Zhailimeryx, A New Lophiomerycid Artiodactyl (Mammalia) from the Late Middle Eocene of Central China and the Early Evolution of Ruminants

A new genus and species of primitive selenodont artiodactyl, Zhailimeryx jingweni, occurs in the late middle Eocene Zhaili Member of the Heti Formation, Yuanqu Basin, Shanxi Province, China. A phylogenetic analysis of dental characters suggests that Zhailimeryx is closely related to Lophiomeryx and other lophiomerycid ruminants of Asia and Europe. Zhailimeryx and other Eocene records of Lophiomerycidae from Asia support an Asian origin for this family, followed by dispersal into Europe both before and after the Grande Coupure. Morphological evidence from Zhailimeryx suggests that ruminant artiodactyls had already undergone substantial diversification prior to the late middle Eocene, and it reopens the issue of whether the higher taxa Tragulina and Pecora are valid expressions of ruminant phylogeny.     

Diversity, composition and structure of Late Eocene shelf-edge coral associations (Nago Limestone, Northern Italy)

Summary During the Late Eocene, shelf-edge patch reefs developed on the western margin of the Lessini Shelf. The coral fauna, studied in the Nago Limestone type locality, is described and interpreted for the first time, and provides further data for better understanding of the generally poorly known Eocene reef communities. Facies analysis was carried out across the shallowing upward succession that characterizes the well exposed type-section of the Nago Limestone. Four distinct facies are identified and a detailed qualitative-quantitative investigation has been applied to the coral-bearing facies in particular, in order to describe and quantify the distribution and palaeoecological zonation of corals. By a comparison of sedimentological and palaeoecological data, it is possible to reconstruct a depositional model of the Nago Limestone at its type locality. In particular, the palaeoecological study clearly reveals that corals change with depth in taxonomic composition, in percentage and proportion within the framework and in growth form, allowing the definition of a relative depth coral zonation. Three coral associations are recognized from the base to the top of the shallowing upward sequence. These differ from each other in the relative abundance of main reefbuilders, in the growth form exhibited by corals in growth position and in the density of the reef framework. These variations are interpreted as responses to major environmental controls which prevailed during the deposition of the different facies (mainly light intensity and hydrodynamic energy). The coral speciesActinacis rollei Reuss is the most abundant and ubiquitous coral of the Nago Limestone. Its adaptation to low-light levels is described here for the first time, confirming the high plasticity of this important Paleogene reef-builder. The results of the present study are finally compared with data from other Middle-Late Eocene European reef sites and some common features are inferred.     

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.     

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.     

Early Jurassic (latest Toarcian) brachiopods from the northeastern margin of the Western Tethys (Central Iran) and their paleobiogeographical significance

Brachiopod fauna from central Iran, recorded in the upper part of the Shemshak Group and attributed to the upper Toarcian (Pseudoradiosa-Aalensis zones), are reported for the first time in Iran. The assemblage recognized includes six different taxa: Homoeorhynchia sepahanensis nov. sp., formally described in this paper, Globirhynchia subobsoleta, Pseudogibbirhynchia sp., Tetrarhynchiidae sp. indet., Monsardithyris? aff. haresfieldensis, and Zeilleria cf. leckenbyi. Analysis of faunal affinities with other paleobiogeographical regions shows a free connection of the central Iranian brachiopod fauna and wide areas of the northern shelf margin of the Tethys Ocean. This is due to an apparent disruption of bioprovinciality inferred for the late Toarcian-earliest Aalenian, congruent with a connection through the northern seaway across the peri-Laurasian epicontinental platforms.     

Late Eocene leaves of Nageia (section Dammaroideae) from Maoming Basin,South China and their implications on phytogeography

A new species of Nageia, Nageia maomingensis sp. nov., is described from the Late Eocene of Maoming Basin, Guangdong Province, South China. According to its cuticular characteristics, the present fossil species is assigned to N. sect. Dammaroideae, showing the most resemblance to the extant species N. motleyi (Parl.) de Laub. At present, this section is mainly distributed in the Pacific islands region from South Asia to New Guinea. The discovery of N. maomingensis demonstrates that plants of this section inhabited South China at least by the Eocene. The distribution and living habitat of extant N. sect. Dammaroideae imply that South China was warmer during the Late Eocene than today, and may represent one of the centers for early diversification of Nageia and its section Dammaroideae during the Eocene. In addition, we postulate that plants of sect. Dammaroideae migrated southward in response to climate cooling after the Eocene.     

Paleocene-Early Eocene ostracodes from the Southern Galala Plateau (Eastern Desert, Egypt): Taxonomy, impact of paleobathymetric changes

Ostracode faunas obtained from nine sections spanning the Paleocene-Early Eocene interval from a platform-basin transect in the Southern Galala Plateau area (Eastern Desert, Egypt) have been investigated. The study focuses on taxonomy and biostratigraphy of the ostracode assemblages across the P/E boundary, with supporting comments on paleoecology and paleobiogeography. The studied nine sections yielded 60 taxa belonging to 39 genera. Five species are new. The P/E transition is characterized by the appearance of new taxa rather than extinctions. During the Early and early Late Paleocene, the ostracode assemblages throughout the study area are largely similar, being dominated by middle-outer neritic taxa. In the late Late Paleocene and Early Eocene, changes in the paleobathymetry from deeper marine environments in the distal area in the south to shallower marine environments in the proximal area in the north become pronounced. Many of the recorded taxa have a wide geographic distribution throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Similarities with basins of West Africa are also found, reflecting faunal exchanges between this area and southern Tethys during the Paleocene and Early Eocene.     

