Calcareous algae from the Triassic (Anisian reef boulders and Norian reef limestones) of Karaburun, western Turkey

Invertebrate Anisian and Norian reef boulders were found in the Gerence and Güvercinlik Formations, respectively, exposed in northeastern part of the Karaburun Peninsula, western Turkey. Halimedacean green algae and solenoporacean red algae, usually associated with other reef building organisms are described in this paper. The following taxa were determinated: halimedaceans: Egericodium hungaricum Flügel, Velledits, Senowbari-Daryan and Riedel, Aternasus irregularis n. gen., n. sp.; solenoporaceans: Solenopora cf. alcicornis Ott, Solenopora triasina Vinassa de Regny, Solenopora vachardi n. sp., Solenopora concentrica n. sp., Solenopora paraconcentrica n. sp., Tauristorea parallela Senowbari-Daryan and Link, Tauristorea discursa n. sp., and Parachaetetes cassianus (Flügel). The monospecific genus Aternasus n. gen. is the most abundant alga within the Anisian reef boulders. The solenoporaceans are represented by several taxa but the individual species are less abundant. E. hungaricum, T. parallela Senowbari-Daryan and Link, and S. triasina Vinassa de Regny are described from the Norian reef limestones embedded in Güvercinlik Formation, all other taxa from the Anisian reef boulders embedded in the Gerence Formation.     

Taphonomy and palaeoecology of Late Triassic (Carnian) ammonoid concentrations from the Taurus Mountains,Turkey

The deposits of the Carnian Kas?mlar Formation within the Taurus Platform Units of south‐western Turkey represent an important archive of a Late Triassic ecosystem. New palaeontological information was obtained by analysing the Kasimlarceltites mass occurrence, located within the Kas?mlar Formation and named after the Lower Carnian (Julian) ammonoid genus Kasimlarceltites. This is the dominant taxon (> 94%) within the mass occurrence: nearly 775 million ammonoids and 50 million gastropods were extrapolated for the whole extension (at least 5 km²) of the Kasimlarceltites beds. This calculation is one of the main findings within this study, as it is the first time that such a fossil mass occurrence was quantified. Additionally, orientation measurements of the planispiral ammonoids and the helical gastropods enabled reconstructing the history of the mass occurrence and interpreting the underlying transport mechanisms. Further taphonomic aspects (e.g. biofabric, preservation, bioerosion or genetic classification) as well as comparisons with samples of the same acme zone from different localities near A?a?iyaylabel (AS IV, KA I‐II) point to a two‐phased genetic history. Accordingly, local mass mortality within the Kasimlarceltites fauna due to oxygen fluctuations or methane degassing may have initially led to a primary accumulation. These deposits were then reworked and redeposited basinward by gravity flows to create the present‐day secondary allochthonous concentrations.     

Upper Triassic (Norian) hypercalcified sponges from the Musandam Peninsula (United Arab Emirates and Oman)

Supercalcified sponges, including sphinctozoans, inozoans, chaetetids, spongiomorphids, occurring in Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) shallow-marine limestones of Musandam Mountains in United Arab Emirates (UAE), are described. The following taxa were determined: sphinctozoans: Hajarispongia osmani Senowbari-Daryan and Yancey, Nevadathalamia arabica n. sp., Nevadathalamia conica n. sp., Fanthalamia milahaensis n. sp., Iranothalamia incrustans (Boiko), Cinnabaria regularis n. sp.; inozoans: Cavsonella triassica n. sp., Molengraaffia regularis Vinassa de Regny, Peronidella? sp., Circopora cf. caucasica Moiseev, Circopora? sp.; spongiomorphids: Spongiomorpha sp.; chaetetids: Lovcenipora chaetetiformis Vinassa de Regny, Lovcenipora musandamensis n. sp., Lovcenipora sp., chaetetid sponge gen. et sp. indet. The most abundant sponge in the studied material is Nevadathalamia arabica n. sp. The described sponge association of the Arabian shelf (Musandam Mountains) shows close affinity to the sponge association known from age-equivalent terranes in the Panthalassa Ocean (Sonora Mountains in Mexico; Pilot Mountains in Nevada, USA), but is remarkably different from sponge associations in carbonates bordering the Tethys. This difference goes along with the biogeography of wallowaconchid bivalves and is most likely attributed to climatic, palaeogeographic or oceanographic factors.     

