New radiolarians from the Devonian of the southern Ural Mountains: 1. Early-Middle Devonian (Late Emsian-Early Eifelian)

Late Emsian-Early Eifelian radiolarians from the southern Ural Mountains are recorded and described for the first time. They come from the Kamennaya Gora section on the Tanalyk River near the town of Buribay, Bashkiria. The new Late Emsian-Early Eifelian radiolarian assemblage consists of 20 species of 11 genera of spherical, discoidal, spindle-shaped, pylomate, and spiny radiolarians. Four new species, i.e., Entactinia rostriformis sp. nov., Palaeodiscaleksus tumefactus sp. nov., Primaritripus buribayensis sp. nov., and P. chuvashovi sp. nov., are described. The diagnosis of the genus Primaritripus Afanasieva, 2000 is amended. The fact that the oryctocenosis is dominated by discoidal radiolarians suggests that, in the Late Emsian-Early Eifelian, the area under study was occupied by a relatively shallow marine basin. Based on radiolarians, a new Upper Emsian-Lower Eifelian biostraton, beds with Primaritripus buribayensis-Entactinia rostriformis, is established. The history of the study of Early Devonian radiolarians is considered.     

Early Silurian (Rhuddanian) rugose corals and sponges from the Ak-Kerme Peninsula,Kazakhstan

An assemblage of earliest Silurian (Llandovery, Rhuddanian) fossils from South Kazakhstan (Ak-Kerme Peninsula, Lake Balkhash) contains solitary rugose corals (Calostylis denticulata, Streptelasma? sp., and Cystipaliphyllum sp.) and the demosponge Calycocoelia typicalis, which are described here. This assemblage occurs with previously described brachiopods and constitutes a post extinction survival fauna; such faunas are poorly known and this study fills a gap in our knowledge. All three genera of Rugosa were transitional across the Ordovician–Silurian boundary and are also reported from other parts of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan during the Llandovery. Streptelasma had already been present in Kazakhstan during the Ordovician, while during the Rhuddanian Calostylis immigrated from Baltica or China, and Cystipaliphyllum from the Australian part of Gondwana. Demosponges are rare during the Llandovery but probably had a cosmopolitan distribution. Calycocoelia typicalis marks the first Rhuddanian record of lithistid demosponges, and the first record of Silurian demosponges from Kazakhstan.     

Eurytholia plates (Problematica) from the late Silurian of the Austrian Carnic Alps

A small fauna of phosphatic plates of the enigmatic organism Eurytholia bohemica [Ferretti A., Serpagli E., ?torch P., 2006. Problematic phosphatic plates from the Silurian-Early Devonian of Bohemia, Czech Republic. Journal of Paleontology 80 1026–1031.], is described for the first time from upper Silurian beds of Austria. Other known Silurian occurrences of this taxon were restricted to Bohemian localities even if the genus had been previously reported from several Ordovician outcrops. The extension of E. bohemica from the microcontinent of Perunica to that of Carnica suggests that Eurytholia was not an uncommon constituent of Silurian fauna, at least at intermediate latitudes in the southern hemisphere.     

New Middle Devonian radiolarians from western Mugodzhary

A new genus, Palaeoellipsoides gen. nov., and three new species, Palaeoellipsoides convexocylindratus sp. nov., P. planoconvexus sp. nov., and Palaeodiscaleksus shuldakensis sp. nov. of Givetian radiolarians from the Kurkuduk and Shuldak formations on the Shuldak River (western Mugodzhary) are described.     

Latest Permian Palaeolithocycliidae (Radiolaria) from South China

The family Palaeolithocycliidae Kozur and Mostler was formerly thought to be ranging from Devonian to Carboniferous. However, a lot of radiolarians assignable to this family were discovered in the late Changhsingian (Latest Permian) of South China. Six species, including Palaeolithocyclia pilata n. sp., Palaeolithocyclia platta n. sp., Paramphibrachium woni n. sp., Klaengspongus spinosus Sashida, Klaengspongus formosus n. sp. and Klaengspongus umbilicatus n. sp., have been identified. In this paper, these species are illustrated and described.     

Cryptostomid Bryozoans From The Sassito Formation,Upper Ordovician Cool‐Water Carbonates of the Argentinean Precordillera

Abstract: Two new bryozoan species are described from the Upper Ordovician Sassito Formation of the Argentinean Precordillera: Moyerella  spinata sp. nov. and Phylloporina  sassitoensis sp. nov. The bryozoans are found in cool‐water carbonates. The Silurian genus Moyerella is reported the first time in the Ordovician, showing palaeobiogeographic connections with Estonia and Siberia.     