Fish otoliths from the pre-evaporitic (Early Messinian) sediments of northern Italy: their stratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic significance

The study of otolith assemblages from the pre-evaporitic Messinian deposits allows the reconstruction of a fauna of 79 taxa of which 35 could be identified at the specific level. Three of these are new: Diaphus rubus, Myctophum coppa, and Uranoscopus ciabatta. The assemblages reflect mainly a neritic environment influenced by the oceanic realm. Analysis of the global present-day geographic distribution of 42 of the recognised Messinian genera indicates that 88% of these are still living in the Mediterranean, 98% in the Atlantic and 78% in the Indo-Pacific realm. These results are in good agreement with the evolutionary trends documented for the Oligocene and Miocene teleost fauna, specifically an increase in percentage of genera inhabiting the modern Mediterranean, a very high percentage of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific genera, and a slight fall of the importance of present-day Indo-Pacific genera from the Rupelian up to the Late Miocene. Analysing the composition of the Early Messinian fauna at the level of nominal species indicates that about 53% of the species represented in the assemblages are still living in the Recent Mediterranean, and that a significant number of these were already present in the Tortonian. It is interesting that these species are mainly neritic. This seems to confirm that the close affinity of the fossil assemblage with the present-day Mediterranean neritic fauna, which was already recorded at the genus level for the Rupelian fauna, persists during the Neogene and continues until the Pleistocene.     

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.     

Fish otoliths from the Pliocene Heraklion Basin (Crete Island,Eastern Mediterranean)

The Pliocene Eastern Mediterranean fish record is revealed through the study of a 60-m thick stratigraphic sequence near the village Voutes (Heraklion, Crete). Forty-two species belonging to twenty families are identified. Calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy places the studied sequence within the biozone MNN16a (latest Zanclean). The stratigraphic distribution of 31 species is modified. Among these, 12 species are reported for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean Zanclean, while 19 species are first reported outside the Ionian Sea. The Voutes fish fauna presents a diversified benthic and benthopelagic assemblage filling a significant gap in the fossil record.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paroxyaena</Emphasis> (Hyaenodontidae,Creodonta) from phosphorites of Quercy,Late Eocene,France

An almost complete skull without a lower jaw of Paroxyaena pavlovi sp. nov. (Pterodontinae) is described. A new tribe, Paroxyaenini tribe nov., is established. The round foramen and orbital fissure of Paroxyaenini are completely fused, whereas those of Pterodontini are separate. The deciduous teeth of Paroxyaena are described for the first time.     

我国部分地区E1^3—E2^1孢粉属种演变的古气候意义

通过对我国部分地区古新世晚期一始新世早期孢粉植物群演化发展规律的分析研究,结合国内外地层学研究的新进展,提出我国古新世晚期气候以暖湿为特征,且暖期的结束与始新世/古新世界限相吻合或接近,因此可以本次暖期的结束作为古新世的顶界。     

Three new Verrucidae (Crustacea: Cirripedia) from the Upper Eocene of the Euganean Hills (Northeast Italy)

Marls with pillow lavas of Late Eocene age from Castelnuovo in the Euganean Hills (Padua, NE Italy) have yielded three new verrucid cirripede species, Verruca veneta nov. sp., Costatoverruca? seguenzai nov. sp., and Metaverruca euganea nov. sp. The stratigraphic distribution of these taxa is discussed in light of previous verrucid records and their geologic context is established. They represent the oldest known verrucids from Italy.     

Coastal fish otoliths from the early Pleistocene of Rhodes (eastern Mediterranean)

Coastal fish assemblages are especially vulnerable to environmental changes, but little is known about their evolution through time, mainly due to the scarcity of fossil material from such settings. The aim of this study is to characterize the early Pleistocene coastal fish assemblages of the eastern Mediterranean and to reconstruct the related paleobathymetric and paleoecologic conditions. Based on otolith findings, we identified thirty-seven teleost fish species from three sedimentary outcrops on the northeastern part of Rhodes Island (southeastern Aegean, Greece, Eastern Mediterranean), which have been placed within the Gelasian (early Pleistocene). The stratigraphic distribution of fifteen taxa is expanded for this interval, while five species are reported for the first time as fossils. The otolith assemblages provided paleodepth estimates indicative of shallow coastal environments. The ecosystem consisted mostly of substrates of sand and mud, with significant rocky micro-habitats and underwater vegetation; the climate was subtropical. These data complement existing knowledge on the study area, while providing new information on the composition of the ichthyofauna of the eastern Mediterranean during the Gelasian.     

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.     

The structure of the otoliths of Tilapia guineensis (Dumeril) and their use in age determination

The morphological features of the saccular otoliths of Tilapia guineensis are given. Procedure for treating the otoliths for observation of growth rings is described. Growth rings observed on the otoliths are interpreted as being either daily growth markings, or weekly marks. The distribution of the growth marks is used in estimating the age of the fish.     

New species of Late Eocene dermestid beetles (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) from the Rovno and Baltic ambers

Fossil beetles of the family Dermestidae are reviewed. Three new species are described: Dermestes progenitor and Megatoma electra from the Baltic amber and Dermestes vetustus from the Rovno amber (Late Eocene).