Freshwater fish otoliths from the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary (Cretaceous-Tertiary transition) beds of Rangapur,Hyderabad, District,Andhra Pradesh,India

The present paper describes 12 species of fish otoliths recovered by washing and screening processes from the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary (Intertrappean) beds exposed near Rangapur, Hyderabad District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The present collection of otoliths contains four major groups: Clupeomorpha (“Clupeidarum” sp.), Osteoglossomorpha (“Osteoglossidarum” deccanensis sp. nov., “O”. intertrappus sp. nov. and “Notopteridarum” nolfi sp. nov.), Protacanthopterygii (“Salmoniformorum” rectangulus sp. nov.), and Percomorpha (Dapalis sp., “Apigonidarum” ovatus sp. nov., “Serranidarum” sp., “Percoideorum” ellipticus sp. nov., “P.” rangapurensis sp. nov., “Percoideorum” sp. 1 and “Percoideorum” sp. 2). This collection of otoliths represents freshwater lacustrine deposition of the sediments. The age of the Intertrappean beds is considered Uppermost Cretaceous to Palaeoncene on the basis of freshwater ostracode (Paracypretta jonesi, Mongolianella hislopi and Candoniella sp.) and charophyte (Platychara perlata and Nemegtichara sp.) assemblages.     

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.     

New species of syringoporids from Eifelian deposits of the Subpolar Ural Mountains

A high diversity of tabulate corals in Eifelian deposits of the Syv“yu River basin (Subpolar Urals) is reported for the first time. Most of the corals are represented by colonies of syringoporids. Five new species Syringopora parva sp. nov., S. insueta sp. nov., S. indecora sp. nov., Tetraporinus syvjuensis sp. nov., and Armalites serotinus sp. nov. are described.     

Permian gastropods from the Kulogory Formation of the northern Moscow Syneclise

Permian gastropods from the Kulogory Formation (Sakmarian) were studied based on the author’s material and the collection of Yakowlew (Central Research Geological Prospecting Museum (TsNIGR Museum), St. Petersburg). Lectotypes for Arribazona tschernyschewi (Yakowlew, 1899) and Microdoma kulogorae (Yakowlew, 1899) were designated. Six species are described; four of them are new and two are assigned to the new genera (Biarmeaspira verideclinata gen. et sp. nov., Globodoma yakowlewi gen. et sp. nov., Glabrocingulum (Glabrocingulum) stankovskyi sp. nov., and Euconospira? pinegensis sp. nov.). The high degree of polymorphism in the dominant species of uniform assemblages is probably the result of their development in “undersaturated” paleocommunities of closed lagoons with gradually increasing concentration of sulfate ions.     

Additions to the silicified upper devonian/lower carboniferous flora from ballyheigue,Ireland

Continuing study of the uppermost Devonian flora from Ballyheigue, County Kerry, Ireland (Tn1a-Tn1b) has resulted in the addition of four taxa. Two plants, Tristichia sp. and cf. Tetrastichia bupatides, are described for the first time from Ireland. Tetrastichia also occurs in Scotland and Tristichia has been described from Scotland and France. New genera include Kerryoxylon hexalobatum gen. et sp. nov. (called “Plant A” in a previous paper), a probable lyginopterid pteridosperm, and Rhizoxylon ambiguum gen. et sp. nov., a new organ genus for seed fern roots similar to Kaloxylon.     

New radiolarian species of the order Nassellaria from the Coniacian-Santonian of the Perapedhi formation of southern Cyprus

Rich radiolarian associations are investigated. They include nine new species from the Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian) metal-bearing beds of the Perapedhia Formation of southern Cyprus: Dorypyle concinna sp. nov., Gongylothorax mangaleniensis sp. nov., Heliocryptocapsa macroporus sp. nov., H. perapediensis sp. nov., Mita guttiformis sp. nov., Pseudoeucyrtis belogorskensis sp. nov., P. cypricus sp. nov., Rhopalosyringium mangaleniense sp. nov., and Sandovalella trihedra sp. nov.     

Description of Gyrodactylus banmae n. sp. (Monogenea,Gyrodactylidae) parasitic on zebrafish,Danio rerio

