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The shales are a recent frontier of studies in Sedimentary Geology, stimulated by the new exploratory panorama of Shale Gas, despite being the sealant of many petroleum systems. However, Brazil has not kept up with this evolution. The generation of natural gas associated with paleontological studies is unprecedented and fundamental for determining the real regional potentialities in a process of advancing scientific and technological knowledge in this field of studies in Brazil. Taphonomic studies of fossil macrofauna and ichnology are integrated with sedimentological data, expanding the capacity for paleoenvironmental interpretation of the sedimentary facies. Samples from three different outcrops in the vicinity of Arapoti, Ventania and Piraí do Sul in the state of Paraná were analyzed. Thus, during the analyses of the fossil material, two tafofacies and three ichnofacies were identified: Skolithos, archetypal and distal Cruziana. The paleontological analyses proposed here provided support for the biostratigraphic correlations, paleoenvironmental and paleoecological interpretations of the outcrops prospected, helping to evaluate the quality of the shales of the Ponta Grossa Formation from the point of view of hydrocarbon generation.

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To enhance the teaching of Paleontology, due to the lack of tools to assist it in the undergraduate course in Geology at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil, we developed a blog using the existing resources on a free online platform, as well as additional features developed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript languages. To accomplish this task, the fossil samples from the Laboratory of Stratigraphic Paleontology (LAPE) of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Monte Carmelo Campus needed to be identified, recorded, grouped according to taxonomic proximity and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. We evaluated the communication capacity of the tool to reach the most diverse readers, according to statistical data provided internally by the platform, highlighting the moment of social distancing caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe concisely the creation, organization, and management of a research group in the field of paleontology relevant to science in Brazil that has survived for two decades. The Palaios Stratigraphic Paleontology UEPG/ CNPq group completed 20 years in 2020 with a background marked by the enthusiasm and feelings that science in Brazil is made through a lot of effort, investigation, dedication, and group work. At last, the historical context shapes this article, and direct or indirect mishaps mark the path of this group that has consolidated itself in different national and international universities with roots in the State University of Ponta Grossa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the significance of a human life in relation to the timespan of the geological processes that shape and reshape the terrain under our feet? Here, we ask how we might think on a planetary scale while being grounded in the everyday, tracing the relationship between biographical time and geological formation. Examining social relationships through the materiality of sandstone, uranium, and concrete, this paper presents a collaborative deep time practice, realized through the iterative process of walking, reading and inscribing a specific site, the West Shore of Stromness, Orkney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geology & Resources is the property of Geology & Resources Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Mechanisms of forearc basin evolution remain not very well understood, mostly because of insufficient resolution of their temporal evolution and potential drivers. The convergent margin of northwest Colombia where the San Jacinto and Lower Magdalena Valley forearc basins are located, offers a unique opportunity to study such mechanisms. The formation of the Lower Magdalena amagmatic, forearc basin occurred in a stable setting from the Oligocene to the present, characterized by the slow and nearly orthogonal, low-angle subduction of the Caribbean plateau. We use an exceptional regional database to reconstruct the subsidence, extension, sedimentation and paleo-geographic history of the Lower Magdalena forearc basin. We propose possible mechanisms controlling its evolution, in the absence of major changes in plate kinematics and in a low-angle subduction setting. Following the collapse of a pre-Oligocene magmatic arc, late Oligocene to early Miocene fault-controlled subsidence allowed initial basin fill at relatively low sedimentation rates. After the connection of the Lower and Middle Magdalena valleys, the proto-Magdalena river in the north and the proto-Cauca river in the south both started delivering high amounts of sediments in middle Miocene times. Fault controlled subsidence was gradually replaced by subsidence due to increased sedimentary load. Increase in sediment flux would have also caused the formation of an accretionary prism, weakened the plate interface through lubrication with fluid-rich sediment and initiated underplating, with the development of forearc highs in the San Jacinto area. Inherited basement structures allowed the tectonic segmentation of the basin with the formation its two depocenters (Plato and San Jorge). Our results highlight the fundamental role of sediment flux, of the basement structure and of flat subduction on the evolution of forearc basins such as the Lower Magdalena. Highlights • Formation of the Lower Magdalena forearc basin occurred in slow and nearly orthogonal, low-angle subduction setting from the Oligocene to Recent. • In the absence of major changes of plate kinematics, the main controls on the Lower Magdalena forearc basin evolution are the inherited basement structure, sediment flux and low angle subduction. • Increased sedimentation rates since middle Miocene times delivered fluid-rich sediment to the trench, causing underplating and middle Miocene to Recent formation of forearc highs in San Jacinto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mudrocks are the most common rock type at the Earth's surface, and they play a major role in informing current understanding of the palaeoenvironmental history of the planet. Their suitability for this purpose is at least partly underpinned by the assumed stratigraphic completeness of mudrock successions, and the ostensible fidelity with which they record temporal changes in palaeoenvironment. Mud does not necessarily accumulate, however, as a steady, near‐continuous ‘rain’ under low energy conditions. Advective modes of mud transport and episodic, ephemeral accumulation have been shown to dominate in many ancient successions. This has implications for the completeness of these records and their suitability for high‐resolution sampling and analysis. In this study, a numerical model of mud accumulation, parameterized with data from the Lower Jurassic of Yorkshire (UK) is presented to explore completeness and resolution constraints on ancient epicontinental mudrock successions. Using this model, stratigraphic completeness