Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The Olistostrome member of the Sana-Una Paleozoic complex of the Ljubija ore mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina contains limestone fragments of pebble to block size that have been examined paleontologically. The recovered conodont fauna of the first sample is characterized by the species Declinognathodus lateralis, Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus and Idiognathodus sp. confirming its mid-Bashkirian age. This report is the first on the occurrence of these taxa in the area. The second sample with chaetetid demosponges yields an abundant diversified microbiota consisting of cyanobacteria, algae and foraminifera. Chlorophyts are marked by the common siphonoclad occurrence of Donezella lutugini and D. lunaensis, whereas rhodophyts include rare representatives of Stacheia, Stacheoides, Pseudoungdarella and Masloviporidium. The presence of Asphaltinella horowitzi and Aphralysia carbonaria of unclear taxonomic position is also documented. Pseudostaffellids, eostaffellids and other foraminifera, mostly endothyrids are present. The examined associations of fossils point to the Bashkirian age of the primary rock that originated in a very shallow habitat most probably linked to a high-energy reef environment.

Full text

© Author(s) 2021. CC Atribution 4.0 License
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Poznokarbonska biota z območja rudnika železa Ljubija v Bosni in Hercegovini
Aleksej MILOŠEVIĆ1, Alexander S. ALEKSEEV2,3, Elena ZAYTSEVA2, Matevž NOVAK4,
Tea KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK4 & Bogdan JURKOVŠEK5
1University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Mining, e-mail: aleksej.milosevic@rf.unibl.org;
2Faculty of Geology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
e-mail: aaleks@geol.msu.ru; ezaitseva@mail.ru;
3Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, 117647 Moscow, Russia;
4Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
e-mail: matevz.novak@geo-zs.si; tea.kolar-jurkovsek@geo-zs.si
5Kamnica 27, 1262 Dol pri Ljubljani, Slovenia; e-mail: geolog.bj@gmail.com
Prejeto / Received 14. 4. 2021; Sprejeto / Accepted 1. 7. 2021; Objavljeno na spletu / Published online 19. 7. 2021
Key words: Upper Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Algae, Foraminifera, Conodonts, Olistoliths, Sana-Una
Paleozoic
Ključne besede: zgornji karbon, pennsylvanij, alge, foraminifere, konodonti, olistoliti, Sansko-unski
paleozoik
Abstract
The Olistostrome member of the Sana-Una Paleozoic complex of the Ljubija ore mine in Bosnia and
Herzegovina contains limestone fragments of pebble to block size that have been examined paleontologically.
The recovered conodont fauna of the rst sample is characterized by the species Declinognathodus lateralis,
Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus and Idiognathodus sp. conrming its mid-Bashkirian age. This report is
the rst on the occurrence of these taxa in the area. The second sample with chaetetid demosponges yields an
abundant diversied microbiota consisting of cyanobacteria, algae and foraminifera. Chlorophyts are marked
by the common siphonoclad occurrence of Donezella lutugini and D. luna ensis, whereas rhodophyts include rare
representatives of Stacheia, Stacheoides, Pseudoungdarella and Masloviporidium. The presence of Asphaltinella
horowitzi and Aphralysia carbonaria of unclear taxonomic position is also documented. Pseudostaffellids,
eostaffellids and other foraminifera, mostly endothyrids are present. The examined associations of fossils point
to the Bashkirian age of the primary rock that originated in a very shallow habitat most probably linked to a
high-energy reef environment.
Izvleček
Olistostromski člen v Sansko-unskem paleozojskem kompleksu rudnika Ljubija v Bosni in Hercegovini vsebuje
apnenčaste prodnike in bloke, ki so bili paleontološko raziskani. Konodontno favno prvega vzorca označujejo
Declinognathodus lateralis, Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus in Idiognathodus sp., ki dokazujejo njegovo
srednjebaškirijsko starost. To je prvo poročilo o pojavu teh taksonov na tem območju. Drugi vzorec s hetetidno
demospongijo vsebuje bogato in raznoliko mikrobioto, ki jo sestavljajo cianobakterije, alge in foraminifere.
Med kloroti so pogoste sifonoklade Donezella lutugini in D. lunaensis, med rodoti pa so redki predstavniki
Stacheia, Stacheoides, Pseudoungdarella in Masloviporidium. Dokumentirana je tudi prisotnost Asphaltinella
horowitzi in A p h r a l y s i a ca r b o n ar i a z nejasnim taksonomskim položajem. Foraminifere zastopajo psevdostafelide,
eostafelide in manjše foraminifere, večinoma endotiride. Raziskana združba kaže na baškirijsko starost izvorne
kamnine, ki je nastala v zelo plitkem habitatu, verjetno povezanim z visokoenergijskim grebenskim okoljem.
GEOLOGIJA 64/1, 65-80, Ljubljana 2021
https://doi.org/10.5474/geologija.2021.004
Introduction
The Ljubija siderite ore eld is located around
200 km northwest of Sarajevo (Fig. 1), in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and belongs to the Sana-Una
Paleozoic complex (Hrvatović, 2006). Togeth-
er with the Mid-Bosnian Schist Mountains, the
Paleozoic strata of eastern and southeastern Bos-
nia represents the Paleozoic complexes of the Di-
narides in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are not
genetically related to the Mesozoic-Paleogene
evolution of the Tethys (Hrvatović, 2006). The
boundaries of the Sana-Una Paleozoic complex
are dened based on an unclear contact with
younger strata (northeastern and southwest-

66 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK
ern boundary), and in parts where tectonic ele-
ments are not expressed, the boundaries are set
based on topographic criteria (Jurić, 1971). In the
northwest, the Sana Paleozoic complex is sepa-
rated from the Banija by the Una River, and in
other parts it is limited by the Mesozoic strata;
to the south is the front of the Sana Nappe, to
the east the border of the Jurassic and Cretaceous
formations, and to the north the inner ophiolite
zone of Kozara. The area features interesting ge-
ological phenomenon due to the well known and
potentially exploited deposits of iron and other
raw minerals.
