On the Upper Maastrichtian Oysters of the Genus Rhynchostreon Bayle (Bivalvia,Gryphaeidae) from the Mountainous Crimea

The morphology and shell microstructure of smooth exogyrid oysters from the Upper Maastrichtian of the Mountainous Crimea (SW Russia) are studied. Their shell microstructure consists of a simple regularly foliated, irregular crossed foliated, and transitional irregular simple prismatic/irregular complex crossed foliated structures. The latter has been only identified in oysters of the genus Rhynchostreon Bayle. Along with specific shell morphology, it allows to attribute the studied oysters to the species Rhynchostreon aralensis (Arkhangelsky, 1912). The occurrence of the genus Rhynchostreon in the Upper Maastrichtian of the Mountainous Crimea allows to clarify its stratigraphic distribution.     

Dental homologies in lamniform sharks (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii).

The dentitions of lamniform sharks are said to exhibit a unique heterodonty called the "lamnoid tooth pattern." The presence of an inflated hollow "dental bulla" on each jaw cartilage allows the recognition of homologous teeth across most modern macrophagous lamniforms based on topographic correspondence through the "similarity test." In most macrophagous lamniforms, three tooth rows are supported by the upper dental bulla: two rows of large anterior teeth followed by a row of small intermediate teeth. The lower tooth row occluding between the two rows of upper anterior teeth is the first lower anterior tooth row. Like the first and second lower anterior tooth rows, the third lower tooth row is supported by the dental bulla and may be called the first lower intermediate tooth row. The lower intermediate tooth row occludes between the first and second upper lateral tooth rows situated distal to the upper dental bulla, and the rest of the upper and lower tooth rows, all called lateral tooth rows, occlude alternately. Tooth symmetry cannot be used to identify their dental homology. The presence of dental bullae can be regarded as a synapomorphy of Lamniformes and this character is more definable than the "lamnoid tooth pattern." The formation of the tooth pattern appears to be related to the evolution of dental bullae. This study constitutes the first demonstration of supraspecific tooth-to-tooth dental homologies in nonmammalian vertebrates.     

Skates and rays (Elasmobranchii,Batomorphii) from the Eocene La Meseta and Submeseta formations,Seymour Island,Antarctica

Abstract

Eocene deposits of the famous La Meseta Formation of Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, yielded the most diverse Paleogene fossil elasmobranch association of the Southern Hemisphere. In this assemblage, sharks clearly dominate the fauna, whereas batoids are very rare components. Herein, we describe two new taxa of cold water tolerant skates, Marambioraja leiostemma gen. et sp. nov., and Mesetaraja maleficapelli gen. et sp. nov., two new species of the genus Raja, Raja amphitrita sp. nov. and Raja manitaria sp. nov., as well as remains of warm water adapted myliobatiforms. It is, however, not possible to unambiguously assign these remains either to Myliobatidae or Rhinopteridae, or to any specific genus. Previously reported remains of Raja/Bathyraja sp. are assigned to the new described species Raja manitaria sp. nov. The biogeographic distribution of extant and extinct rays and skates clearly shows that both groups are more widely distributed today than in the past, and additionally seem to have been more diverse in the Northern than the Southern Hemisphere. The occurrence, albeit rare of isolated teeth of skates (Rajidae) and rays (Myliobatidae) in the La Meseta Formation representes a minimum age constraint for their first appearance in the Southern Ocean.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E507D86C-FFEC-4047-A337-AE77606BB1A6     

Charophytes from the Upper Paleocene of the Trans-Altai Gobi Desert (Mongolia)

Charophyte assemblage is described from the Naran Member of the Tsagaan sair section (Upper Paleocene). A new species, Mesochara cornuta, is described.     

A new assemblage of freshwater sharks (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Triassic of India

This study reports the first occurrence of a varied xenacanth assemblage from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of India, based on multiple well-preserved isolated teeth. Based on distinct tooth morphology, two species of the genus Mooreodontus are described: M. indicus and a new species, M. jaini. The new species is diagnosed based on a tricuspid crown containing two stout, slightly diverging lateral cusps pointing in the same direction, a high median cusp, crown-base angle almost at 90°, large, rounded, apical button with several foramina and multiple, 8–9 coarse vertical cristae on all the cusps. Dental anomaly in the form of a partial quadri-cuspidate xenacanthid tooth is present in the collection. Another group of xenacanthid teeth have bicuspid crowns with two upright, asymmetric cusps, where the mesial cusp is thicker than the distal one, and consistently lack a median cusp. Such distinct bicuspid tooth morphology is usually present in Palaeozoic forms and is reported for the first time from the Late Triassic. It is considered to belong to a new taxon, Tikiodontus asymmetricus nov. gen., nov. sp., of indeterminate family. Distinctive tooth histology also differentiates the two Indian genera Mooreodontus and Tikiodontus nov. gen. from other xenacanthid taxa. In addition, the Tiki assemblage has yielded multiple chondrichthyan dermal denticles, which may be subdivided into two morphotypes based on their robustness and presence/absence of linear ridges on the fused cusps. India holds a unique position in terms of its Late Triassic freshwater shark fauna, as it exhibits distinct Laurasian affinities. These freshwater sharks had restricted occurrences in other parts of the Gondwanan landmass.     

