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A remarkable new genus and species of cyclostome bryozoans is described from the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Kamchatkapora ozhgibesovigen. et sp. n. has large, multilayered colonies, each layer constructed of numerous subcolonies joined at their outer edges. This colony-form was previously unknown in extant cyclostomes, although common in the geological past, especially during the Cretaceous period. The term 'stratocormidial' is here introduced for such colonies, and their taxonomy and geological history are reviewed. Six fossil stratocormidial cyclostome genera (Blumenbachium, Cellulipora, Centronea, Multifascigera, Reptomulticava and Semimulticavea) are illustrated and briefly characterised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nHighlightsA new and intriguing fossil Mallomonas species, M. enigmata, was uncovered from 10 strata in the Eocene Giraffe Pipe locality. The new species represents an ancient member of the section Punctiferae, and based on scale and bristle morphology is most closely related to the modern congener, M. nieringii. M. nieringii is a rare species known from a suite of acidic waterbodies on the Cape Cod peninsula, Massachusetts, USA. Only a few modifications of the body scales differ between M. enigmata and M. nieringii, and the new taxon was uncovered from a section of the Giraffe Pipe maar lake representing a shallow and acidic waterbody. Cysts of M. enigmata are oval, with a small pore surrounded by a narrow hyaline zone. The anterior ~ ¼ of the cyst surrounding the hyaline zone consists of a series of small, closely spaced, rimmed holes that penetrate the wall. Otherwise, the cyst wall is smooth and unornamented. Unlike any known modern species in the genus, a second type of body scale is produced, but found only attached to the cyst. It is hypothesized that these scales may represent unfinished body scales that became fused to the cyst during its development. A new fossil Eocene species of Mallomonas.A unique second scale morphotype attached to the cyst.Thrived in a shallow, humic and acidic freshwater pond.A new fossil Eocene species of Mallomonas.A unique second scale morphotype attached to the cyst.Thrived in a shallow, humic and acidic freshwater pond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants and arthropods are primary drivers of terrestrial ecosystem function. Trace fossils of plant-arthropod interactions (PAIs) provide a unique window into assessing terrestrial ecosystem states through geological time and evaluating changes in herbivorous arthropod feeding guilds in the wake of global biotic crises. The end-Permian event (EPE; c. 252 Ma) resulted in the loss of keystone plant species from humid tropical and high-latitude ecosystems and the extinction of several major insect groups. The subsequent Early to Middle Triassic evinced diminished terrestrial productivity, punctuated by a series of second-order biotic crises that hindered recovery. Here, we survey records of Gondwanan Early to Middle Triassic floral assemblages for evidence of PAIs as an indication of ecosystem recovery following the EPE. We compiled a comprehensive dataset of fossil plant taxa and PAIs for lower Mesozoic strata of Gondwana, revealing an increase in specific and generic floral diversity from the Early to Middle Triassic. We noted a lack of PAIs reported from many localities with abundant fossil leaves, which might be interpreted to be a consequence of a post-EPE delay in the recovery of arthropod feeding guilds compared to the flora. However, by comparing floral assemblages between regions of Gondwana, our results also partly attribute the absence of PAIs to the relative paucity of palaeoichnological and palaeobotanical studies of this interval. To test for potential under-reporting of PAIs in the Triassic, we present a case study of the well-described Australian Middle Triassic Benolong Flora. In contrast to existing Australian Early to Middle Triassic PAI reports on only three plant specimens, this systematic investigation revealed 44 PAI traces comparable to published examples, hosted by 40 fossil plant fragments (7.77% of fragments assessed; N = 591). Margin-feeding traces constituted the dominant Functional Feeding Group (FFG) identified (23 examples: 3.72% of fragments assessed). Our review highlights several Early and Middle Triassic Gondwanan plant fossil-rich successions and existing collections that require further examination. We predict that investigations of these assemblages will greatly elucidate the relationships between rapidly changing environments during the Early and Middle Triassic and their effects on the plant and arthropod communities in the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Cladoxylopsids, one of the first lineages with complex organization to rise from the plexus of structurally simple plants that comprised the earliest euphyllophyte floras, are moniliformopsid euphyllophytes. They formed Earth's earliest forests by the Middle Devonian and are thought to have given rise to the equisetopsids and probably some fern lineages. The Lower Devonian (Emsian) Battery Point Formation (Quebec, Canada) contains previously unrecognized cladoxylopsids preserved anatomically. One of these provides new data on structural evolution among euphyllophytes and is described here. Methods: The anatomy and morphology of permineralized axes of the new plant were studied with light and electron microscopy on sections produced using the cellulose acetate peel technique. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analysis were used for taxonomic placement of the plant. Results: The plant represents a new species, Paracladoxylon kespekianum Chu et Tomescu, gen. et sp. nov., that has tracheids with modern‐looking bordered pits and the complex cauline vascular architecture characteristic of the genus Cladoxylon. Its dissected ultimate appendages have complex regular taxis and a pattern of vascularization that suggests bilateral symmetry. Conclusions: Paracladoxylon kespekianum is one of the largest Early Devonian euphyllophytes, among the oldest representatives of the cladoxylopsid group, and older than any species of the closely related Cladoxylon by at least 35 million years. It is also one of the oldest anatomically preserved representatives of the cladoxylopsid group. Its anatomical organization pushes the rise of complex vascular architecture among moniliformopsid euphyllophytes deeper in time than previously recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Notiosorex is the only group of shrews in North America with adaptations to arid or semiarid zones. The genus was described with a single variable species, Notiosorex crawfordi , from which 5 new species have since been distinguished. To date, the phylogenetic relationships of Notiosorex species have only been partially analyzed and it is possible that there are still distinct species