The fossil record of the six living smaller arachnid orders is reviewed. Palpigradi (palpigrades) are represented by two fossil species, respectively from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of Myanmar and the Pliocene Onyx Marble of the USA. Solifugae (camel spiders) are known from six unequivocal species from the Late Carboniferous Coal Measures of the USA, the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil, the slightly younger Burmese amber, from Baltic amber (Paleogene: Eocene) and from Dominican amber (Neogene: Miocene). Ricinulei (ricinuleids), with twenty-three fossil species in total, are surprisingly diverse in Northern hemisphere Coal Measures and Cretaceous Burmese amber, but do not occur in younger ambers. Amblypygi (whip spiders) first occur unequivocally in the Coal Measures. There are thirteen fossils in total, with further records from the Crato Formation and in Burmese amber, as well as in the Indian Cambay amber (Paleogene: Eocene), Chiapas or Mexican amber (Paleogene–Neogene: Oligocene/Miocene) and the near contempary (Miocene) Dominican amber. Thelyphonida (whip scorpions) are known from fourteen species and are again found in the Coal Measures, the Crato Formation and Burmese amber, but do not occur in younger ambers. Schizomida (schizomids) are known from fourteen species; eight from Burmese amber, with additional species in Dominican amber and the Onyx Marble. The wider significance of the fossil record for the evolutionary history, morphological evolution and historical biogeography of each of these six orders, and arachnids in general, is discussed.
Homotherium had a widespread distribution worldwide in the Pleistocene, but Pliocene records are exceptionally rare. Here, we describe a felid mandible from Burdur province, southwestern Türkiye, found during a geological survey. The mandible fragment presented in this study is a significant element among felids of the Anatolian Plio-Pleistocene. Though it has a rich fossil record, felids have not been studied in detail and are thus poorly known in Anatolian sites, especially Plio-Pleistocene examples. The morphological and metric data of the mandible specimen from Burdur clearly present diagnostic features attributable to Homotherium. Morphological and metrical comparisons of the mandibular specimen are compatible with specimens of Homotherium from Upper Valdarno, Sainzelles, Grauncenau, Odessa, and Kuruksay. Magnetostratigraphical constraints indicate an age interval of 3.3–2.6 Ma for the fossil-bearing layer. The Burdur specimen constitutes the most definitive material attributed to this genus in Anatolia and is identified as Homotherium latidens, marking a range expansion of this species.
Orsten-type Lagerstätten sensu stricto are represented by several localities around the world, delivering a unique window into the meiofauna of the Early Palaeozoic. They are providing beautifully three-dimensionally preserved, phosphatized organisms, mostly articulated arthropodans. Among them, Pentastomida (tongue-worms) is an intriguing group of parasites. Today, they infect almost all groups of vertebrates, including humans. They are most commonly found parasitising the respiratory tracts of squamates and crocodilians. Pentastomidans are characterised by an extremely simplified worm-like body, two pairs of head hooks, and a mouth. Their fossil record is scarce and to date limited to 81 specimens preserved in Orsten-type Lagerstätten, mostly from the Upper Cambrian of Sweden. Here, we reinvestigate an Ordovician assemblage from the island of Öland, Sweden, first briefly reported by Dietmar Andres in 1989. This assemblage contains more than 6500 fossil specimens of Pentastomida preserved in three dimensions through Orsten-type phosphatisation. Our study provides the first detailed description of two new morphotypes of fossil pentastomidans, increasing the total number of known morphotypes from two to four. The assemblage reveals a pronounced morphological diversity among three of these morphotypes and offers unique insights into the evolutionary history and early diversification of tongue-worms during the Early Palaeozoic.
Molpadid sea cucumbers are important components of the infaunal benthos in today’s marine ecosystems. This can also be assumed for Cenozoic and partly Mesozoic times. However, the fossil record to date is more than patchy and also concerns the Upper Cretaceous, for example. From the early Maastrichtian chalk of the Jasmund Peninsula/Isle of Rügen, the world’s only second record of late Cretaceous calcareous ring material of molpadid sea cucumbers (Cretacaudina rugia gen. et sp. nov.) is described, discussed and subsequently morphologically compared with extant forms.
