Lower Devonian Polyplacophora from New South Wales, Australia

Silicified polyplacophorans are common in the Lower Devonian Garra Formation in New South Wales. Four taxa occur within the lower 237 m of the formation at 14 horizons associated with an abundant and diverse fauna. Chelodes calceoloides Etheridge ranges through the section. New taxa are Chelodes cordatus sp. nov., Acutichiton depressolatus sp. nov., and Jugochiton patulus gen. and sp. nov. A single plate of an indeterminate genus occurs in the lower portion of the Camelford Limestone.     

New records of marine benthic algae from New South Wales, eastern Australia

Twenty‐four species of marine macroalgae are recorded from the mainland coast of New South Wales for the first time. One species, Laurencia platyclada Boergesen, represents a new record for Australia and the Pacific Ocean. Included in these new records is the introduced, invasive and cold‐tolerant strain of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia, which was formerly known only as native, non‐invasive populations from Lord Howe Island. Based on published accounts, the composition of the marine benthic algae for the state of New South Wales now stands at 131 green, 140 brown and 449 red macroalgae. This baseline information adds significantly to our knowledge of the overall marine biodiversity of the state, as well as to the phycogeography of the southwestern Pacific region.     

Scutelluid trilobites from the Silurian of New South Wales

Abstract: Twenty‐six species (nineteen of them formally named) of scutelluid trilobites belonging to eight genera are described from limestones of the lower Wenlock to Ludlow Mirrabooka Formation and its stratigraphical equivalents in the Orange district of New South Wales. Two genera, Borenoria and Mirrabooka, are new. Japonoscutellum, previously employed mainly for several species from Japan, is a globally widely distributed genus in rocks of middle Llandovery to Ludlow age and includes a number of species previously assigned to Kosovopeltis. Japonoscutellum is remarkably diverse in the faunas from Orange where it is represented by eleven species, one of them known also from Kazakhstan. Flexiscutellum and Tosacephalus are regarded as junior synonyms of Decoroscutellum and Kosovopeltis, respectively. The homology of various scutelluid cephalic structures is discussed, in particular the cephalic borders and border furrows that have routinely been misidentified; the term ‘bolus’ is introduced for the variably developed swelling that is enclosed by S1 on the glabella of most scutelluids. New species are Australoscutellum iota, A. microps, A. pulex, A. trica, Borenoria cirrita, Decoroscutellum planes, Eoscutellum annosum, Illaenoscutellum tryo, Japonoscutellum borenorense, J. crassum, J. diascetum, J. gephyricum, J. guttulatum, J. serangicum, J. strabo, Kosovopeltis trepida, K. xynon and Mirrabooka harryi. Some of these trilobites show strong affinity with species from the Kurosegawa Terrane of south‐western Japan and the Chu‐Ili Terrane of Kazakhstan, as previously reported also for the effaced Illaenina from the same limestones. Australoscutellum and Mirrabooka are presently known only from eastern Australia. The new genus Securifrons is proposed for several species previously assigned to Kosovopeltis or Eokosovopeltis from the Sandbian or Katian to Llandovery of North Greenland, Canada, Scotland, South China and New South Wales.     

Climatic changes and 13-year trends in stream macroinvertebrate assemblages in New South Wales, Australia

Over the period from 1994 to 2007, air and water temperatures in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) increased while rainfall and river flows declined. Data on the occurrence of stream macroinvertebrate families in bioassessment samples collected in NSW during this period were examined to see whether a biological response to these climatic and hydrological trends could be discerned. Multiple logistic regression was used to test for long-term trends in the probability of detection of individual macroinvertebrate families within the samples, taking account of the latitude, longitude, altitude, hydraulic habitat, time of year and subsampling method associated with each sample. Of the 124 families and family groups tested, 33 had statistically significant increasing trends, 37 had significantly declining trends and 54 had no significant trend; however, many of the last group were seldom collected and their trend estimates had wide confidence limits. Significant relationships were found between the thermophily and rheophily of the families and the estimated strength and direction of their long-term trends, with families that favour colder waters and faster-flowing habitats more likely to have declined. Although many families showed trends of increasing detection within samples, such trends do not necessarily equate to increasing prevalence in the environment because the extent of wetted habitat has probably declined, especially flowing habitat. In addition, because of likely intrafamilial trait diversity, increasing or apparently increasing families may include species in decline. Many freshwater macroinvertebrate species in NSW may be threatened by anthropogenic climate change, exacerbated by water withdrawals. The thermal tolerances, rheophily and other pertinent traits of individual species need to be determined to identify those most at risk.     