New dasycladalean algae from the Middle Norian (Upper Triassic) of northern Italy (Mt. Pramaggiore, Carnic Prealps)

In the Eastern Southern Alps of northern Italy (Carnic Prealps, Friuli region), the shallow-water carbonate platform deposits of the Dolomia Principale Fm. (Norian–Rhaetian, Upper Triassic) show best-preserved platform to basin facies transition. The palaeontological study of an algal-rich level recovered from the platform margin facies (Mt. Pramaggiore) has displayed a very interesting association of Dasycladales. Two new genera (Bystrickyella and Elliottporella) and four new species (Bystrickyella ottii, Elliottporella morelloae, Palaeodasycladus lorigae and Holosporella conradii) have been described. These new data suggest that the Norian represents a period of turnover in the evolutionary history of the green algae community. This stage, placed between two extinctions, end-Ladinian and end-Norian, is here interpreted as a re-organization period of the evolutionary schemes of Dasycladales. The new lineages originated in the Norian developed further and characterized the Early Jurassic scenery. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

滇西巍山地区上三叠统诺利阶三合洞组牙形石年代及沉积相分析*

滇西兰坪-思茅地块晚三叠世诺利期(Norian)发育一套海相碳酸盐岩沉积(三合洞组)。对巍山三合洞剖面进行了实测与采样, 分离了三合洞组碳酸盐岩中的牙形石, 经鉴定其种属为Epigondolella vialovi, Epigondolella uniformis和Epigondolella aff. triangularis, 时代为早诺利期(Lacian亚期)。通过野外剖面及室内显微薄片观察, 采用微相分析的方法对剖面三合洞组碳酸盐岩的微相类型和沉积环境进行研究, 将巍山三合洞剖面三合洞组沉积归纳为9种微相, 并根据微相特征结合野外宏观特征, 将三合洞剖面划分为3种沉积相类型, 即局限台地相、开阔台地相和台地边缘礁相。在剖面不同层位的碳酸盐岩中发现的热液矿物石榴子石及发黑的牙形石化石(CAI指数约为5), 表明该区曾遭受热液作用的影响, 可能与三合洞组沉积后大陆边缘裂谷下陷或板块拼合引起的热卤水上涌有关。     

Late Triassic (Late Norian) gastropods from the Wallowa Terrane (Idaho,USA)

A diverse Late Triassic (Late Norian) gastropod fauna is described from the Mission Creek Limestone of the Wallowa terrane (Idaho, USA). Sample standardization by rarefaction analysis indicates that the fauna is even more diverse than the Late Triassic gastropod fauna from the Pucara Formation (Peru) which represents the most diverse gastropod fauna from South America. The gastropod fauna consists of 66 species; several genera are reported for the first time from North America. A high percentage of the species are highly ornamented and several have distinct siphonal canals. This suggests that the appearance of truly Mesozoic elements among the gastropods began before the Mesozoic Marine Revolution in other clades. The fauna is dominated by high-spired strongly ornamented procerithiids, a group more characteristic for the Jurassic. Comparison of the present fauna and the Iranian Nayband Formation gastropod fauna show that the procerithiids underwent a first global radiation in the Late Triassic. The high number of new species in this fauna suggests that sampling of Late Triassic gastropod faunas is still incomplete and hinders palaeobiogeographic considerations. Previous suggesions that gastropod faunas from the Wallowa and Wrangellia terranes resemble each other and are distinct from those of Alexander, Chulitna, and Farewell terranes are basically corroborated. The gastropod fauna of the Mission Creek Limestone differs considerably from that of the western and central Tethys but shares several taxa with the Late Triassic gastropod fauna of the Pucara Formation in Peru. Thus, the Hispanic corridor was probably not present in the Norian but opened only in the Early Jurassic. The subfamily Andangulariinae is introduced and placed in the Zygopleuridae. The generaSpiniomphalus, Nodoconus, Gudrunella, Blodgettella, Idahospira, andSiphonilda and the subgenusCryptaulax (Wallowax) are introduced. 27 species are erected. A lectotype is designated forCryptaulax rhabdocolpoides Haas, 1953.      

Upper Permian coral reef and colonial rugose corals in northwest Hunan, South China

