Barremian–Albian (Early Cretaceous) ammonite faunas of the Katsuuragawa Basin,southwest Japan

The Lower Cretaceous ammonite fauna of Japan was influenced by the Tethyan, Boreal and North Pacific realms with their oceanic current patterns and ammonite distributions. The hypothesis of oceanic circulation can be utilized to interpret the existence of the “Bering Strait” and the changing position of the “Boreal front,” that is the contact region of warm and cold-water masses. To understand such a system fully, a comprehensive understanding of the geographical distribution of ammonite faunas is required. The occurrence of twenty-five ammonite species, belonging to twenty genera, is confirmed in the Barremian to Albian of Japan. Of these, 24 species are described in this paper, including Barremites macroumbilicus sp. nov. The fauna can be divided into three associations, lower, middle, and upper, indicating late Barremian, late Aptian, and late Albian of the European standard zonation. The faunal characters suggest that the habitats of these ammonite faunas may have changed during later Early Cretaceous, with faunas characterizing three different environments, i.e., nearshore, intermediate, and distal shelf to upper slope setting. Ammonites of the lower association (late Barremian) are related to those of the Tethys, Boreal European, and circum-Pacific regions, and suggest that the Early Cretaceous Katsuuragawa Basin was deposited under the influence of currents from both high latitude and equatorial areas. The occurrence of Crioceratites (Paracrioceras) suggests that the Boreal European elements, including Simbirskites and Crioceratites (Paracrioceras), transited between Northwest Europe and Japan through the Arctic Sea, indicating that the Pacific Ocean was connected with the Arctic Sea at that time. The second association (late Aptian) is composed of ammonites of the Tethyan and circum-Pacific regions. As European Boreal ammonite taxa are absent in this association, it is concluded that the Pacific Ocean probably was not connected with the Arctic Sea at the time. Consequently, the “Boreal Front,” marking the contact between warm and cold water masses, was located at mid-latitude in the “Bering Strait” region during Barremian and subsequently moved northward during Albian. The uppermost ammonite association (late Albian) also consists of Tethyan and circum-Pacific taxa. Desmoceras (Pseudouhligella) poronaicum expanded its range with northward and eastward circulation of oceanic currents, suggesting the current must have represented a warm water-mass from the equator. The species subsequently migrated from the southern Katsuuragawa Basin to the Hokkaido area during late to latest Albian.     

Diversity and stages in evolution of conodontophorids and bivalve mollusks in Triassic seas of Siberia and the Far East

Comparative analysis of taxonomic diversity dynamics of condontophorids from Boreal (Arctic regions of Russia) and Tethyan (Northwest Pacific) paleobasins showed that they had most favorable habitat environments in tropical seas. In the Boreal realm, condontophorids went through three stages of evolution comprising probably four substages and four phases, whereas three stages with six substages and twelve phases are distinguished in the Tethyan realm. The most important abiotic factors that controlled development of conodontophorids are paleotemperature of seawater and paleogeographic settings. Renewals in taxonomic composition conodontophorids and diversification of their assemblages have been confined to moments of paleotemperature and/or sea level rise. The comparative analysis of stages in evolution of conodontophorid and bivalve assemblages has been carried out. As is established, the peak taxonomic diversity of bivalves in Boreal seas was in the Late Triassic after the diversity minimum of the Early Triassic time. In contrast, conodontophorids were most diverse in the Olenekian Age.     

A new Cenomanian ichthyofauna from southeastern Morocco and its relationships with other early Late Cretaceous Moroccan faunas

A new ichthyofauna from southeastern Morocco, comprising five forms, is briefly discussed. The faunal composition differs from the Early Cenomanian Kem Kem and Early Turonian Goulmima assemblages, but is close to that from Jebel Tselfat. We propose a Late Cenomanian age for the new fauna and that from Jebel Tselfat. The evolution of these fish assemblages shows the Moroccan fish faunas to have been related to those from South America until at least the Early Turonian. Central Tethyan influence on faunas seems to have been restricted to a short period of time during the beginning of the Late Cenomanian transgressive phase.     

