New evidence for the Early Devonian age of the Jauf Formation in northern Saudi Arabia

Well-preserved Early Devonian continental and sparse marine palynomorph assemblages recovered from an exploration borehole located in northern Saudi Arabia are reported here and add to the understanding of Arabian Devonian stratigraphy. The units examined are the conventionally cored lower Murayr, upper Hammamiyat and Sha’iba Members of the Jauf Formation. A comparison with data sets from elsewhere on the Arabian Plate suggests that the units examined are Emsian in age. The age of the Murayr and Hammamiyat boundary interval is revised, based on the occurrence of Dibolisporites eifeliensis in northern Saudi Arabia, and placed in the Rhabdosporites minutus (Min) Interval Zone of the Emphanisporites foveolatus-Verrucosisporites dubia (FD) Oppel Zone. A new miospore, Apiculiretusispora densa with distinctive interradial thickenings, is described.     

Devonohexapodus bocksbergensis is a synonym of Wingertshellicus backesi (Euarthropoda) – no evidence for marine hexapods living in the Devonian Hunsrück Sea

The Devonian Hunsrück Slate fossil Devonohexapodus bocksbergensis Haas, Waloszek & Hartenberger, 2003 has been interpreted as a stem-lineage representative of the Hexapoda, implying their marine origin and independent terrestrialisation within the ‘Atelocerata’. Devonohexapodus bocksbergensis was based on a single specimen embedded in a lateral position. Reinvestigation of that holotype and of all known specimens of the Hunsrück Slate arthropod Wingertshellicus backesi Briggs & Bartels, 2001 demonstrates that all this material represents a single species. The latter is redescribed, its taxonomic diagnosis is emended, and the name Devonohexapodus bocksbergensis is treated as a junior synonym of Wingertshellicus backesi. The phylogenetic position of W. backesi neither is that of a stem-lineage representative of Hexapoda, nor does it fall within the crown group Mandibulata. The Hunsrück Slate provides no evidence of an independent terrestrialisation within the ‘Atelocerata’ or of a marine origin of the Hexapoda.     

Carapichea guianensis: the correct name for Psychotria carapichea (Rubiaceae), with a correction on the authority of P. carapichea, and a new combination in Carapichea

The correct name forPsychotria carapichea isCarapichea guianensis. Also, the authority ofPsychotria carapichea was previously incorrectly cited, because of an oversight of the illegitimacy ofTapogomea carapichea Poir. The complex taxonomic history of this species is analyzed, and the authority of the binomial is correctly cited. In addition,P. ligularis, which was treated as closely related toC. guianensis in previous publications, is transferred toCarapichea and it is now known asCarapichea ligularis.