The Silurian nautiloid Boionautilus TUREK, 2008, which inhabited temperate seas of Avalonia, Baltica and Perunica, as well as the cool waters of North Gondwana, displays a remarkable shell similarity with extant members of the Nautilida-the order in which it is included here. Due to significant morphological characteristics shared with lechritrochoceratids, we place it in the family Lechritrochoceratidae FLOWER, in FLOWER & KUMMEL (1950). The similarities with extant nautilids concern the shell form, sculpture, colour pattern, suture lines, position and shape of siphuncle and position of retractor muscle scars. The morphology of the embryonic shell of Boionautilus suggests that its early ontogenetic development was like that of evolutionarily younger nautilids with prolonged embryonic development. The cyrtocone embryonic shell of Boionautilus, indicates that hatchlings had 3-4 phragmocone chambers and their body chamber attained about 3/5 of the shell length. The evolutionary trends in Boionautilus-tendency toward tighter coiling, suppression of the shell ribbing, transition from elliptical to subtrapedzoidal transverse section and overall enlarging of the shell-are well expressed via three successively appearing late Silurian species B. sacheri, B. tyrannus and B. bohemicus. Nautilus sternbergi BARRANDE, 1865 formerly classified in the genus Boionautilus does not belong to this evolutionary lineage and is assigned here to the genus Cumingsoceras FLOWER, in FLOWER & KUMMEL (1950). The co-occurrence of all growth stages of all three species of Boionautilus in the same outcrop of cephalopod limestone in the Prague Basin is unique among early Palaeozoic nautiloids. It indicates that adults inhabited the same biotope as juveniles but at times post-juveniles spread for some distances from these sites. Detailed preservation of the outer shell wall in juveniles suggests that their shells were buried in sediment close to the site of their death. Some significant growth anomalies on the embryonic shell, yet known only in post-Palaeozoic Nautilida, are documented here. The sublethal damages to the shell caused by predators occurred immediately after hatching; many injuries left their traces within the first half of the initial whorl. These injuries indicate that these growth stages of Boionautilus could survive severe attacks ofpredators, most likely other cephalopods. A pair ofsmall holes on both flanks of the shell in one specimen is interpreted as a result of an attack by the predatory eurypterid Acutiramus. Crater-like depressions on three internal moulds of body chambers add to the record ofparasite infestations and pearl formation in early Palaeozoic cephalopods.
A new species of Blattulidae is described based on one well-preserved fossil specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Shuinan Formation of Jiaolai Basin, Laiyang, Shandong. Habroblattula superposita sp. nov is mainly characterized by wide pronotum; R with 11 simple branches ending on wing margin, CuA strongly curved with abundant cross-veins; four non-branched veins meeting wing margin. Our find augments the diversity of known Mesozoic Blattulidae, and enhances our understanding of their morphology.
The Jurassic rocks of the Maghara area (Egypt) contain a highly diverse bivalve fauna, which has received little attention in the last 100 years. This paper concludes a monograph of the Jurassic bivalve fauna of the Maghara area (Sinai, Egypt) dealing with all groups except for the subclass Protobranchia and order Trigoniida. The more than 1400 specimens, collected from five sections in the Maghara area, i.e., Gebel Homayir, G. Arousiah, western Bir Maghara, G. Engabashi, and G. Mowerib, belong to 69 species, 43 genera, 25 families, and 12 orders. They are described and figured in detail. The majority of the species are from the Middle and Upper Jurassic strata of the study area, and the bivalve diversity is highest in the silt-to marl-dominated Bathonian strata and lowest in the Kimmmeridgian carbonates. Three species are new to science; Isoarca minima n. sp., Liostrea paucistriata n. sp., and Protocardia (Protocardia) magharensis n. sp. Thirteen species are recorded from the Jurassic of Egypt for the first time. As most of the taxa have close affinities with species occurring in the Middle East, North and East Africa, India, and Madagascar, the Maghara area was part of the Ethiopian faunal province during the Jurassic Period.
