A new arthropod from the Early Cambrian of North Greenland,with a ‘great appendage’‐like antennula

Kiisortoqia soperi gen. et sp. nov. is an arthropod species from the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet Lagerstätte of North Greenland. A head, incorporating four appendiferous segments and biramous limbs, with an anteroposteriorly compressed basipod with a spine bearing median edge, support the euarthropod affinities of K. soperi gen. et sp. nov. Similarities with ‘short great appendage’ arthropods, or megacheirans, like the nine‐segmented endopod, and the flap‐ or paddle‐like exopod, may be symplesiomorphies. The antennula, however, resembles in composition and size the anteroventral raptorial appendage of anomalocaridids. Thus, the morphology of K. soperi gen. et sp. nov. provides additional support for the homologization of the anomalocaridid ‘great appendage’ with the appendage of the antennular or deutocerebral segment of extant Euarthropoda. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 477–500.     

The oldest notostracan (Upper Devonian Strud locality,Belgium)

A new notostracan crustacean, Strudops goldenbergi gen. et sp. nov., is described from the well‐preserved terrestrial arthropod fauna of the Upper Devonian of Strud, Belgium. The fossil notostracan bears a close resemblance to modern notostracans in possessing a large, simple head shield covering almost half of the whole body, a set of phyllopodous thoracic appendages and a legless posterior abdomen with a telson bearing a caudal furca. The differentiation and relative size of mouthparts and limbs suggest that these specimens are all adults. The notostracans described herein are the earliest clear members of the total group Notostraca.     

Early Ordovician bivalves from Dali, West Yunnan, China

A bivalve fauna of Early Ordovician (late Arenig) age is described from the Hsiangyang Formation of the eastern part of West Yunnan, China. The fauna contains elements in common with Early Ordovician faunas of southern Gondwanan areas such as the Montagne Noire and Morocco and with those of Avalonia, together with several previously undescribed taxa. The following taxa are new: Biseriodonta simplex gen. et sp. nov.; Glyptarca sinensis sp. nov.; Trigonoglyptarca magna gen. et sp. nov.; Erhaiconcha xiangyangensis gen. et sp. nov.; Fasciculodonta impressa gen. et sp. nov.; Yunnanoredonia laevis gen. et sp. nov.; Daliella gen. nov.; Goniophorina ( Goniophorina ) contracta sp. nov.; Haidongoconcha radialis gen. et sp. nov.; Eopterinea aequiconcha gen. et sp. nov. The bivalve fauna includes the most diverse glyptarcid fauna and the earliest nuculanid and paracyclid known hitherto.   Eastern West Yunnan belonged to the Indochina terrane and it is concluded that the bivalve fauna represents a high-latitude assemblage and that the Indochina terrane should be considered a component part of the Peri-Gondwanan continent in the Ordovician; its bivalve faunas contrast with those of neighbouring terranes which have affinities with those of lower latitudes.     

A rare non‐trilobite artiopodan from the Guzhangian (Cambrian Series 3) Weeks Formation Konservat‐Lagerstätte in Utah,USA

We describe a weakly biomineralized non‐trilobite artiopodan arthropod from the Guzhangian Weeks Formation of Utah. Falcatamacaris bellua gen. et sp. nov. is typified by a thin calcitic cuticle, broad cephalon without eyes or dorsal ecdysial sutures, an elongate trunk with distinctively sickle‐shaped pleural spines and a long tailspine with a bifurcate termination. The precise affinities of Falcatamacaris gen. nov. are problematic due to the presence of unique features within Artiopoda, such as the peculiar morphology of the pleural and posterior regions of the trunk. Possible affinities with aglaspidid‐like arthropods and concilitergans are discussed based on the possession of 11 trunk tergites, edge‐to‐edge articulations and overall body spinosity. The new taxon highlights the importance of the Weeks Formation Konservat‐Lagerstätte for further understanding the diversity of extinct arthropod groups in the upper Cambrian.     

