Acta Geologica Polonica, Vol. 57 (2007), No. 3, pp. 325-342 Large Chirotheriidae tracks in the Early Triassic of Wióry, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland GRZEGORZ NIEDèWIEDZKI1,2 & TADEUSZ PTASZY¡SKI3 1 Department of Paleobiology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Warsaw University, S. Banacha Str. 2, PL-02-097 Warszawa, Poland. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Paleontological Section, Museum of Nature and Technology at Starachowice, Wielkopiecowa Str. 1, PL-27-200 Starachowice, Poland. 3 Stroƒska Str. 1/12, PL-01-461 Warszawa, Poland. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: NIEDèWIEDZKI, G. & PTASZY¡SKI, T. 2007. Large Chirotheriidae tracks in the Early Triassic of Wióry, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica, 57 (3), 325-342. Warszawa. Very large chirotheriid tracks have been discovered in the Early Triassic Wióry Formation (=Labyrinthodontidae and Hieroglyphic Beds), middle part of the Middle Buntsandstein, exposed at Wióry in the northeastern part of the Holy Cross Mountains (central Poland). Hitherto, six small and medium-sized chirotheriid tracks from the Wióry locality have been described. In the present paper two ichnotaxa are proposed: Synaptichnium senkowiczowae ichnosp. nov. and Brachychirotherium kalkowen- sis ichnosp. nov. Their presumed trackmakers, large Early Triassic (Olenekian) Archosauriformes (Proterosuchidae, Erythrosuchidae), about 5-7 m long, are unknown from the osteological record of this age worldwide. The newly described ichnotaxa represent the oldest known record of large chirotheriid tracks in the Middle Buntsandstein of Poland. The presence of large chirotheriid tracks in the upper part of the Early Triassic deposits is very important for the understanding of the evolution and radiation of early Archosauromorpha, as well as for reconstructing Early Triassic terrestrial palaeoecosystems. Key words: Archosauromorpha, Vertebrate tracks, Chirotheriidae, Buntsandstein, Lower Triassic, Poland. INTRODUCTION 1981; RDZANEK 1986; PTASZY¡SKI & NIEDèWIEDZKI 2004c). Ichnotaxa identified at this site to date com- The assemblage of vertebrate tracks from the prise eleven ichnospecies representing seven ichno- Wióry tracksite, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland genera: Capitosauroides HAUBOLD, 1971; Brachy- (Text-fig. 1) is the richest and most diverse in the chirotherium BAURLEN, 1950; Isochirotherium Middle Buntsandstein of Europe (PTASZY¡SKI HAUBOLD, 1971; Synaptichnium NOPCSA, 1923; 2000a). Hitherto, it was the subject of two papers Procolophonichnium NOPCSA, 1923; Rhynchosa- (FUGLEWICZ & al. 1990; PTASZY¡SKI 2000a) and uroides MAIDWELL, 1911; and Prorotodactylus three short communications (FUGLEWICZ & al. PTASZY¡SKI, 2000. This paper contains a detailed 326 GRZEGORZ NIEDèWIEDZKI & TADEUSZ PTASZY¡SKI study of the largest chirotheriid tracks ever found in ture as Isochirotherium sp. (FUGLEWICZ & al. 1990) the Wióry Formation. Hitherto, six small and medi- and ? Isochirotherium sp. (PTASZY¡SKI 2000a). They um-sized ichnospecies belonging to the ichnofamily could also partly represent ichnospecies of Chirotheriidae have been described from Wióry: Brachychirotherium. Other large specimens of tetra- Brachychirotherium hauboldi (PTASZY¡SKI, 1990); B. pod tracks, in part representing swimming traces, wiorense PTASZY¡SKI, 2000; Isochirotherium sancta- have also been observed (ichnogenus Characichnos crucense PTASZY¡SKI, 1990; I. gierlinskii PTASZY¡SKI, WHYTE & ROMANO 2001). 2000; Synaptichnium chirotheroides PTASZY¡SKI, The present paper supplements previous stud- 1990; S. kotanskii PTASZY¡SKI, 2000. ies, providing a description of the paleoichnologi- The large exposure at Wióry resulted from the cal collection deposited by Kazimierz RDZANEK at construction of the water barrage and reservoir on the Museum of Nature and Technology at the ÂwiÊlina River in 1979–2005. Vertebrate tracks Starachowice (abbreviated MPTS) and new mate- were first discovered at this site by one of us (T.P.) in rial collected by the authors during the past seven the autumn of 1980. Subsequent collections were years (deposited at the Museum of Nature and made by Kazimierz RDZANEK and by both of us. The Technology in Starachowice, and the Geological largest collection of tracks is deposited in the Museum of the Holy Cross Branch of the Polish Museum of Nature and Technology at Stara- Geological Institute in Kielce – abbreviated Muz. chowice. Smaller collections are also housed in PIG OS). other institutions (see PTASZY¡SKI & NIEDèWIEDZKI Measurements were made, with only few excep- 2004c). A number of specimens have been gathered tions, on original specimens. The method of mea- by amateur geologists. surement corresponds to that in HAUBOLD (1971), It has already been noted (FUGLEWICZ & al. DEMATHIEU (1985), LEONARDI (1987), and PTA- 1990; PTASZY¡SKI 2000a) that the track assemblage SZY¡SKI (2000a). from Wióry also contains rare, incomplete, deformed or poorly preserved tracks that are much larger than the largest well documented ich- GEOLOGICAL SETTING nospecies, Brachychirotherium hauboldi and B. wiorense (FUGLEWICZ & al. 1990, pls 5.3, 5.4; 10.2; The geological succession exposed in Wióry is 12.1). Some have been described in open nomencla- composed of sandstones, mudstones and clay- Fig. 1. Location of the Wióry tracksite in the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland CHIROTHERIIDAE TRACKS IN THE EARLY TRIASSIC OF POLAND 327 stones representing channel and floodplain braid- TYPE HORIZON: Wióry Formation, lower part of ed/meandering river system (MADER & RDZANEK the Middle Buntsandstein, Early Triassic, Olenekian, 1985; FUGLEWICZ & al. 1990). This succession, early Spathian. referred to as the Wióry Formation by KULETA & NAWROCKI (2000), consists of the Labyrintho- DERIVATION OF THE NAME: In honour of dontidae and Hieroglyphic Beds (sensu SENKO- Professor Hanna Senkowiczowa, expert on the WICZOWA 1970), which have been correlated with Polish Triassic. the so-called Gervillia Beds (Goleniawy Formation of KULETA & NAWROCKI 2000) of the lower Middle DIAGNOSIS: Large, morphologically typical Buntsandstein in a regional lithostratigraphical Synaptichnium with pes imprint up to 30 cm long. scheme. The Wióry Formation yields numerous Pes digit proportions: IV>III>II>I (IV and III of sedimentary structures, plant remains, isolated ver- similar length). Low value of the cross axis angle: tebrate bones (mostly temnospondyl remains), 70°. Digit V relatively long and narrow. Manus conchostracan carapaces, and diverse invertebrate imprints are 1.5 times smaller than pes ones (in the trace fossils (MADER & RDZANEK 1985; material studied the former are usually poorly pre- MACHALSKI & MACHALSKA 1994; FUGLEWICZ & al. served). 1990; PTASZY¡SKI 2000a; RDZANEK 1999). The identification of the conchostracan crus- MATERIAL: MPTS 2611, fragmentary trackway tacean Magniestheria deverta (NOVOZHILOV, 1946) in (Text-fig. 2B – pes imprint from this trackway); mudstone and silstone intercalations allows the MPTS 2612B, set of pes and manus imprints (Text- Wióry Formation to be assigned to the early fig. 6N); MPTS 2613, left pes imprint (Text-figs 2D, Spathian of the Olenekian Stage (see BACHMANN & 3B); Muz. PIG OS-220/256, left pes imprint (only KOZUR 2004; KOZUR 2005; KOZUR & BACHMANN digits I–IV visible, Text-fig. 6O); Muz. PIG OS- 2005 and earlier papers; see also PTASZY¡SKI & 220/253 (plaster cast), specimen identified in a large NIEDèWIEDZKI 2002, 2004b, 2006). slab with poorly preserved tracks (also with sets of The vertebrate ichnoassemblage described from pes and manus imprints – Text-figs 2F, 3D) forming the Wióry Formation is comparable with that known possible fragmentary trackway (one of them – Text- from the Detfurth Sandstein of the Detfurth figs 2C, 3C shows left pes features); Muz. PIG OS- Formation exposed near Wolfhagen (Germany, 220/255 (plaster cast), poorly preserved pes imprint North-Hessen) and with that from the lower (Text-fig. 6H); Muz. PIG OS-220/257, poorly pre- Hardegsen Formation (Hardegsen-Abfolge 1) crop- served set of pes and manus imprints (Text-fig. 6J); ping out near Gieselwerder (FICHTER & LEPPER MPTS 2614, right pes imprints (Text-fig. 6L); Muz. 1997; FICHTER & KUNZ 2004); all also Spathian in PIG OS-220/258 (plaster cast), left pes imprint age (BACHMANN & KOZUR 2004; KOZUR 2005; (Text-fig. 6I); uncollected specimens, set of pes and KOZUR & BACHMANN 2005). manus imprints (Text-figs 2E, 3E). Poorly preserved material: uncollected specimens, partially preserved pes imprints (Text-fig. 6B, E, M). PALAEONTOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION Ichnofamily Chirotheriidae ABEL, 1935 DESCRIPTION Ichnogenus Synaptichnium NOPCSA, 1923 Trackway: Fragmentary and problematic trackways Synaptichnium senkowiczowae ichnosp. nov. (Text- have been identified on slabs: MPTS 2611 and figs 2, 3, ?6 B, E, H-J, L-O) MPTS 2612B. A poorly preserved trackway, which was measured but not collected, was found on a slab HOLOTYPE: MPTS 2612A, right pes imprint in the field (Text-fig. 3F). A few sets of pes and (Text-figs 2A, 3A) manus imprints (Muz. PIG OS-220/257, and field observations) have also been found. Unfortunately, TYPE LOCALITY: Wióry near Ostrowiec in most cases the trackway features are difficult to Âwi´tokrzyski, northeastern margin of the Holy assess. The fragmentary trackway MPTS 2611, Cross Mountains, Poland. another fragmentary trackway MPTS 2612B, and the 328 GRZEGORZ NIEDèWIEDZKI & TADEUSZ PTASZY¡SKI CHIROTHERIIDAE TRACKS IN THE EARLY TRIASSIC OF POLAND 329 Fig. 3. Synaptichnium senkowiczowae ichnosp. nov. A – MPTS 2612A, holotype. B – MPTS 2613. C. Muz.