Summary The roles of Permian colonial corals in forming organic reefs have not been adequately assessed, although they are common fossils in the Permian strata. It is now known that colonial corals were important contributors to reef framework during the middle and late Permian such as those in South China, northeast Japan, Oman and Thailand. A coral reef occurs in Kanjia-ping, Cili County, Hunan, South China. It is formed by erect and unscathed colonies ofWaagenophyllum growing on top of one anotherin situ to form a baffle and framework. Paleontological data of the Cili coral reef indicates a middle to late Changhsing age (Late Permian), corresponding to thePalaeofusulina zone. The coral reef exposure extends along the inner platform margin striking in E-S direction for nearly 4 km laterally and generally 35 to 57 m thick. The Cili coral reef exhibits a lateral differentiation into three main reef facies; reef core facies, fore-reef facies, and marginal slope facies. The major reef-core facies is well exposed in Shenxian-wan and Guanyin-an sections where it rests on the marginal slope facies. Colonial corals are dispersed and preserved in non-living position easward. Sponges become major stabilizing organisms in the eastern part of Changhsing limestone outcrop in Kanjia-ping, but no read sponge reefs were formed. Coral reefs at Cili County in Human are different distinctly from calcisponge reefs in South China in their palaeogeography, lithofacies development, organic constitutuents, palaeoecology and diagenesis. The Cili coral reef also shows differences in age, depositional facies association, reef organisms and diagenesis from coral reefs in South Kitakami of Japan, Khorat Plateau of Thailand, and Saih Hatat of Oman. Although some sponge reefs and mounds can reach up to the unconformable Permian/Triassic boundary, coral reef at Kanjia-ping, Cili County, is the latest Permian reef known. This reef appears to had been formed in a palaeoenvironment that is different from that of the sponge reefs and provides an example of new and unique Permian reef type in South China, and could help us to: 1) understand the significance of colonial corals in Permian carbonate buildups; 2) evaluate the importance of coral community evolution prior to the collapse of reef ecosystems at the Permian/Triassic boundary; 3) better understand the effects of the biotic extinction events in Palaeotethys realm; 4) look for environmental factors that may have controlled reefs through time and space, and 5) provide valuable data for the study of Permian palaeoclimate and global evolutionary changes of Permian reefs and reef community.     

Dasycladalean green algae from the Upper Triassic of Mt. Rotonda (Verbicaro Unit, Calabria-Lucania Border, Southern Italy)

Summary A rich and diverse dasycladalean algae association is described from the Upper Triassic succession of Mt. Rotonda (Calabria-Lucania border, Southern Italy). This association consists of:Neoteutloporella rajkae n.sp.,Griphoporella bechst?dti n.sp.,Physoporella zamparelliae n.sp.,Spinaporella andalusica Flügel & Flügel-Kahler, 1984,S.? granadaensis Flügel & Flügel-Kahler, 1984,Chinianella? sp.,Gyroporella sp.,Griphoporella? sp. andPhysoporella aff.leptotheca. Neoteutloporella rajkae n.sp. is characterised by an undulated calcareous skeleton with short acrophore primary laterals bearing a tuft of 4–6 elongate, segmented, trichophore secondary laterals. This species allows to extend back to the Upper Triassic the stratigraphic range of the genusNeoteutloporella, previously known only from Upper Jurassic levels. Griphoporella bechst?dti n.sp. has a cylindrical calcareous skeleton and primary laterals only, consisting of a thin proximal part followed by a swollen portion that pinches out distally and finally opens outward with a cup-like swelling. Physoporella zamparelliae n.sp. is characterised by a calcareous skeleton made by partly welded thin individual sheaths enclosing the laterals. The laterals are piriferous, vertically compressed, roughly triangular both in vertical and in verticillar section. In some specimens they end with a spine-like thin apophysis. This species confirms that the typical Middle Triassic genusPhysoporella survived up into the Norian. The dasycladalean algal association of the Norian of Mt. Rotonda shows some similarities with the algal association found in the Upper Triassic of the Betic Cordillera whereas it is markedly different from the rich association occurring in the Upper Triassic of Sicily and of the Northern Calcareous Alps. This pattern is coupled with a different composition of the platform margin communities: microbial/serpulids bioconstructions in the Upper Triassic of the Calabria-Lucania border and of Alpujarridevs. Dachstein-type reefs in Sicily and the Northern Calcareous Alps. This indicates that the palaeoceanographic and palaeogeographic conditions controlled both the development of the different platform margin and of the different algal assemblages.     

A contribution to the karyology ofCrocus vernus agg. (Iridaceae) from the Iserian Mts. (Sudety Mts., Poland)

The Iserian Mts. form ofCrocus vernus agg. has 2n = 16 and a karyotype clearly deviating fromC. heuffelianus s. lat.     

A giant crocodylomorph from the Upper Triassic of New Mexico

A new genus and species of giant crocodylomorph from the Upper Triassic of New Mexico is described.Redondavenator quayensis n. gen. et n. sp. (Crocodylomorpha: Sphenosuchia) has a very long posterior process of the premaxilla that fits between the nasal and the maxilla, and a long postglenoid process on the coracoid. These synapomorphies place it within the Crocodylomorpha.Redondavenator also has a System of grooves and pits that cover the anterior portions of the maxillae, the entire premaxillae, and the anterior part of the nasal. Possible foramina among the network of grooves and pits on the anterior portion of the skull may represent a rudimentary sensory System that is common to many extinct and ail extant crocodilians. Its exact phylogenetic position could not be determined from the preserved material, but key characters suggest a phylogenetic position near the base of Sphenosuchia.      

