A remarkable assemblage of terrestrial tetrapods from the Zechstein (Upper Permian: Tatarian) near Korbach (northwestern Hesse)

We present a preliminary report on the first diverse central European assemblage of Late Permian terrestrial tetrapods from a fissure-filling in marine sediments of the lower Zechstein near Korbach (northwestern Hesse, Germany). It includes therapsids (cynodonts and dicynodonts), archosauromorph diapsids, and pareiasaurs. Similar assemblages were previously known only from the Upper Permian of Russia, Scotland, and South and East Africa. The occurrence of the basal cynodontProcynosuchus is paleobiogeographically significant because this taxon was previously known only from theDicynodon lacerticeps-Whaitsia assemblage zone of South Africa and the Madumabisa Mudstone of Zambia. The geological context of the Korbach site permits a rather precise chronostratigraphic placement of the tetrapod assemblage in the interval between Zechstein 1 and 3. The Korbach tetrapod assemblage is late Tatarian in age.     

A new species of Dyoros (Brachiopoda; Chonetoidea) from Nevada (United States) and stratigraphic implications for the Pennsylvanian and Permian Antler Overlap assemblage

Newly discovered fossil localities in coarse-grained deposits of the Pennsylvanian and Permian Antler overlap assemblage in the southern Shoshone Range, north-central Nevada have yielded a low-diversity assemblage consisting chiefly of a new species of chonetoidean brachiopod: Dyoros (Lissosia) nevadaensis nov. sp. The subgenus Dyoros (Lissosia), is known from Leonardian and lower Guadalupian strata in North America, mainly in Texas.The coarse-grained lithology of the host strata, their unconformable relation on deformed lower Paleozoic rocks, and the Leonardian and(or) lower Guadalupian age indicated by Dyoros (Lissosia) provide evidence that host strata are younger than strata of the Antler overlap assemblage in nearby areas of the southern Shoshone Range and suggest that an unconformity of local extent may be present within the overlap assemblage. The fossil age ranges and lithologic data suggest that the host strata may be correlative with the Guadalupian Edna Mountain Formation, an unconformity-bounded unit that forms the upper part of the Antler sequence in the Battle Mountain area to the north. This correlation suggests that the unconformity beneath these strata may have regional extent in north-central Nevada. The origin of the inferred regional unconformity is unknown and may have resulted from relative changes of sea level or regional extensional or contractional tectonism in the area of the former Antler highlands, which forms the substrate for the Antler overlap assemblage.     

Middle Permian ostracod fauna from the Khao Khad Formation (Indochina Terrane), Central Thailand

Permian ostracods are reported for the first time from the Wordian (Middle Permian) Khao Khad Formation of Saraburi Group (Lopburi Province, Central Thailand). The ostracod fauna consists of 18 species belonging to 11 genera including Bairdia, Bohlenatia, Liuzhinia, Silenites, Acratia, Bairdiacypris, Basslerella, Aurigerites, Microcheilinella, Paraparchites and Shemonaella. The studied Khao Khad Limestone, which are rich in fusulinids, gastropods, ostracods, bivalves and brachiopods, was deposited in a shallow carbonate platform on the western margin of the Indochina Terrane. The ostracod assemblage is typically Palaeo-Tethyan and similar to faunas from the other Lower to Middle Permian limestones in central Thailand.     

First record of Cisuralian–Guadalupian plant fossils from the Shan Plateau,eastern Myanmar

