Late Jurassic Mammals from Tendaguru, Tanzania, East Africa

Records of Mesozoic mammals are extremely rare in Africa. The only previous record from the Upper Jurassic of Africa is a fragmentary mandible without teeth of Brancatherulum tendagurense. Here I report the discovery of two new mammals from the Upper Jurassic of Tendaguru, Tanzania. The fossils were recovered from the Middle Saurian Bed of the Tendaguru Series. A lower molar of a triconodontid mammal is described as Tendagurodon janenschi gen. et sp. nov., and a fragmentary dentary of a eupantothere as Tendagurutherium dietrichi gen. et sp. nov. The eupantothere in particular contributes to documenting the evolution of mammals during the Mesozoic. The posterior portion of the mandible of Tendagurutherium dietrichi gen. et sp. nov. shows that the angular (tympanic) bone was not yet completely separated from the dentary, a previously undocumented stage of eupantotherian middle ear evolution.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arkharavia heterocoelica</Emphasis> gen. et sp. nov., a new sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of the Far East of Russia

A new sauropod dinosaur, Arkharavia heterocoelica gen. et sp. nov., from the Maastrichtian (Udurchukan Formation) of the Amur Region, Russia, is described based on a tooth and several isolated anterior caudal vertebrae. It is distinguished by the saddle-shaped centrum and high neural spine of the anterior caudal vertebrae. Certain structural characters of the new genus are in common with Chubutisaurus insignis (Titanosauriformes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina.     

New acrodont lizards (Lacertilia) from the Middle Eocene of southern Mongolia

The problematic lizard family Changjiangosauridae, representatives of which inhabited Asia in the Early Paleogene, is discussed. Six new species of this group, including Acrodontopsis robustus gen. et sp. nov., Agamimus gracilis gen. et sp. nov., Graminisaurus interruptus gen. et sp. nov., Khaichinsaurus reshetovi gen. et sp. nov., Lavatisaurus elegans gen. et sp. nov., and Lentisaurus giganteus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Eocene of the Khaichin Uul 2 locality (southern Gobi, Mongolia) are described. It is shown that Changjiangosauridae are probably related to the Late Cretaceous Isodontosauridae and recent Uromastycidae; independent development of a number of dental features in different lineages of Acrodonta (Iguania) is corroborated.     

A new subfamily of ichneumon wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Russian Far East

A new subfamily of ichneumon wasps, Labenopimplinae subfam. nov. (Ichneumonidae), is described from the Cenomanian Ola Formation of the locality Obeshchayushchiy, Magadan Region, Russian Far East. The subfamily is highly diverse morphologically and combines characters of the Labeninae and Pimplinae. It includes 11 new species described in five new genera: Labenopimpla rasnitsyni gen. et sp. nov., L. kasparyani sp. nov., Armanopimpla zherikhini gen. et sp. nov, Ramulimonstrum intermedium gen. et sp. nov., Rugopimpla vulgaris gen. et sp. nov., R. fallax sp. nov., R. angusticella sp. nov., R. macra sp. nov., R. matrona sp. nov., Micropimpla lucida gen. et sp. nov., and M. obscura sp. nov. Also described is a new monotypic genus, Tryphopimpla xoridoptera gen. et sp. nov., which combines characters of the Tryphoninae, Pimplinae, and Xoridinae and cannot be currently placed into any of the known subfamilies. The population of fossil ichneumon wasps at this locality is distinctly dominated by females.     

PERMIAN OSTRACODS FROM THE LERCARA FORMATION (MIDDLE TRIASSIC–CARNIAN?), SICILY,ITALY

Abstract: A rich, diverse Permian ostracod fauna has been recovered from the red and grey, laminated shales and quartz‐rich shales of the Triassic Lercara Formation. Forty‐seven species have been identified, 13 of which are newly described here; they belong to 26 genera of which three are new: Anahuacia lercaraensis sp. nov., Aurigerites siciliaensis sp. nov., Bairdia portellaensis sp. nov., Cristanaria? katyae sp. nov., Fabalicypris gruendeli sp. nov., Lethiersa salomonensis gen. et sp. nov., Lethiersia sinusoventralis gen. et sp. nov., Portella trapezoida gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella elongata gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella infernespinosa gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella prima gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella quadrata gen. et sp. nov., and Siciliella spinorobusta gen. et sp. nov. The assemblages contain or are composed of palaeopsychrospheric forms, which are regarded as index fossils for deep environments. The bathymetry of the different associations in life is evaluated.     

