Ladinian deposits at Mt. Svilaja in Dalmatia (Outer Dinarides, Croatia) yielded an abundant brachiopod fauna of low diversity interpreted as a parautochthonous assemblage representing an ecosystem of dasycladacean submarine meadow. The fauna consists of four named species and one left in open nomenclature. The most common is the spiriferinide Flabellocyrtia flabellulum Chorowicz and Termier, 1975 (Spiriferinida) accounting for more than 70% of the material. The athyridide Cassianospira humboldtii (von Klipstein, 1845) is the only species known from elsewhere (Anisian of Southern Alps). The new species of Spiriferinida Thecocyrtella dagysii Halamski, Bitner, Kaim, Kolar-Jurkovšek, and Jurkovšek n. sp. differs from other representatives of the genus in having a deep ventral sulcus. Albasphe albertimagni Halamski, Bitner, Kaim, Kolar-Jurkovšek, and Jurkovšek n. gen. n. sp. is a new brachiopod that possesses a dorsal septum with an intra-septal cavity and dorsal submarginal ridges, both features in common with Aalenian Zellania Moore, 1855 from which it differs in lack of the ventral septum and of ventral submarginal ridges. They are interpreted as members of a sparsely recorded paedomorphic evolutionary line of terebratulides with secondarily lost loop, described formally herein as Gwyniidina Halamski and Bitner n. subordo and subdivided into newly emended Dispheniidae Grant, 1988 (Dispheniinae Grant, 1988 with the only genus Disphenia and Albasphinae Halamski and Bitner n. subfam. with Albasphe and Zellania) and Gwyniidae MacKinnon, 2006 (including Recent Gwynia and Simpliciforma). In contrast to previous interpretations, the trocholophe lophophore of Gwynia is interpreted herein as secondarily simplified.

Brachiopods belonging to Ambocoelia occur ubiquitously in Middle and Upper Devonian strata of the northern Appalachian Basin. Originating during the Eifelian, Ambocoelia umbonata persisted through numerous biocrises, but went extinct during the late Frasnian Kellwasser Crisis. Ambocoelia umbonata var. gregaria, the only other form of this genus that is present within the New York Devonian succession, originated around the time of the Kellwasser Crisis and persisted locally into at least the latest Famennian. Examination of syntypic material of A. umbonata var. gregaria has resulted in the taxonomic revision of this form and elevation to Ambocoelia gregaria. Comparison of ontogenetic stages and environmental preferences of A. umbonata and A. gregaria suggests that the latter exhibits a paedomorphic morphology that may have evolved from A. umbonata through neoteny. Furthermore, these comparisons also give new autecological insights for Ambocoelia, suggesting that A. umbonata was capable of living in a diversity of environments by using a variety of life positions, whereas A. gregaria was likely more specialized. This taxonomic revision provides the necessary framework for revising the biostratigraphic range of Ambocoelia and, furthermore, the evolutionary history of this genus in relation to the Lower Kellwasser Event.

The Middle Devonian (Givetian) microconchid tubeworm species known as Spirorbis angulatus Hall, 1861 is redescribed here on the basis of a new collection from the Traverse Group of Michigan and Hamilton Group of Ohio and New York, U.S.A. Its general characteristics and ornamentation indicate it belongs to the genus Palaeoconchus Vinn, 2006. Because the original specimens on which the species was erected are lost, a neotype is here designated for a specimen from the same area (Erie County, New York) and stratigraphic interval (Hamilton Group, Givetian) as the original specimens described by Hall (1861). The new specimens of Palaeoconchus angulatus (Hall) show that the species is characterized by a spectrum of morphological variability, possibly ranging from a nearly smooth tube, though weakly ornamented, to one distinctly tuberculated on which thicker nodes and thin spines may occur together. Assemblages of microconchids from particular stratigraphic divisions are characterized by a dominance of small (up to 1.5 mm in diameter, probably juvenile) individuals, while larger individuals (>2 mm) are rare. This suggests that the populations may have experienced occasional mass mortalities. Although substrate (in this case brachiopod shells and rugosan coral thecae) overturning and an increase in sedimentation rate are possible factors, an episodic anoxia/dysoxia of the bottom waters seems likely as it is known that the host dark shales record such occasional oxygen deficiency.

