Το γένος Trachelipus περιλαμβάνει οργανισμούς σχετικά στενόοικους οι οποίοι ζουν είτε στην παρόχθια βλάστηση ρεμάτων και ποταμών είτε σε υγρά δάση. Στη χώρα μας έχουν καταγραφεί 8 από τα 50 είδη του γένους, 4 από τα οποία είναι ενδημικά της Ελλάδας. Το ένα από αυτά εξαπλώνεται από την Κρήτη μέχρι την Ήπειρο, ένα στα νησιά του κεντρικού Αιγαίου, ένα στην Κρήτη και ένα στο νότιο Ευβοϊκό. Η κατανομή κάθε είδους είναι ασυνεχής, είτε λόγω γεωγραφικών (νησιωτικοί πληθυσμοί κλπ) είτε λόγω ενδιαιτηματικών παραγόντων. Η διάκριση μεταξύ των ειδών έχει γίνει βάσει περιορισμένου αριθμού μορφολογικών χαρακτήρων και δεν είναι βέβαιο ότι αντανακλά τις πραγματικές φυλογενετικές σχέσεις τους. Από τα αποτελέσματα προηγούμενης μελέτης διαπιστώθηκε έντονη απόκλιση μεταξύ των προτύπων της γενετικής ποικιλότητας και εκείνης της τρέχουσας ταξινόμησης σε ορισμένες ομάδες πληθυσμών του γένους αυτού. Επιπλέον, φάνηκε σημαντικός βαθμός γενετικής απομόνωσης μεταξύ των πληθυσμών ενός είδους, ενισχύοντας την άποψη περί ισχυρής μεταπληθυσμιακής συγκρότησής τους. Στην παρούσα μελέτη, συλλέχθηκαν 47 πληθυσμοί στην ηπειρωτική Ελλάδα, οι οποίοι στη μεγάλη τους πλειοψηφία ανήκαν στο είδος Trachelipus kytherensis (σύμφωνα με την ισχύουσα ταξινόμηση). Σε αυτούς προστέθηκαν και τα δεδομένα των Parmakelis et al 2008 (16 πληθυσμοί) έτσι ώστε να είναι πιο ολοκληρωμένη η μελέτη και η εξαγωγή συμπερασμάτων για το γένος Trachelipus. Συνολικά μελετήθηκαν γενετικά 63 πληθυσμοί του γένους, χρησιμοποιώντας ως μοριακούς δείκτες τα μιτοχονδριακά γονίδια 16S rRNA και COI. Έπειτα από απομόνωση του DNA και τον πολλαπλασιασμό των συγκεκριμένων τμημάτων με PCR προσδιορίστηκε η αλληλουχία των βάσεων, και υπολογίστηκε η γενετική διαφοροποίηση εντός και μεταξύ των πληθυσμών. Για την ανάλυση των φυλογενετικών σχέσεων μεταξύ των πληθυσμών ή/και των ειδών χρησιμοποιήθηκαν οι μέθοδοι της Σύνδεσης Γειτόνων (Neighbor Joining-NJ), της Μέγιστης Φειδωλότητας (Maximum Parsimony-MP) και της Μπεϊεσιανής Συμπερασματολογίας (Bayesian Inference-BI). Το τελικό μήκος των αλληλουχιών μετά την επεξεργασία ήταν 386 θέσεις για το γενετικό τόπο 16S rRNA και 512 θέσεις για το γενετικό τόπο COI. Με τα δεδομένα αυτά δεδομένα πραγματοποιήθηκε τόσο ανεξάρτητη όσο και συνδυασμένη ανάλυση. Από τα αποτελέσματα φαίνονται πληθυσμοί οι οποίοι παρα το ότι είναι πολύ κοντινοί γεωγραφικά, και μέχρι σήμερα θεωρείται πως ανήκουν στο ίδιο είδος (Trachelipus kytherensis), εμφανίζουν μεγάλες γενετικές αποστάσεις μεταξύ τους και ομαδοποιούνται σε διαφορετικούς και αρκετά απομακρυσμένους κλάδους των δένδρων σε όλες τις αναλύσεις (NJ, MP, BI). Η τοπολογία των κλάδων, καθώς και η απουσία σαφούς γεωγραφικού προτύπου στην ομαδοποίηση των πληθυσμών του T. kytherensis, καταδεικνύει ότι πιθανότατα δεν έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα μόνο είδος, αλλά με περισσότερα που είναι δύσκολο να διακριθούν μορφολογικά, τουλάχιστον με τους μέχρι σήμερα χρησιμοποιούμενους ταξινομικούς διαγνωστικούς χαρακτήρες. Αυτό ενισχύεται και από τις γενετικές αποστάσεις που καταγράφηκαν στην παρούσα μελέτη και εμφανίζονται ιδιαίτερα αυξημένες (μέγιστες παρατηρηθείσες γενετικές απόστασεις: 27,3% COI, 17,6% 16S rRNA) ακόμα και σε σχέση με αυτές που έχουν αναφερθεί σε άλλες έρευνες για τη διάκριση ειδών ισοπόδων. Επισημαίνεται η ιδιαίτερα μεγάλη γενετική διαφοροποίηση μεταξύ των αντιπροσώπων του γένους. Επιπλέον καταδεικνύεται πως η Πελοπόννησος φιλοξενεί τα είδη Trachelipus ‘kytherensis’ και T. aegaeus (τουλάχιστον στη χερσόνησο της Αργολίδας) αλλά και πιθανόν μια τρίτη μορφή στα βόρεια (νέο είδος;) η οποία εμφανίζεται ευρύτερα στην ηπειρωτική Ελλάδα. Θα είχε ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον λοιπόν να μελετηθούν αυτές οι πιθανές «ζώνες επαφής» ως προς τη γονιδιακή τους ροή, ώστε να εκτιμηθεί το ποσοστό απομόνωσης των πληθυσμών και, κατ’ επέκταση, του κάθε είδους. / The phylogenetic relationships among terrestrial isopod species are still largely unknown because robust analyses have started to appear only relatively recently. Species-level taxonomy has been based mainly on a few secondary sexual characters of