Fossil megaspore floras from the Late Cretaceous of North America have been studied extensively, but primarily from the Western Interior Basin. Two new megaspore floras are described from eastern North America along the Gulf Coastal Plain. Cumulatively, 10 genera and 16 species of megaspores are recognized from Allon, Georgia and along Upatoi Creek, Georgia (both late Santonian in age, ~84 Ma). Megaspores identified have affinities to both heterosporous lycopsids, e.g., Erlansonisporites, Minerisporites, and Paxillitriletes, and to heterosporous ferns, e.g., Ariadnaesporites, and Molaspora. Lycopsid megaspores are more diverse than fern megaspores in the Allon and the Upatoi Creek floras. Two new species—Erlansonisporites confundus n. sp. and Erlansonisporites potens n. sp.—are proposed.

A new upper Bajocian ammonite assemblage containing the morphoceratids Dimorphinites dimorphus (d'Orbigny) and Vigoriceras defrancei (d'Orbigny) is reported from the circum-Pacific area. These ammonites were found at the top of the Torcazas Formation, in the Quebrada San Pedro area, Precordillera of northern Chile. Taphonomic, systematic, and paleobiogeographic data confirm these dimorphs were part of indigenous populations within the Tarapaca Basin, belonging to the same demic biospecies: Dimorphinites defrancei (d'Orbigny). The West Tethyan and East-Pacific distribution of D. defrancei corroborates the availability of the migratory seaway, the so-called Hispanic Corridor, between the western Tethys and the eastern Pacific Ocean during the upper Bajocian Parkinsoni Zone. The discovery of this upper Bajocian Dimorphinites assemblage provides a new biochronostratigraphic horizon in the Tarapaca Basin and an interoceanic correlation point for the latest Bajocian.

An asteroid (Echinodermata) faunule of four taxa representing three surviving families and a probable fourth is described from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous) of Morocco, northwest Africa. The four together suggest limited morphologic evolution since the Cretaceous but biogeographic and depth patterns have changed. Marocaster coronatus n. gen. n. sp. (Valvatida, Goniasteridae) combines apparent derived features of the dorsal disk and superomarginal shape with more stemward expressions of the abactinal ossicles. Betelgeusia orientalis n. sp. is a fourth Mesozoic occurrence of the Radiasteridae (Paxillosida), the new species similar to earlier occurrences from the Middle Jurassic of India, the Early Cretaceous of Texas, and the Late Cretaceous of Europe. Reported modern occurrences of the family are few, widely scattered, and limited to deeper water; the extinct species together testify to a once-broader familial distribution. Dipsacaster africanus n. sp., a member of the Astropectinidae (Paxillosida), is remarkably similar to extant congeners. Dipsacaster today is widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean but occurrences in the Atlantic are few. Because of preservation, a single small specimen of the Zoroasteridae? (Forcipulatida) cannot be identified with certainty. Extant zoroasterids are deep-water in distribution, although shallow-water Eocene representatives are known.

The Upper Triassic of the Williston Lake area of northeastern British Columbia is represented by a nearly continuous series of fossil-rich sediments that were deposited in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in an offshore mid-paleolatitude setting on the western margin of cratonic Pangea. The fossils in this report come primarily from the upper Carnian–upper Norian Pardonet Formation, which has been the subject of numerous paleontologic studies on ammonoids and conodonts, yet has received little attention with regard to its bivalve fauna. Fossil bivalves belonging to the thin-shelled bivalve genera Halobia, Eomonotis, and Monotis dominate the benthic macrofauna and occur within unique shell accumulations that are interpreted to represent oxygen-controlled monospecific paleocommumities that have undergone little post-mortem transportation. Systematic analyses of more than 1,000 individual bivalve specimens resulted in the identification of 25 species-rank taxa, a majority of which belong to the pterioid genus Halobia and the pectinoid genera Eomonotis and Monotis. Of these, four new species are recognized, including 1) upper Carnian Halobia tozeri n. sp. characterized by a unique triangular outline; 2) lowermost Norian Halobia selwyni n. sp. closely related to H. beyrichi and first appearing with H. austriaca which is proposed as a potential datum for the Carnian–Norian boundary; 3) Norian Meleagrinella mclearni n. sp., a new name for previously identified species; and 4) upper Norian Otaparia norica n. sp. which has a delicate thin shell, unique outline, and fine ornament. A revised and refined biochronology of Upper Triassic Bivalvia (chiefly Halobiidae and Monotidae) integrated with conodont and ammonoid zones and standard Triassic stages is presented for the Upper Triassic of the Williston Lake area and permits enhanced correlation to coeval faunas elsewhere in the North American Cordillera, and to the Boreal, Panthalassan and Tethyan faunal realms.

