La nuevas divisiones de la escala global del Sistema Ordovicico, con excepcion de los pisos Tremadociense e Hirnantiense, son dificiles de aplicar en la Peninsula Iberica, pues sus estratotipos de limite radican en facies y faunas de aguas profundas, desconocidas en las plataformas someras y de paleolatitud elevada del ambito peri-gondwanico. Antes de ello, la escala regional britanico-avalonica fue utilizada en Iberia durante todo el siglo XX, pero presenta serios inconvenientes de correlacion vinculados con la propia evolucion, conceptual y de criterio, registrada en las areas tipo britanicas durante los ultimos 40 anos. Sin embargo, la escala regional bohemo-iberica es la que actualmente aporta una mayor precision a las correlaciones, pues se basa en elementos bioestratigraficos y biocronologicos de distribucion comun a todo el margen peri-gondwanico europeo y norteafricano, y la que mantiene vinculos episodicos con otras escalas regionales, que permitiran resolver progresivamente las equivalencias con la escala global.

A new study of the Upper Ordovician bryozoans belonging to the families Aisenvergiidae, Amplexoporidae, Arthrostylidae, Enalloporidae, Halloporidae, Heterotrypidae, Mesotrypidae, Ptilodictyidae, Rhinidictyidae and Trematoporidae from the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco is presented here. These bryozoans come from the calcarenitic levels of the Khabt-el-Hajar Formation, upper Katian, where for the first time the orders Fenestrata and Cryptostomata are described in this formation. This fauna inhabited an upper offshore environment and represent high-energy deposits, typical of a shore face environment, as well as storm-induced deposits. A total of 15 species included in 13 genera, 10 of them only identified in the calcarenitic levels of the Khabt-el-Hajar Formation, and two incertae sedis taxa are described. A new species, Trematopora vesiculata, is defined. An update of the Upper Ordovician bryozoan presence/absence database, including the 22 genera described in total in the Khabt-el-Hajar Formation, has been carried out. The augmented database has been analysed with two multivariate statistical techniques: detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCO), in order to assess the palaeogeographic affinity of this fauna, and the results show that Moroccan bryozoans, in spite of belonging to the fauna developed in the highest latitudes during the upper Katian, have a clear Mediterranean affinity.

The regional chronostratigraphy of the British Ordovician, established mainly for shelly facies, is hard to correlate in the Iberian Peninsula, especially after the separation and drift of Avalonia from Gondwana by the early Middle Ordovician. The same applies to the Ordovician global scale, whose stratotypes involve deeper-water facies and faunas not recorded in the high-paleolatitudinal settings of southern peri-Gondwana. In order to solve the problem, an alternative regional scheme for the "Mediterranean" Ordovician was proposed in the 1970s. This comprises five regional stages plus the global Tremadocian and Hirnantian, which are largely based on the distribution of endemic shelly fossils combined with some graptolites and a good palynological record. This Ordovician scale presents precise correlation potential for southwestern and central Europe (Ibero-Armorica, Sardinia, Bohemia, Bulgaria) and may be extended around the Mediterranean region. Sporadic occurrences of graptolites and shelly faunas of Baltic or Avalonian affinities allow for indirect correlation with the global stages through their own regional scales.

Bryozoan fauna was discovered within the glaciogenic sediments of an Ordovician (Hirnantian) tunnel valley infill near Alnif, Morocco where it had been redeposited from the upper Tiouririne Formation (Ktaoa Group, Katian). This fauna contains four species—one esthonioporine, two trepostomes and one rhabdomesine cryptostome—of which three are new: Revalotrypa ramosa sp. nov., Radiotrypa alnifensis sp. nov. and Heminematopora gaetula sp. nov. The fourth species, Monotrypa sp., is described using open nomenclature. Branched colonies of R. alnifensis sp. nov. are the most abundant element of the bryozoan-rich floatstones of the upper Tiouririne Formation in which bryozoans were deposited after being transported for a short distance. The genus Radiotrypa was previously known exclusively from the Hirnantian of Sweden, and the genus Heminematopora was known from the Upper Ordovician of North America and Europe. Study of the internal morphology of Heminematopora confirmed the presence of heterozooecia in this genus.