males, although recent analyses based on molecular markers have indicated that species definitions based on morphology may underestimate the true levels of divergence among populations. Furthermore, within several genera or species groups, morphological characters do not provide clear-cut taxonomic resolution, so that many changes in the interpretation of nominal species have appeared in the literature. The genus Trachelipus comprises of relatively stenoecious animals living in habitats generally threatened by human activities, such as humid forest sites and riparian habitats. It includes some 50 species distributed around the Palaearctic, with 8 species recorded from Greece, 4 endemic to the country. The distribution of species is discontinuous due to the increasing fragmentation of its habitats and the expansion of agricultural land and dry woodland. Projected climatic change will restrict further gene flow between Trachelipus populations, as dry habitats are expected to expand in Greece. Species–level taxonomy has been based on a few morphological characters, mainly the secondary sexual characters of males, exhibiting significant variation, and is controversial. Very high intraspecific genetic divergence among several populations has been documented. In this study we attempt a phylogeographic analysis among the Greek endemic species of the genus. We sampled 47 populations from several sites in mainland Greece. In our analyses we incorporated data from previous work (16 populations) in order to better estimate possible geographic structure in the patterns of divergence among populations, and to throw new light in the systematics of the species. Overall, 63 populations were considered. After total DNA extraction, we sequenced the two PCR amplified mtDNA gene fragments, namely 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), and calculated the genetic divergence within and among the populations studied, as well as their phylogenetic relationships. The methods for phylogenetic reconstruction used were Neighbor Joining (NJ), Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Bayesian Inference (BI) for each mtDNA sequence data and the concatenated dataset. The phylogenetic trees obtained from the molecular data – from all three phylogenetic methods (NJ, MP, BI) - produced trees with quite congruent topologies. Some populations that are considered conspecific exhibit large genetic distances and cluster in different clades. The highly-structured phylogenetic tree and the lack of an overall geographic pattern in the clustering of Trachelipus populations indicates that very probably we are not dealing with a single species, but rather with a number of cryptic species, hardly distinguished by means of currently used morphological characters. This is further corroborated by the genetic distances separating the clades hosting nominal T. kytherensis populations (max_dCOI=27.3% and max_d16S rRNA=17.6%). In general, it can be argued that the genetic distances recorded in the present study are quite large compared with those reported for different species and even genera in other studies of terrestrial isopods. Furthermore, it is evident than there are two species present in the Peloponnese, i.e. Trachelipus ‘kytherensis’ and T. aegaeus (in Argolis peninsula). In northern Peloponnese, a third form is also present (new species?) that occurs throughout the central and northern part of mainland Greece. These ‘contact zones’ should be further investigated in terms of genetic flow and isolation of the populations and/or species. Both the phylogeny presented here and the genetic distances separating populations appear to justify the necessity of further investigation into the phylogeny of the Greek Trachelipus species using a population by population approach. It is likely that morphology inadequately describes real variation inside and among species; hence, diagnoses based on the morphological characters used so far for the delineation of Trachelipus species should be reconsidered under the light of more extensive molecular phylogenetic analyses.

