Cockburn Island is one of the most historically significant places on the Antarctic continent. The isle was first surveyed in early 1843 during Captain James Ross’ famous expedition, but the early explorers failed to recognise its geological and palaeontological significance. Cockburn Island is exceptional for it has the only succession of Upper Cretaceous, Eocene and Miocene–Pliocene rocks on the continent, which is now known to contain an admirable and diverse fossil record of fauna and flora. These fossil assemblages are providing exciting new information on the evolutionary history of Antarctica. At least 22 species of Late Cretaceous macroinvertebrates and vertebrates have been recognised, whereas the Eocene record is slightly more diverse at 28 macroinvertebrate taxa recorded. The Pliocene macrofossil record is depauperate atsome 11 species, butmicrofossils (diatoms, ostracods, foraminifera) are represented by at least 94 taxa. The palaeoecologic and palaeobiogeographic significance of fossil assemblages is explored in this paper. Further, a checklist of fossils is presented herein, for the first time, as is a bibliography of the geology and palaeontology of the island.

Sparse fish microremains have been found in marine limestones from the Middle Devonian (Givetian) Skały

Formation (Sitka Coral-Crinoid Limestone Member and Sierżawy Member), Świętomarz–Śniadka section,

Bodzentyn Syncline, Łysogóry Region, northern Holy Cross Mountains, associated with conodonts of the

hemiansatus to ansatus zones. Thelodont scales referred here to Australolepis sp. cf. A. seddoni come from near

Śniadka village, from samples dated as hemiansatus to rhenanus/varcus zones. This increases the known range

for the genus from its original find in Western Australia. The presence of a thelodont in the late Middle Devonian

in Poland extends the known distribution of turiniids around the peri-Gondwana shorelines of Palaeotethys.

The paper presents descriptions and illustrations of Anthracoporella spectabilis Pia (Dasycladaceae) and Palaeoaplisina laminaeformis Krotov (Hydrozoa) from the Treskelodden Formation (Lower Permian, Sakmarian) of the Hornsund area (Treskelen, Urnetoppen), and Chaetetes arcticus sp. n. (Demospongiae) from the „Wordiekammen Limestone" (Pernio — Carboniferous) of the Isfjorden area of the southern and central part of Spitsbergen. A. spectabilis and P. laminaeformis common in the Hornsund area are also known from the northern Ural Mts. and Timan.

Until now Eocene chimeroid holocephalians of Antarctica have been known from only a few specimens attributed to two species from the Eocene of Seymour Island. New material collected by Polish and English field parties includes numerous tooth plates and fin spine fragments from the Eocene La Meseta Formation. We describe a new species, Callorhinchus stahli, based on two mandibular and a single fragmentary palatine tooth plate. In addition, the stratigraphic distribution and diversity of Eocene Antarctic chimeroids is discussed. The chimeroid Ischyodus shows the greatest stratigraphic distribution with its greatest abundance in the middle parts of the La Meseta Formation while Chimaera and Callorhinchus are restricted to the lower ones. Changes in the environment and habitat availability most probably triggered the distributional pattern and the disappearance of chimeroids.