On Mulleripollis gen. nov., a pollen tetrad from the upper cretaceous of the Bengal Basin,West Bengal,India

A tetrahedral tetrad of tricolpate, striate pollen from the Upper Cretaceous subcrop sediments of the Bengal Basin has been described under a new generic name, Mulleripollis gen. nov., with the type species Mulleripollis bolpurensis gen. et sp. nov. It has been noticed that this pollen tetrad is restricted to the Upper Cretaceous Bengal Palynological Zone, which is stratigraphically significant. The natural affinity of the pollen could not be established.     

Non-calcified macroalgae from the lower Famennian (Upper Devonian) of the Holy Cross Mountains,Poland

Non-calcified algal remains were collected from the lower Famennian deposits at the Kowala quarry in the Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland. Each specimen is represented solely by vegetative organs. On the basis of the material collected, a new algal genus and species has been formally erected. Vittella dixii nov. gen., nov. sp. (Order ?Bryopsidales) includes thalli consisting of long bundles of hair-like filament structures arranged in parallel fashion to the thallus length. Some other algal remains are regarded as Inocaulis-like forms. They possess long, flat blades with entire margins, and are ornamented with very dense, hair-like projections. The rest of the specimens found so far has been illustrated and tentatively classified as probably belonging to either Bryopsidales or Dasycladales algae. The exceptional preservation of the non-calcified algal thalli investigated suggests that special taphonomic conditions have prevailed during sedimentation of the lower part of the Famennian Kowala section. These may have involved rather rapid burial in oxygen-restricted (dysoxic and anoxic) sea-bottom environment, inhibiting the activities of scavengers and bioturbators, as well as oxidative degradation. The preservation of the algae, together with sedimentological and geochemical characteristics of the host rocks indicate that they rather represent parautochthonous assemblage, buried close to their natural habitat.     

Palynology of the Dockum group (Upper Triassic), Texas,U.S.A.

A palynofloral assemblage is described from the Upper Triassic Dockum Group of Texas. Forty palynomorph species are recorded and these are correlated with European Upper Triassic assemblages. The Dockum Group assemblage is considered to be of late Karnian age.Two new genera, Tulesporites gen. nov., type species T. briscoensis sp. nov., and Daughertyspora gen. nov., type species D. chinleanus (Daugherty) comb. nov. have been erected; new species are Converrucosisporites matsenii sp. nov., Pyramidosporites traversei sp. nov., Callialasporites triassicus sp. nov., Plicatipollenites minutotriletus sp. nov., Triadispora dockumensis sp. nov., Bhardwajispora jansonii sp. nov., Protodiploxypinus americus sp. nov., P. ujhelyi sp. nov., Klausipollenites gouldii sp. nov., Pityosporites old-hamensis sp. nov., Abietineaepollenites bujakii sp. nov., Falcisporites oviformis sp. nov. and F. tecovasensis sp. nov.     

Aspects of permian palaeobotany and palynology,VII. the majonicaceae,a new family of late permian conifers

On the basis of rich vegetative and fertile material from the Val Gardena Formation in the Dolomites and the Vicentinian Alps, coniferous remains have been studied in detail with the aid of cuticle analysis. Except the genus Ortiseia Florin, three other natural genera can be distinguished: Majonica nov. gen, Dolomitia nov. gen. and Pseudovoltzia Florin. Within both Majonica and Dolomitia a single species is recognized, Majonica alpina nov. sp. and Dolomitia cittertiae nov. sp., respectively. Within Pseudovoltzia two species can be recognized: P. liebeana (Geinitz) Florin and P. sjerpii nov. sp.The genera Majonica, Dolomitia and Pseudovoltzia are associated with ovuliferous fructifications and Majonica even with polliniferous cones and bisaccoid bitaeniate pollen grains.A new family—the Majonicaceae—is proposed to include the genera Majonica, Dolomitia and Pseudovoltzia. The family is characterized by a peculiar organization of the ovuliferous dwarf-shoots, i.e. the places of ovule-attachment on the lateral fertile scales varying from explicitly laterally situated to more or less shifted to the adaxial side of the dwarf-shoot.     

New jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and similar beetles from the Cretaceous and Early Paleogene of Asia

A new genus and two new species of jewel beetles are described, Andakhudukia ponomarenkoi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Metabuprestium ustkivdense sp. nov. from the lowermost Paleogene of the Amur Region. In addition, four new monotypic genera that share some features with jewel beetles are described: Cretoelaterium kazanovense gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Eastern Transbaikalia and Cretopoena gratshevi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia have been referred to the families Elateridae and Eucnemidae; Cretofalselaterium baiankhongoricum gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Cretogermen turonicum gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Cretaceous of Kazakhstan have been erected for isolated elytra and placed in Coleoptera incertae sedis.     

Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of New Guinea,Part V: Descriptions of two new genera,Neotimyra gen. nov. and Strombiola gen. nov.

This is the 5th part in a series on the family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea) of New Guinea. Two new genera, Neotimyra gen. nov. and Strombiola gen. nov. are proposed. There are five new species in the genus Neotimyra (N. senara sp. nov., N. milleri sp. nov., N. gyriola sp. nov., N. warkapiensis sp. nov., and N. nemoralis sp. nov.), and one new species in the genus Strombiola (S. papuana sp. nov.). Adults, heads, labial palpi, venations, and male genitalia are illustrated.     

Bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from Middle Miocene karstic fissure fillings of Petersbuch near Eichstätt, Southern Franconian Alb (Bavaria)

The bats from the karstic fissure fill sites Petersbuch 6, 10, 18, 31, 35 and 48 include 14 species, four of which are new. All samples are numerically dominated by rhinolophids, especially by Rhinolophus delphinensis. The rich samples from Petersbuch 6-18 are striking in their high species diversity (seven species each). Myotis bavaricus nov. sp. is characterised by a series of plesiomorphous characters, while Myotis reductus nov. sp. is more derived. A special trait of Submyotodon petersbuchensis nov. gen. nov. sp. is the coexistence of nyctalodont and (sub-) myotodont molars in one dentary. Miniopterus rummeli nov. sp. is characterised by its large size, a high coronoid process and its widely spaced lower premolars. Composition and origin of the chiropteran faunas are discussed. They are interpreted as an accumulation of bats that perished in the cave or rock crevice and to a negligible extent as remains of owl pellets. The stratigraphic correlation of the faunas, based on rodents, is late Middle Miocene (MN 7/8). This study is based on several thousand specimens.     

First description of an euryoecious acanthoecid choanoflagellate species,Enibas tolerabilis gen. et sp. nov. from a salar in the Chilean Andes based on morphological and transcriptomic data

In general, acanthoecid choanoflagellates have been described to occur exclusively in brackish water to marine habitats. Only recently, two studies have proven their existence in inland waters. One of them has shown, that an acanthoecid species from a small lake (near Apia on the island of Upolu, Samoa) is strictly freshwater adapted, not able to tolerate even brackish water. In this study, we present the first euryoecious acanthoecid species, able to live and reproduce in freshwater as well as under hypersaline conditions. The new species, Enibas tolerabilis gen. et sp. nov. was isolated in 2017 from the Salar de Ascotán in the Altiplano at 3750 m a. s. l., Northern Chile. The salinity at the time of sampling was 6 PSU. A series of autecological experiments have revealed a salinity tolerance from freshwater up to 70 PSU. In our phylogenetic analysis, E. tolerabilis gen. et sp. nov. clustered within the family of Acanthoecidae, forming a well-supported sister clade together with two other, environmental choanoflagellate sequences. We erected a new genus, Enibas gen. nov. and described the morphology, molecular biology and autecology for E. tolerabilis gen. et sp. nov. which has a stephanoecid-like lorica morphology. We emphasize that the definition of the genus Stephanoeca, being polyphyletic, is in urgent need of revision as we showed that this morphology is present in both acanthoecid families.     

