Zonocypris digitalis (Ostracoda, Crustacea), nouvelle espèce du Fuvélien (Campanien continental) de Provence (sud-est France)

Many specimens of non-marine Ostracodes, especially the new species Zonocypris digitalis were recovered from continental deposits of fuvelian (Campanian) age at Auriol (Provence, south-east France). First species of that genus described in the Cretaceous of southern Europe, Z. digitalis is associated with Charophytes and mainly Gastropodes remains, thus providing confirmation of the datation proposed and age of the studied outcrops. Z. digitalis may be integrated within the current biostratigraphic scale which is accepted as valid for the non-marine Upper Cretaceous of the above mentioned area.     

A mosasaur from the Cenomanian of Russia

The premaxilla of a mosasauroid lizard from the Lysaya Gora 3 locality in Saratov (Upper Cretaceous, Cenomanian) is described. To date, the oldest known mosasaur remains have been dated Turonian. The premaxilla is most similar in morphology to that of Russellosaurus from the Turonian of the United States; however, the absence of sufficient diagnostic characters only allows its attribution to Mosasauridae indet.     

Lowermost occurrence of ostracod Cypridea species in East Asia and implications for the non-marine Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary

Cypridea Bosquet, 1852 is a non-marine ostracod genus of the Superfamily Cypridoidea, and the extinct Family Cyprideidae, which achieved high diversity in the Early Cretaceous. This genus plays an important role in the subdivision and correlation of strata, as well as in paleogeographic and paleoclimatic studies. Cypridea species are remarkably abundant and diverse, and are extensively distributed across East Asia. However, the lowermost occurrence of Cypridea species (LOOC) in East Asia is still being debated, varying from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous. Here, we aim to conduct a preliminary investigation of the Cypridea-bearing strata of East Asia (China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan), and attempt to update the strata correlation, based on new progress of the ostracod correlations, as well as the progress of other research methods on the relative Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) strata of these areas. Results show that the LOOCs in most basins of East Asia are documented in Lower Cretaceous (～Berriasian) strata. However, Cypridea species are extremely rare near the J/K boundary interval but flourish until Valanginian–Hauterivian in most basins of East Asia. Therefore, we propose that the LOOC in each corresponding basin of East Asia can be used as an auxiliary marker of the non-marine J/K boundary. Cypridea species may have travelled first from Africa (Kimmeridgian) to Europe (J/K period), and then East Asia (Early Cretaceous), which resulted in the LOOC in East Asia later than in the other continents.     

On the systematic position of the Early Cretaceous fern genus “Athyrium”

The oldest fossils assigned to Athyrium (mostly based on the sorus morphology) comprise fronds and spores from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast Asia. However, most molecular dating suggests that extant Athyrium diverged from its sister genus during the Eocene or later, implying that the Cretaceous fossils probably belong to another polypodiaceous taxon. By examining the sorus morphology of extant genera related to the family Athyriaceae, we found that the primary diagnostic feature for assigning the Cretaceous fossils to Athyrium, i.e., the sorus shape, is common to the entire extant family, or plesiomorphic for the genus. As the fronds are more commonly preserved than the reproductive parts, we compared the fossil frond morphology with those of living taxa of the family that is divided into two types. The Cretaceous fossil we examined here bears the frond’s costal groove characters on adaxial side, which is more closely related to that of the Deparia-clade instead of the clade including Athyrium and other genera of the family. The observation is further confirmed by the cladistic analysis using morphological characters. The systematic position of the Early Cretaceous “Athyrium” was resolved as a stem member of the total Athyriaceae using a tip-dating approach with the Fossilized Birth-Death model in a Bayesian framework. Our study suggests that Early Cretaceous fossils previously assigned to Athyrium require taxonomic revision.     

