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Recently, the monotypic ostracod genus Ankumia van Veen, 1932 was abandoned as nomen dubium by Jones (2003, p. 85) in favour of Platella Coryell & Fields, 1937 and a new combination was proposed for the type species of Ankumia, i.e. Platella bosqueti (van Veen, 1932). However, Ankumia bosqueti from the Maastrichtian of The Netherlands was introduced as an available taxon and, as documented by Jones (2003), the specific name is valid for recognizing the species in which ‘pathological individuals with retained moults’ occur. Therefore, there is no reason to treat Ankumia as nomen dubium. Yet, although there is no doubt about the cytherellid relationship of the species, two taxonomical questions still remain.(1) Do pathological individuals of cytherellids justify specific and/or generic ranking? Certainly they do not, and demonstration of a corresponding ‘normal’ species (including ‘pathological individuals’) among the associated cytherellids is wanting. On the other hand, if these pathological individuals can be proven as representing a discrete pathological genus, Ankumia remains as a valid genus to characterize the available species name bosqueti.(2) Why should Ankumia be abandoned in favour of Platella? When van den Bold (1967, pp. 306, 308) compared Coryell & Fields’ original Gatún ostracod fauna with his own collection from the Neogene Gatún Formation in the Panama Canal Zone, he recognized the type species, Platella gatunensis, as a small-sized cytherellid moult. Over the years about a dozen small- and normal-sized cytherellid species from all over the world have been assigned to Platella, ignoring the questionable taxonomic . . .

Ein "Taqesaufschluß", aufgeschürft bei Baggerarbeiten an der Straßenböschung E Niedermoschel/Pfalz, erbrachte den ersten Nachweis von Limuliden im saarpfälzischen Unter-Rotliegenden. Die Funde werden als neue Art beschrieben und einer neuen Gattung zugeordnet: Palatinaspis beimbaueri n.g. et n.sp. Eine aus dem Stefanium der Halleschen Mulde als Pringlia fritschi W. & R. REMY 1959 beschriebene Art wird in die neue Gattung einbezogen. By excavating works for asewer along the road-cut E Niedermoschei, Palatine, a one-day-outcrop brought the first evidence for the occurrence of limulids in the Lower Permian (Unter-Rotliegendes) of the Saar-Nahe-Basin. The specimens are recognized as a new species assigned to a new genus; for which the name Palatinaspis beimbaueri n.g. et n.sp. is introduced. Pringlia fritschi W. & R. REMY 1959 known from Stephanian deposits of the Halle Mulde is affiliated to the new genus.

Fossile Libellen sind eine echte paläontoloqische Rarität. Wenn man außerdem noch von ihnen erwartet, daß sie besonders gut erhalten sind, dann werden sie zu wahren wissenschaftlichen Kostbarkeiten. Sowohl der Paläontologe als auch der Zoologe sind deshalb gleichermaßen angetan von dem einzigartigen Fossilmaterial (Abb. 1), das sich durch viele Seitenblicke auf die Formenvielfalt rezenter Libellen, ihre Morphologie, ihre Lebensweise, kurzum ihre gesamte Biologie, wieder "zu neuem Leben erwecken" läßt.