The problems of radiolarian-based dating of Jurassic-Cretaceous siliceous rocks from accretionary complexes,the Russian East

Radiolarians, which represent the most widespread fossil faunal group in jaspers and cherts, are the best tool for determining the geological age of Jurassic-Cretaceous volcanogenic-siliceous sequences in the Pacific margin of Russia, because they meet all the conditions required for orthostratigraphic groups, i.e., demonstrate rapid evolutionary changes of their assemblages, completeness of their record through the geological section, and a wide lateral distribution. The selection of biostratigraphic scales for determining the age of radiolarian assemblages is of principal significance. The significant difficulty in correlating Tethyan and Pacific assemblages is similar to that appearing in the case of the correlation between the Tethyan and Boreal ammonite standards. The existing discrepancies are explained by the different life spans of some guide species that determine the stratigraphic range of particular zones in their geographic type areas and may be different in other paleobiogeographic regions and provinces. The program of scientific studies should include the search for and thorough analysis of Jurassic-Cretaceous sections in Russia that contain simultaneously radiolarians, buchians, and ammonites. Such sections might provide the possibility for developing a single scale for the transitional sections and outlining ways for correlating the Tethyan and Pacific assemblages.     

海扇类（pectinoids）在侏罗纪原大西洋的古地理分布

海扇类（pectinoids (s.l)）是一类具浮游异养幼虫类型生态特征的表生双壳类。这种生态特征决定了其大部分组成分子具世界性分布。但是,在侏罗纪原大西洋地区海扇类中仍有不少属/亚属显示出地区性特征,其地理分布主要受纬度气候带控制,即显示出南北差异。这些地区性海扇贝类是认识侏罗纪生物地理分区的重要标志。主要分布于高纬度地区的北方型分子由Buchiidae、Pectinidae和Oxytomidae 3科的一些属/亚属组成,它们于中侏罗世晚期和晚侏罗世常见于格陵兰东部,往南止于英格兰南部,是北方生物区的重要代表。适于热带－亚热带的特提斯型分子分异度较高,组成分子来自Pectinidae,Spondylidae和Entoliidae 3科,主要分布于法国以南的较低纬度地区。但是,在特提斯海扩张时期,如侏罗纪巴通期,随着特提斯生物大区北界的北移,特提斯双壳类可散布至英格兰北部。     

Aptian–Albian rudist bivalves (Hippuritida) from the Chilean Central Andes: Their palaeoceanographic significance

The study of Aptian–Albian rudist faunas from the Chilean Central Andes documents the presence of two forms, ascribed to the Monopleuridae: Douvillelia skeltoni an early Aptian species known hitherto from Mexico, and Jerjesia chilensis, an endemic Albian species from Chile and Peru, with a complex taxonomic history. The regional stratigraphy of the Central Andes, combining ammonites and rudists, is consistent with the Caribbean stratigraphic distribution of Jerjesia and Douvillelia. Andean occurrences of the two genera broaden their distributional area on the Pacific side of Americas, and testify their biostratigraphic value. Oceanographic conditions of the Chilean Pacific margin during the Aptian–Albian, including moderate but effective cold oceanic current, upwellings, high productivity and thermal instability, may acknowledge the low taxonomic diversity of rudist assemblages, which look impoverished when compared to their low latitude homologues from the Caribbean regions which were functioning as a dispersal centre.     

Postglacial succession and palaeoecology of Late Quaternary macrofaunal assemblages from the central Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Temporal and spatial variations of the species composition of Late Quaternary macrofossil assemblages in the vicinity of Prince of Wales Island, central Canadian Arctic are examined in this study. A total of 2247 specimens representing 15 taxa (9 bivalves, 6 gastropods) were recovered at 32 sites. The dominant species are the bivalves Hiatella arctica, Mya truncata and Astarte borealis that together represent 91% of the total macrofossils represented in the collections. Taphonomic analysis (i.e. ratio of opposite valves; size range; shell abrasion and overgrowth; resistance to breakage) and comparison of the species composition of Holocene macrofaunal assemblages with modern counterparts and their habitats indicate that the subfossil faunas most commonly represent para-autochthonous assemblages which inhabited glaciomarine or nearshore marine environments. As observed previously by other authors, changes in faunal composition through time from survivor or pioneer groups (Hiatella arctica, Mya truncata, Portlandia arctica, Macoma calcarea) to more diverse faunas (e.g. Astarte borealis, Clinocardium ciliatum, Serripes groenlandicus) are noted. The succession of faunas in the study area is interpreted as the result of oceanographic changes after deglaciation due to increased summer insolation and warming of surface waters in the early Holocene.     

