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The Lower Red Formation (LRF) in Central Iran consists of the alternation of red-brown terrigenous sediments, marls and evaporites with basalt intercalations, exposed under the Chattian-Burdigalian Qom Formation and deposited on Eocene volcaniclastic sediments. The LRF is considered Rupelian in age. In the Deh Nar area, between Qom and Kashan cities, the LRF includes a basal conglomerate, alternations of brown-red sandstone and shale, colored marls with evaporite diapirs and top eroded red sandstone, with dark gray and green basalt lava intercalations. These sedimentary rocks are deposited in fluvial and playa environments, influenced by volcanic activities. Lower sandstone layers of the LRF in Deh Nar contain numerous vertebrate footprints, mostly preserved as convex hyporeliefs. Bird footprints are identified as Ardeipeda egretta, Aviadactyla vialovi, Avipeda phoenix and Gruipeda dominguensis. Small bird footprints are attributed to small, incumbent anisodactyl shoreline birds, such as sandpipers, and the larger of them to Gruiformes and Ciconiiformes, such as Ardeidae and Ciconiidae. Mammal footprints include Dehnaripus incognitus ign. nov. and isp. nov., Lophiopus isp., Moropopus elongatus, Moropopus kashanensis isp. nov., Platykopus stuartjohnstoni, and Zanclonychopus isp. Dehnaripus incognitus is large circular manus and pes imprints; usually, they show unorganized, large, radial surface wrinkles and their digital or metatarsal/ metacarpal imprints are ambiguous. Moropopus kashanensis is tridactyl mammal pes and manus imprints and is distinguished by sharp, claw-like imprints in lateral digits of the manus from Moropopus elongatus. Most probably, the mammal tridactyl footprints of Deh Nar made by three toed, medium- to large sized terrestrial herbivores perissodactyls such as Tapiroidea. Platykopus and Zanclonychopus, however, were remained by large carnivores such as Amphicyonidae or Ursidae. Trackmakers of footprints in the LRF of Deh Nar area lived under hot and dry conditions of terrestrial and evaporitic environments, after cool and dry conditions of the Early Oligocene.

Abstract Sus arvernensis is a Pliocene species that occupies a key position in the evolution of suids (Suidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) in Eurasia, and besides, it is considered important for biochronological correlations and paleoecological inferences. However, our knowledge on S. arvernensis is largely based on fossil remains from southwestern Europe. Here, we present a revision of the Hungarian fossil record of S. arvernensis. Up to now, the species was known from only two localities of Hungary, Gödöllő (central Hungary) and Süttő (northwest Hungary), and the latter occurrence has even been questioned. After the comparison with other relevant samples of S. arvernensis, of the Early Pleistocene S. strozzii, and of the extant wild boar S. scrofa (motivated by previous attributions and the chronology of the localities), the presence of S. arvernensis from Gödöllő and Süttő is confirmed, and more material of the species is described from Beremend (southern Hungary) and Kisláng (western Hungary). Collectively, the results of the revision carried out herein reveal a relatively widespread distribution of S. arvernensis in Hungary, hence providing an important link from the eastern to western European fossil record of the species. The specimens from Gödöllő and Süttő are slightly larger than the other material of S. arvernensis from France and Italy included in the biometric comparison, although the paucity of the material precludes to evaluate whether these differences are significant and to relate them to a chronological and/or geographical context. The occurrence of S. arvernensis in the Hungarian localities considered in this work is a biochronological indication of an age older than at least 2.6 Ma, since the species is not recorded after the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition. This in agreement with the age estimates available so far for some of the localities or provides new insights. At Süttő, in particular, the identification of S. arvernensis reinforces the view that travertine deposition started already in the Pliocene.

Megalolamna is an elusive extinct shark genus (Lamniformes: Otodontidae) previously known from the upper Oligocene–Miocene of the USA, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Japan. Here, we document the first occurrence of Megalolamna from Miocene marine deposits in Europe, specifically from Austria, France, Germany, and Italy. Although the taxon is regarded as a monospecific genus, this study reveals that the species name serotinus has the priority over any previously used names for the taxon and thus redescribes it as Megalolamna serotinus (Probst), comb. nov. This study is also significant because it demonstrates the existence of Megalolamna in the Mediterranean and Paratethys seas during the Miocene. Megalolamna inhabited the tropical–mid-latitudinal zones with spotty but wide geographic distribution.

Depending on taxonomic opinion, between four and five turtle species are well attested for the Middle Eocene Messel Pit formation of Germany. Here, we describe specimen SMF ME-3495 from the Messel collection of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt, which unambiguously corresponds to an additional turtle species. The specimen consists of a partial anterior plastral lobe that can be distinguished from other Messel turtle taxa on the basis of the presence of gular tubercles, an extensive epiplastral lip, narrow gulars that lap onto the entoplastron, and a sinuous gulo-humeral sulcus. The fragment is not sufficient to diagnose another contemporary European turtle taxon, but its epiplastral lip morphology is reminiscent of “ptychogasterid” geoemydids (Cryptodira). We also remark on bone corrosion consistent with “shell disease” and distinctive coloration.

Abstract Only a few Swiss fossil localities are known globally and of which, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Monte San Giorgio, which extends from Switzerland into Italy, is the most important one. Following the discovery of the occurrence of articulated skeletons of marine reptiles in the local mines, large excavations were organized by Bernhard Peyer from the University of Zurich starting 1924. With this collection of articles, we commemorate the successful excavations and research, which initiated the publication of a series of monographies, mostly on the vertebrates but also on the invertebrates of this locality. Especially with the discovery of several remarkably similar Konservat-Lagerstätten in China, the discoveries from Monte San Giorgio gained global relevance. New methodologies such as computed tomography produced a wealth of new data, particularly on endocranial anatomy of several tetrapods.

The semi-articulated remains of two specimens of the putative diplobelid coleoid species of Clarkeiteuthis and a coleoid of uncertain affinity (possibly a phragmoteuthid) are described from a single bed in the Blue Lias Formation (early Hettangian, Planorbis Subchronozone) of the Somerset coast (United Kingdom). Remains of Hettangian, (Early Jurassic) coleoids are generally rare worldwide and consist largely of disassociated hard parts. Previously, the oldest recorded putative diplobelids (Clarkeiteuthis) were known from the Sinemurian of Dorset. The Somerset specimens extend their range into the earliest Jurassic, shortly after the end Triassic mass extinction. Combined with the coleoid of uncertain affinity and a previously described belemnitid, this assemblage is significant in the light of the Mesozoic radiation of coleoids. Several isolated coleoid ink sacs are also known from the same bed, suggesting that this unit may have some of the properties of a Lagerstätte. The relatively frequent occurrence of coleoids in this bed combined with a record of an ichthyosaur stomach containing numerous arm hooks attributable to Clarkeiteuthis (Planorbis Chronozone of Dorset) suggest that coleoids may have been relatively abundant and diverse during the earliest Jurassic.

The discinid brachiopod from the Lower Triassic Osawa Formation in the Southern Kitakami Terrane, Japan, exhibited a unique morphological combination of a narrow pedicle track (listrium) and a V-shaped large depressed area, thereby suggesting an intermediate form between the Palaeozoic Orbiculoidea and the extant Discinisca. Based on these characteristics, we propose Bronzoria recta gen. et sp. nov., a genus that appeared in the late Permian and was widely distributed during the Triassic period. Morphological analysis of extant discinids revealed that the pedicle area showed an arrowhead-shaped median plate and a pair of semilunar plates, equivalent to the inner and outer listrial plates of Palaeozoic-type discinids, respectively. Consequently, there are great differences in the development of the pedicle area, i.e., the large pedicle area of extant discinids is suitable for robust pedicle attachment, whereas the narrow pedicle area of Bronzoria gen. nov. suggests a free-lying mode of life. Given the relationship between pedicle-related structures and the mode of life, we hypothesised that the evolution of the large depressed area preceded the development of the pedicle area. Subsequently, the large depressed area accommodated a larger pedicle, facilitating an autecological innovation for pedicle attachment, as observed in extant species.

