Rhodophycean algae from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cauvery Basin,South India

The present paper records eight Rhodophycean taxa from the Kallakudi limestone of the Uttatur Group (Lower Cretaceous) exposed in the quarries at Kallakudi and Olaipadi near Govindarajapatnam of the Cauvery Basin, south India. Of these, four species (Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 1, Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 2, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) belong to corallinaceae family, one species (Polystrata alba) is assigned to Peyssonneliaceae family, two species (Solenopora urgoniana and Parachaetetes asvapatii) are placed under Solenoporaceae; and one species (Sporolithon sp.) is referable to Sporolithaceae family. Among these, three taxa (Solenopora urgoniana, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) are recorded for the first time from India. The study also includes observations on ultrastructural morphological features of Parachaetetes asvapatii. The observations reveal absence of cell fusions, which confirms its affinities with Solenoporaceae. Palaeoecological data indicate that the assemblage from the sequence at the Kallakudi quarry is characteristic of lagoonal to reefal environment, whereas the Olaipadi quarry sequence near Govindarajapatnam points to 20 m to 30 m deep environment characterized by high- to moderate energy conditions.     

Nongeniculate coralline algae from early middle Miocene offshore sequence of Kachchh basin,Western India: Paleoenvironmental significance

The present paper reports five nongeniculate coralline algal species, viz., Lithothamnion valens Foslie, Mesophyllum roveretoi Conti, Phymatolithon calcareum (Pallas) Adey and Mckibbin, Melobesioideae gen. et spec. indet. and Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie form the early middle Miocene Chhasra Formation of Offshore Sequence of Kachchh basin, western India. The present day depth distribution of Lithothamnion and Mesophyllum and growth forms of five nongeniculate coralline algal species points that the two cores belonging to the Chhasra Formation of offshore sequence of Kachchh basin were deposited in inner shelf environment at 60-100m depth in moderate-energy conditions.     

Coralline algae from the Aramda Reef Member of the Chaya Formation,Mithapur, Gujarat

The Quaternary sediments of the Aramda Reef Member of the Chaya Formation exposed in the Mojap coast near Mithapur, Gujarat are characterized by well-developed coralline algal build-ups. These algal build-ups are exceptionally rich in coralline algae and corals. In the present paper, thirteen species belonging to eight genera of coralline algae are described. Out of these, seven species (Titanoderma nataliae, Lithophyllum nitorum, Lithophyllum quadratum, Spongites sp. Brandano et al., 2005, Sporolithon lvovicum, Mesophyllum fructiferum and Lithothamnion praefruticulosum) are the new records for India. Four species (Titanoderma pustulatum, Sporolithon intermedium, Mesophyllum commune and Phymatolithon sp.) are first time recorded from the study area. Among the major framework builders of coralline algae of the Aramda Reef Member are Lithophyllum, Titanoderma, Sporolithon, Mesophyllum and Lithothamnion.     

New record of coralline algae from the Holocene sediments of Agatti Island,Lakshadweep, India

The present paper examines the coralline algal assemblage recovered from the Holocene sediments of Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, India. The assemblage comprises nine species of coralline algae which include Amphiroa fragilisma, Lithophyllum nitorum, Lithophyllum incrustans, Lithoporella melobesioids, Spongites sp., Porolithon craspedium, Aethesolithon problematicum, Clathromorphum parcum, Melobesoideae gen. et spec. indet. Clathromorphum parcumis an endophytic coralline alga reported for the first time from the Indian subcontinent. Out of these, seven species belong to the family Corallinaceae and the two represent the family Hapalidiaceae of the class Rhodophyceae. Coralline algal association of this area is dominated by Lithophylloideae, Melobesioideae and Mastophoroideae which include encrusting to fragmented growth forms. The associated branching corals are well developed and adapted to shallow, warm water, low turbid, protected lagoonal environment.     