This study investigates the biostratigraphy and systematics of Alveolina species from the Chah-Bouck section, situated in the central presented with systematic details for the first time, including Glomalveolina subtilis, Alveolina avellana, A. avellana bozcaadensis, A. decipiens, A. dedolia, A. aragonensis, A. leupoldi, A. piper, A. montanarii, A. cemali, A. pasticillata, A. subpyrenaica, and Alveolina sp. 1. The biostratigraphic ranges of several species, including G. subtilis, A. avellana extend into younger strata compared to the SBZs of the western Neo Tethys, suggesting a need for revisions in the current SBZ framework. Additionally, A. cemali and A. avellana bozcaadensis, previously considered endemic to Turkey, exhibit broader geographic distributions across the central Neo Tethys. We also documented some poorly known rotaliids that will require additional taxonomic study on well-preserved specimens. The biostratigraphic data obtained in this study are correlated with calcareous nannofossil biozones, specifically assigning the Alveolina biostratigraphy to the NP10 Zone, contributing to a broader understanding of the lower Eocene of the Neo Tethys. These findings underscore the importance of continued research to integrate Alveolina biostratigraphy with nannofossil biozones and update the SBZs for more accurate temporal and spatial correlations across the Neo Tethys.
The Campanian-Paleocene interval in the Kharga Oasis, Egypt, offers critical insights into biotic and environmental dynamics during a period marked by sea-level fluctuations. This study investigates macrofossil assemblages from three sections: Naqb El Rufuf, Um El Ghanayim, and Baris, reflecting north-south facies changes to unravel biostratigraphic and paleoecological trends. Eight distinct macrobenthic associations were identified, each reflecting unique environmental conditions tied to sequence-stratigraphic phases. During the Campanian, the Glossus chargehensis association in the Duwi Formation signals shallow, nutrient-rich transgressive settings with phosphate deposition under well-oxygenated conditions. The Maastrichtian Exogyra overwegi association, preserved in highenergy carbonate ledges of the Baris Oyster Member, marks episodic sea-level rises and firm substrates. The early Danian records the first post-K-Pg transgression, characterized in the north by reworked Maastrichtian faunas and in the south by monospecific Crassostrea orientalis beds, suggesting salinity stress and limited biotic competition. As sea level continued to rise, the northern Kharga Basin developed oxygen-depleted, iron-rich conditions favoring dwarf faunas, while the southern Garra El-Arbain facies hosted stable Venericardia and Turritella communities in shallow, well-oxygenated waters. In the upper Paleocene Tarawan Formation, the lower portion hosted the semi-infaunal echinoid Echinocorys fakhryi in chalky limestone, outer neritic facies. The top portion of the Tarawan Formation featured the dominance of the siliceous sponge Schizorhabdus libycus-a shift linked to the Selandian/Thanetian transition and increased silica influx, which may have altered ocean chemistry. Macrofaunal distributions in the Kharga Oasis closely mirror sequence-stratigraphic phases, with transgressive systems tracts promote diverse suspension-feeder assemblages in nutrient-rich settings, while highstand systems tracts favor stress-tolerant or siliceous taxa under more stable, low-energy conditions.
The study of three wells from the North El Fayrouz Offshore Field, Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, subdivided the encountered OligoceneMiocene succession into three formations: Sidi Salem, Qantara and Tineh and revealed the identification of eighty-three benthic foraminiferal species, in addition to some paleoecological changes. Seventy-four calcareous benthic and nine agglutinated benthic foraminiferal species were identified and taxonomically discussed. These identified benthic species were used to record four benthic studied wells, based on the species abundance in these intervals. The Benthic Association (BA1) occupies the lower part of the Tineh Formation and is represented by the most common species Cyclammina rotundidorsata and Uvigerina curta. The Benthic Association (BA2) occupies the middle part of the Tineh Formation and is represented by the most common species Karreriella subglabra and Pleurostomella subnodosa. The Benthic Association (BA3) occupies the upper part of the Tineh Formation and is represented by Qantara formations and is represented by Martinottiella petrosa and Cycloforina badenensis. Furthermore, the paleoenvironmental analysis for the Oligocene-Miocene succession have been achieved by estimation of some paleoecological parameters, such as the total foraminiferal number (TFN), planktic ratio (P%), the planktic/benthic foraminiferal ratio (P/B ratio) and species diversity. These parameters resulted in the Mango-2 and Mango-3 wells being deeper and more marine environment than the Mango-1 well, which is near shore than the other two wells in the study area. The Mango-3 well is near shore than the Mango-2 well, so the TFN of the Mango-3 well, planktic and benthic numbers are lower in values than the Mango-2 well which interpreted as a lower bathyal environment, while the Mango-3 well is lower to middle bathyal environment and the Mango-1 well is lower bathyal to outer shelf environment.
