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Chitinozoan investigations on the late Middle to early Late Ordovician in South China are limited. Documented chitinozoan occurrences are mainly from the Miaopo Formation on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The present study reports new data from the Miaopo Formation at the Zhenjin section in the Yichang area. In total, 13 genera and 33 species are recognised, and three new species are described: Spinachitina? coronifera sp. nov., Lagenochitina yichangella sp. nov. and Pellichitina confragosa sp. nov. The Baltoscandian index species, Laufeldochitina striata, is documented in the lowermost part of the formation. This is the first report of this species in South China. The L. striata Biozone is suggested for the basal part of the formation due to the presence of the eponymous species. The index species of the Laufeldochitina stentor Biozone, the Armoricochitina granulifera and Cyathochitina megacalix subzones adopted in the Jieling section, are also observed in the Zhenjin section. However, according to the new data obtained at Zhenjin, the first appearance datum of C. megacalix and A. granulifera coincides with that of L. striata. Therefore, the C. megacalix Subzone is kept but moved to the L. striata Biozone. Armoricochitina granulifera has stable occurrences in almost the entire Miaopo Formation, corresponding to the Nemagraptus gracilis graptolite biozone. It is slightly older than Baltic records but could be useful for recognising this time interval in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Devonian strata in the Western Desert of Egypt contain diverse plant and animal remains, in addition to the commonly reported miospores, acritarchs and chitinozoans. These remains are of significant paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic value. This is the first study dedicated to recording these assemblages in the Devonian section in the Sifa-1X well. The zooclast assemblage described herein consists mainly of scolecodonts and remains of arthropods, notably eurypterids, arachnids and scorpions. The recovered scolecodonts belong to several species and likely three different families. The eurypterids are represented by several spines and exoskeleton cuticles. The shape and dimensions of the spines are analyzed and described. The spines vary in shape and size. A fragment of the arachnid Attercopus fimbriunguis was found in the Early Devonian. Additionally, fragments of scorpions were recovered, including pedipalp manus fragments of Compsoscorpius elegans and Corniops mapesii. The phytoclasts contain nematophytal cuticles and early plant tracheids. Some other fragments bear stomata and are attributed to the lycopsid Drepanophycus spinaeformis and the zosterophyllopsid Forania plegiospinosa. The nematophytes are represented by Nematothallus and Cosmochlaina cuticles and other tubular elements such as Porcatitubulus annulatus, Porcatitubulus spiralis, Constrictitubulus cristatus, Laevitubulus, Ornatifilum lornensis and Ornatifilum granulatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]