Non-marine gastropods from the Cretaceous–Paleogene transition in the Pingyi Basin,eastern China

Our results present a taxonomic and palaeoecological study on non-marine gastropods from the latest Cretaceous to Paleocene deposits of the Pingyi Basin, Shandong Province, eastern China. These gastropods are systematically described: three species belonging to three genera including Physa dongtaiensis Gu, 1989, Hydrobia datangensis Yü, 1977, and the newly established species Cyathopoma pingyiensis sp. nov.; two indeterminata genera and species including Truncatelloidea gen. et sp. indet., and Pomatiopsidae gen. et sp. indet. Among them, Truncatelloidea gen. et sp. indet. and Cyathopoma pingyiensis sp. nov. are the dominant species with the longest record. Cyathopoma pingyiensis, sp. nov. is the earliest representative of this widely distributed Asian extant genus. Sedimentological facies analysis of the gastropod-bearing beds suggested that Truncatelloidea gen. et sp. indet. lived in a small pond with a river inlet and a shallow lake, while Ph. dongtaiensis, ?Pomatiopsidae gen. et sp. indet, and ?H. datangensis only thrived in the shallow lake. Cyathopoma pingyiensis sp. nov. inhabited the land area around the shallow lake. Our results showed that no significant species change of the gastropod fauna across the K/Pg (Cretaceous/Paleogene) boundary was observed in the Pingyi Basin.     

Dasycladalean algae and their depositional environments in the Sylhet Limestone Formation (lower-middle Eocene), Bengal Basin

A very rich and diversified dasycladalean algal assemblage has been discovered from the Sylhet Limestone Formation (lower-middle Eocene) of the Bengal Basin of India for the first time. The depositional environments of the Sylhet Limestone Formation have been discussed based on the presence of the 11 species of the dasycladalean algae belonging to the three families Dasycladaceae (Cymopolia inflataramosa Segonzac, C. mayaenese Johnson and Kaska, C. paronai Raineri, Cymopolia sp.), Triploporaceae (Dissocladella lunata Segonzac, Dissocladella sp., Jodotella sloveniaensis Deloffre and Radoicic) and Acetabulariaceae (Clypeina socanensis Deloffre and Radoicic, Clypeina sp., Terquemella sp., Neomeris sp.). The lower Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation revealed predominance of dasycladalean algal assemblage with the halimedacean and udoteacean algae and rare occurrence of coralline algae. This suggests their luxuriant growth in the open lagoonal to shelf environment at the depth of 5–6 m in the warm waters. There is a gradual decrease in the dasycladalean species and genera in the middle Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation. The predominance of coralline algae associated with the Sporolithon indicates that the limestone of middle Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation have been deposited at the littoral to shallow, high energy open shelf marine environments at a depth of about 40–60 m in warm tropical waters.     

New cynodont record from the lower Triassic Panchet Formation,Damodar valley

This paper reports the find of a new non-mammalian cynodont from the Lower Triassic Panchet Formation of the Damodar valley, West Bengal, India. The fossil, recovered from a clay pellet rich calcareous sandstone bed, is a part of left lower jaw having five post canines that are damaged to various extents. A combination of mammal-like advanced characters such as much enlarged dentary, reduced post dentary bones, high coronoid process, large masseteric fossa, each post canine with a large central cusp flanked by a distal and a mesial accessory cusps with two additional lingually positioned cingular cusps, incipient root division and clearly demarcated crown-root juncture prompted to erect a new taxon Panchetocynodon damodarensis gen. et sp. nov.     

内蒙古赤峰早白垩世昆虫化石的新发现

本文首次描述了内蒙古自治区赤峰市早白垩世九佛堂组的鞘翅目和异翅目昆虫化石４属５种，其中３新属５新种。这些昆虫化石通过与国内、外相关类群的对比，为该区的地层划分、对比和地质时代的确定，提供了最新的依据。由古生态方面分析，该区为湖沼环境，水体充沛，为古黑龙江流域的一部分。文中里阿龙虱科、沼梭科和中生五节蝽科的材料在国内是首次报道。     

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.     

