First Triassic record of the beetle family Permocupedidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): a peculiar example of a Lazarus taxon

The first Mesozoic representative of the extinct archostematan beetle family Permocupedidae, Frankencupes ultimus, gen. et sp. nov., is described based on two isolated elytra from the Lower Anisian (Middle Triassic) Röt Formation of Lower Franconia, Germany. The new fossil occurrence extends the range of the family from the Lower Wuchiapingian (Upper Permian) up to the Anisian, and represents a fine example of a Lazarus taxon in the fossil record of beetles.     

安徽巢湖地区早三叠世菊石序列

由于地处低纬度下扬子碳酸盐缓坡台地较深水区 ,安徽巢湖地区的下三叠统由一系列泥、灰岩旋回层组成 ,并含有丰富的菊石化石。通过对巢北平顶山和马家山一带上二叠统顶部和下三叠统多条剖面的系统研究 ,建立了在华南乃至低纬度特提斯地区具有代表性的、以属级分类单位为基础的下三叠统菊石生物地层序列 (从下而上 ) :Ophiceras Lytophiceras带、Gyronites Prionolobus带、Flemingites Euflemingites带、Anasibirites带、Columbites Tirolites带和Subcolumbites带。在提议的全球印度阶 奥伦尼克阶界线层型候选剖面———巢湖平顶山西坡剖面上 ,Flemingites Euflemingites带之底与牙形石Neospathoduswaageni首现点比较接近 ,可以作为本界线主要辅助标志之一。记述采自该区上二叠统顶部及下三叠统 ,尤其是印度阶 奥伦尼克阶界线附近的一些具有年代地层意义的菊石化石资料 。     

New fossil insects from the Anisian (Lower to Middle Muschelkalk) from the Central European Basin (Germany and The Netherlands)

The Palaeozoic–Mesozoic transition is characterized not only by the most massive Phanerozoic mass extinction at the end of the Permian period, but also its extensive aftermath and a prolonged period of major biotal recovery during the succeeding Middle to Late Triassic. Particularly, Anisian insect species from units of the Lower to Middle Muschelkalk from the Central European Basin are rare. The specimens described here originated from the Anisian Wellenkalk facies (Lower Muschelkalk), Vossenveld Formation of the Winterswijk quarry, The Netherlands, and from the orbicularis Member (lowermost Middle Muschelkalk, Anisian) of Esperstedt near Querfurt (Saxony-Anhalt). Thus, the described insect remains from Winterwijk and Esperstedt expand our knowledge about Middle Triassic terrestrial arthropod communities and their palaeodiversity. A new species of Chauliodites (C. esperstedti sp. nov) is introduced.     

Ademosynoides asiaticus Martynov, 1936, the earliest known member of an extant beetle family (Insecta, Coleoptera, Trachypachidae)

Fossil beetles are described from Kedrovka beds of the locality Babii Kamen’, Kuznetsk Basin, Siberia. According to different authors, this locality is dated to the terminal Permian or basal Triassic. SEM studies have shown that Ademosynoides asiaticus Martynov, 1936, described from this locality, should be placed in the family Trachypachidae, which makes it the earliest known extant family of beetles. In addition to the re-studied holotype, further material is described for this species; a new species of the same genus and a new genus and species of the same family are also described. As a result, almost 10% of the 78 beetle fossils known from this locality are identified as belonging to Trachypachidae. Unfortunately, the study of these beetles is complicated by the rather poor preservation quality and very small size of the majority of the fossils, which usually cannot be properly studied without using SEM. However, even in this case there is no full certainty that the results are absolutely reliable.     

Footprints pull origin and diversification of dinosaur stem lineage deep into Early Triassic

The ascent of dinosaurs in the Triassic is an exemplary evolutionary radiation, but the earliest phase of dinosaur history remains poorly understood. Body fossils of close dinosaur relatives are rare, but indicate that the dinosaur stem lineage (Dinosauromorpha) originated by the latest Anisian (ca 242-244 Ma). Here, we report footprints from the Early-Middle Triassic of Poland, stratigraphically well constrained and identified using a conservative synapomorphy-based approach, which shifts the origin of the dinosaur stem lineage back to the Early Olenekian (ca 249-251 Ma), approximately 5-9 Myr earlier than indicated by body fossils, earlier than demonstrated by previous footprint records, and just a few million years after the Permian/Triassic mass extinction (252.3 Ma). Dinosauromorph tracks are rare in all Polish assemblages, suggesting that these animals were minor faunal components. The oldest tracks are quadrupedal, a morphology uncommon among the earliest dinosauromorph body fossils, but bipedality and moderately large body size had arisen by the Early Anisian (ca 246 Ma). Integrating trace fossils and body fossils demonstrates that the rise of dinosaurs was a drawn-out affair, perhaps initiated during recovery from the Permo-Triassic extinction.     