Morphologic analyses of a large quantity of teudopseid coleoids from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Lebanon has yielded a much higher diversity than previously assumed and revealed numerous extraordinarily well-preserved soft-part characters. The Teudopseina is represented by three families (only the Muensterellidae are still unknown in the Lebanon Plattenkalks). The Teudopsidae is represented by one species (Teudopsinia haasi), the Trachyteuthididae by five species (Trachyteuthis bacchiai n. sp., Glyphiteuthis libanotica, Gl. abisaadiorum, Gl. freijii n. sp., and Glyphidopsis waagei n. gen. n. sp.), and the Palaeololiginidae by one species (Rachiteuthis donovani). Gl. freijii n. sp. represents the first record of a coleoid cephalopod from Nâmmoura. A detailed comparison with Jurassic gladii shows that the Teudopseina is a very homogenous group that can be easily differentiated from other Mesozoic, gladius-bearing groups (Prototeuthidina, Loligosepiina). Despite comparatively large gaps in the fossil record, each of the Late Cretaceous gladii can be readily associated with Jurassic precursors. Particularly, the first record of two pairs of fins in Glyphiteuthis exemplifies that in addition to gladius similarities, similarities in soft-parts exist as well. A previously undescribed specimen of Rachiteuthis exhibits unusually well-preserved gills. In general, the soft-part morphology of the Teudopseina clearly indicates octobrachiate affinities (i.e., absence of tentacles, circular suckers, cirri, two pairs of fins, octopod-like eye capsules); no existing evidence supports a decabrachiate relationship.

The structure of cranidial shape variation in the early ptychoparioid trilobites Crassifimbra walcotti, Crassifimbra? metalaspis (new combination), and Eokochaspis nodosa is explored using landmark-based geometric morphometric techniques, and is found to be generally similar among the species. Allometry is the strongest single source of cranidial shape variation within each species. The species share several trends in their respective patterns of ontogenetic shape change, but differ in the relative magnitude of these shared trends. Species-specific trends are also present. Each species follows a unique trajectory of ontogenetic shape change. The species exhibit subtle but significant differences in mean cranidial shape even at small size (sagittal length 1.75 mm); the magnitude of interspecific differences becomes larger at larger size (sagittal length 4.2 mm).

For conspecific cranidia of a given size, the major pattern of covariance among anatomical parts is essentially identical to the pattern of covariance among those parts during ontogeny. Developmentally determined covariance patterns among cranidial regions might be responsible for ontogenetic shape change and a portion of non-allometric shape intraspecific variation. Interspecific differences in cranidial shape resulted from complex local modifications to growth pattern and cannot be attributed to simple ontogenetic scaling.

The new collections permit the first description of non-cranidial sclerites of C. walcotti. A cephalic median organ is documented on C. walcotti, representing the oldest known occurrence of this structure in trilobites.

A new species of stem parrot is reported from the early Eocene Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation. Well-preserved specimens including a complete skeleton and referred partial postcranial skeleton reveal new osteological details of the clade Halcyornithidae and expand the known diversity of the Green River avifauna. Cyrilavis colburnorum n. sp. shares key morphologies with the smaller Green River halcyornithid Cyrilavis olsoni. A combined phylogenetic analysis of Pan-Psittaciformes using 101 morphological characters and sequence data from three genes (RAG-1, Z-chromosomal spindlin and cytochrome b) supports the placement of 1) Halcyornithidae, 2) a small clade uniting the Messel fossil taxon Psittacopes lepidus and an unnamed London Clay species, and 3) Quercypsittidae on branches successively closer to the crown clade Psittaciformes. Analysis of the morphological dataset alone yields a similar strict consensus tree with slightly less resolution (one additional branch collapsed). Relationships within the crown clade agree well with recent hypotheses in supporting a basal divergence between the New Zealand Nestoridae and all other extant parrots, and a second major divergence between Cacatuidae and Psittacidae. When fossils are taken into account, many previously proposed synapomorphies of extant parrots are instead optimized as synapomorphies of more inclusive groups including both stem fossil taxa and living taxa. Fossil evidence is consistent with a more recent origin of crown clade Psittaciformes than predicted from divergence dating analyses, and supports environmental shifts and dispersal as key drivers in parrot biogeography.

