Upper Triassic (Carnian) reef biota from the Sambosan Accretionary Complex, Kyushu, Japan

Calcified sponges, algae, and reef problematica are abundant yet poorly known from the Triassic of Japan. They are abundant in shallow-water carbonate, redeposited blocks of the Sambosan Accretionary Complex, Konosé Group, and southern Kyushu. Based on study of thin-sections from reef limestone exposed along the Kuma River, some important organisms and reef microfacies are described, which seem typical of Upper Triassic reef complexes. The most abundant reef organisms are hypercalcified sponges, including sphinctozoans, inozoans and chaetetids, followed by cyanophycean algae (including “Tubiphytes”-like organisms), and solenoporacean red algae. Loose sponge spicules in one thin-section also indicate the occurrence of rare hexactinellid sponges. Chambered demosponges described from the Konosé carbonate rocks include Solenolmia manon manon (Münster), Colospongia sp., Jablonskyia andrusovi (Jablonsky), several unidentified chambered sponges as well as the inozoid Permocorynella sp. 1 and Permocorynella sp. 2. Also present are chaetetid sponges and solenoporacean red algae belonging to Parachaetetes cassianus (Flügel) and Parachaetetes? sp. or Solenopora? sp. Especially abundant in thin-sections are cyanophyceans and “Tubiphytes”-like organisms. Among the organisms is Cladogirvanella Ott and Hedstroemia sp. The composition of the biota and presence of typical problematic organisms increases our knowledge of shallow-water Upper Triassic carbonate rocks in a remote setting in western Panthalassa. The composition of the biota indicates a mostly Carnian age. Most comparable organisms are known from both the northeastern and southern Tethys.     

Hypercalcified segmented sponges (“sphinctozoans”) from the Upper Triassic (Norian) reef boulders of Taurus Mountains (southern Turkey)

Upper Triassic Norian reef boulders, exposed in a locality near the fountain “Tavuk Cesme” (“Chicken Fountain”) in Taurus Mountains, southern Turkey yielded a large number of hypercalcified sponges, including “sphinctozoans”, “inozoans”, “spongiomorphids”, and “chaetetids”. The sphinctozoans from this locality are described in this paper. Geologically, this locality belongs to the Anamas-Akseki autochthonous. The reef boulders of this locality are exposed near the “Tavuk Cesme” fountain, located at the road, leading from the town of Aksu to Yenisarbademli. The following taxa are described: Amblysiphonella taurica nov. sp., Anthalythalamia riedeli Senowbari-Daryan, Calabrisiphonella sphaerica nov. sp., Calabrisiphonella cuifi nov. sp., Cinnabaria minima Senowbari-Daryan, Colospongia recta nov. sp., Colospongia sp. 1, Colospongia sp. 2, Colospongia sp. 3, Cryptocoelia compacta nov. sp., Cryptocoelia? sp., Deningeria crassireticulata Senowbari-Daryan, Zühlke, Bechstädt and Flügel, Discosiphonella minima Senowbari-Daryan and Link, Gigantothalamia ovoidalis Senowbari-Daryan, Hajarispongia dipoyrazensis nov. sp., Hajarispongia cortexifera nov. sp., Kashanella irregularis Senowbari-Daryan, Kashanella cylindrica nov. sp., Parauvanella ferdowsensis Senowbari-Daryan, Parastylothalamia cylindrica nov. gen., nov. sp., Asiphothalamia polyosculata nov. gen, nov. sp., Sollasia norica nov. sp., and Thaumastocoelia sphaeroida Senowbari-Daryan. The most abundant sponge is Amblysiphonella taurica nov. sp. followed by Hajarispongia dipoyrazensis nov. sp., Colospongia and Discosiphonella minima Senowbari-Daryan and Link are also relatively abundant. The stylothalamid sponge Parastylothalamia nov. gen. is an abundant sponge genus in other Norian reefs of the Taurus Mountains, but is rare at the “Tavuk Cesme” locality.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Perturbatacrusta</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">leini</Emphasis> n. gen., n. sp. a new microencruster incertae sedis (? sponge) from Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous platform margin carbonates of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria

