Neogene echinoids from the Cayman Islands,West Indies: regional implications

The first fossil echinoids are recorded from the Cayman Islands. A regular echinoid, Arbacia? sp., the spatangoids Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus Wright and Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark), and the clypeasteroid Clypeaster sp. are from the Middle Miocene Cayman Formation. Test fragments of the mellitid clypeasteroid, Leodia sexiesperforata (Leske), are from the Late Pleistocene Ironshore Formation. Miocene echinoids are preserved as (mainly internal) moulds; hence, all species are left in open nomenclature because of uncertainties regarding test architecture. All Miocene taxa are recorded from single specimens apart from the 27 assigned to Brissus. Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark) is compared to a species from the Oligocene of the south‐east USA. Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus is close in gross morphology to a taxon from the Miocene of Malta. Leodia sexiesperforata is identified from fragments with confidence, being the only extant Antillean sand dollar with elongate ambulacral petals that is limited to carbonate substrates. The Miocene echinoids of Grand Cayman, although of limited diversity, are mainly comprised of genera common in comparable mid‐Cenozoic carbonate environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The last 30,000 years of faunal history within the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The vertebrate fauna of the last 30,000 radiocarbon years in the Grand Canyon is reviewed. Faunas accompanied with 92 ¹⁴C dates have been analyzed from nine cave sites (four systematically excavated) and 50 packrat middens. Reasonably precise chronological and environmental data of late Pleistocene and Holocene age were obtained through dung studies in Rampart, Muav, and Stanton's Caves; from the numerous packrat middens; and from a ringtail refuse deposit in Vulture Cave. The desert tortoise, 8 species of lizards, 12 species of snakes, 68 species of birds, and 33 species of mammals are identified. Extinct animals include the avian carrion feeder, Teratornis merriami, and the mammalian herbivores, Oreamnos harringtoni, Camelops cf. hesternus, Equus sp., and Nothrotheriops shastense. There is no apparent abrupt end to the late Pleistocene as observed in the Grand Canyon fossil faunal or floral record. Animal and plant taxa of the Grand Canyon responded individually to the changes in climate of the last 30,000 yr. Both animal and plant fossil assemblages indicate that a pre-full glacial, a full glacial, and a late glacial woodland community with many less dominant desert taxa were slowly replaced by a Holocene desert community. All woodland taxa were absent from the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon by 8500 yr B.P.     

Cenomanian-Coniacian Sea-level Change and Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuations in Tethys-Himalaya: Evidences from Benthic Foraminifera of Gamba, Tibet

Benthic foraminifera, preserved in the Late Cretaceous organic carbon-rich sediments of Gamba, southern Tibet, provide high-resolution proxies for sea-level changes and dissolved oxygen fluctuations of southeastern Tethys. The fossils were statistically analyzed and divided into three faunas of "Cenomanian fauna", "Turonian fauna", and "Coniacian fauna". A middle neritic-upper bathal environment (50-250m) was estimated considering the ratios of planktonic and epifaunal benthic foraminifera (P/(P+E)), the morphological analysis according to the studies of recent foraminifera and the abundant distributions of depth-related species such as Alabamina creta, Laevidentalina sp., Praebulimina spp., Pleurostomella cf. naranjoensis, Pyrulina sp., Quinqueloculina spp., Haplophragmoides spp., etc. The result shows an almost parallel trend with the global transgressive and regressive cycles, but the former fluctuates more frequently at upper Cenomanian, which probably indicates tectonic instability of the continental margin. According to the benthic foraminiferal richness (BFN), Shannon-Weiner diversity (H(s)), as well as benthic foraminiferal oxygen index (BFOI), five periods of oxygen depleted conditions (dysoxic-anoxic) have been recognized. They correspond to the OAE2, the lower Turonian, the upper Turonian, the Turonian-Caniacian boundary event and the probably OAE3. In addition, the oxygen fluctuations in Gamba might be controlled directly by sea-level changes, while the paleoproductivity and oxygen conditions interacted with each other under oxygen deficiency environments.     