The Permian–Triassic transition and the onset of Mesozoic sedimentation at the northwestern peri-Tethyan domain scale: Palaeogeographic maps and geodynamic implications

The main aim of this paper is to review Middle Permian through Middle Triassic continental successions in European. Secondly, areas of Middle–Late Permian sedimentation, the Permian–Triassic Boundary (PTB) and the onset of Triassic sedimentation at the scale of the westernmost peri-Tethyan domain are defined in order to construct palaeogeographic maps of the area and to discuss the impact of tectonics, climate and sediment supply on the preservation of continental sediment.At the scale of the western European peri-Tethyan basins, the Upper Permian is characterised by a general progradational pattern from playa-lake or floodplain to fluvial environments. In the northern Variscan Belt domain, areas of sedimentation were either isolated or connected to the large basin, which was occupied by the Zechstein Sea. In the southern Variscan Belt, during the Late Permian, either isolated endoreic basins occurred, with palaeocurrent directions indicating local sources, or basins underwent erosion and/or there was no deposition. These basins were not connected with the Tethys Ocean, which could be explained by a high border formed by Corsica–Sardinia palaeorelief and even parts of the Kabilia microplate. The palaeoflora and sedimentary environments suggest warm and semi-arid climatic conditions.At the scale of the whole study area, an unconformity (more or less angular) is observed almost everywhere between deposits of the Upper Permian and Triassic, except in the central part of the Germanic Basin. The sedimentation gap is more developed in the southern area where, in some basins, Upper Permian sediment does not occur. The large sedimentary supply, erosion and/or lack of deposition during the Late Permian, as well as the variable palaeocurrent direction pattern between the Middle–Late Permian and the Early Triassic indicate a period of relief rejuvenation during the Late Permian. During the Induan, all the intra-belt basins were under erosion and sediment was only preserved in the extra-belt domains (the northern and extreme southern domains). In the northern domain (the central part of the Germanic Basin), sediment was preserved under the same climatic conditions as during the latest Permian, whereas in the extreme southern domain, it was probably preserved in the Tethys Ocean, implying a large amount of detrital components entering the marine waters. Mesozoic sedimentation began in the early Olenekian; the ephemeral fluvial systems indicate arid climatic conditions during this period. Three distinct areas of sedimentation occur: a northern and southern domain, separated by an intra-belt domain. The latter accumulated sediments during the Early–Middle Permian and experienced erosion and/or no-deposition conditions between the Middle–Late Permian and the beginning of Mesozoic sedimentation, dated as Anisian to Hettangian. At the top of the Lower Triassic, another tectonically induced, more or less angular unconformity is observed: the Hardegsen unconformity, which is dated as intra-Spathian and is especially found in the North European basins. This tectonic activity created new source areas and a new fluvial style, with marine influences at the distal part of the systems. During the Anisian and Ladinian, continental sedimentation was characterised by a retrogradational trend. In other words, the fluvial system evolved into fluvio-marine environments, attesting to a direct influence of the Tethys Ocean in the southern and northern domains. Both at the end of the Olenekian (Spathian) and during the Anisian, the presence of palaeosols, micro- and macrofloras indicate less arid conditions throughout this domain.     

中国中生代鞘翅目化石研究现状

1923年A.W.Grabau通过对山东省莱阳盆地莱阳组早白垩世昆虫化石的研究,命名了我国第1种鞘翅目化石昆虫(Proteroscarabaeus yeni).此后,中国昆虫化石分类学者先后发表了40余篇关于我国中生代鞘翅目化石昆虫的分类论著,共描述鉴定了182种,涉及35科,137属.这些化石分布于12个省,其中三叠纪11个种,侏罗纪68个种,白垩纪103个种.本文通过图表列举出我国已发现的中生代鞘翅目化石昆虫名录以及它们的分布和年代,总结了国内中生代甲虫化石当前的研究状况,并初步分析了研究中存在的一些问题.另外本文还介绍了国外学者对于中国古昆虫学者所建立的4个新科提出的不同意见.     

