Cricetodontini from the Calatayud–Daroca Basin (Spain): A taxonomical description and update of their stratigraphical distributions

The most updated stratigraphical distributions of the Cricetodontini from the Calatayud–Daroca Basin are presented. Cricetodon sansaniensis (local biozone F, MN6, middle Aragonian) and Cricetodon jotae (local biozone G1, G2 and G3, MN6-MN7/8, Middle–Upper Aragonian) from the middle Miocene are described and discussed. Generally, the genera of Cricetodontini were used to define large time intervals, whereas the species were neglected in the local biostratigraphical studies. The results presented herein show that, for the Calatayud–Daroca Basin, most of the stratigraphical distributions of the species of Cricetodontini are strongly linked with the local biozonation. That reveals that they could be used as good biostratigraphical indicators. Moreover, the unusually long local biozone G3 could be redefined and subdivided based on the distributions of the four species of Cricetodontini present in it. However, it is recommended to complete the study of the whole rodent fauna before proposing a new biozonation.     

Micromammal biostratigraphy of the Upper Miocene to lowest Pleistocene continental deposits of the Guadix basin,southern Spain

Minwer‐Barakat, R., García‐Alix, A., Suárez, E.M., Freudenthal, M. & Viseras, C. 2012 xx xx: Micromammal biostratigraphy of the Upper Miocene to lowest Pleistocene continental deposits of the Guadix basin, southern Spain. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 594–614. Recent study of the small mammals (rodents and insectivores) from several fossil‐bearing sites situated in the central sector of the Guadix Basin (Southern Spain) has notably increased the knowledge of the mammal assemblages that existed in Southern Iberia from the latest Miocene to the earliest Pleistocene. On the basis of this new information, we propose a biozonation for the continental deposits of the Guadix Basin, which consists of six biozones ranging in age from the late Turolian (MN13) to the early Villanyian (MN17). These biozones, defined according to the rules of the International Stratigraphical Guide, include not only the mentioned recently discovered fossil sites, but also other, previously known, localities of the basin. Finally, we integrate the described biozones in the Neogene Mammal units and the European Land Mammal Ages, correlate them with several classical mammal sites from other Iberian basins and the rest of Europe, and establish an approximate numerical age for the lower and upper limits of each biozone. □Biostratigraphy, Guadix Basin, rodents, insectivores, Upper Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene.     

Late Devonian and early Carboniferous microfloras from the Hakkarı Province of southeastern Turkey

Late Devonian and early Carboniferous miospore and microphytoplankton assemblages are described for the first time from southeastern Turkey. The preliminary data show that assemblages recorded from the upper part of the Yiginli Formation are late Famennian in age and can be correlated with the VH, LL, LE Miospore biozones of western Europe, whilst assemblages from the overlying Köprülü Formation are considered to be middle to late Tournaisian in age and are tentatively assigned to the PC Miospore biozone of western Europe. Regional palynological correlations with other sections in North Africa and the Middle East are proposed. A new species, Verruciretusispora loboziakii is described.     

扬子地台中部兰维恩至兰代洛世几丁虫生物地层

本文系统介绍了湖北宜昌普溪河、黔北遵义和四川酉阳丁市兰维恩世至兰代洛世地层中几丁虫的分布发育规律,指出扬子地台中部兰维恩世至兰代洛世的几丁虫自下而上可划分为Ｃｙａｔｈｏｃｈｉｔｉｎａｊｅｎｋｉｎｓｉ,Ｃｏｎｏｃｈｉｔｉｎａｃｏｎｕｌｕｓ,Ｅｉｓｅｎａｃｋｉｔｉｎａｕｔｅｒ和Ｌａｇｅｎｏｃｈｉｔｉｎａｄｅｕｎｆｆｉ等４个生物带,讨论了各几丁虫生物带的时代意义,此外还对几丁虫化石进行了图示和描述。     