The r s t studies of the Sana Paleozoic complex
commenced with the investigation of Austrian
geologists (e. g. Mojsisovics et al., 1880) and later
the iron ores near Ljubija were part of detailed
examinations of Katzer (1910, 1921, 1926). The
new evidences were obtained interpreting the
Carboniferous sediments as turbidite deposits
that contained mineralized limestone olistoliths.
The entire Carboniferous sequence has been se-
verely hydrothermaly inuenced (Stefanovska,
1990). Later, these Carboniferous sediments were
genetically considered as typical ysch deposits
where a signicant amount of limestone olisto-
liths occur (Grubić et al., 2000).
Katzer (1926) was the rst who considered the
Paleozoic formations of the wider area of Ljubija
to be Late Carboniferous in age and his view has
been accepted by later researchers (Simić, 1940;
Heritsch, 1940; Crnolatac, 1949; Noeth, 1952).
However, paleontologic evidence for the Early
Carboniferous age of the limestone in the Sa-
na-Una Paleozoic complex was provided by Ko-
stić-Podgorska (1955) based on the coral fauna.
Data on fossils found in the Sana-Una Paleozoic
complex were successfully systematized by Jurić
(1971). The faunas obtained in the olistoliths ev-
idenced the Devonian, Early and Late Carboni-
ferous and according to Grubić et al. (2000) the
age of the Olistostrome member is assigned to the
topmost Early to Late Carboniferous.
An important study on siderite-barite-pol-
ysulde deposits of the Middle Dinarides, con-
sidering the Ljubija ore region, was published by
Palinkaš (1990). In the last decades the research
concept has been severely based on the metallo-
geny of this ore region. More recent geochemi-
cal examinations of the Ljubija mines resulted
in interpretation that ore origin is hydrother-
mal-metasomatic and that the mineralization
is of Permian age (Strmić-Palinkaš et al., 2009;
Garašić & Jurković, 2012; Palinkaš et al., 2016).
More recent data on the geology and metalloge-
ny of the Ljubija ore region are presented in the
works of Grubić et al. (2015) and Milošević et al.
(2017).
Conodonts have demonstrated their value for
biostratigraphy and they are one of the leading
microfossil groups in the interpretation of the
biostratigraphy of Paleozoic and Triassic ma-
rine strata. As they have proven their practical
value as parastratigraphic fossils, the main goal
of our study is to examine conodont faunas from
the Ljubija area. The conodonts of the Sana-Una
Paleozoic strata are scarce. During the mapping
of the Geological map of SFRY 1: 100,000 they
were identied and described at two locations
sites (Jurić, 1975). The tentaculite nds at Blagaj
already determined in the eld the pre-Carbon-
iferous age of the limestones, and based on litho-
logical analogy with the Devonian limestones
of Družetić in western Serbia, a Devonian age
was assumed, which was conrmed by the cono-
dont examination (Spasov & Filipović, 1966).
The conodont fauna from the Blagaj limestone
is characterized by the presence of representa-
tives of the genus Palmatolepis, which rst ap-
pears in the Late Devonian. The list of the iden-
tied taxa includes: Palmatolepis glabra glabra,
P. minuta, P. subperlobata, Polygnathus glabra
glabra, Po. nodosocostata nodosocostata that are
ranged in the interval of the Famennian crepida-
rhomboidea zones (Spasov & Filipović, 1966).
Another locality is a site south of Prijedor. A
conodont fauna of a smaller limestone block, was
discovered in a road-cut Ljubija - Sanski Most,
about 2 km south of th Adamuša opencast mine.
Dark grey limestone contains a rich brachiopod
and cephalopod fauna (Stojanović-Kuzenko,
1967); the conodont fauna recovered from this
block yields Gnathodus bilineatus and Lochriea
commutata commutata (Spasov & Filipović,
1966). This site was recollected by Ramovš (1990)
who added to these listed conodont taxa also L.
mononodosa and L. nodosa that enabled this
fauna to be re-assigned to the nodosa Zone (Vi-
sean, Early Carboniferous).
The purpose of this study is to examine cono-
dont fauna of newly collected samples from the
Ljubija mine area, as well as to provide additional
data from another sample with a demosponge
specimen obtained in a carbonate olistolith from
the Adamuša site. The latter sample yields rich
algal and foraminiferal associations that are also
documented herein. The biostratigraphic and
paleogeographic signicance of the determined
taxa is also provided.

67
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Materials and methods
For micropaleontologic study the conodont
sample AT-1 (Fig. 1) was collected (by BJ and
TKJ) in the Adamuša opencast mine in 2019 dur-
ing the eld trip of the Congress of geologists in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The collecting of this
bed was repeated as this sample proved to be
productive for conodonts, and thus an additional
quantity of the rock was provided in 2020 (by
AM). The coordinates of the sample AT-1 are: 44°
54’ 34’’ E; 16° 36’ 18’’ N. For this study we added
information about the sample with a demospon-
gia specimen that was collected in 1974 near the
location of the conodont sample AT-1, a locality
that is today already ooded; the specimen is
housed in the Paleontological collection of Jur-
kovšek, Dol pri Ljubljani under the inventory
number BJ 49. Another sample (BL-1) for cono-
donts was collected in the locality Blatnjak (co-
ordinates 44° 50’ 43’’ E; 16° 48’ 04’’ N) that turned
out to be devoid of microfauna.
