Utility of crinoid columnals in palaeontology illustrated by a new species: Clare Shale Formation (Carboniferous), Doolin,County Clare,western Ireland

Well-preserved specimens, such as complete individuals, crowns and cups, are the common focus for crinoid systematic research. Yet the majority of specimens are disarticulated ossicles which are essentially ignored. The incompleteness of the fossil record is even more so when we ignore potential sources of data. A new species of crinoid comes from a monospecific assemblage from the Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) of western Ireland. All specimens are from a float block of the Clare Shale Formation (Bashkirian stage) at Fisherstreet Bay, Doolin, County Clare, western Ireland. Heloambocolumnus (col.) harperi gen. et sp. nov. has a pentagonocyclic, heteromorphic column; the small, central lumen is in a shallow, circular claustrum; the articulation is radial symplectial; the crenulae are slightly swollen and peg-like close to the circumference; nodals have rounded, unsculptured epifacets; nodal articular facets are sunken and in which narrow internodals are situated; and circlets of tubercles on epifacet surround priminternodals. These columnals are associated with robust, uniserial brachial ossicles. This crinoid is most likely a cladid.     

Crinoids columnals (Echinodermata) of the Ererê Formation (late Eifelian–early Givetian,Amazon Basin), State of Pará, Brazil

The faunal composition of stalked echinoderms in the Brazilian Devonian is still largely unknown despite the great abundance of crinoids in the shallow epicontinental seas of the Paleozoic. The first Devonian crinoids of Brazil, recorded in the literature in 1875 and 1903, were from the sedimentary rocks of the Ererê Formation in the Amazon Basin. Since then, the echinoderms of this formation have not been studied. This study, based on isolated pluricolumnals and columnals, described and identified Botryocrinus meloi n. sp., the first record for this genus in Brazil. In addition to this species, two other morphological patterns were identified: Tjeecrinus sp. and Morphotype AM/Er-01. The form of occurrence of the crinoid material and the paleoautoecology of B. meloi allow preliminary characterization of the habitat as a moderately deep water with weak to moderate currents and soft substrate. The similarity between B. meloi and Botryocrinus montguyonensis and of Tjeecrinus? sp. and T. crassijugatus, from the Devonian of the Armorican and Rhenan Massif, represents new evidence for the existence of contact between the faunas of the Amazon Basin with those of northern Gondwana and Armorica during the Middle Devonian.     

Palaeozoic micro-pelmatozoan thecae from the bedload of the River Maas (province of Limburg,the Netherlands)

In the Netherlands, Late Palaeozoic pelmatozoans – that is, stalked echinoderms – are known from building stones and cobbles in rivers, but there are no in-situ carbonate rocks from which they might be collected. Unsurprisingly, most recognisable specimens are columnals and pluricolumnals. Two small thecae, collected in the mid-1970s from silexite cobbles in the bedload of the River Maas in the Venlo-Tegelen area (province of Limburg, south-east Netherlands) are exceptional finds. One specimen, the diplobathrid camerate crinoid Rhodocrinites sp., has an unsculptured theca and some minor differences of form, yet otherwise satisfies the diagnosis of this genus. The other, the pentremitid blastoid Doryblastus? sp. is rather poorly preserved, yet is the first blastoid to be recorded from the Netherlands. Either or both of these specimens may be juveniles, particularly the blastoid. They are unlikely to be coeval, coming from separate cobbles and being of slightly different preservation. Their provenance from silexite cobbles suggest they originated from Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian-Visean = Mississippian) carbonates in the southern Ardennes (south-central Belgium).     

Enrichment of nitrogen and 13C of methane in natural gases from the Khuff Formation,Saudi Arabia,caused by thermochemical sulfate reduction