Have ladybird beetles and whiteflies co-existed for at least 40 Mya?

The beetle family Coccinellidae is rarely recorded from fossils. Most of the records come from the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. A complete list of Coccinellidae records from Baltic amber is presented and discussed. Extensive literature research provided a surprising conclusion that not a single species of Coccinellidae has been formally described from Baltic amber till now. The first two species of ladybird beetles from Eocene Baltic amber are described and placed in the genus Serangium, namely S. twardowskii sp. nov. and S. gedanicum sp. nov. Their phylogenetic placement in the subfamily Microweiseinae is provided. A key to the fossil species of Serangium is given. Extant representatives of the genus are distributed mainly in tropical areas of Asia and Oceania, and are specialised predators of whiteflies. Current discovery shows that during the Middle Eocene, the genus Serangium was distributed wider in the Northern Hemisphere and the evolution of these ladybird beetles was probably influenced by the evolution of whiteflies which are also found in the Baltic amber.     

The Earliest Case of Neoplastic Bone Lesion in Tetrapods

The results of analysis of a bone tissue neoplasm on the mandible of an Early Mesozoic temnospondyl amphibian Benthosuchus korobkovi Ivachnenko from the Tikhvinskoe locality (upper reaches of the Volga River, Yaroslavl oblast (Region); Lower Triassic, Lower Olenekian substage) are presented. The use of multispiral computed tomography enabled a rather well justified conclusion of the neoplastic (tumor) character of this pathological formation. Non-odontogenic osteoma is the most likely diagnosis, but hemangioma and fibrotic dysplasia cannot be ruled out either.     

甘肃永昌早二叠世两种科达叶的微细构造及古大气CO_2浓度重建

角质层微细构造是鉴定植物属种的重要特征之一,近年来又在古气候恢复中得到广泛应用。从甘肃永昌下二叠统采获了角质层保存较好的两种科达叶化石,详细分析了表皮微细构造特征,并结合其外形特征进行了属种鉴定:其中一种鉴定为淮南科达(Cordaites huainanensis Chen),另建立了一新种,命名为永昌科达(Cordaites yongchangensis sp.nov.)。本文选取与化石标本的宏观形态和角质层微观形态较为相似的长叶竹柏(Podocarpus fleuryi Hickel)作为其现存最近对应种,初次尝试利用化石气孔特征重建了甘肃永昌早二叠世的古大气CO2浓度。     

A new study of Olenekian–Anisian boundary conodont biostratigraphy of the Tulong section in Himalaya Terrane,southern Tibet

The Himalaya Terrane of southern Tibet exposes successive shallow-marine carbonate deposits from the Lower to Upper Triassic, and is a key region for studying the Triassic conodont biostratigraphy at the northern margin of the Indian Plate. On the basis of newly collected samples from the Kangshare and Laibuxi formations at the Tulong section, 11 conodont species of 7 genera were identified, and four conodont zones were established, namely, the Novispathodus abruptus Zone (lower Spathian, first reported in Tibet), the Columbitella jubata Zone (middle Spathian), the Triassospathodus symmetricus Zone (upper Spathian), and the Chiosella timorensis Zone (lowermost Anisian) in ascending order. The first occurrence (FO) of Chiosella timorensis indicates the Olenekian–Anisian boundary (OAB) at Bed 25, upper part of the Kangshare Formation. The regional and global correlation of these conodont zones is synthesized.     

Reinvestigation of conchostracans (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from the Permian–Triassic transition in Southwest China