Silurian radiolarians from the Jenolan Caves region,New South Wales,Australia

Moderately-preserved Silurian radiolarians have been recovered from the Jenolan Caves region, eastern NSW, Australia. Radiolarians were first reported from this area in the late 19th Century by T.W. Edgeworth David, but were not described in detail, neither were they illustrated. Nearly 120 years later, the first images of these fossils are presented. The radiolarians reported include: ?Futobari cf. solidus Furutani, ?Zadrappolus sp., Haplentactiniid gen. and sp. indet, Borisella sp., ?Palaeoephippium sp., ?Insolitignum vivanima MacDonald and ?Helenifore speciosus (Furutani). The fauna is similar to others described from Upper Silurian strata in Japan.     

Devonian carbonate buildup facies in an intra-oceanic island arc (Tamworth Belt, New South-Wales, Australia)

Summary  Biohermal and biostromal buildups were investigated in late Early and Middle Devonian carbonate complexes of the Tamworth Belt. The buildup types and subtypes were studied in three regions (Yarramanbully, Sulcor and, Wyaralong') to clarify their paleo-environmental position. Two stages of development are recognized: Incipient bioherms and bioherms. Incipient bioherms are carbonate buildups with organisms which commonly form true bioherms. They dominate the sediment with small growth forms but are not prolific enough to build large bio-frameworks. Small nodular and globular stromatoporoids characterize the incipient bioherms and are interpreted as stunted growth forms. In one location (‘Wyaralong’) the coarse stromatoporoid calcarenite represents a fore-reef facies, at Sulcor a shallow subtidal setting with moderate water energy can be deduced. The bioherms can be sub-divided into stromatoporoid-, stromatoporoid-Stachyodes-, and stromatoporoid-rugose coral bioherms. Their variable composition probably reflects growth and deposition in different zones of a reef complex and/or different proximity to areas of denundation indicated by high siliciclastic input. In the Tamworth region true bioherms occur only in the Moore Creek Limestone Member (Middle Devonian), and not in older carbonate successions. Biostromes are sub-divided into (1) incipient biostromes with stromatoporoid-heliolitid biostromes and alveolitid biostromes; (2) aggregate biostromes withAmphipora andStachyodes biostromes; (3) stratified biostromes; (4) mixed aggregate/stratified biostromes. The different types of biostromes are not limited to specific time-intervals, but rather to environmental conditions.

Two proxy records revealing the late Holocene fire history at a site on the central coast of New South Wales,Australia

Abstract: The local fire history of a coastal swamp catchment in New South Wales was reconstructed using two proxy records of fire: sedimentary macroscopic charcoal and fire‐scar analyses of Xanthorrhoea johnsonii. The charcoal analysis provided a record of fire activity spanning the last 2800 years, while the Xanthorrhoea record covered the last approx. 300 years. The ability of each method to accurately record fire events was verified by cross referencing against the recent (post 1968) historic fire record. Fire history was then extrapolated beyond the historic record, to reveal an unprecedented level of fire activity in the last 35 years, which coincides with increased human activity in the area. In the prehistoric period charcoal and fire scars are comparatively rare, which is most parsimoniously ascribed to little fire activity, but perhaps represents skilful fire manipulation, as is often attributed to Aboriginal people. The comparatively minor fluctuations in macroscopic charcoal during the prehistoric period were approximately coeval with previous evidence of late Holocene environmental change in south‐eastern Australia, suggesting that fire frequency at the site responded to climatic variability. The longer temporal perspective of this palaeoenvironmental approach provides information for the contemporary management of fire in this conservation reserve.     

New species of Asphalidesmus Silvestri, 1910 from Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Dalodesmidea)

Asphalidesmus allynensissp. n. and Asphalidesmus dorrigensissp. n. are described from New South Wales, Asphalidesmus otwayensissp. n. from Victoria, and Asphalidesmus bellendenkerensissp. n., Asphalidesmus carbinensissp. n., Asphalidesmus magnus sp. n. and Asphalidesmus minorsp. n. from Queensland. The previously endemic Tasmanian genus Asphalidesmus Silvestri, 1910 is now known from 16°S to 43°S in eastern Australia, a north-south range of ca 3000 km. Asphalidesmus spp. throughout this range are very similar in overall appearance. Three of the new species are able to coil in a tight spiral.     

New durophagous arthrodires from Gogo, Western Australia

Three new monotypic genera of eubrachythorarid arthrodires with crushing toothplates are described from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia as Bruntonichthys multidens gen. et sp. nov., Bullerichthysfascidens gen. et sp. nov. and Kendrickkhthys cavemosus gen. et sp. nov. Their structure and relationships are discussed within the framework provided by a sketch cladogram. All three are interchangeable with Coccosteus spp. but their phylogenetic relationships are not known in any detail. However, Kendrickkhthys does appear to be immediately related to Dinomylostoma from North America.     