Calcareous and siliceous phytoplankton stratigraphy of Neogene marine sediments in central Crete (Greece)

Fine laminated diatomaceous beds in outcrops of the Finikia unit (Estavromenos and Athanatoi sections) in the northern part of the Heraklion district in Crete, have yielded a total of 55 marine diatom and 24 silicoflagellate taxa. The diatom assemblages, characterized by species of low latitudes, belong to the upper part of the Nitzschia jouseae biozone (early-late Pliocene). The silicoflagellate associations belong to the local Dictyocha fibula ausonia and Dictyocha hellenica subzones. These subzones correspond to the subzones CN11b (Discoaster asymmetricus) and CN12a (D. tamalis) of calcareous nannofossils respectively, as well as to the Globorotalia puncticulata/G. bononiensis biozones of planktic foraminifera. The sparse silicoflagellate association from fine sandy marls of the Panassos section in the central part of the Heraklion district (Aghia Varvara unit, upper Tortonian-Messinian) is assigned to the local biozone Distephanus speculum minutus. The latter corresponds approximately to the biozone C9 (Discoaster quinqueramus) of calcareous nannofossils and to the Globorotalia conomiozea zone of planktic foraminifera. No discoidal diatoms could be found in the samples from Panassos-section. The presence of silicoflagellates but simultaneous absence of diatoms is probably due to greater opal dissolution within the fine sandy marls of the Panassos section.     

Chitinozoan biostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician Fågelsång GSSP, Scania, southern Sweden

In the Fågelsång section, the new Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Upper Ordovician Series, 22 samples from the E14 (a, b and c) and E15 outcrops have been studied for chitinozoans. They yield rich and rather diverse species assemblages of this microfossil group. The approximately 16-m-thick sampled part of the section can be subdivided, from bottom to top, into two biozones and a subbiozone: the Laufeldochitina stentor zone, the Eisenackitina rhenana subzone and the Lagenochitina dalbyensis zone. The boundary between the lowest biozone and the subzone is situated 1.7 m below the marker “Fågelsång Phosphorite” bed, thus only slightly lower (0.3 m) than the base of the Nemagraptus gracilis graptolite biozone, which defines the base of the Upper Ordovician Series. The base of the L. dalbyensis zone is located just above the Fågelsång Phosphorite, remarkably low compared to the graptolite biostratigraphy. It is evident that the chitinozoan biozonation provides an additional tool to recognise the base of the Upper Ordovician in this section. Furthermore, a distinct faunal change is shown across the phosphorite bed, possibly indicating a hiatus.     

Late Viséan–Serpukhovian foraminifers in the Montagne Noire (France): Biostratigraphic revision and correlation with the Russian substages

The “calcaires à Productus” of the Montagne Noire (Aude-Hérault, southern France) are carbonate lenses embedded within a thick Carboniferous siliciclastic complex. Foraminiferal assemblages in some of the larger carbonate lenses are typically representative of the late Viséan and Serpukhovian. Eleven new species of foraminifers are described: Hemidiscopsis variabilis, H. pilleae, Planohowchinia rara, P. redondensis, Spireitlina minima, Rectoendothyra japhetensis, Mikhailovella enormis, Cribrospira? perretae, Pojarkovella occidentalis, Parabiseriella vailhanensis, and Biseriella delicata. Eight foraminiferal biozones are defined; they are based on the first occurrence of some taxa, and could be used for other regions of southern France (e.g., Mouthoumet and the Pyrenees). These biozones are informally named as A to H. Due to the problems with classical biozonations and substages in northern England as well as Belgium and northern France, the biozones established herein are mostly compared with the Russian standard substages. Thus, biozones A and B are correlated with the Mikhailovian, corresponding to the latest Asbian and earliest Brigantian in western Europe; biozones C, D and E are correlated with the Venevian, equivalent to the upper part of the early Brigantian in western Europe. Therefore, biozones A–E form part of the late and latest Viséan. The stratigraphically younger biozones F, G and H contain foraminiferal assemblages correlated with the Tarusian, Steshevian and Protvian, respectively.     