included within the catch-all of N. crawfordi. Here, we use geometric morphometrics on cranial and mandibular characters of the described extant species, 3 fossil species, and a distinctive population of N. crawfordi as a proxy for an integrated assessment of phylogenetic relationships of all Notiosorex species. Our results indicate that the population from the Altiplano Mexicano is more similar to, yet distinct from, N. villai than it is to N. crawfordi —we describe it as a new species. We also used the resulting tree to reconstruct phylogeographic history within the genus, which suggests that Notiosorex sp. nov. N. villai , N. evotis , and N. tataticuli all diverged allopatrically as populations from the ancestral area that is currently occupied by N. crawfordi (and in the deeper past by the fossil species N. harrisi), and pushed south into the Gulf Coast, the Altiplano, and Baja California within the last 5 million years following the end of the Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remains of a unique fossil bony fish were discovered in late Eocene (39.1–36.7 Ma: NZ Kaiatan stage) mudstone at Burnside near Dunedin, New Zealand in the 1930s and subsequently named and described by Frederick Chapman. He interpreted the type specimen as being a large-scaled relative of the modern Thyrsites of the Gempylidae (Scombroidei: Trichiuroidea), known to be swift, large oceanic predators. However, Chapman is unlikely to have seen all of the fossil, and did not discuss the skull and caudal skeleton. Additional material now allows these to be included in the expanded description herein, including key morphologic features of the fish such as the presence of premaxillary fangs. This study describes the rather complex history of the specimen and re-examines this significant fossil fish in the University of Otago collections, giving a more complete understanding of Eothyrsites morphology, paleoecology and relationships. In summary, we suspect Eothyrsites represents an ancestral form of gempylid, closely related to the gemfish group, an important Southern Hemisphere macrofossil record from the Eocene seas around Zealandia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albatrosses are among the most intensely studied groups of living birds, yet their fossil record remains sparse. Despite modern albatrosses being more abundant and widespread in the Southern Hemisphere, the vast majority of fossil albatrosses identified to date come from Northern Hemisphere localities. Here, we describe Plotornis archaeonautes sp. nov., a new albatross species from the earliest Miocene that represents the earliest record of Procellariiformes in New Zealand and the earliest uncontroversial record of the clade Pan-Diomedeidae from the Southern Hemisphere. Phylogenetic analyses support the placement of Plotornis outside of the clade uniting all extant albatrosses. The new fossil reveals that stem lineage albatrosses were widespread by the onset of the Neogene. Although the humerus of Plotornis archaeonautes exhibits a short processus supracondylaris dorsalis, this early species may have possessed at least one of the unique ossifications associated with the patagial bracing system present in modern albatrosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australopiths are a group of early human ancestors that lived approximately 4 to 2 million years ago and are considered a key transitional form between apes and humans. Studying australopiths can help to understand the evolutionary processes that led to the emergence of humans and gain insights into the unique adaptations and characteristics that set humans apart from other primates. A bibliometric-based review of publications on australopiths contained in the Scopus database was conducted, analyzing approximately 2000 of them. The main authors, institutions, and countries researching this subject were identified, as well as their future development. The connections between authors, countries, and research topics were also analyzed through the detection of communities. The more frequent keywords in this subject are hominid, animal, human, South Africa, and Australopithecus afarensis. Four main research clusters were identified in the field of australopiths: palaeobiology, cranial evolution, locomotion, and mandible evolution and morphometry. The most important countries in terms of collaboration networks are South Africa, the UK, France, and Germany. Research on australopiths is ongoing, and new research clusters are expected to emerge, such as those focused on pre-australopiths and the molecular evolution and taxonomy of australopiths. Overall, this work provides a comprehensive overview of the state of research on australopiths and offers insights into the current direction of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable character system is crucial to taxonomy and systematics, and it promises valid downstream inferences, e.g., estimates of diversity and disparity, reconstruction of evolutionary history, and even stratigraphic correlations. Modern taxonomy and systematics of extant cockroaches requires an integrative study involving multiple lines of evidence with emphasis on genital and reproductive characteristics and molecular data. In contrast, many fossil cockroach taxa published recently are based solely on forewings. Many studies have shown that forewing-based taxa are questionable. In order to find out how much of the phylogenetic signal we could ascertain from venational similarity, and how confident we could be, this study used forewing characters to reconstruct phylogenies of the genera of well-recognized family-group taxa. The intuitively reconstructed phylogeny of 75 extant genera failed to recover those taxa or their relationships. Parsimony analyses of various datasets all yielded strong polyphyly and chaotic relationships. In conclusion, the forewing of cockroaches is not a universally competent character system. The underlying causes are the complicated nature of veins and the limitations of current analytical techniques. The uncertainty in forewing-based taxonomy and systematics has been underestimated in the literature. Forewing-based fossil taxa warrant re-evaluation; some of them are herein deemed nomina dubia in their current state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wing venation pattern is particularly important in the taxonomy and classification of insects, especially for fossil material. There are recognized transformation series that apparently often represent a mainstream in the evolutionary trend of the wing venation of Hymenoptera. One notable instance is the gradual reduction of the subcosta veins from multiple branches to their total absence. Herein, we place four new genera and six new species in the family Blasticotomidae (=Xyelotomidae) of Hymenoptera. They are Xyelocerus abruptus sp. nov. Liberitoma tenella gen et sp. nov. Liberitoma compta sp. nov. Liberitoma incompleta sp. nov. Aduantoma insolita gen. et sp. nov. and Apertoma gen. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of China, and Enspeletoma oligocaenica gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Oligocene of Germany. The newly discovered species of Liberitoma from China possessed a supernumerary hind branch of vein Sc in its forewing, which has apparently never been recorded before in other hymenopterans, and the unique venation pattern of Aduantoma suggests the possibility of two additional steps of vein Sc transformation before its complete loss. Based on the new findings, Blasticotomidae are proposed to be divided into four subfamilies: Blasticotominae Thomson 1871, Dahurotominae subfam. nov. Pseudoxyelocerinae subfam. nov. and Undatominae subfam. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran of eastern Newfoundland preserves the world's oldest known eumetazoan body fossils, as well as the earliest known record of fossilized muscular tissue. Re-examination of the holotype of the eight-armed Haootia quadriformis in terms of its morphology, the arrangement of its muscle filament bundles, and hitherto undescribed aspects of its anatomy support its interpretation as a crown staurozoan. We also document several new fossils preserving muscle tissue with a different muscular architecture to Haootia, but with only four arms. This new material allows us to describe a new crown group staurozoan, Mamsetia manunis gen. et sp. nov. This work confirms the presence of crown group medusozoan cnidarians of the Staurozoa in the Ediacaran of Newfoundland circa 565 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body size is of fundamental importance to our understanding of extinct organisms. Physiology, ecology and life history are all strongly influenced by body size and shape, which ultimately determine how a species interacts with its environment. Reconstruction of body size and form in extinct animals provides insight into the dynamics underlying community composition and faunal turnover in past ecosystems and broad macroevolutionary trends. Many extinct animals are known only from incomplete remains, necessitating the use of anatomical proxies to reconstruct body size and form. Numerous limitations affecting the appropriateness of these proxies are often overlooked, leading to controversy and downstream inaccuracies in studies for which reconstructions represent key input data. In this perspective, we discuss four prominent case studies (Dunkleosteus, Helicoprion, Megalodon and Perucetus) in which proxy taxa have been used to estimate body size and shape from fragmentary remains. We synthesise the results of these and other studies to discuss nuances affecting the validity of taxon selection when reconstructing extinct organisms, as well as mitigation measures that can ensure the selection of the most appropriate proxy. We argue that these precautionary measures are necessary to maximise the robustness of reconstructions in extinct taxa for better evolutionary and ecological inferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable character system is crucial to taxonomy and systematics, and it promises valid downstream inferences, e.g., estimates of diversity and disparity, reconstruction of evolutionary history, and even stratigraphic correlations. Modern taxonomy and systematics of extant cockroaches requires an integrative study involving multiple lines of evidence with emphasis on genital and reproductive characteristics and molecular data. In contrast, many fossil cockroach taxa published recently are based solely on forewings. Many studies have shown that forewing-based taxa are questionable. In order to find out how much of the phylogenetic signal we could ascertain from venational similarity, and how confident we could be, this study used forewing characters to reconstruct phylogenies of the genera of well-recognized family-group taxa. The intuitively reconstructed phylogeny of 75 extant genera failed to recover those taxa or their relationships. Parsimony analyses of various datasets all yielded strong polyphyly and chaotic relationships. In conclusion, the forewing of cockroaches is not a universally competent character system. The underlying causes are the complicated nature of veins and the limitations of current analytical techniques. The uncertainty in forewing-based taxonomy and systematics has been underestimated in the literature. Forewing-based fossil taxa warrant re-evaluation; some of them are herein deemed nomina dubia in their current state.

A stakeholder engagement workshop was held in May 2024 as part of the "Community-driven enhancement of information ecosystems for the discovery and use of paleontological specimen data" project, which is funded under the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Open Science Ecosystem (GEO OSE) program. This report describes the activites and outcomes of the workshop.

Mass extinctions are major influences on both the phylogenetic structure of the modern biota and our ability to reconstruct broad-based patterns of evolutionary history. The most recent mass extinction is also the most famous—that which implicates a bolide impact in defining the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary (K/Pg). Although the biotic effects of this event receive intensive scrutiny, certain ecologically important and diverse groups remain woefully understudied. One such group is the freshwater ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). These fish represent 25% of modern vertebrate diversity, yet the isolated and fragmentary nature of their K/Pg fossil record limits our understanding of their diversity dynamics across this event. Here, we address this problem using diversification analysis of molecular-based phylogenies alongside a morphotype analysis of fossils recovered from a unique site in the Denver Basin of western North America that provides unprecedented K/Pg resolution. Our results reveal previously unrecognized signals of post-K/Pg diversification in freshwater clades and suggest that the change was driven by localized and sporadic patterns of extinction. Supported inferences regarding the effects of the K/Pg event on freshwater fish also inform our expectations of how freshwater faunas might recover from the current biodiversity crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research history of fossil Phasmatodea is reviewed in this paper, focusing on the current status of taxonomic and phylogenetic studies. The diversity, localities and ages of all reported fossil taxa of Phasmatodea all over the world are overviewed. The mimicry and defense behavior revealed by Phasmatodea fossils are summarized, involving their early evolution of wings and mimicry related body characters. The existing problems in the studies of fossil Phasmatodea are discussed, along with an outlook on future research of Phasmatodea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new genera and species