Acritarchs from Cambrian deposits of the southern part of the Łysogóry unit in the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

The palynology of the Cambrian claystones and mudstones of the Góry Pieprzowe Shale Formation in the southern part of the Łysogóry region (Holy Cross Mts., Poland) are described. These deposits had been referred to the Middle Cambrian of the Paradoxides paradoxissimus and Paradoxides forchhammeri Superzones. Here, rocks from 10 shallow drillings and several exposures in the Opatów region have been examined. Scarce and poorly preserved acritarch assemblages contain several forms that are indicative for the Upper Cambrian, while the genera Acanthodiacrodium, Cymatiogalea, Stelliferidium, Trunculumarium, Nellia, Impluviculus, Calyxiella, and Veryhachium excludes the possibility of a Middle Cambrian age. Rather, these forms suggest the Upper Cambrian, most probably its middle and upper part. The occurrence of the rocks of this age to both north and south of the Łysogóry quartzite outcrops indicates tectonic repetition of the geological structure in the Main Range of the Holy Cross Mountains.The dark colours of palynoflora from the Pieprzowe Mountains in Sandomierz are identical with the colours of the Cambrian microflora from the Łysogóry region, and differ from the bright colours characterising organic matter in the Kielce region of the Holy Cross Mountains. This suggests a tectonic relation of the Pieprzowe Mountains with the Łysogóry region rather than with the Kielce region, as hitherto thought.