Palaeoecological implications of corallinacean red algae and halimedacean green algae from the prang formation of south shillong plateau, meghalaya

The southwestern part of south Shillong plateau (Meghalaya, N-E India), designated as Sylhet Limestone Group is sub-divided into three lithounits i.e., Lakadong, Umlatdoh and Prang formations in ascending order. The Prang Formation is the youngest lithostratigraphic unit of the Sylhet Limestone Group and has been dated as Middle to early Upper Eocene based on the benthic foraminifera studies. Thin section analysis of carbonate rocks from Prang Formation, exposed in the Bholaganj limestone quarry yielded a rich assemblage of calcareous algae. The coralline algal assemblage comprises both non-geniculate and geniculate forms. The green algae are represented by species of Halimeda belonging to the family Halimedaceae. Palaeoecological interpretation based on diversity, growth-form analysis and taphonomic aspects of the algal assemblage indicate that in all probabilities the deposition of Prang Formation occurred in shallow, warm, shelf environment of normal salinity within the transgressive phase.     

New polymorphic psyllipsocids from Burmese amber (Psocodea: Psyllipsocidae)

Annulipsyllipsocus andreneli gen. et sp. nov. and A. inexspectatus gen. et sp. nov., the first records of the Psyllipsocidae from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar are described, illustrated and their taxonomic position discussed. The new genus is characterized by antennae with 16 segments; flagellomeres with secondary annulations; radial cell closed, five-angled, bulged on its R1 border; triangular pterostigma. Species belonging to Annulipsyllipsocus gen. nov. are polymorphic. The described taxa represent the earliest evidence for polymorphism in Psocodea. A checklist of all known species of Psyllipsocidae is given.     

Generic distinguishing characteristics and stratigraphic ranges of fossil corallines: An update

Corallines or coralline algae are carbonate secreting and strongly calcified red algae of the order Corallinales of division Rhodophyta. Architecturally, the corallines have two groups, the nongeniculate and geniculate coralline forms. Corallines are used as a potential tool for paleoecology, paleoenvironments and paleobathymetry. Coralline algae are builder of porous and permeable carbonate reservoir rocks for hydrocarbon and reefs rich in hydrocarbon. The old approach, ca. prior to 1977, of taxonomy of fossil coralline genera has been replaced by the modern approach that established during the last decade using certain distinguishing features such as arrangement of basal filaments, cell fusions, conceptacle perforations and orientation of filaments around conceptacles of living corallines. The earliest confirmed fossil record of coralline algae is from the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) and from the Hauterivian to the Pleistocene 9 nongeniculate coralline genera, namely Distichoplax, Lithophyllum, Lithoporella, Lithothamnion, Mesophyllum, Neogoniolithon, Phymatolithon, Spongites and Sporolithon and 7 geniculate genera, viz. Amphiroa, Arthrocardia, Calliarthron, Corallina, Jania, Metagoniolithon and Subterraniphyllum having different stratigraphic ranges are unequivocally known as fossils. After 1977, we do not have a comprehensive publication giving the generic distinguishing characteristics and stratigraphic ranges of both nongeniculate and geniculate corallines. The present paper gives an update of distinguishing characteristics of fossil coralline algal genera and their stratigraphic ranges.     

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.     

A new earwig (Dermaptera: Pygidicranidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new genus and species, Gracilipygia canaliculata gen. et sp. nov., in the family Pygidicranidae of Dermaptera is described from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber. The new species is assigned to the subfamily Pyragrinae mainly based on the following characters: broadly separated cercal forceps without segmentation and the posterior abdominal tergum with mediolongitudinal furrow and lateral ridges. The G. canaliculata gen. et sp. nov. is the earliest record hitherto for the subfamily Pyragrinae, and probably represents a stem taxa of Pyragrinae.     