Systematics and palaeoecology of middle Toarcian Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from the “Seuil du Poitou”, Western France

Complete, articulated starfish fossils are rare. However, more frequently encountered dissociated skeletal elements (ossicles) permit reliable taxonomic identification, making them a valuable data source for diversity estimates. Nearly 300 asteroid ossicles, collected from the middle Toarcian marls in western France can be assigned to five species. Four species and two genera are described: Comptoniaster vrinensis nov. sp. (Goniasteridae), Poncetaster crateri nov. gen. nov. sp. (Stauranderasteridae), Galbaster recurrans nov. gen. nov. sp. (Goniasteridae) and Pentasteria? liasica nov. sp. (Astropectinidae). The known diversity of Early Jurassic asteroids is increased from 12 to 16 species. These taxa illustrate the diversification of crown-group asteroids early in the Jurassic, following the Permo-Triassic crisis. They also reflect bias of the fossil record, and imply the existence of numerous ghost lineages in the evolutionary trees of extant groups. Variation in asteroid diversity across the “Seuil du Poitou” was driven by ecological constraints. The relative frequency (abundance of ossicles and diversity) of goniasterids and stauranderasterids increases in shallower environments. The Benthopectinidae, represented by Plesiastropecten hallovensis, occurred primarily from deep-shelf sediments. Similar ecological patterns are observed for more recent fossil and extant relatives, which further supports the idea of conservative evolution in post-Palaeozoic starfishes since the Early Jurassic.     

SULCOPYRENULA,A NEW PYRENOCARPOUS LICHEN GENUS (PYRENULACEAE,LICHENIZED ASCOMYCOTA)

Sulcopyrenula H. Harada gen. nov. is described. It differs from other genera ofPyrenulaceae by having longitudinally sulcate spores. The genus is represented by two species: S. canellae-albae (Fée) H. Harada comb. nov. and S. staurospora (Tuck.) H. Harada comb. nov. Both species have been previously reported from N. and S. America, and the latter species is now reported from Asia.     

A new clupeid genus (pisces, clupeiformes, clupeidae) from the Sarmatian of the Eastern Paratethys, Krasnodar Region

Two collections of clupeid fishes, which have previously been assigned to the species Sardinella sardinites (Heckel, 1850), from the Lower and Middle Sarmatian of the Pshekha River Basin (Western Ciscaucasia, Krasnodar Region) were studied. A new genus, Illusionella gen. nov., with two species, I. tsurevica sp. nov. and I. pshekhensis sp. nov., was described based on morphological characteristics. They are the most abundant species in Sarmatian fish assemblages of the Psekups-Belaya interfluve.     

Neoprincipia nov. gen., a new Mississippian red alga, and remarks on the Archaeolithophyllaceae (Rhodophyta)

A new alga is described from the late Visean of SW Spain: Neoprincipia nov. gen. Specimens of this new genus were either usually assigned to Archaeolithophyllum or Principia of Brigantian-Serpukhovian age. Two new species N. guadiatica nov. gen., nov. sp. and N. tethysiana nov. gen., nov. sp. are described. Their massive appearance, in continuous series, characterizes the base of the Brigantian elsewhere in the Paleotethys, although some rare cases of first appearance in the late Asbian exist. Its acme is Brigantian, but it extends into the Pendleian. The genus Neoprincipia, and its family Archaeolithophyllaceae, are interpreted to be the earliest true red algae, that exhibit clearly differentiated hypothallus and perithallus, and therefore are situated at the origin of these “coralline algae”, which are very prolific from the Cretaceous to the Recent.     

Mesozoic leaf beetles of the tribe Mesolpinini trib. nov. (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from the Lower Cretaceous

This publication is based on recent studies of Lower Cretaceous leaf beetles from the Yixian Formation (Liaoning, China), which are represented by five new species of one new genus Mesolpinus gen. nov. (M. antenattus sp. nov. [type species], M. adapertilis sp. nov., M. angusticollis sp. nov., M. basicollis sp. nov., and M. trapezicollis sp. nov.) assigned to a new tribe, Mesolpinini trib. nov. of the subfamily Chrysomelinae. This tribe, which includes only species from the Jehol biota, is the oldest known group of the family in the fossil record. A key to species of the genus Mesolpinus gen. nov. is provided and the position of the new tribe is discussed. A brief overview of the Mesozoic data on the subfamily Chrysomeloidea is given.     