Permian Khuff reservoirs along the east coast of Saudi Arabia and in the Arabian Gulf produce dry sour gas with highly variable nitrogen concentrations. Rough correlations between N₂/CH₄, CO₂/CH₄ and H₂S/CH₄ suggest that non-hydrocarbon gas abundances are controlled by thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). In Khuff gases judged to be unaltered by TSR, methane δ¹³C generally falls between −40‰ and −35‰ VPDB and carbon dioxide δ¹³C between −3‰ and 0‰ VPDB. As H₂S/CH₄ increases, methane δ¹³C increases to as much as −3‰ and carbon dioxide δ¹³C decreases to as little as −28‰. These changes are interpreted to reflect the oxidation of methane to carbon dioxide.Khuff reservoir temperatures, which locally exceed 150 °C, appear high enough to drive the reduction of sulfate by methane. Anhydrite is abundant in the Khuff and fine grained nodules are commonly rimmed with secondary calcite cement. Some cores contain abundant pyrite, sphalerite and galena. Assuming that nitrogen is inert, loss of methane by TSR should increase N₂/CH₄ of the residual gas and leave δ¹⁵N unaltered. δ¹⁵N of Paleozoic gases in Saudi Arabia varies from −7‰ to 1‰ vs. air and supports the TSR hypothesis. N₂/CH₄ in gases from stacked Khuff reservoirs varies by a factor of 19 yet the variation in δ¹⁵N (0.3–0.5‰) is trivial.Because the relative abundance of hydrogen sulfide is not a fully reliable extent of reaction parameter, we have attempted to assess the extent of TSR using plots of methane δ¹³C versus log(N₂/CH₄). Observed variations in these parameters can be fitted using simple Rayleigh models with kinetic carbon isotope fractionation factors between 0.98 and 0.99. We calculate that TSR may have destroyed more than 90% of the original methane charge in the most extreme instance. The possibility that methane may be completely destroyed by TSR has important implications for deep gas exploration and the origin of gases rich in nitrogen as well as hydrogen sulfide.     

Two intriguing pluricolumnals (Crinoidea) from the Lower Palaeozoic of Powys and Shropshire

Complete fossils must be preferred to fragments for most palaeontological studies, but disarticulated specimens are nonetheless potential sources of noteworthy data. Two crinoid pluricolumnals are recorded from the lower Palaeozoic; informed discussion shows each is a basis for palaeobiological interpretation. Both are gracile and are probably belong to disparids. Floricrinus (col.) sp. is from the Silurian of Wenlock Edge, Shropshire, either from the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation (Wenlock) or, more likely, the Lower Elton Formation (Ludlow). This is the first crinoid from the Silurian of the British Isles with a pentapetaloid arrangement of the areola, a geometry common in the Middle-Upper Ordovician and higher in the geologic column. Pluricolumnal gen. et sp. indet. is from the Lower Llanvirn of Powys. One end of the otherwise straight specimen is tightly coiled. This is likely the proxistele, the most flexible region of the column, and the coiling occurred after the crown was lost by autotomy in response to an environmental disturbance.     

The Permian Kas Formation of SE Turkey—palynological correlation with strata from Saudi Arabia and Oman

The Kas Formation in SE Turkey was deposited as part of the Permian sequence on the northern margin of the Arabian Plate. Its stratigraphic relationship to time‐equivalent strata of the Arabian Plate was mentioned briefly in previous studies, but has not been elaborated and illustrated in detail. This biostratigraphic review of existing palaeontological data has improved the accuracy of age interpretation for the Kas Formation, and the relationship of its excellent palynological record to the international Permian chronostratigraphic units. As a result, this study has identified a number of key palynological species from the Kas Formation, which occur as well as in the ‘Basal Khuff Clastics’ of Saudi Arabia and in the ‘Khuff transition section’ of Oman. All these units have approximately the same age: Wordian to early Capitanian, based on ‘age control’ provided by Foraminifera. This study also demonstrates that, by using key palynological taxa, correlation of strata would be possible across the entire Arabian Plate in this narrow time range. Hence, the ‘Oman and Saudi Arabia Palynological Zone 6’ (OSPZ6) is applicable throughout the Arabian Plate area, including the northern regions of SE Turkey and Iraq. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The discovery of Isocrinus cf. robustus from the Lias Group (Lower Jurassic) near Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland, Scotland

A single stem section (pluricolumnal) belonging to a post-Palaeozoic crinoid (sea lily) is reported from a small outcrop of Lower Jurassic Lias Group strata exposed in low cliff near Dunrobin Castle. This is the first Jurassic crinoid recorded from Eastern Scotland and the small fragment has enough diagnostic characters to be assigned to the species Isocrinus cf. robustus; a crinoid found commonly in the Lower Jurassic of England. The Scottish form collected has unusual morphology that is atypical of the genus.     

Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) crinoids of the Hidas Valley (Mecsek Mountains, S Hungary) and their biogeographic significance

The Bathonian crinoid fauna that occurs in red nodular limestone and argillaceous limestones from the Hidas Valley, Mecsek Mts (southern Hungary) consists of three isocrinid and six cyrtocrinid species. Isocrinids are represented by Balanocrinus inornatus (d’Orbigny), B. berchteni Hess and Pugin and Balanocrinus sp. Cyrtocrinids are represented by Phyllocrinus stellaris Zar?czny, P. birkenmajeri G?uchowski, P. malbosianus d’Orbigny, Apsidocrinus sp., Lonchocrinus sp., and the new species Psalidocrinus hidasinus sp. nov. This last species is the earliest occurrence of the genus Psalidocrinus previously known from the Early Tithonian to Valanginian. This is the first crinoid fauna described from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Hungary. The co-occurrence of isocrinids and cyrtocrinids indicates an environment subject to weak currents. The stratigraphical and geographical distribution of the identified cyrtocrinid genera and species suggests a Tethyan origin and subsequent migration to the northern Tethyan shelf.     

First records of the subfamilies Bethylinae (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and Cleptinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Upper Cretaceous amber from France

Two new genera and species of fossil chrysidoid wasps belonging to the families Chrysididae and Bethylidae are described from Charentese (Fouras Bois-Vert and Archingeay) lower Upper Cretaceous amber of France. New taxa include: Sphaerocleptes neraudeaui n. gen. et sp., and Nucifrangibulum carentonensis n. gen. et sp. A new bethylid wasp is also described but left in open nomenclature. These findings are the first records of the subfamilies Cleptinae and Bethylinae in these deposits and time interval. The implications of these discoveries, and the features shared with previously known taxa are discussed.     

A new peculiar muensterellid coleoid (Cephalopoda) from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of Dorset (England)

A concretion from the lower Tithonian Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Pectinatus Zone) found by Steve Etches yielded a gladius of a coleoid cephalopod. It is peculiar in shape and has an unusual ornamentation of radiating ribs and tubercles. The new form is named Etchesia martilli n. gen. n. sp. and preliminarily placed within the octobrachian family Muensterellidae based on its limpet-like gladius. Through the presence of radiating ribs as well as the absence of a narrow anterior rachis E. martilli n. gen. n. sp. is similar to Pearceiteuthis buyi from the Oxford Clay Formation (Callovian). The new muensterellid is unique in having an enrolled patella apex, which is located close to the posterior gladius rim. E. martilli n. gen. n. sp. represents the first muensterellid coleoid from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation. A phylogenetic relationship of E. martilli n. gen. n. sp. (and Pearceiteuthis) with cirrate and incirrate octopods is discussed, although further information on soft parts such as the muscular mantle is necessary.     

An association of problematic corals,crinoids and parasites from the Sholeshook Limestone Formation (Ordovician) of Wales

Coralla of the solitary coral Talfania calicula gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Ordovician (Ashgill Series; Katian Stage) of Llanddowror, South Wales, UK, are often coiled around crinoid columnals, suggesting a premortem association between some of the corals and living crinoids. Irregularities within the deepest part of the open calice imply infestation of T. calicula by parasitic worms. Talfania calicula is distinguished from contemporaneous rugose corals by its lack of septa within the calice and its systematic position within Zoantharia is unresolved. Pitted calical grooves are interpreted as attachment scars of desmocytes connecting the soft tissues to the exoskeleton. Coral and crinoid remains in the assemblage are bored by postmortem microendoliths. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conodonts of the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian boundary interval in Central Iran

The record of conodonts related to the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian boundary interval was investigated in four sections in Central Iran from two different structural units. Two sections from the Sanandaj–Sirjan trend zone (Asad-abad, and Darchaleh sections) and two from the East-Central Iran Microplate (Shesh-angosht and Kale-Sardar sections) exhibit a nearly complete record previously described across the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian boundary in Iran. The investigated sections can be subdivided in three formations (Ghaleh-, Absheni-, and Zaluda Formation) which belong to the Sardar Group. The mid-Carboniferous boundary was defined by the occurrence of Declinognathus noduliferus s.l.. Bio-event characteristics of the Carboniferous conodont fauna (Mississippian genera Gnathodus and Lochriea have been replaced by Pennsylvanian genera Declinognathus and Idiognathodus) as well as sedimentological changes within overall shallow water deposits were located approximately 33° S of the paleoequator and suggest sea-level changes within the framework of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA). Furthermore, a widespread crinoid marker horizon previously described from two localities in Iran can be subdivided into three units of different ages.     