Οι μεταβολές της στάθμης της θάλασσας τα τελευταία 20.000 χρόνια και η εμφάνιση καταστροφικών φαινομένων (σεισμοί, παλιρροιακά κύματα) έχουν οδηγήσει στην καταβύθιση αρχαίων πόλεων, οικισμών και λιμενικών εγκαταστάσεων. Οι περισσότερες των αρχαιολογικών παράκτιων θέσεων σήμερα, βρίσκονται βυθισμένες στη θάλασσα και η μελέτη τους απαιτεί τη χρήση σύγχρονων συστημάτων θαλάσσιας γεωφυσικής διασκόπησης. Τις τελευταίες δύο δεκαετίες οι θαλάσσιες γεωφυσικές μέθοδοι έχουν αναδειχθεί σε εξαιρετικά αποτελεσματικό μέσο στη μελέτη τέτοιων περιοχών καθώς είναι εφικτό: (α) να εντοπίζουν και να χαρτογραφούν με ακρίβεια και σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα μεγάλης έκτασης περιοχών αρχαιολογικής σημασίας, (β) να εντοπίζουν και να χαρτογραφούν γεωμορφές σχετιζόμενες με το περιβάλλον ανάπτυξης των αρχαιολογικών θέσεων έτσι ώστε να αναπαριστούν την εξέλιξη της παράκτιας παλαιογεωγραφίας. Επιπλέον, οι γεωφυσικές μέθοδοι χρησιμοποιούνται πλέον συστηματικά για τον εντοπισμό και τη μελέτη κινητών μαρτυριών (ναυάγια) της ανθρώπινης δραστηριότητας στον πυθμένα. Στην παρούσα εργασία παρουσιάζονται τα προκαταρκτικά αποτελέσματα από την εφαρμογή των μεθόδων θαλάσσιας γεωφυσικής διασκόπησης στην ευρύτερη περιοχής Μοδίου – Πόρου. Στη βορειοδυτική πλευρά της νησίδας Μόδι, το Ινστιτούτο Ενάλιων Αρχαιολογικών Ερευνών (ΙΕΝΑΕ) εντόπισε φορτίο ναυαγίου που χρονολογείται τον 12ο αιώνα π.Χ. Επιπλέον, η περιοχή μελέτης αποτελεί μεγάλο αρχαιολογικό ενδιαφέρον για τον Ελληνικό θαλάσσιο χώρο διότι στην αρχαιότητα αποτελούσε σημαντικό εφαλτήριο και βρίσκονταν σε ενδιάμεσους πολυσύχναστους θαλάσσιους πλόες του Αργοσαρωνικού κόλπου. Τα όργανα γεωφυσικής διασκόπησης που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν στην συγκεκριμένη έρευνα ήταν o τομογράφος υποδομής πυθμένα υψηλής διακριτικής ικανότητας και ο ηχοβολιστής πλευρικής σάρωσης. Η επεξεργασία και η ανάλυση των δεδομένων επέτρεψε την αποτύπωση της θέσης του ναυαγίου με σύγχρονες μεθόδους διασκόπησης, την κατασκευή λεπτομερών χαρτών βυθομετρίας και γεωμορφολογίας του πυθμένα, τον εντοπισμό ιχνών (scarps) καταβυθισμένων παλαιοακτών και τον προσδιορισμό της στρωματογραφικής υποδομής του πυθμένα στην περιοχή μελέτης. Με βάση τα παραπάνω δεδομένα έγινε προσπάθεια ανάπλασης της παλαιογεωγραφικής εξέλιξης στην ευρύτερη περιοχή μελέτης για τα τελευταία 18.000 χρόνια. Επιπλέον εντοπίστηκε στην ευρύτερη περιοχή έρευνας, ένας σημαντικός αριθμός στόχων πιθανής αρχαιολογικής σημασίας. / The changes in sea level over the last 20,000 years and the emergence of catastrophic events (earthquakes, tidal waves) have led to the submergence of ancient cities, settlements and port facilities. Most of the archaeological coastal positions today are immersed in the sea and their study requires the use of modern systems of marine geophysical surveys. Over the past two decades, marine geophysical methods have become an extremely effective tool in studying such areas as practicable: (a) to identify and map out accurately and in a short period of large areas of archaeological importance, (b) to identify and mapping landforms associated with the development environment of the sites to represent the evolution of the coastal Paleogeography. In addition, geophysical methods are now used routinely to detect and study mobile testimonies (wrecks) of human activity on the sea floor. This paper presents preliminary results from the application of marine geophysical methods in the wider region Modi Rocky Islet and Poros Isl. On the northwestern side of the rocky islet of Modi, the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology (H.I.M.A) identified a cargo of a shipwreck dating to the 12th century BC Furthermore, the study area forms great archaeological interest in the Greek sea area because in ancient times was an important springboard and was located in intermediar and frequented sea voyages of the Saronic Gulf. The geophysical instruments used in this study was the subbottom profiler and side-scan sonar. The processing and data analysis enabled mapping the location of the wreck using modern marine geophysical methods, build detailed bathymetry maps and maps with the geomorphology of the seabed, detect traces (scarps) of submerged palaeocoast and determine the stratigraphic infrastructure of sea floor in the study area. Based on these data attempted reconstruction of the palaeogeographic evolution of the study area for the past 18,000 years. In addition, in the study area, was identified a significant number of potential targets with archaeological importance.