珠江口黄茅海河口湾表层沉积物中有孔虫和介形虫的分布及其影响因素*

珠江口黄茅海河口湾的表层沉积物100个站位样品中共发现有孔虫21属36种、介形虫16属20种。优势种组合分别为Ammonia beccarii-Quinqueloculina akneriana rotunda-Cavarotalia annectens-Elphidium advenum和Neomonoceratina delicata-Sinocytheridea impressa-Bicornucythere bisanensis。有孔虫及介形虫的丰度和分异度均表现出“北低南高”,即口门低、向海高的特点。样品中有孔虫和介形虫属种的去趋势对应分析（DCA）表明,盐度是影响该区有孔虫和介形虫分布的最重要因素,其次是水动力条件,水深对有孔虫和介形虫的分布也有一定影响,但并非主要控制性因素。由于受径流影响较大,河口湾北部的水体盐度较低、径流动力较强,不利于有孔虫和介形虫的生存,导致其丰度及分异度均较低。河口湾南部水体盐度升高,潮流动力较强,同时受众多岛屿屏障作用,环境较为稳定,有孔虫和介形虫的丰度和分异度均迅速上升。     

Upper Triassic stratigraphy and paleobiogeography of Kotel’nyi Island (New Siberian Islands)

The thorough study of the Upper Triassic reference section located at the Tikhaya River in the central part of Kotel??nyi Island and characterized by uniform clayey lithology and containing diverse cephalopod, molluscan, and radiolarian assemblages made it possible to specify its structure and paleontological characteristic and establish for the first time the upper Anisian Sirenites yakutensis Zone. It is shown that different Late Triassic faunal groups are represented by mixed dominant Boreal and subordinate Tethyan elements. Such proportions are observable through the entire section beginning from the lower Carnian to upper Norian layers. The peculiar taxonomic composition of Late Triassic radiolarian and cephalopod assemblages provides grounds for attributing the region to an autonomous paleobiochore (New Siberian subprovince). The occurrence of both Siberian and Canadian elements in the Late Triassic faunas emphasizes the specific position of this paleobiochore determined by wide connections between basins at that time.     

Late Olenekian Radiolarians from Bedded Chert of Ashio Terrane, Northeast Japan,and Faunal Turnovers in Western Panthalassa during Early Triassic

Late Olenekian assemblages in the western Panthalassa have been recovered from bedded radiolarian chert sequences of an accretionary complex, the Ashio belt. These faunas are documented and considered in terms of radiolarian diversity and faunal turnover during the latest Permian to Middle Triassic time. The fauna includes 30 radiolarians belonging to Spumellaria or Entactinaria, with two relicts from the Late Permian. This late Olenekian fauna is markedly different from Permian and Asisian faunas, respectively, and is herein named the Minowa fauna. Study of the literaure indicates that radiolarian provinces were significantly disconnected between the western Panthalassa and eastern Tethys during late Olenekian time. Furthermore, 121 of 143 species disappeared during late Olenekian time, and in turn 118 new species appeared in the western Panthalassa around the Olenekian-Anisian boundary. It is concluded that faunal turnover occurred at least three times between the latest Permian and Middle Triassic.The first turnover is the Poalaozoie-type radiolarian extinction at the Permain-Triassic boundary,the second is the diversification of spheroidal Spumellaria and Entactinaria between early and late Olenekian time, and the third is a faunal turnover from the Minowa fauna to the true Mesozoic-type radiolarian famas that are characterized by mulit0segmented Nassellaria.     

Composition and similarity of global anomodont-bearing tetrapod faunas

Anomodont synapsids represent the dominant herbivores of Permian and Triassic terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems. Their taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity in combination with their cosmopolitan distribution makes them an ideal study object for macroevolutionary patterns across the most devastating extinction event in earth history. This study provides a thorough review of anomodont-bearing tetrapod faunas to form the basis for a faunal similarity analysis and future studies of anomodont diversity. The stratigraphic correlation and composition of all known anomodont assemblages is revisited, including a discussion of the validity of the globally distributed anomodont species. The similarity analysis of anomodont faunas is performed on the basis of presence–absence data of anomodont taxa, using explorative methods such as cluster analysis (UPGMA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). The recovered faunal groupings indicate a common biostratigraphic age and furthermore reflect biogeographic patterns. Even though endemism and faunal provinciality was a constant element in anomodont faunas of the Permian and Triassic, the available evidence indicates that the end-Permian extinction resulted in a distinct uniformity that was unique to Early Triassic anomodont faunas. This is in particular characterized by the global distribution and overwhelming abundance of the disaster taxon Lystrosaurus. In contrast, cosmopolitan anomodonts also existed in the Late Permian (e.g., Diictodon) and Middle Triassic (e.g., Shansiodon), but those taxa coexisted with endemic faunal elements rather than dominated the fauna as Lystrosaurus did.     