The sandstone facies of the Pliocene Rio Banano Formation of eastern Costa Rica contains benthic foraminifera indicative of an open marine, current-swept, neritic depositional environment. These sandstones and associated siltstones are placed in Zone N18 on the basis of overlapping ranges of planktonic foraminifera, particularly Globigerinoides obliquus extremus and G. ruber, and a short-ranging ostracode species, Radimella ovata. One hundred and eight species of benthic foraminifera have been identified from the formation. A multiple-group-component factor analysis of abundance distributions of several dominant or common species (Amphistegina gibbosa, Articulina mayori, Cassidulina laevigata, C. subglobosa, Cibicidoides floridanus, Elphidium discoidale, Hanzawaia concentrica, Pararotalia sarmientoi, Pseudononion basispinata, Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, Rosalina globularis, and Trifarina angulosa) in the type section aided in the recognition of three benthic foraminiferal assemblages related to environmental parameters. An open marine, shallow, sandy continental shelf environment is suggested by the first assemblage. This is considered the typical depositional environment of the unit. The second and the third assemblages, suggesting an inner littoral environment and the proximity to a reef, respectively, also indicate introduction of significant amount of transported material into the thanatotopes.

The biostratigraphically important genus Hunnegraptus is recognized for the first time in the Marathon region, West Texas, based on restudy of the type material of Didymograptus novus Berry, 1960. The late Tremadoc Hunnegraptus Zone is the oldest unequivocally recognized graptolite zone in the Marathon region, underlain by faunas with nondiagnostic adelograptids. Hunnegraptus novus (Berry) shows a sicular bitheca, dichograptid stipes, and delayed first distal dichotomies as the most important rhabdosome characteristics. Hunnegraptus Zone faunas are more widely distributed in North America than previously realized and an immensely useful discovery for biostratigraphic correlation of this late Tremadoc time interval.

The family Actinocrinitidae was a significant contributor to the global biodiversity peak of crinoids that occurred during the Mississippian and is referred to as the “Age of Crinoids.” Although the actinocrinitids are a major component of that high diversity, they are also a source of much taxonomic confusion. Previously, generic concepts were not applied equally between Europe and North America creating disparity in the definition of genera. In this contribution, all genera are defined objectively by discrete characters, and the generic assignments of all species are reevaluated. Twenty genera are described. A total of 206 species were evaluated of which 56 species and one taxon in open nomenclature are reassigned to different genera, 21 species are designated as nomina dubia, and three species and one genus are now incertae sedis.

A phylogenetic hypothesis is presented for the relationships of the genera of Actinocrinitidae genera based on a parsimony-based analysis and plotted against stratigraphic ranges. Although groupings were revealed in this analysis, the Actinocrinitidae cannot be readily subdivided into subfamilies. Rapid diversification occurred during the Tournaisian following the Hangenberg Extinction of probable fish predators. The late Devonian (Famennian) occurrence of the highly derived genera Abactinocrinus and Physetocrinus suggests there is a more extensive, but undocumented, evolutionary history for the Actinocrinitidae during the Devonian.

The Sultan Formation is a Middle and Upper Devonian inner shelf carbonate sequence in southern Nevada containing four stromatoporoid-dominated biofacies. Reported herein is a study of the Ironside Dolomite and Valentine Limestone Members exposed at Mountain Springs, Nevada. Eight lithofacies are distinguished and interpreted as a transgressive sequence, with deposition ranging from the supratidal zone to just below wave base. Each of the biofacies is unique and confined to a specific depositional environment as interpreted from the lithofacies reconstructions. The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of the range of ecologic conditions—physical, chemical, and biological—to which these stromatoporoids were adapted.

