The remarkable “evolution” of the reconstructions of Anomalocaris, the extraordinary predator from the 515 million year old Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia, reflects the dramatic changes in our interpretation of early animal life on Earth over the past 100 years. Beginning in 1892 with a claw identified as the abdomen and tail of a phyllocarid crustacean, parts of Anomalocaris have been described variously as a jellyfish, a sea-cucumber, a polychaete worm, a composite of a jellyfish and sponge, or have been attached to other arthropods as appendages. Charles D. Walcott collected complete specimens of Anomalocaris nathorsti between 1911 and 1917, and a Geological Survey of Canada party collected an almost complete specimen of Anomalocaris canadensis in 1966 or 1967, but neither species was adequately described until 1985. At that time they were interpreted by Whittington and Briggs to be representatives of “a hitherto unknown phylum.”

Here, using recently collected specimens, the two species are newly reconstructed and described in the genera Anomalocaris and Laggania, and interpreted to be members of an extinct arthropod class, Dinocarida, and order Radiodonta, new to science. The long history of inaccurate reconstruction and mistaken identification of Anomalocaris and Laggania exemplifies our great difficulty in visualizing and classifying, from fossil remains, the many Cambrian animals with no apparent living descendants.

A new isocrinine species, Nielsenicrinus japonicus, is described from the Maastrichtian of western Kyushu, Japan. This is the first confirmed occurrence of this genus outside Europe. Three isocrinine genera, Nielsenicrinus, Cainocrinus, and Teliocrinus, have a common arrangement of ligamentary articulations in the primibrachials and secundibrachials. These taxa possibly constitute a single lineage since the Early Cretaceous through the Recent, and they were known only from Eurasia, or from Indian Ocean (Teliocrinus).

The decapods Linuparus grimmeri Stenzel, Protocallianassa mortoni (Pilsbry) and Necrocarcinus (Cenomanocarcinus) vanstraeleni (Stenzel)? are described from the middle Turonian Semilla Sandstone Member, Mancos Shale, of north-central New Mexico. The main specimen of P. mortoni is unusually complete, consisting of a complete left first cheliped, parts of other pereiopods, and most of the abdomen. Both L. grimmeri and P. mortoni are reported for the first time from the southern Western Interior. The stratigraphic range of L. grimmeri is extended upward from the upper Cenomanian, and the range of P. mortoni downward from the Campanian.

Epibionts on specimens of Flexicalymene (Late Ordovician, Cincinnati Arch region, U.S.A.) that were encrusted while alive show an apparent preference for attachment along the relatively elevated sagittal axis of the exoskeleton (glabella, axial rings of thorax and pygidium) or the medial portion of the cephalic doublure. This site-specificity supports an interpretation of a semi-infaunal habit for this trilobite and may indicate a commensal relationship between the epizoan and host (e.g., epizoan bryozoans exploiting the trilobite exoskeleton as a hard substrate and perhaps benefitting from feeding currents generated by the trilobite). Epizoans are found only on larger individuals of this trilobite, suggesting a terminal molt stage for Flexicalymene.

Although the number of previously reported encrusted trilobites is small, a survey of the literature suggests the following hypotheses concerning the relationships between trilobite life habit and susceptibility to epizoan colonization: 1) infaunal (burrow dwelling) trilobites were generally free of epizoans; 2) a small proportion of shallow-burrowing (semi-infaunal or “ploughing”) trilobites were suitable hosts for epizoans, but the epizoans preferentially colonized the elevated or anterior portions of the exoskeleton; 3) epifaunal (and some pelagic?) trilobites were more susceptible to encrustation.

Lower Miocene rocks of the uppermost part of the Pysht Formation and the overlying Clallam Formation on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington have yielded rare fossils of a small crab, Cancer (Metacarcinus) starri, new species. This is the second lower Miocene record of the genus Cancer and the oldest of the subgenus Metacarcinus.

New data on the proximal structure of several glossograptid species, including Paraglossograptus holmi, indicate that symmetry between sicula and the first theca is ubiquitous and primitive for the group. This isograptid symmetry is shared with species of Isograptus and Oncograptus, among others, as is a dicalycal second theca, and the initial downward growth of the first several thecal pairs. Consideration of these and other features of the rhabdosome structure leads us to reassess the phylogenetic relations among Glossograptus, Pseudisograptus, Isograptus, and their relatives. The Glossograptidae is a holophyletic clade comprising the common ancestor of Isograptus caduceus and I. victoriae and all its descendants, including the monopleural glossograptines. Incipient monopleural development is exhibited by the otherwise Isograptus-like Bergstroemograptus crawfordi. Derived glossograptids, such as Glossograptus and Kalpinograptus, share a fully monopleural rhabdosome with a prominent proximal bulge formed by the overlap of the early thecae. Contrary to some claims, none possesses a manubrium or manubrium-like structure. The manubrium and the arienigraptid suture are restricted to Arienigraptus hastatus and its descendants. These features unite the Arienigraptidae. The Arienigraptidae, based on their possession of isograptid symmetry and lack of any derived characters shared uniquely with the glossograptids, appear to be a sister group of the Glossograptidae rather than a stem group. These two families appear most closely allied to certain reclined, two-stiped species, such as Isograptus? dilemma, that retain tetragraptid proximal symmetry.