Graptolites represent one of the most important index fossils for the lower to middle Paleozoic biostratigraphy worldwide. Compared to other regions, graptolite faunas exhibited a marked decrease in diversity in Argentina during the Silurian, what resulted in reduced and low-varied registers and denied biostratigraphic works in its territory. This study introduces new Silurian graptolite faunas from the Los Espejos Formation, Poblete Norte section, Central Precordillera of Argentina. A total of thirteen graptolitic levels were identified, containing Bohemograptus bohemicus, Lobograptus sp., Saetograptus argentinus argentinus, Saetograptus cf. S. varians, Uncinatograptus uncinatus notouncinatus, Uncinatograptus elsae sp. nov., and Uncinatograptus lisandroi sp. nov. The occurrence of Uncinatograptus spp. in association with B. bohemicus could indicate the presence of the lower Gorstian Neodiversograptus nilssoni Biozone. A few meters above, the finding of S. a. argentinus in association with S. cf. S. varians, U. u. notouncinatus, and Lobograptus sp. suggest the presence of the lower Gorstian Lobograptus progenitor Biozone. The upper graptolitic beds yield specimens of S. a. argentinus and B. bohemicus, suggesting late Gorstian to early Ludfordian ages. These new graptolite faunas allow to correlate more precisely with local (Precordillera and Famatina), regional (North Western Argentina and Bolivia) and global equivalent sections. This discovery introduces new graptolite faunas, first-time recorded in South America, proposes for the first time a graptolite biostratigraphy for the Ludlow of Precordillera, and complements so far insufficient knowledge on Ludlovian graptolitic faunas of the continent in a critical time in the history of this fossil group.

We describe a new genus of Leliacladus Batista & L.Kunzmann with the type species Leliacladus (Brachyphyllum) castilhoi (Duarte, 1985) Batista & L.Kunzmann gen. nov. et comb. nov., a rare fossil conifer that has been described from the Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Romualdo Formation of the Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. We decided to leave this new fossil-genus unasigned to any existing family as it does not display sufficient number of anatomical characters. We re-studied the type material of the type species as well as we described additional new material from the Aptian Crato Formation of the same basin. The more recently found fossil materials include large portions of leafy shoots excavated from laminated lacustrine limestones. In contrast to the type material, the new material shows the replacement of organic matter by iron oxide, which is suitable for investigating anatomical features of the wood and leaves. The material allowed for a reappraisal of the systematic position of the fossil plant. Together, the morphological and anatomical characters revealed sufficient evidence to separate the conifer from Brachyphyllum and accommodate it in a new fossil-genus. Leliacladus gen. nov. is defined by the presence of comparatively thick and short claviform lateral branches, and the absence of thinner ultimate order branches with gradual tapering axes. The wood is characterized by dense tracheids with uniseriate pitting in the radial walls and cross-fields that possess one or two large pits. The rays are one to three cells high. The epidermises of the densely and helically arranged scale leaves show non-papillate cyclocytic stomatal complexes slightly sunken that are mostly scattered and randomly arranged across the abaxial surface. This combination of characters suggests the material belongs to the conifer families Podocarpaceae or Cheirolepidiaceae. The arrangement of the sparsely branched, but woody shoots of Leliacladus castilhoi gen. nov. et comb. nov. suggest a hypothetical candelabra-like growth habit of the plant, and the remarkable thickness of the axes suggests a hypothetical xeromorphic adaptation to the semiarid paleoenvironment.

Pseudosuchians were the dominant group of archosaurs on continental ecosystems during the Triassic. However, studies that report palaeopathologies based on osteohistological evidence in this group are scarce. Here, two cases of palaeopathologies found in appendicular bones of two clades of pseudosuchians are presented: Aetosauria, a distal fragment of the fibula of Aetosauroides scagliai and Erpetosuchidae, the distal half of the tibia of Tarjadia ruthae from the Ischigualasto and Chañares formations, respectively (province of La Rioja, Argentina). The cortex in both specimens is composed of woven-fibred bone in the deepest part and by parallel-fibred bone in the subperiosteum. Towards the outermost portion of the cortex, a thin layer of periosteal bone with an irregular margin is recorded, mainly formed by a fibrolamellar bone vascularized with relatively wide and anastomosed radial canals. These features are compatible with a specific tissue recognized in pathological conditions, the radial fibrolamellar bone (RFB), generated by periosteal reactive bone. Additionally, a thin layer of parallel-fibred/lamellar bone crossed this structure in A. scagliai and surrounding the outermost portion in both specimens. The presence of RFB shows an abnormally accelerated bony overgrowth. However, due to the short thickness of this layer and the subsequent formation of parallel-fibred bone, it indicates a slowdown in its development and a possible recovery of the pathological condition. The configuration of the injury is compatible with periostitis and it constitutes the first record of this type of pathologies in non-crocodylomorph pseudosuchians. As the causes for this benign injury, it is inferred a non-traumatic stress followed by a pyogenic infection.

Bioclaustrations are among the best ways that parasitic associations are preserved. A new bioclaustration, Haplorygma productidophilia csp. nov., is here described from the ventral interior of the Carboniferous productid brachiopod Eomarginifera lobata. The location and morphology of the structures in the ventral valve differ from the structure in the dorsal valve, suggesting that two different organisms infested the shells of Eomarginifera lobata. It is possible that whether it was ventral or dorsal valve was an important selection criterion for the infesting organisms, which were likely parasites. The proportion of infested productids was low in the population (5.8%). This low infestation rate could indicate that productids had effective methods for resisting parasites, or that the parasites were ineffective in spreading through the brachiopod population.

Despite their relative abundance, members of the family Hypertragulidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) have proved a conundrum regarding species diversity in the Turtle Cove Member (Oligocene) of the John Day Formation, located in central and eastern Oregon. Three species and two separate genera are described in the area, but previous research lacks statistical support for this level of variation. We use coefficients of variation (V) on measurements of dentition and astragali of hypertragulid specimens designated Hypertragulus hesperius, Hypertragulus minutus, and Nanotragulus planiceps as a metric for determining whether there were multiple species present in the population. Asymptotic and modified signed-likelihood ratio V equality tests show that V values of anterior-posterior molar length and transverse molar width vary significantly when comparing single species of modern ecological analogs (Muntiacus muntjak, Muntiacus reevesi, and Tragulus javanicus) to groupings of a combined population. However, the V equality tests on dental and postcranial measurements yield almost no significant results when comparing variation in the extinct John Day hypertragulids to an extant population comprised of a single species. Similar comparisons between astragali measurements of hypertragulids and T. javanicus express no significant difference in the level of variation from the combined population to a modern single species. The low level of variation in the hypertragulids and the lack of differentiation between dental characters of individuals does not statistically support the hypothesis that there were multiple species present in the population, suggesting either that cryptic species may be present but impossible to identify without soft tissue remains, or there may have been taxonomic over-splitting of a single hypertragulid species in the John Day region.

Mesozoic deep-bodied actinopterygians are of interest given, among others, the various modes of feeding exhibited by these fishes. Regrettably, most of their fossil record is restricted to a limited number of localities in Europe. During the Late Jurassic fragmentation of Pangaea, the exchange of fauna between the European Tethys and the paleo-Pacific (southwestern of the South American region) was possible via the marine pathways connecting these areas. This exchange led to the speciation of fish taxa, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. Although new species are continuously being discovered, our understanding of the Late Jurassic marine ichthyofaunas of the Southern Hemisphere remains limited. The Mesozoic ichthyofaunas of the Antarctic seas are rich but relatively poorly known presenting a significant opportunity for further research. Noteworthy, previous reports have documented the presence of actinopterygians in the Late Jurassic of the Antarctic Peninsula. Since 2016, a team of researchers from Argentina has been exploring the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Ameghino (= Nordenskjöld) Formation outcrops, resulting in the discovery of a large collection of actinopterygian fishes. Nevertheless, most of the material remains undescribed. In this article, we report the discovery of a deep-bodied actinopterygian found at the Longing Gap, the type locality of the Ameghino Formation in the Antarctic Peninsula. The study of these newly collected materials allows for their taxonomic assignment to Ameghinichthys antarcticus, a taxon previously described for the locality but based on isolated and fragmentary material. Additionally, this study confirms that A. antarcticus belongs to Dapediiformes. Ameghinichthys antarcticus is among the youngest records of Dapediiformes and represents the southernmost record of the group worldwide.