Η σύγχρονη υφαλοκρηπίδα διατηρεί πολύτιμα αρχεία καταγραφής της ανθρώπινης ιστορίας, ως συνέπεια της επίκλυσης της θάλασσας σε μεγάλο τμήμα της χέρσου μετά το τέλος της τελευταίας παγετωνικής περιόδου. Επιπλέον, ο θαλάσσιος πυθμένας βρίθει ενδείξεων για τις ναυτικές δραστηριότητες του παρελθόντος, συχνά σε βάθη που ξεπερνούν το ανώτατο όριο αυτόνομης κατάδυσης. Οι θαλάσσιες γεωφυσικές μέθοδοι εφαρμόζονται με επιτυχία στην ενάλια αρχαιολογία, καταργώντας τους περιορισμούς και απλοποιώντας σημαντικά τις συμβατικές μεθόδους υποβρύχιας έρευνας. Συγκεκριμένα, χρησιμοποιούνται στον ακριβή εντοπισμό σε οποιοδήποτε βάθος και στη λεπτομερή χαρτογράφηση σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα (α) αρχαίων ναυαγίων και (β) καταβυθισμένων ανθρωπογενών κατασκευών και παλαιοακτών στην επιφάνεια του πυθμένα ή θαμμένων κάτω από χαλαρά ιζήματα. Μέσω αυτών επιτυγχάνεται η παλαιογεωγραφική ανάπλαση παράκτιων περιοχών. Στην παρούσα εργασία παρουσιάζονται τα προκαταρκτικά αποτελέσματα της θαλάσσιας γεωφυσικής έρευνας που πραγματοποίησε το 2012 το Ε.ΘΑ.ΓΕ.Φ.Ω. του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών στον κόλπο Caska της νήσου Pag στην Κροατία, με τη χρήση τομογράφου υποδομής πυθμένα 3.5kHz υψηλής διακριτικής ικανότητας και ηχοβολιστή πλευρικής σάρωσης E.G&G 272TD διπλής συχνότητας (100 & 500 kHz), στο πλαίσιο του γεω-αρχαιολογικού ερευνητικού προγράμματος “Cissa Antiqua” που διεξάγει το Πανεπιστήμιο του Zadar σε συνεργασία με το Centre Camille Jullian (CNRS). Στις σεισμικές τομογραφίες αναγνωρίστηκαν τρεις σεισμικές ενότητες πρόσφατων ιζημάτων πάχους 12μ. που επικάθονται στο ήπια πτυχωμένο γεωλογικό υπόβαθρο. Σύμφωνα με τη σεισμική στρωματογραφία και τη σύγχρονη παράκτια γεωμορφολογία της περιοχής, προτείνεται η ύπαρξη συνθηκών απόθεσης γλυκού και υφάλμυρου νερού πριν από τη σταδιακή επίκλυση της θάλασσας στον κόλπο της Caska κατά το Ολόκαινο. Επιπλέον, τα τελευταία 2.000 χρόνια διαπιστώνεται στην περιοχή μια επεισοδιακή συν-σεισμική καταβύθιση. Τέλος, η ταξινόμηση με το λογισμικό TargAn και η στατιστική ανάλυση των στόχων που αναγνωρίστηκαν στην επιφάνεια του πυθμένα, ανέδειξε έξι στόχους πιθανού αρχαιολογικού ενδιαφέροντος που προτείνονται για οπτική επαλήθευση. / Marine geophysical techniques can be successfully applied to underwater archaeology, speeding up survey and making it possible to detect features of archaeological interest lying on the seafloor or embedded in sediments even beyond conventional diving limits. There are two general approaches regarding the application of these techniques in underwater archaeology: they are being used to identify, locate and map (a) ancient shipwrecks and (b) submerged sites of archaeological interest (ancient settlements, ports, man-made structures and palaeo-shorelines), thus enabling the palaeogeographic reconstruction of coastal areas. The applicability of marine remote sensing techniques in underwater archaeology is high-lighted through the current study case. In the framework of the geo-archaeological research project “Cissa Antiqua”, directed by the University of Zadar and Centre Camille Jullian (CNRS) a detailed marine remote sensing survey was carried out by the Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography of the University of Patras in Caska bay, Pag island, Croatia. The data collected by high resolution 3.5kHz subbottom profiling and towed E.G&G dual frequency (100 & 500kHz) side-scan sonar system have been analysed for the objectives of this study. According to the 3.5kHz profiles, the upper 12m of sediments consist of three distinct seismic sequences overlapping the gentle folded acoustic basement. The results of the seismic data in correlation to the present coastal geomorphology of the area suggest that these sequences correspond to phases of inundation by brackish water, before sea-water flooded the gulf, as consequence of the rapid sea-level rise of the Holocene. Furthermore, archaeological and geological data of the area suggest an episodical co-seismic submergence during the last 2 kyrs. The side-scan sonar survey revealed a large number of targets lying on the seafloor. Six of them have been selected by TargaAn software as targets of potential archaeological interest.