The sample AT-1 with a total rock weight of
6 kg was processe d for conodonts. A standa rd tech-
nique for processing conodont samples with the
use of diluted acetic acid (5-8 %) was applied and
followed by heavy liquid separation. The labo-
ratory preparation was carried out at the Geo-
logical Survey of Slovenia, Ljubljana where the
residue is also stored in the micropaleontological
collection and inventoried under the repository
number GeoZS 6219 and 6220. The illustrated
conodont elements presented in this paper were
photographed by the JEOL JSM 6490LV Scan-
ning Electron Microscope at the Geological Sur-
vey of Slovenia.
A total of 11 petrographic thin sections have
been made from the host rock from the sample
with demospongia (sample BJ). Three thin sec-
tions were stained by Alizaren Red S and K-fer-
ricyanide. All thin sections were photographed
with magnications ×12.5, ×25 and ×50. All 11
thin sections were used also for the study of the
foraminifera and algae. Foraminifera occur in
all of the studied thin sections.
Geological setting
The Sana-Una Paleozoic complex is located
east of the Una River. It extends over the area
from Novi Grad through Prijedor to Sanski Most,
Budimlić Japra, Ključ and Mrkonjić Grad where
the most widespread strata belong to the Javorik
ysch formation (Fig. 2).
The Ljubija deposits are set in its Carbonifer-
ous part belonging to the Javorik ysch formation
where the majority of the mineral resources are
emplaced within the Olistostrome member. The
Javorik ysch formation is well exposed in the
Adamuša and Tomašica opencast mines that is,
accoring to Grubić et al. (2015), composed of three
members, i.e., the Pre-ysch and Lower ysch,
Olistostrome member and Upper ysch (Fig. 2).
The basal unit of the Javorik ysch forma-
tion is the Pre-ysch and Lower ysch member
consisting of dark argillaceous schists with al-
ternation of medium-grain sandstone. It is well
studied in the Adamuša opencast mine, in a core
of large anticline structure. This member was
probably formed in a deeper marine environment
(Grubić et al., 2015).
S
an
a
V r b a s
S
a
n
a
U n a
U n a
S a v a
Banja Luka
Bihać
Sanski Most
Prijedor
0 25 km 50 km
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
CROATIA
AT-1
BL-1
Novi Grad
Fig. 1. Index maps with the
location of the Ljubija ore
mine. (a) Map of NW Bosn ia
and Herzegovina with mar-
ked areas of the Sana-Una
Paleozoic complex (gray).
Red dots indicate the po-
sition of the examined
samples. (b) Geographic
position of the area shown
in Figure 1a; area of Bosnia
and Herzegovina marked
in green.

68 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK
Pre-flysch and Lower flysch:
siltstones, sandstones,
shales and phyllitoids
Olistostrome member:
flysch matrix (siltstones,
sandstones, shales),
olistolithic blocks (limestone,
dolostone), mineralized
bodies (siderite, ankerite)
and autoclastic melange
Upper flysch: siltstones,
metasiltstones, sandstones
and shales
Bobovac breccias
White
sandstones
Polygenic
conglomerates
Red and white sandstones
Red siltstones and
sandsones
Limestones, marly limestones,
marlstones and breccias
(Werfen formation)
Limestones, dolostones with
chert and silicious marls
Dolostones with limestones
and marl intercalations
Marls, shales, limestones
and sandstones and locally
re-deposited Fe ore
Neogene-
Quaternary
Upper
Triassic
Middle
Triassic
Lower
Triassic
Upper
Carboniferous
Lower and Middle
Carboniferous
Permian -
Triassic
0 50 m Keratophyres and rhyolites Spillites and tuffs
AT-1
BL-1
Fig. 2. Schematic lithostratigraphic column of the Sana-Una Paleozoic complex (modied after Grubić et al., 2015).

69
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Pre-fysch and Lower ysch member is
overlain with the deposits of Olistostrome mem-
ber. The thickness of this member varies between
100 to 300 m. It consists of ysch matrix with
embedded carbonate olistoliths - boulders and
blocks and their mineralized parts. The minerali-
zed bodies are represented by siderite and anker-
ite. Carbonate fragments and blocks or boulders
of the Olistostrome member include black mic-
rite, dark grey organogenic sparite (rich in fos-
sils), dolomitic limestone and dolostone, ankeritic
limestone and ankerite. Within the Olistostrome
member some authors distinguished more units,
i.e. a Siderite-limonite member, and Wild ysch
and Middle ysch (Grubić & Protić, 2003; Garašić
& Jurković, 2012). The Olistostrome member was
formed under deep-water conditions (Grubić &
Protić, 2003) found in the core of the Sana an-
tiform. The studied samples originate from this
unit.
The you ngest member of the Javor ik ysch for-
mation is the Upper Flysch member that is also
the most widespread member of the Sana-Una
Paleozoic complex. It is well exposed in the
Tomašica opencast where it attains thickness of
70 m. It is mainly formed of sandstone-siltstone
ysch. Due to Mn oxides and hydroxides particu-
larly, its lower part is black in colour (Grubić &
Protić, 2003).