of Ithonidae, i.e. Stictopolystoechotes sparsulus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov. and Pycnopolystoechotes striatus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov., are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation, Inner Mongolia, China. The two new genera can be assigned to the Polystoechotes genus-group of Ithonidae by the combination of following characters: elongated forewing, Sc and RA fused distally, crossveins in radical sector sparse except for the gradate series, and simple CuP branches. The known wing markings among the Jurassic Polystoechotes genus-group were outlined, which suggested the diversification of wing markings was possibly positively associated with the species radiation of this lineage during this period. Moreover, a key to fossil genera of the Polystoechotes genus-group was provided. LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAEEFF67-876D-4709-BE4A-18F5AB04B01D Stictopolystoechotes: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:666ED6B2-B132-4CF4-BFB0-ED6B86EB30F4 Stictopolystoechotes sparsulus: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6C96432B-205F-4F39-A647-3E0048169A92 Pycnopolystoechotes: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1D1343DF-844E-4243-BAB9-242F6232EEBF Pycnopolystoechotes striatus: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B4EFBE6B-5011-4103-A65F-77D65BEC0B85 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the first fossil species of the extant genus Eulomalus (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Dendrophilinae: Paromalini) from the Eocene Baltic amber. Eulomalus balticussp. nov. has a flattened body shape typical for the Histeridae living under the bark of decaying trees. The newly described species is the only European representative of the genus, which is presently distributed chiefly in the Indomalayan realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periderm is a well‐known structural feature with vital roles in protection of inner plant tissues and wound healing. Despite its importance to plant survival, knowledge of periderm occurrences outside the seed plants is limited and the evolutionary origins of periderm remain poorly explored. Here, we review the current knowledge of the taxonomic distribution of periderm in its two main forms – canonical periderm (periderm formed as a typical ontogenetic stage) and wound periderm (periderm produced as a self‐repair mechanism) – with a focus on major plant lineages, living and extinct. We supplement the published occurrences with data based on our own observations and experiments. This updated body of data reveals that the distribution of wound periderm is more widespread taxonomically than previously recognized and some living and extinct groups are capable of producing wound periderm, despite canonical periderm being absent from their normal developmental program. A critical review of canonical and wound periderms in extant and fossil lineages indicates that not all periderms are created equal. Their organisation is widely variable and the differences can be characterised in terms of variations in three structural features: (i) the consistency in orientation of periclinal walls within individual files of periderm cells; (ii) the lateral coordination of periclinal walls between adjacent cell files; and (iii) whether a cambial layer and conspicuous layering of inward and outward derivatives can be distinguished. Using a new system of scoring periderm structure based on these criteria, we characterise the level of organisation of canonical and wound periderms in different lineages. Looking at periderms through the lens provided by their level of organisation reveals that the traditional image of periderm as a single generalised feature, is best viewed as a continuum of structural configurations that are all predicated by the same basic process (periclinal divisions), but can fall anywhere between very loosely organized (diffuse periclinal growth) to very tightly coordinated (organized periclinal growth). Overall, wound periderms in both seed plants and seed‐free plants have lower degrees of organisation than canonical periderms, which may be due to their initiation in response to inherently disruptive traumatic events. Wound and canonical periderms of seed plants have higher degrees of organisation than those of seed‐free plants, possibly due to co‐option of the programs responsible for organizing their vascular cambial growth. Given the importance of wound periderm to plant survival, its widespread taxonomic distribution, and its early occurrence in the fossil record, we hypothesise that wound periderm may have had a single origin in euphyllophytes and canonical periderm may have originated separately in different lineages by co‐option of the basic regulatory toolkit of wound periderm formation. In one evolutionary scenario, wound periderm regulators activated initially by tissue tearing due to tensional stresses elicited by woody growth underwent heterochronic change that switched their activation trigger from tissue tearing to the tensional stresses that precede it, with corresponding changes in the signalling that triggered the regulatory cascade of periderm development from tearing‐induced signals to signalling induced by tension in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractShaligrams are the sacred fossil ammonites of the Himalayas. Viewed primarily as manifestations of Hindu gods, Shaligrams are obtained by pilgrimage to Himalayan Nepal and are then brought home to families and communities all over South Asia and the Diaspora as household deities. But Shaligrams also contain a variety of natural characteristics that are read and interpreted through long-standing oral traditions that use these features to both determine which specific deity is manifest within the stone and to link each Shaligram with a body of religious stories and local folklore. Therefore, the semiotic interpretation of Shaligrams instantiates ritual practices by which each stone becomes both an object and a text; able to be read by those fluent in its symbolic language. This practice then blurs the line between categories of object and archive; where fossils become literal texts and stones become storytellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beetles have a remote evolutionary history dating back to the Carboniferous, with Mesozoic fossils playing a pivotal role in elucidating the early evolution of extant families. Despite their exceptional preservation in amber, deciphering the systematic positions of Mesozoic trogossitid‐like beetles remains challenging. Here, we describe and illustrate a new trogossitid‐like lineage from mid‐Cretaceous Kachin amber, Foveapeltis rutai Li, Kolibáč, Liu & Cai, gen. et sp. nov. Foveapeltis stands out within the Cleroidea due to the presence of a significant large cavity on each hypomeron. While the exact phylogenetic placement of Foveapeltis