Description of a new family,new genus,and two new species of deep‐sea Forcipulatacea (Asteroidea), including the first known sea star from hydrothermal vent habitats

Based on a phylogenetic analysis of undescribed taxa within the Forcipulatacea, a new family of deep‐sea forcipulatacean starfishes, Paulasteriidae fam. nov., is described from deep‐sea settings. Paulasterias tyleri gen. et sp. nov. was observed at recently documented hydrothermal vents on the East Scotia Ridge, Southern Ocean. A second species, Paulasterias mcclaini gen. et sp. nov. was observed in deep‐sea settings in the North Pacific, more distant from hydrothermal vents. Both species are multi‐armed (with between six and eight arms), with a fleshy body wall, and a poorly developed or absent adoral carina. Here, we include discussions of pedicellariae morphology, feeding biology, and classification. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

On some megaspores from the triassic of Nidhpuri,India

The paper describes structural features of megaspores from the Middle Gondwana (Middle Triassic) beds of Nidhpuri. These include two species of Srivastavaesporites Bharadwaj et Tiwari viz. S. triassicus sp. nov. and S. major sp. nov.; Grambastisporites nidhpurensis gen. et sp. nov.; Trikonia emarginata gen. et sp. nov.; one species of Mamillaespora Pant et Srivastava, M. sidhiensis sp. nov.; Nidhitriletes spinosa gen. et sp. nov.     

New Euthycarcinoids and an Enigmatic Arthropod from the British Coal Measures

Two new species of euthycarcinoids (Arthropoda), Kottixerxes anglicus sp. nov. and Smithixerxes pustulosus sp. nov., are described from the Coal Measures of Westhoughton, Lancashire and Coseley, West Midlands (Westphalian A and B respectively). Both genera are previously known from Mazon Creek, USA (Westphalian D). An additional, enigmatic arthropod with possible euthycarcinoid affinities, Arthrogyrinus platyurus gen. et sp. nov., is described from Coseley. Hypotheses concerning the phylogenetic position of euthycarcinoids are critically reviewed.     

Find of Tremadocian ostracodes in cherts of Kazakhstan

First late Tremadocian (Early Ordovician) ostracodes were found in cherts of the Burubaital Formation near the “Burultas” deposit in southern Kazakhstan. The preservation of carbonate ostracode shellshells in siliceous environment is discussed. The monotypic ostracode assemblage includes the newly described form, Burultalina nikitinae gen. et sp. nov.     

Teruelia diezii gen. et sp. nov.: an early polysporangiophyte from the Lower Devonian of the Iberian Peninsula

A new basal land plant, Teruelia diezii gen. et sp. nov., is described from the shallow‐water marine deposits of the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian–Pragian) Nogueras Formation of the Iberian Peninsula (north Gondwana palaeocontinent). Teruelia is preserved as a compression fossil and consists of isotomously branched, robust stems terminated in large, fusiform, twisted sporangia. This morphology suggests that Teruelia is very probably equivalent to Aglaophyton, a permineralized early polysporangiophyte known up to now only from the Lower Devonian (early Pragian to ?earliest Emsian) Rhynie Chert in Scotland (Laurussia palaeocontinent), which represents an early terrestrial hot‐spring ecosystem. Accepted phylogenies identify Aglaophyton as sister to vascular plants. Our phylogeny‐based results identify the Aglaophyton/Teruelia biological entity (i.e. Aglaophyton anatomical characters plus Teruelia external morphology) as the most direct vascular plant precursor. It shows that at least one Rhynie Chert type plant had a much wider distribution than previously known and suggests that Aglaophyton was not restricted to hydrothermal environments, unlike other Rhynie Chert plants.     

Diverse middle Ordovician palaeoscolecidan worms from the Builth‐Llandrindod Inlier of central Wales

Abstract: Palaeoscolecidan worms are rare, Early Palaeozoic fossils with uncertain affinities within the Ecdysozoa. They are locally abundant in the Cambrian and scattered in the Early Ordovician, but very sparse thereafter. Forty‐four specimens have been collected from the Middle Ordovician of the Builth‐Llandrindod Inlier of Mid Wales and include well‐preserved material assigned to seven new genera, with four additional species in open nomenclature. An additional specimen from the Arenig Pontyfenni Formation of South Wales is also described in open nomenclature. The total demonstrates much greater palaeoscolecid diversity than hitherto suspected for this time. The specimens are preserved as cuticle fragments in shales and siltstones, often of submillimetre size but in many cases with excellent preservation. The level of detail preserved in some is equal to that found in Cambrian phosphatized faunas. The new approach to collecting, and the recognition that this material can yield taxonomically useful information, opens new avenues for palaeoscolecidan research in siliciclastic environments. The new taxa are the following: Radnorscolex bwlchi gen. et sp. nov., Aggerscolex murchisoni gen. et sp. nov., Bullascolex inserere gen. et sp. nov., Wernia eximia gen. et sp. nov., Ulexiscolex ormrodi gen. et sp. nov., Pluoscolex linearis gen. et sp. nov. and Loriciscolex cuspidus gen. et sp. nov. The high diversity, and the taxonomic separation from known groups described primarily from Cambrian carbonates, implies that palaeoscolecidans either diversified significantly during the Ordovician or were taxonomically segregated between carbonate and siliciclastic settings. Palaeobiological findings also include confirmation that some palaeoscolecid basal cuticles were solid and others reticulate, plates (and platelets) could form by lateral accretion, plates were in part primarily phosphatic and in part organic and that in at least some groups, platelet secretion occurred external to plate secretion.     