A new crinoid fauna is described from the Trogkofel Group of the Southern Karavanke Mountains, Slovenia (lower Permian, Artinskian). This fauna is from a shallow platform or upper slope setting and is comprised primarily of isolated aboral cups. One taxon, Protencrinus baliensis, previously described from the lower Permian of Crete, is the only species known from elsewhere. New taxa from the Trogkofel Group include Karavankecrinus bedici gen. et sp. nov., Moapacrinus dovjensis sp. nov., Parastachyocrinus sloveniaensis sp. nov., and Sinocrinus websteri sp. nov. Several taxa are left in open nomenclature, including Dieuryocrinus? sp., Platycrinitidae indet., Eucladida indet. A, and unidentified Crinoidea. If Dieuryocrinus? sp. belongs to Dieuryocrinus, this would expand the range of this genus, previously known from the Viséan (Mississippian) of the United Kingdom. Other genera are well known as lower Permian taxa. In addition, the species-level systematics of Parastachyocrinus is revised, and one new species from the lower Permian of Timor is described, P. wanneri sp. nov.

The first calcareous nannoplankton extinction and recovery close to the Triassic/Jurassic boundary (TJB) were studied in two Tatra Mountains sections of Kardolína and Furkaska. The studied sediments were deposited in an intra-shelf depression of the Tethyan shelf (the Zliechov Basin). Rare nannofossil assemblages were discovered in both sections. Rhaetian nannofossils are characterized by the dominance of Prinsiosphaera triassica and by episodic increases in the abundance of small-sized coccoliths. Coccoliths belonging to Calyculus? kardolinae sp. nov. were found on tops of the bedding planes. Triassic index species Eoconusphaera aff. hallstattensis was also recovered, it is rare though, probably due to the marginal or relatively high-latitudinal position of the area. The uppermost Triassic is characterized by a significant reduction in nannofossil abundance accompanied by the presence of organic matter in the rock, which was significant especially in the Kardolína section. The signal of the last occurrence of Prinsiosphaera triassica is overwritten by the reworking of Upper Triassic material into Jurassic strata within the boundary clay interval. The presence of representatives of Watznaueriaceae in the Jurassic Kopieniec Formation is surprising and might indicate hiatus in the TJB in the studied sections. We are also presenting the results of a newly developed method for the extraction of calcareous nannofossils from indurated rocks.

The lacustrine coal deposits at Nýřany, Czech Republic, yielded a diversified vertebrate assemblage of the Middle Pennsylvanian (Moscovian) age, represented by the remains of early tetrapods, as well as numerous freshwater ichthyofauna, including xenacanthiform sharks, acanthodians, dipnoans, and ray-finned fishes. However, unlike some other upper Carboniferous localities, the actinopterygian diversity is limited to the three small-bodied species, most of them endemic to Nýřany locality and the equivalent strata elsewhere, indicating that the true taxonomic diversity of the group at the locality may be biased. Here we describe first skeletal remains of large actinopterygian fishes from the site, including a new genus and species, Stambergichthys macrodens gen. et sp. nov., which is represented by a well-preserved mandible with teeth. The micro-computed tomographic techniques revealed in the specimen a presence of a complex neurovascular system innerving the teeth and the jaw, and supplying both with blood vessels. The dentition consists of a single row of massive, homodont, conical teeth, which possess simplexodont plicidentine on their base, the characteristics supporting the predatory ecology of the new species. The isolated skeletal remains of large-bodied actinopterygians expand the knowledge on the diversity of the group in Nýřany, and their occurrence in coal deposits of relatively shallow lake indicates they represent allochthonous, poorly known aquatic vertebrate association, likely originating from the braided river system. These findings underline the importance of less complete skeletal materials occurring in wellknown vertebrate assemblages of the upper Carboniferous coal-bearing localities.

We report a tarsometatarsus and an associated pedal phalanx from the lower Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the- Naze (Essex, UK). The specimen resembles the tarsometatarsus of the taxon Limnofregata (Fregatidae), but it belongs to a species that is distinctly larger than any other, extinct or extant, frigatebird, from which it also differs in some morphological features. Because of a close stratigraphical and geographical provenance, as well as a similar large size and frigatebird-like morphology, we consider it possible that the fossil belongs to Marinavis longirostris. This large seabird was initially described from the London Clay of Abbey Wood and is based on fragments of the rostrum, which likewise show a resemblance to the Fregatidae. If correctly assigned to the Fregatidae, the fossils would be among the earliest records of frigatebirds and the first fossils of this group of birds from the Paleogene of Europe, but we note that our tentative classification is still afflicted with considerable uncertainty.

Abstract We here describe abundant new fossil material of amphibians and reptiles from different late Neogene localities of northern Greece: the Early Pliocene (MN 14) of Spilia 0, Spilia 1, and Spilia 2; the Early Pliocene (MN 15) of Spilia 3, Spilia 4, Spilia 5, and Vevi; and the Late Miocene or Pliocene of Chalicorrema and Rema Marmara. These new late Neogene herpetofaunas are highly diverse, documenting a considerably rich herpetofauna allowing the identification of at least two salamander, seven frog, two turtle, seven lizard, and eight snake taxa. Salamanders are represented by the salamandrid genera Ommatotriton and Ichthyosaura. Frogs are represented by the bombinatorid Bombina, the discoglossids Latonia cf. ragei and Latonia sp., the pelobatid Pelobates aff. praefuscus and Pelobates sp., the ranids Pelophylax and Rana cf. dalmatina, the hylid Hyla gr. arborea, and the bufonid Bufotes gr. viridis. Turtles are represented by the emydid Emys and an indeterminate geoemydid. Lizards are represented by the scincid Ophiomorus, two lacertids (one of which potentially pertaining to Lacerta), amphisbaenians, agamids, the anguid Pseudopus, and a potential varanid. Snakes are represented by the erycid Eryx, the natricid Natrix aff. rudabanyaensis, a small-sized elapid, an “Oriental viper”, the colubriforms Periergophis and Paraxenophis, as well as two further distinct but still indeterminate morphotypes of colubriforms. For the material from Spilia tentatively referred to Ommatotriton, this is only the third occurrence in the fossil record globally. The new material of Ichthyosaura and Bombina mark the first documentation of these genera in the Greek fossil record. Abundant cranial and postcranial material from Spilia is tentatively referred to Latonia ragei, a taxon previously known from the Early Miocene of Western Europe. The new record of Pelobates represents the oldest documented occurrences of the genus in the Greek fossil record. Interestingly, the Pelobates from Spilia bears much resemblance to an extinct taxon, Pelobates aff. praefuscus, which is otherwise known from the Late Miocene of the Caucasus, and not to the extant species that currently inhabits the area. The identification of Pelophylax and Rana adds to the rather poor Neogene record of ranids from Greece. Particularly for the case of Rana cf. dalmatina from Spilia 4, this corresponds to the only documented occurrence of this extant taxon in the Greek fossil record. Similarly, the identification of Hyla gr. arborea in Spilia 1, Spilia 3, and Spilia 4, marks only the third documented occurrence of this genus in the Greek fossil record. The Bufotes material from Spilia 1, Spilia 3, and Spilia 4 represents the first documented fossil occurrence of the extant Bufotes viridis complex in Greece. The material of Emys gr. orbicularis from Vevi marks the only known pre-Quaternary record of the genus in Greece and one of the only few Neogene members of the genus known from Europe. The scincid Ophiomorus is identified in Spilia 4, known from several cranial and postcranial remains, well outside the extant range of the genus. Practically, the Spilia Ophiomorus is only the fourth known fossil occurrence of this extant genus globally and also represents one of its oldest known occurrences. Material from Spilia 1 and Spilia 3 is tentatively referred to cf. Lacerta sp., and this would mark the first known occurrence of this emblematic extant genus in the Greek fossil record, denoting the presence of the genus since at least the Early Pliocene. The new amphisbaenian specimens from Spilia 4 add to the recently described single vertebra from the same locality, and represent the youngest occurrence of amphisbaenians from continental Eastern Europe. The new agamid material from Vevi and Chalicorrema add substantially to the record of this group, which was in Greece so far known exclusively from the latest Miocene/earliest Pliocene of Maramena. A similarly important addition is the record of Pseudopus from Spilia 4, as this genus had been known in the Greek fossil record only from a very few localities. The potential varanid from Spilia represents one of the few Pliocene occurrences of this group in Europe. We identify Natrix aff. rudabanyaensis among the material from Spilia 0, Spilia 4, and Vevi, adding to the previously known record of this taxon from Maramena, however, its precise species level assignment should await a revision of Neogene European Natrix spp. The find of a small elapid from Spilia 4 represents the youngest occurrence of a coral snake from Europe, extending their statigraphic range up to the Early Pliocene (MN 14). Periergophis and Paraxenophis, two bizarre snakes, so far exclusively known from their type locality in Maramena, could be also present here, even if tentatively identified. Most notably, the new material from these localities comprises forms that are now extinct (e.g., Periergophis and Paraxenophis) or extirpated from Europe (e.g., Latonia, Varanidae, Elapidae) but at the same time also loudly attests the emergence of the extant genera that dominate the extant herpetofaunas of Greece (Ichthyosaura, Bombina, Pelobates, Pelophylax, Rana, Hyla, Bufotes, Emys, Ophiomorus, Lacerta, Pseudopus, Eryx, and Natrix), for some of which their fossil record is documented here for the first time in the area.