remains uncertain, we offer a discussion on its potential affinity based on our constrained phylogenetic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new extinct genus Dactylonudon gen. nov. with the type species D. longitarsus sp. nov. and a new species of the extinct genus Midinudon Tokareva & Żyła, 2023: M. elongatus sp. nov., both from Burmese amber are described, illustrated and distinguished from related species. A new record of the extinct species Diminudon schomannae Żyła, Yamamoto & Jenkins Shaw, 2019 from Burmese amber is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a diverse aquatic insect assemblage from McGraths Flat, a Miocene Lagerstätte in central New South Wales, Australia that includes representatives of Sialidae, Limoniidae, Chironomidae and Chaoboridae. The aquatic insect fossils from this deposit consist predominantly of larvae. These include a new species of phantom midge (Chaoborus, Chaoboridae), three morphotypes of non‐biting midges (Chironomidae), one morphotype of cranefly (Limoniidae) and one morphotype of alderfly (Sialidae). The large number of fossil specimens enabled us to study the ontogeny of the new midge species. We discerned growth rates in fossil larvae, using morphometry of all four instars of Chaoborus. The simultaneous presence of taxa associated with still water and taxa associated with flowing water supports the hypothesis that McGraths Flat was deposited in an isolated water body (oxbow lake/billabong) with influence from a river during high water events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new species of shearwater, Ardenna buchananbrowni sp. nov., from the Pliocene of New Zealand. It is both the smallest and oldest known diving member of the genus, demonstrating that this now abundant form of shearwater has had a long presence in southern oceans. Ardenna buchananbrowni sp. nov. is among the few extinct shearwaters described from the Southern Hemisphere and adds to an increasingly diverse seabird assemblage in the Pliocene of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Flowers are attractive to many people mainly due to their colourful and conspicuous perianth, which is closely related to successful insect pollination in extant angiosperms. The Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (125 million years ago) in Northeastern China is famous for its great diversity of early angiosperms. However, unlike typical flowers in extant angiosperms, the previously documented fossil flowers are usually famous for their "nakedness", namely, they do not have typical petals (corolla), suggesting a pollination strategy for early angiosperms that is different than that of the extant angiosperms. However, without fossil evidence, whether there are petals (corolla) and whether androecium and gynoecium are protected in early flowers are rarely addressed questions. Here, we document a flower bud fossil, Archaebuda cretaceae sp. nov., from the Yixian Formation, which is the second case in the Formation. While reinforcing the truthful occurrence of fragile flower buds in the Early Cretaceous, new fossil evidence demonstrates the existence of gynoecium and possible androecium within the flower bud, suggestive of the possible bisexuality and the protection function of petals in Archaebuda, just as in extant flowers. In addition, it is very likely that conspicuous petals may have played an important role in attracting insects for successful pollination in early angiosperms. Therefore, the occurrence of petals (corolla) in Archaebuda cretaceae sheds a new light on the reproduction of early angiosperms. The Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in China is famous worldwide for its fossils of early angiosperms, but there has been only one record of flower buds (Archaebuda lingyuanensis) hitherto, in which only the surface of the flower bud was documented while no internal details were known. Such a partial knowledge of flower buds hinders our understanding of the evolution of flowers, and this knowledge lacuna needs to be filled. Our new specimen was collected from an outcrop of the Yixian Formation (Barremian–Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) near Dawangzhangzi, Lingyuan, Liaoning, China. Our observations reveal a new fossil flower bud, Archaebuda cretaceae sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous of China. This new record of Archaebuda in the Yixian Formation not only confirms the truthful existence of the expected gynoecium (plus possible androecium) in a flower bud but also underscores the occurrence of typical flowers in the Early Cretaceous. This new information adds first-hand data to flower sexuality, pollination, and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The systematics of Cyrtophyllitinae Zeuner, 1935 sensu Gorochov, Jarzembowski & Coram, 2006 was revised. A new subfamily Archaboilinae subfam. nov. and a new genus, Pararchaboilus gen. nov. were erected. Two new species, Archaboilus ornatus sp. nov. and Vitimoilus gigantus sp. nov., are described from the Middle Jurassic China. A phylogeny of Cyrtophyllitinae Zeuner, 1935 sensu Gorochov, Jarzembowski & Coram, 2006, based on wing morphology, is presented including all genera. Cyrtophillitinae is found to be paraphyletic. Except for Cyrtophyllites rogeri Oppenheim, 1888, all other species were moved from the subfamily Cyrtophyllitinae (Hagloidea, Haglidae). Consequently, a new subfamily Archaboilinae subfam. nov. was erected and accommodates most of the previous cyrtophillitine taxa, except Cyrtophyllites rogeri. The type genus Archaboilus Martynov, 1937 of the new subfamily was designated; a new genus, Pararchaboilus gen. nov., was erected with the designation of type species Pararchaboilus cretaceus comb. nov. From the Middle Jurassic deposits of China, two new species, Archaboilus ornatus sp. nov. and Vitimoilus gigantus sp. nov., are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) today exhibits the highest marine biodiversity, which has been evolving since the early Miocene. The existence of this high palaeobiodiversity is attested to by the presence of many fossil invertebrates; however, the region's fossil fish record is sparse and understudied, which is also the case for cartilaginous fishes. Elasmobranch fossils are dominantly represented by shark and ray teeth in the geological record and can give a quick overview of the composition of the fauna. The first IAA elasmo fossils, shark teeth were described from Java (Indonesia) at the end of the 19th century, and until today, most of the publications are known from this island. In the early and middle of the 20th century, remarkable fossils were also reported from the islands of Madura (NE Java) and Sulawesi, some with detailed taxonomical descriptions. In addition, only sporadic reports on fossil occurrences exist elsewhere from the IAA, but these lack any detailed taxonomic accounts. In 2019 our research group reported a late