A largely new, Early Mississippian blastoid fauna is described from the Fort Payne Formation of south-central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. The fauna consists of nine species assigned to eight genera, including four new genera and six new species. The fauna includes Hadroblastus breimeri n. sp., Granatocrinus granulatus (Roemer), Dentiblastus macurdai n. sp., Deliablastus cumberlandensis n. gen. and sp., D. tribulosus n. gen. and sp., Xyeleblastus magnificus n. gen. and sp., Perittoblastus liratus n. gen. and sp., Euryoblastus veryi (Rowley) n. gen., and an unidentifiable basal circlet that may represent a phaenoschismatidid. All spiraculates belong to the Granatocrinidae.

The Fort Payne Formation has the most diverse blastoid fauna known between the middle Osagean blastoid extinction and the Permian. Diversification immediately after the middle Osagean extinction is recorded in the Fort Payne and is largely a diversification of the Granatocrinidae.

Orbitremites grandis Rowley (1902) is an internal mold from the Fort Payne Formation. This specimen cannot be identified and is designated as a nomen dubium.

Ammonites are abundant in the phosphatic base of the Annona Chalk (Campanian) near Yancy in Hempstead County, Arkansas. The following are described: Pachydiscus (Pachydiscus) sp. (very rare), Placenticeras sp. (very rare), Nostoceras (Nostoceras) pulcher n. sp. (rare), N. (N.) monotuberculatum n. sp. (scarce), N. (N.) plerucostatum n. sp. (frequent), N. (N.) danei (frequent), Didymoceras sp. (rare), Didymoceratoides binodosum n. gen. and sp. (frequent), D. clardyi n. gen. and sp. (rare), Baculites taylorensis Adkins, 1929 (abundant), B. crickmayi Williams, 1930 (common), and Baculites sp. (abundant). The diverse Nostoceras association is typical of Gulf Coast upper Campanian rocks but Didymoceratoides is a Western Interior upper middle Campanian genus. Nostoceras (N.) monotuberculatum n. sp., however, is known from a single specimen from the basal upper Campanian Didymoceras stevensoni zone in Colorado.

The Antarctic pelagornithid record is restricted to few isolated remains from the Eocene of Seymour Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we report the oldest Antarctic pseudo-toothed bird. It is represented by an incomplete humerus lacking its proximal end, which comes from the lower Eocene levels of the La Meseta Formation (Seymour Island). This new specimen facilitates a review of all known pelagornithids from this continent. Antarctic pelagornithids were classified into two morphotypes that exhibit a mix of putative plesiomorphic and derived characters. Considering the worldwide pelagornithid record and according to estimated wingspans, four approximate size-types were identified. The oldest Antarctic specimens (two fragmentary humeri, middle Ypresian) were assigned to morphotype 1 and correspond to the large size-type. The younger materials (Bartonian/?Priabonian) here assigned to morphotype 2 (some cranial remains, fragmentary tarsometatarsus and humerus) correspond to the giant size-type and represent one of the largest known pseudo-toothed birds. Even though species level phylogenetic affinities of Pelagornithidae remain poorly resolved, three key evolutionary events can be recognized: (1) the disappearance of Dasornis in the Early Eocene and the appearance of more advanced forms with a trend to the specialization of large soaring capacity, (2) the origin of Pelagornis sensu lato species in the early Oligocene, and (3) the appearance and dominance of a highly specialized terminal group at Mio/Pliocene time span.

Silurian (Llandovery–Ludlow) Encrinurinae from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois include species of Balizoma Holloway, 1980, Curriella Lamont, 1978, Distyrax Lane, 1988, Encrinurus Emmrich, 1844, Mackenziurus Edgecombe and Chatterton, 1990a, and Nucleurus Ramsköld, 1986. Mackenziurus lauriae n. sp. is described from Wenlock strata of the Racine and Sugar Run Dolomites; nine segments in the holaspid thorax are the fewest known for any encrinurid. A square rostral plate is diagnostic of Mackenziurus. New morphological data are provided by Illinois specimens of Balizoma indianensis (Kindle and Breger, 1904) from the Wenlock–Ludlow Racine Dolomite, and of Curriella tuberculifrons (Weller, 1907) from the Llandovery Elwood–Wilhelmi Formations. Nucleurus n. sp. is possibly from Llandovery strata in Wisconsin. Distyrax n. sp. occurs in the Brandon Bridge Member (late Llandovery–early Wenlock) of the Joliet Dolomite in Illinois. The type pygidia and possible topotype material of Encrinurus nereus Hall, 1867, confirm assignment to that genus as currently viewed; this reefal species is distinct from the closely related inter-reef species E. egani Miller, 1880, and appears to be distinct from reefal E. reflexus Raymond, 1916. Lectotypes are selected for these Encrinurus species.