<p>Small shelly fossils are common in sediments of Early Cambrian age and include the earliest common representatives of metazoan animals with mineralized hard parts. The group includes fossils of very different morphology, composition and ultrastructure. They seem to represent skeletal remains of numerous animal groups, the biological affinities of which are largely unresolved. However, the wide geographic range of many forms has the potential to enhance biostratigraphic and palaeogeographic resolution in the Early Cambrian. </p><p>The late Early Cambrian sequence of North-East Greenland has yielded an assemblage of more than 88 species of small shelly fossils, brachiopods and trilobites, indicative of a middle Dyeran age (Botoman equivalent). The recovered fossils include a number of species that are known from other Early Cambrian palaeocontinents, and particularly strong ties to late Early Cambrian faunas of Australia are documented. The many cosmopolitan taxa thus identified suggests a close juxtaposition of palaeocontinents at this time. </p><p>The systematic affinity of many of these small shelly fossils is poorly understood, partly because of their fragmentary nature and poor preservation. However, new data from North-East Greenland improves our understanding of the function and biological affinity of certain taxa. Collections of the problematic fossil <i>Mongolitubulus</i> from North and North-East Greenland exhibit characters indicative of a defensive function as spines of bivalved arthropods, while species of the problematic genus <i>Triplicatella</i> represent the opercula of an unknown tubular shell, probably related to orthothecid hyoliths. The bivalved fossil <i>Mickwitzia</i> from North-East Greenland combines characters of linguliform brachiopods and sclerites of <i>Micrina</i>, a non-bivalved problematic form (halkieriid) from Australia. The combination suggests that <i>Mickwitzia</i> is a stem group brachiopod and strengthens arguments for a halkieriid ancestry of the brachiopod phylum.</p>

Small shelly fossils are common in sediments of Early Cambrian age and include the earliest common representatives of metazoan animals with mineralized hard parts. The group includes fossils of very different morphology, composition and ultrastructure. They seem to represent skeletal remains of numerous animal groups, the biological affinities of which are largely unresolved. However, the wide geographic range of many forms has the potential to enhance biostratigraphic and palaeogeographic resolution in the Early Cambrian. The late Early Cambrian sequence of North-East Greenland has yielded an assemblage of more than 88 species of small shelly fossils, brachiopods and trilobites, indicative of a middle Dyeran age (Botoman equivalent). The recovered fossils include a number of species that are known from other Early Cambrian palaeocontinents, and particularly strong ties to late Early Cambrian faunas of Australia are documented. The many cosmopolitan taxa thus identified suggests a close juxtaposition of palaeocontinents at this time. The systematic affinity of many of these small shelly fossils is poorly understood, partly because of their fragmentary nature and poor preservation. However, new data from North-East Greenland improves our understanding of the function and biological affinity of certain taxa. Collections of the problematic fossil Mongolitubulus from North and North-East Greenland exhibit characters indicative of a defensive function as spines of bivalved arthropods, while species of the problematic genus Triplicatella represent the opercula of an unknown tubular shell, probably related to orthothecid hyoliths. The bivalved fossil Mickwitzia from North-East Greenland combines characters of linguliform brachiopods and sclerites of Micrina, a non-bivalved problematic form (halkieriid) from Australia. The combination suggests that Mickwitzia is a stem group brachiopod and strengthens arguments for a halkieriid ancestry of the brachiopod phylum.