The Cenomanian Sarvak Formation of SW Iran is known for its richness in (larger) benthic foraminifera, referred to as a megadiversity and hot spot area in the literature. Previously unknown, little known and some possibly new taxa are reported from one section located in the Izeh Zone. Included are three agglutinated conical larger foraminiferal species (Orbitolinidae, Coskinolinidae), Orbitolinopsis sp., Pseudorbitolina? sp., and Pseudolituonella? sp. that are described in detail. The present findings provide further elements for the biostratigraphy of middle-late Cenomanian shallow-water carbonates based on larger benthic foraminifera, highlighting biogeographic as well as some biostratigraphic differences between the Mediterranean and Middle East realms.
From Puerto Nispero (Guanacaste, Costa Rica), a Maastrichtian shallow marine coral fauna is described. It encompasses 17 species in seven genera of the superfamilies Actinastreoidea, Felixaraeoidea, Misistelloidea, Poritoidea, and Order Scleralcyonacea. The new genus Mespiluphyllia (superfamily Misistelloidea), and one new species of the genus Marcelohelia (superfamily Felixaraeoidea), are established. The superfamily Poritoidea dominates the fauna with the genera Actinacis, Litharaea, and Multicolumastraea. The genus Litharaea replaces the poorly known genus Goniopora. The fauna encompasses species that are known from both the Late Cretaceous and the Early Palaeogene. Three genera - Marcelohelia, Mespiluphyllia, and Multicolumastraea - are restricted to the Maastrichtian. Only 12 species could be indicated outside of the study area. They show most affinities to the Palaeogene of the Aquitanian Basin (France), the Coniacian of the Gosau Basin (Austria), the Eocene of southern Mexico, and various Campanian faunas from both the Western Tethys and the Western Atlantic.
Besides the Baltic amber (GCNRP2), Kachin amber (GCNRP8) flora and fauna represent a dinosaur-age assemblage of a natural ecosystem that can be directly compared with modern ecosystems as the only complex reference point. Research focus on this amber is necessary, due to extinction of the unique ancient conifer forests that produced it and its correlation to modern day effects that influence ongoing extinction of important and the only sustainable bioms - the forests. To exploit the potential of this site, we carefully examined well-preserved cockroach (Kedysi akokovek gen. et sp. n.; syninclusions are fuzzy plant seed fragment with minor roots, a chironomid male and possible cyxiid planthopper) of the now extinct family Mesoblattinidae - directly hit by the `degrees Big Green Revolution" associated with the switch to angiosperm bioms. Its small size (9.2 mm) confirms extremely small insects preserved within burmite (cockroaches just 7.0 mm in average) due to low viskosity of the amber. It apparently reveals number of characters present only in living genus Neoblattella SHELFoRD, 1911, which represents the extant family Ectobiidae s.l. This might indicate that the major cockroach family, housing also the common German cockroach, might have been polyphyletically derived from the Mesoblattinidae and that the splitting of this important family possibly has a taxonomical basis. The reasons for the turnover of the cockroach families were apparently beyond the change to-angiosperm ecosystems.
