Pycnodontiform fishes from shallow marine Upper Cretaceous deposits of Saxony are known for more than 150 years. Three species (Anomoeodus angustus, Anomoeodus muensteri, and Pycnodus scrobiculatus)  occurred during the Late Cenomanian of Saxony, whereas only Anomoeodus angustus was present in the Late Turonian. The occurrence of pycnodonts in Saxony was controlled by palaeoenvironmental conditions.

In Central Europe one of the most important interchanges between the North Temperate Realm and the Tethyan Realm took place during the Cenomanian along the course of the Elbe Valley Geosuture that separates the Erzgebirge block (part of the Mid European Island during the Cretaceous) from the Lusatian block (West Sudetic Island). Strata of the Lower Cretaceous and the basal portion of Lower Cenomanian are absent in the Elbe Valley Geosuture but a marine transgression in a NW-SE direction occupied a portion of this tract during the late Early Cenomanian and a second incursion from SE to NW occurred during the Late Cenomanian. These transgressions are known to have occurred because of faunal migrations southwards from the North Temperate Realm and northwards from the Tethyan Realm across the Bohemian Basin. Sediments of the first transgression (Lower Cenomanian, dixoni zone) are restricted to the northwestern part of the Elbe Valley Geosuture in the Meissen area for at that time the fluvial Niederschöna Formation occupied the southern part of the Elbe Valley Geosuture and the adjacent Erzgebirge block. Most of the rivers in this system ran eastward but drained toward northern Bohemia. This fluvial environment predominated in the southern part of the Elbe Valley Geosuture and on the adjacent Erzgebirge block.
But the uppermost levels of the fluviatile Niederschöna strata are influenced by marine ingressions. The main transgression from the North Temperate Realm toward the Tethyan Realm took place in the basal Upper Cenomanian (naviculare zone) along the Elbe Valley Geosuture. A small regression followed (plenus event, geslinianum zone): Indications of this regression are visible on the flanks of small islands in the Elbe Valley Geosuture. Four marine sequences are recognized in strata dated Late Cenomanian - earliest Turonian.
These sequences are important for the comparison of Upper Cretaceous formations in Saxony with those of the Upper Cretaceous in northern Bohemia and in the peripheral areas of the NW German-Polish Basin, in the Münsterland, Subhercynian, Eichsfeld regions and in the Anglo-Paris Basin. These sequences are described and their influence on the changes in the paleogeography in the Elbe Valley Geosuture is discussed. Slight variations in sea level as a consequence of local tectonic movements in the Elbe Valley Geosuture cannot be precluded.
Key Words: Cretaceous; Cenomanian; Germany; Saxony; Elbe valley; transgression

A small outcrop in Dohna (Heidenau near Dresden) with sediments of the upper Cenomanian transgression (M. geslinianum Biozone). The profile consits of nearshore-shallow water sediments: a) basement (Granite), b) conglomerates, followed by a breccia c) and sponge-rich siltstones (Pläner) d).

Reptile remains are not common in the Saxonian-Bohemian Cretaceous basins (SCB/BCB). In about 200 years of Cretaceous research, only some marine reptile remains (tooth, bones), four turtles and a few bones doubtfully referred to Iguanodon has been made in the Cretaceous formations of Saxony & Bohemia. Uncontested remains of Cenomanian dinosaurian fossils have never been made in the SCB/BCB until 2003. At the locality of Mezholezy (Kutná Hora, central Bohemia) a well preserved bone (left femur) of an iguanodontid dinosaur has been recovered.

The famous geologist and paleontologist Hanns-Bruno Geinitz (1814-1900) characterised the local geology during his whole life. By publishing the first monographical work about the Cretaceous fossils ("Characteristik der Schichten & Petrefacten") in the 1830s he can be entitled as the founder of the Saxonian Cretaceous research. At least 80 years before Geinitz, Cretaceous fossils were known and tried to described by few natural scientist in 18th century. Publications about the valley "Plauenscher Grund" near Dresden or about a starfish from the Saxonian Cretaceous were already made in the 1750s and earlier.

The following list provides WMS (Web-Map-Service) internet adresses which contains geological data (maps, borehole data, sights). The geological data is provided by the geological surveys and authorities of the Bundesländer. The usage of WMS with GIS-software is described in this article (in german) exemplary.

In tradition to earlier articles a second collection of new possible outcrops in the saxonian cretaceous is now online. A few projects were already been discussed more detailed (B172b, S177,S 191n). The source data I reverted to was provided by official authorities and the daily local press. The possible routing have been merged to the geologcial map of saxony (1:400.000). Some of the named projects are not even in the planning phase. Therefore the start of constructions of certain projects will be a distant prospect.

