A Late Miocene Paratethyan mollusc fauna from the Denizli Basin (southwestern Anatolia, Turkey) and its regional palaeobiogeographic implications

We report on a Late Miocene mollusc fauna from a single locality in the Denizli Basin in southwestern Turkey that is composed of ten presumably euryhaline species and three freshwater species. The fauna is remarkably distinct from faunas of the adjacent Late Miocene Aegean and Euxinian Basins, and has elements in common with the modern Caspian Sea fauna in the form of Didacna species. The suggested age of the fauna (Late Miocene) would extend the stratigraphic range of the lymnocardiid genus Didacna (hitherto Calabrian-Extant) considerably. The palaeobiogeographic significance of the Denizli fauna is discussed.     

Seed germination and reproductive features of Lysimachia minoricensis (Primulaceae), a wild-extinct plant

Lysimachia minoricensis is one of the few Mediterranean endemic plants (Minorca, Balearic islands) that has gone extinct in the wild but which persists as extant germplasm or cultivated plants in several botanical gardens. Reproductive features (seed set, number of seeds per capsule, seed weight) and germination responses to constant temperatures, sea water and dry-heat pre-treatments were investigated to determine the extent to which they may have influenced the extinction of the species. Seed set in Lysimachia is not dependent on pollinators, suggesting a functional selfer breeding system. Most plants produced a large mean number of fruits (23.2) and seeds (466), and the mean production of seeds per individual was estimated to be almost 1,100. Overall, no highly specific requirements were observed for seed germination. Seed germination was not inhibited in the dark, and a high germinability (over 87% in all cases) was recorded in most experiments, with the exception of those performed at low temperatures (5 and 10 degrees C). These data suggest that fertility and seed viability were not the major causes of extinction. The high reproductive performance of L. minoricensis is in striking contrast to its status as a wild-extinct plant, suggesting that extrinsic factors were responsible for its extinction.     

On the miocene centracanthidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the eastern Paratethys

A new genus, Naslavcea, is erected for the Middle Miocene species Spicara fundata Bannikov, 1990 (Centracanthidae) from the Lower Sarmatian of northern Moldova. This genus is characterized by the relatively small number of rays in the dorsal and anal fins. At the same time, Pelates islamdagicus Prokofiev, 2001 from the Lower Miocene of the Apsheron Peninsula (Azerbaijan) is transferred from the family Terapontidae to Centracanthidae and referred to the genus Spicara.     

Early Miocene (Ottnangian) Mollusca of the Western Paratethys—ontogenetic strategies and palaeo-environments

Early ontogenetic shells of 25 species of brackish water and freshwater molluscs from the Ottnangian (Lower Miocene) Oncophora Beds (Lower Bavaria, South Germany) and Kirchberg Formation (Upper Bavaria, South Germany) are described for the first time. Taxonomic implications are discussed. The investigated bivalves (Cardiidae and Dreissenidae) were characterised by an indirect development with inclusion of a planktonic veliger stage. Among the gastropods only three species of the genus CtyrokiaSchlickum, 1965 were characterised by veliger larvae, all the other gastropod species were direct developers, which hatched as crawling young. The species Agapilia schlickumi nov. sp. (Neritidae), Nematurella pseudozilchi nov. sp. and Nematurella strauchi nov. sp. (Hydrobiidae) are introduced. Our study revealed the co-occurrence of 10 molluscan species in the Oncophora Basin of Lower Bavaria and the Kirchberg Basin of Upper Bavaria and thus indicates similar oligohaline to mesohaline coastal swamp milieus for both depositional environments. The presence of planktonic larval development in gastropods indicates a connection to the open sea.     

准噶尔西部山地黄耆属丁字毛类群的研究

在野外调查、标本鉴定和文献考证的基础上,对准噶尔西部山地黄耆属丁字毛类群进行了研究.结果表明：该地区黄耆属丁字毛类群有26种,包括中国分布新记录1种,即多角黄耆（Astragalus polyceras Kar.et Kir.）,《中国植物志》遗漏种4种,即留土黄耆（A.hypogaeus Ledeb.）、灌木黄耆（A.suffruticosus DC.）、流沙黄耆（A.sabuletorum Ldb.）和亚黄耆（A.consanguineus Bong.et Mey.）.为6种植物补充了地区分布新资料.列出了分种检索表,对每个种类的文献引证及地理分布进行了简要记述,并对中国分布新记录及《中国植物志》遗漏种进行了形态学描述.     

Morphogenesis of rissoidae in the inland basins of the Eastern Paratethys

Miocene rissoids from the heterochronous low-salinity seas of the Eastern Paratethys (Early Chokrakian, Karaganian, Late Konkian, Early Sarmatian, and Early Maeotian) were revised. The polyphyletic genus Mohrensternia is subdivided into several generic and subgeneric taxa. The new genus Zhgentia and the new subgenera Rissoa (Turboellina), R. (Pseudoturboellina), and R. (Maeotia) are established.     

Additive typogenesis in Thoanteus (Gastropoda: Bulminidae)

Thoanteus ferrarii sp. nov. from Crimea is described. The phylogeny of Thoanteus is reconstructed in a cladistic analysis and the evolution of this genus is discussed. Thoanteus ferrarii sp. nov. represents an early stage in the additive typogenesis of Thoanteus , in which the appendix retractor still inserts laterally at the appendix section A₁, a short distance from its proximal top, as in the Peristoma-like stem species of Thoanteus.     

The anatomy and systematics of the New Caledonian land snail genus Draparnaudia Montrouzier, 1859 (Pulmonata: Orthurethra)

A comprehensive study of the anatomy, ecology and distribution of the orthurethran genus Draparnaudia confirms its family-group status, and suggests a probable sister-group relationship with another Pacific family, the Partulidae; its previous position as a subfamily of the Enidae is refuted. Draparnaudia is endemic to New Caledonia, but records from the New Hebrides are thought to result from introductions. A total of six species are recognized in the taxonomic revision, including two new species. Spermatophores are recorded for the first time.     

Shifting sources of productivity in the coastal marine tropics during the Cenozoic era

Changes in the rates and sources of marine primary production over time are difficult to document owing to the absence of direct estimates of past productivity. Here, I use the maximum body sizes of the largest species in each of 23 tropical shallow-water marine molluscan guilds (groups of species with similar habits and trophic roles) to trace the relative importance of planktonic and benthic primary productivity from the Eocene (55 Ma) onwards. The largest members of guilds are least constrained in exploiting resources and therefore reflect the availability and accessibility of those resources most accurately. Maximum sizes of suspension-feeders and predators increased by a factor of 2.3 and 4.0, respectively, whereas those in four out of five herbivorous guilds declined. I interpret these patterns, which are discernible throughout the coastal tropics, to mean that primary production in the Eocene marine tropics was concentrated on the seafloor, as is the case today on offshore reefs and islands, and that the Miocene to the recent interval witnessed a dramatic increase in planktonic productivity along continental margins. The rise in planktonic fertility is best explained by an increase in nutrient supply from the land associated with intense global tectonic activity and more vigorous ocean mixing owing to cooling.