Based on the research, it is concluded that stromatoporoids flourished in a variety of nonreef habitats which ranged from highly stressful peritidal environments where only stromatoporoids were accommodated to less stressful offshore habitats where other organisms may have been in direct competition. Although habitat generalists are usually poor competitors, these stromatoporoids appear to have been an exception. Their ability to colonize a variety of substrata, their broad tolerances to chemical conditions and circulation patterns, and their emphasis on high rates of lateral growth have permitted them to simultaneously occupy unstable tidal channel embayments and more benign offshore habitats.

Early Cretaceous fossilized leaves assignable to the extinct seed plant order Bennettitales occur within an exceptionally diverse Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) flora of anatomically preserved plant fossils at Apple Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. One of the bennettitalean leaf types has an entire margin, with laminae that are attached near the adaxial surface of the midvein. Leaves are 10–15 mm wide with an adaxial surface that shows distinct corrugations, and a midrib that is exposed adaxially. The vascular system of the midrib consists of a crescent-shaped ring of collateral bundles. Lateral veins diverge from midrib at ∼90°, are typically simple but occasionally branch at base of the lamina. Vein density is 12–15 per cm. Leaves are hypostomatic with syndetocheilic stomata that are randomly oriented between veins. Internal anatomy consists of an adaxial hypodermis of closely-spaced isodiametric cells, mesophyll that is differentiated into adaxial palisade and abaxial spongy zones, and collateral bundles that show a distinct bundle sheath with bundle sheath extensions. This novel combination of characters represents the diverse bennettitalean genus Nilssoniopteris. Nilssoniopteris corrugata new species is only the second species of the genus for which internal anatomy is preserved. This species increases the known variation of bennettitalean leaf anatomy, and reinforces our appreciation for the global distribution of bennettitalean seed plants during the Mesozoic.

An Anchitherium specimen with a nearly complete series of the upper cheek teeth (P2–M3), from the upper part (ca.17–18 Ma) of the Hiramaki Formation, Kani Basin, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, was previously referred to Anchitherium “hypohippoides” nomen dubium. Despite that it provides one of the best examples of significant dental characters of Asian Anchitherium, it has remained undescribed and unprepared until recently. Although a paucity of materials from Asia makes the taxonomy of Asian Anchitherium difficult to assign, comparison showed that the specimen should be reassigned to Anchitherium aff. A. gobiense; it differs from A. aurelianense and is rather similar to A. gobiense from China by virtue of large size and expanded hypostyles. The Japanese Anchitherium also shows distinct features including straight (flattened) ectolophs with narrow mesostyles, rudimentary crochets, and enamel protuberances at the lingual mouth of the median valleys. This combination of accessory features has not been known in Asian Anchitherium and seems to be rarely observed among the diversified European species. The existence of Japanese Anchitherium implies early species diversification in East Asia that predates a greater diversification in Europe associated with the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum and supports paleogeographical and paleozoological connection to the Asian mainland under a warm and humid climate prior to the formation of the Japanese archipelago (ca. 16.5 Ma).

