Free-living crinoids from the Korytnica Clays (Middle Miocene; Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland)

Abstract

The assemblage of free-living critloids of the order Comatulida A. H. CLARK, 1908, from littoral facies of the Korytnica Basin (Middle Miocene; Holy Cross Mountains, Central Poland) comprises one new species of the family Comasteridae A. H. CLARK, 1908, and at least one from of the family Himerometridae A. H. CLARK, 1908; represented by numerous, generically indeterminable brachial and cirral ossicles.The new species, Sievertsia polonica sp. n., is represented by centrodorsals ,(one with the radial ring) and isolated radial, brachial and cirral ossicles. A new ,genus, Slievertsia gen. n., is established to include two species: Sievertsia seranensis (SIEVERTS, 1933), being the type species; and Sievertsia polonica sp. n. The newly established genus is include two the subfamily Comasterinae A. H., CLARK, 1908, the Recent and fossil representatives of which are confined to the Indo-Pacific realm. This recognition indicates Indo-Pacific biogeographic affinities of the Middle Miocene (Badenian) organic communities occurring in the Korytnica Basin.