珠三角河网链状硅藻物种组成及生态特征

珠三角河网水域是珠江之水流入南海的必经之地,于2012年和2015年对该水域的链状硅藻的时空特征及其影响因素进行了分析。共发现链状硅藻18种(包括变种和变型),颗粒沟链藻是该水域的绝对优势种,也是该区域水体富营养化的重要指示物种。总生物量的时间变化模式呈现枯水期差异较大,丰水期差异较小的特点,主要是受到径流量、透明度和水温差异的影响;空间特征主要表现为广州市周边站位的生物量明显偏高,主要受水体富营养化的影响。不同链状硅藻的相对百分组成显示,颗粒沟链藻是绝对优势种,变异直链藻易在枯水期与其形成竞争优势。沟链藻属的链长一般大于直链藻属,这主要得益于其形态结构较稳固的优势;此外,透明度、营养盐和pH值等也是影响链长的重要因素。     

Upper Cretaceous paleogeography of the Central Southern Pyrenean Basins (Catalonia, Spain) from microfacies analysis and charophyte biostratigraphy

The most extensive latest Cretaceous deposits of the Pyrenees are non-marine facies traditionally called “Garumnian”, which represent the first continentalization of the Pyrenean Foreland Basins. The age and paleogeography of the basal Garumnian facies in the different parts of the Pyrenean Basin has been a matter of debate. Charophyte biostratigraphy and microfacies analysis suggest that the continentalization was diachronous in the Central Southern Pyrenean basins, i.e., between the Àger and Tremp basins, and the emersion progressed from south to north. In the Àger Basin, to the south, the first Upper Cretaceous non-marine rocks are represented by the La Maçana Formation. This unit is mainly formed by freshwater lacustrine limestones organized into hundreds of shallowing-upwards sequences ranging from deeper lacustrine facies, through marginal, well-illuminated environments dominated by characean meadows, and finishing with lakeshores dominated by clavatoracean meadows. The charophyte assemblage from the La Maçana Fm is mainly formed by Peckichara cancellata, P. sertulata, Microchara cristata, M. parazensis, Platychara caudata, and Clavator brachycerus, which belong to the Peckichara cancellata charophyte biozone (Late Campanian). In contrast, in the Tremp Basin, located to the north, the beginning of the non-marine sedimentation is organized into a few cycles of the well-known La Posa Fm. These cycles begin with brackish deposits formed by thick marls with euryhaline molluscs at the base, followed by lignite and brackish to freshwater limestones. The brackish facies are dominated by porocharaceans. The charophyte assemblage of the La Posa Formation is formed by Feistiella malladae, Peckichara sertulata, Microchara cristata, and Clavator brachycerus, which belong to the Septorella ultima charophyte biozone (Early Maastrichtian).     

Triuridaceae fossil flowers from the Upper Cretaceous of New Jersey

We report here on a series of fossil flowers exhibiting a mosaic of characters present in the extant monocot family Triuridaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of morphological data from a broad sample of extant monocots confirm the affinities of the fossils with modern Triuridaceae. The fossil flowers were collected from outcrops of the Raritan Formation (Upper Cretaceous, ～90 million years before present), New Jersey, USA. These are the oldest known unequivocal monocot flowers. Because other reports of "earliest" monocots are all based on equivocal character suites and/or ambiguously preserved fossil material, the Triuridaceae fossils reported here should also be considered as the oldest unequivocal fossil monocots. Flowers are minute and unisexual (only male flowers are known); the perianth is composed of six tepals, lacking stomata. The unicyclic androecium is of three stamens with dithecal, monosporangiate, extrorse anthers that open by longitudinal slits. The endothecium has U-shaped type thickenings. Pollen grains are monosulcate. The triurid fossil flowers can be separated into three distinctive species. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses of morphological characters, the fossil taxa nest within the completely saprophytic achlorophyllous Triuridaceae supporting the interpretation that the extinct plants were also achlorophyllous and saprophytic. If so, this represents the earliest known fossil occurrence of the saprophytic/mycotrophic habit in angiosperms.     

