Coralline algae from the Pińczów Limestones (Middle Miocene; southern slopes of the Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland) as environmental indicators

Abstract

The applicability of the coralline algae from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) Pińczów Limestones (southern slopes of the Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland) as environmental indicators is presented and discussed. An integrated analysis of some morphological features (algal forms, shapes, and the nature of interlaminar and internodular sediment) and their relation to the facies pattern enabled the reconstruction of the sedimentary environment for the Pińczów Limestones. This result, combined with the bathymetric interpretation of the foraminifer genus Amphistegina, allowed to present a facies model and to distinguish three different varieties of the rhodolith pavement facies. The presented analysis demonstrates also faulty usefulness of the algal taxonomic composition for paleoenvironmental reconstructions.