A new microencruster of unknown systematic position is described as Perturbatacrusta leini n. gen., n. sp. from the Late Jurassic Plassen Carbonate Platform of the Northern Calcareous Alps and its resediments (p.p. Barmstein Limestone). The labyrinthic interior canal system and marginal openings reveal a possible sponge origin. Differences and affinities to allied taxa such as Radiomura cautica Senowbari-Daryan and Schäfer are discussed. The biostratigraphic range of Perturbatacrusta leini n. gen., n. sp. known so far is Kimmeridgian to Tithonian (?Early Berriasian) so far reported from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. Perturbatacrusta leini was detected in boundstones with a diverse association of microencrusters and mainly encrusting sponges occurring together with microbial crusts. Together with the other encrusting organisms and reef builders, Perturbatacrusta leini played an important role for the carbonate production and stabilization of the reefal and slope carbonates in the Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous of the western Neotethys realm.     

Anisian (middle triassic) buildups of the Northern Dolomites (Italy): The recovery of reef communities after the permian/triassic crisis

Summary After the end-Permian crisis and a global ‘reef gap’ in the early Triassic, reefs appeared again during the early Middle Triassic. Records of Anisian reefs are rare in the Tethys as well as in non-Tethyan regions. Most Anisian reefs are known from the western part of the Tethys but there are only very few studies focused on biota, facies types and the paleogeographical situation of these reefs. From the eastern part of the Tethys, Anisian reefs, reefal buildups or potential reef-building organisms have been reported from different regions of southern China. Most of the Anisian reefs known from western and central Europe as well as from southern China seem to be of middle and late Pelsonian age. The study area is situated in the northern Dolomites (South Tyrol, Italy) southeast of Bruneck (Brunico). It comprises the area between Olang (Valdaora) and Prags (Braies). The study is based on detailed investigations of the regional geology, stratigraphy and lithofacies (R. Zühlke, T. Bechst?dt) as well as on a comprehensive inventory of Anisian reef organisms (B. Senowbari-Daryan, E. Flügel). These data are used in the discussion of the controls on the recovery of reefs during the early Middle Triassic. Most late Anisian reef carbonates studied are represented by allochthonous talus reef blocks of cubicmeter size. Small biostromal autochthonous mounds are extremely rare (Piz da Peres). The reef mounds as well as most of the reef blocks occur within the middle to late Pelsonian Recoaro Formation. They were formed on the middle reaches of carbonate ramps in subtidal depths, slightly above the storm wave base with only moderate water energy. Most lithotypes observed in the reef blocks correspond to sponge and/or algal bafflestones. Low-growing sessile organisms (Olangocoelia (sponge, alga?), sphinctozoan sponges, bryozoans, soleno-poracean algae, corals) and encrusting epibionts (sponges, porostromate algae, cyanophycean crusts, foraminifera, worms, microproblematica) created low cm-sized biogenic structures (bioconstructions) which baffled and bound sediment. Organic framework was only of minor importance; it is restricted to theOlangocoelia lithotype. Framework porosity was small in these reef mounds. Submarine carbonate cements, therefore, are only of minor importance s compared with Permian or Ladinian reefs. The relatively high number of lithotypes encountered in the reef blocks indicates a high biofacies diversity. Regarding the relative frequency, the diverse biota consist in descending order ofOlangocoelia, sponges (sphinctozoans, inozoans, siliceous sponges), bryozoans, porostromate algae and worm tubes. The sphinctozoans are characterized by small, mostly incrusting forms. The numerical diversity (species richness) is low compared with late Permian or Ladinian and late Triassic sphinctozoan faunas occurring within reefs. Following the sponges, monospecific bryozoans (Reptonoditrypa cautica Sch?fer & Fois) are the most common organisms in the reef limestones. Porostromate algae were restricted to areas within the bioconstructions not inhabited by sponges. The low-diverse corals had no importance in the construction of an organic framework. Surprisingly, microbial crusts are rare or even lacking in the investigated Anisian bioconstructions. This is in contrast to late Permian and Ladinian as well as Carnian reefs which are characterized by the abundance of specific organic crusts. The same comes true for‘Tubiphytes’ which is a common constituent in Permian, Ladinian and Carnian reef carbonates but is very rare in the Anisian of the Olang Dolomites. Instead of‘Tubiphytes’ different kinds of worm tubes (spirorbid tubes, Mg-calcitic tubes and agglutinated tubes) were of importance as epifaunal elements. Macrobial encrustations consisting of characteristic successions of sponges, bryozoans, algae, worm tubes and microproblematica seem to be of greater quantitative importance than in Ladinian reefs. Destruction of organic skeletons (predominantly of bryozoans) by macroborers (cirripedia?) is a common feature. The Anisian reef organisms are distinctly different from late Permian and from most Ladinian reef-builders. No Permian Lazarus taxa have been found. New taxa: Sphinctozoan sponges—Celyphia? minima n.sp.,Thaumastocoelia dolomitica n. sp.,Deningeria tenuireticulata n. sp.,Deningeria crassireticulata n. sp.,Anisothalamia minima n.g. n.sp., Inozoan sponges-Meandrostia triassica n.sp. Microproblematica-Anisocellula fecunda n.g. n.sp., Porostromate alga-Brandneria dolomitica n.g. n.sp. Most of our data are in agreement with the model described byFois & Gaetani (1984) for the recovery of reef-building communities during the Ansian but the biotic diversity seems to be considerably higher than previously assumed. Anisian deposition and the formation of the reef mounds within the Pelsonian Recoaro Formation of the Dolomites were controlled by the combined effects of synsedimentary tectonics and eustatic changes in sea-level. During several time intervals, especially the early Anisian (northern and western Dolomites: tectonic uplift), the early Pelsonian (eastern Dolomites: drowning) and the late Illyrian (wide parts of the Dolomites: uplift and drowning), the sedimentation was predominantly controlled by regionally different tectonic subsidence rates. The amount of terrigenous clastic input associated with synsedimentary tectonics (tectonic uplift of hinterlands) had a major influence on carbonate deposition and reef development. The re-appearance of reef environments in the Olang Dolomites was controlled by a combination of regional and global factors (paleogeographic situation: development of carbonate ramps; decreasing subsidence of horst blocks; reduced terrigenous input; moderate rise in sea-level).     