The Cenozoic was a time of climatic, tectonic and eustatic change in the Southern Hemisphere. Cooling at the pole, glaciation and substantial sea ice formation occurred as latitudinal temperature gradients increased and tectonics altered Southern Hemisphere circulation patterns. During this same time frame, the tectonic regime of the New Zealand continental block transitioned from a passive margin to an active plate boundary, resulting in the reversal of a long-standing transgression and an influx of terrigenous sediment to marine basins. In this transition, depositional basins in the South Island became more localized; however, the influence of oceanographic and tectonic drivers is poorly understood on a local scale. Here we apply sedimentological, biostratigraphic and geochemical analyses to revise understanding of the effects of the changing climatic regime and active tectonics on the development of Oligocene and Miocene rocks in the Northern Canterbury Basin. The Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene sedimentary rocks of the northern Canterbury Basin record oceanographic and tectonic influences on basin formation, sediment supply and deposition. The Palaeocene to Late Eocene Amuri Formation in the basin are micrites and biogenic cherts recording deepwater, terrigenous-starved environments, and do not show any influence of active tectonics. The Early Oligocene development of ice on the Antarctic continent and the associated global sea level response is reflected in this basin as the Marshall Paraconformity, an eroded, glauconitized and phosphatised firm ground and hardground atop the Amuri. Sedimentation above this unconformity resumed in the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene with cleaner, deep-water, bathyal planktic foraminifera packstones and wackestones in eastern areas and Late Oligocene inner shelf volcaniclastic packstones in parts of the western basin. Post-unconformity sedimentation resumed earlier in western areas, as the currents responsible for scouring the sea floor moved progressively to the east. The development of tectonic uplift in terrestrial settings is first seen in the northwestern basin in Lower Miocene fine quartz-rich sandstones, and by the Middle Miocene, bathyal sandstones and quartz-rich wackestones appear in the basin, replacing earlier, more pure carbonates. The uplift caused shallowing to the west, in the form of shelf progradation due to sediment influx. This shallowing is not observed to the east; instead, the palaeoenvironments show a deepening as a result of sea level rise.

The Jurassic ammonites from the Northern Bohemia has been revised on the base of the material stored in the National Museum in Prague and the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague. 23 species and 19 genera, belonging to 7 families were described on the basis of this systematical revision. This ammonite assemblage indicates a proportional occurence of the Boreal, Tethyan and also cosmopolitan taxa. Stratigraphically important taxa suggest a considerably longer period of sedimentation, predominantly represented by the Upper Jurassic carbonates. This interval may contain up to 9 ammonite zones. A pilot microfacial analysis of carbonates from Peškova stráň area (in Krásná Lípa vicinity) indicates a considerably higher variability of sedimentation area. The presence of micritic carbonates suggests the existence of a widespread areas in the Late Jurassic sea covering the Bohemian Massif. The biostratigraphy and palaeogeography is briefly discussed in the European Late Jurassic context. Key words: ammonites, Upper Jurassic, Northern Bohemia, carbonate sediments, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography

Located in the south of the Moroccan Sahara, the Adrar Souttouf Massif is the northern continuation of the Mauritanides at the western margin of the West African Craton. The massif itself exhibits a complex polyphase geologic history and contains four geologically different, SSW-NNE trending main units named from west to east: Oued Togba, Sebkha Gezmayet, Dayet Lawda, Sebkha Matallah. They are thrusted over each other in thin-skinned nappes with local windows of the discordantly overlain Archaean Reguibat basement. The eastern margin of the massif is bordered by the Tiris and Tasiast-Tijirit areas of the Reguibat Shield as well as its (par-) autochthonous Palaeozoic cover sequence, termed Dhloat Ensour unit. More than 5.500 U-Th-Pb age determinations and over 1.000 Hf isotopic measurements on single zircon grains from igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks of all the