Miospore evolution from the Ordovician to the Silurian

The definition of the term cryptospore is amended to include only spores thought to be produced by embryophytes and to exclude all enigmatic palynomorphs. Cryptospores are included here in the miospore group.The oldest published assemblage of typical cryptospores is Llanvirn in age. The evolution of cryptospore assemblages is very slow from the Llanvirn to the early Llandovery. The Telychian and Sheinwoodian stages are periods of drastic impoverishment in cryptospore biodiversity, followed by an important modification in miospore assemblages. This step in the evolution of the vegetation is correlated with the rapid transgression of seas on the continent during the early Llandovery. On the other hand, the Hirnantian glaciation does not affect diversity of the miospore assemblages.     

Bryozoan palaeoecology in the Late Silurian of Gotland

The present paper deals with the ecology of the Bryozoa in the Upper Wenlockian of Gotland. The Upper Wenlockian sedimentary rocks of Gotland, locally known as the Halla-Mulde Beds, are deposited in a shallow sea. The sedimentary rock types include well-developed reefs of “barrier” and “fringing” types and marly limestones in both forereef and backreef positions. These sedimentary rocks are rich in Bryozoa as well as in other shelly fossils. Twenty seven bryozoan species have been identified from this stratigraphic sequence. The bryozoans tend to occur in associations. These are not strictly comparable with the neontological animal communities in the Petersen sense, but should rather be regarded as “ecozones”.Twelve different faunistic associations can be identified in the investigated material. On Bryozoa alone, five major zones are discernible.     

New species of stromatoporoidea from the Upper Ordovician and Silurian of the Subpolar Urals

Stromatoporoidea are widespread in the Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds of the Kozhim River (western slope of the Subpolar Urals). Five new species Cystostroma prodigiosum sp. nov., Stylostroma flabellatum sp. nov., Labechiina arguta sp. nov., Ecclimadictyon faveolatum sp. nov., and Araneosustroma astroplexum sp. nov. are described.     

Ordovician and Silurian brachiopods from graptolitic shales and related deep-water argillaceous rocks

Ordovician and Silurian graptolitic shales and deep-water mudstones contain a sparse fauna of clustered, minute shells which are commonly believed to have been epiplankton attached to seaweed. Modern deep-water organisms may preferentially attach to local firm areas on the soft sediment. It is suggested that the Ordovician and Silurian shells may also have been benthic animals attached to local firm regions of the sea floor. These substrates might have included algal fronds which had fallen to the bottom.     

Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian chitinozoans from central Nevada and Arctic Canada

Late Ordovician and Early Silurian chitinozoans from the uppermost Vinini Formation, and the Hanson Creek Formation in central Nevada and the lower Cape Phillips Formation, Cape Manning section, in Arctic Canada have been re-investigated and a new chitinozoan biozonation is proposed. The Upper Ordovician of central Nevada can easily be correlated to that of Arctic Canada through the common occurrence of the Ordochitina nevadensis biozone in both regions. No such correlation, however, is possible with the Late Ordovician of Anticosti Island in eastern Canada because of the absence of the index Upper Ordovician chitinozoan zonal species of central Nevada such as Belonechitina tenuispinata sp. nov, Ordochitina nevadensis sp. nov. and Nevadachitina vininica gen. nov., sp. nov. in the former area.One new genus, Nevadachitina, and nine new species, Eisenackitina ripae, Belonechitina martinica, Nevadachitina vininica, Nevadachitina praevininica, Ordochitina nevadensis, Belonechitina tenuispinata, Belonechitina parvispinata, Tanuchitina laurentiana, Angochitina hansonica are described and illustrated in this paper and four species are left in open nomenclature.     