Sedimentary deposits of the Permian–Triassic transition are well-exposed in numerous outcrops of South China. Depending on the palaeogeographic positions of the sections, their lithofacies vary from fully marine, shallow marine, lagoonal, lacustrine, and fluvial to alluvial. In the present study, conchostracans (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) were newly collected from the continental deposits of the Kayitou and Jialingjiang formations around the Kangdian Highland elevated by the Emeishan Basalt in the southern Sichuan, western Guizhou, and northeastern Yunnan provinces. The conchostracan fauna of the Kayitou Formation is composed of Pseudestheria chatangensis, Euestheria fuyuanensis, and Euestheria sp. aff. E. gutta. These species occur in varying lithofacies types of different sections. In particular, the late Permian Pseudestheria chatangensis occurs in grey siltstones interbedded with pebbly sandstones, which are interpreted as lacustrine deposits. Euestheria fuyuanensis and Euestheria sp. aff. E. gutta were obtained from yellowish to greenish–grey clay- and siltstones, interpreted as coastal plain deposits. In comparison to other regions, occurrences of Euestheria gutta are indicative of an early Induan to Olenekian (Early Triassic) age. The fossil record of Euestheria fuyuanensis is so far restricted to a few occurrences in the Kayitou Formation of Southwest China and, therefore, using this species for long-distance biostratigraphic correlation requires further investigation. The distribution of late Permian pseudestheriid and Early Triassic euestheriid species in the respective sections possibly depends on the local lithofacies and, therefore, a diachronous age of the Kayitou Formation within the study area can be assumed. Additionally, Magniestheria sp. aff. M. mangaliensis and Magniestheria sp. aff. M. subcircularis were recorded in the Jialingjiang Formation, which represents a lithostratigraphic unit considered as late Early Triassic (Olenekian). Further investigations of both taxonomy and the real stratigraphic ranges of the conchostracan species as well as cross-correlations with other age data are recommended, in order to better constrain the position of the Permian–Triassic boundary and the specific timing of the terrestrial end-Permian mass extinction in continental deposits of Southwest China.     

中国长翅目昆虫化石研究现状

长翅目昆虫在地史纪录上可以追溯到早二叠纪,是全变态昆虫中最原始的种类之一.截至目前,29篇关于中国长翅目昆虫化石分类的论著发表,共描述我国长翅目昆虫化石11科28属51种,这些化石分布于从三叠纪到白垩纪的不同地层中.本文通过图表提供了我国已发现的长翅目化石名录并介绍了其分布和年代,回顾了我国长翅目昆虫化石的研究进展,指出了一些分类存在的问题,简要慨述了长翅目中一些科的起源与演化以及长翅目与其它全变态昆虫的关系.我国长翅目化石种类丰富,但在基础分类、系统演化方面还缺乏系统的研究,因而许多工作甚至最基础的分类工作亟待开展.     

High organic carbon content and a decrease in radiolarians at the end of the Permian in a newly discovered continuous pelagic section: A coincidence?

The greatest mass extinction occurred at the end of the Permian. Most records of the mass extinction are not from pelagic sediments, but from shallow-marine and terrestrial sediments. Although several pelagic sections that span the end-Permian mass extinction have been found, these sections contain few index fossils and are often discontinuous because of small faults. We found the index fossils Albaillella cf. triangularis (Radiolaria) in siliceous claystone beds, Hindeodus parvus (Conodont) in the overlying black claystone beds, and Neospathodus cf. cristagalli and Ns. waageni (Conodont) in the subsequent siliceous claystone beds in Akkamori section-2 in northern Japan. These fossils suggest that this section ranges from the late Permian to the Early Triassic, including the early Induan and Olenekian stages. Furthermore, the lithological changes in the section, i.e., starting from bedded chert through siliceous claystone and black claystone to siliceous claystone, are concordant with those of well-known Permian–Triassic pelagic sequences in Japan. There is no gap between each lithofacie of the Akkamori section-2. Critical lithological continuity between Upper Permian siliceous claystone beds and uppermost Permian to lowermost Triassic black claystone beds of the Akkamori section-2 was recognized by observing hand-polished specimens and thin sections. Such paleontological and sedimentological evidence implies that the Akkamori section-2 is a continuous pelagic section that records the end-Permian mass extinction event. The carbonaceous black claystone beds have high total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations (1.06–3.31 wt.%), suggesting oceanic anoxia at least deep and probably stable primary productivity. A decrease in radiolarian abundance from 26–563 to 0.27–20 specimens/cm² coincided with an increase in TOC content from 0.01–0.16 to 1.06–3.31 wt.% at the boundary of the siliceous claystone and the overlying black claystone beds near the top of the Permian, implying that radiolarian extinction occurred at the end of the Permian coinciding with oceanic anoxia. Although TOC contents decreased in the early Olenekian (Smithian), radiolarian abundance did not increase at that time, indicating that radiolarian recovery was delayed by > 1.5 m.y.     