Permian plant fossils have never been reported from the Shan Plateau in eastern Myanmar. Recently, a black to gray carbonaceous mudstone unit containing abundant plant fossils was discovered just below the lowest part of Thitspin Limestone Formation from the Linwe Area, eastern Myanmar. Although only five taxa were identified, the plant assemblage provides the first evidence of the occurrence of Cathaysian elements in eastern Myanmar and potentially indicates the presence of a highly diverse Permian flora. Among the five species, Cordaites principalis and Annularia mucronata were cosmopolitan species; while Callipteridum cf. koraiense, Taeniopteris crassinervis Mo and Rhipidopsis lobata were mostly recorded in the Cathaysia Flora. Therefore, the present assemblage generally indicates a palaeobiogeographical affinity to the Cathaysian Province. Stratigraphically, Callipteridum cf. koraiense was mainly reported from Cisuralian to Wordian; whereas Taeniopteris crasssnervis Mo and Rhipidopsis lobata were recorded from Capitanian to Changhsingian, which suggests a general Permian age based on the plant assemblage itself only. However, the carbonaceous mudstone at the outcrop is overlain by the Thitspin Limestone Formation containing middle Guadalupian fusulinids. Based on previous faunal analyses, the Sibumasu terrane contains typical Gondwanan cold-water faunas during the early Cisuralian, warm-water faunas occurred after Sakmarian. Thus, age of the fossil-plant-containing carbonaceous mudstone is very likely between late Cisuralian and early Guadalupian as constrained by its overlying fusulinids and its warm Cathaysian palaeobiogeographical affinity.     

The first record of a nyctiphruretid parareptile from the Early Permian of North America,with a discussion of parareptilian temporal fenestration

The Richards Spur Locality of Oklahoma, USA, long known for its highly diverse Early Permian terrestrial tetrapod assemblage, is particularly interesting for the presence of many endemic taxa. The parareptilian component of the assemblage, rare members of other Early Permian communities, is especially diverse at Richards Spur, consisting of six species. The newest parareptile, A byssomedon williamsi gen. et sp. nov. , consists of an articulated left jaw and various disarticulated cranial and postcranial elements. A new phylogenetic analysis of parareptiles, based on an updated modified data matrix revealed that Ab . williamsi is a member of the small clade Nyctiphruretidae. This makes Ab . williamsi the first and oldest nyctiphruretid, a clade of parareptiles otherwise known from the Middle and Late Permian of Russia, extending the age of the clade back into the Early Permian. This discovery also raises the possibility that nyctiphruretids may have dispersed from western Laurasia to eastern Laurasia. The characteristic jugal morphology of Ab . williamsi shows that it would have possessed a slender, deep, temporal emargination. The current topology of Parareptilia indicates that there was considerable variability in the patterns of lateral temporal openings amongst the various members of this clade, suggesting that there may have been multiple, independent modifications of this region of the skull. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

Late Carboniferous-Early Permian Tetrapod Ichnofauna from the Khenifra Basin, Central Morocco

In terms of cumulative thickness and areal extent, the Khenifra Basin is one of the most important outcrops of Late Palaeozoic red-beds in central Morocco. Macro- and microfloral remains near the centre of the 1800 m-thick succession of interbedded conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones are considered to be of middle to late Early Permian age. Here we give the first comprehensive analysis of the vertebrate ichnofossil record from the study area, based on 17 specimens of isolated footprints and incomplete step cycles collected at three localities that are lithostratigraphically equivalent to the plant-bearing horizons. The tetrapod ichnofauna comprises tracks of the plexus Batrachichnus Woodworth - Limnopus Marsh, Ichniotherium sphaerodactylum (Pabst), Dimetropus Romer and Price, and Dromopus Marsh which can be referred to temnospondyl, diadectomorph, synapsid (“pelycosaurian”) and early sauropsid trackmakers. This clearly Euramerican footprint assemblage, including the first occurrences of Ichniotherium and Dimetropus from outside Europe and North America, indicates a Late Carboniferous to Early Permian age of the fossiliferous strata. Judging from the relatively diverse ichnofauna and flora, the Khenifra Basin must have represented a well-established terrestrial ecosystem during that period. Its habitat could be specially important for the understanding of the phylogeny and dispersal of early tetrapods, inasmuch as we are able to report on an extremely rare type of diadectomorph footprint hitherto known only from the Early Permian of central Germany.     