This study presents newly-discovered Rhinocerotidae material, including a cranium, a partial mandible, and a femur, from the Late Miocene (late Kersonian, MN 11, or possibly younger, Meotian, MN 12) of Crețești 1 in Romania. The specimens are analysed morphometrically and morphologically, and compared with various Aceratheriinae taxa. The combination of features observed in the Crețești 1 specimen aligns most closely with Acerorhinus simplex, a species previously described from the late Vallesian-middle Turolian of Eurasia. This discovery represents the first well-documented occurrence of Acerorhinus in Romania, contributing to the understanding of the diversity and paleobiogeographic distribution of acerathere rhinoceroses during the Late Miocene. Along with recent revisions, this work allows for refining the species content of Acerorhinus: Acerorhinus simplex, Acerorhinus palaeosinensis, Acerorhinus tsaidamensis, Acerorhinus hezhengensis, Acerorhinus yuanmouensis, Acerorhinus fuguensis, Acerorhinus lufengensis and Acerorhinus neleus. In addition, we consider that Acerorhinus' remains from Ciobruciu (late Vallesian-middle Turolian) do belong to A. simplex, which Acerorhinus belaevi is here regarded as a junior synonym.
To celebrate Ekkehard Herrig’s 90th birthday, this article provides an overview of his life to date and his contributions to palaeontology, micropalaeontology, geology and art, including a list of his scientific publications. His curriculum vitae is included here at the beginning of a special issue of PalZ. Paläontologische Zeitschrift.
The genus Eutatus (Chlamyphoridae, Euphractinae, Eutatini) includes two species, Eutatus pascuali (Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene) and Eutatus seguini (Middle Pleistocene–Early Holocene), to which is added a third species (Eutatus crispianii, Late Pleistocene) recognized through a single record. Here, we present a new exceptionally preserved specimen (MG-G-Pv0035) assigned to E. seguini, recovered from Late Pleistocene deposits outcropping at Laguna Melincué area (southern Santa Fe Province, Argentina). It includes a mostly complete skull preserving the cephalic shield, a partial dorsal carapace, caudal armor and two caudal vertebrae. This specimen is of particular interest for preserving almost the totality of the caudal armor, a previously unknown structure for the genus. Moreover, this material represents the most complete caudal armor preserved for an Eutatini armadillo, and the morphology of this structure clearly differs from that of the other major clades of armadillos. Since the caudal armor represents a structure with high diagnostic value in Cingulata, its description and characterization has a great scientific value since it represents a potential apomorphic character of the tribe.
The present study describes carapace valve morphologies of conchostracans (Crustacea) from the Bromacker Horizon (Tambach Sandstone Member, Tambach Formation, Rotliegend Group; Early Permian) of the Bromacker Lagerstätte in the Thuringian Forest Basin (Thuringia, Central Germany). Variations in valve morphology separate two morphotypes. The dominating morphotype 1 is Lioestheria andreevi (Zaspelova, 1968), regarded here as synonymous with Lioestheria monticula Martens, 1983. Much rarer is morphotype 2 with some individuals showing transitions to morphotype 1. Mass occurrence of conchostracans underlines the wet-dry seasonality of the past climate at Bromacker. Preservation of “soft” parts in the postero-dorsal parts of the body occurs in some specimens highlighting the Fossil-Lagerstätte quality of the Bromacker site. The recent radiometric dating of the Bromacker site shifts the lower limit of the “Lioestheria andreevi–Pseudestheria form Wilhelmsthal assemblage zone” sensu Schneider Scholze (2018) to the Asselian.
The Mas des Caves site at Lunel-Viel (Hérault, Southeast France) has yielded abundant and diversified Late Middle Pleistocene faunal remains, among which Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. The recent discovery of a well-preserved skull in 2021 has led to new investigation on this taxon and all the material collected since the beginning of scientific investigations in those cavities. Here, we present the first integrated analysis of the demographic structure and ecological adaptations of this cohort. A minimum of nine individuals was identified on the basis of postcranial and dental remains with at least two very young (below 2 months), three young (between 6 months and 1.5 years), two older juveniles (between 1.5 and 4 years) and two adults (above 5.5 years). The imbalance between juvenile cranial remains and adult postcranial elements suggests differential accumulator agents and, among them, the crucial role of hyenas. Dental microwear analysis of deciduous and permanent teeth reveals a mixed-feeding regime with grazing tendencies, consistent across age classes, suggesting similar plant selection between the various age classes. The dietary niche of S. hemitoechus compared with other sympatric herbivores indicates that it was among the herbivore species that selected the most abrasive plants.
A new species Cambaltica patra sp. nov. is described from the middle Eocene amber of the Kutch Basin, India, based on synchrotron microtomography data. The new species is the second species of the genus Cambaltica described and the first representative of leaf beetles described from the Kutch amber. The new species is one of the smallest known fossil leaf beetles. The body sizes of fossil leaf beetles are discussed, and it is noted that the hypothesis about the small sizes of leaf beetles in the first half of the Eocene of India has received an additional confirmation. This finding indicates the relationship between the faunas of Cambay and Kutch amber, sharing the same genus Cambaltica. The time of existence of taxa of leaf beetles are discussed and it is noted that the minimum time of existence of the genus Cambaltica is at least ten million years based on findings in Cambay and Kutch ambers that are of different geological ages.