Lingulate brachiopod fauna from Suchomasty Limestone (upper Emsian, P. serotinus Zone) are examined Eleven species were observed, of which Kosagittella robusta, Chynithele intermedia, Lochkothele rugellata and Praeoldertella lukesi are described as new taxa. Associated Oparrilkiella kobyla, Havlicekionfrydai and Opsiconidion coralinus were descri.bed previously from the Chynice Limestone of the.Barrandian area. Four taxa are left in open nomenclature including further evidence of the siphonotretid Orbaspina in the upper Ernsian. The composition of the fauna shows distinct difference to other Emslan and Life lian Ungulate brachiopod faunas of the Koneprusy area of the.Barrandian.

Abstract. A study of the Upper Ordovician trepostomate bryozoans belonging to the families Amplexoporidae and Monticuliporidae, from the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco, is presented here. They occur in the marly to fine-grained limestone, intermediate unit of the Khabt-el-Hajar Formation, late Katian in age, representing outer-ramp depositional environments. They inhabited the highest paleolatitude known for a bryozoan fauna during the Ordovician, estimated at more than 65–70°S. A total of 11 species of the genera Anaphragma, Atactoporella, Homotrypa, Monotrypa, Monticulipora, and Prasopora are described. Three species are already known from the equatorial-tropical paleocontinents of Baltica, Laurentia, and Siberia: Anaphragma mirabile, Monotrypa jewensis, and Prasopora falesi. Four new taxa are described:Anaphragma undulata, Atactoporella moroccoensis, Monticulipora globulata, and Monticulipora irregularis. The two species of Anaphragma and the one of Atactoporella display significantly larger zoarial sizes than congeneric species, representing gigantism among bryozoans. Polar gigantism is rejected for the two species of Anaphragma as is gigantism related to photosynthetic endosymbionts. An alternative proposal for their giant size is their long zoarial life span due to their well-balanced, robust branching form, with a relatively wide basal supporting surface, adapted to unconsolidated substrates in environments below wave base. Their great stability in outer-ramp environments, with infrequent storms, would allow the zoaria to grow for an extended time and reach large sizes before being overturned and buried. Atactoporella moroccoensis, has both zoaria and zooecia gigantic, suggesting a hypothesis of polar gigantism.

Abstract. New Upper Ordovician trepostomate bryozoans from the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco have been identified. They have been collected from the lower and intermediate units of the Khabt-el-Hajar Formation, late Katian in age, representing, respectively, bryozoan-pelmatozoan meadows with siliciclastic input, degraded by wave activity in a mid-ramp setting, and outer-ramp environments with marly substrates. Ten species of the genera Cyphotrypa, Calloporella, Diplotrypa, Parvohallopora, Dekayia, and Aostipora are described. Of them, three species are new: Cyphotrypa regularis Jiménez-Sánchez, Parvohallopora cystata Jiménez-Sánchez, and Aostipora elongata Jiménez-Sánchez. Univariate statistical analyses of the sub-polar Moroccan species, in addition to other congeneric species of high, middle, and low latitudes, corroborate that for the trepostomate bryozoan the temperature of the ambient water was a primary control on zooecium size variations. Nevertheless, other environmental factors, besides temperature, must have also influenced significantly the zooid size, at least in low latitudes. Our data also give further support for considering the zooecium wall thickness as a limiting factor for the zooid size increment with latitude in the trepostomates.

UPPER ORDOVICIAN CRYPTOSTOMATID BRYOZOANS AND MICROFOSSILS FROM THE DON BRAULIO FORMATION, EASTERN PRECORDILLERA, ARGENTINA: In the classical section of the Don Braulio Creek at the Villicum Range, Eastern Precordillera of San Juan Province, crops out the siliciclastic Don Braulio Formation of Hirnantian age. Fragments of bryozoan colonies, few poorly preserved sponge spicules and a crinoidal plate, were recovered from these shelf sediments. The bryozoan colonies remains are characterized by its erect growth habit, its small diameter, and for showing clear longitudinal striations. These fragments have a poor preservation, but they have been compared with the genus Nematopora belonging to the Arthrostylidae family (Rhobdomesina suborder, Cryptostomata order), that had numerous representatives during the Ordovician. Very scarce and highly fragmented sponge spicules are classified as hexactins. These microfossils have been recovered in the post-glacial deposits from the Don Braulio section at the Villicum range. Resumen: BRYOZOOS CRYPTOSTOMATIDOS Y MICROFOSILES DE LA FORMACION DON BRAULIO, ORDOVICICO SUPERIOR, PRECORDILLERA ORIENTAL, ARGENTINA: En la clasica seccion de la Quebrada de Don Braulio, en la Precordillera Oriental de la Provincia de San Juan, aflora la Formacion Don Braulio de edad hirnantiana. Fragmentos de colonias de Bryozoos,algunas espiculas de esponjas mal conservadas y una placa de crinoideos, fueron recuperados de los sedimentos silicoclasticos de esta formacion. Los restos de las colonias de briozoos se caracterizan por su habito de crecimiento erecto, su diametro pequeno y por la presencia de estriaciones longitudinales. Estos fragmentos tienen una pobre preservacion, sin embrago los mismos han sido comparados con el genero Nematopora perteneciente a la familia Arthrostylidae (suborden Rhobdomesina, orden Cryptostomata), que tuvo numerosos representantes durante el Ordovicico. Escasas y fragmentadas espiculas de esponja hexactinellidas y otros tipos de microfosiles tambien han sido recuperados de los depositos post-glaciales de la Formacion Don Braulio.