The Permian-Triassic clastic formation ap-
pears in discontinuously exposed zones in the
north and south limb of the Sana antiform and
south from the Sana Nappe. Its maximum thick-
ness is estimated to 150 m. According to Grubić
and Protić (2003), ve members can be distin-
guished: a) Bobovica breccia, b) white sandstone,
c) white and red sandstone, d) polygenous con-
glomerate and e) red sandstone and siltstone.
Also present are porous dolomite (of a rau-
hwacke-type), and siderite veins, up to 40 cm
long in some places.
The colourful Werfen strata are overlain by
limestone and dolomite, covered by a Ladinian
volcanogenic-sedimentary porphyrite-chert for-
mation. Among the younger sedimentary rocks,
only lacustrine Neogene - Quaternary deposits
are present.
The tectonic history of this area is very com-
plex as it was a consequence of Hercynian, Cim-
merian and Alpine deformation phases. Hercyni-
an events left their signatures only in the Javorik
y sc h for ma ti on , in th e fo r m of fo ld s wh os e B- a x e s
have an azimuth of 10 to 40°. The dispersion of
the B-axis is a consequence of Alpine refolding
(Grubić & Protić, 2003).
Results
Microfacies
The microfabric of the rock sample BL-1 with
chaetetid demosponge is irregular, peloidal bi-
oclastic grainstone to packstone. In one of the
thin-sections also biosparite micro-breccia (rud-
stone) is present.
Bioclasts and peloids (algal and microbial)
predominate. Intraclasts and pellets also occur.
Bioclasts are represented by algae, cyanobacteria
and foraminifera are most common. Many echi-
noderm (mostly crinoid) fragments also occur
together with rare thin bivalve shells, small gas-
tropods and ostracods. Very rare are fragments
of brachiopods. Intraclasts contain bioclasts
and pelmicrite. Echinoderm fragments are up
to 1 cm, most of them, and also other bioclasts,
exhibit abraded margins with replacements by
micrite.
The rock is crosscut with several thin white
calcite veins and a few thicker ones. It exhibits
weak to strong irregular stylolitization.
Foraminifera
Foraminifera in the BJ 49 sample belong to
groups of pseudostaffellids, eostaffellids and
smaller foraminifera, mostly endothyrids. De-
termination on a species level is hindered be-
cause of the lack of oriented sections. In the
studied material, several specimens of the genus
Pseudostaffella are found, which in general can
be assigned to the Pseudostaffella ex gr. antiqua
(Dutkevitch) species group (Rauser-Chernouso-
va et al., 1951). By the position of the coiling axes
and the character of the chomata, the specimens
are identied as Pseudostaffella antiqua (Dut-
kevitch), Ps. grandis Schlykova, Ps. cf. posteri-
or Safonova, and ?Ps. cf. proozawai Kireeva (Pl.
1, Figs. a-e). In general, these forms are slightly
smaller in size compared to those common in the
Russian Platform and in the Urals (Grozdilova &
L e b e de v a, 19 50 ; Rau s e r -C h e r n o u s ov a et a l . , 19 51).
Among forms assigned to the genus Eostaf-
fella, the following species are identied: Eo-
staffella pseudostruvei chomatifera Kireeva,
E. parastruvei chusovensis Kireeva, and E. cf.
parastruvei chusovensis Kireeva (Pl. 1, Figs.
f-i). The genus Plectostaffella is represented
by Plectostaffella varvariensis (Brazhnikova
& Potievskaya), P. ex gr. bogdanovkensis Re-
itlinger; P. c f. irregularia (Reitlinger); P. ov o i d e a -
formis (Reitlinger) (Pl. 1, Figs. j-n). Also present
is the genus Semistaffella with the species S.
variabilis (Reitlinger), S. primitiva (Reitlinger),

70 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK
Plate 1. Fusulinoidean and smaller foraminifera from Ljubija, sample BJ 49. Scale bar is 200 microns.
(a): Pseudostaffella antiqua (D utkevitc h), (b, c): Pseudostaffella grandis Schlykova, (d): Pseudostaf fella cf. posterior Safonova,
(e): ?Pseudostaffella cf. proozawai Kireeva, (f): Eostaffella pseudostruvei chomatifera Kireeva, (g): Eostaffella parastruvei
chusovensis Kireeva, (h): Eostaffella cf. parastruvei chusovensis Kireeva, (i): Eostaffella sp., (j): Plectostaffella varvari-
ensis (Brazhnikova & Potievskaya), (k): Plectostaffella ex gr. bogdanovkensis Reitlinger (l): Plectostaffella ovoideaformis
(Reitlinger), (m): Plectostaffella cf. irregularia (Reitlinger), (n): Plectostaffella sp., (o): Semistaffella variabili s (Reitlinger),
(p): Semistaffella primitiva (Reitlinger), (q): Semistaffella minor (Rauser-Chernousova), (r): Parastaffella cf. struvei (Möller),
(s): Parastaffella cf. poststruvei Rauser-Chernousova, (t): Parastaffella sp., (u): ?Endothyra sp., (v): Endothyra bradyi sim -
plex Reitlinger, (w, x): Endothyra sp. (E. ex gr. bradyi Mikhailov), (y): Endothyra mutabilis Reitlinger, (z): Endothyra cf.
mosquensis Reitlinger, (za): Endothyra bradyi compressa Reitlinger, (zb): Endothyra sp. (E. cf. mosquensis Reitlinger), (zc):
Planoendothyra ex gr. spirilliniformis (Brazhnikova & Potievskaya), (zd): Biseriella minima (Reitlinger), (ze): Biseriella ex
gr. moderata (Reitlinger).

