New gymnosperms from the Lower Cretaceous of the Primor'ye

A new species of Caytonia, C. orientale, and a new genus and species Chankanella vachrameevi are described from Neocomian-Aptian coal bearing strata in the Primor'ye Territory, Suifun basin. The new species of Caytonia is differentiated from C. sewardii Thomas and C. canadensis (Berry) Bell on the basis of size and slight morphological variances. Only one specimen of a megasporophyll was available for study. Leaves found in the same stratum and attributed to the new species differ from other species of Sagenopteris chiefly in the greater length of the petioles of the leaflets. Chankanella vachrameevi is described as a Sagenopteris-like leaf. It differs from Sagenopteris in having a larger number of leaflets and in lacking anastomoses of veins in the leaflets. It is compared with Lesleva Lesquereux. Its leaflets are compared with Thinnfeldia pinnae, and the leaves of Tersiella Radczenko, Linquifolium and Protophyllocladus. — F. M. Hueber.     

New species of Miocene foraminifers from eastern Ciscarpathia

Putrya describes the new species Streblus galicianus, S. mjatliukae, S. pseudobeccarii, and S. granulosus from upper Tortonian (Miocene) deposits in Ciscarpathia.—M. A. Buzas     

Members of Bythocytheremorpha (Ostracoda) from the Cretaceous of Tadzhik depression

Six new species of the genus Bythocytheremorpha, including B. centroscrobiculata, B. aksuensis, B. bicornis, B. (?) abnormis, B. torulosa, and B. ilyini, are reported and described from beds of Upper Cretaceous age (Cenomanian through Santonian) of the southwestern part of the Gissar Range, located in the southeast of Soviet Central Asia. These relatively primitive Cretaceous ostracods, which possess an intricately sculptured carapace, seem to have lived in a shallow, warm, marine environment. — R. H. Benson.     

Late Cambrian nautiloids of the Malyy Karatau

The latest Cambrian deposits of the Malyy Karatau in Kazakhstan contain nautiloid cephalopods associated with trilobites. Four new species of nautiloids are described and assigned as follows: Ellesmeroceratidae — Tamdoceras n. gen; T. lisogorae n. sp.; T. logicameratum n. sp.; Protocycloceratidae — Chabactoceras n. gen.; C. balashovi n. sp. — C. R. Palmer.     

VERTICAL MIGRATION OF PETROLEUM INTO CARBONIFEROUS AND PERMIAN DEPOSITS OF THE VOLGA-URAL PROVINCE

Three new species and two new genera of scleractinian corals are described from the upper Oxfordian (Jurassic) limestones of Azerbaijan. Cyathopora parva, Thecosmilia vurguni, and Thecosmilia zagaliensis are described as new. The genus Brevimaeandra (Type species: B. alizadei nov. sp.) is compared with Mycetophyllopsis and Maeandrastraea, and is placed in the Family Montlivaltiidae. Grandifavia (Type species: G. bendukidzeae, nov. sp.) is placed in the Family Faviidae and is compared with Favia and Nefocoenia. No other constituents of the fauna are listed nor are references to such lists given. A brief introduction states that the limestones of middle Oxfordian age are probably reworked reef deposits, and that the coral and sponge reefs were deposited in waters probably not over 90 m deep. No stratigraphic sections are given. — D. F. Squires.     

Phylogeny of Gaudryina-Gaudryinella

Kurgalimova discusses the displacement of the aperture and the modification of its shape in the genera Gaudryina, Belorussiella, and Paragaudryina. The species G. navarroana Cushman, B. intermedia sp. nov., and P. pseudonavarroana (Balakh.) occur in fairly distinct stratigraphic position in lower to middle Eocene deposits of the southeastern part of the Turgay depression, South Emba and Bukhara Province.—M.A. Buzas     