The First Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence in the Genus Aphanius (Teleostei)

Journal of Ichthyology - In the present study, for the first time we isolated and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the endangered Farsi killifish Aphanius farsicus by...     

First record of a dicephalic specimen of tope Galeorhinus galeus (Elasmobranchii: Triakidae)

The first case of dicephalia in tope Galeorhinus galeus analysed in developing foetuses removed from a pregnant female caught off the Mar del Plata coastal waters, Argentine Sea, is reported here.     

The First Find of the Marbled Spinefoot Siganus rivulatus (Siganidae) in the Black Sea

Journal of Ichthyology - The paper reports the first find of the marbled spinefoot Siganus rivulatus Forsskål et Niebuhr, 1775, which is a new species for the Black Sea, at the southeastern...     

隐子蕨属（水龙骨科）植物在中国的首次承认

首次承认水龙骨科（Polypodiaceae）隐子蕨属（Crypsinus）植物在中国的分布。文中列出了该属与假瘤蕨属（Phymatopteris）和修蕨属（Selliguea）的区别特征,给出隐子蕨属植物在中国的唯一一种——三指隐子蕨（Crypsinus trilobus）的文献引证,特征描述并附图。     

The Upper Paleocene of the Zumaya Section (Northern Spain): Review of the Ichnological Content and Preliminary Palaeoecological Interpretation

A systematic survey of intrastratal trace fossil distribution in flysch deposits shows that the ichnocoenoses form along two radically different modes: 1. Post‐turbidite ichnocoenoses begin with synchronous colonization. Further development of the tiered structure depends primarily on sediment composition, textural profile and oxygen levels. Different species respond to these factors according to their oxygen tolerances, penetration potentials and nutritional requirements.

2. Pre‐turbidite ichnocoenoses result from successional colonization, depending on the duration of background sedimentation. The depth of subsequent turbidite erosion determines which tier becomes preserved.

     

First Record of Stygimys (Mammalia, Multituberculata, Eucosmodontidae) from the Paleocene (Puercan) Part of the North Horn Formation, Utah, and a Review of the Genus

A single tooth referred to Stygimys kuszmauli recovered at the Gas Tank Hill locality from Puercan strata of the North Horn Formation represents the first record of Stygimys from Utah. S. kuszmauli now occurs in both proposed north–south late Puercan biogeographic provinces, which reduces statistical support for provinciality. A new species from Texas, Stygimys vastus, is described. Of the five species previously referred to Stygimys, S. kuszmauli, Stygimys camptorhiza, Stygimys jepseni, and Stygimys teilhardi are valid, but Stygimys cupressus is synonymous with S. kuszmauli. The type of S. jepseni is restricted to a single p4 as the m1 thought to be from the same individual represents another multituberculate genus. Five sites, including Gas Tank Hill that comprise the Gas Tank Hill Local Fauna are widely dispersed in slumped strata which may differ in age, are located in a mostly floodplain depositional setting, and are small surface collected samples. Therefore, biogeographic analyses that compare the Gas Tank Hill Local Fauna to large samples collected from channel fills using screenwash techniques should be employed with caution. Stygimys has a relatively broad geographic and geochronologic distribution, but it is usually rare in Late Cretaceous and Early Paleocene mammalian assemblages. The recent recovery of Stygimys after more than 60 years of collecting in the North Horn Formation suggests that further sampling in other non-marine basins in Western North America will eventually yield additional specimens of the genus.     