Calcareous algae from the Triassic (Anisian reef boulders and Norian reef limestones) of Karaburun, western Turkey

Invertebrate Anisian and Norian reef boulders were found in the Gerence and Güvercinlik Formations, respectively, exposed in northeastern part of the Karaburun Peninsula, western Turkey. Halimedacean green algae and solenoporacean red algae, usually associated with other reef building organisms are described in this paper. The following taxa were determinated: halimedaceans: Egericodium hungaricum Flügel, Velledits, Senowbari-Daryan and Riedel, Aternasus irregularis n. gen., n. sp.; solenoporaceans: Solenopora cf. alcicornis Ott, Solenopora triasina Vinassa de Regny, Solenopora vachardi n. sp., Solenopora concentrica n. sp., Solenopora paraconcentrica n. sp., Tauristorea parallela Senowbari-Daryan and Link, Tauristorea discursa n. sp., and Parachaetetes cassianus (Flügel). The monospecific genus Aternasus n. gen. is the most abundant alga within the Anisian reef boulders. The solenoporaceans are represented by several taxa but the individual species are less abundant. E. hungaricum, T. parallela Senowbari-Daryan and Link, and S. triasina Vinassa de Regny are described from the Norian reef limestones embedded in Güvercinlik Formation, all other taxa from the Anisian reef boulders embedded in the Gerence Formation.     

New internally structured decapod microcoprolites from Germany (Late Triassic/Early Miocene), Southern Spain (Early/Middle Jurassic) and Portugal (Late Jurassic): Taxonomy, palaeoecology and evolutionary implications

