Paleoceanographic implications of smaller benthic and planktonic foraminifera from the Eocene Pazin Basin (Coastal Dinarides,Croatia)

Summary Smaller benthic and planktonic foraminifera from the clastic sediments of the Pazin Basin (Istria, Croatia) were studied in order to obtain more data about paleoceanographic conditions that existed in the Middle Eocene Dinaric foreland basin. The succession investigated corresponds to the Middle Eocene planktonic foraminiferal zones Globigerapsis kugleri/Morozovella aragonensis (P11), Morozovella lehneri (P12), and Globigerapsis beckmanni (P13). Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the clastic succession are dominated by epifaunal trochospiral genera suggesting oligotrophic to mesotrophic conditions and moderately oxygenated bottom waters. Planktonic foraminiferal assemblages indicate mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions of the surface waters, with increased eutrophication in the upper part of the section. Water depth, based on the ratio between planktonic and epifaunal benthic foraminifera and on the recognized species of cosmopolitan benthic foraminifera, was estimated to have been between about 900 and 1200 m. The basin was elongated and open to marine currents on both sides allowing good circulation and ventilation of the bottom water.     

A new species of Allium (Alliaceae) from Dalmatia,Croatia

Allium croaticum , a new species from the island of Vis in Central Dalmatia (Croatia) is described and illustrated. Its relationships with allied species belonging to the A. stamineum group (Allium section Codonoprasum) are discussed. It is a diploid species (2n = 16), colonizing calcareous screes and flowering in early summer. Its morphology, leaf anatomy, karyology, palynology, ecology and taxonomic position are examined. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 106–114.     

Occurrence of Giant Borings of Osprioneides kampto in the Lower Silurian (Sheinwoodian) Stromatoporoids of Saaremaa,Estonia

The distribution of Osprioneides is more environmentally limited than that of Trypanites in the Silurian of Baltica. Osprioneides probably occurred only in large hard substrates of relatively deepwater muddy bottom open shelf environments. Osprioneides were relatively rare, occurring in 4.7% of all stromatoporoid specimens in that environment, in contrast to small Trypanites-Palaeosabella borings, which occur in 88.4% of stromatoporoids and 88.9% of heliolitid corals. Osprioneides is reported only from the lower Sheinwoodian stromatoporoids of the exposed Silurian of Saaremaa (Wenlock to Pridoli). Osprioneides borings probably played a minor role in the general bioerosion in the Silurian of Baltica.     

Geochemical and petrographic evidence of meteoric diagenesis in tufa deposits in Northern Dalmatia (Zrmanja and Krupa Rivers, Croatia)

Summary Holocene tufa deposits in the Northern Dalmatia region of Croatia occur along the banks and at present sites of waterfalls of the Zrmanja river and its tributary the Krupa river. Petrographic, geochemical and statistical analyses have been used to relate textural features and trace element composition to the degree of meteoric diagenesis. Trace metal concentrations associated with carbonate phase were determined by sequential extraction procedure. The insoluble residue (I.R.) is predominantly of primary origin and its amount ranges from 3% to 29%, averaging 13.75%, thus permitting variable water/rock ratios of the stabilazing meteoric system. All the evidence points to a scarcity of post-depositional recrystallization and cementation, but where present these features are accompanied by I.R., Mg, Sr and Zn depletion and Fe enrichment.     

A new species of Platydracus Thomson, 1858 (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) from the upper Eocene Florissant beds,Colorado, USA

Platydracus breviantennatus n. sp., is described and figured based on an impression fossil from the upper Eocene Florissant beds of Colorado, the United States. Based on the large and densely setose body, relatively small eyes, and robust mandibles (right mandible seemingly with one simple preapical tooth), tibiae and antennae, the new species is placed in the modern genus Platydracus Thomson, 1858. It differs from other species of Platydracus by its large body, small head, and distinctly short antennae.     

A new genus and species of triggerfish from the Middle Eocene of the Northern Caucasus,the earliest member of the Balistidae (Tetraodontiformes)

Until now, the earliest known members of the triggerfish family Balistidae have been two genera from the Oligocene. Herein is described the new balistid Gornylistes prodigiosus gen. et sp. nov. from the uppermost Middle Eocene (Kuma Horizon) of the Northern Caucasus (Gorny Luch locality); it is as thoroughly modern in its bauplan as the taxa of balistids from the Oligocene and more recent periods, and far more advanced morphologically than the several stem taxa of the balistoid + ostracioid clade known from earlier in the Middle and Lower Eocene and from the Upper Paleocene.     