A low-diversity camerate-rich crinoid fauna from the Qijiagou Formation, Taoshigo Valley near Turpan, Xinjiang-Uygar Autonomous Region, China was collected during field work in May, 1993. The crinoid fauna is dominated by species of Platycrinites. Other camerate crinoids include a species in the Paragaricocrinidae, Actinocrinites, a hexacrinitid, and an acrocrinoid. The only other non-North American occurrence of this latter family is Springeracrocrinus from the Moscovian of Russia. In addition to the camerates, there are several advanced cladid inadunates more typical of Upper Carboniferous crinoid faunas, including an erisocrinoid (possibly Sinocrinus), Graphiocrinus, ?Cromyocrinus, and an agassizocrinoid (Petschoracrinus) represented by partly fused infrabasal cones. A single radial plate with angustary facet may represent a cyathocrinoid. There also is a catillocrinoid, assigned here to Paracatillocrinus. The fauna, which resembles Moscovian crinoids described from Russia, is preserved in graded volcanic conglomeratic debris flows that overlie a carbonate mound and contain clasts up to 3 m in dimension. The crinoids are fragmentary, with many calyces seemingly torn into two or three pieces and dumped in with the pyroclastic debris. Camerates are represented by large thecal scraps consisting of numerous plates, or by large individual plates or circlets. Other fossils include rare solitary rugose corals, tabular bryozoans, Neospirifer, and other fragmentary brachiopods. We suspect that the crinoids may have been swept off of a nearby carbonate mound and deposited as debris-flow bedload.

The genus Baffinicythere is a northern high-latitude marine ostracode, which includes four species: B. howei Hazel, B. ishizakii new species, B. reticulata new species, B. robusticostata new species. The first species occurs only in late Pliocene to Recent sediments of the Arctic and northern Atlantic Oceans. The remaining three species are abundant in the Plio–Pleistocene formations of northern Japan, which yield cold-water molluscan faunas. Detailed morphological analyses and paleogeographic distribution of the three new species indicates that: 1) B. reticulata has some primitive characters relative to the other two species; 2) B. ishizakii and B. robusticostata seem to have had different strategies as regards rate of ontogenetic size increase; 3) the left valve outlines can be resolved into two components, ontogenetic shape changes and species-specific distinctions among the species; and 4) B. robusticostata invaded areas inhabited by B. reticulata and may have excluded it during the late Pleistocene. The Atlantic species B. howei has not been recorded from northern Japan. Comparisons of B. reticulata and B. howei, based on their pore distribution and reticulate sculptures, suggest that B. reticulata could have migrated to the Arctic Province after the Bering land barrier had been breached and then evolved rapidly into B. howei.

A new genus and species of crab is described from the late Maastrichtian Meerssen Member of the Maastricht Formation at the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage, SE Netherlands. This new taxon could well be the ancestor of the xanthid Prochlorodius-Chlorodiella group and its occurrence provides additional evidence of a late Cretaceous radiation among the decapod crustaceans.

A new classification is proposed for late Paleozoic Edrioasteroidea (Echinodermata), separating forms with the advanced clavate thecal design from those with the ancestral pyrgate thecal design, and a new Subfamily Discocystinae is erected to receive the clavate agelacrinitid edrioasteroids. Lepidodiscus Meek and Worthen is restricted to the pyrgate type species L. squamosus (Meek and Worthen) and two unnamed species, whereas the clavate L. laudoni (Bassler) is assigned to Clavidiscus, new genus. The clavate Discocystis priesti Strimple and three new species, Hypsiclavus kinsleyi, new genus and species, Hypsiclavus huntsvillensis, new genus and species, and Hypsiclavus guensburgi, new genus and species, are placed in Hypsiclavus, new genus. Bostryclavus, new genus, is erected to receive Echinodiscus sampsoni Miller. A redescription of Discocystis kaskaskiensis (Hall) and a diagnosis of Spiraclavus Sumrall are included for completeness.

Tremadocian onlap is recorded by the Tribes Hill Formation. The formation is a lower Lower Ordovician (upper conodont Fauna B Interval(?)-Rossodus manitouensis Zone) depositional sequence that unconformably overlies the Upper Cambrian Little Falls Formation.