Fossil faecal pellets with internal structures are described from non-marine environments for the first time. In the Late Triassic Lehrberg Beds (Middle Keuper, Carnian) of Germany, the oldest stratigraphic record of the form genusHelicerina Brönnimann &Masse,Helicerina keuperina Seegis n. sp., occurs.Favreina kalankyra Ebli from the Norian Hauptdolomit Formation is also attributed to this genus. Another new speciesof Helicerina, H. ruttei Schweigert n. sp., is described from the Early Miocene calcareous freshwater tufas of Southern Germany. It is attributed to the brachyuran freshwater crabProballaya quenstedti (Zittel) which occurs abundantly at the same locality. Hence, the coprolite genusHelicerina is the product of brachyuran decapods or their Triassic ancestors, and not of anomuran decapods as thought before. From younger Early to Middle Jurassic pelagic ferrugineous limestones of the Subbetic area (Southern Spain), the new speciesFavreina belandoi Fels n. sp. is described besidesHelicerina siciliana Senowbari-Daryan, Schäfer &Catalano, and the better known speciesPalaxius salataensis Brönnimann, Cros &Zaninetti. The number of canals withinFavreina belandoi varies but is clearly correlated with different ontogenetic stages of the same producer. From the Late Jurassic of Portugal, the new speciesPetalina hexalunulata Leinfelder n. gen. n. sp. is reported. It co-occurs withFavreina prusensis (Paréjas). The new genusPetalina is distinct fromFavreina by its hemispherical cross sections of the canals. In Portugal, both species are restricted to intrajurassic marine karstic fissures of the reefal Ota Limestone.     

Sponges from the Permian of Hambast Mountains,south of Abadeh,central Iran

Upper Permian (Murghabian) sponges from the Surmaq Formation exposed in the Hambast Mountains, south of Abadeh, central Iran are described. The sponge fauna of the Surmaq Formation is composed of at least 26 taxa, including 12 species of sphinctozoans, 12 species of inozoans, one operculospongid, and one lithistid species. The following taxa were determined to genus or species level: Sphinctozoa: Family Sebargasiidae: Amblysiphonella hambastensis n. sp., Discosiphonella iranica n. sp., Family Colospongiidae: Colospongia cortexifera Senowbari-Daryan and Rigby, Exaulipora permica (Senowbari-Daryan), Platythalamiella sp. 1, Platythalamiella? sp. 2, Parauvanella minima Senowbari-Daryan, Colospongia? or Neoguadalupia? sp., Family Guadalupiidae: Cystothalamia surmaqensis n. sp., Imbricatocoelia cf. paucipora Rigby, Fan and Zhang, Family Thaumastocoeliidae: Sollasia ostiolata Steinmann, Family Cryptocoeliidae: Stylocoelia circopora Wu. Inozoa: Family Peronidellidae: Preperonidella cf. Preperonidella recta grossa (Wu), Heptatubispongia symmetrica Rigby and Senowbari-Daryan, Hambastella sincassa n. gen., n. sp., Hambastella cumcassa n. sp., Family Maeandrostiidae: Maeandrostia kansasensis Girty, Maeandrostia? dubia n. sp., Surmaqella pustulata n. gen., n. sp., Family Auriculospongiidae: Pseudopalaeoaplysina huayingensis Wang, Qiang and Zhang, Family Disjectoporidae: Disjectopora beipeiensis Fan, Rigby and Zhang, Lichuanopora cf. bancaoensis Fan, Rigby and Zhang, Family Khmeriidae: Imilce newelli Flügel. Lithistida: Family Astylospongiidae: Raanespongia iranica n. sp. Among the sphinctozoans A. hambastensis n. sp. is an extremely abundant species. Among the inozoans the genus Hambastella n. gen., with both species, is the most abundant genus. The genera Disjectopora, Lichuanopora, and Pseudopaleoaplysina, were described as hydrozoans by early workers, but are assigned to the inozoans in this paper. The Upper Permian sponge fauna, as well as the composition of other reef organisms, from the Hambast Mountains in central Iran is different from that of the assemblage in the Lower Permian reefal limestones of Bagh-e Vang from the Shotori Mountians (northeast Iran).     

Bioeroders in fossil reefs

Summary Boring algae, fungi and bacteria have been the most constant factor in bioerosion through earth history. Their record reaches back into the middle Precambrian. The only fossil reefs specifically researched for these microendoliths are of Triassic and Upper Jurassic age. Boring worms appear in reefs in the Lower Cambrian. Boring sponges and bivalves first appear also in the lower Paleozoic, but do not become abundant in reefs until the Triassic. Effective substrate excavating grazers are relatively young geologically: Patellids and substrate excavating Echinoids evolved in the Triassic but did not become important bioeroders until the Jurassic or Cretaceous. Scarid fishes are even younger, the oldest representatives having been found in the Miocene. Thus, it seems that the intensity of bioerosion changed significantly during earth history. This may have had consequences for diversity of reef organisms, quality and quantity of reef debris, for diagenesis and record of reef rock.     