New Devonian and Carboniferous bryozoans of the Holy Cross Mountains (central Poland)

New bryozoans from the Middle-Upper Devonian (Eifelian-Frasnian) and the Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) of the Holy Cross Mountains in central Poland are described: Bigeyella sparsa gen. et sp. nov., B. separata gen. et sp. nov., Eridopora singula sp. nov., Leptotrypa pulchra sp. nov., Kysylschinipora klarae sp. nov., Coelotubulipora rara sp. nov., Alternifenestella genuina sp. nov., Exfenestella polonica sp. nov., and Rectifenestella localis sp. nov. Some paleogeographic and stratigraphic aspects of the Paleozoic deposits of this region are discussed and main bryozoan localities are described.     

New data on trematosauroid labyrinthodonts of Eastern Europe: 3. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Qantas samarensis</Emphasis> gen. et sp. nov.

Based on fragmentary remains (incomplete lower jaw and premaxilla) from the Lower Triassic Kamennyi Dol locality (Kamennyi Yar Formation, Rybinskian Horizon) of Obshchii Syrt (Samara Region) and a number of specimens from the same region, a new genus and species of trematosauroid temnospondyls, Qantas samarensis gen. et sp. nov., is described. It displays a mosaic combination of typical benthosuchid and trematosaurid characters, remaining in general structure of the lower jaw at the benthosuchid evolutionary level, so that a new benthosuchid subfamily, Qantasinae subfam. nov., representing an isolated lineage, is established. Based on the cranial remains of trematosaurid temnospondyls from the Cynognathus Zone of South Africa, which were previously described by Shishkin and Welman (1994), a new trematosaurine genus and species, Trematosuchoides africanus gen. et sp. nov., is established.     

Three new anascosporic genera of the Saccharomycotina: Danielozyma gen. nov., Deakozyma gen. nov. and Middelhovenomyces gen. nov

Three new non-ascosporic, ascomycetous yeast genera are proposed based on their isolation from currently described species and genera. Phylogenetic placement of the genera was determined from analysis of nuclear gene sequences for D1/D2 large subunit rRNA, small subunit rRNA, translation elongation factor-1α and RNA polymerase II, subunits B1 and B2. The new taxa are: Deakozyma gen. nov., type species Deakozyma indianensis sp. nov. (type strain NRRL YB-1937, CBS 12903); Danielozyma gen. nov., type species Danielozyma ontarioensis comb. nov. (type strain NRRL YB-1246, CBS 8502); D. litseae comb. nov. (type strain NRRL YB-3246, CBS 8799); Middelhovenomyces gen. nov., type species Middelhovenomyces tepae comb. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-17670, CBS 5115) and M. petrohuensis comb. nov. (type strain NRRL Y-17663, CBS 8173).     

An exceptional cheloniid turtle, Osonachelus decorata nov. gen., nov. sp., from the Eocene (Bartonian) of Catalonia (Spain)

Osonachelus decorata nov. gen., nov. sp., is the first named chelonioid turtle from the Iberian Peninsula. This Eocene turtle was found in the marine sediments of the Vespella Marls Member (Vic-Manlleu Marls Formation, upper Bartonian) that occur in the Osona county (eastern Ebro Basin, Province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain). The area is rich in invertebrate, fish, and plant fossils but various vertebrates, including several chelonian taxa, have remained unpublished. This paper is the first dedicated to the fossil turtles of this area. Osonachelus nov. gen. is a large turtle with an impressive, massive skull revealing a specialized diet, a large and well-fenestrated shell (well ornamented dorsally and much lightened ventrally), and large paddles for high-sea locomotion. It is phylogenetically located among relatively advanced cheloniids, just basal to modern forms. Although apparent similarities in shell morphology exist with Allopleuron from the Maastrichtian of Holland, Osonachelus nov. gen. is distinct due to its masticatory apparatus, less usual among cheloniids and seemingly closer to that of the Lutetian Eochelone from Belgium. Based on the deeply concave and smooth lower jaw symphysis, its diet probably consisted of soft animals or plants rather than hard-food items. Therefore, it occupied a specialized ecological niche that is unique for the Eocene of the Iberian Peninsula.