The fossiliferous sediments of the Lower Xianshuihe Formation at Lanzhou are among the few important Early Oligocene mammalbearing localities in China. Previous studies have revealed a diversified local fauna, including the presence of the paraceratheriid Paraceratherium huangheense that is restricted to the late Early Oligocene Lanzhou Basin. However, fossils of P. huangheense were poorly documented, with only mandibular and dental materials available. The newly discovered postcranial skeletal elements provide supplementary morphological features of P. huangheense and allow for a detailed comparison with other large-sized paraceratheres. Nevertheless, additional cranial and postcranial fossils are needed for identifiable traits at the species level. The improvement of climatic and ecological conditions - characterized by a temperate semi-arid climate and expansion of open woodlands - during the Early Oligocene in Lanzhou likely played a significant role in the distribution of giant rhinos.
Although aplodontioids are relatively common in North American Cenozoic faunas, they are rare and poorly understood in Europe. This is particularly true for Ameniscomys selenoides, which has remained enigmatic not only due to its peculiar phenotype, but also because it was previously known only from its type locality, Wintershof-West (MN3, Germany). Since its original description in 1950, no detailed revisions of the taxon have been conducted. However, the unique and hitherto most abundant fossil material of A. selenoides, collected in recent years from Ahnikov (MN3, Czech Republic), has enabled a detailed examination of both its dental and jaw morphology. The new material was analyzed alongside a revision of the type material. This study provides robust evidence that A. selenoides possesses a highly distinctive phenotype and exhibits substantial biochronological-geographical remoteness. This European taxon cannot be co-identified with any previously known subfamily and is classified within the newly established monotaxonomic subfamily Ameniscomyinae, described herein. European aplodontiid taxa are discussed in the global context of the phylogeny and paleobiogeographic distribution of Aplodontioidea. The available fossil record does not support the presence of direct autochthonous ancestors of A. selenoides in Europe. The origin of Ameniscomyinae may tentatively be traced to East Asia, with subsequent evolution confined to Eurasia.
Baetidae is one of the most diverse family within Ephemeroptera, yet its related fossil record remains sparse and fragmentary. Cretaceous fossil and amber mines have yielded several enigmatic baetid-like fossils, some previously assigned to Baetidae or its extinct subfamily Palaeocloeoninae. Here, we describe a new genus and species of Palaeocloeoninae, Zhoucloeon changfai gen. et sp. nov., based on a wellpreserved male imago from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber and demonstrate that it does not conform to the diagnosis of any known baetid genera. Comparative morphological analysis especially of wing venation and male genital structures was made between the new mayfly and related taxa. The discovery of Zhoucloeon changfai gen. et sp. nov underscores the underestimated diversity of early baetids and provides new insights into the morphological disparity of Baetidae during the Cretaceous.
The larger foraminifer Orbitolinella depressa HENSON, 1948 is currently treated as an agglutinated member of the family Orbitolinidae (subfamily Dictyoconinae) although placed into the Peneroplidae with "calcareous-porcellaneous wall" by HENSON (1950). Based new observations in thin sections provided here, a possible assignment to the Praerhapydioninidae is proposed, thus re-instating taxon within the porcelaneous group. Orbitolinella represents an orbitoliniform isomorph displaying conical test morphology with complex inner structure. Likewise, typical test features of agglutinated taxa such as bi-/triseriality (genera Tarburina SCHLAGINTWEIT et al. or Serrakielina SCHLAGINTWEIT & RASHIDI) or the occurrence of an exoskeleton (genus Reticulotaberina NAFARIEH et Praetaberina CONSORTI et al.) have also been evidenced from porcelaneous taxa. A lectotype of Orbitolinella is herein designated the original illustrations, namely an axial section of a syntype as no holotype was selected by HENSON. The genus Birbalina SAHNI SASTRI, 1957 is considered a junior synonym of Orbitolinella. O. depressa is paleogeographically restricted to the Arabian Plate Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Oman) and India (Eastern Bhutan). Our own and literature data suggest a late early to early late Cenomanian age the strata containing O. depressa.
The new family Permoneuropteridae is established on the basis of the new genus and species Permoneuroptera lapeyriea from the Middle Permian of Lodeve (Southern France). It is characterized by simple M/MP and CuA veins, while the CuP vein is very long and posteriorly pectinate. The presence of an oblique veinlet between M and R veins could correspond to the anterior branch MA of M ending into R. The general pattern of venation of the Neuroptera is discussed.