71
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina
and S. minor (Rauser-Chernousova) (Pl. 1, Figs.
o-q). A few lenticular forms with acute margins
belong to Parastaffella cf. struvei (Möller) and
P. cf. poststruvei Rauser-Chernousova (Pl. 1,
Figs. r-t).
Endothyrids are represented in signicant
amounts. The species Endothyra ex gr. brad-
yi Mikha i lov, E. bradyi compressa Reitlinger,
E. mutabilis Reitlinger, E. cf. mosquensis Re-
itlinger, and Planoendothyra ex gr. spirillini-
formis (Brazhnikova & Potievskaya) were recog-
nized (Pl. 1, Figs. u-zc).
Accompanied foraminifera, occuring in
small amounts are Globivalvulinidae (Biseriella
minima (Reitlinger) and B. ex gr. moderata (Re-
itlinger) (Pl. 1, Figs. zd, ze), Bradyinidae (Brady-
ina ex gr. nautiliformis Möller and ?B. pseudo-
nautiliformis Reitlinger) (Pl. 2, Figs. a-c), Palae-
otextularioidea (Koskinobigenerina aljutovica
(Reitlinger); Koskinotextularia posteximium
(Reitlinger), Deckerellina cf. mirabilis Reitlinger
(Pl. 2, Figs. d-g) and Neoarchaediscus postrugosus
(Reitlinger) (Pl. 2, Fig. h), Tuberitina bulbacea
Galloway & Harlton (Pl. 2, Fig. i), ?Tolypammina
ex gr. complicata Reitlinger (Pl. 2, Fig. j), Post-
monotaxinoides cf. horridus (Lipina) (Pl. 2,
Fig. k), and Pseudoglomospira cf. elegans (Lipi-
na) (Pl. 2, Fig. l).
In the Int e rnational St rat i graphic Sca le (A retz
et al., 2020), the base of the Bashkirian Stage
(base of the Pennsylvanian) is marked by the
appearance of the conodont Declinognathodus
noduliferus. This level correlates with the base
of the ammonoid Homoceras Zone and the base
of foraminiferal Plectostaffella bogdanovkensis
Zone. The P. bogdanovkensis Zone is traced in
the Urals (Kulagina, 2014), in the Caspian Region
(Zaytseva & Klenina, 2008), and in Middle Tien-
Shan (Dzhenchuraeva et al., 2013).
The appearance of the species Pseudostaffella
antiqua (Dutkevitch) is a noticeable level in the
evolution of fusulinids corresponding to the
middle part of the lower Bashkirian (the base
of the Akavasian Regional Substage in Urals or
Severokeltmenian Regional Substage of the Rus-
sian Platform) and is distinguished as the rap-
id diversication of pseudostaffellids (Kulagina
& Gorozhanina, 2019). The represented species
of the genera Eostaffella, Plectostaffella and
Semistaffella are characteristic of the lower Bash-
kirian. The species Plectostaffella varvariensis
(Brazhnikova & Potievskaya) is known from the
top of the Serpukhovian. P. bogdanovkensis is
a zonal marker of the Serpukhovian/Bashkirian
boundary of the East European Platform and the
Urals. The genus Semistaffella appears slight-
ly higher. There are transitional forms between
them as well as between Semistaffella and pri-
mitive Pseudostaffella.
During the Early Carboniferous, the gen-
era and species of the Ozawainellidae and
Staffellidae were common in shallow carbonate
shelves and in basins of nearly all regions of the
world (BouDagher-Fadel, 2008). The diversity of
the fusulinids and their related forms increased
at the Serpukhovian-Bashkirian boundary. Fo-
raminiferal provinces have been clearly distin-
guished already since late Famennian (Lipina,
1973) with three different provinces becoming
recognizable: the East European Basin that are
characterized by an abundance of Eostaffella
and Bradyina; the Tethyan Realm, where the
palaeotextulariids were abundant; and the
North American Realm, where Bradyina did not
appear before the Bashkirian.
Du r i ng the Late Carbon iferous (Bash k i r ian to
Gzhe l ian), the endothyr ids, staf fel l id s and brady-
inids may have colonized their habitats within
or in adjoining high-energy environments (Din-
gle et al., 1993; Della Porta et al., 2005). The en-
dothyrids were common in low- and high-energy
settings. Their exclusion from lagoonal environ-
ments with a restricted circulation and varia-
ble salinity suggests that these forms preferred
open-marine environments (Della Porta et al.,
2005). The lenticular staffellids are abundant in
higher energy, reef facies, whereas the subspheri-
cal forms were common in the quieter, back reef
facies (Dingle et al., 1993), in the shallowest set-
ting and in paleoenvironments characterized by
abnormally high temperatures and salinity. The
Bradyinidae were probably epiphytes and Brady-
ina is interpreted as a shallow-water taxon
adapted to life in current-swept environments
(Gallagher, 1998; Gallagher & Somerville, 2003;
BouDagher-Fadel, 2008).
Cyanobacteria and algae
The remains of cyanobacteria are very com-
mon in the studied thin sections (Pl. 2, Figs. m-o).
They are similar to the remai n s of lament-form-
ing and coccoid bacteria described by Mamet &
Preat (2010) from Bashkirian foraminifer zones
20 and 21 of Arctic Alaska. Besides the remains
of Girvanella sp. (Pl. 3, Fig. d) also Stipulella
fascicularis Maslov (Pl. 2, Figs. r-s) is identied.
This species was described from the Lower Car-
boniferous of the Moscow Basin (Maslov, 1956). It
is distributed in the Kizelian Regional Substage
of the upper Tournaisian and the upper part of

72 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK
Plate 2. Smaller foraminifera and cyanobacteria from Ljubija, sample BJ 49. Scale bar is 200 microns.