New Species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei,China

<正>We report on a new species of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Qiaotou Formation of northern Hebei,China.The new taxon,Shenqiornis mengi gen.et sp.nov.,possesses several enantiornithine synapomorphies but is unique from other known species.The specimen has a well-preserved skull that reveals new information about enantiornithine cranial morphology.The new taxon possesses a large postorbital with a long tapering jugal process indicating that some enantiornithines may have had a fully diapsid skull,as in Confuciusornis.The tooth morphology of the specimen is unique and likely represents a previously unknown trophic specialization within Enantiornithes.     

First Psocodean (Psocodea,Empheriidae) from the Cretaceous Amber of New Jersey

<正>Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber(Oise),and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber(Alava).We report herein the first discovery of an empheriid psocid from the Cretaceous amber of New Jersey as Jerseyempheria grimaldii gen.et sp. nov.The fossil is figured and described.The new species is distinguished from related taxa.A discussion and checklist of Empheriidae are provided.     

Discovery of three new mordellids (Coleoptera, Tenebrionoidea) from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

In this paper one new genus and three new species Bellimordella capitulifera gen. et sp. nov., B. longispina gen. et sp. nov., B. robusta gen. et sp. nov., all placed within the subfamily Praemordellinae of the family Mordellidae, are described and illustrated. The specimens were recovered from the Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, NE China. The key to the species of this new genus is given. Furthermore, we discuss evolution of the pygidium and possible food for those ancient mordellids.     

Famennian Fusulinina (Foraminifera) from the Holy Cross Mountains (central Poland)

Calcareous foraminifers representing 9 species and 5 genera were investigated in two Famennian sections located in the south‐western part of the Holy Cross Mountains (HCM), central Poland. They constitute redeposited material that, together with crinoids and calcareous algae, comprise the dominant component of limestone turbidite beds intercalated with deep‐marine marly sediments. The calcareous material was redeposited from an unknown carbonate platform located probably to the south of the HCM area. The first appearance data of foraminifers, mainly from the quasiendothyrid group, correlated to the Standard Conodont Zonation, indicate a diachronous appearance of the same species in different parts of Europe due to a migration delay from the foraminiferal evolutionary centre located in the south‐eastern shelves of Laurussia in the neighbouring areas. As a result, the Moravian foraminiferal zonation, where index taxa appeared in similar stratigraphic intervals, was chosen as the most applicable to the stratigraphy in the central Polish area. The Quasiendothyra communis–Eonodosaria evlanensis Interzone, the Quasiendothyra communis–Quasiendothyra regularis Zone and Quasiendothyra kobeitusana–Quasiendothyra konensis Zone were distinguished, respectively, in the HCM sections. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New Mesozoic Mesopsychidae(Mecoptera)from Northeastern China

<正>The Mesozoic family Mesopsychidae Tillyard,1917 presently consists of seven described genera and 13 species from the mid-Triassic to the Early Cretaceous of Australia,South Africa and Eurasia.In the present paper one new genus and three new species of fossil mesopsychids are described that add significant distributional and stratigraphic extensions to the family.This finding documents the first formal record of fossil Mesopsychidae in China.Both Lichnomesopsyche gloriae gen.et sp.nov.and L.daohugouensis gen.et sp.nov. were found from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia,whereas Vitimopsyche kozlovi sp. nov.,of mid Early Cretaceous age,was collected from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei Province.This new,well-preserved material from China reveals complete and previously unknown body features,including head, antennae,mouthparts,legs and abdomen.The delicate and long proboscides of these new taxa indicate that they were feeding on externally exposed,nutrient-rich fluids of gymnospermous ovulate fructifications,and incapable of piercing surface epidermis-attributable principally to the absence of stylets.These proboscides originated, perhaps multiply,among basal Mecoptera and are functionally and structurally convergent with equivalent mouthparts borne by fossil and extant Diptera,Lepidoptera,Neuroptera and Coleoptera.