Abstract Chaohusaurus is an early ichthyosauriform represented by three species known from the Early Triassic of Chaohu, Anhui Province, China, with a fourth species—Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis—known from the Nanzhang-Yuan’an region of Hubei Province. In contrast to the Chaohusaurus species from Chaohu, Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis remains poorly known, hindering our understanding of early ichthyosauriform evolution. Here, we report a new specimen of Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis, which provides new information on its dentition. The new specimen confirms that Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis had heterodont dentition consisting of pointed anterior teeth and robust, rounded posterior teeth, indicating a generalist diet. The posterior teeth of Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis are more robust (broader and larger) than the posterior dentition of Chaohusaurus chaoxianensis and Chaohusaurus brevifemoralis from Chaohu. This suggests differences in hard-shelled prey preference between species of Chaohusaurus from Chaohu and Nanzhang-Yuan’an, with Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis likely capable of feeding on harder and larger prey than Chaohusaurus brevifemoralis and Chaohusaurus chaoxianensis. In turn, this probably reflects differences in durophagous prey availability between the shallow-marine palaeoecosystem of Nanzhang-Yuan’an and the deeper, slope-basin palaeoecosystem of Chaohu. The posterior dentition and forefin of Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis are strikingly similar to those of Chaohusaurus geishanensis, the rarest species of Chaohusaurus from the Chaohu fauna. The scarcity of Chaohusaurus geishanensis in the Chaohu fauna, and its morphological similarity to Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis, possibly indicate that Chaohusaurus geishanensis was closely related with Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis and that it was also a shallow-marine species that was not a typical component of the Chaohu fauna. It probably occasionally wandered out into the deeper waters of Chaohu from a nearby coastal environment.

Abstract In the wake of the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history, the End-Permian Mass Extinction, the Triassic was a time of recovery and innovation. Aided by warm climatic conditions and favorable ecological circumstances, many reptilian clades originated and rapidly diversified during this time. This set the stage for numerous independent invasions of the marine realm by several reptilian clades, such as Ichthyosauriformes and Sauropterygia, shaping the oceanic ecosystems for the entire Mesozoic. Although comparatively less speciose, and temporally and latitudinally more restricted, another marine reptile clade, the Thalattosauriformes, stands out because of their unusual and highly disparate cranial, dental and skeletal morphology. Research on Thalattosauriformes has been hampered by a historic dearth of material, with the exception of rare material from Lagerstätten and highly fossiliferous localities, such as that from the UNESCO world heritage site of Monte San Giorgio. Consequently, their evolutionary origins and paleobiology remain poorly understood. The recent influx of new material from southwestern China and North America has renewed interest in this enigmatic group prompting the need for a detailed review of historic work and current views. The earliest representatives of the group may have been present from the late Early Triassic onwards in British Columbia. By the Ladinian the group had achieved a wide distribution across the northern hemisphere, spanning the eastern Panthalassic as well as the eastern and western Tethyan provinces. Distinct morphological and likely ecological differences exist between the two major clades of Thalattosauriformes, the Askeptosauroidea and the Thalattosauroidea, with the latter showing a higher degree of cranial and skeletal morphological disparity. In-group relationships remain poorly resolved beyond this bipartition. Overall, thalattosaurs may be closely related to other marine reptile groups such as ichthyopterygians and sauropterygians. However, their exact position within Diapsida remains elusive. Future focal points should utilize modern digital paleontological approaches to explore the many fragmentary specimens of otherwise poorly sampled localities.

Abstract The Upper Carboniferous protorothyridid amniote Brouffia orientalis from Czech Republic is redescribed. Photogrammetric scanning of the holotype and only known specimen yields considerable new information on the skull and postcranium of this tetrapod and allows us to amend previous morphological descriptions to a substantial degree. A virtual 3D model built from photogrammetry scan data is used as the basis for a new reconstruction of the skull in dorsal, lateral, and ventral aspects and the lower jaw in lateral aspect. We expand and refine the diagnosis of Brouffia and compare it with other protorothyridids. We discuss the affinities of this taxon by coding it in a recently published data matrix of early amniotes, which we subject to maximum parsimony and Bayesian fossilized birth–death analyses. Brouffia emerges as the sister taxon to Coelostegus in all analyses, but the position of these two taxa within amniotes varies. In a parsimony analysis with unweighted characters, the (Brouffia + Coelostegus) clade forms the sister group to Synapsida. In various experiments of character reweighting, that clade is placed crownward of Captorhinidae on the stem-group of Reptilia, but anticrownward of remaining protorothyridids. The latter constitute either a paraphyletic array relative to Diapsida or their monophyletic sister group. The Bayesian analysis retrieves (Brouffia + Coelostegus) as the most basal plesion on the stem-group of Reptilia.

Abstract Besanosaurus leptorhynchus Dal Sasso & Pinna, 1996 was originally described on the basis of a single complete fossil specimen excavated near Besano (Italy). However, a recent taxonomic revision and re-examination of the cranial osteology allowed for the assignment of five additional specimens to the taxon. Here, we analyse, describe and discuss the postcranial anatomy of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus in detail. The size of the specimens examined herein ranged from slightly more than one meter to eight meters. Overall, several diagnostic character states for this taxon are proposed, demonstrating a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived features. This is best exemplified by the limbs, which show very rounded elements in the forelimbs, and pedal phalanges with retained rudimentary shafts. We suggest that the widely spaced phalanges in the forefins of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus were embedded in a fibrocartilage-rich connective tissue, like in modern cetaceans. We also review the similarities of Besanosaurus with Pessopteryx and Pessosaurus, allowing us to conclude that Besanosaurus is not a junior synonym of either of the two taxa. Lastly, to test the swimming capabilities of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus, we expanded on a previously published study focussing on reconstructing the swimming styles of ichthyosaurs. Besanosaurus leptorhynchus was found to possess a peculiar locomotory mode, somewhat intermediate between anguilliform swimmers, such as Cymbospondylus and Utatsusaurus, and some shastasaur-grade (e.g., Guizhouichthyosaurus) and early-diverging euichthyosaurian (e.g., Californosaurus) ichthyosaurs. Based on our results, we furthermore suggest that mixosaurids acquired their characteristic body profile (dorsal fin and forefins that are distinctly enlarged compared to the hindfins) independently and convergently to the one that later appeared in Parvipelvia. Moreover, the different swimming styles inferred for Cymbospondylus, Mixosauridae, and Besanosaurus strengthen the earlier hypothesis of niche partitioning among these three distinct ichthyosaur taxa from the Besano Formation.