Integrated Silurian Chitinozoan and Graptolite Biostratigraphy of the Banwy River Section, Wales

The succession of 38 upper Llandovery–lower Wenlock chitinozoan taxa from graptolitic horizons in the Banwy River section (Powys, Wales) is described. Five new species are named: Bursachitina nestorae Conochitina leviscapulae Conochitina mathrafalensis Belonechitina cavei Belonechitina meifodensis . A further ten taxa are described under open nomenclature. Seven chitinozoan biozones are recognized in the Banwy River section, three of which ( Cingulochitina bouniensis Conochitina acuminata Salopochitina bella ) are new. The base of each biozone is correlated with the graptolite biostratigraphical scheme as follows: Angochitina longicollis Biozone — upper spiralis Biozone; Conochitina acuminata Biozone — lowermost lapworthi Biozone; Margachitina banwyensis Biozone — upper lapworthi Biozone; Margachitina margaritana Biozone — lowermost insectus Biozone; Cingulochitina bouniensis Biozone — upper murchisoni Biozone; Salopochitina bella Biozone — upper firmus Biozone. The succession of chitinozoan biozones in the Banwy River section is compared with that in other sections which have graptolite biostratigraphical control. This has highlighted the following: (1) the correlation of the base of the dolioliformis Biozone with the graptolite biozonation is imprecise; (2) E. dolioliformis is recorded only from levels after the first A. longicollis in Sweden (although this may reflect previously unrecognized synonymies); (3) the longicollis Biozone may be diachronous, its base correlating with levels low in the Telychian in Sweden, Norway and Estonia and with the upper Telychian spiralis Biozone in Wales and the Prague Basin; (4) data herein and from the Prague Basin indicate that the base of the margaritana Biozone correlates with a level low in the insectus Biozone.     

Utility and precision of Silurian graptolite biozones

The various past uses of the assemblage-zone and biozone concepts are reviewed and a modern definition of biozone is given. Silurian biozones are related to the recentideas on standard reference (graptolite) zones (SRZs) and primary biozones (PBs). Use of evolving lineages, interregna, numerical notation systems, and chronozones are discussed. Precision in correlation of the Silurian biozones is described in terms of the Ordovician-Silurian boundary and the Wenlock-Ludlow (Silurian) boundary. A number of recommendations are made with respect to all zonal concepts, essentially giving prime importance to the use of biozones. □ Biozones, standard reference zones, primary biozones, chronozones, graptolites.     

A high-precision global biostratigraphy of myodocope ostracods for the Silurian upper Wenlock Series and Ludlow Series

The wide, trans-oceanic geographical distribution of myodocope ostracods during the Silurian (especially during the Ludlow and Pridoli epochs), and their widespread preservation in rocks of that age, permits the establishment of a transcontinental biostratigraphy of comparable resolution to coeval graptolite/chitinozoan/conodont biozones. Seven myodocope biozones, extending from the Homerian Stage, upper Wenlock Series Cyrtograptus lundgreni graptolite biozone to the middle part of the Ludfordian Stage of the Ludlow Series, enable a time-resolution for each biozone of circa 1 million years. These biozones can provide high-resolution correlation across Europe into Arctic Russia and Central Asia. There is also the potential for a myodocope biostratigraphy applicable from the uppermost Silurian (Pridoli) to the Carboniferous.     

Siliceous phytoplankton assemblages and biostratigraphy of the pre-evaporite Messinian diatomites on Gavdos Island, Greece

Siliceous phytoplankton assemblages were examined from fine laminated diatomite beds of the Gavdos unit (Metochia A subsection) in the northeastern part of the Gavdos Island, southern of Crete in the Libyan Sea. The diatom associations characterized by species of low latitudes, belong to the upper part of the zone Nitzschia miocenica and the zone Thalassiosira convexa of Messinian age. The rich silicoflagellate association is assigned to the local biozone Distephanus speculum minutus. These biozones correspond approximately to the zones C9bA (Amaurolithus primus) and C9bB (Amaurolithus amplificus) of calcareous nannofossils and the zone Globoratalia conomiozea of planktic foraminifera.     