The Romaine Formation of the Mingan Islands, Québec, contains a limited trilobite fauna of five genera (Bolbocephalus, Peltabellia, Petigurus, Strigigenalis, Strotactinus) with Lower Ordovician Ibexian (Floian) affinity, succeeded by two genera (Acidiphorus, Pseudomera) of early Middle Ordovician Whiterockian (Dapingian) affinity. Trilobites of later Whiterockian (Darriwillian) affinity are more abundant in the overlying Mingan Formation, with 29 genera (Amphilichas, Bathyurus, Calyptaulax, Ceraurinella, Cybeloides, Dolichoharpes, Encrinuroides, Eobronteus, Eorobergia, Failleana, Glaphurina, Glaphurus, Hibbertia, Hyboaspis, Illaenus, Isotelus, Kawina, Nieskowskia, Phorocephala, Pandaspinapyga, Pliomerops, Remopleurides, Sphaerexochus [including S. valcourensis n. sp.], Sphaerocoryphe, Stenopareia, Thaleops, Thulincola, Uromystrum, and Vogdesia). Lectotypes are selected for Mingan species of Illaenus, Peltabellia, Petigurus, Sphaerexochus, Stenopareia, and Thaleops. A number of genera form biofacies which can be related to lithofacies. Taken together with Chazy Group and Northwest Territories trilobite faunas, Mingan trilobites provide critical information on late Whiterockian trilobite distributions in Laurentia in far more detail than seen in the stratotype area of Nevada.

Several specimens of the large, discoidal, new inozoid genus and species, Gigantospongia discoforma, have been discovered in the Upper Permian, Upper Capitan Limestone in the northern Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico, near Carlsbad Caverns. The holotype is nearly 2.5 meters across, as exposed, and ranges from 8-20 mm thick, with numerous canals transverse and parallel to the principal plane. These canals are approximately 1 mm in diameter and separated by tracts 1-2 mm thick. Thickened dermal and gastral layers, each approximately 1 mm thick, occur at tops and bases of both the holotype and associated paratypes in the “Sponge Window” exposures of Bat Cave Draw, and in specimens from Chinaberry and Hackberry Draws. Inverted Lemonea conica Senowbari-Daryan, 1990, is apparently attached to the base, and appears to have grown inverted in a void formed or capped by the tabular inozoid. Well-preserved specimens of Amblysiphonella also appear inverted, as do examples of Lemonea cylindrica (Girty, 1908), a new species of Lemonea, and Guadalupia explanata (King, 1943), which occur between the holotype and an underlying paratype. All appear coated with Archaeolithoporella crusts. Microstructure of the inozoan skeleton is obscured by diagenesis.

The Early to Late Silurian sedimentary rocks of the Limestone Point and La Vieille Formations of northern New Brunswick and the Anse à Pierre-Loiselle, La Vieille, and Gascons Formations of the Gaspé Peninsula possess diverse and abundant tabulate coral faunas that include six species of Heliolitidae distributed among Heliolites and Stelliporella. Two species, Heliolites laxus and Heliolites distinctus, are new. A revised concept of the genus Heliolites is proposed. The Heliolitidae from this region show a substantial degree of endemism and are most similar to northern European faunas.

The distribution of individual heliolitid species was under a high degree of facies control. The heliolitids are more restricted in distribution than are other groups of Tabulata in this region and are most abundant in open shelf and carbonate bank facies.

The Actinoceramus sulcatus lineage (Parkinson, 1819) (Bivalvia: Inoceramidae) is a very distinctive and abundant component of late Albian (Early Cretaceous) molluscan assemblages that is found throughout Europe, Central Asia, Japan and the Far East of Russia, southern and western North America, South Africa, and possibly India, in a range of shallow- to deep-marine facies. The lineage encompasses a wide and continuous range of morphologies that provide evidence of phyletic evolution at varying rates combined with large ecophenotypic plasticity within populations. The evolution of A. sulcatus marks the oldest appearance of well-developed radial folds and sulci within the Inoceramidae. The range of morphological variation makes formal taxonomic subdivision of the group problematic. Here we use a combination of formal successional subspecies and informal morphotypes to subdivide the lineage into the following taxa: A. sulcatus forma sulcatus, A. sulcatus forma subsulcatus (Wiltshire, 1869), A. sulcatus forma munsoni (Cragin, 1894), and A. sulcatus biometricus Crampton, 1996. Within these taxa and morphotypes, we synonymise a large number of earlier names that have been applied to variants within the lineage. Each of the forms recognized has biostratigraphic utility and we describe four new lineage biozones, in ascending order: A. concentricus parabolicus, A. sulcatus, A. sulcatus forma munsoni, and A. sulcatus biometricus biozones. The lowest occurrence of A. sulcatus is approximately coincident with the base of the upper Albian as currently defined, at least throughout most of Europe, and this datum provides a valuable tool in correlation. The nature of radial folds within the A. sulcatus lineage poses interesting but still unanswered questions regarding shell morphogenesis in bivalves and the functional significance (if any) of radial folds in the Inoceramidae.