Miocene elasmobranch fauna from Brunei (Borneo), which is now the most diverse known shallow water fossil assemblage from the entire IAA. This fauna was described from a single fossiliferous outcrop, called Ambug Hill. However, several new localities have been discovered and studied over the years, as a result the number of fossils increased, and their age range extended. Here we provide an overview of these new sites and their elasmobranch fossils, and describe remains from ten taxa among, of which eight are new to the IAA fossil record (Chiloscyllium sp., cf. Hemitriakis sp., Paragaleus sp., Carcharhinus borneensis, C. limbatus, Lamiopsis sp., Scoliodon sp., Rhinobatos sp.). The overall north Bornean elasmo assemblage is then compared with other IAA occurrences. An extended fauna list is given based on literature review and preliminary investigation of the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre collection in Leiden (The Netherlands) where most of the fossil fishes of the early explorations are stored. These assemblages are also briefly summarized, and attention is drawn to some of the unique and thus far unreported taxa (e.g., Dalatias licha). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museums house and display many authentic artifacts and objects. These objects not only draw visitors but can act as boundary objects that bridge between the worlds of scientists and the public. We observed how museum educators leveraged boundary objects in service of knowledge brokering as part of leading four educational programs at a paleontology museum. Specifically, we examined how museum educators used different forms of talk (conceptual, connecting, perceptual) with different types of boundary objects (authentic, educational, disciplinary) in knowledge brokering. The findings show how different patterns and combinations of talk and objects could support knowledge brokering or occasionally lead to failed knowledge brokering. We also discuss how museum educators must often engage in re-brokering as new discoveries are made and disciplinary knowledge evolves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of Natural History collections, particularly paleontological collections, is usually structured around specimens. However, it might not be feasible when the collections are incorporated from sources where the whole cycle of specimen collection is unknown, making it hard to determine what fossils belong to a single specimen and if these specimens belong to a single fossil-assemblage, taxon or individual. The Sociedade de História Natural from Torres Vedras (Portugal) manages such collections using a management strategy approach based on the spatial location from where the fossils were found. To achieve this, we have implemented a methodology for field collection and developed a spatial database in PostgreSQL/PostGIS to manage the entire stages of paleontological collections management. On top of the database, a second layer of web services, Web GIS (Geographical Information System) applications, and desktop GIS, all based on QGIS, are also under development to facilitate access to data stored in the database to internal and external researchers and partners, as well public institutions. This effort is made in close collaboration with in-house actors and stakeholders and has yielded promising results. The development of this system provides four advantages: (i) it played an essential role in supporting the transfer of the collection to new storage facilities; (ii) it provides overviews of the distribution of the characteristics of the collections; (iii) it enhances institutional partnerships by providing consistent and reliable data and(iv) it supports the establishment and development of research lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the extinct megatooth shark, Otodus megalodon, and its close phylogenetic relatives remains enigmatic. A central question persists regarding the thermophysiological origins of these large predatory sharks through geologic time, including whether O. megalodon was ectothermic or endothermic (including regional endothermy), and whether its thermophysiology could help to explain the iconic sharks gigantism and eventual demise during the Pliocene. To address these uncertainties, we present unique geochemical evidence for thermoregulation in O. megalodon from both clumped isotope paleothermometry and phosphate oxygen isotopes. Our results show that O. megalodon had an overall warmer body temperature compared with its ambient environment and other coexisting shark species, providing quantitative and experimental support for recent biophysical modeling studies that suggest endothermy was one of the key drivers for gigantism in O. megalodon and other lamniform sharks. The gigantic body size with high metabolic costs of having high body temperatures may have contributed to the vulnerability of Otodus species to extinction when compared to other sympatric sharks that survived the Pliocene epoch.

Abstract Body size is of fundamental importance to our understanding of extinct organisms. Physiology, ecology and life history are all strongly influenced by body size and shape, which ultimately determine how a species interacts with its environment. Reconstruction of body size and form in extinct animals provides insight into the dynamics underlying community composition and faunal turnover in past ecosystems and broad macroevolutionary trends. Many extinct animals are known only from incomplete remains, necessitating the use of anatomical proxies to reconstruct body size and form. Numerous limitations affecting the appropriateness of these proxies are often overlooked, leading to controversy and downstream inaccuracies in studies for which reconstructions represent key input data. In this perspective, we discuss four prominent case studies (Dunkleosteus, Helicoprion, Megalodon and Perucetus) in which proxy taxa have been used to estimate body size and shape from fragmentary remains. We synthesise the results of these and other studies to discuss nuances affecting the validity of taxon selection when reconstructing extinct organisms, as well as mitigation measures that can ensure the selection of the most appropriate proxy. We argue that these precautionary measures are necessary to maximise the robustness of reconstructions in extinct taxa for better evolutionary and ecological inferences.

Coccinelloid beetles have a sparse fossil record in the Mesozoic. Here, we describe and illustrate an unusual coccinelloid beetle, Yassibum yoshitomii gen. et sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Yassibum stands out within the Coccinelloidea due to its notched profemora and the presence of antennal grooves on the elytral epipleura. Based on our phylogenetic analyses, we suggest that Yassibum is most likely related to the family Anamorphidae. The alternative placements are critically evaluated based on our comparison of the morphology.