A new species of Gyrodactylus was described on the body surface of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in China. Basing on morphological characteristics and ITS sequence, we identified the parasite as a new member of the Gyrodactylus-wageneri group. Morphologically, Gyrodactylus sp. nov. is greatly similar to “G. zebrae”, another species parasitic on zebrafish: both have moderately stout hamulus, marginal hook sickle with a prominent heel and toe, as well as a curved blade. However, distinct haptoral shape differences were detected between these two species. The dorsal bar is straight in Gyrodactylus sp. nov. but strongly curved in “G. zebrae”, and the sickle shaft in Gyrodactylus sp. nov. is approximately perpendicular to the base, but in “G. zebrae” it is slanted downwards. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequence also indicate that Gyrodactylus sp. nov. exhibits the highest similarity to “G. zebrae”: 95.7% sequence identity suggests interspecific differentiation. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1-ITS2 sequence showed that Gyrodactylus sp. nov. formed a sister clade with “G. zebrae”, and exhibited a relatively close phylogenetic relationship with G. kobayashii, G. gurleyi, and G. longoacuminatus, all of which parasitise on goldfish, Carassius auratus. To test the susceptibility of zebrafish and goldfish to the Gyrodactylus sp. nov., ten gyrodactylids were inoculated to the caudal fin of zebrafish and goldfish. The gyrodactylids exhibited the ability to attach themselves to the goldfish, and some gyrodactylids reproduced a few days after the inoculation. On day 9, however, the mean abundance sharply decreased to zero on goldfish and increased to more than 30 on zebrafish. The result suggested that golfish is an unsuitable host for Gyrodactylus sp. nov. Therefore, on the basis of morphology, molecular sequence similarity, and host susceptibility, we conclude that the gyrodactylid found on the zebrafish is a new species, which we named Gyrodactylus banmae.     

Ten new species of caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Baltic amber

Ten new species of caddisflies of the families Polycentropodidae (nine) and Molannidae (one) are described from the Eocene Baltic amber: Holocentropus peregrinator sp. nov., H. proximorepertus sp. nov., H. dugoi sp. nov., H. fundamentalis sp. nov., H. telergon sp. nov., Plectrocnemia varigoria sp. nov., P. synthesia sp. nov., P. novokshonovi sp. nov., Nyctiophylax valideturbidus sp. nov., and Molanna okraina sp. nov.     

New gomphaeschnids and progobiaeshnids from the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province (China) illustrate the tremendous Upper Mesozoic diversity of the aeshnopteran dragonflies

One new genus and five new species of dragonflies (Odonata) are described and figured from the Yixian Formation of northeastern China, viz. two gomphaeschnids Sinojoria magna nov. sp. and S. cancellosa nov. sp., plus three progobiaeshnids Mongoliaeshna hadrens nov. sp., M. exiguusens nov. sp., and Decoraeshna preciosus nov. gen., nov. sp. These new discoveries confirm the apparently sudden great diversification in China of the clade Aeshnoptera during the Middle-Upper Jurassic, together with the Upper Mesozoic to modern lineages of dragonflies. At the same time, some ‘ancient’ groups of Odonata became extinct.     

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 radiolarian species from the Upper Cretaceous sections of the Crimean Mountains (Ukraine)

New radiolarians from the Upper Cretaceous beds (Middle Turonian-Upper Santonian) of four sections of the Crimean Mountains (Biuk-Karasu River, western peak of Ak Mountain, Ak-Kaya Mountain, and Chuku Mountain) are investigated. Seven new species are described, including Actinomma (?) belbekense sp. nov., Pseudoaulophacus kopaevichae sp. nov., Ps. trizonalis sp. nov., Phaseliforma turovi sp. nov., Triactoma karasuensis sp. nov., Patulibracchium belogorskensis sp. nov., and Paronaella (?) nikishini sp. nov.     

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.     

New gall midges of the subfamily Lestremiinae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) from the Rovno amber

Two new genera and eight new species of the gall midges subfamily Lestremiinae, viz. Berestella insuperabilis gen. et sp. nov., Monardia impellucida sp. nov., Xylopriona aristata sp. nov. (Micromyini), Aprionus improvisus sp. nov., A.? vlaskini sp. nov. (Aprionini), Vicemyia immediata gen. et sp. nov. (Peromyiini), Cordylomyia cauta sp. nov. (Campylomyzini) and Bryomyia necessaria sp. nov. (Bryomyiini) from the Late Eocene Rovno amber are described. New combinations, i.e., Cordylomyia declinata (Fedotova, 2004), comb. nov. and Cordylomyia magnifica (Nel et Prokop, 2006), comb. nov. (both are transferred from Neurolyga) are proposed. No species in common with the fauna from the Baltic amber are recorded.     

New members of the family flemingitidae (Ammonoidea) from the Lower Triassic of South Primorye

New species of flemingitid ammonoids (Flemingites trikamnyaensis sp. nov., F. alexanderi sp. nov., Rohillites? ambiguus sp. nov., Euflemingites extremus sp. nov.) from the Olenekian of South Primorye are described. The shell interior of flemingitid ammonoids is studied for the first time based on Ussuriflemingites abrekensis Shigeta et Zakharov. The usefulness of the early-ontogenetic morphological test (EMT) for substantiation of ammonoid taxa at the family level is discussed.     