New dipodid rodents from the Late Eocene of Erden Obo (Nei Mongol,China)

New dipodid occurrences (Heosminthus nomogenesis sp. nov., Sinosminthus sp., Allosminthus cf. A. majusculus, Allosminthus ernos and Allosminthus cf. A. diconjugatus) are reported from the ‘Upper Red’ beds of the Erden Obo section in Nei Mongol, China. Heosminthus nomogenesis is similar to Heosminthus primiveris from the Caijiachong Formation, and it is more primitive than Heosminthus chimidae of the Mongolian biozone A. Allosminthus cf. A. majusculus has a more variable mesolophid and metalophid in m1-2. Based on the dipodid assemblage, the age of the ‘Upper Red’ of the Erden Obo section is late Eocene and correlative to the Ergilian. Based on the comparison of their morphological characters, we recognize some differences between the stem dipodoids and muroids.     

Coralline algal facies and their palaeoenvironments in the Late Eocene of Northern Italy (Calcare di Nago, Trento)

Summary The Calcare di Nago is a carbonate unit of Middle-Late Eocene (Bartonian and Priabonian) age which is well exposed at the north-eastern end of Lake Garda, on the western margin of the Lessini Shelf (Southern Alps). This unit is highly fossiliferous as far as the coralline red algae and large foraminifera are concerned. Corals, bryozoans, echinoderms, and molluscs are also present. The present study deals with the relationships among the coralline taxa, the coralline growth-forms, and their facies development in the Priabonian part of the type section of the Calcare di Nago. The taxonomic investigation led to the identification of 15 coralline red algal species belonging to 7 non-geniculate and 2 geniculate genera. One species of Peyssonneliacean (red alga) and one of Halimedacean (green alga) were also recognized. The quantitative and qualitative analyses based on coralline red algae and large foraminifera enabled five facies to be distinguished: Algal crust-branch rudstone, Algal/Discocyclina packstone, Coralalgal boundstone, Rhodolith mound wacke/packstone, and Rhodolith pavement. According to the coralline assemblages, coralline growth-forms, and large foraminiferal associations, the five facies reflect solid and soft substrate types. Some of these facies are dominated byin situ rhodoliths, others by reworked algal debris. In the architecture of an interpreted prograding carbonate ramp, shallow water facies are dominated by members of the subfamily Mastophoroideae, while deeper water facies are dominated by those of the subfamily Melobesioideae and family Sporolithaceae. There is a significant increase both in size and in constructional voids of the rhodoliths with depth. A concomitant decrease in algal species diversity with depth has been also recognized. LargeDiscocyclina assemblages are localized across the inner and mid ramp boundary.Pellatispira andBiplanispira are present only in the uppermost mid-ramp.Nummulites, Assilina, andSpiroclypeus are dominant together with small orthophragminids both in the mid- and uppermost outer ramp facies.     

Isopollen maps as a tool for the reconstruction of a coastal swamp from the Middle Eocene at Helmstedt (Northern Germany)

Summary In the Middle Eocene lignite bearing succession at Helmstedt, isopollen maps have been constructed from a thin, highly carbonaceous horizon in the interbed between two seams of the Wulfersdorf member. During mining progress this carbonaceous band could be traced in the mine high wall over an area of 2 km by 0.5 km and is considered to represent an isochronous horizon. 28 samples were collected and analyzed. On the basis of the isopollen maps it is possible, to distinguish between allochthonous and autochthonous elements. Ultimately, by comparison of the maps individual plant associations and environmental conditions may be recognized. In case of the carbonaceous horizon of the Wulfersdorf seam group a coastal swamp succession can be traced from a mangrove fringe through a brackish marsh and a freshwater marsh to a mire forest. The distribution of mangrove elements likeRhizophora, Avicennia andNypa in this horizon clearly shows that the shoreline was to the northwest and advanced from there inland to the southeast. A fourth element,Psilodiporites iszkaszentgyoergyi, is restricted in distribution and closely associated with the other known mangrove types and therefore considered here to be a part of the mangrove fringe. Behind the mangrove zone, pollen of Restionaceae and Sparganiaceae as well as fern spores are more abundant than elsewhere in the Wulfersdorf seam section suggesting that a reed-like vegetation with fern and aquatic herbs developed here under rather wet conditions. A hammocky distribution of corresponding plants is indicated by the isopollen map of palms likeArecipites spp. and other elements. The main peat forming vegetation, however, was a mire forest dominated by Fagaceae alternating with a Betulaceae dominated forest including Myricaceae and Juglandaceae.     