Depositional environments and stratigraphy indicate that the Tribes Hill was deposited on a wave-, not tide-, dominated shelf and that a uniform, “layer-cake” stratigraphy is present. The deepening-shoaling sequence of the Tribes Hill includes the: 1) Sprakers Member (new; peritidal carbonate and overlying tempestite limestone and shale); 2) Van Wie Member (new; subtidal shale and limestone); 3) Wolf Hollow Member (revised; massive carbonates with thrombolitic cap); and 4) Canyon Road Member (new; glauconitic limestone and overlying evaporitic dolostone). The shoaling half-cycle of the Tribes Hill is older than a shoaling event in western Newfoundland, and suggests epeirogenic factors in earliest Ordovician sea-level change in east Laurentia. Conodont and trilobite biofacies track lithofacies, and Rossodus manitouensis Zone conodonts and Bellefontia Biofacies trilobites appear in the distal, middle Tribes Hill Formation.

Twenty-four conodont species are illustrated. Ansella? protoserrata new species, Iapetognathus sprakersi new species, Leukorhinion ambonodes new genus and species, and Laurentoscandodus new genus are described.

Species of the late Osagean and early Meramecian primitive cladid crinoid genera Atelestocrinus, Barycrinus, Cestocrinus, Costalocrinus, Cyathocrinites, Meniscocrinus n. gen., Parisocrinus, Pellecrinus, and Saccosomopsis from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee are reviewed, redescribed, and redefined from study of type material, museum collections, and field collections. Nomenclatural and systematic acts include the following: 1) Barycrinus spurius (Hall, 1858) is a senior synonym of Cyathocrinus tumidus Hall, 1858, C. protuberans Hall, 1858, and B. mammatus Meek and Worthen, 1873; 2) B. rhombiferus (Owen and Shumard, 1852a) is a senior synonym of C. sculptilis Hall, 1860, C. thomae Hall, 1860, C. hoveyi Hall, 1861a, C. wachsmuthi Meek and Worthen, 1861, B. herculeus Meek and Worthen, 1868, B. pentagonus Meek and Worthen, 1873, B. striatus Worthen, 1875, B. boonvillensis Miller, 1891b, B. formosus Miller and Gurley, 1894, B. washingtonensis Miller and Gurley, 1895, and B. elrodi Miller and Gurley, 1896a; 3) B. magister (Hall, 1858) is a senior synonym of C. solidus Hall, 1861a and B. magnificus Meek and Worthen, 1868; 4) B. stellatus (Hall, 1858) is a senior synonym of C. bullatus Hall, 1858, C. angulatus Meek and Worthen, 1860, C. quinquelobus Meek and Worthen, 1865, and B. astericus Van Sant, 1964; 5) B. crassibrachiatus (Hall, 1860) is a senior synonym of B. princeps Miller and Gurley, 1890a; 6) B. geometricus Meek and Worthen, 1873, is considered a nomen dubium; 7) B. benedicti (Miller, 1891a) is considered a nomen dubium; 8) Cyathocrinus signatus Miller and Gurley, 1894, is assigned to Cestocrinus and is a senior synonym of Cestocrinus striatus Kirk, 1940; 9) Cyathocrinites iowensis (Owen and Shumard, 1850) is a senior synonym of C. malvaceus Hall, 1858, C. divaricatus Hall, 1858, C. rotundatus Hall, 1858, C. viminalis Hall, 1861a, C. parvibrachiatus Hall, 1861a, C. hamiltonensis Worthen, 1882, C. nodosus Wachsmuth and Springer, 1890, C. brevisacculus Wachsmuth and Springer, 1890, C. opimus Miller and Gurley, 1890a, and C. gurleyi Miller, 1891a; 10) C. kelloggi (White, 1862) is a senior synonym of C. subtumidus Meek and Worthen, 1865; 11) C. farleyi (Meek and Worthen, 1866b) is a senior synonym of C. andersoni Miller and Gurley, 1894, C. granulosus Rowley, 1902, and C. snivelyi Rowley, 1902; 12) C. harrodi (Wachsmuth and Springer, 1880) is a senior synonym of C. boonvillensis Miller, 1891b, C. gorbyi Miller, 1892b, and C. astralus Kammer, 1984; 13) Meniscocrinus n. gen. is described and M. magnitubus n. sp. is assigned to this new genus; 14) C. labyrinthicus Miller, 1891a, is assigned to Parisocrinus; 15) C. intermedius Hall, 1858, is assigned to Pellecrinus; and 16) C. insperatus Lyon, 1869, is assigned to Saccosomopsis and is a senior synonym of C.? poterium Meek and Worthen, 1870.

