Content uploaded by Adam Nadachowski
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Adam Nadachowski on Jan 11, 2019
Content may be subject to copyright.
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ghbi20
Historical Biology
An International Journal of Paleobiology
ISSN: 0891-2963 (Print) 1029-2381 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ghbi20
Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of
Bełchatów (Poland)
Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Adam Nadachowski, Ewa Świdnicka & Krzysztof
Stefaniak
To cite this article: Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Adam Nadachowski, Ewa Świdnicka & Krzysztof
Stefaniak (2019): Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of Bełchatów (Poland), Historical
Biology
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1561671
Published online: 09 Jan 2019.
Submit your article to this journal
View Crossmark data
Fishes from the Miocene lacustrine sequence of Bełchatów (Poland)
Oleksandr Kovalchuk
a,b
, Adam Nadachowski
c
, Ewa Świdnicka
d
and Krzysztof Stefaniak
d
a
Department of Aquaculture, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine;
b
Department of Palaeontology,
National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine;
c
Institute of Systematics and Evolution of
Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland;
d
Department of Palaeozoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, University of
Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
ABSTRACT
The paper deals with results of the study of freshwater fish remains obtained from the Miocene deposits
of Bełchatów open-cast brown coal mine in 1984 and 1986. These fossils are represented mainly by
numerous disarticulated bones which are assumed as belonging to cyprinid (Tinca sp.) and esocids
(Esox sibiricus, Esox sp.), as well as to indeterminate bony fishes (Teleostei indet.). The find of the
Siberian pike described herein is the oldest occurrence of this species in Europe, and allows extending
its previously known range to the west. Some aspects of the palaeogeography and palaeoecology of
the late early Miocene fish assemblage of Bełchatów with reference to the distribution of E. sibiricus are
discussed.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 6 July 2018
Accepted 18 December 2018
KEYWORDS
Cyprinidae; Esocidae;
morphology; range
dynamics; brown coal mine;
Ottnangian-Karpatian
Introduction
The composition of the freshwater ichthyofauna of the
Northern Hemisphere was formed in general terms during
the late Cenozoic (Sytchevskaya 1989). Miocene was a period
when the seasonality of climate has increased, however, the
average annual temperature has been relatively stable
(Herbert et al. 2016). It was marked by profound environ-
mental change in ecosystems, in particular the appearance of
the latitudinal gradient visible in modern times (Ivanov et al.
2011). The faunistic analysis of the fossil fish remains from
the heterochronous deposits in Central Europe allows us to
trace the temporal changes in fish assemblages, to clarify the
time of the appearance of extant taxa and their groups in the
fossil record, to find out the routes of their migrations, to
indicate the centres of origin of individual components of the
assemblages and the formation of their ranges.
In this paper, we provide a detailed description of all
freshwater fish fossils obtained from the Miocene deposits
of the Bełchatów lignite mine in Poland. This locality was
discovered in the 1960s, and later, since 1980s, numerous
fossils, namely plants (Worobiec 1995; Worobiec and
Worobiec 2005; Worobiec and Szynkiewicz 2007), mollusks
(Stworzewicz 1995,1999a,1999b; Stworzewicz and Sołtys
1996; Kadolsky and Piechocki 2000), mammals (Kowalski
1993a,1993b,1997; Rzebik-Kowalska 1993,1994,1996,
2005; Nadachowski 2001; Garapich 2002) were found there
and described in a huge number of publications (for other
references, see also Fostowicz-Frelik et al. 2012).
We attempt to clarify the systematic position for fish
remains briefly described by Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak
(1986) as well as those not processed before. All studied
specimens come from several exposures located on the
exploited escarpment in the Bełchatów mine. Based on
obtained data, we provide a short overview of the environ-
ment of Bełchatów, with an insight to its palaeobiogeography.
Geological settings
The studied locality is situated in central Poland (51°15ʹN,
19°20ʹE), between Warta and Pilica rivers, near 15 km
southwards of the town Bełchatów (Figure 1(A)). This is
an open-cast brown coal mine, whose deposits are geneti-
cally connected with a series of tectonic depressions within
the Kleszczów Graben (Stuchlik et al. 1990;Krzyszkowski
1993; Szynkiewicz 2000;GotowałaandHałuszczak 2002).
That graben is filled with Neogene and Quaternary deposits
lying on Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks, and a salt diapir of
Permian (Zechstein) age in its central part (Hałuszczak
2004). The Neogene sequence in Bełchatów consists from
bottom to top of subcoal (PW), coal (W), clayey-coal (I-W),
and clayey-sandy (I-P) lithostratigraphic units (Figure 1(C)).
The formation age of the entire thickness of clastic deposits
intercalated with lignite beds, lake marls and volcanic ash
layers near 60 m in depth is estimated to be early to early
late Miocene, i.e. Eggenburgian–Pannonianinthemarine
scheme of Central Paratethys stages (Fostowicz-Frelik et al.
2012). Three principal faunal levels have been previously
recognised (Nadachowski 2001). Among them, the oldest is
Bełchatów C or BE-C (Ottnangian–Karpatian, 18.1 ± 1.7 Ma
after Burchart et al. 1988; Piller et al. 2007;Hilgenetal.