of the analysed Yorkshire succession is estimated to be ca 13% and ca 98% at centennial and millennial timescales, respectively. The findings indicate that sub‐millennial scale processes and events are unlikely to be accurately resolved, despite the largely unbioturbated and well‐laminated nature of the succession. Epicontinental mudrock successions are a crucial archive of ancient environmental changes, and the findings of this study help to define a plausible upper limit on the resolution achievable in these successions. Even with high‐resolution sampling, sub‐millennial scale records of palaeoenvironmental change may not be attainable in ancient epicontinental mudrocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new genus Walliserognathus is described to host the species posthamatus (Walliser). The genus is monospecific. The shape of P1 and P2 elements of Walliserognathus posthamatus, characterized by a small platform along the whole elements, and its stratigraphic distribution limited to the Ancoradella ploeckensis Zone suggest that the species may have been the bridge in the phylogenesis from Wurmiella to Polygnathoides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exhaustive sampling of the Cenomanian deposits corresponding to the Natih Formation in the Oman Mountains has been carried out in several field trips. The larger foraminifera representatives of the superfamily Alveolinoidea Ehrenberg, 1839 found in the collected material have been studied in order to more precisely identify and constrain their stratigraphical distribution. The following new taxa are introduced: Decastroinae subfam. nov., Praealveolininae subfam. nov.,Reicheliagen. nov.,R. magnasp. nov.,Decastoria serrakielisp. nov.,D. oblongasp. nov.,D. miaidinensissp. nov.,Praealveolina arabicasp. nov. andP. acutasp. nov. Other simpler alveolinoids, such asSimplalveolinagr.simplex, have been found together with these forms. The alveolinoids have been found in four successive assemblages. Assemblage I containsAlveocella wernliana,Myriastyla omanensis,M. grelaudaeandCisalveolina nakharensis; assemblage II containsDecastroia serrakielisp. nov. andSimplalveolinagr.simplex; assemblage III containsD. razini,D. oblongasp. nov.,Reichelia magnagen. et sp. nov.,D. miaidinensissp. nov. andSimplalveolinagr.simplex; and assemblage IV, which is only found in Wadi Mi'Aidin, contains abundantD. miaidinensissp. nov.,Praealveolina arabicasp. nov. andP. acutasp. nov. The age attributed to assemblage I is lowermost Middle Cenomanian, the age of assemblages II and III is Middle Cenomanian, and assemblage IV is interpreted as Middle Cenomanian to early Late Cenomanian. From a phylogenetic point of view, alveolinoids diversified and evolved in two successive episodes: a lower maturation cycle, corresponding to assemblage I, and an upper cycle, corresponding to assemblages II to IV. Cenomanian alveolinoids are more abundant and diverse than was previously thought and it seems that they split and evolved in parallel lineages, probably from unknown simple alveolinoids of milioline origin. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B7A96EE3-BEF7-49E9-A3E0-9FE6094FB0A2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital outcrop models help to constrain the interactions of stratigraphic and structural heterogeneity on ancient depositional systems. This study uses a stochastic approach that incorporates stratigraphic and structural modeling to interrogate the three-dimensional morphology of deep-water channel strata outcropping on Sierra del Toro in the Magallanes Basin of Chile. This approach considers the relative contributions, and associated uncertainty, of erosional downcutting versus post-depositional structural folding and small-offset faulting on the present-day configuration of the submarine channel complexes. Paleodepositional channel-belt gradients were modeled using a combination of three-dimensional visualization, stochastic surface modeling, palinspastic restoration, and decompaction modeling that are bound with errors constrained by stratigraphic and structural uncertainty. Modeling results indicate that at least 100 m of downcutting occurs over 6 km, and the resultant thalweg gradient of 64–125 m/km (decompacted) suggests that the Cerro Toro axial channel belt is an out-of-grade depositional system. Furthermore, the presence of steeper segments (100–175 m/km decompacted) suggests the preservation of one or more knickpoints that are similar in magnitude to tectonically-induced knickpoints on the modern seafloor. The interpreted knickpoints are correlated with a decreasing channel width-depth ratio and an increase of channel depth. These results indicate that stochastic surface modeling using digital outcrop models can constrain stratigraphic interpretations and post-depositional structural heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euthycarcinoid arthropods (Cambrian–Triassic) were likely the first animals to transition from oceanic to freshwater and emergent environments. Although their basic bauplan is well known, they have a poor fossil record because their non-sclerotized exoskeleton was rarely preserved. Euthycarcinoids’ unusual morphology (varying numbers of body segments, seemingly dichotomous possession of either mandibles or a labrum, specialized or generalized limbs, and possession by some euthycarcinoid species of sternal pores—structures possibly analogous to coxal vesicles in myriapods) contribute to uncertainty regarding their relationship to other arthropod groups; while their poor fossil record masks the evolutionary transitions within and between the separate realms they inhabited (marine, freshwater, emergent). A new euthycarcinoid from a Permian polar proglacial lake is described herein that is morphologically unlike all other euthycarcinoids, and interpreted as being well adapted for a nekton-benthic lifestyle. Antarcticarcinus pagoda n. gen. n. sp. possesses a pair of large wing-like processes that project laterally from the preabdominal dorsal exoskeleton. A trace fossil from the overlying Mackellar Formation, cf. Orbiculichnus, which was previously interpreted as having been produced by insects taking off or landing on wet sediments, is reinterpreted herein as being produced by A. pagoda n. gen. n. sp. due to the high degree of morphological similarity between traces and body fossils. This occurrence indicates that euthycarcinoids were able to adapt to life in temperate freshwater environments, while possible subaerial adaptations hint at an ability to breathe air. Indeed, if euthycarcinoids could breathe air, Cambrian terrestrial forays and rapid transition (by the Ordovician) into freshwater environments might be explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant portion of the Quaternary mammal remains is not found in situ , which limits their biostratigraphic potential and the possibility of studying evolutionary changes. To determine stratigraphic position of such finds we used the geochemical interpretations of rare earth element relative concentrations and fractionations (REE signatures) in the faunal remains and surrounding sediments. REE signatures vary between different profile deposits due to differences in deposit sources, conditions, and REE