Biostratigraphy of the Peri-Gondwana Cambrian trilobite fauna (northern Kerman,Iran) and correlation with other countries

Polymeroid trilobite fauna from two stratigraphic sections (Godbondar and Kuhbanan) of the Kuhbanan Formation in northern Kerman (central Iran) were studied and subjected to biostratigraphic analysis. Eleven genera and species are recognised from the latest Early Cambrian and Middle Cambrian Peri-Gondwanian successions of the study sections. The recognised fauna includes Afghanocare lategenatum, Blountia blountia, Iranoleesia sp., Iranoleesia pisiformis, Kermanella kuhbananensis, Kermanella lata lata, Kermanella lata minuta, Kermanella sp., Redlichia chinensis, Redlichia noetlingi and Redlichia sp. Based on trilobite distribution, three trilobite biozones were recognised in the study sections, namely Redlichia noetlingi biozone, Kermanella kuhbananensis biozone and Iranoleesia pisiformis biozone. The age of the study sections is late Early Cambrian to late Middle Cambrian based on the recognised trilobite biozones. The recognised late Early Cambrian trilobite assemblages (especially Redlichia and Kermanella) from northern Kerman are similar to those found from some other parts of Gondwana or Peri-Gondwana terrains (north India, Pakistan, northwestern Kashmir, Tajikistan, South Australia, South China and Afghanistan) and show affinities with fauna found in some other parts of Iran (Alborz, northern Iran; Tabas, eastern Iran; southeast Karman).     

New specimens of the mesonychid Dissacus praenuntius from the early Eocene of Wyoming and evaluation of body size through the PETM in North America

The Mesonychia is a group of archaic carnivorous mammals of uncertain phylogenetic affinities with a Holarctic distribution during the Paleogene. Intensive fossil collecting efforts in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, have resulted in recovery of the largest sample and most complete specimens yet known of the mesonychid Dissacus praenuntius from the second biozone of the Wasatchian North American Land Mammal Age (Wa-0). The Wa-0 biozone corresponds to the body of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a brief but intense global warming event that occurred ~56 myr ago that significantly impacted terrestrial mammal faunas, including dwarfing in many mammal lineages. To evaluate the potential response of this lineage to climate change, we compared the PETM sample of D. praenuntius with those recovered from just before the PETM in the last biozone of the Clarkforkian North American Land Mammal Age (Cf-3) and just after the PETM in the Wa-1 biozone. While the sample size is still too small to say with certainty, tooth size (as a proxy for body weight) of D. praenuntius appears to be smaller during the late PETM than during either the pre-PETM Cf-3, or post-PETM Wa-1 biozones, suggesting the possibility of a muted dwarfing response to the PETM. However, the pattern observed for D. praenuntius differs from that of many other PETM mammals, as the shift to smaller body size is less pronounced and may have only occurred in late Wa-0.     

Biostratigraphy, biodiversity and palaeoenvironments of the chitinozoans and associated palynomorphs from the Upper Ordovician of the Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco

The range, abundance and diversity of Upper Ordovician chitinozoans and of various other organic-walled microfossils (i.e., acritarchs, leiospheres, scolecodonts) have been documented in the Bou-Ingarf section, Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco. The goal of this study is to provide a refined biostratigraphic scheme for the Lower Ktaoua, the Upper Tiouririne, the Upper Ktaoua and the Lower Second Bani formations in order to locate the initial effects of the Late Ordovician glaciation on the composition of assemblages of organic-walled microfossils. Five Late Ordovician chitinozoan biozones belonging to the North Gondwana zonation are identified. During the late Caradoc and early Ashgill, no significant changes in chitinozoan assemblages are recorded that could be attributed to any dramatic climatic and/or environmental events. The almost absence of phytoplanktonic elements (acritarchs and leiospheres) and of cryptospores in the fistulosa/barbata and in the nigerica biozones are interpreted as resulting of lower offshore environmental conditions. The reappearance of a variety of palynomorphs in the lower part of the elongata biozone does not indicate drastic climatic changes but more likely a shallowing trend of the marine environment and an increased primary production, possibly related to a cooling of the surface water masses subsequently to early effects of a general climatic cooling. The first obvious evidence of the Late Ordovician glaciation occurs in the lower part of the elongata biozone, at the base of the sandy member topping the Lower Second Bani Formation. This sandy deposit is interpreted as the result of a dramatic fall of the sea level due to the development of the Hirnantian ice cap on Gondwana. This short-lived glaciation ended when the northern Gondwanan ice cap melted during the upper part of the elongata and the oulebsiri biozones. A biological crisis affected both the chitinozoans and the acritarchs just after this glaciation, i.e., in the latest Hirnantian.     

Miospore biostratigraphy of the Lower Mississippian clastics of the Michigan Basin, USA

Two moderately diverse, moderately abundant miospore assemblages are recorded from the Lower Mississippian Coldwater Shale and Marshall Sandstone of the Michigan Basin. The microfloral assemblage from the older Coldwater Shale is similar to assemblages of the Spelaeotriletes balteatus-Rugospora polyptycha Biozone of western Europe. This biozone is generally absent from North America. The overlying Marshall Sandstone has a miospore assemblage representative of the oldest Osagean Spelaeotriletes pretiosus-Raistrickia clavata Biozone of western Europe. Identification of these assemblages indicates the presence of the Kinderhookian-Osagean boundary within or between the two clastic units. The identification of this boundary has important stratigraphical and sedimentological implications for age relations with Lower Mississippian rocks in adjacent basins and also provides information on regional sedimentology and depositional patterns.     

Les Cases de la Valenciana,a new early Miocene small-mammal locality from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Catalonia,Spain)

Abstract

The Valles-Penedes Basin (Catalonia, Spain) is classical area for the study of Miocene land mammal faunas. Nevertheless, the early Miocene part of the record has deserved little attention as compared to younger intervals. Most notably, the small mammals of this age have not been described in detail, consequently hampering the correlation of the Valles-Penedes record with other chronological schemes. In this work we describe the rich and diverse small mammal fauna from Les Cases de la Valenciana site (Gelida, Alt Penedès) which includes marsupials, eulipotyphlans, lagomorphs and rodents. On the basis of the presence of the cricetids Megacricetodon and Democricetodon this site is correlated with European Neogene zone MN4, yielding an age of 17–16 Ma. However, the rodent assemblage is comparable to that of chronologically close localities of the Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (Aragon, Spain), indicating that the same biochronological scheme can be applied to both areas. In this way, the coexistence of the eomyids Ligerimys ellipticus and Ligerimys florancei coupled with the presence of Megacricetodon primitivus indicates a correlation with local biozone Ca of the Calatayud-Montalban Basin, ranging from 16.3 to 16 Ma. Finally, the correlation of other early Miocene sites of the Valles-Penedes Basin is discussed and refined.     

A cluster of four genes selectively expressed in the male germ line of Drosophila melanogaster.