2012). BełchatówBorBE-Bassemblageismiddleinage
(early Badenian, 16.5 ± 1.3 Ma according to Burchart et al.
1988; Piller et al. 2007;Hilgenetal.2012), and the most
recent is those of Bełchatów A (BE-A). Based on small
mammalian remains, the age for the latter assemblage can
be correlated to late Sarmatian–early Pannonian (Kowalski
CONTACT Oleksandr Kovalchuk biologiest@ukr.net
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1561671
© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Published online 09 Jan 2019
and Rzebik-Kowalska 2002; Fostowicz-Frelik et al. 2012).
Fish-bearing strata are located just between the BE-C and
BE-B assemblages, being younger than BE-C and older than
BE-B.Theageofthefish fossils is late early Miocene (see
Figure 1(C)).
Material and methods
The fossil fish material from the beds of Bełchatów was
obtained by A. Jerzmańska, E. Świdnicka, accompanying
with A. Hałuszczak and R.J. Wilczyński (both geologists)
during their field campaigns in 1984 and 1986 (Figure 1(B)).
It comes from exposures near boreholes Nos. 88/14, 87/13
and 341B and was collected at +50 and +62 meters above sea
level (a.s.l.). The fish fauna of Bełchatów occurs in the higher
part of the coal unit (W) consisting of three coal sems (i.e.
main coal (D) and C (III) and B (II)), two levels of humic
coals (called as ‘cuboidal clays’), lacustrine limestones and
clayey layers (Figure 1C).
The environmental setting of these layers was previously
interpreted as a shallow lake with a thick layer of organic
debris accumulated at the bottom (Wagner 1996; Widera
2016). The burial of remains most likely occurred in anoxic
conditions (Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986). In total, 140
disarticulated bones and their fragments embedded in the
coaly clay matrix from Bełchatów are stored in the
Department of Palaeozoology (Institute of Environmental
Biology, University of Wrocław). Bones and scales were
identified based on comparisons with extinct and modern
taxa from the literature (Galkin 1958; Obrhelová 1970;
Sytchevskaya 1974,1976,1980,1989; Gaudant 1978;
Gaudant et al. 2002; Kovalchuk et al. 2017) and osteological
database (Tarcerie et al. 2016). Determination of elements
was accomplished using diagnostic features based on com-
Figure 1. Geographic location and stratigraphical position of the Bełchatów Lignite Mine (after Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986, with modifications): A–location of
the Bełchatów in Poland; B–collecting of fish remains in Bełchatów by A. Jerzmańska and A. Hałuszczak in 1984; C–generalized scheme of the profile. For
abbreviations –see Geological setting.
2O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
parative observations and literature summaries (Grande
1999; Grande et al. 2004). There are numerous additional
small bone fragments in the palaeoichthyological collection
of ZPALWr. (see Appendix). However, due to their poor
preservation, these specimens have been neither identified at
least to order or family, nor adequately measured. The
taxonomical hierarchy in this paper follows Nelson et al.
(2016), Froese and Pauly (2018). The osteological terminol-
ogy in this paper follows Sytchevskaya (1976) and Lepiksaar
(1994). Bones were measured according to Morales and
Rosenlund (1979) using an electronic caliper Mitutoyo with
0.01 mm precision.
Abbreviations:BM–acronym of ichthyological collection
from the Miocene deposits of Bełchatów; ZPALWr. –
Department of Palaeozoology, University of Wrocław.
Systematic palaeontology
Subdivision Teleostei Müller 1846 sensu Arratia 1999
Order Esociformes Berg 1940
Family Esocidae Cuvier 1817
Genus Esox Linnaeus 1758
†Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya 1974
Figure 2(A–K, M)
Esox sp.: Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986, p. 26, Figure 2.
Material
Two vomers (ZPALWr. BM/59, BM/77), one frontal (ZPALWr.
BM/89), three parasphenoid fragments (ZPALWr. BM/39, BM/
67-68), one left palatine in part (ZPALWr. BM/15) and counter-
part (ZPALWr. BM/16), four fragments of palatine (ZPALWr.
BM/43-46), one quadrate (ZPALWr. BM/76), three articulars
(ZPALWr. BM/22-23, BM/114), one left dentary (ZPALWr.
BM/10), 12 dentary fragments (ZPALWr. BM/11-12, BM/17,
BM/19-20, BM/26-27, BM/38, BM/71-74), one isolated tooth
(ZPALWr. BM/13) and its fragment (ZPALWr. BM/79), two
fragments of cleithra (ZPALWr. BM/78, BM/101).
Description
The vomers (Figure 2(A,B)) are represented by two notably
massive vomerine heads, each with partly or completely bro-
ken arm. The latter is supposed to be long, wide and flattened,
as far as can be judged basing on morphology of this bone in
other fossil and modern pikes. Well-developed rounded pro-
jections are located anterolaterally on edges of the dental field
whose width in BM/59 and BM/77 is 18.2 mm and 17.0 mm,
respectively. Teeth are bigger in the anterior part of the bone
as compared with those located posteriorly.
The frontal (Figure 2(C)) is characterized by a thickened
posterior portion of the medial suture, a narrow sphenotic slit
and a distinct anterolateral crest extending from the shaft of
the supraorbital canal on the ventral surface. Lateral edges of
the bone are slightly eroded.
