Evolution of trilobite assemblages from the Cambrian Series 2 and 3 of the Holy Cross Mountains and their biogeographic significance

Deposits of the Cambrian Series 2 and 3 of the Holy Cross Mountains, comprising sandstones, and silty and clayey mudstones, are located on the Małopolska Block which is part of the Trans-European Suture Zone. Most recent geophysical data point to the proximal nature of this structural element with regard to the Baltica palaeocontinent. The trilobite assemblages are dominated by Ellipsocephalidae, generally accompanied by Holmiidae in the lower part, and by Paradoxididae in the upper part of the studied interval. They display a significant evolutionary trend, correlatable with the development of contemporary assemblages in Avalonia and Gondwana rather than those of Baltica. Discrepancies between the basement affinity and the dominant trilobites may be explained by the influence of strong larva-carrying currents from Avalonia and Gondwana