Several studies have revealed temperature-related patterns in recent bryozoans, both in the chemical composition of the skeleton and in the morphological characters of the colonies, but comparable studies on Palaeozoic bryozoans are lacking. In this paper a statistical analysis of the morphological differences is undertaken between congeneric species of some Ordovician bryozoans from warm-and cold-water settings. For this study ten eurythermic cosmopolitan bryozoan genera from the Upper Ordovician were selected from the Mediterranean, Avalonia, Baltic and Laurentia-Siberian provinces. These genera are: Ceramopora and Ceramoporella (Cystoporata); Diplotrypa, Eridotrypa, Hallopora, Heterotrypa, Monticulipora and Trematopora (Trepostomata); Graptodictya (Cryptostomata); and Kukersella (Cyclostomata). The study involved 154 samples belonging to 104 different species. Twenty-eight morphological characters were measured, although only 21 were used in the final statistical analysis. Univariate (t, F, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Mann-Whitney tests), multivariate discriminant and multivariate ordination (Principal Coordinates, Principal Components, Correspondence, and Detrended Correspondence) analyses were performed on the data. For the univariate and multivariate discriminant analyses, the total set of samples was divided a priori into cold-and warm-water subsets based on palaeolatitude: samples from the Mediterranean province were attributed to the cold-water subset, whereas samples from Avalonia, Baltic and the Laurentian-Siberian provinces were included in the warm-water subset. For the multivariate ordination analysis no a priori grouping by water temperature was imposed, and the aim of these analyses was to test whether different samples were correctly arranged along a water temperature gradient. The univariate statistical analysis showed that there are clear morphological differences between cold-and warm-water species in six of the ten Late Ordovician bryozoan genera analysed in this study, although these differences are only evident for some of the characters used, and only when the analysis is performed on individual genera. The best characters to differentiate species by water temperature are those related to the size of the zooidal polymorphs, especially the diameters of the autozooecia, mesozooecia and exilazooecia. With the exception of one genus (Trematopora), cold-water species have larger zooids. The discriminant analysis was able to classify correctly as warm-or cold-water 100% of the samples for two genera, slightly below 95% for two other genera, and between 67% and 90% for the remaining six genera. Finally, the multivariate ordination analysis was able to separate species by palaeogeographical province in some genera, but these provinces were not correctly arranged along a palaeolatitudinal gradient using any of the methods used.

The family Harknessellidae Bancroft, 1928 (Orthida, Dalmanellidina) was designed to embrace an assemblage of species referred previously to Harknessella Reed, 1917, and included five genera known mainly from the Middle and Upper Ordovician of England. Herein, we suggest reassigning to this family the genus Cacemia Mitchell, 1974, widespread in the middle Darriwilian (upper Middle Ordovician) of the Iberian and Armorican massifs. Since its designation, Cacemia was placed among the dalmanellidin heterorthids, in spite of its strongly mucronate hinge line, which is totally unknown within this Mediterranean family. A new harknessellid has been identified from the upper Darriwilian beds of the Central Iberian Zone (Central Spain): Isabelella fascicostellata Reyes-Abril & Villas gen. et sp. nov. It is similar to Horderleyella Bancroft, 1928 for its coarsely fascicostellate radial ornamentation and obtuse cardinal angles, although its convexoplane to convexoconcave profile allows discrimination from the typically dorsibiconvex Horderleyella. A phylogenetic analysis of the family places both Cacemia and Isabelella in basal positions of their clades, which fits with their early stratigraphic record. Based on our study, the family Harknessellidae appears to have originated in the high latitude Mediterranean margins of Gondwana during pre-Darriwilian times, before the detachment of Avalonia from Gondwana. The family reached its highest diversification in Avalonia throughout the Late Ordovician, keeping connections with the Mediterranean and Proto-Andean margins of Gondwana, as well as with the mid-latitude palaeocontinents of Baltica and South China.