PERMIAN OSTRACODS FROM THE LERCARA FORMATION (MIDDLE TRIASSIC–CARNIAN?), SICILY,ITALY

Abstract: A rich, diverse Permian ostracod fauna has been recovered from the red and grey, laminated shales and quartz‐rich shales of the Triassic Lercara Formation. Forty‐seven species have been identified, 13 of which are newly described here; they belong to 26 genera of which three are new: Anahuacia lercaraensis sp. nov., Aurigerites siciliaensis sp. nov., Bairdia portellaensis sp. nov., Cristanaria? katyae sp. nov., Fabalicypris gruendeli sp. nov., Lethiersa salomonensis gen. et sp. nov., Lethiersia sinusoventralis gen. et sp. nov., Portella trapezoida gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella elongata gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella infernespinosa gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella prima gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella quadrata gen. et sp. nov., and Siciliella spinorobusta gen. et sp. nov. The assemblages contain or are composed of palaeopsychrospheric forms, which are regarded as index fossils for deep environments. The bathymetry of the different associations in life is evaluated.     

Early Cretaceous non‐marine Ostracoda from the North Falkland Basin,South Atlantic

Twenty‐seven species of well‐preserved and abundant Early Cretaceous non‐marine ostracod crustaceans were recovered from the North Falkland Basin. The assemblage is unusually diverse for a non‐marine palaeoenvironment and is sourced from cuttings samples collected during 2011 drilling of wells by Desire and Rockhopper Exploration, in the northern and southern areas of the basin. Ostracoda are entirely undocumented in published accounts from this basin, and all but one species appear to be new to science. For the new taxa, one new family (Alloiocyprideidae; type genus Hourcqia) is proposed and includes Hourcqia woodi sp. nov. Four new genera are erected: Falklandicypris gen. nov.; type species F. petrasaltata sp. nov., Gangamoncythere gen. nov.; type species G. colini sp. nov., Paraplesiocypridea gen. nov.; type species P. alloios sp. nov., and Musacchiocythere gen nov.; type species M. sarunata (Musacchio, 1978 ). Nine other species are described as new and are Falklandicypris desiderata, Clinocypris epacrus, Cypria poietes, Ilhasina? leiodermatus, Looneyellopsis tuberculatus, Theriosynoecum petasmathylacus, Theriosynoecum ballentae, Timiriasevia fluitans, and Vecticypris samesi. The remainder are left in open nomenclature due to paucity of material. The ostracod assemblage is largely restricted to the southern part of the basin (wells 25/5‐1 and 26/6‐1). In the northern part of the basin only four species, dominated by Vecticypris samesi, are present and with one possible exception are restricted there. There appears to have been little or no interchange of species suggesting that a barrier probably existed between the northern and southern regions. The more diverse southern assemblage indicates that more favourable conditions existed to the south. Stratigraphically, a distinct change in faunal composition recorded in both southern wells is likely to be an isochronous event correlatable across the southern area, and of an age no younger than Hauterivian.     

New acrodont lizards (Lacertilia) from the Middle Eocene of southern Mongolia

The problematic lizard family Changjiangosauridae, representatives of which inhabited Asia in the Early Paleogene, is discussed. Six new species of this group, including Acrodontopsis robustus gen. et sp. nov., Agamimus gracilis gen. et sp. nov., Graminisaurus interruptus gen. et sp. nov., Khaichinsaurus reshetovi gen. et sp. nov., Lavatisaurus elegans gen. et sp. nov., and Lentisaurus giganteus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Eocene of the Khaichin Uul 2 locality (southern Gobi, Mongolia) are described. It is shown that Changjiangosauridae are probably related to the Late Cretaceous Isodontosauridae and recent Uromastycidae; independent development of a number of dental features in different lineages of Acrodonta (Iguania) is corroborated.     