Three parasphenoids (Figure 2(D)) are preserved in part,
with clearly visible grooves of the carotid arteries. Posterior part
of the bone is widened caudally, while its dorsal medial crest is
narrowed in the same direction. There is a medial denticle at
the level of ascending wings. Width of the bone in its medial
part varies from 5.5 mm in BM/39 to 12.4 mm in BM/67.
The palatine (Figure 2(K)) is wide and flattened, with
destroyed edges. There are seven rows of C-shaped small
tooth bases on the ventral side of the palatine. Width of the
bone is 12.7 mm.
The quadrate (Figure 2(M)) is destroyed and characterized
by the presence of wide articular facet.
The articular bone (Figure 2(I)) is massive, with a high wall
(anguloarticular angle is equal to 70°), an elongated and later-
ally compressed posterior process, and a wide articular facet.
The dentary (Figure 2(E,F, J)) is elongate and massive. It
has a well-developed dental shelf, which smoothly rises onto
the medial wall. Teeth at the symphysis (Figure 2(J)) are
arranged in two rows, and internal one is better developed.
Twenty C-shaped crown bases, gradually increasing in dia-
meter in the direction towards the symphysis, are well visible
at the bone surface. A clear lateral groove separates the ante-
rior edge of the dentary from rest of the bone and forms
a ventral bulge in the symphysis. The flattened anterior edge
of the bone is almost straight and thickened at the symphysis.
The latter is characterized by the absence of the symphysial
notch. Six pores for the sensory canal (Nelson 1972) are
visible at the ventral surface of the dentary. Measurements
of specimens from Bełchatów are presented in Table 1.
There is one elongate, dagger-shaped marginal tooth
(Figure 2(G,H)). It is laterally compressed, with slightly
curved crown, partly worn sharp tip, and rounded
(C-shaped) inflated base. Cutting edges are slightly narrowed.
Height of the tooth is more than 12 mm, width –6.8 mm.
Remarks
Remains described above are identical in overall morphol-
ogy with those of the extinct Siberian pike Esox sibiricus
previously known in the fossil record of Kazakhstan
(Sytchevskaya 1976), Mongolia (Sytchevskaya 1989)and
Ukraine (Kovalchuk et al. 2017). Concerning the measure-
ments, bones from Bełchatów are significantly larger than
other fossils previously assigning to this species. It differs
from modern Eurasian pikes and American pickerels in
shortened, wide and flattened palatine, double tooth row at
the symphysis, more massive dentary, larger anguloarticular
angle, as well as wider facet of the quadrate. Siberian pike
resembles the Amur pike E. reichertii (and opposed to
E. lucius) in morphology of the vomer and frontals, orienta-
tion of the maxillary process of palatine, and in the structure
of the anterior median crest of the parasphenoid. At the
same time, Siberian pike differs from E. reichertii in more
robust, shorter and higher dentary with straight symphysial
part,greaternumberofporesforthesensorycanal,shorter
and wider palatine, as well as higher anguloarticular angle.
As for the extinct species, E. sibiricus differs from
E. aralensis in narrower dental shelf, absence of the sym-
physial notch and two-row dentition (Sytchevskaya 1976).
Siberian pike resembles E. moldavicus in the structure of the
dentigerous surface of the palatine, but differs in the pre-
dominance of the two-row dentition at the dentary symphy-
sis. It is not possible to adequately compare our material
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY 3
with E. aralensis duetotheabsenceofrespectiveskeletal
elements in Bełchatów.
Esox sp.
Figure 2(I,J)
Material
One vomer fragment (ZPALWr. BM/102), five dentary fragments
(ZPALWr. BM/24-25, BM/28, BM/32, BM/112), eight tooth
fragments (ZPALWr. BM/47, BM/60, BM/75, BM/107-111),
one opercular fragment (ZPALWr. BM/21), two subopercles
(ZPALWr. BM/33, BM/106), 14 abdominal centra (ZPALWr.
BM/14, BM/34-37, BM/40-42, BM/84-88, BM/104), one sample
with scale plates (ZPALWr. BM/18).
Description
Vomers, articular, opercular and subopercular bones
(Figure 2(L)), dentaries and cleithra contain some features
Figure 2. Miocene fish remains from Bełchatów. A-K, M –Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya (1974): A–vomer ZPALWr. BM/77, toothed surface; B–vomer ZPALWr. BM/59,
toothed surface; C–frontal ZPALWr. BM/89, in medial view; D–parasphenoid fragment ZPALWr. BM/68, in dorsal view; E-F –dentary ZPALWr. BM/10, in ventral (E)
and dorsal (F) view; G-H –isolated tooth ZPALWr. BM/13, in lateral (G) and posterior (H) view; I–articular fragment ZPALWr. BM/114, in medial view; J–dentary
ZPALWr. BM/38, in dorsal view; K–palatine ZPALWr. BM/15, toothed surface; M–quadrate ZPALWr. BM/76, in lateral view. L, N-Q –Esox sp.: L–subopercle
ZPALWr. BM/33, in lateral view; M–dentary fragment ZPALWr. BM/112, in lateral view; O–sample with scale plate ZPALWr. BM/18; P-Q –abdominal centrum
ZPALWr. BM/40, in anterior (P) and lateral (Q) view; R-S –Tinca sp., opercular fragment ZPALWr. BM/100, in medial (R) and lateral (S) view. Scale bar equals 5 mm in
B-C, G-H, L, N-O, 1 cm in A, D, I-K, M, P-S, and 2 cm in E-F.
