites; Amphisauropus interme-dius (tetrapod footprints); Ichnotherium cottae (tetrapodfootprints); Protritonichnites lacertoides (tetrapod foot-prints)

* PlouÏnice – milestone 60.5 in the railroad cut (03-431Lomnice nad Popelkou); (Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis (scales), Elonichthys sp.(scales), Actinopterygii indet. (bone fragments, scales,fulcra, segments of lepidotrichia); coprolites

* Stará Paka – Pfiíãnice (03-432 Nová Paka); (Friã1912; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Actinopterygii indet. (whole unidentified specimen,scales)

* Îìár u Kumburku – Smíta (03-431 Lomnice nadPopelkou); (Kamarád 1959; Zajíc in Blecha et al. 1997)

Lioestheria paupera, Actinopterygii indet. (scales);Insecta indet. (wings)

PALAEOGEOGRAPHY OF THE PLOUÎNICE LAKE

The PlouÏnice Lake extended over almost the wholearea of the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin (about 150 km2) andprobably reached to the Mnichovo Hradi‰tû Basin (Tásler& Prouza 1985). The known fauna-bearing sites are divi-ded into two main areas (see Fig. 2) each with one loca-lity with somewhat different development. The sedimen-tary facies were established by Blecha & Martínek in Ble-cha et al. (1997).

·tûpanice-âikvásky area (northern part of thebasin)

The presence of suboxic and anoxic offshore facies (greyand blackish grey finely laminated mudstones and organic-rich carbonates), conglomerates, and sandstones are charac-teristic for the northern part of the basin. A relatively deeplake and a steeper gradient of the bottom are assumed here.The paludal nearshore conditions (swamps) and the waterlevel oscillation induced the origin of thin coal seams.

Fauna of this area comes from dark grey siltstones,dark grey laminated mudstones and blackish grey finelylaminated mudstones with coal laminae. Disarticulation ofthe fish remains together with the type of sedimentationcorrespond to the hypolimnion of a shallower stratifiedlake. The insect remains found at some sites possibly indi-cate a relative proximity of the lake shore.

The HK-1 Horní Kalná borehole lies at a considerablydistance from other sites of the northern area. Disarticulated

15

fish remains from the blackish grey laminated claystoneevidence poorly aerated water conditions near the bottom.

PlouÏnice area (southern part of the basin)The southern part of the basin has a platform-like cha-

racter with a low gradient. The plain relief induced consi-derable lateral variations of sedimentary conditions.

The facies of the brown mudstone with traces of lami-nation (typically in section PlouÏnice A) indicates condi-tions of a shallow lake with relatively well aerated waternear the bottom (an epilimnion of a stratified lake).

The facies of the purplish brown or grey finely lamina-ted mudstone (typically in section PlouÏnice C) indicateslacustrine environment with well aerated water near thebottom.

Tetrapod footprints from the facies of the grey lamina-ted siltstone (Kyje) indicate temporary terrestrial conditi-ons.

The site of Nová Paka – aerodrome yielded commonconchostracans together with insect wing remains. Thisassociation suggests a shallower epilimnion of a stratifiedlake close to the shoreline. Abundant conchostracans pos-sibly imply repeated episodes of eutrophication. Theseconditions indicate a shallow embayment.

STRATIGRAPHIC NOTES

The fish local biozonation (Zajíc 2000, 2004) waslabelled by Lucas, Schneider & Cassinis (2006) as alocal ecostratigraphy of some Bohemian basins. Somefeatures of ecostratigraphy are unquestionable, and thelocal character of the biozonation was always pointedout. Some significant taxa (notably Elonichthys andSphaerolepis) are, however, found in various lake faciesof the Stephanian basins of the Bohemian Massif. Com-mon remains of these taxa are known from the depositsof the deep, shallow or paludal lakes. The occurrences ofthese taxa did not depend on the predominant oxygena-tion of the water near the lake bottom either. Both oxicand anoxic conditions show similar actinopterygianassociations.

The correlation between the Central and WesternBohemian Basins and the Krkono‰e Piedmont Basinshows differences from the conception of Roscher &Schneider (2005; Fig. 2) in my opinion. The MiddleSemily Formation (the PlouÏnice Lake) is well corre-lable with the lower part of the Línû Formation (Klobukyand Zdûtín Lakes) on the basis of both sedimentologyand bio/eco zonation.

SOUHRN

Je podán kompletní seznam fauny svrchnokarbonsk˘chjezerních uloÏenin podkrkono‰ské pánve. Lokality a vrtys faunou jsou na základû sedimentárních facií a fauny roz-dûleny do dvou hlavních oblastí a dvou podoblastí. Je dis-kutována stratigrafie a mezipánevní korelace.

REFERENCES

BLECHA M. et al. (1997): Zmûny prostfiedí na rozhraní karbonu a

permu a jejich dopad na spoleãenstva organismÛ ve fosiliferních

obzorech podkrkono‰ské pánve. - Závûreãná zpráva za grant GA âR,

âesk˘ geologick˘ ústav, MS, 1-177. Praha.

