The first ctenosauriscid (Reptilia: Archosauromorpha) from the Lower Triassic Of Eastern Europe

A new Early Triassic thecodont from the Donskaya Luka locality is described. A new species and genus of Rauisuchidae, Bystrowisuchus flerovi gen. et sp. nov., the first East European and earliest known member of the family Ctenosauriscidae is established. The taxonomy and phylogeny of Rauisuchidae and their stratigraphical and geographical distribution in connection with new finds are discussed.     

A contribution to the revision of the genus Fenestella (Bryozoa) from the lower carboniferous of the east European platform

About 50 species of the genus Fenestella from the Lower Carboniferous of the East European platform are revised. They are shown to belong to the following seven genera: Fenestella, Rectifenestella, Laxifenestella, Exfenestella, Fabifenestella, Alternifenestella, and Ignotifenestella. Diagnoses of the three latter genera are given and 11 species are described, including type species, one of which, A. substricta sp. nov., is new. Lectotypes are selected for the three known species A. major (Nikiforova, 1933), A. minor (Nikiforova, 1933), and A. media (Nikiforova, 1927).     

Mesozoic rissoid gastropods: History of the study,systematics, and diversity

The history of the study and review of generic and species diversity of Mesozoic rissoid gastropods are provided. The generic composition of Jurassic rissoid gastropods is revised, so that it is proposed to regard them as the family Rissoidae, comprising the genera Bralitzia, Buvignieria, Palaeoceratia, and Palaeorissoina. It is tentatively proposed to assign the genus Hudlestoniella to Rissoidae; this is caused by insufficient morphological knowledge of this genus. The family Palaeorissoidae is regarded as a synonym of Rissoidae. Stratigraphical and geographical distribution of Rissoidae genera is reviewed. From the Jurassic of European Russia, the following species of the genus Buvignieria are described: B. calloviana Gründel, B. imminuera Gründel, B. paucicostata Gründel, B. eichwaldiana (Rouillier), B. choroshovensis Gerasimov, and B. gruendeli sp. nov. The morphological characteristics and stratigraphical distribution of these species are provided. Based on extensive material, the taxonomic significance of particular conchological characters for the establishment of species is discussed.     

Malladaites nov. gen. et Spinammatoceras (Hammatoceratidae,Ammonitina) de l'Aalénien de la zone subbétique,Sud de l'Espagne

The aim of this paper is to remark some morphologicaldifferences among the type-species of the genus ZurcheriaDouvillé and those species attributed to this genuf by Buckman & Brasil: the group of H. pugnaxVacek for which Schindewolf (1964) defined the genus Spinammatoceras, and the group of H. pertinaxVacek for which we propose Malladaites gen. nov.; new species of both genera are described. The stratigraphical range of these species is established in the Betic Cordillera.     

Taxonomic revision of the Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) genusMesosimoceras (Ammonoidea) and institution of the new genusPresimoceras (Ammonitina,Idoceratinae)

Presimoceras is a new genus of Idoceratinae. The biostratigraphical range ofPresimoceras is limited to theStrombecki, Divisum and lower part of theAcanthicum Zone within the Kimmeridgian (in the Southern European sense). The genusMesosimoceras (Idoceratinae) was instituted by Spath (1925), withSimoceras cavouri Gemmellaro as type species; this genus is here emended with the institution ofPresimoceras n. gen. The species groupcavouri-risgoviense is preserved in the emended genusMesosimoceras, while the groupherbichiludovicii-teres is accommodated inPresimoceras on account of the radical and numerous differences and the stratigraphical gap betweenMesosimoceras andPresimoceras. As type species of the new genusAmmonites nodulatus Quenstedt is designated. The new genus is here subdivided into three groups of species:herbichi, ludovicii andteres. Phylogenetically,Presimoceras is derived fromPassendorferia, Mesosimoceras fromNebrodites.     

Morphogenesis,origin, and paleoecology of the bryozoans of the family Medvedkellidae fam. nov. (Upper Carboniferous,East European Platform)

A new family of the order Rhabdomesida, Medvedkellidae fam. nov., is described. This family consists of a new genus, Medvedkella gen. nov., comprising three species transferred from the genus Rhombopora Meek, 1872: the type species M. riasanensis (Schulga-Nesterenko, 1955), M. diaphragmata (Schulga-Nesterenko, 1955), and M. mariae (Dunaeva, 1961). The morphogenesis of the first two species is studied. For the first time axial zooecia are revealed in the suborder Golgdfussitrypina, which existed in parallel with the suborder Rhabdomesina of the order Rhabdomesida. A hypothesis that the new family evolved from the subfamily Nicklesoporinae Gorjunova, 1985 of the family Goldfussitrypidae, 1985 is proposed. Some questions of the ecological adaptation of these bryozoans in the Late Carboniferous marine basin of the East European Platform are discussed.     