New Triassic beetles (Coleoptera) from northern European Russia

Beetle remains from the Triassic Khey-Yaga locality, Nenets National District, Korotaikha Basin, Nyadeita Formation, Olenekian-Anisian are described. Only isolated elytra have been found. Tetracoleus tshalyshevi gen. et sp. nov. and T. minimus sp. nov. are described and assigned to Tricoleidae, and six new species are described in formal taxa. Tetracoleus is close to Permian tricoleids just found in the Newcastle Group of Australia and the Vyatkian Aristovo locality of northern European Russia. The composition of elytra in the locality is closer to that of Lower Triassic localities than other Middle Triassic localities and characterizes the beginning of a recovery after the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis. Longxianocupes Hong in Liu, Liu et Hong, 1985 is shown to be a junior synonym of Sogdelytron Ponomarenko, 1969. The species Palademosyne ovum Ponomarenko, 2004, P. elongatum Ponomarenko, 2004, and P. latum Ponomarenko, 2004 are transferred to the genus Pseudochrysomelites Handlirsch, 1906.     

Nonmarine ostracodes at the Permian–Triassic boundary of the central part of the East European Platform

Extensive geological and paleontological materials from the upper Permian and the Lower Triassic of the East European Platform had been accumulated by the end of the 20th century. Recently obtained new data indicate the stratigraphic continuity of the East European Permian–Triassic succession. The Permian–Triassic boundary is in many sections associated with the boundary between the Zhukovian and Vokhmian regional stages. New stratigraphic data have led to the revision of the temporal distribution of Zhukovian and Vokhmian ostracodes. In contrast to previous ideas, the rapid development of genus Gerdalia already began in the Zhukovian time rather than in the Vokhmian. At the same time, the first Darwinula of the Triassic type also appeared in the Zhukovian. A proportion of the Permian species were found to cross the boundary between Zhukovian and Vokhmian. The degree of similarity between the Permian and Triassic ostracode assemblages turns out to be much higher than previously recognized.     

Isopod crustacean fossils from the Cenomanian stratotype: five new species in suborders Cymothoida,Asellota and Valvifera

We report on a significant fossil collection of five isopod crustaceans that belong to five families from three suborders. These fossils were discovered in Le Mans (western part of Paris Basin, France) during the second half of the nineteenth century by the French paleontologist Edouard Guéranger. The historical quarry has been studied a few years before by the French paleontologist Alcide d’Orbigny and used as part of his Cenomanian stratotype (Leach, 1814). The collection consists of two species in the Cymothooidea Dana, 1852 (Cirolanidae Dana, 1852; Lantoceramiidae fam. nov.), two Valvifera G. O. Sars, 1883 (Chaetiliidae Dana, 1853; Idoteidae Samouelle, 1819) and one Asellota Latreille, 1802 (Stenetriidae Hansen, 1905), which were previously unknown from Upper Cretaceous strata as old as the Cenomanian age (roughly 93–99 ma). Although phylogenetic dating based on extant taxa has assigned Permian to Triassic age of origin for the Asellota, the Stenetriidae Hansen, 1905 specimen is the first fossil record for this family. Another asellotan, Fornicaris calligarisi Wilson and Selden, 2016, is known from the Triassic (Norian) dating from approximately 210–215 ma. The valviferans were unknown from Mesozoic strata, previously being found in the Oligocene of Romania and the Fur Formation, Upper Paleocene/Lowermost Eocene of Denmark (Polz, 2007). This diverse assemblage of fossils with taxa assignable to extant families and one new family provides evidence for the presence of a substantially modern isopod fauna as early as the Cenomanian.     

Survival and recovery of calcareous foraminifera pursuant to the end-Permian mass extinction

Ninety-one percent of calcareous foraminiferal genera became extinct during the end-Permian mass extinction. The Early Triassic Epoch was a survival phase characterized by a short-lived proliferation of disaster forms and then a prolonged interval of low diversity. The orders Miliolida and Lagenida experienced limited taxonomic re-diversification in Early and Late Anisian time, respectively. All fusulinoidean fusulinides became extinct in Late Permian time, and only two non-fusulinoidean genera persisted into the Early Triassic. Triassic fusulinides diversified to just five genera before the order became entirely extinct in Late Triassic time. Involutinides originated in Olenekian time from an unknown ancestor. They did not significantly diversify until Late Triassic time. To cite this article: J.R. Groves, D. Altiner, C. R. Palevol 4 (2005).