Abstract
The Králův Dvůr Formation is a distinct unit in the Upper Ordovician of the Prague Basin. It is of late Katian age and begins with a prominent change in sedimentation, traceable throughout the whole "Mediterannean Province".
The black shale lithofacies of the underlying Bohdalec Formation was succeeded by fine greenish mudstones with carbonate nodules. Change in lithology is associated with a prominent faunal change.
The Aegiromena-Drabovia fauna of underlying units was replaced by low diversified associations assigned to the Foliomena Fauna, the diversity of which sharply increased in the uppermost part of the formation. This peak of diversity is, however, followed by a dramatic impoverishment in response to global climatic changes.
The biostratigraphic subdivision of the Králův Dvůr is imprecise. Almost the whole thickness is characterized by occurrence of Normalograptus angustus.
In the uppermost part, there is a very thin level with Normalograptus ojsuensis. Auxiliary biostratigraphic subdivision is based on typical faunal assemblages of brachiopods and trilobites.
In summary, a detailed stratigraphy based on traditional biostratigraphic measures is unobtainable. Alternative methods such as chemostratigraphical and magnetic susceptibility stratigraphy were tested to provide a better understanding of the unit which was deposited during global climatic changes.