Abstract Switzerland is an ichthyosaur country: it has a rich record of marine reptile fossils, particularly the fish-shaped ichthyosaurs, and the according research. Here, we provide an overview over the 12 or more genera and at least 13 species plus numerous fragmentary remains of ichthyosaurs from the Triassic to the Cretaceous that have been discovered in twelve cantons thus far, of which four species are based on Swiss holotypes. This wealth of ichthyosaur species can be explained by their abundance in the Middle Triassic conservation deposits (Konservat Lagerstätte) of Monte San Giorgio, as well as occasional discoveries in strata of Middle Triassic to Early Cretaceous age. The moderate abundance of outcrops in reasonable conditions in combination with the long history of palaeontological research in Switzerland explains this good fossil record. In addition to this unique overview, we provide more data for further studies and update the knowledge of these taxa.

The family Simoceratidae Spath, 1925, lumps various formsbelonging to lineages with different roots and is clearlyparaphyletic. One of its genera is Lytogyroceras Spath, 1924,which stands apart from the typical forms of the familybearing strong ribbing and tubercles. The sexual dimorphismof Lytogyroceras was supposed to be based only onadult size differences. Here we describe a recently collectedlappeted microconch of Lytogyroceras subbeticum (Olóriz,1978) from the Ponti Zone of Carchelejo (southern Spain).This microconch shows that the sexual dimorphism in thegenus Lytogyroceras is not only characterized by differentadult size of the sexes as formerly assumed, but also by differentadult peristome morphology.

Abstract Our new study of the species originally included in the genus Allolepidotus led to the taxonomic revision of the halecomorph species from the Triassic of Perledo, Italy. The morphological variation revealed by the analysis of the type material is sufficient to confirm four different taxa represented in the Perledo Formation. We correct the misunderstanding about the type species of Allolepidotus, which is A. ruppelii and not “A.” bellottii as considered in the literature over the past two decades. The latter species was originally placed in the genus Semionotus. Fossils from the Kalkschieferzone of Besnasca/Ca' del Frate (Viggiù-Varese, Italy) and Meride (Ticino, Switzerland) which were referred to Allolepidotus, rather represent a species of Eoeugnathus. Therefore, we transfer the species Semionotus bellottii to that genus and propose the new combination E. bellottii. The second and only other species originally included in the genus Allolepidotus is transferred here to the new genus Perledovatus. The holotype of P. nothosomoides new comb. has been mechanically prepared, revealing additional anatomical information that allows to place this taxon in the halecomorph family Subortichthyidae. The other halecomorph species named from the Perledo Formation, Pholidophorus oblongus and Pholidophorus curionii, have been treated as junior synonyms of E. bellottii, but our analysis indicates that they represent distinct separate taxa. However, due to the loss of the type specimens, it is not possible to decide whether they might have been conspecific with other ray-finned fishes from the Middle Triassic of the Alps.

A new Diaphanopterodea (Insecta, Palaeoptera, Megasecopteromorpha), Sinoelmoa yangquanensis gen. et sp. nov., is described based on a single specimen discovered from the Shuiquan Gully locality (Shanxi Formation; Permian, Cisuralian, Asselian; China). A broad comparative analysis of the wing venation of the known members of the diaphanopterodean families Parelmoidae and Elmoidae allowed assigning the new taxon to the former family. This new occurrence represents the first record of a Permian Diaphanopterodea from China, and both the earliest and most oriental record for the Parelmoidae. It sheds new light on the distribution and diversity of these extinct taxa.

Abstract Dental microwear analysis is a well-established technique that provides valuable information about the diets of extant and extinct taxa. It has been used effectively in most major groups of vertebrates. However, in chondrichthyans, these methods have been implemented only recently in the form of dental microwear texture analysis, with conflicting results. Causes intrinsic to chondrichthyan biology, such as limited food-to-tooth contact, low diversity in terms of trophic categories or fast tooth replacement, have been suggested to reduce diet-related wear on individual teeth, hindering the use of this approach for reliable dietary reconstruction. Here, we explored the relationship between diet and dental microwear in chondrichthyans by using 2D analysis, which can provide finer-scale identification and accurate definition of scratch morphology from tooth surfaces a priori. Scratches were counted and measured on the teeth of 34 extant elasmobranchs grouped into three categories (piscivorous, durophagous and generalist) according to dietary preferences. Our results revealed specific patterns of tooth microwear as a function of dietary abrasiveness, enabling the discrimination of trophic groups and thus establishing a useful comparative framework for inferring aspects of trophic ecology in fossils. We then used this information to study dental microwear in six fossil species from the same locality and stratigraphic levels. First, analyses of the enameloid surfaces of the fossil show that post-mortem alterations are distinguishable, allowing reliable quantification of diet-related ante-mortem microwear signatures. Discriminant analysis allowed the recognition of microwear patterns comparable to those of living sharks and linked them to specific trophic groups with high probability levels (> 90%). Thus, microwear features developing on chondrichthyan teeth during feeding are intense enough to retain information regarding diet preferences. 2D microwear analysis can track this information, proving to be a useful tool for providing significant information not only about diet but also about oral processing mechanisms in extinct chondrichthyans.

Abstract Fossilization, or the transition of an organism from the biosphere to the geosphere, is a complex mechanism involving numerous biological and geological variables. Bacteria are one of the most significant biotic players to decompose organic matter in natural environments, early on during fossilization. However, bacterial processes are difficult to characterize as many different abiotic conditions can influence bacterial efficiency in degrading tissues. One potentially important variable is the composition and nature of the sediment on which a carcass is deposited after death. We experimentally examined this by decaying the marine shrimp Palaemon varians underwater on three different clay sediments. Samples were then analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing to identify the bacterial communities associated with each clay system. Results show that samples decaying on the surface of kaolinite have a lower bacterial diversity than those decaying on the surface of bentonite and montmorillonite, which could explain the limited decay of carcasses deposited on this clay. However, this is not the only role played by kaolinite, as a greater proportion of gram-negative over gram-positive bacteria is observed in this system. Gram-positive bacteria are generally thought to be more efficient at recycling complex polysaccharides such as those forming the body walls of arthropods. This is the first experimental evidence of sediments shaping an entire bacterial community. Such interaction between sediments and bacteria might have contributed to arthropods’ exquisite preservation and prevalence in kaolinite-rich Lagerstätten of the Cambrian Explosion.

Abstract The early evolution of Pan-Chelonioidea (sea turtles) is poorly understood. This is in part due to the rarity of undeformed skulls of definitive early stem chelonioids. In this work, we redescribe the holotype of Nichollsemys baieri using µCT scans and segmentations of the skull. This fossil is the best 3D preserved skull of any Campanian sea turtle, and includes partial “soft tissue” preservation. Nichollsemys is morphologically similar but clearly distinct from Toxochelys spp., and both show a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived chelonioid features. The internal cranial anatomy documents the presence of derived characters in Nichollsemys baieri that are absent in Toxochelys spp., such as the loss of the epipterygoids and the rod-like shape of the rostrum basisphenoidale. Among the numerous plesiomorphic characters is the presence of a splenial bone, which was unnoticed before. An updated phylogenetic analysis retrieves Nichollsemys baieri as a non-protostegid early stem chelonioid in a slightly more crownward position than Toxochelys latiremis. Our phylogeny includes macrobaenids and protostegids as pan-chelonioids, and we find unorthodox results for dermochelyids. Thus, although Nichollsemys baieri provides important new insights into the early morphological evolution of sea turtles, much work remains to be done. As a completely 3D preserved specimen, we included Nichollsemys baieri into a recent landmark-based skull shape dataset of turtles. Morphospace analysis reveals an intermediate position between cryptodires and crown chelonioids. Based on these data, we also predict that Nichollsemys baieri was still capable of neck retraction, constraining the loss of this trait to more crownward pan-chelonioids.