Ostracods of the genus Palaeocytheridea Mandelstam in the Middle and Upper Jurassic of Europe: 1. Development of ideas on the content of the genus and the results of its revision

The analysis of ostracods (Crustacea) of the genus Palaeocytheridea, widespread in the Boreal and Tethyan regions of Europe, allows establishing several correlated sequences in the Middle Jurassic of these regions, thus showing the stratigraphical significance of this genus. However M.I. Mandelstam misdescribed the hinge in carapace valves of the ostracod genus Palaeocytheridea in his characterization of the type species of P. bakirovi Mandelstam, 1947, and subsequently P.S. Lyubimova (1955) replaced the original type species by Eucythere denticulata Sharapova, 1937, thus confusing the understanding of the content of the genus Palaeocytheridea and triggering the assignment to it of more than 90 forms, belonging not only to different genera but also to different families. The revision reveals 11 valid Palaeocytheridea species, belonging to the two subgenera: Palaeocytheridea s. str. and Malzevia subgen. nov. One species, Palaeocytheridea kalandadzei sp. nov., is described as new. This paper, the first of the series of three papers dealing with ostracods of the genus Palaeocytheridea, considers the history of the development of ideas on the content of the genus, presents the results of its revision, and describes new taxa.     

A new dicynodont (Anomodontia, Eotherapsida) from the Upper Permian of Tatarstan

A new dicynodont genus and species, Idelesaurus tataricus sp. nov. (Cryptodontidae), from the Semin Ovrag locality (Tatarstan, Tetyushinskii District; Upper Permian, Upper Tatarian Substage, Severodvinian Horizon) is described. The skull patterns of the East European and South African Cryptodontidae and Aulocephalodontidae are compared from the morphofunctional point of view.     

Umbriadinium and Polarella: an example of selectivity in the dinoflagellate fossil record

The extant Antarctic dinoflagellate genus Polarella and the southern European Early Jurassic dinoflagellate cyst Umbriadinium are extremely similar in morphology, particularly in their size, ornamentation and tabulation. Polarella is therefore placed in the subfamily Umbriadinioideae on this morphological evidence. The two genera, however, are maintained as separate entities for several reasons including minor differences in tabulation. This means that the stratigraphical distribution of the subfamily Umbriadinioideae is extended from the Early Jurassic (late Pliensbachian - early Toarcian) to Recent. The two species (Polarella glacialis and Umbriadinium mediterraneense) are separated by around 187 Ma. This large stratigraphical gap is an example of the selectivity of the dinoflagellate fossil record, produced by the loss of the capacity of Polarella/Umbriadinium to produce fossilisable cysts during the early Toarcian. The widely differing records of these genera attests to their longevity and wide geographical and ecological ranges.     

Polyploid races of earthworms (Lumbricidae, Oligochaeta) in the East European plain and Siberia

The distribution of polyploid races of earthworms in the East European plain and Siberia was analyzed. Amphimictic autopolyploid races of two species of the Asian genus Eisenia, E. nordenskioldi and E. atlaviniteae, are widespread in Siberia, from its southern boundary to the arctic region, while polyploid Lumbricidae in the East-European plain, except for the Volga region, are represented mainly by parthenogenetic forms of other genera. This is presumably related to differences in the Pleistocene environmental history between the two adjacent geographic regions of Eurasia.     

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.     

Biostratigraphical value of some Strunian (Devonian, uppermost Famennian) Productidina, Rhynchonellida, Spiriferida, Spiriferinida brachiopods

The space of Devonian time considered in this paper corresponds to the uppermost part of the Famennian or the latest Famennian as a fourfold subdivision of the stage, usually called by many authors Strunian in neritic facies and Wocklumeria Stufe or Wocklumian in pelagic facies. Here, we examine the biostratigraphical value of certain brachiopod genera and species as bio-markers of the uppermost Famennian throughout the world (Europe, the former USSR, Middle East, Asia, North America, North Africa, and Australia). We have focused our study for species which stratigraphical range has been firmly established in correlation with the conodont biozones (Upper expansa, Early, Middle and Late praesulcata), the ammonoid biozones (do VI = “Wocklumeria Stufe”), or the foraminifera biozones (kobeitusana Zone). Other data for which the stratigraphical range is not based on standard biozonation are provided in the annex. The brachiopod bio-markers discussed in this paper belong to 14 Productidina genera (Acanthatia, Araksalosia, Ericiata, Hamlingella, Mesoplica, Nigerinoplica, Orbinaria, Ovatia, Rugauris, Semiproductus, Sentosia, Spinocarinifera, Steinhagella, Whidbornella), 7 Rhynchonellida genera (Araratella, Centrorhynchus, Hadyrhyncha, Megalopterorhynchus, Novaplatirostrum, Rozmanaria, Tchanakhtchirostrum), 13 Spiriferida genera (Brachythyris, Cyrtospirifer, Dichospirifer, Eochoristites, Imbrexia, Parallelora, Prospira, Rigauxia, Sphenospira, Tenisia, Toryniferella, Tylothyris, Voiseyella) and one Spiriferinida genus (Syringothyris). Other orders have not been studied in this paper. The main features of the uppermost Famennian brachiopod taxa represented in this paper are commented. All these taxa are listed as completely as possible throughout the world (with complements in the annex). A quick summary of the geographic distribution of the more represented taxa is given in conclusion.     