Histological study of karaurids,the oldest known (stem) urodeles

Little is known about the initial phases of lissamphibian history (before the Cretaceous), because their fossil record is quite scanty. Only the morphology of the earliest members has been investigated, although other sets of data, from bone microanatomy and histology, are known to yield valuable paleobiological information. In the present study, we provide the first histological and microanatomical data on the oldest known stem-urodeles, the karaurids, from the Middle Jurassic. Three humeri from the Upper Bathonian, Oxfordshire, referred to juvenile or subadult individuals of Marmorerpeton and to an unnamed caudate of undetermined (but obviously non-larval) ontogenetic stage, were sampled in order to shed new light on the habitat and ontogeny of these basal caudates. The great compactness of the three humeri suggests that these salamanders were aquatic. The presence of extensive amounts of calcified cartilage in the humeri greatly strengthens the case for the presence of neoteny in these taxa, a suggestion that had initially been made on the basis of a few morphological characters. This constitutes the oldest known occurrence of neoteny in lissamphibians. Finally, bone histology reveals that the growth of Marmorerpeton and the related unnamed caudate was fairly slow and cyclic, a characteristic of extant lissamphibians.     

Ostracod range charts as a chronoecologic tool

Using a linear time scale and equating the durations of species with those of their ecologic niches, range charts of ostracods show ecologic events. As a non-marine example, the Upper Miocene record of the genusCyprideis shows asymptotic freshening of the Central Paratethys. Duration charts of British Jurassic and Cretaceous shallow marine species reflect shore-line movements which generally do, but sometimes do not correlate with global sea-level changes.Charts of all (marine and non-marine) ostracod species distinguish regressions due to progradation during a sea-level rise or highstand from those caused by falling sea-level.Global sea-level changes not only directly induce large-scale creation and destruction of shallow-water benthic niches, but also will drastically affect pelagic and terrestrial environments. The ostracod record discussed in this paper suggests that eustacy is an important driving force behind macroevolution.     

The incertae sedis <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carpathoporella</Emphasis> Dragastan, 1995, from the Lower Cretaceous of Albania: skeletal elements (sclerites,internodes/branches,holdfasts) of colonial octocorals

The incertae sedis Carpathoporella Dragastan, 1995, reported from the Lower Cretaceous of the Western Tethyan domain, is usually interpreted as remains of calcareous algae (Dasycladales or Characeae). New thin-section material from the Aptian of Albania sheds light not only on its biogenic nature but also on the morphological variability of this taxon. In fact, Carpathoporella represents the debris of colonial, bushy, most likely gorgonid octocorals with tuberculated spheroids that may be fused at least near the basal root-like holdfast. Colony branching originates from longitudinally grooved calcareous branches or internodes. Possible relationships to other Upper Cretaceous to Palaeogene genera are discussed and a revised critical inventory of Cretaceous octocorals is presented. Due to the evidenced morphological features, Carpathoporella could either represent an ancestral isidid octocoral of the order Alcyonacea such as Moltkia Steenstrup or, due to the likely primary aragonitic skeletal mineralogy, a representative of Epiphaxum Lonsdale of the order Helioporacea. Due to morphological analogies, the new combination Carpathoporella elliotti (Radoičić) is proposed. In any case, the Lower Cretaceous record from Tethyan peri-reefal shallow-water carbonates is highlighted since numerous skeletal findings of fossil gorgonid Octocorallia were so far only known from Upper Cretaceous and younger strata of outer shelf environments of the boreal realm. The origin of deep-water Upper Cretaceous octocorals from Lower Cretaceous shallow-water taxa such as Carpathoporella is proposed as a possible further example of onshore/offshore evolutionary pattern.     

A large iguanodont from the Upper Barremian of the Paris Basin

The remains of an ornithopod dinosaur from the Upper Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Auxerre (Burgundy, France) are described. They consist of several vertebrae and a fragmentary scapula. Despite obvious morphological and dimensional affinities with the species Iguanodon bernissartensis, the state of the specimen does not allow any identification more precise than Iguanodontia indet. Reappraisal of the French Upper Barremian record of medium and large-sized ornithopods reveals that no specimen can be definitely determined to the specific level.     

A new genus of Bothremydidae (Chelonii,Pleurodira) in the Cretaceous of Southwestern Europe

Although the Bothremydidae are the most abundant and diverse group of turtles in the Upper Cretaceous fauna of Europe, the record attributed to the genus Elochelys was, until now, quite scarce. However, the revision of the specimens previously attributed to this taxon and the analysis of new material from the Spanish record significantly increase our knowledge of these turtles. Evaluation of the morphological variability, affecting many characters that have been considered diagnostic until now and comparisons with other members of the node Bothremydini, allow us to amend the diagnosis of the genus Elochelys, recognising Elochelys perfecta as a valid single species and reassigning its other representative, “Elochelys” convenarum, to the new genus Iberoccitanemys.     

