Coelacanths (Actinistia, Sarcopterygii) from the Famennian (Upper Devonian) of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland
Authors
Piotr Szrek
Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury Str. 93, PL-02-089 Warszawa
Keywords:
Actinistia, Coelacanths, Late Devonian, Famennian, Holy Cross Mountains, Palaeoenvironment
Abstract
Coelacanth fishes from the Upper Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland, are described. The material consists of isolated incomplete lower jaws, gular plates, an entopterygoid and urohyal. The isolated lower jaws belong to Diplocercides kayseri (VON KOENEN, 1895). The other coelacanth remains are referred to Diplocercides sp. indet. All specimens are Famennian in age (Early Palmatolepis rhomboidea conodont Zone), representing a time when almost all of the Holy Cross Mountains carbonate platform was drowned. Because of the shallow-water living conditions preferred by the group it is assumed that these coelacanths were restricted to isolated, small submarine swells, which still existed in that region in the latest Devonian, and that their carcasses were then subjected to post-mortem transport into the deeper areas.
