Organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy of dark Middle Jurassic marine deposits of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, West Carpathians

Organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts from thirty four sections of Jurassic dark marine sediments of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, West Carpathians, Poland, have been studied. 111 taxa have been found. Succession of Late Toarcian-(Early?) Oxfordian dinoflagellate cyst assemblages was the base for distinguishing of ten dinoflagellate cyst zones: the Nannoceratopsis spp. Zone (Late Toarcian), the Phallocysta elongata Zone (latest Toarcian), the Nannoceratopsis evae Zone (Early- Middle, Late? Aalenian), the Dissiliodinium lichenoides Zone (latest Aalenian), the Dissiliodinium giganteum Zone (Early Bajocian), the Aldorfia aldorfensis Zone (Middle?-Late? Bajocian), the Ctenidodinium combazii Zone (Late Bajocian-Bathonian), the Dichadogonyaulax sellwoodii Zone (Late? Bathonian), the Compositosphaeridium polonicum Zone (Callovian) and the Systematophora areolata Zone (Early? Oxfordian). Distribution of dinoflagellate cyst assemblages suggests that several lithostratigraphic units are diachronous. The Krempachy Marl Formation, the oldest unit of the Klippen Successions that contains dinoflagellate cysts, is of Upper Toarcian age, except in the Niedzica Succession where it reaches up to the Upper Aalenian. The Skrzypny Shale Formation is of Upper Toarcian to Lower Bajocian age (in the Czorsztyn Succession), of Upper Aalenian age (in the Niedzica Succession), and of uppermost Toarcian age in the Czertezik Succession. The Harcygrund Shale Formation represents uppermost Aalenian to Lower Bajocian, and the Podzamcze Limestone Formation is Lower Bajocian in age. The oldest formation of the Grajcarek Succession is the Szlachtowa Formation (Upper Toarcian- uppermost Bajocian). It is partially coeval with the basal part of the Opaleniec Formation (Lower Bajocian-Upper Bathonian) which, in turn, is coeval with basal part of the Sokolica Radiolarite Formation (uppermost Bajocian-Oxfordian). The latter formation is of the same age in the Branisko Succession. The Krzonowe Formation is most likely of uppermost Toarcian-Aalenian age, whereas the Stembrow Formation represents Upper Bajocian. A possible hiatus during Aalenian in the Grajcarek Succession is suggested.