fractionation during deposition and diagenesis. Redeposited faunal remains can retain evidence of unique REE signatures of surrounding deposits, which allows assigning such bones to their proper depositional units. This method is tested here on the material from the Kharabai site, Viluy River, Central Yakutia (63.77°N, 121.10°E). We determined that the REE signatures from the faunal remains, collected at the base of the exposure, showed a statistically significant correspondence to certain stratigraphic layers, indicating the original deposition location of these remains. Importantly, the biochronological age of the mammals, determined using their evolutionary position, was consistent with the stratigraphic position of the layers, with which they were associated using the REE signatures. This research suggests that the lower layers of the Kharabai site date to Early Middle Pleistocene, while the upper ones date to Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chronology of the Still Bay (SB) and Howieson's Poort (HP) lithic industries remains an issue of keen interest because of the central role of these two phases of technological and behavioural innovation within the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa. Several dating studies have been conducted on SB and HP sites, including a pair published by the present authors and our colleagues in 2008 and 2013. These reported the results of systematically applying single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating procedures to 10 sites in South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia to constrain the timing of the start and end of the SB and HP and reveal the existence of a gap of several millennia between them. Alternative ages for these two industries have since been proposed by others for one of these South African sites (Diepkloof Rockshelter) and some concerns have been raised about the procedures used in our earlier studies to estimate the beta dose rates for a small number of samples. Here, we provide an update on our chronology for the SB and HP and address the issues raised about the methods that we used previously to estimate the beta dose rates and their associated uncertainties. To test the sensitivity of our new SB and HP ages to different underlying assumptions, we have run the same statistical model as that used in our 2008 and 2013 studies under three different scenarios. We show that the ages for the different samples are insensitive to how we analytically process or statistically model our data, and that our earlier conclusions about timing of the start and end of the SB and the HP and the probability of a gap between them remain true for two of the three scenarios. We conclude by bringing our study into the context of additional chronometric, stratigraphic and lithic technology studies that have been conducted in the intervening decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Radiolitidae (rudist, bivalvia), Durania cornupastoris (Des Moulins) is a well-known species defined as an index fossil from the Turonian (mostly middle-upper) deposits in the Mediterranean Tethys and also in the USA. This study includes new rudist materials and well-preserved samples of the species from the Campanian Khanasir Limestone Member of the Aruma Formation outcropping around the Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) region. Durania cornupastoris is characterized by the many finely ribbed, generally flat, sometimes slightly or pronounced concave posterior and ventral radial bands and bulge interband with thick costae similar to the external ornament of the rest of the right valve surface. The width of the radial bands are variable. A comparison of the species with the well-known Durania species such as Durania arnaudi (Choffat), Durania gaensis (Dacqué) and Durania apula Parona is considered. The broadening of the stratigraphic range up to the Campanian and biogeographic distribution into the eastern part of the Arabo-African plate of the species are also emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how regional ecosystems respond to sea-level and environmental perturbations is a main challenge in palaeoecology. Here we use quantitative abundance estimates, integrated within a sequence stratigraphic and environmental framework, to reconstruct benthic community changes through the 13 myr history of the Jurassic Sundance Seaway in the western United States. Sundance Seaway communities are notable for their low richness and high dominance relative to most areas globally in the Jurassic, and this probably reflects steep temperature and salinity gradients along the 2000 km length of the Seaway that hindered colonization of species from the open ocean. Ordination of samples shows a main turnover event at the Middle-Upper Jurassic transition, which coincided with a shift from carbonate to siliciclastic depositional systems in the Seaway, probably initiated by northward drift from subtropical latitudes to more humid temperate latitudes, and possibly global cooling. Turnover was not uniform across the onshore-offshore gradient, but was higher in offshore environments. The higher resilience of onshore communities to third-order sea-level fluctuations and to the change from a carbonate to a siliciclastic system was driven by a few abundant eurytopic species that persisted from the opening to the closing of the Seaway. Lower stability in offshore facies was instead controlled by the presence of more volatile stenotopic species. Such increased onshore stability in community composition contrasts with the well-documented onshore increase in taxonomic turnover rates, and this study underscores how ecological analyses of relative abundance may contrast with taxonomically based analyses. We also demonstrate the importance of a stratigraphic palaeobiological approach to reconstructing the links between environmental and faunal gradients, and how their evolution through time produces local stratigraphic changes in community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the relatively low metamorphic grade, low strain and well-preserved early structures in volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, the Orijärvi triangle (in the center of the larger Orijärvi area) is one of the few locations in the Svecofennian orogen of southern Finland where lithostratigraphy has been determined. The geochemistry of the picriticbasaltic metavolcanic rocks of the Salittu Formation, located in the northeastern part of the Orijärvi area, has been characterized but otherwise the bedrock and structures have been barely touched. After remapping we give an interpretation of structural evolution, provide new age data to constrain duration of volcanism at Salittu, and refine the stratigraphy in the Orijärvi area. The original stratigraphy is visible at Salittu: metabasalt overlies migmatitic gneisses, and metapicrite is on top. The rocks were folded during early Svecofennian D1-D2 deformations, and the large synformal structures developed as D2-D5 interference structures formed during late Svecofennian D5 deformation. The structural pattern at Salittu is much the same as in the Orijärvi triangle. The new age data, combined with earlier published data, constrains the Salittu volcanism