Studies focused on deciduous dentition, ontogenetic series, and tooth eruption and replacement patterns in fossil mammals have lately increased due to the recognized taxonomic and phylogenetic weight of these aspects. A study of the deciduous and permanent dentition of Interatherium and Protypotherium (Interatheriinae) is presented, based mainly on unpublished materials. Deciduous cheek teeth are brachydont and placed covering the apex of the respective permanent tooth; in addition, some morphological and metrical differences are observed along the crown height. Five dental ontogenetic stages are distinguished among the juvenile specimens on the basis of the degree of wear, the replacement of the deciduous premolars, and the eruption of the molars. The crown height and the wear degree of different Interatheriinae taxa show: (1) eruption pattern of molars in an anterior–posterior direction (M/m1 to M/m3); (2) pattern of replacement of deciduous premolars and eruption of permanent premolars in a posterior–anterior direction (dP/dp4 to dP/dp2 and P/p4 to P/p2); and (3) eruption of M/m3 before the replacement of dP/dp4. Results allow evaluating the diagnostic dental characteristics used to describe some interatheriines, as well as reinterpreting some taxonomic assumptions: the holotype of Protypotherium diversidens Ameghino, 1891 is recognized as a juvenile of another species of the genus, and the species is not validated, considering it as Protypotherium sp.; the holotype of Eudiastatus lingulatus Ameghino, 1891 falls in the variability of Protypotherium, becoming P. lingulatus new combination, tentatively maintaining the species and implying the synonymy between Eudiastatus and Protypotherium; and the holotype of Eopachyrucos ranchoverdensis Reguero, Ubilla, and Perea, 2003 is reinterpreted as bearing deciduous premolars.

A new taxon of sphenodontian reptile, Micromenodon pitti new genus new species is described from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) Vinita Formation of the Richmond basin of the Newark Supergroup in Virginia. It is diagnosed by a dorsoventrally deep facial process of the maxilla that extends for almost the entire anteroposterior length of the bone and by obtusely conical, strongly ribbed additional teeth in the maxilla that comprise a greatly enlarged tooth followed by smaller teeth posteriorly. Phylogenetic analysis found Micromenodon pitti n. gen. n. sp. as an early-diverging sphenodontian with fully acrodont tooth implantation. The maxillary dentition appears functionally suited for processing hard arthropod exoskeletons and snail shells.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/40ed7cb6-4867-464b-8bfb-db07febfe97c

The cooling during the Pliocene that preceded major continental glaciation in North America is recorded by thick fluvial and lacustrine sequences at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (HAFO) in southcentral Idaho (McDonald et al., 1996). Fossiliferous beds at HAFO occur within the nearly 200 m of exposed Glenns Ferry Formation west of the Snake River. This formation extends from southwestern Idaho into easternmost Oregon (Malde and Powers, 1962). The Glenns Ferry Formation within HAFO contains hundreds of localities that are within the Blancan North American Land Mammal Age. Collection of specimens from these localities since the late 1920s has resulted in large repositories of fossils currently housed, in part, at the United States National Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology (UMMP), and the Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH); additionally, smaller collections were accumulated by other museums (McDonald et al., 1996). Today the paleontological resources of HAFO are stewarded by the National Park Service. In spite of the extensive previous collections, significant new discoveries are still being made at HAFO.