Favositidae (Tabulata) from Emsian to Middle Devonian limestones of the Tamworth Group (N.S.W., Australia)

Several different species and species groups of the familiy Favositidae from the Emsian and Middle Devonian limestones of the Tamworth Group (N.S.W., Australia) are described. The Emsian Sulcor Limestone Member yieldedFavosites sp. aff.F. basalticus (Goldfuss, 1826),Favosites sp. aff.F. salebrosus Etheridge, 1899,Favosites stellaris Chernyshev, 1937,Squameofavosites nitidus (Chapman, 1914),Sq. bryani (Jones, 1937),Pachyfavosites rariporosus Dubatolov, 1963, andP. tumulosus Yanet, 1965. The Middle Devonian Moore Creek Limestone Member yieldedFavosites ex gr.goldfussi D’Orbigny, 1850, exclusively. In the Emsian limestones occur favositids in a wide array of different facies, with most being found in stratified biostromes and in bedded nodular limestones. In the Middle Devonian most favositids are found in nodular and lumpy limestones which occur at the base and at the top of some successions      

Middle Cambrian lingulate brachiopods from the Murrawong Creek Formation,northeastern New South Wales

Fourteen species of lingulate brachiopods are documented from allochthonous limestone blocks of the Murrawong Creek Formation in the southern New England Fold Belt, northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The fauna includes Treptotreta jucunda Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Treptotreta sp. cf. T. sp. nov. Henderson 1992, Amictocracens teres Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Stilpnotreta magna Henderson and MacKinnon 1981, Anabolotreta tegula Rowell and Henderson 1978, Neotreta orbiculata Koneva 1990, Linnarssonia sp., Linnarssonia sp. cf. L. ophirensis (Walcott 1912), Pegmatreta clavigera sp. nov., Acrothele subsidua (White 1874), Micromitra sp. cf. M. modesta (Lochman 1940), Micromitra sp. Henderson 1992, Lingulella sp. A Henderson 1992, and Kyrshabaktella certa Koneva 1986.

The associated trilobite assemblages indicate a medial Middle Cambrian age for the blocks, and the stratigraphic ranges of several of the lingulate species have been extended. The fauna displays biogeographic links at the specific level with northeastern and southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, North America, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Britain; the strongest links (four species in common) are with the Georgina Basin in northeastern Australia and the Tasman Formation in New Zealand.     

Extended statistical approaches to modelling spatial pattern in biodiversity in northeast New South Wales. I. Species-level modelling

Statistical modelling of biological survey data in relation to remotely mapped environmental variables is a powerful technique for making more effective use of sparse data in regional conservation planning. Application of such modelling to planning in the northeast New South Wales (NSW) region of Australia represents one of the most extensive and longest running case studies of this approach anywhere in the world. Since the early 1980s, statistical modelling has been used to extrapolate distributions of over 2300 species of plants and animals, and a wide variety of higher-level communities and assemblages. These modelled distributions have played a pivotal role in a series of major land-use planning processes, culminating in extensive additions to the region's protected area system. This paper provides an overview of the analytical methodology used to model distributions of individual species in northeast NSW, including approaches to: (1) developing a basic integrated statistical and geographical information system (GIS) framework to facilitate automated fitting and extrapolation of species models; (2) extending this basic approach to incorporate consideration of spatial autocorrelation, land-cover mapping and expert knowledge; and (3) evaluating the performance of species modelling, both in terms of predictive accuracy and in terms of the effectiveness with which such models function as general surrogates for biodiversity.     

Biogeography of Eocene bryozoans from the St Vincent Basin, South Australia

The first extensive and stratigraphically detailed taxonomic study of the Middle to Late Eocene Bryozoa of the St Vincent Basin has identified more than 200 species of Cheilostomata and 50 species of Cyclostomata. There are three biogeographic groups: basin endemic, Australian and global. Two-thirds (116) of the cheilostome species and seven genera are currently considered endemic to this basin. Most species are endemic to Australia and similar to those found in the Oligo-Miocene of Victoria. The Cellariidae are a common component of most Australian Cainozoic deposits, but the species are highly dissimilar, with 13 of the 17 species here being new. The global component indicates that biogeographic links with regions outside Australia still existed in the Eocene. The cyclostome genus Reticrescis is only known from the Australian and Antarctic Eocene. Ten genera have their first occurrence in the Eocene St Vincent Basin. The Phidoloporidae and Smittinidae represent the most diverse and ubiquitous groups at a geological time close to their time of origination. Contemporaneous sediments in Antarctica, eastern Europe and North America also have a diverse fauna of this family, pointing to a strong Tethyan link. Rhamphosmittina lateralis (MacGillivray) is still extant in New Zealand, having an exceptionally long time range of 40 million years. Overall, the fauna has a distinct Late Cretaceous character. A new genus of Onychocellidae appears similar to genera that were common in Cretaceous Tethyan faunas but rare during the Cainozoic. This similarity ends in the Oligocene, after which the Australian bryozoan became endemic     

A new genus and species of dalodesmid millipede from New South Wales,Australia (Diplopoda,Polydesmida, Dalodesmidae)

Cernethia inopinata gen. n., sp. n. is described from highland New South Wales. Like other dalodesmids the new species has numerous sphaerotrichomes on the legs of adult males, but Cernethia inopinata sp. n. shares several character states with Tasmanian species in the genera Noteremus Mesibov, 2009, Paredrodesmus Mesibov, 2003 and Procophorella Mesibov, 2003, which lack sphaerotrichomes and have not yet been assigned to family within the suborder Dalodesmoidea.     