at ca. 1875 Ma. The stratigraphy in the Orijärvi area consists of the early (1.90-1.89 Ga) volcanic Orijärvi Formation, overlain by the sedimentary Vetio Formation, the volcanic Kisko Formation, the volcanic-sedimentary Ahdisto Formation, the volcanic Toija Formation, and on top the Salittu Formation, all emplaced at 1.88-1.87 Ga. We propose a model in which the Orijärvi Formation represents magmatism at the margin of a microcontinent, and the overlying package represents sedimentation and magmatism above a subduction zone during an initial stage of microcontinental accretion. D1 deformation occurred in an advanced stage of accretion, after emplacement of the volcanic rocks of the Salittu Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three exposed Upper Coniacian-Lower Campanian stratigraphic sections (Jbil, Fguira Salah and Jebel Ejehaf) have been subjected to biostratigraphic study based on planktonic foraminifera in northern Tunisia. The interval of deposits studied belongs to the upper part of the Kef Formation, which consist of alternation of marl, indurate marl and limestone and the lower part of the Abiod Formation, which consists mainly of limestone. Three hundred eighteen samples were collected and examined. Assemblages of planktonic foraminifera are well preserved and composed mainly of Witheinella, Marginotruncana, Dicarinella, Contusotruncana, Globigerinelloides, Globotruncanita, Globotruncana, Heterohelix, Sigalia, Planoglobulina, and Ventilabrella . Several bioevents are recorded in these (interval) deposits including the last occurrence (LO) and the highest occurrence (HO) of Dicarinella asymetrica , LO of Costellagerina pilula , LO and HO of Sigalia deflaensis , Sigalia carpatica , Ventilabrella decoratissima , last occurrence (LO) of Ventilabrella eggeri , Sigalia bejaouensis , Planoglobulina manuelensis , Globotruncanita elevata , and Globotruncana arca . The thickness variation of the Upper Coniacian-Lower Campanian interval deposits in the present study areas reflects synsedimentary tectonism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraining the age of strata is a fundamental source of uncertainty in the study of sedimentary rocks, particularly in restricted basins that generally lack index fossils. An illustrative example of this is the evaporite-bearing Salina Group in the Michigan Basin. Our integrated study of facies, paleontology, and stable isotope geochemistry from the base of the Salina Group in Wisconsin addresses long-standing chronostratigraphic uncertainty surrounding these units. Conodont samples from the basal boundary interval ( Racine- Waubakee formation contact) produced non-diagnostic 'disaster' and 'recovery' faunas typical of both the Mulde ( Homerian) and Lau ( Ludfordian) events. Strontium isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr) of these conodonts from five horizons just below the boundary yield values between 0.70844 and 0.70850 confirming a Homerian age. Multiple carbon isotope profiles through this interval confirm the presence of a 2.5-3‰ positive excursion. Cumulatively these data constrain the base of the Salina Group in Wisconsin to the Mulde Excursion interval (late Homerian). This integrated study provides a sound initial step towards a deeper understanding of the processes of Silurian evaporite formation in the Michigan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Caryanthus with fourteen species represents the most diversified genus in the Normapolles complex. Detailed review of material from Central Europe allowed accurate study of its geographic and stratigraphic distribution. An emended diagnosis of Caryanthus communis Knobloch et Mai, Caryanthus deltoides (Knobloch) Friis, Caryanthus microtriasseris Knobloch et Mai, Caryanthus multiasseris (Knobloch) Knobloch et Mai, Caryanthus pseudooctcostatus (Knobloch) Knobloch et Mai, Caryanthus trebecensis Knobloch et Mai, Caryanthus triasseris (Knobloch) Knobloch et Mai is presented. A single specimen of Cenomanian age has been reinterpreted as Caryanthus sp. This earliest known record of the genus Caryanthus comes from the Peruc–Korycany Formation in the Czech Republic. Rapid radiation of the genus Caryanthus is documented in the Turonian of North Bavaria and southern part of the Czech Republic. The most diverse community comes from the Klikov Formation (Late Turonian–Santonian) of the Czech Republic. During the Santonian/Campanian, the genus Caryanthus occurred widely in Central and Northern Europe; one species is also documented from North America. Caryanthus species diversity clearly decreased in the Maastrichtian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new leptestiid brachiopod species of the genus Sampo and a hesperorthid species of the genus Dolerorthis are described from the Early Katian Oandu Stage of southern Lithuania. The new species Sampo suduvensis and Dolerorthis nadruvensis are common brachiopods for the Howellites wesenbergensis--Hedstroemina subaequiclina--Reushella magna community of the Lithuanian shelf. In the East Baltic the brachiopods of the genus Sampo appear first in the deeper part of the Lithuanian shelf in siliciclastic lithologies. The genus Dolerorthis is identified for the first time in the East Baltic. The new species Dolerorthis nadruvensis differs from other related Hesperorthidae brachiopods in the region. An exception is the Late Katian species Boreadorthis recula from Estonia, which shows similarity with D. nadruvensis in shell size and ornamentation. Still, the generic relationship of these species requires further studies. The new species of brachiopods are a supplement to the brachiopod fauna of southern Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Badenian (early Serravallian) conoideans from the Pidhirtsi Beds of western Ukraine (central Paratethys) have been investigated by means of a comprehensive and easy-to-perform morphometric approach, allowing the characterisation of eleven species, of which seven are new to science: Mangelia angulicosta sp. nov., M. larga sp. nov., M. pseudorugulosa sp. nov., M. odovychenae sp. nov., Bela varovtsiana sp. nov., Bela? robusta sp. nov., Pyrgocythara turrispiralata sp. nov. Additionally we also identified Raphitoma cf. R. ringicula, Andonia sp. aff. A. transsylvanica, Teretia cf. T. turritelloides, and Haedropleura sp. aff. H. septangularis. The relative high number of new species documented, relative to the total previously known from this stratigraphic interval, is interpreted as resulting mainly from combined methodological (dearth of taxonomic studies on Ukrainian conoideans) and environmental (high degree of habitat fragmentation in reef setting) factors. The conoideans documented herein add important information regarding palaeoclimaticalogical and palaeobiogeographical interpretations of the Serravallian Paratethys. The conoideans display strong affinity at the species level and complete overlap at the genus level with Neogene Proto-Mediterranean-Atlantic conoideans, thereby challenging the interpretation of late Badenian Paratethyan macrofaunal assemblage endemism. The lack of typical warm-water indicators (e.g., Conidae, Clavatulidae, or Pseudomelatomidae) within the studied material supports the interpretation that the fauna thrived