A new turtle from the Palaeogene of Patagonia (Argentina) sheds new light on the diversity and evolution of the bizarre clade of horned turtles (Meiolaniidae,Testudinata)

In this contribution we present a new species of horned turtle, G affneylania auricularis gen. et sp. nov. , from the Paleogene of Patagonia. The specimens come from the lower section of the Sarmiento Formation (Middle Eocene) at Cerro Verde (Cañadón Hondo area, Province of Chubut, Argentina). The level containing turtles and crocodyliforrmes is located at the base of the section and it consists of laminated, fine tuffs interpreted as shallow pond sediments. It underlies another fossiliferous level comprising lenticular, massive sandstones bearing skeletal remains of mammals, referred by previous authors to the Casamayoran SALMA. Gaffneylania auricularis represents one of the most complete meiolaniids from South America found to date and it is distinguished from other meiolaniids by the presence of a peculiar half‐moon‐shaped, thick rim surrounding the cavum tympani, the presence of three cranial scutes K and an unenclosed canalis chorda tympani mandibularis, among others. This new species sheds new light on the evolution and palaeobiogeographical history of the clade Meiolaniidae in Australasia and South America during the Cainozoic. The break up of southern Gondwana provoked major global climatic changes during the Cainozoic that probably influenced the evolution of meiolaniid turtles. The co‐evolution of meiolaniids with other amniotes (e.g. chelid turtles, mammals) suggests a common palaeobiogeographical history of those clades in southern Gondwana. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

New Eocene dinoflagellate cysts from the southern edge of the Junggar Basin,Xinjiang, China

The Anjihaihe Formation in the southern edge of the Junggar Basin was previously considered a series of freshwater lacustrine depositions. However, abundant marine dinoflagellate cysts were recently recovered from the middle to upper part of the middle member of the formation. Two new genera, six new species and one new subspecies among the abundant dinoflagellate cysts are described and illustrated, i.e. Circulodinium? laeve sp. nov., Kaiwaradinium abbreviatum sp. nov., Spiniferites adnatus subsp. latispinus subsp. nov., Oligosphaeropsis accreta gen. et. sp. nov., Oligosphaeropsis complex gen. et. sp. nov., Oligosphaeropsis megaprocessa gen. et. sp. nov. and Tianshandinium biconicum gen. et. sp. nov. They are rare to common constituents of the dinoflagellate assemblage in the Anjihaihe Formation and may prove useful for regional biostratigraphic correlation and palaeoenvironment re-establishment.     

New planthoppers of the tribe Achilini (Homoptera,Fulgoroidea, Achilidae) from Baltic amber

New taxa of Achilini (Achilidae) are described from Baltic amber: Paratesum rasnitsyni gen. et sp. nov., Protomenocria notata gen. et sp. nov., Psycheona variegata gen. et sp. nov., P. striata sp. nov. Protepiptera kaweckii Usinger, 1939 (= Cixidia christinae Lefebvre, Bourgoin et Nel, 2007, syn. nov.) is redescribed with designation of a neotype. “Cixius” testudinarius Germar et Berendt, 1856, “C.” longirostris Germar et Berendt, 1856 and “Oliarus” oligocenus Cockerell, 1910 are transferred to Achilini. A key to the genera of Achilidae known from Baltic amber is provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rovnoecus</Emphasis>, a new genus of digger wasps (Hymenoptera,Crabronidae, Pemphredoninae) from the Rovno amber

A new fossil digger wasp Rovnoecus klesovicus gen. et sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae, Pemphredoninae, Pemphredonini) is described from the Upper Eocene Rovno amber. The genus Rovnoecus gen. nov. is characterized by an incomplete occipital carina, partly reduced second discoidal cell, and the presence of spines on all tibiae. Rovnoecus gen. nov. is most similar to the fossil genus Eoxyloecus Budrys, 1993 from the Baltic amber. The two genera form a monophyletic group that is a sister group to the group formed by the genera Passaloecus Shuckard, 1837 and Eopinoecus Budrys, 1993. This indirectly corroborates the hypothesis of the geographically different origin of the Rovno and Baltic ambers.     

New click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the cretaceous of Russia and Kazakhstan

A new tribe, two new genera, and seven new species of click beetles are described: Pollostelaterini, trib. nov., Pollostelater baissensis, gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia (Baisa locality), five new species in the genus Cryptocoelus Dolin et Nel C. sinitshenkovae, sp. nov. (Romanovka locality), C. shcherbakovi, sp. nov., C. baissensis, sp. nov., C. lukashevichae, sp. nov., C. dolini, sp. nov. (all from Baisa locality), and Turonelater giganteus, gen. et sp. nov. from the Turonian of Southern Kazakhstan (Kzyl-Dzhar locality).     