西藏岗巴晚白垩世有孔虫动物群与海平面变化

西藏南部岗巴地区上白垩统的有孔虫动物群十分丰富，经鉴定共有52属130种。根据岩性，该地区上白垩统可以划分出三个最基本的岩石地层单位：冷青热组、岗巴村口组及宗山组。依据其中有孔虫的形态结构、生态环境、系统演化及地史分布等特征，可以划分出五个主要的有孔虫动物群，Rotalipora动物群，Whiteinella-Helvetoglobotruncana动物群，Dicarinella-Marginotruncana动物群，Globotruncana-Globotuncanita动物群及Orbitoides-Omphalocyclus动物群。这五个有孔虫动物在晚白垩世相继绝灭，其绝灭与古水深有着十分密切的关系，主要是受海平面变化的影响。     

Paleogeography of Cretaceous ammonoids of the Pacific coast of Russia

This work presents the results of a study of the biogeographical distribution of Late Albian-Maastrichtian ammonites, found in sequences of the Pacific coast of Russia. The taxa typical of the Pacific Realm were identified, and their distribution traced beyond the borders of this region. In addition, species-migrants, distributed within the studied area were established. As a results of our works, a high level of endemism of ammonite fauna of the East of Russia was noted (75–88% of endemic species, on average). The bipolarity, previously established in the distribution of ammonoids within the Pacific Paleobiogeographical Realm, as well as their high regional provincialism, was confirmed. The following division of the studied area into faunal ammonite provinces in the Late Cretaceous was proposed: Arctic Province; Boreal-Pacific Province, including northeastern Russia (Chukotka Peninsula, the Koryak Upland, Penzhyna Gulf) and the boreal coast of North America (Alaska Peninsula, Arctic Canada and British Columbia); Northwest Pacific Province, including the Primorye Territory, Sakhalin and Shikotan Islands, the Japanese Islands; Northeast Province of the Pacific (the western coast of the United States and Mexico); Southwest Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Oceania) and Southeast (the western coast of South America and Antarctica, Seymour and James Ross Islands) Provinces. This division is confirmed by data on inoceramid species. In addition, levels of global transgressions and general sea level rise, associated with the appearances of most of widespread marine taxa in the Pacific shelf seas, are established. These include Late Albian, Cenomanian-Turonian boundary, Late Coniacian, Late Campanian, Early-Late Maastrichtian boundary. Moreover, migration of ammonites occurred due to the Tethys Ocean extension and followed the northern sea straits in the Arctic Ocean and within the Pacific Realm, depending on warm currents. Both the counter and one-way migrations were established.     

Paleogeographic regionalization of Triassic seas based on conodontophorids

Geographic differentiation of conodontophorids between northern and southern latitudes commenced in the Triassic since the early Induan. Cosmopolitan long-lived genera of predominantly smooth morphotypes without sculpturing were characteristic of high-latitude basins of the Panboreal Superrealm. Since the early Olenekian until the Carnian inclusive, this superrealm consisted of the Siberian Realm that extended over Northeast Asia and the Canada-Svalbard Realm that included the Svalbard Archipelago and northern regions of Canada. Throughout the Triassic period, conodontophorids characteristic of the Tethys-Panthalassa Superrealm spanning the Tethys and low-latitude zones of the Pacific were highly endemic, very diverse in taxonomic aspect, having well-developed sculpturing and tempos of morphological transformations. Distinctions between the Early-Middle Triassic conodontophorids from northern and southern zones were not as great as afterward, and their impoverished assemblages from southern Tethyan basins were close in some respects to the Boreal ones. Their habitat basins of that time can be grouped into the Mediterranean-Pacific and India-Pakistan realms. Hence, the extent of geographic differentiation of conodontophorids was not constant and gradually grew, as their taxonomic diversity was reducing in northern basins but relatively increasing in southern ones. The Panboreal e Tethys-Panthalassa superrealms of conodontophorids, which are most clearly recognizable, are close to first-rank paleobiochores (superrealms) established earlier for ammonoids and bivalve mollusks. Main factor that controlled geographic differentiation of Triassic conodontophorids was climatic zoning. Initially lower diversity of southern Tethyan assemblages points probably to relatively cooler water regime in the peri-Gondwanan part of the Tethys. The established patterns in geographic distribution of conodontophorids characterize most likely the real trend of their differentiation and evolution, i.e., the distribution area contraction prior to complete extinction at the end of the Triassic     