Plants and arthropods are primary drivers of terrestrial ecosystem function. Trace fossils of plant–arthropod interactions (PAIs) provide a unique window into assessing terrestrial ecosystem states through geological time and evaluating changes in herbivorous arthropod feeding guilds in the wake of global biotic crises. The end-Permian event (EPE; c. 252 Ma) resulted in the loss of keystone plant species from humid tropical and high-latitude ecosystems and the extinction of several major insect groups. The subsequent Early to Middle Triassic evinced diminished terrestrial productivity, punctuated by a series of second-order biotic crises that hindered recovery. Here, we survey records of Gondwanan Early to Middle Triassic floral assemblages for evidence of PAIs as an indication of ecosystem recovery following the EPE. We compiled a comprehensive dataset of fossil plant taxa and PAIs for lower Mesozoic strata of Gondwana, revealing an increase in specific and generic floral diversity from the Early to Middle Triassic. We noted a lack of PAIs reported from many localities with abundant fossil leaves, which might be interpreted to be a consequence of a post-EPE delay in the recovery of arthropod feeding guilds compared to the flora. However, by comparing floral assemblages between regions of Gondwana, our results also partly attribute the absence of PAIs to the relative paucity of palaeoichnological and palaeobotanical studies of this interval. To test for potential under-reporting of PAIs in the Triassic, we present a case study of the well-described Australian Middle Triassic Benolong Flora. In contrast to existing Australian Early to Middle Triassic PAI reports on only three plant specimens, this systematic investigation revealed 44 PAI traces comparable to published examples, hosted by 40 fossil plant fragments (7.77% of fragments assessed; N = 591). Margin-feeding traces constituted the dominant Functional Feeding Group (FFG) identified (23 examples: 3.72% of fragments assessed). Our review highlights several Early and Middle Triassic Gondwanan plant fossil-rich successions and existing collections that require further examination. We predict that investigations of these assemblages will greatly elucidate the relationships between rapidly changing environments during the Early and Middle Triassic and their effects on the plant and arthropod communities in the Southern Hemisphere.

The present study describes two occurrences of clam shrimps (“Conchostraca”). Following a form-based classification of Schneider et al. (2005, 2022) and Schneider & Scholze (2018), the conchostracans have been classified as Pseudestheria form Oberbozen and Pseudestheria form Le Fraine. They come from the Guncina and Tregiovo formations, repectivey. These units are part of the northern Athesian Volcanic Group, North Italy. All of this material were obtained from grey coloured, fine-grained siliciclastic, lacustrine deposits of Kungurian (late Cisuralian, late Early Permian) age. Their carapace valves in lateral view are marked by concentric ribs. Often, growth lines can be observed to decrease in their preservation towards the umbonal area of the valve. An open nomenclature is applied to the taxonomy at the species level herein, because of either limited number of individuals or a plastic deformation due to tectonics. So far, the records reported herein are restricted geographically and stratigraphically to respective single occurrences. Further studies are recommended to establish their full biostratigraphic ranges.

This article is an editorial that discusses the ecology and evolution of host-plant relations in gall-inducing arthropods. It focuses on the Tephritidae, or true fruit flies, which are economically important and known for inducing galls. The article also explores the mutualistic relationship between fig wasps and figs, as well as the presence of galls in the fossil record. Additionally, it discusses the impact of global warming on gall-inducing arthropods and the attempts to control invasive pests through biological control. The authors hope that this research will inspire further exploration into the interactions between plants and animals. [Extracted from the article]

Many modern extinction drivers are shared with past mass extinction events, such as rapid climate warming, habitat loss, pollution and invasive species. This commonality presents a key question: can the extinction risk of species during past mass extinction events inform our predictions for a modern biodiversity crisis? To investigate if it is possible to establish which species were more likely to go extinct during mass extinctions, we applied a functional trait-based model of extinction risk using a machine learning algorithm to datasets of marine fossils for the end-Permian, end-Triassic and end-Cretaceous mass extinctions. Extinction selectivity was inferred across each individual mass extinction event, before testing whether the selectivity patterns obtained could be used to 'predict' the extinction selectivity exhibited during the other mass extinctions. Our analyses show that, despite some similarities in extinction selectivity patterns between ancient crises, the selectivity of mass extinction events is inconsistent, which leads to a poor predictive performance. This lack of predictability is attributed to evolution in marine ecosystems, particularly during the Mesozoic Marine Revolution, associated with shifts in community structure alongside coincident Earth system changes. Our results suggest that past extinctions are unlikely to be informative for predicting extinction risk during a projected mass extinction.

We report a new species of shearwater, Ardenna buchananbrowni sp. nov., from the Pliocene of New Zealand. It is both the smallest and oldest known diving member of the genus, demonstrating that this now abundant form of shearwater has had a long presence in southern oceans. Ardenna buchananbrowni sp. nov. is among the few extinct shearwaters described from the Southern Hemisphere and adds to an increasingly diverse seabird assemblage in the Pliocene of the region.

Megachasma applegatei is an extinct megamouth shark (Lamniformes: Megachasmidae) commonly found in late Oligocene‒early Miocene marine deposits of the western USA, that is known only from isolated teeth exhibiting odontaspidid tooth design. In this study, we investigated the tooth morphometry of the extant megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) and smalltooth sandtiger (Odontaspis ferox: Odontaspididae) to aid in the reconstruction of the dentition of M. applegatei based on the tooth morphometry of 207 isolated fossil teeth from the lower Miocene Jewett Sand of southern California. Our landmark-based geometric morphometric analyses show that M. applegatei not only possesses a wider morphological range of teeth than M. pelagios, but also has morphological variation that can be corresponded to different tooth types in O. ferox, forming a unique heterodont dentition typical for macrophagous lamniform sharks known as the ‘lamnoid tooth pattern’. Therefore, our study suggests that the dentition of M. applegatei could have also exhibited the lamnoid tooth pattern. In order to reconstruct the dentition of M. applegatei, specific tooth specimens plotted on the morphospace of M. applegatei were selected by identifying teeth of specific tooth types in the corresponding morphospaces of M. pelagios and O. ferox. However, because the total number of teeth per each dental series cannot be ascertained, we generated three sets of reconstructed dentition for M. applegatei. The first set modeled the dentition of O. ferox, the second set representing an intermediate form between O. ferox and M. pelagios, and the third set mimicking the dentition of M. pelagios, with the assumption that the true dental pattern for M. applegatei lies somewhere between the first and third tooth sets, possibly close to the second set. This study represents the first case of using geometric morphometrics to reconstruct the dentition of an extinct shark.