吉林省中部早石炭世杜内期的腕足动物化石

描述的化石是采自吉林省中部杜内期北通气沟组,共17个属24个种,包括3个新种。这个动物群的特点与我国南方杜内期动物群的特点不同,而与美国密西西比系金德胡克组、苏联库茨纳兹盆地和莫斯科盆地杜内期的动物群非常相像。类似的动物群在新疆、甘肃和内蒙等省和自治区均已发现。吉中地区杜内期腕足动物群,属于北美—西伯利亚古生物地理区系。     

粤西云开地区中奥陶世双壳类动物群的发现及其意义初探

在粤西云开地区东冲组内发现以双壳类占绝对优势的中奥陶世动物群,包括双壳类:Praenucula cf.sharpei Babin and Gutierrez-Marco,P.sp.,Homilodonta regularis（Portlock）,Similodonta similis（Ulrich）,S.cf.cerys Cope,S.sp.,Trigonoconcha acuta Sanchez,Concavodonta sp.,Arcodonta sp.,Sthenodonta cf.eastii（Tata）,S.sp.,Nuculites cf.cylindricus（Portlock）,N.sp.,Phestia sp.,Cardiolaria? sp.,Inaequidens cf.davisi Pojeta and Gilbert-Tomlinson,I.sp.,Mytilarca? sp.,Cyrtodonta sp.,Modiolopsis spp.,Carminodonta sp.,Famatinodonta sp.等及若干未命名的新属,同层产出的还有三叶虫和腕足类等.双壳类化石个体小、丰度高、分异度高,以古栉齿类占绝对优势,该发现丰富了我国及世界中奥陶世双壳类动物群,为研究区中-上奥陶统的划分对比以及华南板块古地理重建增添了新的古生物学证据,特别是为研究双壳类的早期演化和奥陶纪早期双壳类辐射演化提供了关键信息.      

泰国东北呵叻府苏拉娜里地区新生代硅化木及其古环境意义

摘要: 泰国东北部新生代硅化木十分丰富且保存完好。经对23 件木化石标本研究,已鉴定出真双子叶植物6 科7 属约13 种,包括Canarium sp． ( Burseraceae) ; Terminalia sp． vel Combretum sp． ,Terminalia sp． ( Combretaceae) ; cf． Irvingia sp． ( Irvingiaceae) ; Cynometroxylon holdeni,Cynometroxylon sp． ,cf． Cynometroxylon spp． ,cf． Millettia spp． ( Leguminosae) ; Careya spp. ( Lecythidaceae) ; Azadirachta sp． ( Meliaceae) ; 以及其他4 个分类群( 分类位置待定) 。这些高度分化的古植物群显示出与泰国东北部现存的混合落叶林、干旱阔叶林和干旱常绿林非常相似的特征,反映了该地区当时的古气候是近于湿润的热带疏林草原气候( 热带干湿气候) 。     

Ammonites (Phylloceratina,Lytoceratina and Ancyloceratina) and organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts from the Late Barremian in Boljetin,eastern Serbia

Late Barremian ammonite fauna from the epipelagic marlstone and marly limestone interbeds of Boljetin Hill (Boljetinsko Brdo) of Danubic Unit (eastern Serbia) is described. The ammonite fauna includes representatives of three suborders (Phylloceratina, Lytoceratina and Ancyloceratina), specifically Hypophylloceras danubiense n. sp., Lepeniceras lepense Rabrenović, Holcophylloceras avrami n. sp., Phyllopachyceras baborense (Coquand), Phyllopachyceras petkovici n. sp., Phyllopachyceras eichwaldi eichwaldi (Karakash), Phyllopachyceras ectocostatum Drushchits, Protetragonites crebrisulcatus (Uhlig), Macroscaphites perforatus Avram, Acantholytoceras cf. subcirculare (Avram), Dissimilites cf. trinodosus (d'Orbigny) and Argvethites? sp. The taxonomic composition and percent abundance of the identified ammonites indicate that their taxa are predominantly confined to the Tethyan realm. Ammonites with smooth and slightly sculptured shells predominate among the studied fauna. The ammonite-bearing succession from Boljetin represents the lower part of the Upper Barremian, ranging in ammonite zonation from the Toxancyloceras vandenheckei Zone to the lower part of the Imerites giraudi Zone. The associated organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts confirm the Late Barremian age of the ammonite-bearing levels.     

A neoselachian shark fauna from the Late Cretaceous of Senegal

A selachian fauna is described for the first time from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) of Senegal. So far, the Campanian Paki Formation has only yielded a single tooth of Rhombodus sp. whereas the Cap de Naze Formation has yielded a more diverse fauna including juvenile Cretalamna cf. Cretalamna biauriculata, Serratolamna serrata, Carcharias cf. Carcharias heathi, ?Carcharias sp., Squalicorax pristodontus, Schizorhiza stromeri, Parapaleobates sp., Rhombodus binkhorsti and Rhombodus andriesi. Teeth of juvenile Cretalamna largely dominate the assemblage. Such an assemblage confirms a Late Maastrichtian age for the unit 3 in the Cap de Naze Formation. The assemblage, although composed of cosmopolitan taxa, is similar to the contemporaneous selachian assemblage from the phosphates of Morocco.     

