Asteroids from the Nawodzice Sands (Middle Miocene; Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland)

Abstract

An assemblage of the extremely well preserved Middle Miocene (Badenian) starfishes from Nawodzice in the Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland, is taxonomically recognized to be composed primarily of the two species, new to the science. The dominant is Astropecten navodicensis sp.n. that usually occurs in groups of several specimens, and is preserved with the arms either extended, or closed in a tulip-like form. Associated is Ceramaster polonicus sp.n., the holotype of which has its ossicle arrangement intact. Isolated ossicles are assigned tentatively to the higher taxa, Astropecten sp. and Goniasteridae gen.et sp. indet., respectively. All starfishes of the studied assemblage are thought to be buried in life position, presumably while still alive , under extremely shallow marine (shallow subtidal to intertidal) environmental conditions some 15 m.y. ago
(Badenian stage corresponding to the Langhian/Serravallian boundary interval). The species name Astropecten granulatus WIENBERG RASMUSSEN, 1972, used by WIENBERG RASMUSSEN (1972) for an Eocene species from England, and also by KACZMARSKA (1987) for the Middle Miocene isolated ossicles from the Korytnica Basin in Poland, appears to be a younger homonym of the common present-day species Astropecten granulatus M¥LLER & TROSCHEL, 1842; it is thus superseded herein by a new species name, Astropecten anglicus nom.n.