Bolbozoe bohemica Community in Prague Basin (Silurian of Czech Republic)

Where: Czech Republic (49.9° N, 14.0° E: paleocoordinates 51.2° S, 56.7° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Monograptus fritschi linearis zone, Ludfordian (425.6 - 423.0 Ma)

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; gray, calcareous shale

• "In the Prague Basin these calcareous shales represent the deepest facies. The lack of benthic fauna speaks for unfavorable sea bottom conditions, low oxygen content, and very little circulation, well below wave base. Pelagic ostracodes were carried together with cephalopod shells into this part of the basin by surface currents. [Shale horizons with B. bohemica alternate with horizons dominated by 'Entomis' migrans. B. bohemica never collected in limestones, while E. migrans occurs in cephalopod Lst. facies, which is shallower, subtidal. Possibly this is explained by preferred depths of these pelagic forms.] Alternation of the two communities in the calcareous shales may be due to changes in the circulation pattern above the sea bottom."
• "Disarticulated shells occur abundantly in calcareous, brownish-grey shales together with scattered shells of nektobenthic cephalopods and [phyllocarid]."

Collection methods: Despite broad distribution of community, it seems clear from the description that the elements are found at the type locality.

Primary reference: J. Kříž. 1999. Bivalvia communities of Bohemian type from the Silurian and Lower Devonian carbonate facies. In A. J. Boucot. J. D. Lawson (ed.), Paleocommunities -- A case study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian 229-252 [M. Foote/M. Foote/P. Wagner]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 14191: authorized by Michael Foote, entered by Michael Foote on 22.05.2002

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Ostracodes are the focus. Other groups mentioned but not listed in detail.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Graptolithina
  -
Graptolithina indet.
Cephalopoda
  -
Cephalopoda indet.
Cephalopoda indet. Cuvier 1797
Malacostraca
 Archaeostraca - Ceratiocarididae
Ceratiocaris cf. bohemica
Ostracoda
 Cypridinida - Bolbozoidae
"Entomis migrans" = Entomozoe, Bolbozoe bohemica
"Entomis migrans" = Entomozoe ostracod
rare; genus name in quotes