4O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
characteristic of Esox (see Codrea et al. 2018 for more
details). The teeth at the symphysis in one dentary
ZPALWr. BM/112 (Figure 2(N)) are arranged in one row
whose width is equal to 2.2 mm. Isolated teeth are repre-
sented by their medial portions. Centra (Figure 2(P,Q)) are
circular in end view. They are characterized by deep acces-
sory pits on either side of the central longitudinal bony
strut on the lateral surface. The latter is composed of
longitudinal bony fibres. Diameter of preserved centra var-
ies from 13.0 to 24.9 mm (mean –18.8 mm). Scales (Figure
2(O)) are typical to those in pikes. Their plates are elon-
gated oval in shape, with strongly developed anterior field
bearing three rounded festoons. The core of these scales is
sharply shifted to the posterior edge.
Remarks
The specimens share similar morphology with respective
bones in Esox. However, their species attribution is uncertain
due to the lack of reliable diagnostic characters.
Order Cypriniformes Bleeker 1859
Family Cyprinidae Bonaparte 1832
Genus Tinca Cuvier 1817
Tinca sp.
Figure 2(R,S)
Cyprinidae gen. indet.: Jerzmańska and Hałuszczak 1986,p.26.
Material
One opercular fragment (ZPALWr. BM/100).
Description
The opercle is represented by its half part, with the wide
concave lamina. It is supposed that the bone has been trape-
zoid in shape. Anterior margin of the opercle is almost
straight, the dorsal one is slightly convex, while the posterior
and ventral margins are completely broken. The supraglenoi-
dal process with widened base (~2.6 mm) is well pronounced,
and the articular facet is lensed in shape and narrowing at the
top. Width of the facet is 3.9 mm, and depth is near 5.2 mm.
In lateral view, a distinct narrow groove runs parallel to the
anterior margin of the bone. Assuming the proportions of the
articular facet and the total dimensions are the same as in
Recent tench Tinca tinca, reconstructed length of the opercle
is about 58 mm, while its width is 42 mm.
Remarks
The opercle resembles those of Tinca in the shape of its anterior
margin and articular facet (see, for example, Radu 2005,p.57),
as well as in the structure of internal postarticular crests and
supraglenoidal process (Obrhelová 1970,p.143,figure 25A, B).
However, we identified the specimen as belonging to this genus
only tentatively because of its poor preservation (i.e. destroyed
both posterior and ventral margins).
Discussion
The fossil fauna of Bełchatów contains at least three fish taxa.
Two of them (Esox sibiricus, Tinca sp.) are clearly distin-
guished. The Siberian pike have presumably dominated in
this assemblage. Presumably, the poor diversity of the fossil
assemblage reflects the poor diversity of the fishes. Such
a small species diversity allows us to assume that these fishes
lived in a stressed environment as suggested by Kadolsky and
Piechocki (2000) for aquatic snails.
It is important to focus on some ecotopic preferences of the
extant representatives of the identified genera. Pike is an
ectotherm fish with a wide range of environmental tolerances
(Casselman and Lewis 1996; Newbrey et al. 2008). It is character-
ized as a keystone piscivore shaping the composition, abundance
and distribution of fish assemblages (Craig 2008). This fish most
commonly occurs in shallow, moderately productive and vege-
tated waters (Diana 1979; Harvey 2009). Tench is an omnivorous
fish with a broad diet. It tends to feed in areas with a large supply
of macrophytes (Nordstrom 2011). This fish prefers standing to
slowly flowing waters and muddy bottom with abundant vegeta-
tion (Moreno Rendón et al. 2003). According to Worobiec (1995,
2003),theflora of Bełchatów is represented by plant remains of 21
species belonging to 15 genera of gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Most of them are representatives of the Arcto-Tertiary subtropical
flora (Worobiec 1995,2003). The finding of fish fossils in humic-
coal clayey deposits also suggests shallow lake conditions
(Worobiec ; Widera 2016).
Diversity of cyprinids and esocids in the Miocene strata of
Europe sheds light upon the evolutionary history of these fishes
and establishing some characteristics of their distribution dur-
ing the late Cenozoic (Sytchevskaya 1989). The genus Tinca is
well-known in the European Neogene fossil record (Kovalchuk
2015). Tench remains described are known from the
Burdigalian of Czech Republic (Weiler 1966)andFrance
(Ginsburg et al. 2000), Serravallian of Germany (Böhme;
Tobien 1986;Gaudant1989)andSwitzerland(Böhme;
Gaudant et al. 2002), as well as from the Tortonian and
Messinian deposits of Austria, Moldova, Russia, Slovakia
(Sytchevskaya 1989;Gaudant1994; Böhme and Ilg 2003;
Titov et al. 2006; Kovalchuk et al. 2014a,2014b) and Ukraine
(Kovalchuk 2015,2017). The discovery of numerous remains
assigned to E. sibiricus in the fossil record of Bełchatów has
a considerable biogeographical significance (Figure 3).