Tetrapod and invertebrate trace fossils from aeolian deposits of the lower Permian of central-western Argentina

Abundant tetrapod footprints are described from the Early Permian Yacimiento Los Reyunos Formation including both collected and in situ specimens. The slabs come from several quarries at the Sierra Pintada and Sierra de las Peñas area, south-west of Mendoza, Argentina. The trace fossil assemblage, which constitutes one of the oldest known from Gondwana, comprises excellent-preserved tetrapod tracks (Chelichnusduncani, Chelichnusgigas and ‘pear-like’ footprints) and invertebrate simple sub-horizontal (Palaeophycustubularis) and vertical (Skolithos isp.) burrows formed in a aeolian dune field. The analysis of the tetrapod track producers indicates the presence of at least three different taxa of sprawling to semi-erect therapsids, thus suggesting the presence of members of this clade, or closest relatives, in the Early Permian of southern Gondwana. Moreover, a series of measurements and simple indexes were developed to estimate body proportions and locomotion styles of the putative trackmakers. The new assemblage, analysed in the context of other known Permian assemblages from Pangea, is one the few known in Gondwana to be present in an aeolian environment. The evaluation of the assemblage, in the light of aeolian ichnofacies (Chelichnus, Octopodichnus and Entradichnus), shows that it has common elements with the Chelichnus and Entradichnus ichnofacies.     

Early carboniferous bryozoans from the Kodinka section, Middle Urals

An assemblage of Viséan-Serpukhovian bryozoans from the vicinity of the village of Kodinka (Sverdlovsk Region, Middle Urals) is studied for the first time. This assemblage is represented by two new species, Primorella kodinkensis sp. nov. and Heloclema uralicum sp. nov.; already known species Heloclema magnificum Gor. and Nikiforopora concentrica (Nikif.); and three morphotypes Fistulamina sp., Penniretepora sp., and Polyporella sp. Some specific features in the distribution of bryozoans of the Middle Urals at the beginning of the Carboniferous are discussed.     

Discovery of Lower Famennian Stromatoporoidea in the Kuznetsk Basin

Stromatoporoidea recorded for the first time from the Lower Famennian of the Kuznetsk Basin are described. The assemblage studied includes three new species, Actinostroma quasifenestratum sp. nov., Kyklopora tomiensis sp. nov., and Coenostroma rarum sp. nov., and three previously known species of different genera.     

Evolution of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Baylea</Emphasis> (Gastropoda) in the Kazan Paleobasin (Middle Permian,Volga–Ural Region)

An assemblage of species of the genus Baylea (B. subpenea (Netchaev, 1894), B. vjatkensis Mazaev, 2015, B. praeburtasorum sp. nov., and B. shilovskyi sp. nov.) from the Lower Kazanian Substage (Middle Permian) is described. It is shown that this assemblage is phylogenetically connected with the Late Kazanian species B. rigida Mazaev, 2015, B. foraminata Mazaev, 2015, B. chimbulatiensis Mazaev, 2015, B. nemdaensis Mazaev, 2015, and B. burtasorum (Golowkinsky, 1868). Index species of three stratigraphic intervals are recognized: B. praeburtasorum sp. nov.–B. shilovskyi sp. nov., B. rigida–B. foraminata, and B. burtasorum. The morphology and polymorphism of the studied species are discussed.     

Chondrichthyan and actinopterygian remains from theLower Permian Copacabana Formation of Bolivia