The Chesterian Imo Formation in north-central Arkansas contains an abundant and diverse bivalve fauna which is dominated in numbers by nuculoids. The pterioids, pholadomyoids, and nuculoids show the greatest, and nearly equal, species diversity. Ecologically, on a generic level, the fauna is dominated by infaunal, burrowing, suspension feeders with attached suspension feeders a close second.

Among the 40 taxa identified, the following new taxa are proposed: Economolopsis gordoni n. gen. and sp.; Spathelopsis browni n. gen. and sp.; Paleyoldia angustia n. sp.; P. bruta n. sp.; Phestia corrugata n. sp.; P. wortheni n. sp.; P. obtusa n. sp.; Imoella obscura n. gen. and sp.; Prothyris (Lophoprothyris) crista n. subgen. and sp.; Ectogrammysia crassatis n. gen. and sp.; Asketomorpha grandis n. gen. and sp.; and Sphenotus pisinnus n. sp.

On the basis of ammonoids, the upper portion of the Imo Formation falls within the Elvirian Stage, E2b–c undifferentiated. Foraminifera place the formation in Mamet zone 19. The bivalve fauna discussed herein was collected from the E2b–c portion of the Imo.

The first-described articulated Permian sponge from Brazil, representing Hexactinellida, has been recovered from the Lontras Shale in the Campáleo outcrop (Permian, Asselian–Sakmarian), Rio do Sul Formation, Mafra, in southern Brazil. It is assigned to the Hemidiscellidae and identified as Microhemidiscia greinerti n. sp. This fossil represents the first record of articulated sponges in Brazil from the Paleozoic Era, as well as the second species known from this genus. Moreover, it increases knowledge of the order Hemidiscosa, a monotypic group mostly defined by simple characters, which is here considered to comprise one family, Hemidiscellidae (Pennsylvanian-Cretaceous), and two genera, Hemidiscella and Microhemidiscia.

The Emigrant Formation at Clayton Ridge, Nevada, consists of 420 m of variably interbedded shale, siltstone, and limestone representing an outer shelf environment. It ranges in age from the youngest portion of the Dyeran Stage (Laurentian Waucoban Series; Cambrian Stage 4, Series 2) to Skullrockian Stage (Ibexian Series; Tremadocian Stage, Lower Ordovician). Consequently, it is condensed compared to other localities. For example, the age-equivalent succession in the House Range and the Wendover Range of Utah and Nevada, respectively, is seven times thicker.

The 100 m thick lower limestone and siltstone member of the Emigrant Formation at Clayton Ridge ranges in age from the Bolbolenellus euryparia/Nephrolenellus multinodus Zone (Laurentian Dyeran Stage) to the Cedaria brevifrons Zone (Laurentian Marjuman Stage; Drumian Stage; this study). The 40 trilobites described herein from two closely spaced sections of the lower member belong to the Glossopleura walcotti/Ptychagnostus praecurrens Zone (Laurentian Delamaran Stage; Stage 5), Ehmaniella Zone (Laurentian Topazan Stage; Stage 5), and Cedaria selwyni to C. brevifrons zones (Laurentian Marjuman Stage; Drumian Stage) zones. The lower Emigrant Formation is <10% as thick as age-equivalent age strata elsewhere in Nevada, California, and Utah. This condensed nature of the lower Emigrant Formation began with the flooding event at the beginning of the Oryctocephalus indicus biochron and the subsequent build-ups of the thick carbonate platforms to the south and northeast.

New species are Pagetia aspinosa, P. claytonensis, and Syspacephalus mccollumorum.

The Mesozoic history of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera is reviewed and their phylogeny traced back to early Mesozoic specialized Permochoristidae Mecoptera. Queensland emerges as the center of origin for the earliest Lepidoptera and Trichoptera and is also the region where the first lepidopteran hostplants, primitive dicot angiosperms, arose from Glossopteridae, probably at the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. Protomecoptera evolved from extinct Protoblattodea (not Neuroptera) during Late Carboniferous or Early Permian time. The first Lepidoptera, terrestrial Agathiphagidae, evolved from aquatic Necrotauliidae Trichoptera probably at the close of the Triassic when an extreme drought dried up many streams. The very small size of Amphiesmenopteran Mecoptera and the first Trichoptera and Lepidoptera fossils obeys Cope's Rule.

