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.     

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.     

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.     

Microstructure of septal system in some Silurian tetracorals

The microstructure of the septa is examined for some genera of the Lykophyllidae. Two distinct types of microstructure can be recognized, enveloping lamellar microstructure in which the fibers parallel each other and the median part of the septum, and pinnate-fibrous microstructure in which the fibers diverge at an acute angle from the median part of the septum and are commonly arranged in bundles. The Lykophyllid corals have thick septa in the young stages but the thickening reduces with growth. Three patterns of such reduction of septal thickening can be recognized: 1) reduction proceeding from the counter quadrant to the cardinal quadrant; 2) reduction proceeding from the periphery towards the axis; 3) reduction proceeding from the cardinal quadrant towards the counter quadrant. The Lykophyllidae are divided into two subfamilies, the Lykophyllinae with enveloping lamellar microstructure and the Semaiophyllinae with pinnate-fibrous microstructure. The pattern of reduction of septal thickening is different for the two subfamilies. A new genus, Rukhinia (type species R. cuneata n. sp., Upper Llandoverian of the western margin of the Siberian Platform) is proposed and is closely related to Semaiophyllum Vollbrecht.—B.S. Norford     

Oldhaminid brachiopods from the Permian of Transcaucasia

The Oldhaminoidea are classified as a suborder of the Productida, on the basis of the new genus Spinolyttonia which has productid spines, and on other morphological considerations. The Transcaucasian oldhaminoids are described in support of this position, with detailed treatment of the genera Keyseriingina Tschernyschev, Leptodus Kayser, Oldhamina Waagen, Gubleria H. and G. Termier, Spinolyttonia Sarycheva (nov.), and Poikilosakos Watson. The Transcaucasian fauna is Upper Permian (Guadalupian and Dzhulfian).—R. E. Grant     

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.     

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     

Systematics of the family Verbeekinidae (Fusulinida)

The Verbeekinidae originated in the Lower Permian with the genus Misellina of the subfamily Neoschwagerininae. The faMily divided in the Upper Permian into the subfamilies Pseudodoliolininae, Sumatrininae, Verbeekininae and the dubious Kahlerininae. The status of the genus Armenina M.-Maklay is discussed, and the genus retained; the genera Brevazina Schenck and Thompson and Paraverbeekina M.-Maklay are assigned to the synonymies of Misellina and Verbeekina respectively. — R. E. Grant.     

First occurrence of Solenopora in the Cenozoic of USSR

A new species of the subgenus Solenopora (Neosolenopora) is described from upper Eocene, yellow-green, sandy-Micaceous clay filling, a pre-Paleogene excavation in a Precambrian surface at Ingulets, Dnepropetrovsk Province, 'USSR. The new species is Solenopora (Neosolenopora) multiformis. Excellent detail of the thalli is preserved and considerable anatomical and morphological detail is presented The discovery of this form constitutes the third report of Solenopora in the Cenozoic of Western Eurojie. The plants are associated with large nurnbetS of right valves from the pelecypod, Ostrea callifera Lam var. sokolovi Klushn. Other invertebrates associated with algal remains are Spondylus, Serpula and Nummulites. Paleoecological interpretation of the occurrence of the algal remains is given as a rocky shoal inhabited by a biocoenosis of sublittoral habit in depths of not more than 10–20 m. — F. M. Hueber.     

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.     

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.     

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 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.     

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.     

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     

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.     

The foraminifer genera Monotaxinoides and Eolasiodiscus

The genera Monotaxinoides Brazhnikova and Yartseva and Eolasiodiscus Reytlinger were both established at the same time for small Late Carboniferous Foraminifera probably derived from the genus Howchinia Cushman. The two names are synonyms and Eolasiodiscus Reytlinger, 1956, is selected and retained in the family Lasiodiscidae Reytlinger, 1956. Three species (one with three stratigraphic subspecies) are described. — R. C. Douglass.