during the late phase and/or soon after the Middle Miocene Climatic Transition (14.2-13.8 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Cretaceous of the Arabian Platform is renowned for the development of intrashelf basins. The study area is located in eastern Fars Province on the northeast Arabian plate and has experienced this environmental condition. The present study investigated two surface sections (Genau and Anguru) of the Dariyan Formation and compared the results with three neighboring wells in eastern Fars (eastern Zagros Fold Belt) in southern Iran to determine the development of rudist-bearing carbonates and intrashelf basin sediments. The Dariyan Formation was deposited in the Aptian as shallow-to-deep water carbonate facies. Lagoon, rudist banks/barriers, and open marine/basinal facies and six microfacies types have been distinguished. In the Genau section, the upper formation contains shallow rudistid limestone separated from the orbitolinid limestone of the lower formation by a deep pelagic unit. The pelagic sets disappear toward the Anguru section, but the rudistid unit remains. Abrupt changes were observed from shallow rudist facies to deep planktonic foraminifer facies. Comparison of the surface and subsurface sections (wells) suggests an intrashelf carbonate depositional model for the Dariyan Formation in the eastern Fars area. The term "Genau intrashelf" is proposed for this intrashelf basin surrounded by a shallow ramp. This intrashelf appears to be a northern subbasin of the Bab basin of the southern Persian Gulf. Extension of the Genau intrashelf subbasin and development of rudists around the margins of this intrashelf can be defined by tracing changes in the lateral facies of the Dariyan Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research reveals that the production of elongated blanks using different flaking techniques is an important part of the Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) industries in Near Eastern sites dated between 250 and 160 ka ago. The excavation at Hummal located in the arid steppe of Central Syria produced blade industries located in the stratigraphy between the Yabrudian and Levalloiso-Mousterian and this sequence is dated to about 200 ky. This paper presents data on the Hummalian culture from its discovery in 1980 to the systematic excavation of in situ archaeological layers between 1997 and 2010. Today the Hummalian industry is seen as a single, but very complex reduction strategy related to both the Laminar and the Levallois-like system of debitage. It is a unique reduction system containing diverse types of core volume management within which blanks of different morphologies have been produced from a single core using a direct, hammer percussion. Though, the Hummalian still shares many techno-typological similarities with the others laminar, lithic assemblages found on the Early Middle Palaeolithic sites in Levant, the same chronological and stratigraphical position and similar land-use strategies. As the EMP blade industries in Levant are preceded by the Acheulo-Yabrudian techno-complexes, the shift between both these lithic complexes, already seen in their chronological boundary, may also imply a technological discontinuity and possibly differing human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new data about Early Permian (Cisuralian) strata, palynostratigraphy and absolute dating from the Copacabana Formation in central Bolivia. Recent stratigraphic and palynologic data from marine and transitional rocks at Apillapampa refine the age of Cisuralian palynomorphs in South America. Twelve samples interbedded with five volcanic ashes (processed and productive) yielded 94 palynomorph species arranged in two informal palynoassemblages: the lower assemblageVittatina costabiliscorresponds to one sample near the base of the Copacabana Formation and the upperLueckisporites virkkiaeassemblage occurs in overlying marine and coal-bearing transitional intervals. Ages were also independently refined by a modern review of conodonts, fusulinids, along with those U–Pb radiometric ages (Isotope Dilution Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry [ID-TIMS] of zircon-bearing interbedded tuffs). These data suggest that the lower marine member of the Copacabana Formation at this location is Asselian and Sakmarian.Lueckisporites virkkiaeis a key species of palynomorph utilised in South American and global Permian biostratigraphic reconstructions. Hence, a thorough global comparison of these palynofloras and correlations is addressed in this contribution, considering first appearances of mainly cosmopolitan diagnostic taxa. Correlations are established with many similar Permian palynofloras, some also constrained with radiometric data, in South America (Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina) and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All known occurrences of crinoids in the Ordovician of France (Armorican Massif, Montagne Noire, Corbières and Pyrénées) are reviewed and replaced stratigraphically. Fully articulated crinoids are described for the first time in the Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) of the Armorican Massif. The disparid crinoid Heviacrinus melendezi is reported from the middle and late Darriwilian ( artus and teretiusculus zones) of both Brittany and Normandy, which extends both its geographic distribution and its temporal range. In addition, a new species of Heviacrinus , H. tromelini is described from the late Darriwilian ( teretiusculus zone) of both Brittany and Normandy. Finally, three successive French Ordovician crinoid faunas are identified. They show strong palaeobiogeographic affinities with other Gondwanan and peri-Gondwanan assemblages, and in particular with those of the Mediterranean Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their similar structural style of inversion under Late Cretaceous compressional stress, basins in the Central European Basin System showed different kinematic responses to a late Danian change in the European intra-plate stress-field. The Late Cretaceous phase was recognized throughout the Central European Basin System by compressional inversion of the Mesozoic rifts, and the simultaneous formation of marginal troughs. The late Danian change in stress regime resulted in a Middle Paleocene phase which excited longer wavelength of vertical surface movements. In several basins in Central Europe, this Middle Paleocene phase was characterized by domal uplift of the Late Cretaceous inversion zones and their proximal areas, which was interpreted to result from a sudden relaxation of the in-plane tectonic stress (a so-called relaxation inversion). Based on the Paleocene stratigraphic records, this study shows that some basins in the south-western part of the Central European Basin System experienced subsidence of the Late Cretaceous inversion zones during the Middle Paleocene phase, or the complete opposite vertical surface movements of a relaxation inversion. Two possible mechanisms (superposition of relaxation inversions and lithospheric folding during compression) are discussed that could provide an explanation for the opposite late Danian and Selandian vertical surface movements of nearby