The ammonite species Puzosia (Mesopuzosia) densicostata Matsumoto, Kitchinites (Neopuzosia) japonicus Spath, Anapachydiscus cf. A. nelchinensis Jones, Menuites cf. M. menu (Forbes), Submortoniceras chicoense (Trask), and Baculites cf. B. boulei Collignon are described from Santonian–Campanian strata of western Canada and northwestern United States. Stratigraphic occurrences and ranges of the species are summarized and those taxa important for correlation with other areas in the north Pacific region are noted.

The Early Carboniferous (Mississippian) cyathocrinine cladid crinoid Barycrinus, which is common in North America, has hitherto been recognized from Britain only on the evidence of one species, Barycrinus ribblesdalensis (Wright), based on rare dorsal cups. Barycrinus sp. pluricolumnals and plurimeres are common in the Salthill Cap Beds (Chadian), Salthill Quarry, Clitheroe, Lancashire, but are not conspecific with B. ribblesdalensis. Salthill ossicles are never preserved as individual columnals due to the relative weakness of the intermeric versus the longitudinal ligaments.

The record of fossil land mammals from Antarctica has been restricted previously to the middle levels of the Eocene-?early Oligocene La Meseta Formation in Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. This mostly shallow-marine sequence was divided informally into seven subunits (Tertiary Eocene La Meseta or TELM 1 to 7) by Sadler (1988). Land mammals, representing South American lineages of marsupials, edentates, and ungulates were recovered from TELM 3, 4, and 5 (Marenssi et al., 1994; Vizcaíno et al., 1994). The purpose of the present note is to report the discovery of a well-preserved ungulate tooth from the uppermost level of the La Meseta Formation (TELM 7) and to discuss its paleoenvironmental implications.

Fourteen species of Volutidae are recognized from the Neogene of central to southern Chile. Seven species are known from previous descriptions: Voluta triplicata, V. alta, V. domeykoana, V. obesa, V. vidali, Proscaphella taverai, and Adelomelon reconditus. A neotype is designated for Voluta alta. Proscaphella gracilior, type species of the genus Proscaphella, is considered to belong to the genus Miomelon, which places Proscaphella in synonymy with Miomelon. Most species of “Proscaphella,” excluding the type species, form a separate group well distinguished from Miomelon, and for these the new genus Palaeomelon is introduced with Voluta triplicata as type species. Seven new species are reported: Palaeomelon tucapeli, Palaeomelon angoli, Adelomelon colocoloi, Adelomelon caupolicani, Miomelon lautaroi, Miomelon? pelantaroi, and Pachycymbiola? galvarinoi. Voluta triplicata, V. domeykoana, and Proscaphella taverai are included in Palaeomelon n. gen., Voluta obesa and V. alta are referred to Adelomelon, and Voluta vidali is referred to Pachycymbiola. the fossil record of the Recent volute genera Miomelon and Pachycymbiola extends back into the Miocene, Adelomelon is known from the Late Eocene, while Palaeomelon is known in Chile only from the Miocene. Species are morphologically very similar among genera, and from this it is inferred that separation of genera probably occurred in the late Paleogene.

The discovery of new specimens and restudy of known collections resulted in revision of some members of the cladid crinoid family Cupressocrinitidae. “Cupressocrinites gracilis” is generically separated from Cupressocrinites whereby “Procupressocrinus” is resurrected from synonomy and assigned to the Cupressocrinitidae with C. gracilis Goldfuss, 1831 as the type species. Studies of the Sandberger collection presuppose the revision of “Abbreviatocrinites abbreviates altus” (=A. altus n. comb.) and A. nodosus. Furthermore, the hitherto undetermined cupressocrinitids are described as Cupressocrinites ahuettensis n. sp. and Robustocrinites cataphractus n. sp. The event-controlled distribution of Robustocrinites is discussed and shows similarities to other crinoid genera within the Eifel region. Observed arm-regeneration in Robustocrinites, as well as the postmortem incurred ossicular-boring of an indeterminable organism and the skeletal-colonization by a trepostome bryozoan, are further observations of other pre- and postmortem ossicular modifications in cupressocrinitid skeletons.