The graptolite faunas of the late Katian (Upper Ordovician) Paraorthograptus pacificus Biozone and the Hirnantian (Upper Ordovician) Metabolograptus persculptus Biozone to the Silurian (Llandovery) Lituigraptus convolutus Biozone are recognized in the Dingjiapo section of Hubei Province, China. The Rhuddanian to mid-Aeronian succession appears to be at least highly condensed. Thus, the Coronograptus cyphus to the Pribylograptus leptotheca Biozone intervals have not been recognized and have to be interpreted as lacking due to the strong condensation of the succession or the presence of a sedimentological gap. Metaclimacograptus sculptus appears in unit HDS-6 with a rich graptolite fauna of the lower Lituigraptus convolutus Biozone, while the underlying unit HDS-5 bears a fauna of the Cystograptus vesiculosus Biozone of mid-Rhuddanian age. The highest part of the successions is referred to the Metaclimacograptus sculptus Subzone of the Lituigraptus convolutus Biozone. A gap at the Rhuddanian–Aeronian boundary has been recognized in a number of sections in the region SE of the Huangling Massif and, thus appears to be a regional feature useful for the paleogeographic interpretation of the region.
As one of the earliest diverging lineages of Hexapoda, Diplura holds significant importance for understanding the origin and evolution of hexapods. Among them, Projapygoidea, a critical transitional group, exhibits remarkably low diversity yet plays a pivotal role in deciphering the evolutionary trajectory of Diplura. However, its fossil record remains exceptionally scarce. In this study, we report the second projapygoid from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber and critically examine the validity of Octostigmatidae by comparing its diagnostic characters with those of its closely related family, Anajapygidae. The specimen displays a suite of diagnostic features, including a lacinia with a bifurcate apex, a prosternal apodeme reduced to its posterior branch (thus lacking the complete Y-shape), a Campodea-type male genital papilla, and unfused medial segments of the cerci, that collectively confirm its placement within Anajapygidae. Furthermore, the unique combination of characters observed in this specimen, such as antennae composed of up to 32 segments and well-developed oval maxillary palps, supports the erection of a new genus and species, Eoanajapyx yinae gen. et sp. nov. This study enriches the fossil record of Projapygoidea, providing critical insights into the morphological diversity and evolutionary adaptations of this group during the late Mesozoic.
This study presents an expansion and update of the taxonomic composition of Late Pleistocene mammal fauna collected in Toca Fria Cave, located in the municipality of Iuiú, Bahia, Brazil. The studied material consists of several bones attributed to 13 taxa, distributed in the orders Carnivora (Cerdocyon thous and Arctotherium wingei), Folivora (Nothrotherium maquinense, Eremotherium laurillardi, Valgipes bucklandi, Catonyx cuvieri, and Glossotherium phoenesis), Cingulata (Pampatheridae and Glyptodontidae), Proboscidea (cf. Notiomastodon platensis), Notoungulata (Toxodon platensis), and Artiodactyla (Mazama sp. and Blastocerus dichotomus). The occurrence of B. dichotomus represents a significant historical record for the genus, which currently has a reduced and fragmented geographic distribution and is not found in the Iuiú region. We also presented radiocarbon dates for A. wingei, B. dichotomus, and G. phoenesis. These analyses suggest that A. wingei lived between 39,208 and 39,637 cal yr BP, B. dichotomus between 30,017 and 30,275 cal yr BP, and G. phoenesis between 34,845 and 35,849 cal yr BP. Isotopic analyses of the recovered materials indicated the presence of at least two habitats for the Late Pleistocene of Iuiú: a low-density forested site and a drier open savanna environment associated with the present-day Cerrado/Caatinga biomes, given that most of the animals were living in an ecotone between these environments. Within the period analyzed the mean annual temperature varied between 20.5 °C and 22.3 °C, while the average precipitation values ranged from 925 to 1180 mm per year.
A new genus and species of Cretaceous echinoneoid echinoid, Catinogalerus alexanderi gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of 27 specimens originating from the Late Campanian of Kronsmoor and Rügen (both northern Germany). Morphologically, the new taxon appears closest to Galerites which it resembles in many aspects. The concave, saucer-shaped apical region, and cone-shaped protrusions of the genital plates are unique characters differentiating C. alexanderi from all other galeritids. Additional distinguishing characters comprise the adoral plate architecture with numerous small ambulacral plates combined with strongly offset pore pairs close to the peristome.
