Middle Miocene palynoflora of the Legnica lignite deposit complex ...

41/56, 47/62, and 47/68 (Sadowska et al. 1981,
Wacnik & Worobiec 2001). The Legnica 33/56
profi le was a subject of this study. In all these
profi les, in comparison with the Lusatian seam,
the proportion of palaeotropical taxa decreases;
Quercoidites henrici and Myrica reach about
4–6%, Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum (in
previous studies misidentifi ed as Rhus) – max.
16%, Engelhardia and Araliaceae – about 2%.
There are also fewer pollen grains of palms and
Araliaceoipollenites edmundi (=Tricolporopollenites
edmundi). We can still observe continuous
curves of T. liblarensis (+ T. fallax) and T.
cingulum. In addition, the frequency of pollen
grains of warm-temperate trees Abies, Picea,
Tsuga, Quercus, Ulmus, Celtis, Carya, Pterocarya,
and others, is higher. In most profi les
pollen spectra of the Mużaków series are more
similar to those from the Lusatian seam than
to the Henryk seam (Sadowska et al. 1976,
1981). However, in Legnica 33/56 profi le pollen
grains of thermophilous plants were noted
sporadically (Tab. 1). Only a few pollen grains
of Araliaceoipollenites edmundi, Ilexpollenites
iliacus, and Reevesiapollis triangulus were
recorded. Castaneoideaepollis pusillus, Quercoidites
henrici, and Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum
were also found rarely. Similar
situation is observed in Legnica 47/62 profi le
(Wacnik & Worobiec 2001).
During the sedimentation of this series the
ingression of the North Sea to the Fore-Sudetic
area through the depression of northern Germany
took place (Oberc & Dyjor 1968, Dyjor
1970, 1978, Piwocki 1998). In southern part of
the basin, within sands and clays, numerous
layers of coaly clays, coaly silts and grey clays
typical for marginal zone of the basin occur
(Sadowska et al. 1981). In samples from the
lower part of this section of the profi le Legnica
33/56 (100.0–97.6 m) sporomorphs were worse
preserved, and accompanied by some dinofl
agellate cysts (max. 20%) and some linings
of foraminifers, which indicates sea transgression
on the studied area. Samples with dinocysts
were re-studied in detail by P. Gedl (Gedl
& Worobiec 2005). In the above-mentioned
profi le, beside dinofl agellate cysts, shallowmarine
forms, characteristic for shelf environment
(mainly Spiniferites and Batiacasphaera)
distinctly prevail. Several reworked dinocysts
were recorded and some pollen grains from this
section have traces of reworking process (see
Stanley 1966). They probably originate from
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the deposits of the Upper Eocene Sieroszowice
series and Oligocene Lubusha series, which
must have been eroded during the marine
ingression. It should be mentioned that this is
the southernmost record of the marine transgression
in the Polish Lowland during the
Middle Miocene.
Infl uence of the transgression is well seen
in neighbouring areas. In eastern part of Germany
Lotsch (in Dyjor & Wróbel 1978) found
poor fauna, sparse glauconite, as well as lenses
and layers of sapropelites pointing to accumulation
in shallow brackish basin with numerous
bays and lagoons. In the upper members
of the Mużaków series some horizons of clayey
and sandy sapropelites with bioturbations
(burrows) are present, what indicates shallowing
of the basin and covering with plants.
There are transitional deposits to the Henryk
lignite seam, ending sedimentation of this
series. Dyjor (1978) also reported glauconite,
fragments of spicules of sponges, fragments
of calcareous tubes, as well as calcareous and
aglutinic foraminifers in the Mużaków series in
the Polkowice, Nowe Miasteczko, and Głogów
regions. Moreover, in the Lubuska Ziemia region
fragments of mollusc shells occur. Infl uence
of the North Sea transgression was also confi
rmed in the Mużaków region, in the Poznań–
Rawicz graben, where in the Adamów beds
glauconite and poor microfauna occur (Dyjor
& Wróbel 1978). In the Pawłowice beds also
quite often glauconite, foraminiferal remains,
spicules of sponges, as well as ichnocenozes
typical for brackish and shall-marine facies
are found (Piwocki & Ziembińska-Tworzydło
1995). Narrow zone between Wymiarki and
Mirostowice Dolne (Lutynka), where “glass
sands” (white and grey quartzitic sands) were
found, probably marks out a line of seashore
with dunes. Similar sands were found in the
Sieniawa and Wielowieś region, in northern
part of the Mużaków series basin (Dyjor 1969,
Dyjor & Grodzicki 1969, Dyjor & Chlebowski
1973, Dyjor & Wróbel 1978).
In the Tuplice profi le sediments of the
Mużaków series were also confi rmed (Sadowska
1970, 1977), and in samples from this section
single dinocysts (“Hystrichosphaeridae”, up
to 6%) were encountered. In the lower part of
this sandy sediment pollen grains of Coniferae,
mainly Pinus sylvestris type, as well as Abies,
Tsuga, and Sciadopitys prevailed, whereas the
group of pollen grains of plants from swampy