PHYLOGENY OF AULACOSEIRA (BACILLARIOPHYTA) BASED ON MOLECULES AND MORPHOLOGY1

The phylogeny of 67 populations representing 45 species of Aulacoseira Thwaites was estimated by maximum parsimony methods using a combination of nucleotide sequence data and qualitative and quantitative morphological characteristics of the silica cell wall gathered primarily from original observation by LM and SEM. A new type of character using continuous quantitative variables that describe the ontogenetic‐allometric trajectories of cell wall characteristics over the life cycle (size range) of diatoms is introduced. In addition to the 45 Aulacoseira species, the phylogeny also incorporated one Miosira Krammer, Lange‐Bertalot, and Schiller species and two outgroup species (Melosira varians Agardh and Stephanopyxis nipponica Gran & Yendo). Fifteen species, represented by 24 populations, also contained molecular data from the nuclear genome (18S rDNA), and 11 of these species (18 populations) contained data from the chloroplast genome (rbcL) as well, which were sequenced or downloaded from GenBank. The phylogeny of Aulacoseira is composed of five major clades: 1) an A. crenulata (Ehrenburg) Thwaites and A. italica (Ehrenburg) Simonsen clade, which is the most basal; 2) an A. granulata (Ehrenburg) Simonsen complex clade; 3) an A. ambigua (Grunow) Simonsen clade; 4) an A. subarctica (O. Müller) Haworth and A. distans (Ehrenburg) Simonsen clade; and 5) an A. islandica (O. Müller) Simonsen clade that also contained endemic species from Lake Baikal, Siberia and many extinct Aulacoseira taxa. Monophyly of Aulacoseira can only be achieved if Miosira is no longer given separate generic status.     

Tithonian-Berriasian foraminiferal faunas from the Torinosu-type calcareous blocks of the southern Kanto Mountains, Japan: their implications for post-accretionary tectonics of Jurassic to Cretaceous terranes

The Torinosu-type limestones, having many lithologic characters showing their original deposition on shallow shelves, are widely distributed in the Jurassic to Cretaceous terranes of Japan. The foraminiferal faunas from the Jurassic to the lowermost Cretaceous of Japan were first revealed in the calcareous blocks of the southern Kanto Mountains. Distinguished microfaunas consist of 39 species including many marker species of the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in Europe, West Asia, and North Africa such as Melathrokerion spirialis, Charentia evoluta, Freixialina planispiralis, Nautiloculina oolithica, Everticyclammina cf. virguliana, Haplophragmium lutzei and Pseudocyclammina lituus. These faunas suggest a Tithonian to Berriasian age of Torinosu-type limestones. They are contained in four tectonostratigraphic units (Kamiyozawa, Hikawa and Gozenyama Formations; Ogouchi Group) continuously accreted from Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. The younger deposition age of Torinosu-type limestones than the accretion age (Bajocian to Bathonian) in the Kamiyozawa Formation and their older age than the accretion age of the Ogouchi Group (late Albian to middle Maastrichtian) are important to date the post-accretionary tectonics of Jurassic to Cretaceous terranes of Japan and to explain the emplacement process of Torinosu-type limestones.     

Fossil Nelumbonaceae from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian,Upper Cretaceous), Chubut,Patagonia, Argentina

We describe here fossil leaves and fruits assignable to the family Nelumbonaceae Dumortier 1828. Fossils were collected at the Cañadón del Irupé locality, La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous), Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The fossil leaves are simple, with symmetrical and peltate lamina, orbicular in shape, and an entire margin. The venation is truly actinodromous with at least 15 primary veins, the secondary veins are poorly developed and intercalated with the primary veins, the third category vein is opposite, and the areoles are well-developed and 4- to 5-sided. These features are characteristic of the extant genus Nelumbo Adamson 1763, and the presence of these characters in the fossils allows their placement within this genus. Reproductive structures, similar to the fruit-receptacle of Nelumbo with fruits in situ, were found associated but not in organic connection with the leaves. These fossils constitute the only and oldest record for the family in the Southern Hemisphere. This record indicates that Nelumbo was more widespread in the past than today.     