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.     

Numerical taxonomic studies of the genus Pyrus using both chemical and botanical characters*

Of three computer-generated classifications of Pyrus species, produced respectively from 29 chemical characters, 22 botanical characters and all 51 characters taken together, the classification based upon both chemical and botanical characters agrees best with the known geographical distributions of the species. Where either chemical or botanical characters are separately employed, the classifications contain seriously misplaced species. The numerical classification based upon all 51 characters lends some support to the division of the genus into four principal groups of species: the East Asian pea pears, the larger-fruited East Asian pears, the North African pears and the European and West Asian pears. P. longipes, P. betulifolia and P. cordata are considered as being connecting links between the East Asian pea pears, the larger-fruited East Asian pears and the European and West Asian pears. Some speculations are made on the phylogenetic relationships among Pyrus species.     

Cercopithecidae from the Pliocene Chiwondo beds, Malawi-rift

There are a total of 16 fossil cercopithecid specimens, representing at least 10 individuals, from the Chiwondo Beds of northern Malawi. The majority of this material is derived from the Middle Pliocene Unit 3A, but one specimen is from the Early Pliocene Unit 2. This latter specimen is from a papionin of indeterminate genus similar in size to Parapapio ado and Pliopapio alemui. Among the specimens from Unit 3A, two species can be diagnosed: an indeterminate species of Theropithecus, and a species of Parapapio similar in dental size to P. broomi. Neither of the genera from Unit 3A are exclusive to either East Africa or South Africa. Their relative abundances, however, are more similar to Middle Pliocene South African sites where Parapapio is the most common primate genus, and Theropithecus is comparatively rare. This is in contrast to similarly-aged East African sites where Theropithecus is by far the most abundant genus.     

Multiple origin of flightlessness in Phaneropterinae bushcrickets and redefinition of the tribus Odonturini (Orthoptera: Tettigonioidea: Phaneropteridae)

The possession of wings and ability to fly are a unifying character of higher insects, but secondary loss of wings is widespread. Within the bushcrickets, the subfamily Phaneropterinae (Orthoptera: Tettigonioidea) comprises more than 2000 predominantly long-winged species in the tropics. However, the roughly 300 European representatives are mainly short-winged. The systematics of these radiations have been unclear, leading to their unreliable formal treatment, which has hindered analysis of the evolutionary patterns of flight loss. A molecular phylogeny is presented for 42 short-winged species and members of all European long-winged genera based on the combined data from three nuclear gene sequences (18S, H3, ITS2). We found four phylogenetic lineages: (i) the first included the short-wing species of the genus Odontura; (ii) a further branch is represented by the South-American short-winged Cohnia andeana; (iii) an assemblage of long-wing taxa with a deep branching pattern includes the members of the tribes Acrometopini, Ducetiini, Phaneropterini, and Tylopsidini; (iv) a large group contained all short-winged taxa of the tribe Barbitistini. Phaneropterinae flightlessness originated twice in the Western Palaearctic, with a number of mainly allo- and parapatrically distributed species of the Barbistini in Southeastern Europe, and the Middle East and a limited number of Odontura species in Northern Africa and Southwestern Europe. Both short-winged lineages are well separated, which makes it necessary to restrict the tribe Odonturini to the West-Palaearctic genus Odontura. Other flightless genera previously included in the Odonturini are placed as incertae sedis until their phylogenetic position can be established.     

The genus Kepplerites Neumary et Uhlig (Kosmoceratidae,Ammonoidea) in the Bathonian-Callovian beds (Middle Jurassic) of the Russian Platform

The succession of early species of the genus Kepplerites is established in the Upper Bathonian-Lower Callovian beds of Central Russia and compared with the ammonoid succession of East Greenland and Western Europe. Late Bathonian members of the genus Kepplerites from the Middle Volga Region are generally similar, though not identical to those from Greenland, whereas the Early Callovian Kepplerites species and their immediate Bathonian ancestors are represented by species common to all three regions. The analysis of the ammonoid distribution suggests a connection between the East Greenland and Central Russian marine basins in the Early and Middle Bathonian and in the Early Callovian, and their short-term isolation in the Late Bathonian. A new species, Kepplerites (Kepplerites) aigii sp. nov., is described from the Upper Bathonian (keuppi Zone) of the Alatyr River basin (Middle Volga Region).     

Révision systématiquedu genre Steginoporella smitt, 1873 (Bryozoa Cheilostomata)

Systematic revision of the genus Steginoporella: until now about eighty species were described. Only twenty recent species and thirty-four fossil ones are maintained. Several species and subspecies are new.The main interest of this revision is to establish a biostratigraphical scale: the settlement of this scale is based on the known stratigraphical distribution and on an attempt of phylogeny.The second advantage is ecological: all recent species live in marine tropical environment. The Steginoporella are good paleoecological indicators.At last, the establishment of a paleobiogeography, even incomplete and not definitive, allows to understand more easily recent distribution of Steginoporella connected with the great events of earth evolution.