basins in the Central European Basin System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of Ordovician micromeric fish scales from the Sandbian of North America have identified a number of scale-based taxa potentially referable to the chondrichthyans and therefore can be among the stratigraphically oldest representatives of the clade described to date. Two of these, Tezakia hardingensis gen. et sp. nov. and Canyonlepis smithae gen. et sp. nov., are formally described herein. Tezakia gen. nov. scales are composed exclusively of tubular dentine and possess polyodontocomplex crowns with a characteristically large primordial odontode. Similar scale crown architecture has been reported only in the reputed chondrichthyan Altholepis composita ( Lower Devonian of Podolia, Ukraine), and on these grounds, the two are united within the newly erected Altholepidiformes ordo nov. Multiple odontocomplexes are also a feature of Canyonlepis gen. nov. scale crowns; however, the latter do not demonstrate prominent primordial odontodes and are supported by a base composed of acellular bone. Additional data suggest that both taxa possess a combination of characteristics (areal crown growth, scale symmetry, linear odontocomplex architecture and absence of enamel, osteons, cancellous bone and hard-tissue resorption) previously documented to occur only in chondrichthyan scales. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that reveals the presence of diverse tissue types (bone, tubular and atubular dentine) and morphogenetic patterns (odontocomplex and non-odontocomplex type of scale crown growth) in the dermal skeleton of putative Ordovician chondrichthyans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents new data on the lithology, paleontology, stratigraphy, and correlation of Jurassic deposits of the Irkutsk coal-bearing basin. According to the detailed analysis of the lithology and paleontology of the reference sections, the Jurassic deposits of the southern part of this basin are subdivided into four formations: Baikal'skaya, Dabatskaya, Cheremkhovskaya, and Prisayanskaya. The Lower Jurassic coarse deposits of the Baikal'skaya Formation are regarded as the most ancient; the Middle Jurassic deposits of the Prisayanskaya Formation are the youngest. The industrial coal-bearing deposits of the Cheremkhovskaya Formation formed in the Early Jurassic, from the Pliensbachian to Toarcian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Santacruzodon assemblage zone was originally defined as a vertebrate fossil assemblage composed basically of non-mammalian cynodonts found in Santa Cruz do Sul and Venâncio Aires municipalities in Southern Brazil. This assemblage zone was positioned at the top of the Sequence I, in the Triassic Santa Maria Supersequence, Paraná Basin. However, the Santacruzodon assemblage zone does not occur across the entire area of the Santa Maria Supersequence. Based on new paleontological, structural and sedimentological data, we propose the existence of a new third-order sequence (Santa Cruz Sequence) between Sequences I and II in the Santa Maria Supersequence. Satellite image analysis was used to identify regional, NW- and NE-oriented lineaments that limit the occurrence zone. Outcrop data allowed the identification of a regional, angular unconformity that bounds the new sequence. The faunal content allowed the correlation of the new Santa Cruz Sequence with Madagascar's Isalo II fauna, corresponding to the Ladinian (Middle Triassic). New names were suggested for the sequences in the Santa Maria Supersequence, since the Santa Cruz Sequence was deposited between the former Sequences I and II. This unit was deposited or preserved exclusively on the hanging wall of normal faults, being absent from the adjacent structural blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In active rift basins, tectonism is extremely important for sequence stratigraphic patterns, affecting both the sequence architecture and internal makeup. Sequence stratigraphic framework of a Paleogene rift succession in Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea, was built using seismic profiles, complemented by well logs and cores. One first-order and three second-order sequences were identified on the basis of basin-scale unconformities, and seven third-order sequences are defined by unconformities along the basin margins and correlative conformities within the central basin. Through unconformity analysis and backstripping procedure, the Paleogene synrift tectonic evolution of deepwater area of Qiongdongnan Basin was proved to be episodic, which can be divided into rifting stage-I, rifting stage-II and rifting stage-III. Episodic rifting resulted in the formation of various types of structural slope break belts, which controlled different architectures and internal makeup of sequences. This study enhances the understanding of the control of tectonic evolution on sequence stratigraphic patterns and establishes relevant patterns in a typical rift basin, and further proposes the favorable sandstone reservoirs developing in different sequence stratigraphic patterns, which will be pretty helpful for subtle pool exploration in deepwater area of petroliferous basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comprises of two sections. The first section describes challenges in the Carboniferous-Permian Gondwanan stratigraphic palynology, and progress in techniques such as presence of the 'rare-marine intervals', and 'radiometric dating' in some Gondwanan successions, e.g., South Africa, Australia and South America, as tools to confidently calibrate these palynozones. The second section describes developments in the palynological work on the Carboniferous-Permian Nilawahan Group of the Salt Range, Pakistan, and summarises their correlation with the coeval succession of the Gondwana continents and with the Russian/International stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that evaluates the microfossil and palynological biostratigraphy and palaeoecology of the Eocene and Paleocene transition of bthe Femern Belt in northern Germany. The study is undertaken through the analysis of 19 samples for diatoms, foranifers, dinocysts, and radiolarians. The results of the study show rich diatom flora.