The ammonite family Parahoplitidae in the Sanganeh Formation of the Kopet Dagh Basin, north-eastern Iran

The Iranian part of the Kopet Dagh Basin is located in north-eastern Iran, where sedimentation was continuous throughout Jurassic to Tertiary times. The ammonite content of the Sanganeh Formation (Lower Cretaceous) has been studied. The following parahoplitid forms have been recorded: Acanthohoplites cf. aschiltaensis, A. cf. bigoureti, A. sp. 1, A. sp. 2, A. spp., Colombiceras sp., Hypacanthoplites cf. anglicus, H. cf. clavatus, H. cf. elegans, H. cf. subrectangulatus, H. uhligi, H. sp., Parahoplites cf. campichii and P. cf. maximus.     

Osteichthyans from the Fairpoint Member of the Fox Hills Formation (Maastrichtian), Meade County, South Dakota, USA

The Fairpoint Member of the Fox Hills Formation (upper Maastrichtian) in Meade County, South Dakota, USA, contains an osteichthyan assemblage indicative of transitional to marine shoreface deposits. The fauna consists of: Lepisosteus sp., Paralbula casei, Cylindracanthus cf. C. ornatus, Enchodus gladiolus, Hadrodus sp., and indeterminate osteichthyans with probable affinities to the Siluriformes and Beryciformes. The Fairpoint fauna is of limited species diversity and in this character mirrors many other Upper Cretaceous North American osteichthyan assemblages. Comparison to Upper Cretaceous chondrichthyan diversity and consideration of the structure of Cretaceous marine food webs suggest that osteichthyans are strongly under-represented in the Upper Cretaceous of North America. The small size and poor preservation potential of many Upper Cretaceous North American osteichthyans probably account for much of this observed paucity. Fairpoint osteichthyans are members of families that survive the Cretaceous–Paleocene boundary extinction event. Some of these genera and families are still extant and occur in a wide array of modern fresh, brackish, and shallow marine environments.     

周口店太平山北坡西洞动物群及其洞穴地层划分

周口店太平山北坡西洞于１９８７年发现,其中的裂隙堆积物厚达２１．７ｍ,可分７层,化石产自剖面的第５层和第７层。第５层计有Ｅｒｉｎａｃｅｕｓｓｐ．等１６种动物化石,第７层产有Ｏｃｈｏｔｏｎａｃｆ．ｎｉｈｅ－ｗａｎｉｃａ和Ｌｅｐｕｓｓｐ．。第５层的时代与周口店第９地点动物群的大体相当或略早,而第７层可与太平山北坡东洞的第８－６层对比。     

A new early Cambrian bradoriid (Arthropoda) assemblage from the northern Flinders Ranges,South Australia

A new assemblage of early Cambrian bivalved arthropods (Bradoriida) is described from the Arrowie Syncline in the northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The well preserved, largely endemic fauna comprises a total of six taxa (including five new species): Jiucunella phaseloa sp. nov., Jixinlingella daimonikoa sp. nov., Mongolitubulus anthelios sp. nov., Neokunmingella moroensis sp. nov., Phasoia cf. spicata (Öpik, 1968), and Sinskolutella cuspidata sp. nov. This assemblage is derived from a carbonate sedimentary package representing a high energy, shallow water archaeocyath-Renalcis biohermal facies of Terreneuvian, Stage 2 age which transitions up-section to a more restricted, low energy, intra-shelf lagoonal environment that correlates with a Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3 age. The new taxon J. phaseloa sp. nov., has a first appearance datum (FAD) in shallow water biohermal facies of the Hideaway Well Member of the Wilkawillina Limestone at a level 47 m below the FAD of Pelagiella subangulata which is taken to approximate the base of Series 2, Stage 3 in South Australia. Along with Liangshanella circumbolina, this makes J. phaseloa sp. nov. amongst the oldest bivalved arthropods in South Australia and potentially greater Gondwana. The presence of 25 bradoriid taxa from the early Cambrian of South Australia suggests East Gondwana represents a major centre of origin for the Bradoriida.     

Frasnian rugose and tabulate corals from the eastern Taurus (Kozan region,Turkey)

A section near the Kilgen Lake (Adana Province) has yielded a fauna of rugose and tabulate corals including Disphyllum cf. rugosum (Wedekind, 1922), D. cf. curtum Hill, 1954, Wapitiphyllum sp., Thamnopora sp., and Alveolites sp. This coral assemblage is consistent with the previous Frasnian age assigned to the limestones of the Gümü?ali Formation. The rather well-preserved material provides new data on the structure and microstructure of Disphyllum and allows to describe in Thamnopora unusual calicinal morphology (septal ridges, median teeth, and pseudopercula) as well as new structures linked to the lateral increase (basal low wall, apical cul-de-sac).     