The abundance of shark and actinopterygian fossils in the Cretaceous and Paleogene strata of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is well documented; but much remains unknown about the survivorship patterns of these major components of shallow marine faunas in the western Atlantic through the K/Pg mass extinction. To shed light on this subject, we describe an assemblage of new actinopterygian, chondrichthyan, and reptilian microfossils recently recovered from the Maastrichtian Navesink and Maastrichtian–Danian Hornerstown formations at the Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park at Rowan University in Mantua Township, New Jersey. The new microfossils clarify extinction patterns across the K/Pg, create temporal and geographic range extensions for several taxa, and expand the known fauna of this regionally-rare and important K/Pg-boundary locality. We report 11 new additions to the vertebrate fauna of Edelman Fossil Park, the first Paleocene record of Saurocephalus lanciformis, the first Cretaceous records of Paralbula marylandica and Palaeogaleus vincenti, and the first recovery of gar and dercetid fish remains from the Paleocene in New Jersey (the last indicating that these fish survived the K/Pg extinction in the western Atlantic). Geographic range extensions include: Notidanodon brotzeni into the Western Hemisphere, Saurocephalus into northeastern North America and Phyllodus paulkatoi to the eastern coast of North America. A dentary of a juvenile alligatorid, Bottosaurus harlani, indicate that the mandible exhibited isometric growth through ontogeny. Our findings generally agree with other studies that these groups were significantly impacted by the extinction event, that extinctions were selective, and recovery was slow. This wealth of novel insights garnered from microfossils in this study highlights their critical importance for elaborating past faunas and illuminating the character of ancient ecosystems. We therefore recommend microsieving as a fruitful method for future faunal studies of shallow-marine strata and predict that such efforts will frequently yield similar important insights.

The end of the Ordovician witnessed major perturbations in the ecosystem, seriously affecting global marine biodiversity. Nevertheless, some marine organism groups and their crisis-bound palaeogeographic distribution are still understudied. Among the outliers are eunicid polychaetes, even though they flourished and diversified extensively during the Ordovician. A collection of seven genera of jaw-bearing polychaetes, including the new ramphoprionid genus Spitiprion Tonarová, Suttner, & Hints, with type new species of Spitiprion khannai Tonarová, Suttner, & Hints, is described here from Katian (Upper Ordovician) deposits of Spiti, northern India. The new species is preserved as isolated maxillae and a jaw cluster, and 3D models of the maxillary apparatus are reconstructed based on submicron-CT. Along with the scolecodonts, a low-diversity assemblage of chitinozoans was recovered, comprising five genera. The most common chitinozoan species are Acanthochitina cf. cancellata and Spinachitina suecica.

An interesting case of a caries-affected area where bacterial remains were plausibly preserved in situ was found in an isolated tooth of the Plio-Pleistocene dormouse Glis sackdillingensis (Rodentia, Gliridae). The sample is 2.9–2.6 million years old, and may be the only described case of a dental pathological condition preserved in a fossil together with the microbial pathogen responsible for its development. The tooth was investigated using various complementary techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Microtomography, and Light Microscopy. Available data on dietary habits and lifestyle of modern dormice are extrapolated to explain the origin of the infection. The results of the investigation are presented within the wider context of the fossil record of dental infections and other microbe-related diseases in vertebrates. Possible methodological reasons for the lack of similar reports are also discussed.

Ichthyosaurs, an iconic lineage of Mesozoic marine reptiles, were an important component of recovering ecosystems after the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction event. Mixosauridae, a clade of small, early-diverging ichthyosaurs, were of particular significance for this process, being abundant predators in Middle Triassic shallow seas. Despite the abundance of well-preserved mixosaurid specimens from South China, Mixosaurus panxianensis remains the only comprehensively described species, hindering our understanding of the variability, taxonomy and diversity of mixosaurids from this re-gion. Here, we report a new species of Mixosaurus, Mixosaurus luxiensis, from Luxi County, Yunnan Province, South China. The wider postorbital skull portion differentiates the new species from Mixosaurus cornalianus and Mixosaurus kuhnschnyderi from central Europe. The non-durophagous dentition, composed of tiny piercing mesial teeth and robust but pointed distal teeth, resembles the dentition of M. cornalianus. However, the distal teeth of M. luxiensis sp. nov. are twice the size of the mesial ones, in contrast to M. cornalianus, in which the mesial and distal teeth are approximately equal in size. The forelimb exhibits a unique morphology, including a proportionally narrow radius, the presence of a peripheral notch on the ulna, and a large metacarpal V. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis suggests a close affinity of the new taxon with M. cornalianus from Western Tethys. Our study introduces important, new anatomical information on Mixosaurus from South China, useful for future studies of mixosaurid diversity.

An articulated partial hind limb collected from the Pebbly Arkose Formation (Norian, Upper Triassic) of the Upper Karoo Group of Zimbabwe is described as a new taxon of sauropodomorph dinosaur. Musankwa sanyatiensis gen. et sp. nov. was discovered on the shoreline of Lake Kariba, on Spurwing Island in the Mid-Zambezi Basin. The holotype consists of a right femur, tibia, and astragalus, and can be distinguished from all other Late Triassic massopodan sauropodomorphs on the basis of numerous features, which form a unique character combination. Phylogenetic analysis recovers the new taxon as the earliest-branching lineage within Massopoda. Musankwa is only the fourth dinosaur to be named from the Karoo-aged basins of Zimbabwe and further demonstrates the high potential of this region for discoveries of new early dinosaur material.

A taxonomic revision of the Tribe Aequipectini from the upper Burdigalian, Lower Miocene Pirabas Formation in Brazil) resulted in an identification of Leptopecten daideleus comb. nov., Perapecten tetristriatus and description of Iemanjavola monlafertei gen. et sp. nov. The genus Perapecten is re-validated, P. tetristriatus being the first fossil representative of the genus, extending it back to the Early Miocene of the western Atlantic Ocean and Middle Miocene–Pliocene Perapecten scabrellus from the Mediterranean Sea/Central Paratethys is included into Perapecten. We also reported the oldest record of Leptopecten, which along with Perapecten, seem to have originated in the Early Miocene tropical region of the western Atlantic Ocean. Leptopecten dispersed during the Middle or Late Miocene to the eastern Pacific through the Central American Seaway, while Perapecten spread across the North Atlantic into Europe via the Circumtropical Current and the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift.

The hindlimb of pterosaurs has been much less studied than the pterosaur wing. However, it is relevant to understand the evolution, phylogeny and ecology of these animals. This study provides the first complete and detailed description of the ankle of Pterodaustro guinazui. It documents three ontogenetic stages observed for the fusion of the tibiotarsus: in the youngest specimens the proximal tarsals are not fused to the tibia; in the subadults the tibiotarsus is formed, but with the suture still visible; in the adults, the tibiotarsus is entirely formed, without any suture. The fusion between astragalus and calcaneum precedes tibiotarsal fusion, but in close succession. The medial condyle of the tibiotarsus is made up of the astragalus, and the lateral condyle is composed of the calcaneum and part of the astragalus. The distal tibiotarsus has three articular facets, the most medial of which seems to greatly restrict the flexion-extension movement, a feature atypical of pterosaurs. The lateral part of the distal tibiotarsus, on the contrary, allows a very wide range of movement. Pterodaustro guinazui seems to have had an asymmetrical ankle joint, which could facilitate movements linked to wading behavior. We describe juvenile specimens that retain discrete distal tarsals Ⅱ and Ⅲ (common in the “non-pterodactyloid” pterosaurs), but also more mature specimens with completely fused distal tarsals Ⅱ and Ⅲ (a condition always observed in the late pterodactyloids). Moreover, the lateral distal tarsal (LDT) appears more robust in Pterodaustro than in Peteinosaurus or Dimorphodon, but shares a waisted shape with these taxa, unlike the more robust shape of the LDT of late pterodacty-loids. The new information on the Pterodaustro ankle improves our anatomical knowledge of the basal Pterodactyloidea.