Inter-Regional Comparisons on the Quaternary Large Mammalian Faunas between China and Sub-Saharan Africa

The current and dominant theory about the origin of modern humans is the out-of-Africa hypothesis, which asserts that populations of Homo sapiens left Africa 100,000 years ago and replaced indigenous populations of humans in Eurasia. Many scholars equated the out-of-Africa dispersal of humans with paleoenvironmental changes. However, until now, few have paid special attention to the faunal data and whether or not faunal patterns are supportive of the popular theory. Recent comparative study of the Chinese fauna shows that the communication of faunas between Africa and East Asia could have occurred during the Neogene, but it was very limited during the Pleistocene. In the Chinese Quaternary fauna, only 16% of the genera are also present in the sub-Saharan African fauna. There is also no element among the dominant taxa of the Chinese Quaternary fauna which can be related to the African fauna. There is no reliable proof for the existence of Hippopotamus and Giraffa, as well as Panthera leo, during the Quaternary in China. Two controversial taxa are Acinonyx and Crocuta, about which there is still argument concerning their species identification in Eurasia. It is possible that both of the genera have co-specific taxa in Africa and Eurasia. Although the two genera are confined to Africa today, they did have a long evolutionary history in China. For the Out of Africa hypothesis for Homo sapiens, the implications of the limited faunal interchanges between China and Africa are not completely clear yet.     

Ordovician faunas, island arcs and ophiolites in the Scandinavian Caledonides

Ordovician faunal data from the Scandinavian Caledonides is tested with new geochemical information from zircons to give U/Pb ages and source origins of volcanic arc and ophiolite sequences. Early Ordovician (Arenig-Llanvirn), low latitude, Toquima-Table Head faunas from the upper Upper Allochthon are associated with an island arc system formed adjacent to Laurentia. Contemporaneous mafic magmas were contaminated by crustal material during subduction and associated granites contain inherited zircons of Archaean age. The nearest source for such rocks is on the Laurentian rather than the Baltic side. Higher latitude Celtic province faunas from the upper Upper Allochthon are from one insular site accessible to forms from both Laurentia and Baltica.
The late Ordovician low-latitude Holorhynchus and subtropical Hirnantia faunas occur in overstep sequences above deeply eroded early Ordovician arc complexes. The transgression appears to be coeval with a second generation of spreading-related complexes. Single detrital zircons from sediments show sources from Archaean, Proterozoic and early Ordovician terranes. This suggests that deposition was in a basin situated along the same continental margin (Laurentia) to which the early Ordovician ophiolite/arc sequences had already become accreted. The late Ordovician faunas link both Laurentia and Baltica at a time of narrowing of lapetus.
The new geochemical data together with the faunal information is supported by recent palaeomagnetic studies.     

Diversity and faunal changes in the latest Cretaceous dinosaur communities of southwestern Europe

Characterization of macroecological patterns for latest Cretaceous dinosaur communities is essential to understand how those faunas were changing during the run-up to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, and thus the cause of the extinction. Outside of the well-studied latest Cretaceous dinosaurs of North America, southwestern Europe (France, Spain and Portugal) preserves one of the richest end-Cretaceous dinosaur fossil records, as it has produced hundreds of dinosaur fossil localities. We compiled a comprehensive database of all dinosaur fossil occurrences from the uppermost Cretaceous of the Ibero-Armorican region and analyze it statistically, providing the first numerical study of the ecological and taxonomic diversities of these communities. Our study corroborates previous work that has identified a major faunal change in the latest Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrate assemblages, and places this event around the C31r-C31n reversal, in the early late Maastrichtian (c. 69 Ma). Significant differences in ecological diversity metrics (dominance, Shannon and Simpson) characterize the pre- and post-turnover assemblages. The turnover event, therefore, did not only lead to a taxonomic replacement but also important reorganizations in the structure of dinosaur communities. Herbivorous dinosaurs suffered the most dramatic alterations across the turnover, in terms of relative dominances, by shifting their contributions within the communities (hadrosauroids replacing titanosaurids as the dominant taxon in the medium-to large-bodied herbivore niche) or even disappearing (rhabdodontids and nodosaurids). The carnivores apparently maintained similar relative abundances before and after the turnover, and the relative proportions between carnivorous and herbivorous taxa remained static through time. Further improvement of the present database might allow for the identification of new ecological patterns, and higher-resolution comparison with the North American records.     

Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) graptolite faunas of the Sandia Region,southern Peru

Ordovician graptolite faunas of Peru are restricted to a short interval in the Middle to basal Upper Ordovician, found in three regions of the country. All Peruvian graptolite faunas are strongly dominated by shallow water elements of the Atlantic Faunal Realm, represented largely by Didymograptus s. str. and Aulograptus, but a number of faunal elements of the pandemic isograptid biofacies have recently been discovered in the Sandia Region of SE Peru. Peruvian graptolite faunas are reviewed and the new records from the Sandia Region are discussed in detail. The faunas from the Purumpata and Iparo members of the San José Formation range in age approximately from the Undulograptus austrodentatus Biozone to the Holmograptus lentus Biozone (early to middle Darriwilian). The faunas provide a better understanding of faunal composition and diversity in this region and help to correlate shallow water and deeper water graptolite faunas from this time interval. Biserial graptolites are rare in most samples and usually indeterminable, but a single identifiable specimen of Undulograptus austrodentatus was found, indicating a level close to the base of the Darriwilian. A number of specimens of the genera Isograptus and Arienigraptus from the Sandia Region represent pandemic graptolite faunas of the isograptid biofacies, described for the first time from this region. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Link between global cooling and mammalian transformation across the Eocene–Oligocene boundary in the continental interior of Asia

Evidence in the world’s ocean current system indicates an abrupt cooling from 34.1 to 33.6?Ma across the Eocene–Oligocene boundary at 33.9?Ma. The remarkable cooling period in the ocean, called the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT), is correlated with pronounced mammalian faunal replacement as shown in terrestrial fossil records. For the first time within Asia, a section is magnetostratigraphically dated that also produces mammalian fossils that span the Late Eocene—Early Oligocene transition. Three fossil assemblages revealed through the EOT (34.8, 33.7, and 30.4?Ma) demonstrate that perissodactyl faunas were abruptly replaced by rodent/lagomorph-dominant faunas during climate cooling, and that changes in mammalian communities were accelerated by aridification in central Asia. Three fossil assemblages (34.8, 33.7, and 30.4?Ma) within the north Junggar Basin (Burqin section) tied to this magnetostratigraphically dated section, reveal that perissodactyl faunas were abruptly replaced by rodent/lagomorph-dominant faunas during climate cooling, and that changes in mammalian communities were accelerated by aridification in central Asia. The biotic reorganization events described in the Burqin section are comparable to the Grande Coupure in Europe and the Mongolian Remodeling of mammalian communities. That is, the faunal transition was nearly simultaneous all over the world and mirrored global climatic changes with regional factors playing only a secondary role.     

Newly Discovered Fish Faunas from the Early Triassic, Karoo Basin, South Africa, and their Correlative Implications

Recent collecting in exposures of the lowermost Burgersdorp Formation (Beaufort Group), of the Karoo Basin of South Africa, has revealed a previously unknown fish fauna from the Early Triassic (Scythian), lowermost Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (CAZ), which forms an important component of the total vertebrate assemblage. The newly discovered fish material includes lungfish, saurichthyids, and a large microfauna that includes numerous isolated chondrichthyan teeth, two fin spine fragments, and actinopterygian scales and teeth. The latest fish finds, together with the lowermost Cynognathus Assemblage Zone vertebrate faunas, make this Karoo Basin Assemblage Zone one of the most diverse Early Triassic faunal assemblages, comparable in faunal diversity to those from the Czatkowice Formation (Poland) and the Arcadia Formation (Australia). The presence of the lungfish Ptychoceratodus phillipsi in the early Middle Triassic Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (Subzone B), and in the underlying latest Early Triassic Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (Subzone A), indicates that these lungfish could serve as range index fossils within the CAZ, and thus are potentially useful biostratigraphic markers across the Early-Middle Triassic boundary. Furthermore the ‘new’ fish fauna provides a vital marine realm link in particular with the faunas of Madagascar and Australia, that is unavailable using the tetrapod faunal elements of the lower CAZ.