Ordovician and Silurian acritarch assemblages from the west Leinster and Slievenamon areas of southeast Ireland

The Lower Palaeozoic sequences west of the Leinster Granite and in the Slievenamon Inlier of southeast Ireland have been palynologically re-investigated. Most of the productive samples yielded sufficient identifiable acritarchs for positive stratigraphical age determinations for several of the formations. The samples also include rare cryptospores, scolecodonts and tubular structures. Previous work in the area west of the Leinster Granite proposed an unbroken succession from Early Ordovician Ribband Group turbidites and volcanics passing up conformably to Early Ordovician to Late Silurian Kilcullen Group. The new palynological data clearly show that the Kilcullen Group in this area is entirely Silurian (Llandovery-early Wenlock) in age, also results obtained from the same group at Slievenamon confirm the previously reported Silurian age. Ordovician acritarchs found in the Kilcullen Group of both study areas are reworked and range in age from late Tremadoc to Llanvirn. The new data reveal a major stratigraphic break between the Ribband Group dated as Early and Middle Ordovician and the Silurian Kilcullen Group. This major break extends some hundreds of kms southwest to the Dingle Peninsula and possibly equates with a similar discontinuity in the Isle of Man to the northeast. This break would thus appear to be a major feature within the northwestern Avalonian margin sequence.     

Ateleaspis tessellata Traquair, a non-cornuate cephalaspid from the Upper Silurian of Scotland

Ateleaspis tessellata Traquair, a non-cornuate cephalaspid from the U. Silurian of Scotland, is re-examined on the evidence of new material from the original localities. The species is found to be less 'primitive' than was previously thought in that the pectoral fins are separated from the trunk posteriorly by a distinct sinus and the two dorsal fins are developed essentially as in Aceraspis robustus Kiaer. The ventral visceral exoskeleton is described for the first time. Ateleaspis and Aceraspis are so close in so many respects that retention of separate genera is unnecessary; Aceraspis must be suppressed since Ateleaspis has priority. Revised diagnoses of the genus Ateleaspis and its two species, A. tessellata Traquair and A. robustus (Kiaer), are given and their relationships with other non-cornuate cephalaspids discussed.     

The root of the problem: palaeoecology of distinctive crinoid attachment structures from the Silurian (Wenlock) of Gotland

The holdfast (attachment structure) is the most understudied aspect of the palaeoecology of the endoskeleton of fossil crinoids. A new collection of well-preserved holdfasts from a recently reopened quarry at Hunninge, Gotland, in Homerian (upper Wenlock) strata includes several morphologies. The most common are terminal dendritic radicular holdfasts (TDRHs) that may be derived from the cladid Ennallocrinus d'Orbigny. These have a consistent morphology of five, equally spaced, long radices that spread across the sea floor. These crinoids were gregarious, and TDRHs in a group commonly show the same radice orientations. The radices have a large axial canal compared with those of modern crinoids; each included, at least, nervous tissues. Taken together, these features suggest that, apart from attachment, these distinctive TDRHs may have served a sensory function. Other holdfasts in this assemblage also show monospecific aggregations, perhaps suggesting biochemical attraction such as that shown by certain other sessile invertebrates such as barnacles.     

Taxonomy and palaeoecology of dinoflagellate cysts from Upper Oligocene freshwater sediments of Lake Enspel, Westerwald area, Germany

Freshwater dinoflagellates play an important role as primary producers in the lacustrine environment. A new species of dinoflagellates, Cleistosphaeridium lacustre, is described from Upper Oligocene sediments of palaeo-lake Enspel. They are associated with other phytoplankton, such as diatoms, chrysophytes, green algae and benthic cyanobacteria. Mass occurrences of this species are interpreted as algal blooms and may partly reflect seasonal successions. This phenomenon was controlled by volcanic activities in the depositional area, which led to an increase in nutrient supply.     

The palaeoecology of the Ordovician Harding Sandstone (Colorado,U.S.A.)