New Viséan rugose corals from west slopes of Urals

Two new species of Early Carboniferous colonial Rugosa discovered in collections from the western slopes of the Central Urals provide additional data on geographic ranges of Aulina and Paralithostrotion. Aulina kosvensis is the first fasciculate species of the genus to be described from the U. S. S. R. It was found in the Upper Viséan Ladeininskii horizon. Paralithostrotion talkaense is described on material from the Ladeininskii and Ust'sarbaiskii horizons and considered to be of upper Viséan(?) and Namurian age. In connection with this investigation, the type material of Paralithostrotion jermolaevi Gorskiy and Tschernowiphyllum podboriense Dobrolyubova, which are the type species of the two genera, was restudied and found to be congeneric. Tschernowiphyllum Dobrolyubova, 1958, is therefore a junior synonym of Paralithostrotion Gorskiy, 1938. As revised, Paralithostrotion is considered to be a doubtful lithostrotionid lacking a genuine columella and having tabulae that are concave to horizontal. The corallum is fasciculate with connecting processes, which open into a corallite at one end but at the other terminate blindly against a neighboring corallite. Two opposing septa are longer than the other majors and generally overlap in the axial region. The dissepimentarium is narrow and may not be developed. - H. Duncan.     

The genus Nathorstia (ferns)

Nathorstia is a genus of Cretaceouslern with a broad distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Previous authors have disagreed on the systematic position of Nathorstia, but investigation of the epidermis and sori of material from the lower Cretaceous of Primor'ye, Suyfun basin, has helped to clarify the problem. The genus was originally described by Heer, who assigned it to the family Marattiaceae, because of erroneous interpretation of the son. However, the true affinity is apparently with the Matoniaceae, particularly with the genus Phlebopteris Brongniart. A diagnosis of Nathorstia is presented, and N. pectinata (Goeppert) Krasilov, n. comb. (formerly Reussia pectinata Goeppert) is designated the type species. — S. H. Mamay.     

Bivalve mollusks of the Far Eastern Seas of the U.S.S.R. (Order Dysodonta)

This short section of Skarlato's monograph, Bivalve Mollusks of the Far Eastern Seas of the U. S. S. R. (Order Dysodonta), discusses the genus Arvella Bartsch, 1940 ms. The genus includes the species formerly assigned to Crenella. Diagnostic features of the species included in genus Arvella Bartsch are given. Vilasina Bartsch, 1940 ms is discussed, also The author states that the hinges of Vilasina clearly assign the species to the genus Crenella. The form and position of the umbo relate the species closely to the genus Arvella, though. The almost entirely smooth laminated surface distinguishes Vilasina from both genera, as does the finely serrated ventral edge of the shell. The last section discusses the genus Modiolus Lamarck, 1799. — A. W. Bellais.     

A Fammenian rhynconellid assemblage common to North America and the Urals

Rozman, describing in 1960 the Famennian deposits of Mugodzhar, mentioned a new genus Pseudonudirostra to which were assigned Pseudonudirostra uralica (Nalivkin, 1947), P. posturalica sp. nov. and P. planoovalis (Nalivkin, 1937). Sartenaer in 1961 distinguished the genus Trifidorostellum with the type species Leiorhynchus dunbarense Haynes, 1916. A year later Rozman (1962) described the new genus Pseudoleiorhynchus (= Pseudonudirostra), with the type species Leiorhynchus uralicus Nalivkin. Sartenaer in 1963 visited Russia and both authors concluded that Pseudoleiorhynchus was a junior synonum of Trifidorostellum. The early Famennian T. dunbarense of America and the late Famennian T. uralicum of Russia form a single group of species of stratigraphic value for intercontinental correlation of Famennian deposits.--A.W. Norris.     

Ordovician and Silurian corals from Gornyy Altay region

Tabulate corals, including new species of Cyrtophyllum (C. elegantum, C. altaicum, C. vulgaris), Propora (P. proheliolitoides), and Plasmoporella (P. altaica) aid in defining Upper Ordovician strata of Gornyy Altay region; in addition, new species of Heliolites (H. pachycanaliculoides), Favosites (F. karagemensis), Pachyfavosites (P. bazhenovae), Squameofavosites (S. karagemensis, S. altaicum), and Hexismia (H. asiatica) form part of a rich Late Silurian fauna within the same region.—T. E. Bolton     

Beresellids from the Carboniferous of the Russian Platform

The classification of the tribe Bereselleae of the family Dasycladaceae is discussed in some detail. The genera Beresella, Samarella and Dvinella are placed in the tribe with Trinodella, being treated as a subgenus of Dvinella. A number of new species are described: four in Beresella, six in Dvinella subgenus Dvinella and two in Dvinella subgenus Trinodella. The stratigraphic occurrence of the tribe in the Carboniferous at a number of localities on the Russian Platform is represented and a strong generic-facies association is pointed out. A pattern of variation in morphological form with sediment type is also discussed. — W. Adey.     