The cell cycle of slowly growing bacteria consists of three phases that resemble the eukaryotic cell cycle: the pre initiation, replication and post-replication periods, termed B, C and D, respectively. However, bacteria are also capable of very rapid growth, whereas the replication period remains long and hence the B period disappears and a round of replication is triggered before the previous one is finished. Several frequently used methods yield an incomplete analysis of these rapidly growing bacterial cultures. However, DNA distributions obtained by flow cytometry can be used to fully unravel the bacterial cell cycle independently of the duration of each period. In the present work, we have compared the accuracy of the cell cycle parameters estimation in different cultures. Whereas, for a given DNA per cell content, the accuracy of the C period determination by flow cytometry is essentially independent of the cell cycle, the precision of the D period estimation is inversely correlated with the number of replication forks per chromosome. We have established a data analysis routine to estimate the accuracy of the cell cycle parameters determination.

The new genus Iberostomata (Bryozoa, Ptilodictyina) from the Cystoid Limestone Formation in the Iberian Chains (NE Spain) is here described and its phylogenetic relationships analyzed using cladistic methods. Twenty-eight identifying characters used in traditional systematics have been codified for nine ptilodictyine families, two timanodictyine families and 34 ptilodictyine genera. The results obtained in this analysis place the new genus Iberostomata and the genus Stellatodictya, traditionally included in the family Ptilodictyidae, in the family Rhinidictyidae, question the validity of the family Intraporidae, question the assignment of Amurodictya and Astrovidictya to the family Stictoporellidae, as well as the assignment of the genera Junggarotrypa, Goniotrypa, and Prophyllodictya to the family Rhinidictyidae, and place the family Phragmopheridae in a uncertain systematic position.

A quantitative palaeobiogeographical study of the late Katian bryozoans provides new insights into the debate on climatic changes immediately prior to the Hirnantian glaciation. It focuses primarily on the Mediterranean bryozoans, for which new data are now available, and compares their distribution with those from other Gondwanan terranes and the rest of the Late Ordovician palaeocontinents. The analysis shows that the bryozoans that invaded the Mediterranean margin of Gondwana, during the late Katian global transgression, were not a simple expansion of the range of those inhabiting the palaeocontinent of Baltica. The immigrant associations, although preserving Baltic affinities, developed an independent faunal signal, denoting clear environmental differences from those in the tropical palaeocontinents from which they came. The largest bryozoan biogeographical units underwent reorganization during the late Katian. They intermixed at low latitudes, making it impossible to distinguish between the former Siberian and North-American provinces, and a new independent Mediterranean Province emerged at mid latitudes. The late Katian loss of endemism amongst the bryozoans at tropical latitudes is counter to the increasing endemism reported for other tropical faunas in support of the hypothesis of a global warming event. However, the extinction of several bryozoan genera in tropical palaeocontinents, simultaneously with their immigration into the Mediterranean cool waters, is consistent with the hypothesis of a late Katian global warming: the Boda event. The Mediterranean Province bordered the southern half of Gondwana and could have extended from what is now Himalayan India to the Precordilleran terrane of Argentina. A palaeolatitude between 40 and 55° south is suggested for the province.

Bryozoans are among the most abundant fossil groups in the cool water limestones that characterize the uppermost Katian (Upper Ordovician) of Southwestern Europe and North Africa. The Cystoid Limestone Formation, the representative unit of those widespread rocks in the Iberian Chains (NE Spain), yields one of the most diversified bryozoan faunas of the whole area. Herein the first systematic description of the trepostomate family Monticuliporidae is undertaken, this is one of the most diverse families within the associations collected. Four species of the genera Monticulipora and Prasopora are described, including the new species Monticulipora cystiphragmata n. sp. and Prasopora spjeldnaesi n. sp., and an indeterminate Monticuliporidae. Monticulipora and Prasopora have shown to be very similar genera, with several species that are difficult to distinguish between them. Their diagnoses include common features such as the wall microstructure, density of mesozoecia, and number of acanthostyles. Herein a new generic diagnosis of Monticulipora is proposed, putting special emphasis on the shape and distribution of cystiphragms. The species Monticulipora kolaluensis is identified for the first time out of Siberia. Although the record of these new taxa can indicate a certain isolation of the Iberian Chains region within the North Gondwana platform, the occurrence of Prasopora carnica shows a relation to the neighbouring Carnic Alps (Italy and Austria).