Despite numerous distributional studies of foraminifera in modern shallow-water carbonate environments, information loss and taphonomic bias in the transition from life to death assemblages of foraminifera in these environments have not previously been examined in detail. Surface sediment and vegetation samples were collected along six nearshore traverses and one traverse across the back reef lagoon off Key Largo, Florida. Living foraminifera are found in abundance on algae and the marine angiosperm, Thalassia testudinum, while foraminifera in sediment assemblages are represented primarily by empty tests. Q-mode cluster analysis of living assemblages on Thalassia delineates inshore (depth 0.4–2.7 m) and offshore (3.0–9.0 m) back reef biofacies. Calcareous imperforate (suborder Miliolina) species thrive in quiet waters of the inshore biofacies, in which biotic interactions appear to be the prime factor in determining small-scale species distributions of living foraminifera. Fragile species are most susceptible to test destruction, and, therefore, sediment assemblages are dominated by more robust forms (e.g., Archaias angulatus, Valvulina oviedoiana, thick-walled species of Quinqueloculina).

Water turbulence primarily determines species composition of living populations of the offshore biofacies. These assemblages are dominated by the calcareous perforate (suborder Rotaliina) species Planorbulina acervalis and Rosalina bahamaensis. These species resist transport by encrusting Thalassia blades and having a test which fits flush with grass blades, respectively. However, sediment assemblages of the offshore biofacies are also dominated by typical inshore, robust species (Archaias angulatus, thick-walled miliolids). Thus, inshore and offshore biofacies are not readily differentiated by Q-mode cluster analysis of sediment assemblages. Robust species are wide ranging and often abundant in sediment because of differential preservation and time-averaging of sediment assemblages. The resultant taphonomic bias may interfere with paleoecologic interpretations concerning intensity of water energy and distance from shore.

Four species of carabocrinids from the Ordovician of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota are described, namely Carabocrinus radiatus E. Billings, C. vancortlandti E. Billings, C. magnificus Sardeson from the Middle Ordovician Dunleith Formation and C. slocomi Foerste from the Upper Ordovician Maquoketa Formation. Carabocrinus radiatus and C. vancortlandti are also known from the Middle Ordovician of Ontario and Quebec. In addition, C. magnificus and C. vancortlandti are recorded from the Decorah of the Twin Cities area and the Curdsville Limestone of Kentucky, respectively. Biogeographically, the Middle Ordovician carabocrinids from Iowa and Minnesota are most similar to those from rocks of similar age in the northern Appalachians.

Development of the cup and its component plates in C. slocomi is almost entirely isometric so that the its shape is largely constant regardless of size. This species exhibits ridge canals on the shoulders of the radial plates in the cup. The ridge canals probably served for respiration. As expected, the number of ridge canals and their length increase with positive allometry compared to the size and volume of the cup. Growth of the ridge canals restricts the width of the radial facets.

Familial groupings of two upper Paleozoic superfamilies of Goniatitina, Marathonitaceae and Cyclolobaceae, are reviewed. It is concluded that the Marathonitidae gave rise to the Hyattoceratidae and together constitute the Marathonitaceae. Eohyattoceras n. gen. is the Lower Permian ancestral hyattoceratid, and is represented by two new species, the type, E. gerthi from the Roadian of Timor, and E. leei from the Sakmarian of Nevada. An advanced marathonitid from the Lower Permian (Roadian) of Timor is described as Cardiella martodjojoi n. sp.

Two lineages within the exclusively Permian family Cyclolobidae are recognized as the subfamilies Kufengoceratinae and Cyclolobinae. Type designations proposed herein fix usage of Demarezites Ruzhentsev (1955) as referring to ancestral Cyclolobinae, and D. oyensi (Gerth, 1950) and D. lidacensis (de Roever, 1940) are redescribed from the Lower Permian (Roadian) of Timor. The Cyclolobidae are derived from the Vidrioceratidae and together constitute the Cyclolobaceae.