Late Paleozoic and Triassic bryozoans from the Tethys Himalaya (N India, Nepal and S Tibet)

New findings of Late Paleozoic and Triassic bryozoans from the Tethys Himalaya are reported. Fifteen species, including three undetermined, were described, while determinations at order, family or genus level were obtained on fragmentary material. The studied bryozoans were framed in a solid lithostratigraphic scheme spanning across the Tethys Himalaya for over 1500 km, from NW India (Zanskar and Spiti) through Nepal (Dolpo and Manang) to South Tibet; they are concentrated in correlatable stratigraphic intervals corresponding to the Upper Devonian-Tournaisian, Bashkirian, Sakmarian, Midian and Lower Norian. This study allowed us to integrate bryozoan occurrences reported from the literature, mostly referring to the Tournaisian, Bashkirian and Early Norian, and to refine the available biostratigraphic dates. Bryozoan-rich intervals are interpreted as associated to long-term transgressions, in turn driven by major climatic and/or tectonic events. Cosmopolitan genera which prevail in the Paleozoic, are replaced by provincial forms after the Triassic crisis.     

Persistance du genre Piarophynchia (Brachiopodes, Rhynchonellacea) dans le Lias supérieur description de Piarorhynchia Faugeresi nov. sp. du Toarcien moyen du Prérif (Maroc)

The genus Piarorhynchia, which extends back as far as Triassic times and is abundant in the lower and middle Lias, persists after the Pliensbachian and ranges as high as the middle Toarcian in Morocco.Piarorhynchia faugeresi nov. sp. from Bifrons zone of jebel Kefs (Prerif) is described externally and internally.     

Three new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pterophorus</Emphasis> Schäffer (Lepidoptera,Pterophoridae) from the Indo-Malayan Region

Three new species of the plume-moth genus Pterophorus Schäffer, 1766 (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae) are described from the Indo-Malayan Region: Pterophorus vikhrevi sp. n. from Malaysia (Sabah Island), P. ceylonicus sp. n. from the Republic of Sri Lanka, and P. laocaiensis sp. n. from Vietnam. A list of all the species of this genus known for these countries is given.     

The youngest record of Carcharopsis (Chondrichthyes) from the Pennsylvanian of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,China

A chondrichthyan tooth having a serrated edge, from the Late Pennsylvanian of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, was identified as Edestus sp. [Cheng, Z., Lucas, S.G., Zidek, J., 1996. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1996 (11), 701-707]. Because of the lack of bilateral symmetry, the tooth does not belong to Edestus or any other known edestoid. It is too incomplete for a definite identification, but its features are consistent with Carcharopsis, which also has serrated teeth, and not with any other described late Paleozoic chondrichthyan genus. If it is Carcharopsis, it is the latest occurrence of the genus, which was previously known only from the Mississippian and the Early Pennsylvanian.     

Facies stacking and extinctions across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary in a peritidal succession from western Sicily

An uppermost Triassic–lowermost Jurassic carbonate platform succession, which is 430 m thick, in northwestern Sicily is described with the aim to provide new data on the sedimentological and biological variations across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary in peritidal environments. The studied succession belonged to the rimmed carbonate shelf that developed during the Late Triassic along the margins of the Ionian Tethys. The peritidal sediments consist of meter-scale shallowing-upward cycles formed by subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal facies. Three main informal units are differentiated along the section on the basis of the variations recorded by the subtidal facies. The lower and middle units are attributed to the Rhaetian, on the basis of the common presence of the foraminifer Triasina hantkeni, associated with several benthic foraminifers, such as Aulotortus sinuosus and Auloconus permodiscoides. Megalodontids are particularly abundant and large in the lower unit, whereas they become rare in the middle unit and disappear in the upper unit. The last occurrence of T. hantkeni, along with the disappearance of the benthic foraminifer fauna, and the bloom of the calcareous alga Thaumatoporella parvovesiculifera is assumed as a proxy of the Rhaetian–Hettangian boundary. Recovery biota during the early Jurassic occurs about 20 m upward of the boundary zone, marked by the appearance of benthic foraminifers, such as Siphovalvulina sp. The observed biostratigraphic signature in the studied section is easily comparable to similar Tethyan sections already described from Italy, Greece, and Turkey; thus, it is believed that the faunistic turnover does not reflect local facies variations, in response to changes in the accommodation space of the platform, but regional changes in a more wide area of ocean Tethys.     