First data on the shell structure of the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) rhynchonellids from Crimea

The shell structure of the Early Cretaceous rhynchonellids from Crimea has not been previously studied. First data on the shell structure of Berriasian rhynchonellids from the family Praecyclothyrididae Makridin, 1964 from southwestern and central Crimea are presented. Sulcirhynchia semenovi (Moisseev, 1939), S. berriasensis (Lobacheva, 1980), S. gracilis (Lobacheva, 1977), Belbekella airgulensis Moisseev, 1939, B. mutabilis Lobacheva, 1983, B. minor Lobacheva, 1983 and partly Lamellaerhynchia rectimarginata (Smirnova, 1972) are studied. The shell wall of most species consists of three layers: external (finely or coarsely crystalline), fibrous, and prismatic layers. The layers are usually strongly recrystallized, especially external and prismatic layers. New fibers were formed by repeated dichotomy of ridges in different areas of the fibrous layer independently of the distance from the anterior margin.     

The oldest bee fly in the French Paleocene (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

Paleolomatia menatensis gen. and sp. n., oldest Bombyliidae sensu stricto, is described from the Paleocene of Menat (France). The new genus, based on the wing venation, is attributed to the rather ‘derived’ subfamily Lomatiinae, strongly supporting a Late Cretaceous age for the diversification of the pollinator bee flies, in relation with the floristic changes and the angiosperm radiation that occurred at the same time.     

亚美尺蛾属——灰尺蛾亚科一中国新记录属

记述中国灰尺蛾亚科1新记录属:亚美尺蛾属Metacrocallis Beljaev,1997及1新记录种:亚美尺蛾Metacrocallis vernalis Beljaev,1997.绘制了雄性成虫及外生殖器特征图.研究标本保存于华南农业大学资环学院昆虫学系鳞翅目昆虫标本室.     

中国短喙扁蝽亚科一新记录属（半翅目：扁蝽科）

长革扁蝽属Dolichothyreus是Usinger ＆ Matsuda 1959年根据采自加里曼丹的1头雌虫建立的。此前中国尚未有此属的报道。我们研究海南的扁蝽标本时,发现此属模式种的雄虫。本文对该属进行重新描述,并记述了该属模式种痣长革扁蝽D. stigmatus Usinger ＆ Matsuda的雄性。该属主要特征为：体小,长卵圆形。全翅。棕红至棕黑色。体被颗粒。头前叶短钝;颊伸达前叶端部;触角短粗。前胸背板前叶中央具倒＂Y＂型脊突。前翅膜片完整,具翅脉。第3腹背板中央具细脊包围的宽浅凹域。     

中国霜扁蝽亚科一新记录属(半翅目:扁蝽科)

滑背霜扁蝽属Lissonotocoris Usinger ＆ Matsuda 1959年根据采自越南的1头雌虫建立的。此前中国尚未有此属的报道。我们研究海南的扁蝽标本时,发现此种的雄虫。本文对该属、种进行重新描述。该属主要特征为：体小,长卵圆形。全翅。棕黑色,霜粉被白色。除前胸背板后叶光滑外,体被颗粒。头前叶短钝;颊未达前叶端部;触角短粗。前胸背板前叶深凹,后叶光滑。前翅膜片完整,无翅脉。     

Teeth of Embryos in Lamniform Sharks (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii)

The dentitions of lamniform sharks possess a unique heterodonty, the lamnoid tooth pattern. However, in embryos, there are 'embryonic' and 'adult' dentitions. The teeth in the embryonic dentition are peg-like and appear to be attached to the jaw in an acrodont fashion. The adult dentition is characterized by the presence of replacement tooth series with the lamnoid tooth pattern. The embryonic–adult transition in dentitions appears at around 30–60cm TL. Tooth replacement generally begins before birth in embryos with adult dentitions. The adult dentition becomes functional just before or after parturition. An embryo of one species (Lamna nasus) shows a tooth directly on the symphysis of the upper jaws, marking the first record of a medial tooth for the order Lamniformes.     

3D digital imaging of a concretion-preserved batoid (Chondrichthyes,Elasmobranchii) from the Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Morocco

We describe the manual and digital methods used to prepare an exceptional fossil specimen, as well as the composition of this specimen revealed by these methods. The fossil, a rhinobatoid, is 3-dimensionally preserved in a concretion. Fossils like these are seldom encountered, because flat-bodied animals are traditionally preserved in lithographic beds, or more commonly, are only represented by disassociated dentition. Manual preparation was best conducted with needles and a local application of buffered formic acid and neutralised sodium carbonate. High-resolution computed tomography and post-analysis using the invert ramp option in VGStudio Max 2.0 produced the best results to see the complete skeleton of this specimen. The specimen is distinguishable from the only other known 3D preserved fossil rhinobatoid, the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) genus 2Iansan, and is probably a member of Platyrhinidae.