"New records of extremely rare Late Turonian belemnites are described from the Úpohlavy working quarry in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin. These specimens are referred to Praeactinocamax bohemicus (Stolley, 1916). An alveolar fragment possibly represents Praeactinocamax strehlensis (Fritsch, 1872) and would be the third find of this species ever recorded. All finds derive from a thin horizon in the uppermost part of the Hudcov limestone (Teplice Formation, uppermost Subprionocyclus neptuni ammonite Zone). The small faunule most likely had its origin in a taxon from the Praeactinocamax manitobensis/walkeri/sternbergi group of the North American Province, and its occurrence in Europe can be seen in the context of a southward shift of Boreal taxa in the course of a Late Turonian cooling event."

The article describes the creation of a geological map step-by-step with the free software QGIS. By using Web Map Services (WMS) the geological and topographic data can be merged to a simple GIS. The topographic map data is provied by the Geodaten © OpenStreetMap und Mitwirkende, CC-BY-SA Project (OSM). The OSM is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. The data is available under two different licenses (Creative Commons & Open Database License). The geological data used in this tutorial is provided by  public authorities (Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft & Geologie Sachsen - LfULG). This data is not free. The usage is limited to personal purposes. A granted Permission is necessary before publishing maps based on geological data of the LfULG.

In summer 2010 exploration drillings has been perfomed in the area of the city Pirna, Pirna is located a few kilometres to the southeast of Dresden. The drillings where made in the run-up to a road construction for probably 2011/2012. If the planning permissions are granted outcrops on upper cretaceous  sediments (upper turonian lower coniacian) near Pirna-Bonnewitz are possible. Next to the B172b construction ("Südumfahrung") in Pirna in (maybe) 2011 this area of the saxonian cretaceous basin could be explored easily.

A bibliography mainly related to the palaeontology of the Saxonian & Bohemian Cretaceous. It is based on a list created by Löser & Richter, 1989. A complete list, containing geological and related literature (1749 until now) is available here.

The article describe a potential outcrop in the cretaceous of the Elbe valley. In the south of the city of Pirna a southern bypass is planned. Opening date for the construction site: the end of 2010. Two bridges and a tunnel will be build alongside the 3,8km long route, called B172.

The outcrop at the former Oberau railway tunnel, built in 1836-39 and broke down in 1934 has been studied already by famous local Geologist Hanns-Bruno Geinitz. Oberau/Niederau is a small village 10km of to Meißen and Weinböhla; and in the north of Dresden.
H.B. Geinitz described the Cenomanian-Turonian setting and made a profile in his first part of "Charakteristik der Schichten und Petrefacten des sächsischen Kreidegebirges" in 1839.
Today there are a few overgrown tips next to railway track. Just a few new fossil records are known. Records of Hamites cimarronensis where described in 2004 by S. Köhler. H. cimarronensis is also known from the lower Turonian of Colorado, US.

The OPAL - Ostseepipeline-Anbindungsleitung (Baltic Sea Pipeline Link) - is a offshore project between Lubmin near Greifswald and Olbernhau at the czech border (Ore Mountains). With a length about 470km the Pipeline will connect the onshore-pipeline Nord Stream with the european natural gas network. A first construction approval have been expressed on July 15th for 50km between Olbernhau and Reinsberg (near the motorway A4) in the south of Saxony (no cretaceous).
'The route may will cut the saxonian cretaceous at two places. In the north of the Elbevalley (Meissen/Dresden) nearby the former and historical railroad tunnel Oberau - it's a former outcrop described and profiled already by H.B. Geinitz in 1839.
The second possible "creatceous-cut" is in the Tharandt forest area near Niederschöna. Details for this area described by T. Göhler in the comments section of this page. The project OPAL will start in 2009 and will be finished in 2011.

A new method for the extraction of calcified and/or partly pyritized macrofossils has been developed. This method is based upon the differential speeds for the dissolving of microcrystalline and macrocrystalline calcite in 38% sulphuric acid. The effectiveness of the sulphuric acid treatment is also influenced by the volume of clay minerals in the host rock. Therefore, this method is highly applicable for the extraction of macrofossils from marlstones, marly limestones, and other lithified calcareous sediments. The main advantages of this method, when compared with other chemical methods, are (1) the short treatment time, (2) the capability of dissolving the sediment on the fossil's surface, and (3) its efficiency in dissolving calcareous rocks with low porosity. This method has been successfully applied to Upper Cretaceous macrofossils from the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin. The surface of extracted macrofossils remained undamaged, exhibiting minute skeletal details; perhaps even encrusters and bioerosions. R. Vodrazka. 2008. Palaeontology 52 (1).

The outcrop at the Seidewitz valley near the small village Meusegast does exist during 2004/2005. A a bridge over the river Seidewitz for the motorway A17/D8 Dresden-Prague were built and made it possible to study the cretaceous in the southeast of Dohna, (Pirna). Numerous different sponges were collected at this remarkable former outcrop with an interesting geological setting/profile in the saxonian cretaceous. 1. proterzoic basement 2. conglomerats 3. marls/marly siltstone - 4. calcareous siltstone (Pläner)

A temporarily outcrop in the saxonian cretaceous is situated in the southern part of Dresden. In Dresden-Nickern (lower) turonian sediments (Pläner - argillaceous/calcareous siltstones) are opened. At the former barrack-terrain a residential area is developed since 1995.