Sedimentary facies from Upper Triassic reefal limestone of the Sambosan accretionary complex in Japan: mid-ocean patch reef development in the Panthalassa Ocean

Microfacies of the Early to Middle Norian reefal limestone of the Sambosan Accretionary Complex (SAC) at Kamase locality, southwest Japan, are classified into seven major facies types in stratigraphic order: peloidal grainstone-packstone, unfossiliferous lime-mudstone, tubular problematica-rich wackestone, sponge-coral floatstone, sponge bafflestone, coral rudstone, and peloidal-bioclastic packstone-grainstone. The SAC records patch reef development on a mid-oceanic seamount in the Panthalassa Ocean. Because most examples of Triassic reefs come from the former Tethys, counterparts such as those from the SAC are pivotal in resolving paleogeographic issues as well as clarifying the depositional patterns between the eastern Tethys and adjacent western Pacific (Panthalassa). We also reveal that the primary stratigraphy of the reefal limestone was disrupted by submarine landslides of the seamount in an open-ocean realm during the late Middle to Late Jurassic time.     

A newFerulago (Apiaceae) species from Turkey

Ferulago antiochia Saya & Miski is newly described: it is known only from the type locality in Hatay province and has affinities toF. trachycarpa Boiss. of sect.Anisotaenia.     

Rotifera from north and northeast Anatolia (Turkey)

Samples from 21 freshwater sites in Turkey yielded 91 different species of Rotifera, 42 of which are new to the Turkish fauna. Lepadella costatoides n. sp. is described and L. costata Wulfert is redescribed. L. christineae Koste is synonymised with L. quinquecostata (Lucks). Remarks on the intraspecific variability of some species of Lecane are given. L. pomiformis Edmondson is added to the synonymy of L. pyriformis (Daday). The synonymy of the latter with L. paraclosterocerca Pennak is confirmed.     

Water mites of the genus Sperchon Kramer (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Sperchontidae) from Turkey,with description of a new species from Taurus Mountains (southern Turkey)

A new water mite species Sperchon (Hispidosperchon) serapae n. sp. is described. The material was collected from a slow-flowing stream during field study on the water mite fauna of the Lakes region in southwestern Turkey. An updated list of hitherto known species of Sperchon Kramer from Turkey, including nomenclatural changes and numerous new locality records to the species, is also given.     

Traditional Tar Production from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cedrus libani</Emphasis> A. Rich on the Taurus Mountains in Southern Turkey

Traditional Tar Production from Cedrus libani A. Rich on the Taurus Mountains in Southern Turkey. Cedrus libani A. Rich is a magnificent and sacred tree species native to the eastern Mediterranean region. Today, traditional people in southern Turkey produce wood extract, called katran, from C. libani, and use it to protect wooden structures against insects and fungi, to fight parasites and bacteria, and to heal wounds and cure various diseases in humans and domestic animals, both internally and externally. Here we illustrate traditional methods of producing katran, its use by local people, and its chemical composition.     

A new ammonoid fauna from the Carnian (Upper Triassic) Kasimlar Formation of the Taurus Mountains (Anatolia,Turkey)

We describe a new ammonoid fauna from the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey. The Carnian ammonoid fauna from A?a?iyaylabel is presented for the first time. Ammonoids were obtained from limestone to marl beds of an approximately 35‐m‐thick section, which presents the rare opportunity to investigate ammonoid faunas across the Lower–Upper Carnian boundary. Intense sampling near the village of A?a?iyaylabel led to the recognition of a new Lower Carnian (Julian 2) to Upper Carnian (Tuvalian 1) ammonoid fauna from the Kasimlar Formation. The genus Kasimlarceltites gen. nov. is reported for the first time from the Taurus Mountains, which represents the main faunal element and occurs as huge mass occurrence (n ? 1 million). Kasimlarceltites krystyni gen. et sp. nov., Klipsteinia disciformis sp. nov. and Anasirenites crassicrenulatus sp. nov. occur within the Lower Carnian Carbonate member (Units A–B) of the Kasimlar Formation from the Taurus Platform Units. Ammonoids described from the marls of the Tuvalian Marlstone member were deposited during a major, Tethyan‐wide climate crisis – the so‐called Carnian crisis – characterized by a demise of carbonate platforms. Based on the biostratigraphic relevance of certain ammonoid taxa described herein, the age of the analysed parts of the Kasimlar Formation is Julian 2 to Tuvalian 1. The discovery of the new ammonoid assemblages from A?a?iyaylabel substantiates the significance of Upper Triassic faunas within the Taurus Mountains and facilitates the correlation with faunal assemblages from other regions in the Tethyan Realm. The ammonoid fauna and facies indicate a general deepening from open‐platform margins, over deeper shelf settings down to an open marine‐influenced basinal environment. The tentative habitat for Kasimlarceltites gen. nov. is a shallow platform environment to upper mid‐ramp.     