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.

Brontotheriids are common in Eocene faunas of North America and Asia but are poorly known from the Indian subcontinent. Here we describe three new late early Eocene brontotheriids from Pakistan, found in the upper part of the upper Ghazij Formation and representing the oldest Asian brontotheres. Eotitanops pakistanensis n. sp. is a small, primitive species, Balochititanops haqi n. gen. n. sp. is slightly larger and more derived, and fragmentary specimens identified as cf. Balochititanops sp. appear to represent a third, larger taxon.

Improved knowledge of early brontotheres from North America permits better taxonomic resolution of some middle Eocene brontothere remains from Pakistan. ‘Eotitanops’ dayi from the Kuldana Formation is shown to be closer to Palaeosyops and is renamed Palaeosyops dayi n. comb. A new astragalus from the Baska Formation probably represents Pakotitanops latidentatus. A previously described humerus and a new calcaneum, both from the Subathu Formation, are tentatively referred to Mulkrajanops moghliensis.

Phylogenetic interpretation suggests that Eotitanops pakistanensis is as primitive as the North American species of this basal brontothere genus, and also, within the limits of stratigraphic resolution, Eotitanops appeared on both continents at the same time. The origin of brontotheres is therefore equally likely to have been in Asia or in North America. The presence of the primitive brontotheres Eotitanops and Palaeosyops in Indo-Pakistan and North America indicates faunal exchange, almost certainly through Asia, although the direction of dispersal cannot be determined. The postulated high-latitude exchange coincides with a warm interval known as the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

Representatives of the family Gastrodoridae were exclusively known from Jurassic deposits in central Europe. Here, the first Cretaceous species, Gastrodorus cretahispanicus n. sp., is recorded from reefal strata of the Eguino Formation (Albeniz Unit) of Albian-Cenomanian age, in western Navarra (northern Spain). Not only does the occurrence of the new species extend the stratigraphic range of the family upward for approximately 45 million years into the mid-Cretaceous, it also constitutes the first record of gastrodorids from southern Europe. For over a century, the taxonomic position of the genus Gastrodorus has been debated. It is revised here and the family Gastrodoridae is given a full superfamily status within the Anomura. The genus Eogastrodorus is also redefined. Gastrodorids underwent a remarkable size reduction from the Middle to Upper Jurassic, which may be explained by their migration into reef environments.

The new nuculid bivalve Trigonucula (Gonionucula) aciloides new subgenus and species from the upper Triassic Nayband Formation of Central Iran is described. Gonionucula differs from Trigonucula s.s. by the presence of oblique ribs, which either deviate from a concentric pattern at the anterior shell part, or, as in the newly described type species, consist of a complex pattern of chevron-like ribs on the central part of the flank, plus an additional set of opisthocline to more or less acline ribs on posterior part of the flank. The oblique ribs of Gonionucula probably aided energy-efficient burrowing, which was advantageous in competing for food resources with less efficiently burrowing detritus feeders. The number of burrowing bivalve species with oblique ribs generally rose towards the end of the Triassic, which probably reflects increasing competition at a time when most niches were re-occupied after the end-Permian mass extinction event. The fact that oblique ribs were rare in Paleozoic bivalves suggests that the level of competition was higher in post-Paleozoic biota, which is in accordance with a general increase in metabolic rates, predation pressure, and ecospace occupation in the course of the Mesozoic.

A remarkable specimen of the small neoceratopsian dinosaur Protoceratops andrewsi (Late Cretaceous, Mongolia) reveals the first nest of this genus, complete with fifteen juveniles. The relatively large size of the individuals and their advanced state of development suggests the possibility that Protoceratops juveniles remained and grew in their nests during at least the early stages of postnatal development. The nest further implies that parental care and sociality are phylogenetically basal behaviors in Ceratopsia. Finally, it reaffirms the conclusion that Protoceratops lived (and died) in the sandy aeolian dune fields of the central Asian craton.