An embryonic enantiornithine bird and associated eggs from the cretaceous of Mongolia

Enantiornithes is the most speciose clade of Cretaceous birds, but many taxa are known from isolated postcranial skeletons. Two embryonic enantiornithine bird skeletons of Gobipipus reshetovi gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Barun Goyot Formation of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia provide new insights into the anatomy, radiation, and mode of development of early avialans. In recent times, both enantiornithine and ornithuromorph birds are known from the Barun Goyot Formation as well as from the Djadokhta and Nemegt Formations. The 80-million-year-old Gobipipus skeletons encased within eggshells shows several features characteristic of enantiornithine birds. The wing skeleton and shoulder girdle show morphological features indicating that Gobipipus achieved sophisticated powered flight. Gobipipus reshetovi gen. et sp. nov. is quite distinct from the sympatric enantiornithine species Gobipteryx minuta from the same strata in many anatomical features. Phylogenetic analysis of 26 avialan ingroup taxa based on distribution of 202 characters indicate that Gobipipus is a basal member of enantiornithine birds along with Confuciusornis and shares more characters with ornithuromorphs than previously recognized. The embryonic nature of Gobipipus specimens sheds new light on the developmental history of enantiornithine birds. The well-ossified bones of the fore- and hind limbs, and fusion of many skeletal elements indicate a precocial mode of development in Gobipipus. Apparently Gobipipus hatchlings could walk away from the ground nests as soon as they emerged from their eggs. The asymmetry of egg poles are unique features of Gobipipus eggs (oogenus Gobioolithus) among Cretaceous avialans. The microstructure of the shell in Gobioolithus eggs with the embryos of Gobipipus is typical avian (of ornithoid basic type) and less ratite-like in morphology of the spongy layer than is that in the other possible egg-remains of enantiornitine birds (oofamily Laevisoolithidae).     

The oldest species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glaphyrus</Emphasis> Latr. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Glaphyridae) from the Mesozoic of China

Glaphyrus ancestralis sp. nov. is described from the Yixian Formation (Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous). The species is not only one of the earliest records of the family Glaphyridae but also the oldest representative of an extant genus of the family.     

河南西峡盆地晚白垩世含恐龙蛋地层中的介形类

河南西峡盆地含恐龙蛋地层高沟组、马家村组和寺沟组共发现介形类13属(亚属)20种,其中高沟组和寺沟组的介形类为首次报道.文章重点讨论了介形类Talicyridea动物群,其中Talicypridea,Altanicypris,Ruficypris和Lunicypris属的地质历程均限于晚白垩世.依据Talicyprid...     

Extreme weather events influence the phytoplankton community structure in a large lowland subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA)

We demonstrate a major ecological change in a large lake ecosystem in response to a series of extreme weather events. Phytoplankton community dynamics in subtropical Lake Okeechobee are described from 2000 through early 2008 with emphasis on inter-relationships among phytoplankton populations and associated environmental variables in this large, shallow eutrophic lake. The lake experienced the physical effects of three hurricanes in 2004–2005, which caused massive sediment resuspension, near total elimination of submerged aquatic vegetation, elevated biologically available nutrients and total suspended solids, and lower water transparency. Patterns of long-term co-dominance by nitrogen (N)-fixing cyanobacteria and meroplanktonic diatoms abruptly changed to dominance by only meroplanktonic diatoms. The planktonic cyanobacteria genera Anabaena and Planktolyngbya both decreased approximately an order of magnitude in the post-hurricane period despite large surpluses of bioavailable nutrients. Meroplanktonic diatoms (mostly Aulacoseira spp.) declined approximately 20%, perhaps because of superior competitive ability for light in a polymictic, turbid water column. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) suggested that reduction in planktonic cyanobacteria after compression of the photic zone and the persistence of meroplanktonic diatoms were related to light utilization traits for the key algal taxa and indicated that pre-existing light limitation and crustacean grazing pressure were intensified in the post-hurricane period.