The Giant Rat Kangaroos (Ekaltadeta, Propleopus) were placed in a new subfamily the Propleopinae by Archer and Flannery (1985). The discovery of new Ekaltadeta material from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland has stimulated a review of propleopine phylogeny. Cladistic analysis of five propleopine taxa suggests possible paraphyly for Ekaltadeta and polyphyly for Propleopus. A new species of Miocene propleopine, Ekaltadeta jamiemulvaneyi n. sp., from system C local faunas at Riversleigh, is described.

A new trace fossil from the Lower Triassic of northern Italy is described. It is a sinuous resting trace of a bilaterally symmetrical worm-like animal. The anterior end is characterised by a pair of lateral projections. It most closely resembles an acorn-worm (class Enteropneusta) in morphology. As such, it is the only known resting trace of an acorn-worm from the fossil record.

The description of Lophoranina precocious new species from the Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian) Ocozocuautla Formation, Chiapas, México, represents the first occurrence of Lophoranina in pre-Eocene strata. The discovery provides documentation that the evolutionary development of terraced lines in the genus trended from relatively few, undivided, symmetrical terraces to more numerous, divided, asymmetrical terraces, and that the overall carapace surface developed a lower relief and became more uniform through time. Terraced lines that appear to be nodose, in most cases, were probably spinose. The morphology of the dorsal carapace seems to support affinities of the Raninidae with the Homolidae.

A new species of Graptocarcinus is the stratigraphically youngest known member of the genus; it is here described together with a new species of the genus Caloxanthus from the late Maastrichtian of The Netherlands. The known stratigraphic distribution and paleobiogeography of both genera are discussed. The range of Graptocarcinus is extended from the Aptian to the late Maastrichtian.

Jamaica has the best-known fauna of fossil crinoids of the Antillean islands. Two Cretaceous species have been reexamined on the basis of new material. Lower Cretaceous Apiocrinites sp., previously referred to Austinocrinus n. sp. and first documented from a short pluricolumnal, is now known from brachials and further fragments of column. This is the first millericrinid, and only the second non-isocrinid stalked crinoid, to be identified from the Jamaican and Antillean fossil record. Other ossicles may be derived from the cirri of a comatulid. Applinocrinus cretacea (Bather) is well known from the upper Senonian of England, North America and the West Indies, although Caribbean specimens have not been figured previously. Functional interpretations of the mode of life of Applinocrinus suggest that it was a benthic crinoid, presumably with arms. It lived embedded in the sediment.

A new genus and two new species of late Paleozoic edrioasteroids, Giganticlavus bennisoni and G. gelasinus, are described from the Early Pennsylvanian of Oklahoma and New Mexico. Giganticlavus differs from other clavate edrioasteroids by its large size, extreme ambulacral length and ambital overlap, extreme thickness of interambulacral and recumbent zone plates, and the tessellate nature of the recumbent zone plating. The extreme length of ambulacra and thickness of the plating are interpreted as adaptations for increased size and rigidity.

Five taxa of amynodontid rhinoceroses have been named from Kazakhstan. We consider only two of these valid, and recognize three amynodontid taxa from Paleogene deposits in Kazakhstan: Cadurcodon ardynensis (=Cadurcodon zaisanensis; =Amynodon tuskabakensis) from the upper Eocene (Ergilian)-lower Oligocene (Shandgolian) of the Zaysan basin, Zaisanamynodon borisovi, from the Ergilian of the Zaysan basin and Cadurcodon kazakademius, from Shandgolian strata in the vicinity of the Chelkar-Teniz lake basin. Gigantamynodon akespensis, from the upper Oligocene north of the Aral Sea is a rhinocerotid, not an amynodontid. Close similarity of the amynodontids of Kazakhstan to those of Mongolia and China supports direct correlation of Ergilian and Shandgolian strata across Asia.

A Frasnian composite standard provides a refined scaling for the thirteen-fold conodont zonation first developed in the Montagne Noire, France, but since replicated in North America, Australia, and now the Timan-Pechora region of Russia. Zones 4–13 are identifiable in seven cores from the Ukhta area of southern Timan and a core from the Bagan Field of the Khoreyver Basin. Scaling of the zones through graphic correlation demonstrates the diachronism in different sections of the bases of many conodont species, including those of zonally defining Palmatolepis. This can be effectively shown in a correlation diagram scaled to a composite standard based on graphic correlation, whereas it is obscured by the assumption of synchronism inherent in conventional zonal correlation charts.

Newly described species occurring in the Timan-Pechora region and elsewhere are Ozarkodina nonaginta, Ancyrognathus amplicavus, Mesotaxis johnsoni, Palmatolepis amplificata, P. mucronata, P. ormistoni, and P. timanensis. A number of other species described earlier from the region also occur outside Russia, mainly in Canada and Australia. Distribution patterns in the composite standard indicate close faunal connections between the Timan-Pechora, western Canada, and Western Australia.