Stratigraphy of the Lower Tithonian–Lower Aptian limestones of the Niedźwiedź crag from the High-Tatric allochthon, Polish Western Tatra Mountains

Benthic foraminifera, tintinnids and calcareous dinocysts provide new important biostratigraphic data on the age of the Raptawicka Turnia Limestone Formation and Wysoka Turnia Limestone Formation of the NiedŸwiedŸ crag geological section in the Polish Western Tatra Mts. Foraminiferal assemblages of shallow- water limestones from the NiedŸwiedŸ section contain some stratigraphically significant species, including Haghimashella arcuata (Haeusler), Protomarssonella kummi (Zedler), Uvigerinammina uvigeriniformis (Seibold & Seibold) and Textulariopsis jurassica (Guembel). Sporadic planktonic microfossils, such as the tintinnid Tintinnopsella carpathica (Murgeanu & Filipescu), calcareous dinocysts (Cadosina minuta Borza, Colomisphaera lucida Borza, C. tenuis (Nagy), C. varia Øechanek and Parastomiosphaera malmica (Borza), have also been identified. On the basis of these microfossil assemblages the lower and middle parts of the NiedŸwiedŸ section was dated as the Lower Tithonian–Barremian. Limestones of the Raptawicka Turnia Limestone Formation section represent peloidal, peloidal-oolitic and peloidal-oolitic-bioclastic facies. Limestones from the Wysoka Turnia Limestone Formation of the NiedŸwiedŸ section was dated as the Upper Barremian–Lower Aptian, based on a specific composition of foraminifera assemblages, that suggest an eroded carbonate platform as a source of Urgonian-type carbonate material. The boundary between the formations occurs within a poorly dated interval (Valanginian–Barremian)