Brachiopods from the family Ambocoeliidae George (Order Spiriferida) from the Emsian (Lower Devonian) of northeastern Russia

Brachiopods from the family Ambocoeliidae George from the Emsian (Lower Devonian) of northeastern Russia are described: Bisinocoelia despecta sp. nov.; Yakutospirifer gen. nov. with the type species Y. krivensis sp. nov.; Micospirifer gen. nov. with the type species M. simplex sp. nov.; Kolymospirifer gen. nov. with the type species K. optatus sp. nov. (subfamily Ambocoeliinae); Datnospirifer gen. nov. with the type species D. alius sp. nov.; Khalimospirifer gen. nov. with the type species Kh. microscopicus sp. nov.; Gerospirifer gen. nov. with the type species G. normalis sp. nov., and G. gerensis sp. nov.; Dogdospirifer gen. nov. with the type species D. yolkini sp. nov. (subfamily Rhynchospiriferinae).     

New Middle Cambrian bivalved arthropods from the Burgess Shale (British Columbia,Canada)

The morphology of two new bivalved arthropods, Loricicaris spinocaudatus gen. et sp. nov. and Nereocaris briggsi sp. nov. from the middle Cambrian (Series 3, Stage 5) Burgess Shale Formation (Collins Quarry locality on Mount Stephen, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada), is described. The material was originally assigned to the genus Branchiocaris, but exhibits distinctive character combinations meriting its assignment to other taxa. Loricicaris spinocaudatus possesses an elongate and spinose abdomen comparable to the contemporaneous Perspicaris and Canadaspis, as well as chelate second head appendages and subtriangular exopods, comparable to Branchiocaris. Nereocaris briggsi possesses a laterally compressed carapace, elongate and delicate appendages and a medial eye located between a pair of lateral eyes on a rhomboidal eye stalk. Although undoubtedly congeneric with Nereocaris exilis from a slightly younger horizon of the Burgess Shale Formation, N. briggsi differs in overall proportions and segment number, warranting assignment to a new species. The newly described taxa were coded into an extensive cladistic analysis of 755 characters, and 312 extinct and extant panarthropods, including a variety of Cambrian bivalved arthropods from both the Burgess Shale and the Chengjiang Lagerstätten. Cambrian bivalved arthropods consistently resolved as a paraphyletic assemblage at the base of Arthropoda. Important innovations in arthropod history such as the specialization of the deutocerebral head appendages and a shift from a nekton‐benthic deposit feeding habit to a benthic scavenging/predatory habit, the symplesiomorphic feeding condition of Euarthropoda (crown‐group arthropods), were found to have occurred among basal bivalved arthropods.     

TELYCHIAN (LLANDOVERY, SILURIAN) BIVALVES FROM SPAIN

Abstract:  Twenty species of bivalves (14 new) and 14 genera (six new) are described from two localities in the Silurian, upper Telychian, Oktavites spiralis Biozone of Spain: Cardavia cathleenae gen. et sp. nov., C. hafi sp. nov . , C. stefani sp. nov.; Copenychia franta gen. et sp. nov., C. pristina sp. nov.; Stolidotus marco sp. nov.; Telycardia malinka gen. et sp. nov.; Silurinka vetula gen. et sp. nov.; Bolsopteria lentilka gen. et sp. nov.; Nennapteria ibericola gen. et sp. nov., N. ollicula sp. nov.; Actinopteria dakryodes sp. nov., A. isabelae sp. nov. and Dceruska hispanica sp. nov. They comprise two closely related communities, the Copenychia-Cardavia-Actinopteria Community and the Dceruska-Copenychia-Stolidotus Community, which belong to the Snoopyia Community Group. The occurrence of Dceruska Barrande, 1881, Dualina Barrande, 1881, Patrocardia Barrande, 1881, Silurinka , gen. nov., Slava Barrande, 1881 and Stolidotus Hede, 1915 in the Telychian of the Central Iberian Domain, Spain, supports palaeogeographical relationships with other Lower Silurian regions of north Gondwanan and Perunican Europe: the Carnic Alps (Austria), the Montagne Noire (France), Sardinia (Italy) and the Prague Basin (Bohemia), and also to Avalonia: the Welsh Borderland (Great Britain) and Baltica–Skåne (Sweden). These genera together with the new genera Cardavia, Copenychia (the earliest known representatives of the Silurian family Cardiolidae), Telycardia (the oldest known representative of the family Praecardiidae) and Silurinka belong to a Bohemian type of bivalve. Bolsopteria lentilka is closely related to Bolsopteria elliptica (Hind, 1910) from the Aeronian (middle Llandovery) of Scotland.     