New radiolaria of the family Pseudodictyomitridae from the Coniacian-Santonian of the Perapedhi Formation of southern Cyprus

A new genus of Late Cretaceous radiolarians, Cyprodictyomitra gen. nov., comprising two new species, C. longa sp. nov., C. elegantissima sp. nov., and a new species, Pseudodictyomitra crassa sp. nov. are described. These new taxa come from rich Coniacian-Santonian radiolarian associations of the Perapedhi Formation of Southern Cyprus.     

Los géneros Praectenodonta, Praenucula y Notonucula (Palaeotaxodonta : Bivalvia) en el Siluro-Devónico de Bolivia

Taxonomy of 57 bivalves, internal and external molds is described in this paper, corresponding to three paleotaxodontids genera Praectenodonta, Praenucula and Notonucula. Samples were collected from nine sites, where stratigraphic columns were measured in Silurian to Devonian series from Altiplano, Cordillera Oriental and Interandean of Bolivia. For the first time in Bolivia, Praectenodonta and Notonucula have been identified. Four species have been described, three of them are new: Praectenodonta boliviensis n. sp., Praenucula quichua n. sp. and Notonucula altiplanica n. sp. Paleogeography of new species and genera is proposed.     

Lower Permian bivalves from central Patagonia, Argentina

The earliest Permian faunal successions of central Patagonia show compositional changes that probably reflected the environmental warming at the end of the Gondwana glaciations. Bivalves of Asselian to probably Early Tastubian age are described. A new genus,Sueroa, is proposed to reunite a previously known species and a new species,Sueroa andreisi n. sp. Another five new species:Parallelodon? quichaurensis n. sp.,Heteropecten cortignasi n. sp.,Etheripecten saraviae n. sp.,Streblopteria montgomeryi n. sp. andPraeundulomya moreli n. sp. are described. Two previously known species:Malimania patagoniensis (González) andEuchondria sabattiniae González are revised and new occurrences are reported. A further eleven species are described, but they are left in open nomenclature being because they are insufficiently known; these are:Phestia? n. sp.,Modiolus sp.,Palaeoneilo sp.,Stutchburia sp.,Schizodus sp.,Vacunella? sp.,Edmondia sp.,Myonia? n. sp.,Myonia? sp. andPachymyonia? n. sp.     

Additional thylacocephalans (Arthropoda) from the Lower Triassic (upper Olenekian) Osawa Formation of the South Kitakami Belt,Northeast Japan

The Lower Triassic Osawa Formation in the South Kitakami Belt, Northeast Japan, consisting mostly of mudstone of shallow-marine environment, was deposited during the late Olenekian (ca. 250 Ma), and is an important unit through which to examine the biotic recovery process after the end-Permian mass extinction. The Osawa Formation is the only unit in Japan that yields thylacocephalans (Arthropoda). Three species belonging to three genera have been reported before: Ankitokazocaris bandoi, Kitakamicaris utatsuensis and Ostenocaris sp. In addition to the known species, some thylacocephalans, including one new genus and three new species, are described in the present paper: Ankitokazocaris tatensis n. sp., Concavicaris parva n. sp., Miyagicaris costata n. gen. n. sp. and Ostenocaris? sp. Although Thylacocephala have a rather long stratigraphic range (from Silurian to Cretaceous) and are known from a wide geographical region, there are only about thirty genera in this group. The Osawa thylacocephalan fauna comprises at least five genera, making it one of the most diverse in the world at the generic level. During the Triassic Period, the Thylacocephala diversified and spread widely throughout low-latitude regions.     

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.     

New radiolarian genera and species from the Lower Permian of the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary

Two new genera and five new species of Lower Permian radiolarians, Arcoclathrata alekseevi gen. et sp. nov., Entactinia pinrasensis sp. nov., Microporosa rozhnovi gen. et sp. nov., M. aktastensis sp. nov., and Somphoentactinia saecularis sp. nov., from the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary are described. The new spherical radiolarian taxa belong to three orders: Entactiniata, Cancelliata, and Spongiata of two classes, Sphaerellaria and Spumellaria.     