Cantabriconus reocinianus n. gen., n. sp. a new conical agglutinating benthic foraminifera from the upper Aptian-lower Albian of Cantabria,N-Spain

A new large conical agglutinating benthic foraminifer is described as Cantabriconus reocinianus n. gen., n. sp. from the upper Aptian-lower Albian Urgonian limestones of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin. It is characterized by a prominent initial trochospire, an undivided marginal zone, an endoskeleton of massive, vertically aligned, and often fused pillars, as well as a thick, most likely pseudo-keriothecal wall structure. Due to the generic characteristics, the new taxon is assigned to the Coskinolinidae. Cantabriconus n. gen. is compared with the Cretaceous Pseudolituonella Marie, and the early Paleogene taxa Coskinolina Stache and Coskinon Hottinger & Drobne as well as the Middle Jurassic Conicopfenderina Septfontaine. Cantabriconus reocinianus n. gen., n. sp. has been observed in the upper Aptian Reocín Formation and in the lower part of the Albian Ramales and Meruelo Formations to the east of Santander. It might therefore be considered an index taxon for Urgonian-type limestones of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin in this time interval.     

Extreme diversity of decapod crustaceans from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian) of Spain: Implications for Cretaceous decapod paleoecology

Thirteen decapod crustacean species, eight of which are new, from the mid-Cretaceous (late Albian) limestones of the Koskobilo quarry in northern Spain are described, illustrated, and discussed. They include: Graptocarcinus texanus; Navarrara betsieae gen. nov., sp. nov.; Acareprosopon bouvieri n. comb.; Laeviprosopon hispanicum sp. nov.; L. planum sp. nov.; L. edoi sp. nov.; L. crassum sp. nov.; Viaia robusta; Cretamaja granulata gen. nov., sp. nov.; Koskobilius postangustus gen. nov., sp. nov.; Navarrahomola hispanica; Glytodynomene alsasuensis; and Albenizus minutus gen. nov., sp. nov. Cretamaja and Koskobilius represent the oldest known spider crabs. In total, 36 species are now known from the Koskobilo locality based on 1078 specimens. To discover the magnitude of the diversity of the decapod fauna of Koskobilo, a comprehensive overview of decapod-rich localities and formations from the Cretaceous worldwide was compiled. It appears that Koskobilo is the most diverse decapod fauna from a single locality currently known from the Cretaceous. A rarefaction analysis shows that the maximum number of species is nearly reached. The number of genera, 26, is also unsurpassed for the Cretaceous. Forty-two species are found from localities within the Eguino Formation to which sediments from the Koskobilo quarry are ascribed, which is also unprecedented for a single formation within the Cretaceous. Evidence suggests that the most diverse decapod faunas from the Cretaceous are found in coral-associated limestones. This is consistent with evidence from the Recent, where decapod diversity is high in coral reefs compared to other habitats. This also suggests that the decapod peak diversity in Koskobilo is largely ecological in nature and not caused by a preservational bias. This is one of the most comprehensive studies on Cretaceous decapod diversity so far. Field work in coral-associated strata is expected to yield more decapod-rich faunas.     

Early Cretaceous protist flagellates (Parabasalia: Hypermastigia: Oxymonada) of cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) in Burmese amber

Two Early Cretaceous Burmese amber cockroaches contained protists related to mutualistic flagellates occurring in extant Cryptocercus cockroaches and lower termites. The fossil protists are described as Devescovites proteus Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Parabasalia: Trichomonadida: Devescovinidae), Paleotrichomones burmanicus Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Parabasalia: Trichomonida), Burmanymphus cretacea Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Hypermastigia: Trichonymphida: Burmanymphidae n. fam.) and Oxymonas gigantea Poinar, n. sp. Additional putative protists are also illustrated. Evolutionary implications of this discovery are discussed.     