The Middle Ordovician Harding Sandstone in Colorado, U.S.A. is the oldest formation known to have an environment rich in vertebrate fossils. In order to study the palaeoecology of these oldest vertebrates, a detailed analysis of both the sediments and the associated invertebrate fauna was made. Undulatory quartz, sandstone mineralogy, geochemistry, trace fossils, and ecological implications of the invertebrate fossils have been studied. The type of environment is not a typical one, but was probably a shallow-water marine (intertidal, or shallow subtidal), in a lagoon-like or estuarine—deltaic habitat, with changing salinity, and a generally warm climate.     

Learning from the past: palaeohydrology and palaeoecology

Attempts to increase European biodiversity by restoring rivers and floodplains are based on inadequate data on natural systems. This is particularly the case for NW European rivers because all catchments have been impacted by agriculture and river engineering. If river restoration is to have an ecological, as opposed to `cosmetic' design basis then baseline models are required. However, this poses three questions; (a) what is the natural river‐floodplain state, (b) how can it be defined and modelled and (c) can this state be recreated today? The first two questions can only be addressed by using palaeohydrological and palaeoecological data. A second and equally vital consideration is the stability/instability of any restored system to change in external forcing factors (e.g. climate) and in this context it may not be realistic to expect baseline models to provide equilibrium solutions but instead to define process‐form domains. Over the last two decades evidence has accumulated that the natural state of lowland rivers in much of NW Europe was multi rather than single thread‐braided, anastomosing or anabranching. Until recently our knowledge of floodplain palaeoecology was generally derived from pollen diagrams, which have source‐area of problems and lack of taxonomic specificity. The precision and breadth of palaeoecological reconstruction (including richness and structure) has been greatly increased by the use of multiple palaeo‐indicators including macrofossils, diatoms and beetles. The dynamics of small to medium sized, low‐energy, predeforestation floodplains were dominated by disturbance (windthrow, beavers, etc.) and large woody debris. In order to compare the hydrogeomorphological basis of floodplain ecology, both temporally and spatially, a simple index of fluvial complexity is presented. Palaeoecological and geomorphological investigations have the potential to provide in‐depth models of the natural range of channel conditions and sensitivity to external change that can be used to provide a scientific basis for floodplain restoration. There is also the possibility that floodplain‐channel restoration may be a valuable tool in the mitigation of future geomorphological change forced by climatic instability.     

Taxonomy and distribution of the Ordovician conodontDrepanodus arcuatus Pander, 1856, and related species

PalZ - Drepanodus arcuatusPander, 1856, is one of the geographically most widely distributed conodont species in the Ordovician, and has been reported to range practically throughout the entire...     

Probing the deep shelf: a Lagerstätte from the Upper Ordovician of Girvan, southwestern Scotland

A deep‐water Konservat Lagerstätte from the lower Caradoc (Sandbian) at Girvan is dominated by the trilobite Diacanthaspis trippi, the carpoids Anatifopsis n. sp.? and a new genus of ctenocystoid together with the polyplacophoran Solenocaris solenoides and the brachiopod Onniella williamsi. Most of these are multi‐element organisms, with many specimens preserved in an articulated state in finely laminated rocks, indicating minimal disturbance and suggesting that the fauna is largely an in situ association. It contains few of the species known from other deep‐water sites of similar age at Girvan which contain diverse assemblages of trilobites and brachiopods absent from the Lagerstätte. The taphonomy of the site indicates preservation by rapid burial followed by early diagenesis under dysaerobic conditions. It provides a ‘taphonomic window’ on otherwise unknown faunas from distal shelf facies on the Ordovician Laurentian margin, and, moreover, is an important reminder of the hidden biodiversity that resided in thin‐shelled, multi‐element organisms.     