Fossil legumes from the Middle Eocene (46.0 Ma) Mahenge Flora of Singida, Tanzania

Middle Eocene age caesalpinioid and mimosoid legume leaves are reported from the Mahenge site in north-central Tanzania. The Mahenge flora complements a sparse Paleogene tropical African fossil plant record, which until now consisted of a single macrobotanical assemblage, limited palynological studies in West Africa and Egypt, and fossil wood studies primarily from poorly dated deposits. Mahenge leaf macrofossils have the potential to add significantly to what is known of the evolutionary history of extant African plant groups and to expand our currently limited knowledge of African Paleogene environments. The site is associated with a kimberlite eruption and demonstrates the potential value of kimberlite-associated lake deposits as much-needed resources for African Paleogene floras. In this report we document a relatively diverse component of the flora consisting of the leaves of at least five species of Leguminosae. A new species of the extant genus Acacia (Mimosoideae), described herein, is represented by a bipinnate leaf. Another taxon is described as a new species of the extant genus Aphanocalyx (Caesalpinioideae), and a third leaf type may be related to the extant genus Cynometra (Caesalpinioideae). Two additional leaf types are less well understood: one appears to be referable to the Caesalpinioideae and subfamily affinities of the other taxon are unknown.     

Ants of the tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from Late Eocene amber of Europe

The tribe Formicini (Formicinae) from the Late Eocene Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, and Scandinavian ambers is revised. Ants are recorded for the first time from the Bitterfeld and Scandinavian ambers. Two new genera (Cataglyphoides gen. nov. and Conoformica gen. nov.) and six new species (Cataglyphoides intermedius sp. nov., Conoformica bitterfeldiana sp. nov., Formica kutscheri sp. nov., F. palaeopolonica sp. nov., F. radchenkoi sp. nov., F. zherikhini sp. nov.) are described. A new combination, Cataglyphoides constrictus (Mayr, 1868), comb. nov., is established. A lectotype of Camponotus constrictus Mayr, 1868 and a neotype of Formica phaethusa Wheeler, 1915 are designated. Formica clymene Wheeler, 1915 is recognized as a new synonym of F. phaethusa Wheeler, 1915. An identification key for workers of Formicini species from Late Eocene European ambers is provided.     

Environmental distribution of trace fossils in the Jurassic of Kachchh (Western India)

Summary Trace fossils occur abundantly in Middle Jurassic rocks of the Kachchh Basin. They are found in environments ranging from beach sequences down to central parts of the basin. For stratinomic reasons, they are particularly well preserved in storm deposits. Their distribution pattern exhibits a clear relationship to the hydrodynamic conditions and, secondarily, to bathymetry, and follows the classic ichnofacies concept ofSeilacher (1967). High energy nearshore areas and submarine shoals are represented by members of the Skolithos ichnofacies such asOphiomorpha nodosa, Arenicolites, Diplocraterion parallelum, andRhizocorallium jenense. The storm-influenced ramp contains both members of the Cruziana ichnofacies (e.g.Rhizocorallium irregulare, Thalassinoides suevicus, Taenidium serpentinum, Chondrites) and the Skolithos ichnofacies (in particularOphiomorpha). The former were produced during interstorm phases, the latter are of post-storm origin. Carbonate ramp environments of low to intermediate energy also contain members of the Cruziana ichnofacies, whilst equivalent siliciclastic environments are characterized by a low-diversity Zoophycos ichnofacies. Low energy basinal environments of fine-grained substrates contain an impoverished Cruziana ichnofacies consisting ofChondrites, Trichichnus andThalassinoides suevicus. 32 ichnotaxa are briefly described, among themSphaerichnus lobatus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.     

First substantial Middle Eocene record of the Lithornithidae (Aves): A postcranial skeleton from Messel (Germany)

A postcranial skeleton of a representative of the palaeognathous Lithornithidae (Aves) is described from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany. The specimen is slightly smaller than Lithornis plebius from which it, however, differs in limb bone proportions. It constitutes the latest fossil record of the Lithornithidae in Europe, whose only other Middle Eocene record is a fragmentary tibiotarsus from North America.     