Two Palaeozoic Hydrothermal Vent Communities from the Southern Ural Mountains, Russia

The Sibay and Yaman Kasy massive sulphide deposits contain macrofossil assemblages that represent some of the oldest known hydrothermal vent communities. The deposits are hosted respectively by Middle Devonian and Silurian arc-related volcanic rocks in the Ural Mountains of Russia, and formed under the same environmental constraints as modern vent sulphides. The Sibay palaeocommunity comprises, in order of decreasing abundance, tubes of an indeterminate ?annelid and the vestimentiferan Tevidestus serrriformis Shpanskaya, Maslennikov and Little and articulated specimens of the modiomorphid bivalve Sibaya ivanovi gen. et sp. nov. The Yaman Kasy palaeocommunity comprises, in order of decreasing abundance, tubes of the ?polychaete Eoalvinellodes annulatus gen. et sp. nov. and the vestimentiferan Yamankasia rifeia Shpanskaya, Maslennikov and Little, and specimens of the ?kirengellid tergomyan Themoconus shadlunae gen. et sp. nov., the lingulate brachiopod Pyrodiscus lorrainae gen. et sp. nov., an indeterminate vetigastropod, and the ambonychiid bivalve Mytilarca sp. Some of these taxa have affinities to endemic taxa at modern hydrothermal vent sites and some belong to taxa that are typical of Palaeozoic non-vent marine palaeocommunities. Therefore, there has been movement of taxonomic groups in and out of the vent ecosystem through the Phanerozoic.     

Diving ducks from the Middle Miocene of western Mongolia

Medium-sized diving ducks from the Middle Miocene of the Sharga locality (western Mongolia) are described. Sharganetta mongolica gen. et sp. nov. and Nogusunna conflictoides gen. et sp. nov. are evolutionary more advanced than the thoroughly studied Early Miocene genus Mionetta, but more primitive than Anatinae and Oxyurinae. The humeral morphology gives evidence of an aberrant position of the two new genera. Another taxon, Protomelanitta gracilis gen. et sp. nov. presumably belongs to basal Mergini.     

New ammonoid taxa from the Lower Cretaceous Giumal Formation of the Tethyan Himalaya (Northern India)

Knowledge of the Early Cretaceous ammonoids of the NW‐Himalayas was poor until recent discoveries. Intense sampling from the Giumal Formation exposed near the village of Chikkim (Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India) led to the recognition of a new Early Cretaceous ammonoid fauna. The succession consists of arenitic sandstone interbedded with shale that was deposited by turbidity currents on an unstable shelf in the Early Cretaceous. Ammonoids have been obtained only from sandstone beds in the lower one‐third and close to the top of the c. 350‐m‐thick section. Eight new ammonoid taxa (1 genus and 7 species) are described: Sinzovia franki sp. nov. (rare), Giumaliceras giumaliense gen. et sp. nov. (abundant), Giumaliceras bhargavai gen. et sp. nov. (rare), Neocomites (Eristavites) platycostatiformis sp. nov. (rare), Cleoniceras oberhauseri sp. nov. (abundant), Australiceras himalayense sp. nov. (rare) and Deshayesites fuchsi sp. nov. (rare). Sinzovia and Deshayesites are reported for the first time from the Tethyan Himalaya. According to the biostratigraphic relevance of some ammonoid taxa described here, the age of the Giumal Formation can be constrained from Berriasian (Giumaliceras assemblage) to Aptian (Cleoniceras assemblage). The discovery of the new fauna substantiates the significance of the Giumal Formation around Chikkim and facilitates comparison with faunal assemblages from other regions in the Tethys Ocean and beyond.     

A new genus and species of fossil scorpion (?Euscorpiidae) from the Early–Middle Eocene of Pesciara (Bolca,Italy)

Fossil scorpions are among the oldest terrestrial arthropods known from the fossil record. They have a worldwide distribution and a rich fossil record, especially for the Paleozoic. Fossil scorpions from Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits are usually rare (except in amber-deposits). Here, we describe the only fossil scorpion from the Early to Middle Eocene Pesciara Lagerstätte in Italy. Eoeuscorpius ceratoi gen. et sp. nov. is probably a genus and species within the family Euscorpiidae. This may be the first fossil record of the Euscorpiidae, which are so far only known from four extant genera. Eoeuscorpius ceratoi gen. et sp. nov. was found in the “Lower Part” of the Pesciara Limestone, which is actually dated Late Ypresian stage (between 49.5 and 49.7 Ma). Besides a possible pseudoscorpion, the here-described fossil scorpion is the second arachnid species known from the Bolca Locality.