Computer reconstruction and analysis of the vermiform mollusc Acaenoplax hayae from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte (Silurian, England), and implications for molluscan phylogeny

Acaenoplax hayae is a spinose worm-like animal from the Silurian Herefordshire Lagerstätte of England, a deposit that preserves high-fidelity soft-part morphology of invertebrates in three dimensions. Specimens have been serially ground and reconstructed by computer to their three-dimensional form. Acaenoplax bears serially repeated transverse ridges dorsally, each with an array of probably aragonitic spines inclined posteriorly. Oblique ventral lobe-rows correspond in position to the dorsal ridges. Aragonitic dorsal valves overlie every third ridge; the penultimate valve is absent leaving a total of seven. The anterior termination is disk-like, surrounding an antero-medial mouth. At the posterior termination there is a cavity between the posteriormost dorsal and a posteroventral valve, from which soft-part projections extend. Acaenoplax is interpreted as a creeping epibenthic animal that fed on sessile prey. It is an 'aculiferan' mollusc, combining unique autapomorphic structures with characters typical of the Polyplacophora and Aplacophora. Its morphology can be accommodated within both of the competing schemes of molluscan phylogeny, and its closest living relatives in both cases are aplacophorans. The highly serialized morphology of Acaenoplax is unique within the Mollusca, but the pattern it highlights is an attractive candidate for the primitive state of serial repetition within the phylum.     

Crinoid holdfasts from the Silurian of Gotland

Crinoid holdfasts occur throughout the Silurian sequence of Gotland, with a marked concentration to reefs and immediate reef surroundings. Four morphological groups are recognized: (1) Discoid holdfasts. (2) Cirriferous holdfasts, represented by (a) Rhizocrinus -like holdfasts, (b) large radices with stout, often branching cirri, and (c) rhizoid holdfasts, formed by a complicated net of pseudocirri. (3) Creeping stems attached to the substrate by thin strands of stereome. (4) Coiling stems. Discoid attachments, cirriferous holdfasts (types b and c) and coiling stems show little preference to substrate and adapt morphologically to conditions at hand. Rhizoid holdfasts display the greatest variation and apparently occur within many different groups of crinoids. Rhizocrinusttke holdfasts have been found only in quiet-water deposits, while creeping stems were concentrated to more turbulent environments. Coiling stems were epizoic, attached to rugose corals, bryozoans, crinoid stems and similar supports. Growth, mode of life (attached or free), settling and fixation of larvae, and relation to substrate and other organisms ate discussed.     

Studies of fossil brachiopods of Mongolia: Ordovician,Silurian, Devonian,Carboniferous, and Permian

Fossil brachiopods from the Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian deposits of Mongolia have been studied for the last forty-five years by the Joint Soviet-Mongolian (later RussianMongolian) Paleontological and Geological Expeditions. New data on the taxonomic composition, stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the brachiopod assemblages have been obtained. The brachiopod systematics has been further refined and detailed, and the stratigraphic and correlation scales and biogeographic reconstructions have been elaborated for the Paleozoic of Mongolia.     

Chemotactic response and motility of the mollusc parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis papillosa towards mucus from different mollusc species

BioControl - Phasmarhabditis papillosa is a promising biocontrol agent of gastropods in crops. To enhance the efficacy of mollusc parasitic nematodes, a better understanding of the chemical...     

A soft-bodied lophophorate from the Silurian of England

Soft-bodied taxa comprise an important component of the extant lophophorate fauna, but convincing fossils of soft-bodied lophophorates are extremely rare. A small fossil lophophorate, attached to a brachiopod dorsal valve, is described from the Silurian (Wenlock Series) Herefordshire Lagerstätte of England. This unmineralized organism was bilaterally symmetrical and comprised a subconical body attached basally to the host and partially enclosed by a broad ‘hood’; the body bore a small, coiled lophophore. Where the hood attached laterally, there is a series of transverse ridges and furrows. The affinities of this organism probably lie with Brachiopoda; the hood is interpreted as the homologue of a dorsal valve/mantle lobe, and the attachment as the homologue of the ventral valve and/or pedicle. The ridges are arranged in a manner that suggests constructional serial repetition, indicating that they are unlikely to represent mantle canals. Extant brachiopods are not serially structured, but morphological and molecular evidence suggests that their ancestors were. The new organism may belong to the brachiopod stem group, and might also represent a significant element of the Palaeozoic lophophorate fauna.