Two horizons of the marine Lower Permian (Leonardian) Copacabana Formation have yielded fish remains, on the south-western slope of the Jacha Khatawi Hill, Yaurichambi, La Paz department, Bolivia. This fish fauna consists of teeth and scales of chondrichthyans (Eugeneodontida, Petalodontida, ? Bradyodonti, Elasmobranchii) and actinopterygians (? Plastysomidae). The Eugeneodontida are represented by a new species of a large Agassizodontidae, Parahelicoprion mariosuarezi n.sp., based on a large symphysial tooth series which resembles P. clerci from the Lower Permian Arta beds of the Urals. The Petalodontida are represented by a fragment of a large symphysial tooth which may be referred to the pristodontid genus Megactenopetalus, known else-where from the Lower Permian of the U.S.A. and China. Some isolated crushing teeth may questionably be referred to a bradyodont, possibly Helodus or Lagarodus. Some elasmobranch teeth of «Cladodus type also occur in this locality. Some hemispherical teeth of «phyllodont type and some scales are tentatively referred to the actinopterygian family Platysomidae. These findings are the first record of determinable marine Permian fishes in the Andean region of South America. The overall composition of this fauna agrees fairly well with the fish fauna known from the Marine Lower Permian of United States and eastern Asia.     

New Ichneumonids (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Khasurty Locality

A new species of Ichneumonidae, Amplicella minor sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia (Khasurty locality). The diagnosis of Amplicella mininae Kopylov, 2011 is amended. Ichneumonids from Khasurty are only represented by two genera, Amplicella and Khasurtella, both belonging to the subfamily Tanychorinae. This assemblage seems to be the most basal ichneumonid assemblage ever known.     

A new small mammal assemblage from the M013 Terre Rosse fissure filling (Gargano,South-Eastern Italy)

The taxonomic study of the small mammal assemblage from fissure M013, sampled by a team of the University of Torino during the 2005–2009 excavations in the Dell’Erba Quarry (Apricena, Foggia) is presented. The assemblage includes the Echinosoricinae Apulogalerix cf. pusillus and the Crocidosoricinae ?Lartetium cf. dehmi; the Myomiminae species Stertomys simplex and Stertomys lyrifer; a new genus and species of Cricetodontinae and a single specimen of Hattomys cf. nazarii. Muridae include Mikrotia cf. parva, Mikrotia sp. 1 and a new genus and species of Murinae, phylogenetically related to Mikrotia. The occurrence of the new Murinae, the new Cricetodontinae, the two species of glirids and the Crocidosoricinae, as well as the absence of Apodemus and Prolagus, indicates M013 as the oldest Gargano's faunal assemblage known to date, despite the occurrence of Hattomys cf. nazarii, Mikrotia cf. parva and Mikrotia sp. 1, which most probably results from infiltrations from younger fissure fillings. The M013 assemblage is an absolute novelty for the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince, opening new perspectives for the timing and mode of dispersal of the forerunners of the Gargano fauna.     

New taxa of Mesorthopteridae (Insecta: Grylloblattida) from the Permian of Russia

New taxa of grylloblattids of the family Mesorthopteridae are described from the Permian of Russia: Parastenaropodites aquilonius sp. nov. from the Soyana locality (Middle Permian); P. circumhumatus sp. nov. from the Kul’chumovo locality; and Tshermyaninus biforis gen. et sp. nov., Permorthopteron foliaceus gen. et sp. nov., Parastenaropodites pannea sp. nov., P. exossis sp. nov., Mesoidelia procera sp. nov., and M. riphaea sp. nov. from the Isady locality (Upper Permian). Two species of the genus Khosaridelia Storozhenko, 1992 (family Permotermopsidae) and one species of the genus Megakhosarina Storozhenko, 1993 (family Megakhosaridae) are transferred to the genus Parastenaropodites Storozhenko, 1996 (family Mesorthopteridae); one species of the genus Parastenaropodites is transferred to the genus Austroidelia Riek, 1954; as a result, four new combinations are established: Khosaridelia rigida Aristov, 2005 =Parastenaropodites rigidus (Aristov, 2005), comb. nov. (Vorkuta locality, Lower Permian of Russia); Khosaridelia vyatica Aristov, 2009 =Parastenaropodites vyaticus (Aristov, 2009), comb. nov. (Karaungir locality, Middle Permian of Kazakhstan); Megakhosarina intricata Aristov, 2008 =Parastenaropodites intricatus (Aristov, 2008), comb. nov. (Soyana locality, Middle Permian of Russia); and Parastenaropodites nervosa Storozhenko, 1996 =Austroidelia nervosa (Storozhenko, 1996), comb. nov. (Madygen locality, Middle Triassic of Kyrgyzstan). An identification key to species of the genus Parastenaropodites is given.     