The Chesley Drive Group, an Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician mudstone-dominated unit, is part of the Ediacaran–Ordovician cover sequence on the North American part of the Avalon microcontinent. The upper Chesley Drive Group on McLeod Brook, Cape Breton Island (previously “McLeod Brook Formation”), has two lithofacies-specific Tremadocian biotas. An older low-diversity benthic assemblage (shallow burrowers, Bathysiphon, phosphatic brachiopods, asaphid trilobites) is in lower upper Tremadocian green-gray mudstone. This wave-influenced, slightly dysoxic facies has Bathysiphon–brachiopod shell lags in ripple troughs. The upper fauna (ca. 483 +/- 1 Ma) is in dysoxic-anoxic (d-a), unburrowed, dark gray-black, upper upper (but not uppermost) Tremadocian mudstone with a “mass kill” of the olenid Peltocare rotundifrons (Matthew)—a provincial trilobite in Avalonian North America that likely tolerated low oxygen bottom waters. Scandodus avalonensis Landing n. sp. and Lagenochitina aff. conifundus (Poumot), probable nektic elements and the first upper Tremadocian conodont and chitinozoan reported from Avalon, occur in diagenetic calcareous nodules in the dark gray-black mudstone. An upper Tremadocian transition from lower greenish to upper black mudstone is not exposed on McLeod Brook, but is comparable to a coeval green-black mudstone transition in Avalonian England. The successions suggest that late late Tremadocian (probable Baltic Hunnebergian Age) sea level was higher in Avalon than is suggested from successions on other paleocontinents. The Tremadocian sea-level history of Avalon was a shoaling-deepening-shoaling sequence from d-a black mudstone (lower Tremadocian), to dysoxic green mudstone (lower upper Tremadocian), and back to black mudstone (upper upper Tremadocian).

Scandodus Lindström is emended, with the early species S. avalonensis Landing n. sp. assigned to the emended Family Protopanderodontidae. Triangulodus Van Wamel is considered a junior synonym of Scandodus. Peltocare rotundifrons is emended on the basis of complete specimens.

Morphologic analyses of a large collection of coleoid cephalopods from the Lebanese Upper Cretaceous yielded a much higher diversity than previously assumed and revealed numerous extraordinarily well-preserved, soft-part characters. An analysis of the Prototeuthidina, a gladius-bearing group with a slender torpedo-shaped body, revealed two species: Dorateuthis syriaca and Boreopeltis smithi n. sp. Previously unknown soft-part characters, such as the digestive tract, the gills, and the cephalic cartilage considerably improved our knowledge of D. syriaca. Since none of the investigated specimens show more than eight arms, similarities with modern squids are regarded as superficial. Boreopeltis smithi n. sp. is erected on the basis of its comparatively wide Paraplesioteuthis-like gladius. The latter species represents the first unambiguous record of this genus in Upper Cretaceous deposits. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the prototeuthidid clade consists of two lineages. The plesioteuthidid lineage originates from early Jurassic Paraplesioteuthis and leads to Plesioteuthis and Dorateuthis. The other lineage is morphologically more conservative and leads to Boreopeltis.

The Late Cretaceous white chalk of the Isle of Rügen, northeastern Germany, yields a highly diverse marine floral and faunal assemblage with more than 1,400 described species, including pennatulacean corals. All the new collected material, composed of fragments of the axial rods, belongs to ‘Graphularia’ quadrata Voigt, 1958, which was revised, and a new species, ‘Graphularia’ rugia. Analyses of the microstructure of axial rods of modern and fossil sea pens facilitate the discussion of the systematic relationships of the fossil material. ‘Graphularia’ quadrata shows an affinity to the Funiculinidae, whereas the new species ‘Graphularia’ rugia resembles the axial structure of the Pennatulidae.