(a-c): Bradyina ex gr. nautiliformis Mölle r (?B. pseudonautiliformis Reitlinge r), (d): Koskinobigenerina aljutovica (Reitlinger),
(e): Koskinobigeneriidae, (f): Koskinotextularia posteximium (Reitlinger), (g): Deckerellina cf. mirabilis Reitlinger,
(h): Neoarchaediscus postrugosus (Reitlinger), (i): Tuberitina bulbacea Galloway & Harlton, (j): ?Tolypammina ex gr. compli-
cata Reitlinger, (k): Postmonotaxinoides cf. horridus (Lipina), (l): Pseudoglomospira cf. elegans (Lipina), (m): a – Filament-
forming and cocoid cyanobacteria, b – Donezella sp., c – Anthracoporellopsi s sp., (n , o): Filam ent-for ming and cocoid cyan oba-
cteria, (p): Oncolites with Tolypammina fortis Reitlinger, (r): a – Stipulella fascicularis Ma slo v, b – Donezella sp., (s) Stipulella
fascicularis Maslov.

73
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Plate 3. Green and red algae and problematica from Ljubija, sample BJ 49. Scale bar is 200 microns.
(a, b, c): Donezella lutugini Maslov, (d): a – Donezella lutugini Ma slo v, b – Girvanella sp., (e, f): Donezella lunaensis Racz,
(g): Dvinella cf. bifurcata Maslov & Kulik, (h): Proninella enigmatica Mamet & Roux, (i): Anthracoporellopsis cf. machaevii
Maslov, (j): a – Pseudoungdarella sp. (?P. cf. linearis R. Ivanova), b – Praedonezella cf. cespeformis Kulik, c – ?Donezella sp.,
(k): a - Stacheia cf. marginulinoides Brady, b – Stacheoides cf. meandriformis Mamet & Rundloff, (l): Maslovipor idium de-
licata (Berchenko), (m): Stachaeoides sp., (n): Asphaltinella horowitzi Mamet & Roux, (o): Aphralysia carbonaria Garwood.

the Serpukhovian Stage of the Urals (Ivanova,
2013), in the Zapaltyubian Regional Substage
of the Serpukhovian Stage of the Donets Basin
(Berchenko, 1983), and the Visean and Namurian
of the Paleo-Tethys (Mamet & Roux, 1983). For ms
similar in morphology, described as Ortonellop-
sis laxa Vachard & Cozar were found in the up-
per Visean - lower Serpukhovian of Montagne
Noire, France (Vachard et al., 2016).
Rare algae also occur in thin sections, how-
ever of poor preservation. Chlorophyta, repre-
sented mainly by Siphonocladales, and also in-
cluding representatives of the genera Donezella,
Dvinella, Proninella, Exvotarisella, Anthra-
coporellopsis are distinguished by a relative
dive rsit y. Donezella is more common with two
species: Donezella lutugini Maslov (Pl. 3, Figs.
a-d) and D. lun a e n s i s Racz (Pl. 3, Fig s . e-f). Both
species are characteristic of the Bashkirian and
are distributed up to the Asselian Stage of the
Lower Permian in Arctic Canada (Mamet et al.,
1987), northern Spain (Mamet & Villa, 2004),
northwestern Serbia (Pajić & Fillipović, 1995)
and in Urals, Donets Basin and Tajikistan (Iva-
nova, 2013). Fragments of Dvinella cf. bifur-
cata Maslov & Kulik (Pl. 3, Fig. g), Proninella
enigmatica Mamet & Roux (Pl. 3, Fig. h) and
Anthracoporellopsis cf. machaevii Maslov
(Pl. 3, Fig. i) thalli were identied. The species
Dvinella bifurcata is known from the Middle
Carboniferous of the Urals and the East Euro-
pean Platform, from the Bashkirian of north-
wester n Serbia (Pajić & Fillipović, 1995), and in
northern Greenland it occurs in the Moscovian
Stage (Mamet & Stemmerik, 2000). Proninella
enigmatica is described from the upper Visean
of North America (Mamet & Roux, 1978). In the
Urals, it was reported from the Tournaisian,
upper Visean and Bashkirian (Ivanova, 2013).
Anthracoporellopsis machaevii is described
from the Middle Carboniferous of the Donets
Basin (Maslov, 1956). In Western Europe, it is
found in Visean deposits. The stratigraphic
range of this species in the Urals is from the
upper Visean to the Lower Permian (Ivanova,
2013). In the Moscow Basin it is found in the up-
per Visean (Gibshman & Alekseev, 2017).
The studied material also contains two spe-
cies of Chlorophyta of unclear taxonomic posi-
tion: Asphaltinella horowitzi Mamet & Roux
and Aphralysia carbonaria Garwood (Pl. 3, Figs.
n-o). The rst species is described from the Vi-
sean of Canada, southwestern Alberta (Petryk &
Mamet, 1972) and is especially abundant in the
Serpukhovian. It occurs in the upper Visean of
the Moscow Basin (Gibshman & Alekseev, 2017),
and in the Bashkirian of the Urals (Ivanova,
2013). The species Aphralysia carbonaria is wide-
spread in the Dinantian of England and is known
from the upper Serpukhovian of the Donets Ba-
sin (Berchenko, 1983).
