Rusophycus inexpectus isp. nov. from the Furongian (Upper Cambrian) of the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

A new trace fossil Rusophycus inexpectus isp. nov. is de scribed from the Furongian (Up per Cambrian) strata of the Holy Cross Mountains. This ichnospecies is probably non-tri lo bite in origin and is commonly pre served as an undertrace. This preservation style resembles that of Rusophycus ramellensis Legg, an index fossil of the Cambrian Series 3. There fore, previous workers misinterpreted material from the Wiśniówka Sand stone Formation as Rusophycus ramellensis Legg (re corded by them as Cruziana barbata) and put the Cambrian Series 3 and Furongian boundary within this unit. Rusophycus inexpectus isp. nov differs from Rusophycus ramellensis Legg: 1) in having a smooth trapezoidal area be hind the lobes; 2) in the presence of a direct con tact between the endopodal lobes and cephalic margin imprints and 3) in the restriction of the occurrence of the endopodal lobes and scratches to the cephalic region of the trace fossil. Care must be taken, when dealing with the undertrace preservation style of Rusophycus ramellensis Legg in other assemblages, as it may rep re sent Rusophycus inexpectus isp. nov.