We present a morphological-systematic study of new fossil specimens of equisetaleans (horsetails) from the Cortaderita Formation, Sorocayense Group, Middle Triassic, Cuyana Basin, southwest of the San Juan Province, Argentina. In this unit, nine fossiliferous strata with plant remains have been recognized (EF4–12). The fossils studied come from EF4, located in the lower member of the formation, and correspond to impressions-compressions. The fossils are assigned to the family Equisetaceae and the genus Equicalastrobus, being the oldest record of the genus and the first record of this taxon for Argentina and Gondwana. The samples are closed and open strobili composed of peltate sporangio-phores, with glabrous hexagonal discs and with an umbo on its external face which projects, acquiring a leaf shape. Some specimens are found in organic connection with leaf sheaths and axis fragments, allowing the whole plant to be reconstructed.

The morphology of stony corals (Scleractinia) remains the only means to reconstruct the most inclusive evolutionary history of the clade comprising both extant and extinct species. The definitions of morphological characters and their associated trait states are critical for assembling a dataset that could be analysed for phylogenetic reconstruction. Here, we present coral morphological data that consist of more than a hundred characters reviewed by the Corallosphere working group. These characters would eventually form the basis of a data matrix used to reconstruct the phylogeny of all extinct and extant scleractinian families. The initial results obtained by the working group comprise poorly resolved trees, which are biased by the complexity of the multiple character states and the multiplicity of researchers involved in the coding process. When the analysis is restricted to matrices consisting of families from the Triassic and Jurassic periods and coded by a single person, resolution increased, allowing for further exploration of various ingroups and outgroups. The results presented here represent analyses of (i) a data matrix with all families represented by their type genus; (ii) a data matrix with selected families represented by their solitary or phaceloid genera; (iii) a data matrix with only Triassic corals; (iv) a data matrix with only Jurassic corals; (v) a data matrix with Triassic and Jurassic corals; and (vi) data matrices with several outgroups. Well-resolved trees have been obtained in several cases. Phylogenetic rela-tionships among basal, robust and complex groups established using molecular data are discussed in the context of the morphological phylogeny obtained here.

Recently, a dinosaur assemblage with three-dimensional preservation of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota has been discovered in the Ningcheng Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. Of the vertebrate fossils, a new spalacotherioid “symmetro-dont” mammal is described here as Ningchengodon foxi gen. et sp. nov. The specimen is an incomplete right dentary characterized by a lower dental formula of i3/c1/p3/m5, with molar cusps in acute-triangulation. Cusps e and f embraced cusp d of the preceding molar forming a molar interlocking, reported here for the first time for acute-angled spalaco-therioids. Phylogenetically, the new taxon is placed in the clade of Spalacotherioidea, and clustered at the base of the paraphyletic zhangheotheriids although its relationship is not further resolved with other zhangheotheriids. Additionally, the ultimate premolar replacement is simultaneous with the m5 eruption as in Origolestes lii and Zhangheotherium quinquecuspidens. This discovery enriches the biodiversity of spalacotherioids, and further highlights the complexity of the Zhangheotheriidae in evolution.

Re-interpretation of the holotype and only known speci-men of Afrophoca libyca reveals that it represents a me-dium -sized anthracothere, Afromeryx zelteni, a species that is common in the basal Middle Miocene deposits at Gebel Zelten, Libya. This re-identification affects several recently published papers that have accepted it as the earliest known phocid, with repercussions on biogeographic scenarios and phylogeny reconstructions.

The first paleontological works on Mesozoic vertebrates from Portugal, carried out from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, provided the discovery of significant collections of vertebrate fossils. These collections are particularly relevant because they include several specimens collected from different regions of the Lusitanian Basin (some of the sites are currently inaccessible), whose fossil record is poorly known. Theropod remains are relatively scarce and generally consist of fragmentary material, mostly assigned to the megalosaurid Megalosaurus from the Middle Jurassic of England, the first dinosaur to be named and a “wastebasket” taxon used by many scientists to identify theropod material. The studied fossils mostly consist of isolated teeth and vertebrae collected from Upper Jurassic levels of the coastal region, with also some material from Lower and Upper Cretaceous strata from the central and northern sectors of the Lusitanian Basin. Here specimens attributed to Megalosaurus from different Portuguese institutions are reviewed and their taxonomic affinity and stratigraphic context are updated. Most specimens actually belong to different theropod groups, including several isolated teeth from different Upper Jurassic localities here assigned to Ceratosaurus, Torvosaurus, and Allosaurus, as well as an isolated tooth from the Lower Cretaceous that is attributed to an indeterminate allosauroid. Other theropod remains consist mostly of vertebral fragments of indeterminate avetheropods and allosauroids. Elements of other dinosaur groups are also represented, including a few vertebrae here referred to stegosaurians and iguanodontians, as well as a vertebra and some appendicular remains attributed to sauropods. Two vertebrae assigned to thalattosuchians were also identified. The study of this collection allows to better characterize the diversity of Late Jurassic dinosaur faunas from different areas of the Lusitanian Basin and provides some data on the poorly known Cretaceous fossil record of theropods from Portugal.

Several samples of fossilized wood (charcoal) were collected in the Papayita archaeological site, in coastal Ecuador. This carbonized material was encountered inside a layer of volcanic ash that sealed the site. The ash-sized tephra was produced by a sub-Plinian eruption from the Guagua Pichincha volcano contemporaneous with the late Valdivia phases during the Formative Period. Each of the samples was sectioned into 10 to 15 subsamples and examined under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), producing high-resolution images with a large depth of field where the anatomical structures and their geochemical composition were vividly discernible. Each sample corresponds to organic matter of vegetable origin, that is, carbonized wood in the form of small rocks, whose appearance is that of carbonized woody tree trunks and or branches. We were able to observe vascular structures, specifically bundles of xylem. It was possible to conclude that these tracheids underwent a physicochemical transformation typical of petrification processes, leaving the molds intact. This allowed us to determine structural elements that support the identification of the group of plants to which these samples belong, through the methodology of comparison of the anatomical components of current species. The fossilized wood structures are three-dimensional and present characteristics that correspond to the group of higher plants, Gymnosperms, of the Podocarpaceae group. Among them, quadrangular tracheids, circular hole-shaped pits in the vascular system, and absent resin canals stand out. Central to the analysis is the presence of transverse parenchyma, which can be ascertained to correspond to vegetation from climates that are temperate or cold.

The main objective of this research was to conduct a comparative pollen morphological analysis of some representatives of the genus Cuscuta in relation to taxonomy. Investigations of 38 species and 1 variation revealed that not only the number, but the colpi length, as well as the exine ornamentation (at the SEM level), can be regarded as a diagnostic feature. For all the taxa studied, the common zonocolpate type of pollen was observed, represented by three variations: I) colpi long; II) colpi of medium length; III) colpi short. In combination with colpi length, variations in the number of colpi were also identified, such as: I) 3(4)-zonocolpate pollen grains with long colpi (in most of the species studied from subgenera Grammica and Cuscuta , as well as in C. monogyna from the subgenus Monogynella ); II) 4(3)-zonocolpate pollen grains, with long colpi ( C. cristata from subgenus Grammica ); III) 3-zonocolpate pollen grains both with long colpi and colpi of medium length ( C. abyssinic a from subgenus Cuscuta and C. africana , C. angulata from subgenus Pachystigma ); IV) 3-zonocolpate pollen grains with colpi of medium length were noted for species from all four subgenera ( C. cassytoides , C. lupuliformis from subgenus Monogynella , C. kotschyana from subgenus Cuscuta , C. nitida from subgenus Pachystigma and C. jalapensis , C. rostrata , C. suaveolens from subgenus Grammica ); V) 3–4- or 4-zonocolpate, with short colpi ( C. lehmanniana and C. gigantea from subgenus Monogynella respectively); VI) 5–6-zonocolpate, with short colpi ( C. reflexa from subgenus Monogynella ). Using SEM, three main types of exine ornamentation were also identified: perforate, foveolate and reticulate. The last type in the vast majority of the cases was presented in combination with echinae (rarely with spines or granules). The data revealed that the presence of the significant similarity of palyno-morphological characteristics in representatives of the subgenera Cuscuta , Pachystigma and Grammica , with the exception of the species Lepidanche adpressa (syn. C. compacta ), makes it difficult to create an identification key at the level of individual subgenera. Pollen features can be most clearly used only to distinguish the subgenus Monoginella , reflecting its certain isolation within the entire Cuscuta genus. The presence of a highly specialized reticulate exine ornamentation in Lepidanche adpressa (syn. C. compacta ), not identified for the pollen of any of the studied taxa of the subgenus Grammica , indicates a significant proximity of this species to the subgenus Monogynella . For the species C. reflexa , the obtained palyno-morphological data are consistent with the previous opinion about the separation of this species, as well as its more advanced position within the genus Cuscuta .