Table 1. Measurements of dentaries of †Esox sibiricus Sytchevskaya (1974) from
Bełchatów, in mm.
Specimen
ZPALWr
Height
of dentary
symphysis
Width
of dentary near the
symphysis
Width of tooth
row
BM/10 ––7.4
BM/11 16.3 10.9 3.5
BM/12 –14.7 5.0
BM/38 11.4 7.3 4.5
BM/71 ––10.8
BM/72 ––6.1
BM/73 ––7.5
BM/74 ––4.1
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY 5
This extinct pike was previously reported from the
Serravallian beds of Kazakhstan, as well as from the
Tortonian and Messinian of Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine
(Sytchevskaya 1976,1980,1989; Kovalchuk et al. 2017).
Therefore, Bełchatów, being equal in age to those from the
early Miocene of West Siberia (Sytchevskaya 1976), is the
oldest occurrence of Esox sibiricus in Europe, and now it is
the most western find for this species. We assume that the
range of the Siberian pike during Miocene covered a wide
zone from Central Asia to Central Europe, between 40° and
60° of northern latitude (Figure 3). The further loss of Esox
sibiricus in Europe and success of morphologically modern
forms (e.g. Esox moldavicus, E. lucius, etc.) is assumed to be
linked to the changing global climate which underwent
a cooling phase after the Miocene Climate Optimum
(Mosbrugger et al. 2005; Ivanov et al. 2011). Increased sea-
sonality with a reduction in the number of warm weeks
meant that temperatures would have favoured species with
a wider temperature tolerance (Kovalchuk and Murray 2016).
Acknowledgments
The research of the first author (O.K.) was supported by a grant for a visit to
Poland within the framework of cooperation between the Polish Academy
of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. W. Gornig is
acknowledged for making the photos of some studied specimens. We are
sincerely thankful to J. Divay and an anonymous reviewer for their con-
structive comments and advice. We also express our thanks to the editor
Gareth Dyke for his effective management of our submission.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID
Oleksandr Kovalchuk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-208X
References
Arratia G. 1999. The monophyly of Teleostei and stem-group teleosts.
Consensus and disagreements. In: Arratia G, Schultze HP, editors.
Mesozoic fishes 2 –systematics and fossil record. Munich: Verlag
Dr Friedrich Pfeil; p. 265–334.
Berg LS. 1940. Classification of fishes, both Recent and fossil. Travaux de
l’Institut Zoologique de l’Académie des Sciences de l’URSS. Moscow,
Russia. Translated and reprinted in English, 1947. JW Edwards, Ann
Arbor, Michigan. pp. 517.
Bleeker P. 1859. Enumeratio specierum piscium hucusque in
Archipelago Indico observatarum, adjectis habitationibus citationi-
busque, ubi descriptiones earum recentiores reperiuntur, nec non
speciebus Musei Bleekeriani Bengalensibus, Japonicis, Capensibus
Tasmanicisque. Acta Reg Soc Sci Indo-Neêrland. 6:1–276.
Böhme M. 2003.TheMioceneClimaticOptimum:Evidencefrom
Ectothermic Vertebrates of Central Europe. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol
Palaeoecol. 195:389–401.
Böhme M, Ilg A. 2003. Database of Vertebrates: fossil Fishes,
Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds (fosFARbase) Localities and Taxa
from the Triassic to the Neogene. www.wahre-staerke.com
Bonaparte CL. 1832. Saggio d’una distribuzione metodica degli animali
vertebrati a sangue freddo. Roma: Presso Antonio Boulzaler.
Burchart J, Kasza L, Lorenc S. 1988. Fission–track zircon dating of
tuffitic intercalations (Tonstein) in the Brown−Coal Mine
“Bełchatów”. Bull Pol Acad Sci Earth Sci. 36:281–286.
Casselman JM, Lewis CA. 1996. Habitat requirements of northern pike
(Esox lucius). Can J Fish Aquat Sci. 53(suppl. 1):161–174.
Codrea VA, Trif N, Toth L. 2018. First report of a Pliocene pike (Esocidae:
esox) in Transylvania, Romania. Geol Quart. 62(3):644–652.
Craig JF. 2008. A short review of pike ecology. Hydrobiologia. 601:5–16.
Cuvier G. 1817. Le règne animal distribué d’après son organisation pour
servir de base à l’histoire naturelle des animaux et d’introduction à
l’anatomie comparée. Les reptiles, les poissons, les mollusques et les
annélides. 1st ed. Paris: Déterville.
Diana JS. 1979. The feeding pattern and daily ration of a top carnivore,
the northern pike (Esox lucius). Can J Zool. 57:2121–2127.
Froese R, Pauly D, editors. 2018. FishBase. http://fishbase.org/search.php
Fostowicz-Frelik Ł, Nadachowski A, Kowalewska-Groszkowska M.
2012. New data on the Miocene stem lagomorph Eurolagus fon-
tannesi, and its northernmost record. Acta Palaeontol Pol. 57
(1):1–20.