BLECHA M., MARTÍNEK K. & MIHALJEVIâ M. (1999): Paleoenvi-

ronmental changes of the semipermanent Kalná Lake (Lower Per-

mian), Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin, Czech Republic: sedimentary and

geochemical record. – Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica, 43, 4,

657-665. Praha.

FRIâ A. (1912): Studien im Gebiete der Permformation Böhmens. –

Archiv für die naturwissenschaftliche Landesdurchforschung Böh-

mens, 15, 2, 1-52. Prag.

FRITSCH A. (1901): Fauna der Gaskohle und der Kalksteine der Perm-

formation Böhmens. IV/3. - F. ¤ivnáã, 63-101. Prag.

HAVLENA V. (1957): Petrografie uhlí podkrkono‰ského permokarbonu

a poznámky k jeho geologii. – Sborník Ústfiedního ústavu geologic-

kého, Oddíl geologick˘, 24, 157-188.

LUCAS S. G., SCHNEIDER J. W. & CASSINIS G. (2006): Non-marine

Permian biostratigraphy and biochronology: an introduction. - In S.

G. Lucas, G. Gassinis & J. W. Schneider (eds): Non-Marine Permian

Biostratigraphy and Biochronology. – Geological Society, London,

Special Publications, 265, 1-14. London.

KAMARÁD L. (1951): Revise ãesk˘ch permokarbonsk˘ch Pseudesthe-

rií (Conchostraca). – Rozpravy II. Tfiídy âeské Akademie, 61, 17, 27

pp. Praha.

KAMARÁD L. (1959): Zpráva o paleontologickém v˘zkumu v podkr-

kono‰ském permu. – Zprávy o geologickém v˘zkumu v roce 1957,

94. Praha.

MARTÍNEK K., BLECHA M., DANùK V., FRANCÒ J., HLADÍKOVÁ J.,

JOHNOVÁ R. & ULIâN¯ D. (2006): Record of palaeoenvironmen-

tal changes in a Lower Permian organic-rich lacustrine succession:

Integrated sedimentological and geochemical study of the Rudník

member, Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin, Czech Republic. - Palaeogeo-

graphy, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 230, 85-128.

PE·EK J. et al. (2001): Geologie a loÏiska svrchnopaleozoick˘ch lim-

nick˘ch pánví âeské republiky. –âesk˘ geologick˘ ústav, 1-243.

Praha.

ROSCHER M. & SCHNEIDER J. W. (2005): An annotated correlation

chart for continental Late Pennsylvanian and Permian basins and the

marine scale. – In. S. G. Lucas & K. E. Zeigler (eds.): The Nonma-

rine Permian. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

Bulletin, 30, 282-291.

SKOâEK V. (1990): Stefanská jezernûdeltová sekvence ve stfiedních a

severov˘chodních âechách [Stephanian lacustrine-deltaic sequence

in central and north-eastern Bohemia]. - Sborník geologick˘ch vûd,

Geologie, 45, 91-122. Praha.

SCHNEIDER J. (1983): Die Blattodea (Insecta) des Paläozoikums. Teil

I: Systematik, Ökologie und Biostratigraphie. - Freiberger Fors-

chungsheft, C 382, 106-145.

·TAMBERG S. (2001): Fin spine of a ctenacanthoid shark (Elasmo-

branchii, Ctenacanthoidea) from the Upper Stephanian of the Krko-

no‰e Piedmont Basin (Bohemia). – Bulletin of the Czech Geological

Survey, 76, 2, 141-148. Praha.

TÁSLER R. & PROUZA V. (1985): Podkrkono‰ská pánev - zhodnocení

geologick˘ch a uhelnû loÏiskov˘ch pomûrÛ. – MS, Ústfiední ústav

geologick˘, Praha.

16

ZAJÍC J. (1984): Zoopaleontologie permokarbonu z vrtu HK-1. - In R.

Tásler et all.: Vrt HK-1 Horní Kalná (Závûreãná zpráva), Ústfiední

ústav geologick˘, MS, 1-11. Praha.

ZAJÍC J. (1986): Zoopaleontologie permokarbonu z vrtu Lt-1 (Lib‰tát).

- Ústfiední ústav geologick˘, MS, 1-3. Praha.

ZAJÍC J. (1989): Remains of Permo-Carboniferous vertebrates from

HK-1 borehole (Horní Kalná, Krkono‰e Piedmont Basin, east Bohe-

mia). - Vûstník ústfiedního ústavu geologického, 64, 5, 287-295.

Praha.

ZAJÍC J. (2000): Vertebrate zonation of the non-marine Upper Carboni-

ferous – Lower Permian basins of the Czech Republic. - Courier

Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 223, 563-575. Frankfurt a. M.

ZAJÍC J. (2004): Vertebrate biozonation of the Permo-Carboniferous

lakes of the Czech Republic – new data. - Acta Musei Reginaehrade-

censis, Ser. A: Scientiae Naturales, 30, 16-17. Hradec Králové.