Piemonte is widely acknowledged as a remarkable Pliocene palaeontological spot, due to its potential for the observation and study of marine and terrestrial fossils in abundant outcrops. Our observations on about 80 palaeobotanical localities, representing both terrestrial and marine sedimentary deposits, show that some of them could easily provide more significant materials than those available today. About 30 plant-bearing Pliocene sites were selected for morphological analyses on plant fossils, mainly leaf remains. The main features of each assemblage, including the systematic placement of about 400 plant samples within 52 taxa, are indexed and described in this paper, by combining analysis of palaeontological collections and field observations. The results obtained so far encourage further studies in specific areas of palaeobotanical interest, whose results could easily provide major palaeoenvironmental insights. Finally, we suggest considering more carefully the Piemonte palaeobotanical sites in the frame of geoconservation strategies and we point out the relevance of ex-situ protection of endangered plant fossil samples (collections) in order to assure their availability for future studies.

Distinctive, reticulately sculptured ellipsoidal endocarp impressions have been discovered in Middle Miocene lake deposits of Idaho and eastern Oregon in the northwestern USA. We describe a new species based on these endocarp impressions and compare them morphologically with previously described extinct and extant species of Sabia (Sabiaceae) using light microscopy and micro-CT scanning. Sabia megacarpa sp. nov. endocarps are distinguished by their large size but resemble other species of Sabia in their asymmetric elliptical shape, reticulate surface ribs, unilocular morphology and gland-dotted endocarp surface. Although Sabia is now native to Southeast Asia and Malesia, the fossil record indicates this genus was formerly present in Europe and North America. The new species indicates that Sabia survived until at least 16 million years ago in western North America.

In this contribution, we analyze the presence of fossil coniferophytes from the Bajo de Veliz Formation (Paganzo Basin) that were initially referred to Walchia or Paranocladus and have not been described until now. These specimens consist mainly of leafy branches exhibiting foliar heteromorphism characteristic of upper Paleozoic coniferophytes from Gondwana. This group includes Genoites sp. with lax arranged ovules on the last order branches, Krauselcladus sp. represented by a small vegetative branch with biand trifurcated leaves, and Buriadia cf. Buriadia heterophylla Seward et Sahni emend. Serbet, Escapa, Taylor, Taylor et Cúneo, 2010, showed axes with multifid leaves and ovules on terminal branches. Vegetative fragments with small lanceolate leaves are assigned to Ferugliocladus cf. F. riojanum Archangelsky et Cúneo, 1987. In addition, an isolated, probably male reproductive structure similar to those known for th latter species was identified. The presence of Buriadia is recognized for the first time in the Carboniferous-Permian of Argentina, as well as the identification of vegetative buds or shoots, a previously undocumented characteristic for this Paleozoic coniferophyte from Gondwana.

Brachyopoids represent a diverse and late surviving temnospondyl group, lasting until the Early Cretaceous. Here, we report on brachyopoid material previously assigned to Hadrokkosaurus bradyi that represents a distinct brachyopoid taxon, characterised by a smaller number of large, robust mandibular teeth, a feature rarely observed in other temnospondyls. We also revisit an angular previously referred to Hadrokkosaurus potentially belonging to other temnospondyl taxa present in the Middle Triassic of North America. In light of the abundance of material of possible taxa distinct from Hadrokkosaurus, we express the need to re-examine previously collected specimens as new information changes the landscape of palaeontology. Parsimony analyses using exclusively mandibular characters recover the new brachyopoid taxon from the locality in a polytomy with Hadrokkosaurus and Vanastega at the base of Brachyopoidea, adding to a diversity of mandibular morphology of temnospondyls in the Middle Triassic of North America.

Abstract A new species (Marcopoloichthys mirigioliensis) of the stem teleosteomorph genus Marcopoloichthys is described from the lower Besano Formation (late Anisian at Monte San Giorgio, southern Switzerland), making this new species distinct from Marcopoloichthys furreri from the Prosanto Formation (early Ladinian at Ducanfurgga, southeastern Switzerland). Marcopoloichthys mirigioliensis n. sp. is smaller (ca. 32 mm standard length) than M. furreri (ca. 40 mm standard length), and in addition, the two species have some important differences in the caudal endoskeleton and fin, e.g., number of epaxial and hypaxial basal fulcra, uroneural structure, size of hypurals, and presence versus absence of urodermals. Marcopoloichthys mirigioliensis n. sp. is the smallest member of Marcopoloichthyidae which is currently known from at least five species living in the Triassic of China (one species), Italy (two and others that remain undescribed), and Switzerland and according to current information, with its ca. 32 mm standard length is candidate to be considered a miniature fish. Additionally, this size makes it the smallest known stem teleost. As in other marcopoloichthyids, the buccal and suspensorium anatomy of M. mirigiolensis n. sp. corresponds to that of suction-feeder fishes.

Abstract Representatives of Schizomida, known as short-tailed whip scorpions, are an understudied group within Megoperculata. They are found subterraneanly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. They lack eyes, have superior mobility, and possess a flagellum which is relevant to their mating, but in general little is known about their general biology. Fossil representatives of Schizomida from a variety of time periods are available for study. Using 23 fossil specimens (14 of which are described here for the first time) and 86 extant individuals from the literature, changes in both body size and flagella shape in Schizomida were compared over time. Measurements of prosoma length and leg length were used as a proxy for body size, and a comparative size analysis was carried out. Individuals from the Cretaceous period were found to be significantly smaller than extant individuals, contrary to our expectations. For flagellum shape, images were used to create reconstructions, which were then analysed using an elliptic Fourier analysis followed by a principal component analysis. The morphological diversity of the male flagellum shape was found to have decreased between the Cretaceous and modern fauna. We discuss potential explanations for our findings, although a greater understanding of the general biology of Schizomida is required to properly interpret our results.

The biostratigraphy of the Tonasa Formation in the Jeneponto Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is still poorly known, and there are barren ages, such as much of the Oligocene to Early Miocene. The Tonasa Formation is well exposed along the coast of the Jeneponto Regency, in which the Karama area consists of the most important outcrops of this formation which in this area consists of interbedded marl and limestone. Our study focuses on the biostratigraphy of the Karama area section A based on nannofossil. Samples were collected by measured stratigraphy methods and then subjected to investigation using smear slides. The assemblages of species were determined by semiquantitative analysis. Data analysis obtained three nannofossil datums (boundaries): The First Occurrence (FO) of Sphenolithus pseudoradians NP19/NP20), the First Occurrence of Sphenolithus distentus (CP.16/CP.17), and the Last Occurrence (LO) Sphenolithus predistentus (NP.23/NP.24. The zonal boundary was determined based on calcareous nannoplankton; the Late Eocene to Middle Oligocene boundary of the Tonasa Formation was found in this section. Interestingly, throughout this period, the marker species in this section is Sphenolithus. In addition, the presence of Sphenolithus, Discoaster, and Zygrhablithus bijugatus indicated that the basin was in warm water condition.