SOME EARLY TRIASSIC AMMONOIDS FROM THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS

Ammonoids of early Upper Scythian age are described from three localities in the Northern Caucasus. No data on relative stratigraphic position is given, but some forms are common to the different exposures and the author concludes that all the ammonoids are Upper Scythian (Olenekian). Affinites with Pacific faunas are stressed and the faunules are correlated with the Owenites zone of North America. Two new genera (Parinyoites and Subowenites) and three new species (Dieneroceras caucasicum, Parinyoites ,mastykensis, Subovvenites slavini)are proposed. Flemingites pulcher Waagen, Wyomingites aplanatus (White), Parussuria compressa (Hyatt and Smith), and Owenites koeneni (Hyatt and Smith) are described and figured. Parinyoites differs from Metinyoites in having rounded saddles and it lacks the keel and costation of Inyoites. Subowenites has reticulate ornamentation, unlike Owenites, Parowenites, and Pseudowenites; it also lacks the adventive notches in the median saddle of Pseudowenites. --E. T. Tozer.     

A member of the genus Cathaya (Pinaceae) from the Pliocene of Abkhazia

The newly recognized extant Asian conifer genus Cathaya is represented by fossil material in Europe. Female cones from the Oligocene of Saxony are assigned to C. europaea n. sp. ; these are distinguishable from the cones of the extant species of Cathaya. Cathaya abchasica n. sp. is based on foliar remains from the Pliocene of Abkhazia; the generic assignment is validated by comparison of the stomatal characteristics. The one previous fossil record of Cathaya in Europe is not considered valid. — J. A. Wolfe     

The genus Allorisma from Lower Carboniferous of the Moscow kettlehole

The author discusses the conceptual bases of the pelecypod family Allorismidae and of the Carboniferous genera Allorisma, Allorismiella, Edmondia, Edmondiella, and Pseudedmondia. There is an extensive discussion of the hinge line structures of Allorisma based on Russian specimens, and four species of the genus from the Carboniferous of the Moscow area are described. Astaf'yeva-Urbaitis overlooked Wilson's 1959 paper in which Allorisma was shown to be a junior synonym of Edmondia; as a result Astaf'yeva-Urbaitis' nomenclature is faulty. Wilson replaced Allorisma with the new generic name Wilkingia. — J. Pojeta, Jr.     

NEW GENUS,DAUBICHITES, OF PARAGASTRIOCERATIDAE

The new genus Daubichites (Paragastrioceratidae) includes involute, broadly discoidal shells with fine reticulate surface ornamentation, plicate or tuberculate umbilical shoulders on the early volutions, a suture line with 8 lobes, and a ventral sinus reflected in the growth line and septal necks. Two species are presently included in the genus, Daubichites goochi (Teichert) from the Upper Permian of Western Australia, and D. orientalis Popovsp. nov. (the type species here described) from the Upper Permian of the Sikhote-Alin' Range, Maritime Coast region (Primor'ye). In addition, certain pseudogastrioceratid species from the Phosphoria and Kaibab Formations of North America may belong to this genus. Daubichites is important to the phylogenetic study of the Paragastrioceratidae because it is transitional between Early Permian forms which possess a ventral projection and Late Permian forms with a ventral sinus. Daubichites is possibly descended from Tumaroceras. — Erle Kauffman.     

The systematic position of the genus Lyubimovina

The new subfamily Galliaecytherideinae is established in Cytherideinae Sars, 1925 for Galliaecytheridea, Lyubimovina, Palaeocytheridella, Asciocythere, Rubracea and Procytheridea. Lyubimivina is removed as a subgenus Palaeocytheridella and given generic status. Morphologic, phylogenetic and geographic justifications for the above actions are discussed. — I. G. Sohn.     

OLDEST DEVONIAN AMMONOIDS OF THE URALS

Bogoslovskiy describes the first known occurrence of Early Devonian ammonoids in the Soviet Union. These indicate that the sediments in which they occur are Coblentzian in age and not Givetian as previously thought. The author reviews the higher taxonomic categories used for early ammonoids, and places his materials in the genera: Erbenoceras Bogoslovskiy, Mimosphinctes Eichenberg, Teicherticeras (Teicherticeras) Erben, and Teicherticeras (Convoluticeras) Erben. — John Pojeta, Jr.