Galkin GG. 1958. Atlas cheshui presnovodnykh kostistykh ryb. Izv. Vses.
nauchno-issled. inst. oz.-rechn. khoz. 46:1–105. [Russian].
Garapich A. 2002. An overview of Miocene rodents from Bełchatów
(Poland). Fol Zool. 51(suppl. 1):59–66.
Figure 3. Miocene localities yielding the skeletal remains of Esox sibiricus:1–Sarybulak; 2–Holu; 3–Dsagzo Chairchan; 4–Javor; 5–Khirgis-Nur; 6–Tchono-
Chariak; 7–Popovo 3; 8–Lobkove (=Lobkovo); 9–Cherevychne (=Cherevichne); 10 –Verkhnya Krynitsya 2; 11 –Egorovka 2; 12 –Orikhivka (=Orekhovka); 13 –
Vynogradivka 1 (=Vinogradovka 1); 14 –Novo-Petrivka (=Novopetrovka, Kuchurgan); 15 –Bełchatów. Localities referenced by Sytchevskaya (1989) are indicated as
red circles, those mentioned in Kovalchuk et al. (2017)–as yellow circles, and Bełchatów –as a green circle.
6O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.
Gaudant J. 1978. Découverte du plus ancien représentant connu du
genre Esox L. (Poisson téléostéen, Esocoidei) dans le Stampien
moyen du bassin d’Apt (Vaucluse). Géol Médit. 2:257–268.
Gaudant J. 1989. Nouvelles observations sur l’ichthyofaune miocène de
Steinheim am Albuch (Wurtemberg, Allemagne). Stutt Beitr Naturkd
B (Geol. und Paläontol.). 151:1–33.
Gaudant J. 1994. Die Fischfauna aus dem Ober.Pannonien von
Götzendorf an der Leitha, Niederösterreich. Ann Naturhist Mus
Wien. 96A:117–131.
Gaudant J, Weidmann M, Berger JP, Bolliger T, Kälin D,
Reichenbacher B. 2002. Recherches sur les dents pharyngiennes de
Poissons Cyprinidae de la Molasse d’eau douce oligo-miocène de
Suisse (USM, OSM) et de Haute-Savoie (France). Rev Paléobiol
Genève. 21(1):371–389.
Ginsburg L, Cheneval J, Janvier P, Pouit D, Sen S. 2000. Les vertebres des
sables continentaux d’ages orleanien inferior (MN3) de Mauvières à
Marcilly-sur-Maulne (Indres-et-Loire), La Brosse à Meigné-le-
Vicompte (Maine-et-Loire) et Chitanay (Loir-et-Cher).
Geodiversitas. 22(4):597–631.
GotowałaR,Hałuszczak A. 2002. The Late Alpine structural develop-
ment of the Kleszczów Graben (Central Poland) as a result of
a reactivation of the pre-existing, regional dislocation. EGS Stephan
Mueller Spec Publ Ser. 1:137–150.
Grande L. 1999. The first Esox (Esocidae: teleostei) from the Eocene
Green River Formation, and a brief review of esocid fishes. J Vert
Paleontol. 19:271–292.
Grande T, Laten H, Andrés Lopéz J. 2004. Phylogenetic relationships of
extant esocid species (Teleostei: salmoniformes) based on morpholo-
gical and molecular characters. Copeia. 4:743–757.
Hałuszczak A. 2004. Cenozoic dynamics of the Dębina Salt Dome,
Kleszczów Graben, inferred from structural features of the Tertiary-
Quaternary cover. Ann Soc Geol Pol. 74:311–318.
Harvey B. 2009. A biological synopsis of northern pike (Esox lucius). Can
Manuscr Rep Fish Aquat Sci. 2885:1–31.
Herbert TD, Lawrence KT, Tzanova A, Cleveland Peterson L, Caballero-
Gill R, Kelly CS. 2016.Late Miocene global cooling and the rise of
modern ecosystems. Nat Geosci. 9:843–847.
Hilgen FJ, Lourens LJ, van Dam JA. 2012. The Neogene period. In:
Gradstein F, Ogg JG, Schmitz MD, Ogg GM, editors. Geological
time scale 2012. Amsterdam: Elsevier; p. 923–978.
Ivanov D, Utescher T, Mosbrugger V, Syabryaj S, Djordjecić-Milutinovi
ćD, MolchanoffS. 2011. Miocene vegetation and climate dynamics in
Eastern and Central Paratethys (Southeastern Europe). Palaeogeogr
Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol. 304:262–275.
Jerzmańska A, Hałuszczak A. 1986. Nowe stanowisko ryb
słodkowodnych (Teleostei) z trzeciorzędu Polski. Przegl Geol.
34:25–27. [Polish, with English summary].
Kadolsky D, Piechocki A. 2000. Freshwater Rissoidea from the Miocene
of Bełchatów, Poland. Arch Molluskenkd Senckenberg Naturforsch
Ges. 128:217–236.
Kovalchuk OM [AN]. 2015. Karpovye ryby (Cyprinidae) pozdnego mio-
cena juga Ukrainy. [Russian, with English summary]. Sumy:
Universytets’ka knyga.