Lichenaria may be a representative of the most primitive stock of tabulate corals. The degree of paleobiologic complexity discovered in L. globularis and L. grandis is therefore surprising. Six types of corallite increase are recognized. All are lateral, which is the predominant mode in tabulates. Most types, however, are unique or are comparable to those in few other Ordovician taxa. Only Type 1 (L. globularis), yielding a single offset with a simple basal mural pore, is typical of tabulates. In Type 2 (L. globularis), one parent produces two offsets simultaneously, whereas in Type 3 (L. globularis), two offsets arise from separate parents at nearly the same time and join via a connective mural pore. Types 4 (L. globularis, L. grandis), 5 (L. grandis), and 6 (L. globularis, L. grandis), respectively, involve one, two, and two to four corallites in addition to the parent, which join via a connective mural pore at the site of offsetting.

Several features of L. globularis and L. grandis point to unexpectedly high levels of colony integration. Continuously fused common walls lacking back-to-back epithecae suggest soft tissue continuity among polyps above the corallum. Connective mural pores indicate temporary fusion of polyps. Coordinated behavior of polyps is suggested by the development of conjoined offsets from two parents during Type 3 increase, and by fusion during Types 4 to 6 increase. Attempts at certain types of increase sometimes failed to yield offsets, suggesting expendability of incipient buds, perhaps reflecting subjugation of individuals for the good of the colony.

In light of this study, genera that have previously been included in Lichenariidae and Lichenariida require reassessment and their phylogenetic relationships should be reconsidered. Unfortunately, this is hindered because fundamental characters such as corallite increase and wall structure remain inadequately known in most early tabulates.

The early Cambrian calcareous skeletal fossil Apistoconcha Conway Morris is characterized by its two valves having posterior teeth and internal umbonal cavities. It has been reported from lower Cambrian Botomian-equivalent carbonate rocks in Australia, Mongolia, and Greenland. Here we report a new occurrence of Apistoconcha in the lower Cambrian Xinji Formation of Luonan, southeast Shaanxi Province, North China Platform. Based on material (five ventral and four dorsal valves) from the Xinji Formation, Apistoconcha cf. apheles is systematically described and the taxonomic affinity of Apistoconcha is discussed. The shell of Apistoconcha possesses an ‘antero-posterior’ plane of bilateral symmetry, and its two valves apparently articulated in life, although the tooth-like structures and pits show little resemblance to the teeth and sockets, respectively, of bivalved shells of rhynchonelliform brachiopods or pelecypods. Apistoconcha cannot be assigned to the crown groups of either brachiopods or mollusks, even though functional morphological analysis indicates that Apistoconcha may be a ‘stem-group brachiopod’. Unlike Apistoconcha, the morphologically similar Tianzhushanella Liu is known only from a single type of valve lacking posterior teeth and pits. Tianzhushanella may represent either a univalved animal or a bivalved animal, the other valve of which has not yet been identified. Even though both Apistoconcha and Tianzhushanella may represent stem-group brachiopods, they probably correspond to different stages of brachiopod evolution. Thus assignment of Apistoconcha and Tianzhushanella to the same family (Tianzhushanellidae) may obscure their phylogenic implications.

New collections rich in agnostoid trilobites were recovered from Lower Ordovician strata of the southern Montagne Noire, France. The faunas occur in the La Gardie/Val d'Homs, Saint–Chinian, La Maurerie, and Landeyran formations, coinciding with deposition in muddy outer-platform settings. Many previously described species are revised and their stratigraphic ranges emended. The studied agnostoids include Geragnostus cf. sidenbladhi (Linnarsson), G. aff. sidenbladhi, G. crassus Tjernvik, G. splendens (Holub), G. cf. explanatus Tjernvik, G. boutouryensis Howell, G. occitanus Howell, Geragnostus sp., Trinodus corpulentus Howell, Homagnostoides ferralsensis (Munier-Chalmas and Bergeron), Corrugatagnostus coulobresensis n. sp., Corrugatagnostus sp., Leiagnostus miqueli Sdzuy, and Leiagnostus sp. The record from the upper part of the Saint–Chinian Formation suggests a late Tremadocian age, whereas an early Arenigian age is indicated for the upper part of the La Maurerie Formation. Although the agnostoid record generally reinforces the peri-Gondwanan character of the Lower Ordovician shelly faunas from the Montagne Noire, some agnostoid species are independent of specific paleogeographic boundaries.

A vertebra from the Judith River Formation (Campanian) of Saskatchewan, found with other Upper Cretaceous vertebrate remains, is referred to the loon-like hesperornithiform Baptornis, and is the first recorded occurrence of this genus from continental deposits. It is also the first bird described from the Judith River Formation of western Canada.