Bryozoans from the Mitikha Formation (Lower Famennian, Upper Devonian) of the Kuznetsk Basin, Russia

Bryozoans from the Mitikha Formation (Lower Famennian, Upper Devonian) in the Kuznetsk depression are described for the first time. This bryozoan assemblage comprises both the well-known species Leioclema numerosum Moroz., L. ramosum Nekh., and Nicklesopora graciosa Troiz. and new taxa: L. kusmense sp. nov. and Megacanthopora glubokaensis sp. nov. The bryozoan assemblage contains some species common with the Famennian bryozoan assemblage of Kazakhstan.     

New Martynoviidae from the Permian of Southern France (Lodève basin) (Insecta: Palaeoptera: Diaphanopterodea)

A new genus and two new species, Salagouneura chimaira nov. gen. and nov. sp. and Phaneroneura minuta nov. sp., together with several other specimens of uncertain affinities, are herein assigned to the family Martynoviidae. This family was previously only known from the Lower Permian of Oklahoma and Kansas (USA). The new specimens have been discovered in the Salagou Formation (Permian; Hérault, France). Stratigraphical and palaeoecological implications of the occurrence of this family in the Salagou Formation are discussed. These discoveries seem correlated with similar palaeoenvironmental conditions between the Salagou Formation and the Midco Salt Lake Formation (Oklahoma).     

Cancrinella and Costatumulus (Brachiopoda) from the Permian of South Mongolia and South China: Their morphology,biostratigraphy and distribution

Two brachiopod genera, Cancrinella Fredericks and Costatumulus Waterhouse, are studied from the Permian of South Mongolia and South China. Many of the specimens previously described as Cancrinella are revised and assigned to Costatumulus. The new data presented in this paper indicate that these two genera are similar to each other, but are distinguishable by different features in relation to their morphology. Several species of both genera are described here, providing critical new information on the morphology and taxonomy of Cancrinella and Costatumulus. The reported biostratigraphical information reveals that species of Cancrinella are present from the Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) to Middle Permian (Capitanian), whereas species of Costatumulus are mostly restricted to the Lower Permian (Sakmarian) to Upper Permian (Changhsingian). An analysis of the palaeogeographical distribution of Cancrinella and Costatumulus reveals that Cancrinella was more commonly distributed in the Northern Transitional Zone and the Boreal Realm, in contrast to Costatumulus, which tended to be more common in the Southern Transitional Zone and Gondwanan Realm.     

New fossil insects (Diaphanopterodea: Martynoviidae) from the Lower Permian of the Boskovice Basin, southern Moravia

Two new genera and new species assigned to the family Martynoviidae (Diaphanopterodea), Boskovicia celtai nov. gen., nov. sp. and Moravoptera hladilovae nov. gen., nov. sp. are described and illustrated from the Lower Permian (Artinskian/Sakmarian) locality of Obora, southern Moravia (Czech Republic). Discovery of the species Martynovia insignis Tillyard, originally described from the Lower Permian of Kansas (USA), supports close relationship of both faunas across Euramerica.     

Discovery of the genus Iasvia Zalessky, 1934 in the Upper Permian of France (Lodève basin) (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Oedischiidae)

New material attributed to the species Iasvia reticulata ZALESSKY, 1934 and to a new species in this genus is described from the Salagou Formation (Saxonian Group, Lodève basin). Preamble to the taxonomic section, the wing venation pattern of Orthoptera is discussed. The numerous described specimens yield decisive information about variability of wing venation within the genus, previously based on a single specimen from the Russian Permian. I. reticulata is the first species from the Lodève basin that is already known from another site. The biostratigraphic implications are discussed.