Remarks on Miocene bivalve zonation in the Polish part of the Carpathian Foredeep

Abstract

Middle Miocene (Badenian and Sarmatian) bivalve faunas from the Carpathian Foredeep in Poland were analysed in order to determine their potential stratigraphic importance. The study revealed that selected pectinid species are useful to characterize the Badenian substages, but that comparison of pectinid assemblages from Poland and Hungary indicates that subdivision of the Badenian based on pectinids holds true only within individual basins of the Central Paratethys. On the other hand, the strong similarity of the Polish Sarmatian bivalve assemblages to assemblages from other basins of the Fore-Carpathian part as well as from the Euxino-Caspian part of the Paratethyan Province makes the molluscan biozonation of the Eastern Paratethys valid for Poland.