Stratigraphic Implications of Skeletal Microfossils from the Cambrian of Korea: A Preliminary Report

Diverse small shelly fossils and other associated fossils were recently recovered from the Cambrian Hanaeri section, southwestern Mungyeong, Korea. The fauna includes conoidal problematica, poriferans (sponge spicules), coeloscleritophorans (chancelloriids), brachiopods, monoplacophorans, trilobite (?) fragments, echinoderms, and conodonts. A preliminary assessment of faunal associations, stratigraphic implications, and the correlation of these skeletal fossils is given, based on occurrences of Actinotheca cf. mira (He), Microcornus sp., Torellela laevigata (Linnarsson), Torellela sp., Archiasterella quadratina Lee, Chancelloria sp., Lingulella sp., Prototreta sp., Phakelodus tenuis (Müller), Phakelodus elongates (An), Hertzina sp., and Furnishina sp.     

A Changhsingian (Late Permian) brachiopod fauna from Son La, northwest Vietnam

A small brachiopod fauna is described from the upper part of the Yenduyet Formation near Son La, northwest Vietnam. The fauna includes the following species: Peltichia kwangtungensis (Zhan), Acosarina minuta (Abich), Rhipidomella hessensis King, Schuchertella cf. cooperi Grant, Derbyia sp., Waagenites soochowensis (Chao), Spinomarginifera chenyaoyanensis Huang, and a Marginiferinae gen. and sp. indet. The fauna is most closely correlated with brachiopods from the lower Changhsingian Stage of South China and the lyttoniid fauna from the Huai Tak Formation of northwest Thailand. In view of these correlations, an early Changhsingian (Late Permian) age is proposed for the Son La brachiopod assemblage.     

藏北申扎一带下奥陶统拉塞组的发现及意义

吉林省地质调查院在进行1：25万《多巴区幅》区域地质调查时，在西藏北部申扎县一带首次发现一套富含北方珠角石动物群Armenoceras sp.,Wutinoceras sp.,Discoactinoceras multiplerum Kobayashi,Adaomsoceras sp.,Sactoceras sp.,Ordosoceras sp.,Oncoceratida,Ormoceratidae,? Curtoceras sp.,Ormoceras sp.,Liulinoceras sp.,Deiroceras cf.globsom Zholt et Shen及腕足类、牙形刺、苔藓虫、海百合茎等化石的海相碳酸盐岩地层。该地层的岩石组合特征及生物群面貌与区内已知的地层存在明显的差异，其地质时代也明显早于区内已知的其它古生代地层，故建立下奥陶统拉塞组。     

A Rhuddanian (Silurian,lower llandovery) pelmatozoan fauna from south-west Wales

Only two crinoid faunas of Rhuddanian or early Aeronian age have been described hitherto, both from North America. A Rhuddanian pelmatozoan fauna from Haverfordwest, Dyfed, south-west Wales includes the cheirocrinid rhombiferan cystoid Homocystites? sp., plus the following crinoid species: the calceocrinid disparids Calceocrinus turnbulli sp. nov. and Calceocrinus? sp.; the dendrocrinid cladid Dendrocrinus? gasworksensis sp. nov.; the patelliocrinid monobathrid Macrostylocrinus? sp. indet.; columnals of the rhodocrinitid(?) diplobathrid Floricolumnus (col.) sp. cf. F. (col.) girvanensis Donovan and Clark; the rhodocrinitid diplobathrid Chaosocrinus ornatus sp. nov.; and two indeterminate crinoid species. At the familial level this fauna shows strong similarities with coeval, but more diverse, crinoid assemblages from North America, suggesting that endemism did not develop until later in the Silurian.     

New Cenomanian florule and a leaf mine from southeastern Morocco: Palaeoecological and climatological inferences

The recently found Gara Sbaa florule of southeastern Morocco comes from distinctive carbonate lamellites with abundant fish fauna above the terrestrial/paralic Kem Kem sequence and correlated with the basal horizon of the open shelf carbonate Akrabou Formation. It is a “mixed” assemblage of ferns and gymnosperms of “Wealden aspect” associated with relatively advanced angiosperms, suggesting floristic exchanges between the insular land masses of northern Africa and southern Europe. The climatic conditions are inferred to have been similar to the mildly dry subtropical climate of the western Canary Islands. New taxa of aquatic angiosperms Garasbahia fexuosa Krassilov et Bacchia gen. et sp nov. and a leaf mine Troponoma constricta Krassilov, sp. nov. are described.