Plastomenidae is a poorly diagnosed clade of extinct soft-shelled turtles (Trionychidae) known from the Campanian to Eocene of North America. Five skulls, a mandible, two carapaces, and numerous plastral remains from the Hell Creek Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of North Dakota and Montana are referable to Gilmoremys lancensis nov. comb., a taxon previously known from a carapace and xiphiplastron only. Gilmoremys lancensis is diagnosed by a carapace that is covered by elongate sinusoidal grooves, distally expanded second costals, hyoplastral shoulders, an extensive secondary palate with accessory ridges, an extremely elongate mandible, a contribution of the parietal to the wall of the orbit, and a posterior ossified narial canal. A phylogenetic analysis of all well-known plastomenid turtles establishes Gilmoremys lancensis as the most basal known plastomenid and reveals that cranial characters are more reliable in diagnosing plastomenid turtles, in particular the contribution of the parietal to the orbit wall and the extensive secondary palate. All plastomenid turtles with a locked entoplastron are placed in Hutchemys. Assuming that all taxa are monophyletic, the phylogenetic analysis implies that the G. lancensis lineage is the only one to go extinct at the K/T boundary, whereas the four remaining plastomenid lineages survive. Extensive ghost ranges are nevertheless apparent. Taphonomic considerations indicate that G. lancensis was a riverine turtle, whereas more derived plastomenids preferred swampy habitats.

Cassianastraea is an enigmatic colonial Triassic cnidarian first described as a coral but subsequently referred to the Hydrozoa. We report here the first occurrence in Canada of fossils we designate as Cassianastraea sp. from the Williston Lake region of British Columbia. The specimens come from older collections of the Geological Survey of Canada, collected in Upper Triassic (Carnian) strata assigned to either the Ludington or Baldonnel Formations. While well known in reef associations of the former Tethys region, Cassianiastraea is relatively rare in North America. The Carnian Baldonnel Formation contains the earliest coral reefs from the North American craton and we suspect that Cassianastraea sp. also came from this reef association.

A single large colony (20 cm) of Rhombopora blakei n. sp. from the Hook Head Formation of Ireland (Tournaisian Stage, Mississippian) permits an analysis of within-colony variation associated with environmental change at a calendar scale (days to decades). Morphometric data for three external characters—apertures spacing along a branch and diagonal to a branch as well as lateral zooecial spacing—were collected as growth series (16–30 generations) from 13 segments within the colony. ANOVA, post-hoc means testing and graphical analysis of standardized data revealed nearest neighbor effects at the zooecial level and non-random distribution of variances across the colony. Parametric tests for sequential nonrandomness revealed cyclic variation through growth transects at three levels (23.3, 9.4 and 5.3 generations). Comparisons to growth rates of modern bryozoans suggests that the longer-term cycles are annual and that the shortest cycles may be related to lunar tidal cycles. The exceptional size and preservation of this single specimen, which is a new species of rhabdomesine Bryozoa, reinforces the importance of collecting individual morphological measurements from randomly selected and widely spaced parts of a colony for taxonomic, evolutionary and ecological applications.

The obolellates represent a poorly understood group of the oldest known cosmopolitan calcareous rhynchonelliform brachiopods. They made their first appearance in the early Atdabanian and became extinct at the end of the Middle Cambrian. Consequently, any information concerning the soft anatomy of this ephemeral lineage of brachiopods has great phylogenetic significance. This is the first report on two specimens of an obolellate with fine preservation of soft parts including the pedicle, marginal setae and possible imprints of a spiral lophophore, recovered from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat Lagerstätte of Kunming, southern China. The setae are thin and densely fringed along the shell margin. The stout pedicle is distinctly composed of densely stacked tabular bodies, lacking a central coelomic lumen; it emerges through a possible foramen, and slightly tapers posteriorly with the distal end attached to exoskeletons of other organisms.

The Middle Cambrian eocrinoid genera Lyracystis Sprinkle and Collins, 2006, from western Laurentia and Balangicystis Parsley and Zhao, 2006, from South China, described in the same year, have turned out to be closely related genera assigned to the Family Lyracystidae. Both have erect, lyre-shaped, arm-like, brachiolebearing, feeding appendages, here termed exothecal ambulacra, that are not homologous to crinoid arms. They also have a long, multiplated stalk to elevate the theca and feeding appendages well above the sea floor, making them among the highest tiered echinoderm suspension feeders known from the Middle Cambrian. The long stalk was either inserted a short distance into the muddy sediment, or attached to rare skeletal fragments lying on the sea floor. Both genera seem well adapted to quiet-water or slow-current conditions in deeper water (150-200 m) on the outer shelf or upper slope of their respective continents.