Two Palaeozoic Hydrothermal Vent Communities from the Southern Ural Mountains, Russia

The Sibay and Yaman Kasy massive sulphide deposits contain macrofossil assemblages that represent some of the oldest known hydrothermal vent communities. The deposits are hosted respectively by Middle Devonian and Silurian arc-related volcanic rocks in the Ural Mountains of Russia, and formed under the same environmental constraints as modern vent sulphides. The Sibay palaeocommunity comprises, in order of decreasing abundance, tubes of an indeterminate ?annelid and the vestimentiferan Tevidestus serrriformis Shpanskaya, Maslennikov and Little and articulated specimens of the modiomorphid bivalve Sibaya ivanovi gen. et sp. nov. The Yaman Kasy palaeocommunity comprises, in order of decreasing abundance, tubes of the ?polychaete Eoalvinellodes annulatus gen. et sp. nov. and the vestimentiferan Yamankasia rifeia Shpanskaya, Maslennikov and Little, and specimens of the ?kirengellid tergomyan Themoconus shadlunae gen. et sp. nov., the lingulate brachiopod Pyrodiscus lorrainae gen. et sp. nov., an indeterminate vetigastropod, and the ambonychiid bivalve Mytilarca sp. Some of these taxa have affinities to endemic taxa at modern hydrothermal vent sites and some belong to taxa that are typical of Palaeozoic non-vent marine palaeocommunities. Therefore, there has been movement of taxonomic groups in and out of the vent ecosystem through the Phanerozoic.     

New fossil mantidflies (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Mesozoic of north‐eastern China

Abstract:  Three new genera and four new species of the extinct mantidfly subfamily Mesomantispinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning and the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia: Archaeodrepanicus nuddsi gen. et sp. nov., A. acutus gen. et sp. nov., Sinomesomantispa microdentata gen. et sp. nov., (Yixian Formation) and Clavifemora rotundata gen. et sp. nov. (Jiulongshan Formation). The specimens described herein represent the first Mesozoic mantidfly compression fossils to have body parts preserved, including the specialized raptorial forelegs articulated to the prothorax anteriorly, an autapomorphy of the family. These new taxa further confirm the placement of the subfamily Mesomantispinae within the family Mantispidae; however, the monophyly of Mesomantispinae has not been confirmed, and it is likely that it will prove to be paraphyletic.     

Comparative osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Miocaperea pulchra,the first fossil pygmy right whale genus and species (Cetacea,Mysticeti, Neobalaenidae)

A fossil pygmy right whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Neobalaenidae) with exquisitely preserved baleen is described for the first time in the history of cetacean palaeontology, providing a wealth of information about the evolutionary history and palaeobiogeography of Neobalaenidae. This exquisitely preserved specimen is assigned to a new genus and species, Miocaperea pulchra gen. et sp. nov. , and differs from Caperea marginata Gray, 1846, the only living taxon currently assigned to Neobalaenidae, in details of the temporal fossa and basicranium. A thorough comparative analysis of the skeleton of M. pulchra gen. et sp. nov. and C. marginata is also provided, and forms the basis of an extensive osteology‐based phylogenetic analysis, confirming the placement of M. pulchra gen. et sp. nov. within Neobalaenidae as well as the monophyly of Neobalaenidae and Balaenidae; the phylogenetic results support the validity of the superfamily Balaenoidea. No relationship with Balaenopteroidea was found by the present study, and thus the balaenopterid‐like morphological features observed in C. marginata must have resulted from parallel evolution. The presence of M. pulchra gen. et sp. nov. around 2000 km north from the northernmost sightings of C. marginata suggests that different ecological conditions were able to support pygmy right whale populations in what is now Peru, and that subsequent environmental change caused a southern shift in the distribution of the living neobalaenid whales. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 166 , 876–911.     

Records of bizarre Jurassic brachycerans in the Daohugou biota,China (Diptera,Brachycera, Archisargidae and Rhagionemestriidae)

Abstract: Four new Brachycera fossils were collected from the Daohugou biota, China. Among these, two impressions demonstrating peculiar wing venation can be designated as two new species of a new genus (Mostovskisargus portentosus gen. et sp. nov. and M. signatus sp. nov.) referred to a new subfamily Mostovskisarginae (subfam. nov.) within Archisargidae. The third impression belongs to a new species (Calosargus (Pterosargus) sinicus sp. nov.) referred to the subgenus Pterosargus Mostovski, 1997 of Calosargus Mostovski, 1997 within Archisarginae, Archisargidae. It is only the second member of the subgenus Pterosargus worldwide. The fourth impression is a nearly complete fly, Jurassinemestrinus orientalis gen. et sp. nov. referable to Rhagionemestriidae. It reveals new morphological data about rhagionemestriids and extends the geographical distribution of this group beyond Europe and Central Asia during the Mesozoic. A correlation for the archisargid composition of taxa in Daohugou and Karabastau formations is discussed. The age of the fly‐bearing strata is briefly reassessed and can be more accurately limited to the Callovian–Oxfordian based on both biostratigraphical correlation and radiometric dating.     