Kovalchuk OM. 2017. Regional fish-based biostratigraphy of the Late
Neogene and Pleistocene of southeastern Europe. Vestn Zool. 51
(5):375–392.
Kovalchuk OM, Marareskul VA, ObadăTF. 2014a. Late Miocene bony
fishes from Pocşeşti (Republic of Moldova). Stud Biol. 8(2):149–156.
Kovalchuk OM, Murray AM. 2016. Late Miocene and Pliocene pike-
perches (Teleostei, Percidae) of southeastern Europe. J Vert Paleontol.
36(3):e1100999. (12 pages). doi: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1100999.
Kovalchuk OM, Wilson MVH, Grande T. 2017. A review of Neogene
and Quaternary pikes of southeastern Europe and a new species from
the early Pleistocene of Nogaisk, Ukraine. Acta Palaeontol Pol.
62:121–135.
Kovalchuk OM, Zakharov DS, Marareskul VA, ObadăTF. 2014b. Early
Pliocene fishes from Priozernoe locality (Republic of Moldova). Acta
Zool Cracov. 57(1–2):43–55.
Kowalski K. 1993a.Microtocricetus molassicus Fahlbusch and Mayr, 1975
(Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Miocene of Bełchatów (Poland). Acta
Zool Cracov. 36:252–258.
Kowalski K. 1993b.Neocometes Schaub and Zapfe, 1953 (Rodentia,
Mammalia) from the Miocene of Bełchatów (Poland). Acta Zool
Cracov. 36:259–365.
Kowalski K. 1997. Gliridae (Mammalia: rodentia) from the Miocene of
Bełchatów in Poland. Acta Zool Cracov. 40:173–198.
Kowalski K, Rzebik-Kowalska B. 2002. Paleoecology of the Miocene
fossil mammal fauna from Bełchatów (Poland). Acta Theriol. 47
(suppl. 1):115–126.
Krzyszkowski D. 1993. Neogene fluviatile sedimentation in the
Kleszczów Graben, Central Poland. J Sediment Res. 62:204–217.
Lepiksaar J. 1994. Introduction to osteology of fishes for paleozoologists.
Göteborg: University Press.
Linnaeus C. 1758. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum
classes, ordines, genera species, cum characteribus, differentiis, syno-
nymis, locis. T I. 10th ed. Holmia (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii.
Morales A, Rosenlund K. 1979. Fish bone measurements. An attempt to
standardize the measuring of fish bones from archaeological sites.
Steenstrupia: Copenhagen.
Moreno Rendón P, Martin Gallardo J, Garcia Caballos E, Perez R,
Escudero García JC. 2003. Determination of substrate preferences of
tench, Tinca tinca (L.), under controlled experimental conditions.
J Appl Ichthyol. 19:138–141.
Mosbrugger V, Utescher T, Dilcher DL. 2005. Cenozoic continental
climatic evolution of Central Europe. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.
102:14964–14969.
Müller J. 1846. Über den Bau und die Grenzen der Ganoiden, und über
das natürliche System der Fische. Abh Konigl Akad Wiss Berlin.
1844:117–216.
Nadachowski A. 2001. New important Neogene and Pleistocene mam-
mal assemblages from Poland. Boll Soc Paleontol Ital. 40:243–248.
Nelson GJ. 1972.Cephalic sensory canals, pitlines, and the classification
of esocoid fishes, with notes on galaxiids and other teleosts. Am Mus
Novit. 2492:1–49.
Nelson JS, Grande TC, Wilson MVH. 2016. Fishes of the World. 5th ed.
Hoboken NJ (New York): John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Newbrey MG, Wilson MVH, Ashworth AC. 2008.Climatechangeand
evolution of growth in late cretaceous to recent North American
Esociformes. In: Arratia G, Schultze HP, Wilson MVH, editors.
Mesozoic fishes 4 –homologyandphylogeny.München:Pfeil;p.311–350.
Nordstrom K. 2011. Tinca tinca. Fish. 423:1–11.
Obrhelová N. 1970. Die osteologie der Vorläufer von Tinca tinca (Pisces)
aus dem Süßwassertertiär der ČSSR. Abh Staatl Mus Mineral Geol
Dresden. 16:99–209.
Piller WE, Harzhauser M, Mandic O. 2007. Miocene Central Paratethys
stratigraphy –current status and future directions. Stratigraphy. 4(2/
3):151–168.
Radu V. 2005. Atlas for the identification of bony fish bones from
archaeological sites. Bucureşti: Contrast.
Rzebik-Kowalska B. 1993. Insectivora (Mammalia) from the Miocene of
Bełchatów in Poland. I. Metacodontidae: plesiosorex Pomel, 1854.
Acta Zool Cracov. 36:267–274.
Rzebik-Kowalska B. 1994. Insectivora (Mammalia) from the Miocene of
Bełchatów in Poland. II. Soricidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817. Acta
Zool Cracov. 37:137–155.
Rzebik-Kowalska B. 1996. Insectivora (Mammalia) from the Miocene of
Bełchatów in Poland. III. Dimylidae Schlosser, 1887. Acta Zool
Cracoviensia. 39:447–469.