The gene Mst87F is exclusively expressed in the male germ line and is subject to translational regulation. The Mst87F mRNA is transcribed in the primary spermatocytes, stored for three days and then subsequently translated in the post-elongation period of spermiogenesis. Here we report on the isolation of a cluster of four small genes closely related in structure and function to Mst87F. These genes are located at polytene band 84D on the right arm of chromosome three and are named Mst84Da, Mst84Db, Mst84Dc and Mst84Dd. All four genes encode putative proteins composed primarily of a repetitive motif of cysteine-glycine-proline. The genes are exclusively expressed in the male germ line. The poly(A) tail of the Mst84D mRNAs increases in length at day three of pupal development, the time at which a similar change in Mst87F mRNA and translation has been shown to begin. In addition we have identified a conserved 12 base pair element within the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of each gene which is also found at an identical position in Mst87F and which has been demonstrated to be the structural element for translational control of Mst87F expression (Sch?fer et al., 1990 EMBO J. 9, 4519-4525). We have mapped the gene cluster to a small deletion associated with a rotund mutation at 84D. Although flies with a homozygous deletion of the cluster still produce motile sperm, electron microscopic examination revealed numerous malformations in the ultrastructure of the axoneme resulting in a drastic reduction of motile sperm.     

Comparison of ELY-2.1 with blood group and ELY-1 markers in the horse*

The distribution of ELY-2 was compared to the distribution of blood group factors Aa, Ab, Ac, Ae, Ca, Da, Db, Dc, Dd, De, Df, Dh, Dk, Ka, Pa, Pb, X, Qa, Qc, Ua, and W in 2465 American Standardbred horses and to ELY-1 in 193 American Standardbred horses. The distribution patterns were different in each case. The segregation of ELY-2.1 and factors at the A, C, D, K, P, Q, U and T (W ) blood group loci and at the ELA locus indicated that ELY-2.1 is not a product of any of those loci. No segregation data were available for the ELY-I locus. Family studies indicated that the gene for ELY-2.1 is not sex-linked.     

Comparison of ELY-2.1 with blood group and ELY-1 markers in the horse

The distribution of ELY-2 was compared to the distribution of blood group factors Aa, Ab, Ac, Ae, Ca, Da, Db, Dc, Dd, De, Df, Dh, Dk, Ka, Pa, Pb, X, Qa, Qc, Ua, and W in 2465 American Standardbred horses and to ELY-1 in 193 American Standardbred horses. The distribution patterns were different in each case. The segregation of ELY-2.1 and factors at the A, C, D, K, P, Q, U and T (W) blood group loci and at the ELA locus indicated that ELY-2.1 is not a product of any of those loci. No segregation data were available for the ELY-1 locus. Family studies indicated that the gene for ELY-2.1 is not sex-linked.     

A new plant assemblage (microfossil and megafossil) from the Lower Old Red Sandstone of the Anglo-Welsh Basin: its implications for the palaeoecology of early terrestrial ecosystems

Lower Old Red Sandstone deposits penetrated by a series of cored boreholes near Newport (South Wales) have been sedimentologically logged, and recovered plant assemblages (microfossil and megafossil) investigated. Sedimentological logging indicates that the deposits are typical of the extensive terrestrial-fluviatile floodplain deposits of the Anglo-Welsh Basin. Palynomorph assemblages have been recovered from a number of horizons and comprise entirely terrestrial forms (spores and phytodebris). They essentially represent a single assemblage, belonging to the middle subzone of the micrornatus-newportensis sporomorph assemblage biozone, and indicate an Early Devonian (mid-Lochkovian) age. The new biostratigraphical data enables correlation with other Lower Old Red Sandstone deposits of the Anglo-Welsh Basin, and the deposits are assigned to the lower part of the St. Maughan's Group. A plant megafossil/mesofossil assemblage recovered from one of the spore-bearing horizons includes a zosterophyll assigned to Zosterophyllum cf. fertile. This is the earliest reported zosterophyll from the Anglo-Welsh Basin. The new palynological/palaeobotanical data provide important information on the palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of the vegetation of the southeastern margin of the Old Red Sandstone continent during Lochkovian times. Palaeogeographical variation in the distribution of plant microfossils and megafossils is interpreted as reflecting differences between the flora of the lowland floodplain and inland intermontaine basins, although this is to a certain extent overprinted by variation due to localized differences in environmental conditions.