The upper Katian (Upper Ordovician) bryozoans from the Iberian Chains (NE Spain) are described. Twenty-three species are identified, five of them are new, seven were already identified in other paleocontinents and Mediterranean localities, four are provisionally referred to other known species, and seven are undetermined species. All of them belong to 22 genera assigned to 14 families, and to one incertae sedis genera. The five Stenolaemata orders (Cryptostomata, Cyclostomata, Cystoporata, Fenestrata and Trepostomata) are represented here, Trepostomata and Cryptostomata being the most abundant and diverse. The trepostome family Halloporidae is the one with the highest diversity, with 4 genera and 5 species described here. The five new species are the cryptostomes Pseudostictoporella iberiensis sp. nov., characterized by the presence of superior hemisepta in the autozooecia, and Prophyllodictya javieri sp. nov., also characterized by the presence of superior hemisepta in the autozooecia and by its small exilazooecia; the cystoporate Ceramoporella inclinata sp. nov., whose main diagnostic character is the constant autozooecial inclination; and the trepostomates Dybowskites ernsti sp. nov., easily recognizable by its large autozooecial and mesozooecial apertures, as well as by its large acanthostyles and Trematopora acanthostylita sp. nov., mainly characterized by the absence of diaphragms in its mesozooecia and numerous, large acanthostyles.

In this work we characterized the mechanism by which the stalled replication forks generated under depletion of deoxynucleotides (dNTP) are processed and the relationship of the fork processing with the viability of the cell. RFR occurred at the stalled forks generated by hydroxyurea treatment (chemical inactivation of NDP reductase), was impaired under incubation of nrdA 101 mutant at 42 degrees C (structural inactivation of NDP reductase), and did not take place under thymine starvation. Viability experiments confirmed RFR model predictions and supported that thymineless death (TLD) is related with the processing of the stalled forks. Furthermore we show that TLD conditions Suppressor generated stalled forks processed by RFR. We Suggest is that the connection between DNA replication and TLD is through the fate of the stalled replication forks when thymine is removed.

In the lower-middle Ashgill Cystoid Limestone Formation of the Iberian Chains (NE Spain) twenty one bryozoan genera have been identified, which belong to the four Stenolaemata orders that were already spread worldwide by the Mid Ordovician: Cryptostomata, Cyclostomata, Cystoporata. and Trepostomata. Five of them: Cyclophaenopora Spjeldnaes, Glauconomella Bassler, Orbignyella Ulrich and Bassler, Phaenopora Hall and Pseudostictoporella Ross have been identified here for the first time in the Mediterranean Province. This list increases the number of bryozoan genera known to sixty six, making it the most diversified group in the region for that period.

We have synthesized two thiourea derivatives of methyl anthranilate (1, 2) and their complexes with nickel (3) and platinum(II) (4). We have also prepared the complexes of nickel(II) with two benzoylthiourea derivatives (5, 6). The obtained compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, UV-vis, NMR), mass spectrometry and thermal analysis. Compound 1, C20H23N3O2S, crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21/n, with Z=4, and unit cell parameters, a=8.8042(4) Å, b=7.6608(3) Å, c=28.834(2) Å, α=γ=90°, β=90.94(1) °. Compound 2, C20H21N3O3S, crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21/c, with Z=4, and unit cell parameters, a=7.7345(4) Å, b=8.6715(4) Å, c=29.113(2) Å, α=γ=90 °, β=90.67(1) °. Compound 5, C24H30N4NiO2S2, crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21/n, with Z=4, and unit cell parameters, a=10.4317(8) Å, b=18.517(2) Å, c=13.299(1) Å, α=γ=90 °, β=104.53(1) °. Compound 6, C25H28Cl2N4NiO4S2, crystallizes with a molecule of CH2Cl2 in triclinic space group P-1, with Z=2, and unit cell parameters, a=10.362(1) Å, b=11.849(2) Å, c=12.536(2) Å, α=90.04(2) °, β=84.73(1) °, γ=113.43(2) °. Compounds 1 and 2 show antifungal activity against the major pathogens responsible for important plant diseases (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum fragariae, Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma betae). The antifungal activity is practically the same for morpholine and ethyl derivatives.