Rhodophyta include sporadic isolated repre-
sentatives of the genera Stacheia, Stacheoides,
Pseudoungdarella, and Masloviporidium (Pl. 3,
Figs. j-l) The species Stacheia marginulinoides
Brady is distributed in the upper Visean and
Serpukhovian of the Paleo-Tethys (Mamet &
Roux, 1983) and from the Serpukhovian-Bash-
kirian boundary strata of Alaska (Mamet &
Preat, 2010). On the western slope of the South
Urals, it was found in the Bashkirian strata.
Stacheoides meandriformis Mamet & Rundloff
is a cosmopolitan species and is known from
the Visean of France, Belgium, Morocco, USA,
from the Upper Carboniferous of the Canadian
Arctic Archipelago, the Permian of Turkey, and
the Serpukhovian Stage ranging from the Lower
to Upper Carboniferous of the Urals (Ivanova,
2013). The species Masloviporidium delicata
(Berchenko) is described from the Serpukhovi-
an Stage of the Donets Basin (Berchenko, 1982).
Its geographic distribution is in North Africa
(Algeria) and North America where it was as-
signed to the uppermost Serpukhovian and
Bashkirian stages (foraminiferal zones 20 and
21) (Groves & Mamet, 1985). In the Urals, it is
known from the upper Visean to the Bashkirian
Stage (Ivanova, 2013). The species Pseudoung-
darella linearis Ivanova occurs in the Serpuk-
hovian, Bashkirian and Moscovian of the Urals
(Ivanova, 2013).
Thus, the algoora in the studied block is rep-
resented by forms of wide stratigraphic range
and geographic distribution. The most important
species among them are Donezella lutugini and
D. cf. lunaensis, which were bioherm-formers
and rock-formers in the Bashkirian Stage (Iva-
nova, 2013; Rodriguez-Castro et al., 2020).
Demospongia
A specimen of Chaetetes, a hyper-calcied
demosponge was collected in the Adamuša open-
cast mine (F ig. 3). The demosponge fossil (isomet-
ric 5-6 cm large skeleton) occurs in a single clast
together with coarse matrix and large crinoidal
ossicles. Its sur face reveals a skeleton consisti ng of
closely connected tubules (diameter 0.3-0.7 mm)
with indicated radial growth direction. Chaetet-
ids were previously classied as extinct corals,
bryozoans, algae, stromatoporoids and sclero-
74 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK

sponges (West, 2011). They grew in very shallow
water and formed expansive biostromes (Stan-
ton et al., 2016). The fossil record of chaetetids
is known worldwide and they are common in
strata ranging from the Ordovician through Ju-
rassic (West, 2011). The species Chaetetes radians
that was rst described from the Carboniferous
of the Moscow Basin (Fischer, 1837) has been al-
ready reported from the Ljubija mine area, i.e., in
the Jakarina Kosa locality, near Adamuša where
it was collected from Carboniferous strata (Ko-
stić-Podgorska, 1959, 1965).
Conodonts
Despite moderate preservation, ve conodont
elements can be identied from the sample AT-1
(Fig. 4) at the genus and even species level, which
allow dating of the source rock with sufcient
accuracy (Fig. 5).
The most important specimen is a right P1
element without a free blade, but it has slight-
ly curved nodular carina to the rostral margin
whose nodes are fused with the nodes of rostral
parapet. These characters are indicative for the
species Declinognathodus lateralis (Higgins &
Bouckaert) described from the Namurian (Al-
portian and Kinderscoutian) in Belgium. The
species is widely distributed in the lower and
middle Bashkirian strata of Great Britain (Hig-
gins, 1975), Donets Basin, Ukraine (Nemyrovska,
1999), South Urals, Russia (Kulagina et al., 2014;
Nikolaeva et al., 2017), and South China (Hu et
al., 2018). In South China, D. lateralis spans in
the middle Bashkirian, with its rst occurrence
(FO) is in the lower part of the Idiognathoides
sinuatus Zone, and its lower occurrence (LO) is
in the middle part of the “Streptognathodus”
expansus M1 Zone (Hu et al., 2019), but in the
South Urals it rst appears in the lowermost
Bashkirian and its FO coincides with the base of
the D. noduliferus Zone (Kulagina et al., 2014).
Three specimens, which are also uncomplete
right P1 elements, possess two narrow nodose
parapets separated by relatively deep median
trough. They belong to the subspecies Idiogna-
thoides sulcatus sulcatus (Higgins & Bouckaert)
that was established on left elements only, but
Fig. 3. Chaetetes sp. Adamuša, sample BJ 49. Scale bar
10 mm.
Fig. 4. Outcrop at the
Adamuša iron depo-
sit where the limes-
tone sample AT-1 was
collected.
75
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina

76 A. MILOŠEVIĆ, A. S. ALEKSEEV, E. ZAYTSEVA, M. NOVAK, T. KOLAR-JURKOVŠEK & B. JURKOVŠEK
Higgins (1975) illustrated also right elements
for this subspecies which are very similar to the
ones from Ljubija. This subspecies occurs in the
Bashkirian being described from the ammonoid
R1-G2 genozones of Belgium (Higgins & Bouck-
aert, 1968) and Great Britain (Higgins, 1975), but
in South China and the South Urals, Russia, it
is found in much younger strata reaching the
Bashkirian/Moscovian boundary and even in
the lower Moscovian (Kulagina et al., 2001; Hu
et al., 2019).
The third conodont morphotype is broken P1
element, without ventral part of the free blade
and most of dorsal platform. However, the plat-
form is very wide with no recognized trough.
This element belongs to the genus Idiognathodus
without any doubts, but the species identication
is not possible, therefore the element is assigned
to Idiognathodus sp. only.