The distribution of microborings in molluscan shells from recent reef environments at Lee Stocking Island,Bahamas

Summary The distribution of microbial borings in bivalve shells was assessed between five research sites in windward and leeward environments at the Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas. The research sites are on windward coral reefs (sites B at 2 m, Fat 12 m, and C at 30 m), a tidal channel stromatolite reef (site A at 5 m), and a leeward hard ground reef (site D at 3 m). A total of 22 ichnotaxa have been recognized within 100 samples. Each site contained between 14 and 17 ichnotaxa. Although the diversity of microborings, expressed both as number of taxa and number of individuals per taxon, is similar between sites, the following ranking (in descending order) was found: B-F-A-C-D.Rhopalia catenata was found to dominate at site D, whileReticulina elegans dominated at site C, andFasciculus dactylus dominated at site F. The results are in accordance with the known bathymetric distribution of the boring microorganisms.     

Squamate reptiles from the middle Eocene of Lissieu (France). A landmark in the middle Eocene of Europe

In Europe, faunas of squamates (lizards and snakes) from the middle Eocene are very poorly known, with the exception of those from the level MP 16 (latest middle Eocene). From the MP 11-MP 15 interval, squamates were previously reported only from Messel (MP 11, earliest middle Eocene) and from the untere and obere Mittelkohle of Geiseltal (MP 12 and MP 13 respectively) in Germany. The present report describes the middle Eocene assemblage of squamates from Lissieu (France), the first fauna reported from the level MP 14. Whereas fossils from Messel and Geiseltal are mostly articulated skeletons, fossils from Lissieu are represented by disarticulated bones; such fossils may be more easily compared to those from other Cenozoic localities, in which bones are almost always disarticulated. The fauna from Lissieu is more diverse than those from the Geiseltal sites and approximately as diverse as that from Messel as they are presently known; it is comprised of 17 distinct taxa. These taxa cannot be all identified to the species or genus level. They belong to iguanids, gekkonids, lacertids, anguids, thecoglossan platynotans, ophidians incertaesedis, boids, ?tropidophiines, “tropidophiids” incertaesedis, booids incertaesedis, and perhaps russellophiids. The fauna includes several new taxa but only a presumed tropidophiine snake may be named on the basis of the available material. The fauna from Lissieu is a mixture of taxa restricted to the middle Eocene and taxa known from older or younger levels. Taxa shared by Lissieu and the few other localities from the middle Eocene of Europe are rare. This fauna from Lissieu represents a stratigraphical landmark for the middle Eocene.     

A new seabird (Aves, cf. Phaethontidae) from the Lower Eocene phosphates of Morocco

A proximal part of humerus from the basal Ypresian (lowermost Eocene) of the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, is described as a new genus and species tentatively assigned to the Phaethontidae (tropicbirds). This fossil possibly represents the oldest record of the Phaethontidae and markedly differs from Lithoptila, a contemporaneous Prophaethontidae from the same locality. This new taxon lived in a tropical climate and was probably an efficient flier with pelagic habits, like extant tropicbirds of the genus Phaethon.     

Wasatchian (Early Eocene) pollen floras from the Red Hot Truck Stop, Mississippi, USA

Sediments at the Red Hot Truck Stop (RHTS), Mississippi, USA are important because they contain the lowest latitude record of both the earliest known Eocene plant and mammal fossils in North America. The RHTS contains the uppermost Tuscahoma Formation and the lowermost part of the basal Bashi and Hatchetigbee formations. The Tuscahoma Formation is composed of glauconitic sands and silts that represent estuarine to shallow marine sediments. Faunal remains indicate that the RHTS section belongs to the Wasatchian North American land mammal age and specifically to the lower Graybullian subdivision. Pollen and spore floras from the RHTS are moderately diverse (113 taxa) and contain families that today are associated with warm‐adapted vegetation types such as Annonaceae, Bombacaceae, Burseraceae and palms. Eocene first occurrences are represented by Brosipollis sp., Celtispollenites sp., Interpollis microsupplingensis, cf. Nuxpollenites psilatus, Platycarya spp., Retistephanocolporites sp. and Symplocos? contracta and by one genus of pteridophyte spore (Granulatisporites sp.). The overall composition and within‐sample diversity of the sporomorph flora is more similar to the Hatchetigbee Formation (early Eocene) than to the middle Tuscahoma Formation (late Palaeocene) but among‐sample diversity remains unchanged across the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary. The distinct composition of the RHTS demonstrates that floral change across the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary is complex and composed of several phases of floral change.