A Middle Ordovician crinoid from the beach gravels of Ristna Cape,Hiiumaa Island,Estonia

Reworked fossils may be exotic, but more typically are locally derived. Echinoderms have only rarely been identified from beach clasts; most commonly, these are Upper Cretaceous echinoids from the Chalk. A pebble collected from a beach in Estonia has yielded a moderately well preserved specimen of the crinoid stem, Baltocrinus (col.) antiquus (Eichwald). This species is typical of the Baltic region, only being known from the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) of Estonia, but is exotic because the local outcrop is Upper Ordovician to Silurian.     

Zurupleuropholis gen. nov. (Teleostei,Albian, Argentina), first pleuropholids from the Cretaceous of South America

Although the Cretaceous is characterized by a rich fish diversity, Cretaceous continental fishes from Gondwana are poorly known and comparatively scarce. Among these fishes, the family Pleuropholidae is only known by a few species relatively poorly preserved, from the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous of Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. In this paper, two new species of the pleuropholid new genus Zurupleuropholis are described, Z. quijadensis gen. et sp. nov. and Z. decollavi gen. et sp. nov. The new fishes were recovered in the Lower Cretaceous lacustrine Lagarcito Formation of central-west Argentina. This taxon constitutes a relevant finding considering that the representation of the family Pleuropholidae is rare worldwide. Zurupleuropholis gen. nov. appears to be the youngest known member of Pleuropholidae, and it represents the second record of the family in South America and the first record in the Cretaceous of the continent.     

Banatia aninensis n. gen., n. sp., a new complex larger benthic foraminifer from the upper Barremian of Romania

A new larger benthic foraminifera is described as Banatia aninensis n. gen., n. sp. (Family Pfenderinidae Smout & Sugden) from upper Barremian Urgonian-type shallow-water carbonates of the Reşita – Moldova Nouă Zone, southwestern part of Romania. The low to medium trochospiral test of Banatia n. gen. is characterized by marginally undivided chambers and a wide axial part. The latter is made up of pillars continuous between successive chambers and a labyrinthic endoskeleton (plates and pillars) with a fine canal system between. Banatia n. gen. is compared with Pfenderina Henson, Pseudopfenderina Hottinger, and Accordiella Farinacci. The new taxon occurs in algal-foraminiferal wackestones interpreted as deposits of an internal lagoonal realm. So far unrecorded in the literature, the taxon might be paleogeographically restricted (endemic).     

A new genus of silken-fungus beetle (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from the Spanish Cretaceous amber

The Cretaceous new species and genus Albocryptophagus cantabricus gen. et sp. n. is described based on a fossil specimen from the El Soplao amber deposit (Spain). The new genus is similar to the extant genera Cryptophagus and Micrambe, but differs from them in the transverse pedicel, anterior angles of pronotum, pronotal margin unmodified, pronotal pits absent. Albocryptophagus gen. n. is undoubtedly the most ancient representative for the subfamily Cryptophaginae described up today. Because the saproxylic habits in recent species of the family, a similar behavior is inferred for this new fossil. It is a new example that agrees with the idea that fossil beetles from Mesozoic ambers are characterized by a saproxylic lifestyle.     

Platyceratid gastropod infestations of Neoplatycrinus Wanner (Crinoidea) from the Permian of West Timor: speculations on thecal modifications

Distinctive trace fossils, indicating the infestation of the monobathrid camerate crinoid Neoplatycrinus Wanner by coprophagous platyceratid gastropods, are recognised for the first time from the Permian of West Timor. Platyceratid shells from West Timor have previously been reported preserved on or about the crinoid tegmen, that is, apically; in contrast, the trace fossils described herein occur in the CD interray (=posteriorly), mainly on the radials. There are two patterns of infestation in the CD interray. Circular grooves in this position, situated below the periproct, are referred to Lacrimichnus isp. Thecal modifications include the CD interray sloping towards the base, and incomplete curved ridges developed outside the circular groove and confined to the radials. A different morphology is shown by other specimens that have a broad, flattened CD interray, curving down to and extending onto the basals; this interray also slopes towards the base. These unusual CD interray modifications are interpreted as a product of snail/crinoid associations. We speculate that the major modifications to the theca may have permitted the platyceratid shell to mimic an uninfested CD interray and thus maintain the hydrodynamic integrity of the crown. This would have been to the advantage of both gastropod and crinoid. The camerates did not survive the P/Tr extinction; their demise ended an association that had persisted over 200 million years, although the platyceratids persisted into the Mesozoic.