The FO of the genus Idiognathodus is very im-
portant datum plane in the conodont zonations: I.
primulus ma rks the Mar sden ian (R2 Ge nozone) of
England (Higgins, 1975) and the mid-Bashkirian
Idiognathodus primulus Zone of South China
(Hu et al., 2019). However, in the type Bashkirian
sections of the South Urals the three Idiognatho-
dus species (I. sinuosus Ellison & Graves; I. deli-
catus Gunnell and I. primitivus (Nemirovskaya
& Alekseev)) occur in the middle Bashkirian in-
terval, at the base of the Askynbashian Substage
(Kulagina et al., 2001).
The joint presence of the species Declinogna-
thodus lateralis, Idiognathoides sulcatus sulca-
tus and Idiognathodus sp. conrms a mid-Bash-
kirian age of the source rocks, which is the
Askynbashian and lower Arkhangelskian sub-
stages in the Russian stratigraphic nomenclature
(Alekseev, 2008).
A strange character of the Ljubija conodont
assemblage is the absence of Idiognathoides
corrugatus (Harris & Hollingsworth) and Id.
sinuatus Harris & Hollingsworth, two ubiqui-
tous Bashkirian and early Moscovian species,
that might be explained by very lower count of
the extracted conodont elements (only ve). The
assemblage belongs to the outer shelf and slope
Declinognathodus-Idiognathoides biofacies (Da-
vis & Webster, 1985).
In the Spanish Pyreneans, the assemblage of
the Idiognathodus Zone is similar to the one from
Ljubija that is present in the Quinto-Real area
in the upper part of the Baserdi Member of the
Olazar Formation, in the siliciclastic Kulm-type
unit interpreted as Kinderscoutian-Marsdenian
in age (Sanz-López & Blanco-Ferrera, 2012).
A joint occurrence of several species of Idi-
ognathodus and Declinognathodus lateralis is
known also in the Namurian C (G1 Zone) lime-
stone bands M, N and P in the Lublin Basin, Po-
land (Skompski, 1996). In the Donets Basin the
FO of Idiognathodus sinuosus is in the Lime-
stone F11, upper part of the Mandrykian Region-
al Substage, middle Bashkirian, where it occurs
together with D. lateralis (Nemyrovska, 1999,
2017). If the Ljubija area has a relation to the
North Gondwana Realm, very similar conodont
assemblage including D. lateralis and Idiogna-
thodus is reported from the Bechar Basin, Alge-
ria, from marine inner shelf of the Hassi Kerama
For mation of the midd le Bashkirian age (Weyant,
1985).
Bashkirian conodonts are not common in
Great Britain and Western Europe, where they
are known only from England (Higgins, 1975),
Belgium (Higgins & Bouckaert, 1968), Germany
(Meischner, 1970) and Poland (Skompski, 1996).
In these countries, conodonts of this age occur
only in marine horizons inside of coal-bearing
terrestrial sequences, but they are widely dis-
tributed in marine carbonate successions of the
French and Spanish Pyreneans as well in the
Cantabrian Mountains of North Spain.
Fig. 5. Conodonts from Ljubija, sample AT-1 (GeoZS 6220).
Scale bar is 100 microns.
(a, c, d) Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus Higgins &
Bouckaert, (b) Declinognathodus lateralis (Higgins &
Bouckaert), (e) Idiognathodus sp.

77
Late Carboniferous biota from the Ljubija iron mine area, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Conclusions
Biota obtained from limestone samples of the
Olistostrome member of the Adamuša site in the
Ljubija area in western Bosnia and Herzegovina
have been examined. The limestone sample AT-1
is marked by the joint presence of Declinognatho-
dus lateralis, Idiognathoides sulcatus sulcatus
and Idiognathodus sp. conrming the mid-Bash-
kirian age of the primary rocks. This report is
the rst of the listed conodont taxa in the area.
The Ljubija conodont assemblage is similar to
the Declinognathodus-Idiognathoides biofacies
of the outer shelf and slope. On the other hand, it
can also be compared to an equivalent conodont
assemblage of marine inner shelf in Algeria.
The chaetetid demospongia (from sample BJ)
is associated with a prolic microbiota consisting
of cyanobacteria, algae and foraminifera. Micro-
facies of the rock is peloidal bioclastic grainstone
to packstone. Cyanobacteria are common and
exhibit great similarity to the known Bashkirian
lament-forming and coccoid bacteria remains.
Chlorophyta are dominated by Siphonocladales
of relative diversity, among which are common
Donezella lutugini and D. cf. lunaensis that are
characteristic of the Bashkirian. Rhodophy-
ta include sporadic isolated representatives of
the genera Stacheia, Stacheoides, Pseudoung-
darella and Masloviporidium. The biota also
contains two species of unclear taxonomic po-
sition, Asphaltinella horowitzi and Aphralysia
carbonaria. Foraminiferal assemblage consists
of pseudostaffellids, eostaffellids and smaller
foraminifera, mostly endothyrids. The presence
of the foraminiferal species Pseudostaffella anti-
qua points to the Bashkirian age. The association
of the endothyrids, staffellids and bradyinids
indicates their primary habitat was linked to a
high-energy reef environment that is conrmed
by the presence of Donezella siphonoclads, which
formed bioherms during the Bashkirian.
Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by the
Slovenian Research Agency (program number P1-
0011). Facilities and technical staff of the Geological
Survey of Slovenia are gratefully acknowledged. The
authors are indebted to Galina P. Nestell and Merlynd
K. Nestell for editing the manuscript and two anony-
mous reviewers who provided constructive reviews of
the manuscript.
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