New radiolarians from the Devonian of the southern Ural Mountains: 2. Middle-Late Devonian

Middle-Late Devonian Radiolarians are recorded for the first time in the southern Ural Mountains in Bashkortostan, in a section of Kariukmas Mountain (Upper Eifelian) and on the southern slope of Argagan Mountain (Middle Frasnian). The new Late Eifelian assemblage is composed of 17 species of 11 genera, and Middle Frasnian radiolarians comprise 13 species of 7 genera of spherical, discoidal, pylomate, and spiny radiolarians. A new species, Primaritripus kariukmasensis, sp. nov., is described. The prevalence of discoidal forms in the oryctocenosis suggests shallow marine conditions in the Late Eifelian and Middle Frasnian basins. Two new biostratons, the Upper Eifelian beds with Primaritripus kariukmasensis and Middle Frasnian beds with Primaritripus chuvashovi, are established based on radiolarians.     

Taxonomy of the genus Peyerimhoffia Kieffer from Mainland China,with a description of seven new species (Diptera,Sciaridae)

The taxonomy of the genus Peyerimhoffia Kieffer in China was studied. Eight species were recognized, including seven new species that are herein described and illustrated: P. hamata sp. n., P. obesa sp. n., P. sparsula sp. n., P. longiprojecta sp. n., P. brachypodua sp. n., P. yunnana sp. n., and P. shennongjiana sp. n. In addition, P. vagabunda (Winnertz, 1867) is reported for the first time from China. A key to these Chinese species is provided.     

Apparatus structure of the Ordovician conodontDecoriconus peselephantis (Lindström 1955)

The Lower Ordovician conodont species first described asScolopodusl peselephantis Lindström 1955, has a seximembrate apparatus of laterally compressed, variously curved and flexed coniform elements. These are very small and invariably striated or multicostate. The taxon is reassigned toDecoriconus Cooper 1975, a genus hitherto known by species from Upper Ordovician and Silurian strata. These younger species share several characteristic morphological features with the older species investigated in this work. When studied in detail, it was discovered thatD. peselephantis was the first species in a lineage which also included two successive new species. Of these,D. mercurius n. sp. occurs in the middle Arenig, whileD. pesequus n. sp. ranges from the late middle Arenig and at least through the Llanvirn, possibly even into the Caradoc. These new species, which were previously included intoS.? peselephantis, are described and their geographic distribution investigated. In addition, a probable homeomorphic form ofD. peselephantis, Toxotodus? gabriellae n. sp., is diagnosed.     

New species of the family Heliodiscidae Haeckel (radiolaria)

The family Heliodiscidae Haeckel, 1881, which includes five genera, is reviewed. New methods of investigation are applied to the inner structure of Cretaceous spherical radiolarian skeletons, which reveal numerous taxa with an eccentric microsphere. Three new species, Astrophacus marinae sp. nov., Excentrosphaerella kovalenkovi sp. nov., and Excentrosphaerella kurilovi sp. nov., are described. The eccentric position of the microsphere suggests that these forms are nontypical Mesozoic radiolarians or new representatives of the family Heliodiscidae Haeckel, 1881, which was previously recorded in the Cenozoic.     

Nouvelles espèces de chitinozoaires du Silurien Supérieur et du Dévonien Inférieur du bassin de Timimoun (Sahara central,Algérie): New chitinozoan species from the Upper Silurian and Lower Devonian of the Timimoun basin (central Sahara,Algeria)

Very rich chitinozoan assemblages have been recovered from Upper Silurian and Lower Devonian shales and siltstones of the Oued Mehaiguène Formation in the Oued Saret-1 borehole located in the central part of the Algerian Sahara. A total of 52 chitinozoans species have been recorded. Seven are new species: Ancyrochitina ollivierae sp. n., Angochitina strigosa sp. n., Ramochitina algeriensis sp. n., Margachitina saretensis sp. n., Muscochitina samiri sp. n., Pterochitina megavelata sp. n., Urochitina kameli sp. n. They are described and illustrated here.     

Trend of changes in species diversity of Permian radiolarians of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entactinia</Emphasis> Foreman

The trend of species diversity and spatiotemporal distribution of spherical radiolarians of the genus Entactinia Foreman, 1963 in the Permian Period is analyzed. The center of origin of Permian entactinians in the Cis-Ural Paleobasin is established in the area of the modern interfluve of the Ural River and latitudinal current of the Belaya River on the Southern Urals. It is shown that the species composition of this genus almost completely changed in certain Permian epochs. Two forefather species of each new pleiad of Early, Middle, and Late Permian are revealed: Entactinia parapycnoclada and E. tyrrelli. Two new species of the Lower Permian radiolarians from the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary, E. chernykhi sp. nov. and E. subquadrata sp. nov., are described.