Simple Summary: Simple Summary: Our research, made possible by recent advancements, has led to more accurate diagnoses of ancient pathologies, despite the rarity of well-preserved specimens, the predominance of bone remains, and the difficulty in distinguishing neoplastic from non-neoplastic lesions in fossils. This study compiles reports of tumours in fossilised animals, highlighting that neoplasms are present in various vertebrates and drawing comparisons to modern instances of similar diseases, thereby providing unique insights into the presence of tumours in ancient animals. Paleo-oncology studies neoplastic diseases in fossilised animals, including human remains. Recent advancements have enabled more accurate diagnoses of ancient pathologies despite the inherent challenges in identifying tumours in fossils—such as the rarity of well-preserved specimens, the predominance of bone remains, and the difficulty in distinguishing neoplastic from non-neoplastic lesions. This study compiles reports of tumours in fossilised animals, highlighting that neoplasms are present in a wide range of vertebrates and drawing comparisons to modern instances of similar diseases. The findings underscore the multifactorial aetiology of tumours, which involves genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, and suggest that tumours have been around for at least 350 million years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Psychodidae is described by a well-preserved adult male trapped in Miocene amber from Simojovel, Chiapas, Mexico. The new species named Trichomyia vetusta sp. nov., is described, illustrated, and compared with the other Trichomyia fossil species from Mexican amber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reinvestigated the distinctive pentalocular fruits known as Sahniocarpon from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) Deccan Intertrappean beds of central India, whose familial affinities within the angiosperms have previously been elusive. Using micro–computed tomography scanning to produce digital sections and surface renderings of the fruits and the contained seeds, supplementing the traditional thin section and peel methods, we discovered new characters useful in establishing affinities with the Burseraceae. The fruit is pedicellate with a hypogynous perianth, and each of the five locules contains a single-seeded pyrene, which bears narrow lateral wings similar to those of extant Boswellia (frankincense). Sahniocarpon fruits opened by the shedding of five septifragal valves, in the manner of dehiscent drupes in the Burseraceae. Co-occurring fruits, previously known as Cremocarpon deccanii Karanjekar, show a similar organization but differ by their smaller size. We consider the larger- and smaller-fruited species to represent two members of the same genus: S. harrisii Chitaley & Patil and S. deccanensis (Karanjekar) Manch., Kapgate & Judd comb. nov. These fruits, together with those of Bursericarpum indica Kumar et al. and others as yet undescribed, indicate that the Burseraceae were well represented in the vegetation of central India near the end of the Cretaceous and in the early Cenozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil scales from gar fish are made of bioapatite and are common in the continental sedimentary record from the Cretaceous to the present, prompting interest in using these fossil scales as geochemical archives. We investigated the diagenetic characteristics of the two different components of gar scales: ganoine, which has similarities to tooth enamel, and bone. We examined microscopic textural characteristics, spatially resolved trace element patterns, and apparent gar scale ages using the (U-Th)/He and U-Th-Pb systems, in modern scales as well as fossil scales from Cretaceous to Paleogene age strata in the North American Williston and San Juan Basins. Structural and textural characteristics of modern and fossil gar scales suggest that ganoine is more resistant to diagenetic alteration than bone. Trace element concentrations in fossil bone are at least an order of magnitude higher than in ganoine and can be spatially heterogeneous, indicative of a complex and prolonged diagenetic history. Trace element concentrations in fossil ganoine often decrease systematically with distance from the ganoine surface, which may be consistent with a fossilization model in which trace element concentrations are controlled by an inwardly propagating recrystallization front. However, (U-Th)/He dates of ganoine are substantially younger than expected based on basin thermal histories and compared to conventional detrital apatite (U-Th)/He dates from the same localities. The ganoine (U-Th)/He dates are also older than a few Ma for only the lowest effective uranium concentrations. We interpret the young (U-Th)/He dates and the date-effective uranium pattern to be indicative of either protracted or late-stage incorporation of trace elements, which is inconsistent with a recrystallization front model alone. The young (U-Th)/He dates may also reflect microstructurally-controlled low helium retentivity in gar scale ganoine, although this does not explain the observed date- effective uranium systematics. Late-stage incorporation of trace elements is supported by the U-Th-Pb systematics of ganoine, which require addition of U and Th at a time significantly later than the depositional age. Late-stage, or protracted, diagenetic uptake of parent nuclides in gar scale ganoine contrasts with recent studies of bioapatite from conodont elements, which instead appear to exhibit late-stage parent nuclide loss. We conclude that the (U-Th)/He system in gar scale bioapatite is not currently useful as a chronometer and suggest that applications of other trace element proxies to gar scale bioapatite be approached with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and new species of the euthemistid, Kidaneuthemis ningchengensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. It can be assigned to the Euthemistidae by the several long intercalary veins between RP1 and IR1, IR1 and RP2, as well as between RP2 and IR2 and between IR2 and RP3/4. Kidaneuthemis ningchengensis gen. et sp. nov. distinguishes from the other two genera of this family by the presence of not less than eight intercalary veins between MP and wing margin; about three rows of cells in the distal part between MA and MP; the base of IR2 is two cells distal to that of RP3/4. In addition, a revision of the family Euthemistidae has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]