Extended statistical approaches to modelling spatial pattern in biodiversity in northeast New South Wales. II. Community-level modelling

Regional conservation planning can often make more effective use of sparse biological data by linking these data to remotely mapped environmental variables through statistical modelling. While modelling distributions of individual species is the best known and most widely used approach to such modelling, there are many situations in which more information can be extracted from available data by supplementing, or replacing, species-level modelling with modelling of communities or assemblages. This paper provides an overview of approaches to community-level modelling employed in a series of major land-use planning processes in the northeast New South Wales region of Australia, and evaluates how well communities and assemblages derived using these techniques function as surrogates in regional conservation planning. We also outline three new directions that may enhance the effectiveness of community-level modelling by: (1) more closely integrating modelling with traditional ecological mapping (e.g. vegetation mapping); (2) more tightly linking numerical classification and spatial modelling through application of canonical classification techniques; and (3) enhancing the applicability of modelling to data-poor regions through employment of a new technique for modelling spatial pattern in compositional dissimilarity.     

New species of the myrmecophile Polyplocotes Westwood (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from South Australia

Six new species of the Australian myrmecophilous ptinid genus Polyplocotes are described from South Australia. Three are from the deserts of central Australia, one from the Franklin Islands in the Great Australian Bight, one from Eyre Peninsula and one from the Riverland region. Morphologically, the majority of these new species are conventional Polyplocotes , but two are less typical. The characters uniting the genus are explored in the discussion, and comparisons are made to related genera. Although the six new species described here have not been observed in the field, the species of this genus are known to be myrmecophilous, and ant – beetle interactions similar to those seen in other spider beetles might occur between these new species and their host ants.     

Molecular diversity of soil basidiomycete communities in northern-central New South Wales, Australia

Basidiomycete communities were profiled using terminal RFLP (TRFLP) and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) approaches at seven field sites under differing land use in northern-central New South Wales (NSW), Australia. TRFLP data indicated greater basidiomycete species richness at sites with natural vegetation. Sixty-seven basidiomycete ARDRA-types were detected. Various putatively ectomycorrhizal fungi were detected at all sites with native vegetation. Most ectomycorrhizal taxa had affinities to the genus Tomentella, while two Pisolithus taxa and putatively ectomycorrhizal Cantharellales taxa were also detected. Although soils under woodland or grassland communities supported a range of putatively saprotrophic taxa, only members of the Ceratobasidiales were detected in soils under agricultural land use. This study is the first investigation of fungal communities in soils of northern-central NSW, Australia.     

Hypsilophodontid dinosaurs from Lightning Ridge,New South Wales,Australia

The Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Griman Creek Fm. at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia, has yielded seven partial femora of hypsilophodontid ornithopods. Six of these femora represent a member of the hypsilophodont group of the Hypsilophodontidae. Similarities of the structure of the medial condyle and popliteal region indicate reference to Fulgurotherium australe. The seventh femur appears to derive from a second, unnamed hypsilophodontid species. These specimens confirm the presence of hypsilophodontids in Australia.     

New ischnacanthid acanthodians from the Early Devonian of Australia, with comments on acanthodian interrelationships

Rockycampacanthus milesi n.gen., n.sp. is described from a single jaw from the Rocky Camp member of Lower Devonian Buchan Group, E Victoria. Rockycampacanthus differs from other ischnacanthiforms in having large multicuspidate teeth with dual rows of secondary cusps forming a posteromesial flange, a mesial tooth row beginning opposite the fourth cusp of the main tooth row, and in the gnathal bone being deepest in the anterior half. Taemasacanthus erroli n. gen., n. sp. is described from several jaw bones from the Lower Devonian Murrumbidgee Group, New South Wales. Taemasacanthus has a well developed posterolabial flange with secondary cusps developed, vertical rows of denticles on the cusps of the main tooth row and a well developed mesial tooth row separated from the main row by a prominent ridge. The labial face of the jaw has a circular ridge which may have supported labial cartilages. The complex mandibular joint in climatiforms, acanthodiiforms and some primitive sharks differs from the simple jaw articulation of ischnacanthids. It is suggested that ischnacanthids are the plesiomorphic sister group to climatiforms plus acanthodiiforms. The interrelationships of ischnacanthids, climatiforms and acanthodiforms are discussed.