Remarkably preserved benthic organisms and their traces from a Middle Triassic (Muschelkalk) mud flat

Knaust, D. 2010: Remarkably preserved benthic organisms and their traces from a Middle Triassic (Muschelkalk) mud flat. Lethaia, Vol. 43, pp. 344–356. A new Fossil‐Lagerstätte is reported from the Middle Triassic of Germany, preserving Foraminifera, Nematoda, Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, Annelida and a range of Arthropoda together with their traces. This is the oldest fossil record of free‐living nematodes and turbellarians, and the first occurrence of nemerteans in the Mesozoic. The rare preservation of the benthic associations together with their traces is unique; especially the abundant occurrence of different phyla as meiofauna (organisms with shortest dimension between 0.06 and 1 mm) provides an insight into the palaeoecological conditions of a 240‐Ma‐old muddy tidal flat. The preservation of benthic animals at the termination of their traces offers the exclusive opportunity to assign producers to the trace fossils. The results show that the discussed phyla were already established in the early Mesozoic in a similar diversity and composition as in modern analogues. The new Fossil‐Lagerstätte has the potential to prove a number of soft‐bodied taxa immediately after the end‐Permian mass extinction, which has wide‐ranging implications for phylogenetic interpretations. □Benthos, soft‐bodied organisms, Fossil‐Lagerstätte, Muschelkalk, trace fossils, Triassic.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crescentiella</Emphasis>-microbial-cement microframeworks in the Upper Jurassic reefs of the Crimean Peninsula

In the Upper Jurassic reef successions of the Crimean Peninsula (Sudak and Jalta areas), the microencruster Crescentiella morronensis (Crescenti), microbialites, and multiple generations of cements, form microframeworks. They were observed in two stages of the carbonate platform evolution, in the Middle–Upper Oxfordian, and in the Upper Kimmeridgian–Tithonian. Generally, in both stages, the features of the microframeworks are similar and consist of densely packed Crescentiella associated with microbialites and branched colonies of the sclerosponge Neuropora lusitanica Termier. The difference between the occurrences of the two stages is the variable amount of nubecularid foraminifera and enigmatic tube-shaped structures forming the central cavities of Crescentiella. The Crescentiella-microbial-cement microframeworks formed under phreatic conditions in the upper slope and seaward marginal depositional settings where intensive synsedimentary cementation took place. They formed in the initial stages of long cycles of restoration and blooming of the reefs. The late Jurassic examples resemble the Permian algae-microbial-cement reefs as well as the Triassic Tubiphytes and cement crust-dominated reefs. Concurrently, all these examples formed a transitional facies zone between typical slope facies to shallow subtidal platform margin facies characterized by high taxonomic diversity of calcified sponges, corals, and microencrusters forming the principal part of the reefs.     

Some heterostrophic gastropods from Triassic St. Cassian Formation with a discussion on the classification of the Allogastropoda

Fifteen species of Heterostropha are described, 12 of them for the first time. All are newly interpreted with regard to their taxonomic relation to fossil and living gastropods. The Streptacidoidea with long Paleozoic history are represented in the Late Triassic St. Cassian Formation by several genera that can be differentiated into four families. The Ebalidae are represented byEbala, with smooth protoconch, Cassianebalidae byCassianebala andLoxebala with axially ornamented protoconch. The Donaldinidae of St. Cassian are represented by one species ofDonaldina and two ofNeodonaldina that stand in the continuation of Paleozoic species ofDonaldina. Architectonicoidea with shells coiled in a plane and Valvatoidea appear in the St. Cassian fauna without known Paleozoic relation. In the former superfamily the Architectonicidae can be recognized in the genusRinaldoconchus with two species. Cassianaxidae withCassianaxis, Amphitomariidae withAmphitomaria, Stuoraxidae withStuoraxis andAmpezzogyra have a sinistral protoconch and planispirally coiled dextral teleconchs. They all resemble different modern species that have similarly small shells. Modern Hyalogyrinidae have withAlexogyra a new representative from the Triassic. The Valvatoidea are represented with the generaCarboninia andBandellina of the Cornirostridae in the Triassic representatives. The relation of described species in the system of the Heterostropha is discussed.     