The giant carnivorous phorusrhacid bird Phorusrhacos longissimus (Aves, Cariamiformes) was first described in 1887 by Florentino Ameghino on the basis of a jaw fragment. The majority of a skull of the species still encased in crumbling rock was preserved only long enough for illustrations to be made by Carlos Ameghino in the field and for a brief description to be written. Skull remains of this species have remained scarce, and few postcranial remains have been figured. Here, we reassess the cranial anatomy of this outstanding ‘terror bird’ species taking into account data from a newly discovered skull. An additional specimen of a well-preserved dorsal vertebra referable to Phorusrhacinae is also described from a separate locality within the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation (late early Miocene) from Santa Cruz Province in Argentina. The skull includes most of the rostrum, skull roof, and mandible and is compared with material from other members of the Phorusrhacinae. The new data from the skull and vertebra provide morphological features of this clade that benefit future taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses of this iconic group of birds.

The fossil record of Early Triassic diapsids is very important to understand how the end-Permian mass extinction affected ecosystems and the patterns and processes involved in the subsequent biotic recovery. Vertebrate fossil assemblages of continental deposits in current-day South Africa, China, and Russia are the best source of information of this clade during the aftermath of the extinction event. Although considerably less sampled, the Induan continental rocks of the Panchet Formation of the Damodar Basin (eastern India) have also yielded a relatively diverse vertebrate assemblage composed of fishes, temnospondyls, synapsids, and a single proterosuchid taxon. Here, we report on a small isolated diapsid partial ilium (ISIR 1132) from the upper Panchet Formation. This specimen has a distinct morphology compared to other tetrapods that we know, including a shallow emargination on the dorsal margin of the anterior portion of the iliac blade, and ratio between height of iliac blade versus maximum height of iliac acetabulum at level of the dorsalmost extension of supraacetabular crest ≤0.45. Comparisons and a quantitative phylogenetic analysis found ISIR 1132 as a non-archosauromorph neodiapsid. This new specimen expands the reptile diversity in the Panchet Formation as well as for the rest of Gondwana, where Early Triassic non-archosauromorph neodiapsid species are extremely scarce.

The Mammalia from the Calf Creek Local Fauna, Cypress Hills Formation, Saskatchewan, include various Carnivora (197 specimens) and Creodonta (nine specimens). Most specimens are isolated teeth. The fauna includes Daphoenus sp., Daphoenocyon dodgei, daphoenine sp., Parictis parvus, Parictis sp., nimravid spp., Hesperocyon gregarius, Hemipsalodon grandis, Hyaenodon horridus, H. microdon, Hyaenodon spp., and indeterminate taxa. Most of the large number of deciduous teeth are referred to Hesperocyon or the Daphoeninae. Daphoenus canadensis, Russell, 1934, is a junior synonym of Daphoenocyon dodgei. Upper molars are tentatively referred to P. parvus; the geographic range of P. parvus is extended to include Saskatchewan and Wyoming. The Calf Creek Hesperocyon closely resembles samples of the genus from Pipestone Springs Local Fauna, Montana, and most levels at Flagstaff Rim, Wyoming. Most of the previously described Carnivora and Creodonta from Cypress Hills localities can be referred to species that occur in the Calf Creek Local Fauna. The Carnivora and Creodonta are consistent with an early to medial Chadronian age for this local fauna and suggest a relatively early age within that interval.

Fossil crinoids are poorly known from the Antillean islands. To the five taxa of fossil crinoid previously recorded from Jamaica are added two further species of isocrinid, both based on pluriocolumnals and left in open nomenclature. Austinocrinus n. sp. is the first Lower Cretaceous echinoderm to be described from Jamaica and represents the earliest report of this genus. It is the only fossil stalked crinoid from Jamaica to occur in a shallow-water deposit. Isselicrinus cubensis? (Valette, 1926) forms part of an allochthonous assemblage in the Lower Eocene Port Maria shell bed. Isselicrinus cubensis was originally described from Cuba, and the genus also occurs in Haiti, Mexico, and elsewhere.