massifs units and its vicinity have yet been obtained. Most of the zircons were studied with respect to their morphological features. This method improves the accuracy of provenance studies by detecting varying zircon morphologies in space and time. These data are accompanied by U-Th-Pb age determinations on apatite as well as rutile. Together, they allow proposing a model of the geologic evolution of this poorly mapped area for the last 635 Ma. A combination of the obtained data with extensive zircon age databases of the surrounding cratons and terranes facilitates continental-scaled palaeogeographic reconstructions. Regarding the geologic evolution of the Adrar Souttouf Massif, the assembly of the first units began prior to 635 Ma. Although containing all the major zircon age and Hf-isotope populations of the West African Craton as well as some Mesoproterozoic grains, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit lies to the west of the Dayet Lawda unit of oceanic island arc composition. Hence, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit must have been rifted away from the craton prior to the formation of the oceanic unit within the West African Neoproterozoic Ocean at about 635 Ma. Recently published Hf and zircon age data of this unit suggest that the island arc was derived from a juvenile mantle source. Subsequently, the accretion of precursors of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units as well as a partial obduction of the oceanic Dayet Lawda unit and the Neoproterozoic sediments of a foreland basin (Sebkha Matallah unit) onto the Reguibat Shield took place. Peak metamorphism in the obducted oceanic rocks was reached at about 605 Ma. Magmatism in the western units between 610 and 570 Ma suggests on-going tectonic activity. The Early and Middle Cambrian is characterised by the erosion of the Ediacaran orogen and deposition of thick sedimentary sequences at the Sebkha Matallah unit, which acted as foreland basin. These sediments show a mostly West African zircon record with only some Mesoproterozoic grains provided by the westernmost parts of the massif. Initial rifting of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units from the remaining areas presumably occurred during the Late Cambrian. Coeval granitoid intrusions occurred on both sides of the rift. The two rifted units were likely involved to the polyphased Appalachian orogenies, which is emphasised by Devonian magmatism. Thus, and with respect to the isotopic data, the Oued Togba unit is interpreted to be of Avalonia affinity, while the Sebkha Gezmayet unit can likely be linked to Meguma. The units which remained at the West African Craton underwent intense sediment recycling during the entire Ordovician to Devonian times. Final accretion of all units and formation of the current massif was achieved during the Variscan-Alleghanian orogeny. This was accompanied by magmatism in the Sebkha Gezmayet unit and intense metamorphism of the Reguibat basement, whose zircons often show lower discordia intercepts of Carboniferous or Permian age. The post-Variscan period is characterised by erosion of the orogen and subjacent alternating cycles of sedimentation and deflation. The Adrar Souttouf Massifs importance for palaeogeographic reconstructions is given by the striking differences in the zircon age and Hf-isotope record of its westernmost Oued Togba unit and the remaining area. The results obtained from the Oued Togba unit resemble the published data of the Avalonia type terranes including prominent Mesoproterozoic, Ediacaran-Early Cambrian, as well as Early Devonian age populations. Many Mesoproterozoic zircons, which are exotic for the West African Craton prior to 635 Ma, form a ca. 1.20 to 1.25 Ga age peak that is an excellent tracer for detrital provenance studies and source craton identification of the sedimentary rocks. This is also valid for some sedimentary samples that do not show ages younger than 700 Ma, but large quantities of Mesoproterozoic zircon. These rocks can be correlated to similar sediments in Mauritania and W-Avalonia and are thought to be of pre-pan-African", i.e. pre-Ediacaran or even pre-Cryogenian age. They may give direct insights to the source area in Early to Mid Neoproterozoic times. Accordingly, comparison with published data of Amazonia and Baltica, allows setting up new hypotheses for the pre-Ediacaran history of the Avalonian type terranes. Lacking of magmatism in Amazonia between ca. 1200 and ca. 1300 Ma favours Baltica as source craton for the Avalonian terranes and requires a new point of view for the Neoproterozoic palaeogeography.