New grylloblattid insects (Insecta: Grylloblattida) from the Grès à Voltzia of the Vosges (Middle Triassic of France)

New grylloblattid insects (Grylloblattida) are described from the Grès à Voltzia of the Vosges (Anisian of Alsace and Lorraine, France): Chauliodites anisicus, sp. nov. (Chaulioditidae), Palaeomesorthopteron pullus gen. et sp. nov. (Mesorthopteridae), Megakhosarodes vosgesicus sp. nov. (Megakhosaridae), Dorniella elcanoides sp. nov., D. apectinata sp. nov., D. diluta sp. nov., D. ovalis sp. nov., Baharellinus umbrosus sp. nov. Embigryllus shcherbakovi gen. et sp. nov., and Vosgesopterum arzvillerensis gen. et sp. nov. (Blattogryllidae).     

Chondrichthyans from a Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) bonebed,Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract: Acid preparation of samples of a bonebed from the Cenomanian of central Canada yielded several thousand well‐preserved chondrichthyan teeth, in addition to numerous other vertebrate remains. Teeth and other remains of one species of chimaeroid, one species of hybodont shark, three species of Ptychodus, 10 species of neoselachian sharks and two species of batoid were recorded. The family Archaeolamnidae fam. nov., genera Meristodonoides gen. nov. and Telodontaspis gen. nov. and species Ptychodus rhombodus sp. nov., Telodontaspis agassizensis gen et sp. nov., Eostriatolamia paucicorrugata sp. nov., Roulletia canadensis sp. nov., Cretorectolobus robustus sp. nov. and Orectoloboides angulatus sp. nov. are described. Status of the genus Palaeoanacorax and the species Cretoxyrhina denticulata, Squalicorax curvatus and ‘Rhinobatos’incertus are discussed, and reconstructed dentitions of Archaeolamna and Roulletia presented. The fauna is of low diversity and dominated by active hunters, with many species apparently endemic to the northern Western Interior Seaway.     

Neoselachians (Chondrichthyes,Elasmobranchii) from the Lower and lower Upper Cretaceous of north‐eastern Spain

Extensive sampling of several Barremian and Albian–Cenomanian levels across the Aguilón, Oliete and Aliaga subbasins of the Iberian Basin, north‐east Spain, yielded abundant material of new or so far poorly known neoselachians. The faunas consist of 16 different species, five of which represent new species and two new genera: Cantioscyllium brachyplicatum sp. nov. , Platypterix venustulus gen. et sp. nov. , Ptychotrygon pustulata sp. nov. , Ptychotrygon striata sp. nov. and Iberotrygon plagiolophus gen. et sp. nov. In addition, teeth of Heterodontus cf. H. carerens, Lamniformes indet., Pteroscyllium sp., Scyliorhinidae indet., Rhinobatos sp., Spathobatis sp., Belemnobatis sp., Ptychotrygon geyeri, Ptychotrygon sp. and Celtipristis herreroi are described. The new family Ptychotrygonidae is defined. The localities comprise palaeoenvironments ranging from lacustrine and shallow lake to open marine settings. Neoselachians are almost completely absent from continental settings in the Barremian, as a result of prevailing freshwater conditions, but became more abundant in marine strata. The Albian–Cenomanian selachian assemblage is the most profuse and diverse of the three assemblages studied. It is dominated by small, benthic and near‐coastal taxa, for instance Cantioscyllium and Ptychotrygon, and contains several new species, including an endemic batoid, Iberotrygon plagiolophus gen. et sp. nov. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 316–347.     

New bugs of the family Archegocimicidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the Upper Jurassic of Mongolia

Two new genera and five new species of Archegocimicidae are described from the Upper Jurassic of the Shar-Teg locality in Mongolia: Shartegocimex rasnitsyni, gen. et sp. nov., S. distans, sp. nov., Shartegocorpus paranotalis, gen. et sp. nov., Saldonia formosa, sp. nov., S. insolita, sp. nov.     

Revision of the family Idelinellidae,with a review of the Permian Eoblattida (Insecta)

Permian Eoblattida, which include the families Tillyardembiidae, Protembiidae (=Sylvardembiidae), Soyanopteridae, and Idelinellidae, are reviewed. The latter family is revised; it includes Idelinella macroptera Storozhenko, 1997 from the Middle Permian (Lower Kazanian Substage) of northern European Russia, Permostriga augustalis Novokshonov, 1999, Sylvastriga miranda Aristov, 2004, Strigulla cuculiophora (Aristov, 2002) comb. nov., Cucullistriga cucullata Aristov et Rasnitsyn, gen. et sp. nov., Scutistriga scutata Aristov et Rasnitsyn, gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Permian (Kungurian Stage) of the Urals, Permeoblatta borealis Rasnitsyn et Aristov, 2010 from the Upper Permian (Upper Severodvinian Substage) of northern European Russia, and probably also Rasstriga americana Aristov et Rasnitsyn, gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Carboniferous (Desmoinesian Stage) of Illinois.