The neuropteran genus Paradoxoconis, with its two species (P. longipalpa and P. szirakii), was first described based on female specimens from Burmese amber. In this study, we describe a new male specimen of P. longipalpa, preserved in early Cenomanian Burmese amber, exhibits detailed features of the wing venation and male genitalia. The wing venation of the male is like that of the female, with the presence of a scp-ra crossvein linking the ScP to the end of RA and a series of crossveins near the wing apex. The male genitalia are characterized by a pair of large, external sclerites on the gonocoxites 9, which exhibit an apical inflation. These findings not only provide new insights into the morphology of P. longipalpa but also contribute to ongoing discussions about the genus's subfamilial classification within Coniopterygidae.
The fossil record of the family Bethylidae encompasses diverse extinct and extant subfamilies. Among the latter, the subfamily Cretabythinae, the earliest diverged lineage of Bethylidae, is restricted to the Cretaceous and species poor. This subfamily is of prime interest in understanding the evolution of bethylid wasps as it retains a combination of plesiomorphic and more derived traits. Herein, we describe and illustrate two new species of cretabythine wasp from mid-Cretaceous amber from the Kachin state (Myanmar), namely Aplatopsenella engeli gen. et sp. nov. and Holopsenelliscus bilobatus sp. nov. These descriptions let us assume that the diversity of the subfamily Cretabythinae in Burmese ambers is still underestimated.
The clade Cavilabiata experienced a great diversification during the Early Cretaceous, and has distributed globally. Until now, very few Cavilabiata were recorded from the transition period between the Early and Late Cretaceous. Herein, we describe a new valdicordulioid dragonfly, erected as: Zhixinphlebia zhangi gen. et sp. nov. of Zhixinphlebiidae fam. nov., from the Albian (ca. 104 myr ago) deposit of northeastern China. Zhixinphlebia zhangi gen. et sp. nov closely related to the Cenomanian species Gallophlebia magnifica NEL, FLECK, GARCIA, GOMEZ, FERCHAUD & VALENTIN, 2015 discovered from France, in sharing with a unique anal loop and a well-defined vein Aspl. This study indicates the long-distance dispersal ability and quick evolution of the valdicordulioid dragonflies during the mid-Cretaceous.
The Vincentown Limesand of Delaware and New Jersey, USA, offers a crucial fossil record of cheilostome bryozoans, bridging the transition from Maastrichtian-Danian to Eocene faunas. Despite its significance and extensive study as one of the best-documented bryozoan faunas in the Americas, the Vincentown Limesand cheilostome bryozoan fauna has not undergone thorough revision for nearly a century. This study provides a comprehensive revision of all cheilostome species from the Vincentown Limesand, based on specimens from collections in Germany, the UK, and the USA. We re-illustrate and redescribe the species using SEM and macro images. A total of 60 cheilostome species across 52 genera are documented, with five species declared nomina dubia due to lost or Quadrilateralia, Stavrozoon, Vincentownia, Xenikipora, Yadayadapora, and Zachosella. Additionally, we describe nine new species: "Taractopora" klausbreitenbachi, Temachia canubassleri, and Haplocephalopora foraminata, with the last three serving as replacement names due to nomenclatorial issues. Revised diagnoses are provided for the genera Acanthoporidra, Allantopora, Amphiblestrella, layers, with a notable shift from predominantly erect species in the glauconitic lower layers to a diverse range of encrusting species in the more fossiliferous upper layers, reflecting environmental changes. Our findings also highlight the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) as a critical driver of evolutionary change, demonstrating significant extinctions at the end of the Thanetian followed by rapid diversification during the Ypresian. This study underscores the importance of revising historical bryozoan faunas to better understand evolutionary shifts across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary, offering insights into current climate change and ocean acidification. Furthermore, the use of modern methodologies, such as SEM, 3D imaging, and X-ray microtomography, enhances our ability to accurately identify and classify bryozoan species, contributing to a more refined understanding of their evolutionary history.