Microfossils from the Productive Complex of Azerbaijan are analyzed. Despite the presence of diverse fossils in this sequence that include reworked foraminifers and nannoplankton, autochthonous foraminiferal taxa, and endemic ostracods, none of their assemblages characterizing particular stratigraphic units are as yet defined. This work is aimed at making up for a deficiency in this knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discoveries have shown that non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs were morphologically diverse, globally distributed, and have a stratigraphic range extending into the Upper Triassic. Silesauridae, the sister group to Dinosauria, contains at least seven species. Here we describeLutungutali sitwensis, gen. et sp. nov., the first silesaurid from the upper portion of the Ntawere Formation of the Luangwa Basin, Zambia. The upper Ntawere Formation has been correlated with subzone C of theCynognathusAssemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin in South Africa and the Lifua Member of the Manda beds in the Ruhuhu Basin in Tanzania, both of which are considered Anisian in age and the latter has yielded the silesauridAsilisaurus kongwe. The results of our phylogenetic analysis, including a new pelvic character, alliesLutungutaliwith Upper Triassic silesaurids such asSilesaurus,Sacisaurus, andEucoelophysisrather than with the possibly coevalAsilisaurus. The Zambian silesaurid shares a laterally oriented brevis fossa on the ilium and a transversely thin ischium in cross-section with Upper Triassic forms. Silesaurids were more diverse during their early evolution in the Anisian than previously suspected.LutungutaliandAsilisaurusare the two oldest known members of the bird-line archosaurs represented by body fossils. Together they show that a subclade of bird-line archosaurs was diversifying soon after its origin, building further support for the rapid diversification of Archosauria in the wake of the Permo-Triassic extinction. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The revision of ostracodes originally established by Aurel Krause is continued and finished with the description of the following species: Primitia distans, P. elongata, P. cincta, P. excavata, P. papillata, P. plicata, P. schmidtii, Strepula limbata, S. simplex, Entomis obliqua, E. plicata, E. sigma, E. sigma ornata, E. simplex, E. trilobata, Beyrichia erratica, B. erratica granulosa, B. erratica acuta, B. harpa, and B. marchica lata. Three of these species are younger primary homonyms. For Beyrichia erratica granulosa Krause, 1891 a respective decision of the ICZN according to art. 23.9.5 is presently unnecessary, because it has an older synonym ( Beyrichia grewingkii Bock, 1867), and Primitia excavata Krause, 1892 has a younger synonym ( Laccochilina paucigranosa Jaanusson, 1957). The third homonym, Beyrichia marchica lata Krause, 1891, is considered as a nomen protectum. Entomis sigma ornata, and E. plicata are presently considered as nomina dubia. Since the type material of the three species P. distans, E. sigma, and E. simplex is apparently lost, neotypes are designated. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhynchonellida is the stratigraphically oldest and phylogenetically most basal of the extant rhynchonelliform brachiopod orders, yet phylogenetic relationships among rhynchonellides are poorly known. The fourteen named rhynchonellide superfamilies (four of which have extant representatives) were defined primarily on the basis of features of the dorsal cardinalia, particularly crural morphology, but their homology and polarity have not been investigated rigorously. Superfamily monophyly is unclear, as is the evolution of several distinctive rhynchonellide morphological features, such as crura. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among extant rhynchonellide genera using skeletal characters, and to compare the results with the current classification, elucidating the evolution of morphological features in the process. We completed parsimony-based and Bayesian analyses using fifty-eight characters of the interior and exterior of the shell that vary among the nineteen extant genera. Our results are readily interpretable with respect to the classification, and indicate that Hemithiridoidea, Dimerelloidea, and (in some analyses) Pugnacoidea appear to be monophyletic. Species classified in Dimerelloidea and Pugnacoidea, and in certain cases Hemithiridoidea, each form derived subclades that evolve from within a paraphyletic Norelloidea at the base of each subclade. Raduliform crura appear to be the most basal, phylogenetically; five other crural morphologies evolve from the raduliform state. However, morphological characters currently uniting genera in rhynchonellide superfamilies are not clearly diagnostic and exhibit a relatively high degree of homoplasy overall, suggesting that consistency with the classification may be based on a false sense of confidence in rhynchonellide morphology to clearly elucidate evolutionary relationships. Published molecular phylogenetic hypotheses conflict with the morphological topologies, further supporting this possibility. The evolutionary trends among diagnostic characters of Recent rhynchonellides appear to reflect successive juvenilization in adult morphology in several subclades, suggesting that heterochrony may have played an important role in the evolution of the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of 127 binary and multistate characters, weighted by the number of derived character states, degree of covariation, and level of homoplasy, was used in a cladistic analysis of type species representing 12 genera previously assigned to families Monticuliporidae and Mesotrypidae. The most parsimonious tree consisted of a 10-genus monophyletic crown group with the remaining two genera forming a basal paraphyletic stem group. The composition of the monticuliporid crown group is broadly similar to two earlier classifications while stem group membership matches the family Mesotrypidae. Phenetic groupings, based on overall morphological similarity, have memberships that are similar to those of clades but provide no means of determining the polarity of evolutionary relationships either within or between them. Finally, only the observed stratigraphic ranges of the type species of genera provide a statistically significant match with cladistic branching sequence, perhaps because current composite generic ranges reflect the mixing of species belonging to different genera. Based on cladogram topology, we propose the placement of all 12 genera into a single family Monticuliporidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the discovery of Colognathus fossils in strata of the the Lower Keuper near Vellberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It mentions the presence of an edentulous region anterior of the two large posterior teeth of the Vellberg specimens. It differentiates the crown structure details, such as crown surfaces shapes and the labiolingual fluting in the apical region, of the discovered fossils from Vellberg and the holotype of Colognathus obscurus. It states that the German specimens was identified as Colognathus sp. based on the difference in the occlusal outline of the posterior tooth and greater stratigraphic age.