Facies of two important Early Triassic gastropod lagerstätten: implications for diversity patterns in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction

Two important lagerstätten of Early Triassic gastropods, the Sinbad Limestone (Utah, USA) and the Gastropod Oolite (North Italy) yield about 40% of all described Early Triassic species. This great contribution to the global diversity and the exceptional good preservation render high information content, which characterizes fossil lagerstätten. The Smithian Sinbad Limestone contains the most diverse Early Triassic gastropod fauna. At the type locality, it occurs in single, probably storm-induced shell bed within a series of high energy deposits underlain by intertidal microbial mats and subtidal oolite/peloid shoals. The main shell bed contains about 40 invertebrate taxa. Gastropods, scaphopods, and bivalves are most abundant and form an assemblage, which is dominated by small neritaemorphs, the opisthobranch Cylindrobullina convexa and the scaphopod Plagioglypta (annulated tubes). This assemblage lived on shallow, subtidal soft-bottoms based on sedimentological and ecological characteristics. The Dienerian (to Smithian?) Gastropod Oolite Member (North Italy) has extremely abundant, probably salinity-controlled gastropod faunas with low species richness. Almost monospecific assemblages of Pseudomurchisonia kokeni as well as assemblages with about four species are present in the Gastropod Oolite. Modern hydrobiid mudsnail faunas which are adapted to strongly fluctuating salinity in intertidal to shallow subtidal coastal areas form probably a suitable model for the Gastropod Oolite biota. Gastropods from the Werfen- and Moenkopi-Formation lagerstätten are well preserved compared to other Early Triassic deposits. The high contribution to the global diversity of just two sites suggests very incomplete sampling and preservational bias. However, the low richness of the major faunas reflects depauperate Early Triassic faunas and slow recovery from the Permian/Triassic crisis.     

Upper Triassic (Norian) hypercalcified sponges from the Musandam Peninsula (United Arab Emirates and Oman)

Supercalcified sponges, including sphinctozoans, inozoans, chaetetids, spongiomorphids, occurring in Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) shallow-marine limestones of Musandam Mountains in United Arab Emirates (UAE), are described. The following taxa were determined: sphinctozoans: Hajarispongia osmani Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey, Nevadathalamia arabica n. sp., Nevadathalamia conica n. sp., Fanthalamia milahaensis n. sp., Iranothalamia incrustans (Boiko), Cinnabaria regularis n. sp.; inozoans: Cavsonella triassica n. sp., Molengraaffia regularis Vinassa de Regny, Peronidella? sp., Circopora cf. caucasica Moiseev, Circopora? sp.; spongiomorphids: Spongiomorpha sp.; chaetetids: Lovcenipora chaetetiformis Vinassa de Regny, Lovcenipora musandamensis n. sp., Lovcenipora sp., chaetetid sponge gen. et sp. indet. The most abundant sponge in the studied material is Nevadathalamia arabica n. sp. The described sponge association of the Arabian shelf (Musandam Mountains) shows close affinity to the sponge association known from age-equivalent terranes in the Panthalassa Ocean (Sonora Mountains in Mexico; Pilot Mountains in Nevada, USA), but is remarkably different from sponge associations in carbonates bordering the Tethys. This difference goes along with the biogeography of wallowaconchid bivalves and is most likely attributed to climatic, palaeogeographic or oceanographic factors.     

Tripartichnus n. igen. — a new trace fossil from the Buntsandstein (Lower Triassic) and from the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones (Upper Jurassic), Germany

Two species of a new trace fossil genus (cubichnia) are described:Tripartichnus triassicus n. igen., n. isp. from the “Plattensandstein“ (Upper Buntsandstein, Röt-Folge, Lower Triassic) of Keltern-Dietlingen (Enzkreis, Baden-Württemberg, SW-Germany) andTripartichnus imbergi n. igen., n. isp. from the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones (Upper Jurassic, Tithonian) from Waiting and Pfalzpaint (district of Eichstätt, Bavaria, SE Germany). Due to the characteristic shape of the new ichnotaxa the tracemakers can be named in all probability:Tripartichnus triassicus was most likely made byEuthycarcinus kessleri Handlirsch, 1914 andTripartichnus imbergi byPalinurina sp.