Located in the south of the Moroccan Sahara, the Adrar Souttouf Massif is the northern continuation of the Mauritanides at the western margin of the West African Craton. The massif itself exhibits a complex polyphase geologic history and contains four geologically different, SSW-NNE trending main units named from west to east: Oued Togba, Sebkha Gezmayet, Dayet Lawda, Sebkha Matallah. They are thrusted over each other in thin-skinned nappes with local windows of the discordantly overlain Archaean Reguibat basement. The eastern margin of the massif is bordered by the Tiris and Tasiast-Tijirit areas of the Reguibat Shield as well as its (par-) autochthonous Palaeozoic cover sequence, termed Dhloat Ensour unit. More than 5.500 U-Th-Pb age determinations and over 1.000 Hf isotopic measurements on single zircon grains from igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks of all the massifs units and its vicinity have yet been obtained. Most of the zircons were studied with respect to their morphological features. This method improves the accuracy of provenance studies by detecting varying zircon morphologies in space and time. These data are accompanied by U-Th-Pb age determinations on apatite as well as rutile. Together, they allow proposing a model of the geologic evolution of this poorly mapped area for the last 635 Ma. A combination of the obtained data with extensive zircon age databases of the surrounding cratons and terranes facilitates continental-scaled palaeogeographic reconstructions. Regarding the geologic evolution of the Adrar Souttouf Massif, the assembly of the first units began prior to 635 Ma. Although containing all the major zircon age and Hf-isotope populations of the West African Craton as well as some Mesoproterozoic grains, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit lies to the west of the Dayet Lawda unit of oceanic island arc composition. Hence, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit must have been rifted away from the craton prior to the formation of the oceanic unit within the West African Neoproterozoic Ocean at about 635 Ma. Recently published Hf and zircon age data of this unit suggest that the island arc was derived from a juvenile mantle source. Subsequently, the accretion of precursors of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units as well as a partial obduction of the oceanic Dayet Lawda unit and the Neoproterozoic sediments of a foreland basin (Sebkha Matallah unit) onto the Reguibat Shield took place. Peak metamorphism in the obducted oceanic rocks was reached at about 605 Ma. Magmatism in the western units between 610 and 570 Ma suggests on-going tectonic activity. The Early and Middle Cambrian is characterised by the erosion of the Ediacaran orogen and deposition of thick sedimentary sequences at the Sebkha Matallah unit, which acted as foreland basin. These sediments show a mostly West African zircon record with only some Mesoproterozoic grains provided by the westernmost parts of the massif. Initial rifting of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units from the remaining areas presumably occurred during the Late Cambrian. Coeval granitoid intrusions occurred on both sides of the rift. The two rifted units were likely involved to the polyphased Appalachian orogenies, which is emphasised by Devonian magmatism. Thus, and with respect to the isotopic data, the Oued Togba unit is interpreted to be of Avalonia affinity, while the Sebkha Gezmayet unit can likely be linked to Meguma. The units which remained at the West African Craton underwent intense sediment recycling during the entire Ordovician to Devonian times. Final accretion of all units and formation of the current massif was achieved during the Variscan-Alleghanian orogeny. This was accompanied by magmatism in the Sebkha Gezmayet unit and intense metamorphism of the Reguibat basement, whose zircons often show lower discordia intercepts of Carboniferous or Permian age. The post-Variscan period is characterised by erosion of the orogen and subjacent alternating cycles of sedimentation and deflation. The Adrar Souttouf Massifs importance for palaeogeographic reconstructions is given by the striking differences in the zircon age and Hf-isotope record of its westernmost Oued Togba unit and the remaining area. The results obtained from the Oued Togba unit resemble the published data of the Avalonia type terranes including prominent Mesoproterozoic, Ediacaran-Early Cambrian, as well as Early Devonian age populations. Many Mesoproterozoic zircons, which are exotic for the West African Craton prior to 635 Ma, form a ca. 1.20 to 1.25 Ga age peak that is an excellent tracer for detrital provenance studies and source craton identification of the sedimentary rocks. This is also valid for some sedimentary samples that do not show ages younger than 700 Ma, but large quantities of Mesoproterozoic zircon. These rocks can be correlated to similar sediments in Mauritania and W-Avalonia and are thought to be of pre-pan-African", i.e. pre-Ediacaran or even pre-Cryogenian age. They may give direct insights to the source area in Early to Mid Neoproterozoic times. Accordingly, comparison with published data of Amazonia and Baltica, allows setting up new hypotheses for the pre-Ediacaran history of the Avalonian type terranes. Lacking of magmatism in Amazonia between ca. 1200 and ca. 1300 Ma favours Baltica as source craton for the Avalonian terranes and requires a new point of view for the Neoproterozoic palaeogeography.

This thesis deals with the belemnite fauna from the Outer Western Carpathians Klippen, its systematic classification, stratigraphical and palaeogeographical evaluation. The palaeontological/palaeobiological approach, together with isotope analyses, including of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes and of strontium isotopes, enabled an integrated investigation of the palaeoecological conditions during the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary interval and the Early Cretaceous age. The Tethyan belemnites are not intensively studied in detail in the J/K interval, as they occur rather rarely in the sections, and/or sedimentary conditions were not suitable for their preservation. Therefore, belemnites are described only from a few sites in the Mediterranean Province. On the basis of recent research, the stratigraphic range of several species previously considered to be from the Tithonian age was extended to the earliest Cretaceous. By contrast, the Lower Cretaceous belemnites (since the late Berriasian) are more abundant. In the classical areas of the Tethyan Realm, it is possible to study the Lower Cretaceous belemnites in great detail and, according to their higher abundance, to determine an individual assemblage corresponding to stratigraphical intervals. Their occurrence is also an important basement for...