Abstract: Acritarch assemblages are described here for the first time from the Early Ordovician Yinzhubu and Ningkuo formations of the Nanba section (Yiyang region, Hunan province, South China). Independent stratigraphical control is provided by co-occurring late Tremadocian–early Floian (early Arenig) graptolite and chitinozoan biozones. A very diverse association of 33 species attributed to 23 genera is identified, and three acritarch assemblage zones are distinguished. These are comparable to coeval assemblages from several localities worldwide. During the Early Ordovician the Yiyang area was at low latitudes. The acritarch association interestingly shows a mixed character, comprising typical taxa from both cold-water and warm-water paleobioprovinces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Architectural analysis of the Late Cretaceous alveolinaceans of the Caribbean palaeobioprovince has made it possible to separate four genera:Praechubbina,Chubbinellagen. nov.,ChubbinaandCaribalveolina.The first three genera belong to the family Rhapydioninidae, while the fourth is placed in the family Alveolinidae. Two species,Praechubbina breviclaustraandP. oxchucensissp. nov., represent the primitive genusPraechubbina, while the speciescardenasensisandobesa, previously ascribed to this genus, must be reassigned respectively toChubbinellagen. nov. andCaribalveolina. The speciesChubbina jamaicensis,C. macgillavryiandC. fourcadeisp. nov. complete the inventory ofChubbina. The alveolinid genusCaribalveolinacomprises two species,C. obesaandC. michaudi. Caribbean alveolinaceans include two successive assemblages. The lower assemblage is characterized byPraechubbina oxchucensis,P. brevisclaustra,Chubbinella cardenasensisandCaribalveolina obesa.The upper assemblage is represented by the genusChubbina, withC. fourcadei,C. jamaicensisandC. macgillavryi, andCaribalveolina michaudi.The age of the lower assemblage is uncertain (probably Late Campanian–Early Maastrichtian), while the upper assemblage has been dated by strontium isotope stratigraphy as Late Maastrichtian. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:88A5CA4D-3D6F-42E9-BEE8-EF3F7B3BA85F [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tayassuidae represent one of the first mammalian immigrants that entered South America during the 'Great American Biotic Interchange.' However, the exact moment of its arrival for the first time in South America is controversial. Three genera are recognized in South America: Platygonus, Catagonus, and Tayassu. This paper aims to: (1) review the paleontological record of the South American Tayassuidae and update it; and (2) discuss its geographical and statigraphical distribution pattern in South America. The genus Platygonus (middle Pliocene to early Pleistocene) is registered in Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Bolivia; Catagonus (late Pliocene? to Recent) in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Bolivia; and Tayassu (middle Pleistocene to Recent) in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Platygonus and Catagonus have adaptations to dry and relatively open environments; in contrast, Tayassu is adapted mainly to humid climates and woodland and forest environments. The faunal changes that took place since the middle-late Pliocene could have been strongly influenced by climate. Open and arid environments developed during the glacial cycles, allowing the latitudinal expansion of Platygonus and Catagonus. Considering ecological and anatomical information, it is possible to infer that Platygonus species were replaced by those of Catagonus since the middle Pleistocene, probably due to a reduction of the open environments to which Platygonus species were better adapted. The alternation of these mainly arid or semiarid, cold conditions with warmer and more humid short pulses would have allowed the posterior expansion of Tayassu species. According to phylogenetic analysis and chronological as well as geographical evidence, Platygonus and Catagonus represent two Tayassuidae lineages that originated in North America and then migrated to South America. This migration would have occurred on more than one occasion and with different taxa. Evidence indicates that Tayassu represents a lineage that differentiated in the Southern Hemisphere and then migrated to North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new fossil micromammal localities of Middle Miocene age (Pico del Fraile 2, PF2 and Sancho Abarca 5, SA5) from the Tudela Formation (northeastern Ebro Basin) are described. PF2 contains rodents and insectivores of Aragonian age (local zone Dc). The rodent assemblage from the locality SA5 is very scarce and probably of Middle Aragonian age, like PF2. The micromammal fauna from the locality PF2 is very similar to that from Valdemoros 3B (VA3B) (Calatayud-Daroca Basin), including Microdyromys cf. remmerti, a species until now only described from the Miocene of the Daroca-Villafeliche area. Among the fauna recorded in PF2, a form of Democricetodon is described. The sedimentary record of the Pico del Fraile and Sancho Abarca sections and the mammalian findings extend the stratigraphic and paleontological knowledge of this part of the Ebro Basin, and allow its study in a continuous stratigraphic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Buia Homo site, also known as Wadi Aalad, is an East African paleoanthropological site near the village of Buia that, due to its very rich yield from the late Early Pleistocene, has been intensively investigated since 1994. In this paper, which reports on the finds of the 2010–2011 excavations, we include new fossil evidence on previously identified taxa (i.e., reptiles), as well as the very first description of the small mammal, fish and bird remains discovered. In particular, this study documents the discovery of the first African fossil of the genus Burhinus (Aves, Charadriiformes) and of the first rodent from the site. This latter is identified as a thryonomyid rodent (cane rat), a relatively common taxon in African paleoanthropological faunal assemblages. On the whole, the new occurrences documented within the Buia vertebrate assemblage confirm the occurrence of taxa characterized by strong water dependence. The paleoenvironmental characteristics of the fauna are confirmed as fully compatible with the evidence obtained through sedimentology and facies analysis, documenting the sedimentary evolution of fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The stratigraphic and paleogeographic distribution of the suspension-feeding pachycormiform fishBonnerichthysis reviewed. Fossils attributable to this genus are known from the Western Interior Seaway (Niobrara Formation of Kansas, Sharon Springs Formation of Kansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota, DeGrey Formation of South Dakota, and possibly Mobridge Formation of Nebraska), the Eastern (Eutaw Formation of Mississippi and Mooreville and Demopolis formations of Alabama and Mississippi) and Western (Ozan Formation of Texas and Marlbrook Marl Formation of Arkansas) Gulf Coastal Plain, the Atlantic Coastal Plain (Wenonah Formation of New Jersey and possibly Marshalltown Formation of Delaware), and Pacific coast (Moreno Formation of California). Chronologically, occurrences ofBonnerichthysrange in age from Coniacian to Maastrichtian. Fossils ofBonnerichthysfrom the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Eastern and Western Gulf Coastal Plain, and Pacific coast are definitively identified and figured here for the first time. Candidate deposits outside the United States that might yieldBonnerichthysare reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the juvenile morphology of Ancylotherium pentelicum by describing an immature skull with upper deciduous teeth from the late Miocene of Samos Island, Greece. It provides a detailed understanding on the measurement of a complete set of lower deciduous premolars referable to Ancylotherium pentelicum from Maragha, Iran. It also examines the gap and provides comparative information about the immature lower teeth and mandible, as well as its stratigraphic and biostratigraphic comparisons.