Rzebik-Kowalska B. 2005. Erinaceomorpha and Soricomorpha
(Mammalia) from the Miocene of Bełchatów, Poland. IV.
Erinaceidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 and Talpidae Fischer von
Waldheim, 1817. Acta Zool Cracov. 48A:71–91.
Stuchlik L, Szynkiewicz A, Łańcucka-Środoniowa M, Zastawniak E.
1990. Results of the hitherto made palaeobotanical investigations of
the Tertiary brown coal bed “Bełchatów”(Central Poland). Acta
Palaeobot. 30:259–305.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY 7
Stworzewicz E. 1995. Miocene land snails from Bełchatów (Central
Poland). I. Cyclophoridae and Pomatiasidae (Gastropoda:
Prosobranchia). PalZ. 69:19–30.
Stworzewicz E. 1999a. Miocene land snails from Bełchatów (Central
Poland). III: Carychiinae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Ellobiidae). PalZ.
73:261–276.
Stworzewicz E. 1999b. Miocene land snails from Bełchatów (Central
Poland). IV: pupilloidea (Gastropoda: pulmonata). Systematic, bios-
tratigraphic and palaeoecological studies. Fol Malacol. 7:133–170.
Stworzewicz E, Sołtys Z. 1996. Miocene land snails from Bełchatów (Central
Poland). II. Aciculidae (Gastropoda Prosobranchia). PalZ. 70:67–77.
Sytchevskaya EK. 1974. Rod Esox v tretichnyh otlozhenijah SSSR
i Mongolii. In: Kramarenko NN (editor.). Fauny mezozoya
i kajnozoya Mongolii Vol. 1, Trudy Sovmestnoj Sovetsko-Mongolskoj
Paleontologicheskoj Ekspeditsii: Moscow: Nauka; 221–234. [Russian].
Sytchevskaya EK. 1976. Iskopaemye shchukovidnye SSSR i Mongolii.
Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta AN SSSR. 156:1–116. [Russian].
Sytchevskaya EK. 1980. Podotriad Esocoidei. In: Novitskaya LI, editor.
Fossil bony fishes of the USSR Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta
AN SSSR 178: Moscow: Nauka; 28–38. [Russian].
Sytchevskaya EK. 1989. Presnovodnaja ihtiofauna neogena Mongolii.
Trudy Sovmestnoj Sovetsko-Mongolskoj Paleontologicheskoj
Ekspeditsii. 39:1–144. [Russian].
Szynkiewicz A. 2000. Wiek węgla brunatnego na tle pozycji geologicznej
badanych próbek (KWB “Bełchatów”). Przegl Geol. 48:1038–1044.
[Polish, with English summary].
Tarcerie S, Bearez P, Pruvost P, Bailly N, Vignes-Lebbe R. 2016.
Osteobase. [accessed 2018 Jun 12]. osteobase.mnhn.fr.
Titov VV, Tesakov AS, Danilov IG, Danukalova GA,
Mashchenko EN, Panteleev AV, Sotnikova MV, Sychevskaya EK.
2006.Thefirst representative vertebrate fauna from the late mio-
cene of Southern European Russia. Dokl Biol Sci. 411(5):716–717.
[Russian].
Tobien H. 1986. Die jungtertiäre Fossilgrabungsstätte Höwenegg im
Hegau (Südwestdeutschland). Ein Statusbericht Carolinea. 44:9–34.
Wagner M. 1996.Węgiel brunatny bitumiczny ze złóżTurów i Bełchatów
wświetle badańpetrograficzno-chemicznych i sedymentologicznych.
Prace Geol PAN. 143:7–107.
Weiler W. 1966. Die Fischfauna des Helvets von Ivanice (Eibenschitz)
in Mähren. PalZ. 40(1/2):118–143.
Widera M. 2016. An overview of lithotype associations of Miocene
lignite seams exploited in Poland. Geologos. 22(3):213–225.
Worobiec E, Worobiec G. 2005. Leaves and pollen of bamboos from the
Polish Neogene. Rev Palaeobot Palynol. 133:39–50.
Worobiec G 1995. A preliminary report on the lower Miocene leaf flora
from the brown coal mine “Bełchatów”(Central Poland). Acta
Palaeobot. 35:243–251.
Worobiec G. 2003. New Fossil Floras from Neogene Deposits in the
Belchatów Lignite. Acta Palaeobot. 3:3–133.
Worobiec G, Szynkiewicz A. 2007. Betulaceae leaves in Miocene deposits
of the Bełchatów Lignite Mine (Central Poland). Rev Palaeobot
Palynol. 147:28–59.
Appendix Indeterminate fish remains (Teleostei indet.) from Bełchatów in the palaeoichthyological
collection of ZPALWr
ZPALWr. BM/69 –dentary fragment
ZPALWr. BM/70 –opercular fragment
ZPALWr. BM/56-58, BM/63 –broken abdominal centra
ZPALWr. BM/29-31, BM/48-55, BM/61-62, BM/64-66, BM/80-83, BM/90-99, BM/103, BM/105, BM/115-130, ВМ/140-149 –small bone fragments and debris
ZPALWr. BM/113 –bone breccia sample
8O. KOVALCHUK ET AL.