This study explores the application of Source-to-Sink (S2S) principles to palynology, aiming to quantify conifer pollen production, transport, and forest biomass in the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America. Using the Arlington Archosaur Section (AAS) from the Cenomanian of Texas, the objective was to assess whether Cenomanian above-ground live tree biomass (ALTB) and pollen dispersal of selected conifers (e.g., Pinaceae and Cupressaceae) can be inferred using modern analogs. First, the source area feeding the AAS was calculated at approximately 1 million km2 using late Cenomanian paleogeographic maps. Assuming 30
New fossil material identified as ‘creodonts,’ particularly hyaenodonts, from the Siwaliks of Pakistan provide significant new information on this important group of carnivores. Three hyaenodont taxa are identified based on these new fossils. Deciduous dental remains identified as ?Megistotherium/Hyainailouros sp. provide important new data on large hyaenodonts and their presence in the Miocene of southern Asia. Fossils identified as Hyaenodon cf. H. pervagus potentially provide important new temporal and biogeographic data on a highly speciose genus of hyaenodont. While the genus is known throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere (Asia, Europe, North America), these new fossils represent the first record of the genus from the Siwaliks, expanding its range in southern Asia. They also represent the youngest temporal occurrence of the genus (Middle Miocene). Another fossil represents a new species, Metapterodon anari sp. nov. This genus was previously tentatively identified from the Siwaliks, but this new material provides definitive evidence of its presence. Not only does this confirm its presence in the Miocene Siwalik deposits of the Indian subcontinent but also represents an important temporal occurrence for the genus. It represents the youngest occurrence of the genus worldwide but may also represent the youngest occurrence of any hyaenodont. The new material provides important new data on some of the less well-known ‘creodonts’ of the Siwaliks, and this data is important for not only our understanding of some of the youngest hyaenodonts near their eventual extinction, but the complex mammal communities preserved on the Indian subcontinent.
Early Eocene microfossils from carbonate-cemented volcanic ashes (cementstones) of the Greifswalder Oie island, southern Baltic Sea, have been investigated. In addition to numerous siliceous microfossils such as diatoms, silicoflagellates and sponge spicules, a monospecific foraminiferal assemblage (Ammobaculites oieensis sp. nov.) is recorded and documented here in detail. The new species is characterised by an agglutinated wall structure consisting of volcanic ash shards and quartz and feldspar grains, as well as by its size and number of chambers, and by an initially planispiral test shape that becomes uniserial.
Screen washing operations at the Busche quarry near Balve in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) have yielded a new paulchoffatiid multituberculate and additional teeth of the eobaatarid Cheruscodon balvensis. Angrivarodon goresi gen. et sp. nov. is represented by an upper P5 and differs from all known multituberculates of the paulchoffatiid line by a cusp formula of 4B:6L. For C. balvensis 12 new teeth are reported, representing seven formerly unknown tooth positions (dPX, P2, P3, P4, M1, M2, and m1), that allow for the reconstruction of large parts of the upper and lower premolar-molar series. A single upper P4 is attributed to Eobaataridae indet. Three upper P5s are designated as Multituberculata indet., one of which formerly had been assigned to the pinheirodontid Bructerodon alatus. After revision, B. alatus is now restricted to the holotype specimen (M1). Two isolated indeterminate multituberculate incisors have spatulate crowns with complete enamel cover. A cladistic analysis including the new Cheruscodon teeth led to an almost complete resolution of Eobaataridae under inclusion of Arginbaatar into that group. Monophyly of the genus Sinobaatar is not supported by the new cladistic analysis. The shared presence of derived cusp morphology and arrangement of cusps on the upper M2s of the Late Jurassic Teutonodon langenbergensis from the Langenberg locality (Lower Saxony) and of C. balvensis suggest the presence of eobaatarid ancestors in the Jurassic of Central Europe.
Cone-shaped microfossils, such as Protohertzina and Ceratophyton, appeared in lower Cambrian strata and became ubiquitous elements of many fossil assemblages, as they were preserved in both skeletal forms as well as organic compressions. However, due to the absence of a unified descriptive protocol, cone-shaped microfossils of different origins are commonly ascribed to a single taxon lacking systematic value. Here, we combine comparative morphological methods and geometric-morphometric analysis in order to develop a general morphological classification of diverse Cambrian cone-shaped microfossils. Additionally, an interpretation of their possible functions is provided despite their vague affinities. The grasping spines (chaetae) of extant chaetognaths and claws of onychophorans and tardigrades are included in geometric-morphometric analysis to find out functional analogies of cone-shaped microfossils. By this method, a common morphospace is developed for recent and fossil cone-shaped elements and extreme morphotypes are identified. Among them, cone morphotypes I and IV (narrow straight and curved) can be identified as mouthparts similar to chaetognath grasping spines, whereas morphotypes II and III (broad straight and curved) are attributed to locomotory and protective appendages alike lobopodian claws and spines. In addition, growth series of these cone-shaped microfossils are introduced.