Karyological notes on another eight species of Achillea (Asteraceae) from Turkey

The chromosome number and morphology in eight species of the sections Ptarmica (Mill.) W. D. J. Koch, Anthemoideae (DC.) Heimerl, Arthrolepis Boiss., Santolinoideae (DC.) Heimerl and Achillea of the genus Achillea L. (Asteraceae) were investigated using karyological techniques. Sample plants and seeds of A. biserrata M. Bieb., A. fraasii var. troiana Aschers. & Heimerl, A. multifida (DC.) Boiss., A. brachyphylla Boiss. & Hausskn., A. pseudaleppica Hub.-Mor., A. cretica L., A. latiloba Ledeb. ex Nordm., and A. kotschyi Boiss. subsp. kotschyi) were collected from natural habitats in 2003 and 2004. The chromosome number found in seven species was 2n = 18, while only A. kotschyi had 2n = 36. All chromosomes had median point (M), median region (m), and submedian (sm) centromers. In addition, only A. biserrata species had one subterminal (st) chromosome. An increase in asymmetry was not observed in the karyotypes of the species studied. None of the studied species had any B chromosomes.     

First record ofPhytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Turkey

The predatory mitePhytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot is widely used for biological control of spider mites in greenhouse. Despite its records from various Mediterranean countries,P. persimilis was not recorded from Turkey. Here we report the natural colonies ofP. persimilis observed along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.     

Two newVeronica species (Scrophulariaceae) of Turkey and Iraq

Veronica davisii M. A.Fischer, sp. n., limited to the mountains of Kurdistan (S. E. Turkey and N. Iraq), is related to the Turkish-CaucasianV. gentianoides Vahl.—V. montbretii M. A.Fischer, sp. n., a local endemic of Erzincan prov. (E. Anatolia), shows affinities to the CaucasianV. liwanensis C. Koch and to the Turkish endemicV. oltensis Woron. & Schelk. from Erzurum province.     

Evidence for Prosauropod Dinosaur Gastroliths in the Bull Run Formation (Upper Triassic,Norian) of Virginia

Definitive criteria for distinguishing gastroliths from sedimentary clasts are lacking for many depositional settings, and many reported occurrences of gastroliths either cannot be verified or have been refuted. We discuss four occurrences of gastrolith-like stones (category 6 exoliths) not found within skeletal remains from the Upper Triassic Bull Run Formation of northern Virginia, USA. Despite their lack of obvious skeletal association, the most parsimonious explanation for several characteristics of these stones is their prolonged residence in the gastric mills of large animals. These characteristics include 1) typical gastrolith microscopic surface texture, 2) evidence of pervasive surface wear on many of these stones that has secondarily removed variable amounts of thick weathering rinds typically found on these stones, and 3) a width/length-ratio modal peak for these stones that is more strongly developed than in any population of fluvial or fanglomerate stones of any age found in this region. When taken together, these properties of the stones can be explained most parsimoniously by animal ingestion and gastric-mill abrasion. The size of these stones indicates the animals that swallowed them were large, and the best candidate is a prosauropod dinosaur, possibly an ancestor of the Early Jurassic gastrolith-producing prosauropod Massospondylus or Ammosaurus.

Skeletal evidence for Upper Triassic prosauropods is lacking in the Newark Supergroup basins; footprints (Agrestipus hottoni and Eubrontes isp.) from the Bull Run Formation in the Culpeper basin previously ascribed to prosauropods are now known to be underprints (Brachychirotherium parvum) of an aetosaur and underprints (Kayentapus minor) of a ceratosaur. The absence of prosauropod skeletal remains or footprints in all but the uppermost (upper Rhaetian) Triassic rocks of the Newark Supergroup is puzzling because prosauropod remains are abundant elsewhere in the world in Upper Triassic (Carnian, Norian, and lower Rhaetian) continental strata. The apparent scarcity of prosauropods in Upper Triassic strata of the Newark Supergroup is interpreted as an artifact of ecological partitioning, created by the habitat range and dietary preferences of phytosaurs and by the preservational biases at that time within the lithofacies of the Newark Supergroup basins.