Sélaciens nouveaux du London Clay de l'Essex (Yprésien du bassin de Londres)

The Ypresian locality of Burnham-on-Crouch(Essex) has yielded numerous Selachian species, some of which are new: Hexanchus agassizi sp. nov., Scyliorhinus burnhamensis sp. nov., S. casieri sp. nov., S. pattersoni sp. nov., S. woodwardi sp. nov., Pararhincodon ypresiensis sp. nov., Triakis wardi sp. nov., Mustelus whitei sp. nov. The Hexanchid teeth classicaly refered to Notidanus serratissimusAg. include in fact two separate species belonging to different genera: Notorhynchus serratissimus (Ag.) and Hexanchus agassizi sp. nov. Lamna affinis (Casier) is arranged in the genus Isurolamna nov. in consideration of his dental peculiarities. The genus Burnhamia nov. is created for Rhinoptera daviesiWoodward that can be regarded as a Mobulid. Oxyrhina sheppeyensisCasier must be classified in the genus Anomotodon. The genus Triakis, Mustelus, Anomotodon and Pararhincodon are pointed out for the first time in the Ypresian.     

Discosorids and Oncocerids (Cephalopoda) of the Middle Ordovician Kunda and Aseri Regional Stages of Baltoscandia and the early evolution of these groups

Discosorid and oncocerid cephalopods of the Kunda and Aseri Regional Stage (Darriwilian, Middle Ordovician) from Öland Island, Sweden and North Estonia are described for the first time. We demonstrate that a high generic and specific diversity of Oncocerida was already established in the earliest Darriwilian. The new oncocerid species Neumatoceras borense nov. sp., N. breviborense nov. sp., Paramiamoceras breviventrum nov. sp., Richardsonoceras gastroscopium nov. sp., R. gerhardi nov. sp., R. goldmanni nov. sp., R. haelluddenense nov. sp., Richardsonoceroides kingi nov. sp., R. oelandense nov. sp., and R. rhytium nov. sp. are erected; Richardsonoceroides schiefferdeckeri (Dewitz) is revised. The new graciloceratid Kundoceras evansi nov. gen., nov. sp. is erected. A review of records of early oncocerids from China shows that Richardsonoceras Foerste is probably the most primitive oncocerid and supports the hypothesis that oncocerids evolved in the early Floian or latest Tremadocian from a Bassleroceras Ulrich and Foerste-like ancestor. The new discosorid genus Paldoceras nov. gen. and species Paldoceras paldiskense nov. sp. and P. neptunsakerense nov. sp. are erected. These discosorids record the morphological link between the late Darriwilian Ruedemannoceras Flower and the early Floian Apocrinoceras Teichert and Glenister, which is considered to be the earliest discosorid.     

A new basal testudinoid turtle (Testudinoidea: “Lindholmemydidae”) from the Upper Paleocene of Mongolia

A new genus and species of a basal testudinoid turtle of the family “Lindholmemydidae,” Paramongolemys khosatzkyi gen. et sp. nov., is described based on shell material from the Naranbulak Formation (Upper Paleocene) of the Naran Bulak and Khaychin-Ula IE localities (Mongolia). Material of this species includes some specimens previously described as Mongolemys tatarinovi.     

Isolation and characterization of a unicellular manganese-oxidizing bacterium from a freshwater lake in northwestern Russia

A unicellular manganese-oxidizing bacterium (strain L7), isolated from Lake Ladoga, is identified as “Siderocapsa” sp. according to its morphology. However, this bacterium belongs to the phylogenetic cluster of Pseudomonas putida. The physiological characteristics (utilization of sugars, polyols, organic acids, and phenolic substrates as carbon and energy sources) also indicate the similarity of strain L7 to representatives of the genus Pseudomonas. The growing culture oxidizes Mn(II); the rate of oxidation depends on the type of added organic substrate. Carbonate requirement for this process indicates mixotrophic metabolism. The relatedness of the isolated bacterium to the representatives of the genus Pseudomonas and their phenotypic similarity provide a basis for considering strain L7 not as “Siderocapsa” sp., but as a new species, Pseudomonas siderocapsa sp. nov., of the P. putida cluster.     

New and little-known Eoblattida (Insecta) from the Paleozoic of Russia

New taxa of the insect order Eoblattida from the Upper Carboniferous of Russia are described, including Narkemina kata sp. nov., Narkeminopsis inversa sp. nov., Carbonokata storozhenkoi gen. et sp. nov., Tshunoptera ampla gen. et sp. nov., and Evenkiophlebia collucata gen. et sp. nov. from the Chunya locality (Krasnoyarsk Region), Narkemulla sibirica gen. et sp. nov. from the Chunya and Izykhskie Kopi localities, Khakassia (all Cnemidolestidae), and Izykhia tridentis gen. et sp. nov. from Izykhskie Kopi (?Spanioderidae). Narkeminuta permiana gen. et sp. nov. (Cnemidolestidae) is described from the Kedrovka locality (Kemerovo Region; Lower Permian), and Issadische maximum gen. et sp. nov. (Eoblattida incertae familiae) is descriobed from the Isady locality (Vologda Region; Upper Permian). Permeoblatta borealis Rasnitsyn et Aristov, 2010 (Idelinellidae) from Isady is redescribed.