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.     

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。     

New Spanish Late Cretaceous eusuchian reveals the synchronic and sympatric presence of two allodaposuchids

The recently described clade Allodaposuchidae includes European eusuchian crocodyliforms restricted to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian). A new allodaposuchid crocodyliform is here described based on two specimens from the upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian fossil site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). This new taxon, Agaresuchus fontisensis gen. et sp. nov., is described by two complete skulls and a lower jaw associated with one of them. This new species can be distinguished unambiguously from Lohuecosuchus megadontos, the other allodaposuchid known from the same fossil site. The presence of two allodaposuchid crocodyliforms in Lo Hueco allows the recognition of the synchronic and sympatric existence of two representatives of this clade for the first time. The new genus Agaresuchus, comprises a previously described Iberian allodaposuchid species, “Allodaposuchus” subjuniperus, as Agaresuchus subjuniperus, new combination.     

Upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian planktonic foraminifers from Govorov Guyot (Magellan Seamounts,Pacific Ocean)

The planktonic foraminiferal assemblage from foraminiferal limestone (ooze) dredged from the summit of one of guyots in the Magellan Seamount system of the Pacific is dominated by one-keeled species belonging to the genus Globotruncanita. The taxonomic composition of the assemblage correlates host rocks with the upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian. One species and one subspecies are described as new taxa.     

Middle Eocene calcareous algae from Southwestern Kachchh,Gujarat

The Fulra limestone (middle Eocene) exposed in the areas around Jhadwa and Harudi villages, southwestern, Kachchh reveals presence of a rich assemblage of calcareous algae belonging to the Chlorophyceae and Rhodophyceae along with abundant foraminifera. In the present paper, eight species belonging to eight genera of calcareous algae are described. These include Dissocladella longijangensis, Sporolithon keenani, Corallina crossmanni, Arthrocardia sp. Misra et al. 2001, Lithothamnion ishigakiensis, Melobesioideae gen. et spec. indet. 1, Melobesioideae gen. et spec. indet. 2 and Lithoporella melobesioides. Out of these, one taxon belongs to the family Dasycladaceae. Among the remaining taxa, one taxon to the family Sporolithaceae, three taxa to the family Corallinaceae and three to the family Hapalidiaceae. Two coralline species, Corallina crossmanni and Lithothamnion ishigakiensis, are recorded for the first time from India. Another species (Dissocladella longijangensis), though known from other areas of India, is new to the study area.     

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.     

New lacewings (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Wealden supergroup of Southern England

Eight new genera and thirteen new species of lacewings (Neuroptera) are described from the Lower Cretaceous Wealden Supergroup, Weald Sub-basin: Principiala rudgwickensis sp. nov. (Ithonidae), Stenomylina medialis gen. et sp. nov., Protosmylina bifasciata gen. et sp. nov. (Osmylidae), Cretapsychops corami gen. et sp. nov., Micropsychops parallelus gen. et sp. nov., Valdipsychops logunovi gen. et sp. nov., V. brigidae gen. et sp. nov., V. maculosus gen. et sp. nov., V. proudlovei gen. et sp. nov., V. minimus gen. et sp. nov., Psychopsites rolandi gen. et sp. nov. (Psychopsidae), Actinophlebioides valdensis gen. et sp. nov. and Protohemerobius perexiguus gen. et sp. nov. (Neuroptera familia incertae sedis). Psychopsidae are shown to dominate the neuropteran fauna, while the presence of Brongniartiellidae has not been confirmed in the Wealden, due to previously thought representatives of this family being in fact psychopsids. This is the first fossil record of Ithonidae and Osmylidae in Britain. The range of Kalligrammatidae has been extended in the Cretaceous of Britain from the mid-Valanginian to early Barremian.     

New fossil booklice from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Psocodea: Troctomorpha: Amphientometae: Manicapsocidae)

Palaeomanicapsocus margoae gen. et sp. nov. and Palaeomanicapsocus fouadi gen. et sp. nov. are characterized, described, illustrated, from the Cretaceous Burmese amber. Their phylogenetic position is discussed. These fossil taxa are the first manicapsocid barklice to be described from the Burmese amber.     

Two new genera of belytine wasps (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) from Cretaceous Burmese amber

Christophus myanmarensis gen. et sp. nov., Christophus ohmkuhnlei gen. et sp. nov., and Mintara parva gen. et sp. nov., three new species and two new genera of belytine wasps (Diapriidae: Belytinae) are described and figured from males preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. These new fossils enrich the fossil record of Cretaceous diapriids, summarized here, demonstrating the diversity of the family before the K/Pg extinction and suggesting an older origin for the family.     

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.     

Ceno-Tethyan Jurassic Radiolarian Fauna from the Raskoh Arc, Balochistan, Pakistan

The Raskoh arc is about 250 km long, 40 km wide and trends in ENE direction. The arc is convex towards southeast and terminated by the Chaman transform fault zone towards east. This arc is designated as frontal arc of the Chagai-Raskoh arc system. The Late Cretaceous Kuchakki Volcanic Group is the most widespread and previously considered the oldest unit of the the Raskoh arc followed by sedimentary rock formations including Rakhshani Formation (Paleocene), Kharan Limestone (Early Eocene) and Nauroze Formation (Middle Eocene to Oligocene), Dalbandin Formation (Miocene to Pleistocene), and semi-unconsolidated Subrecent and Recent deposits. The Rakhshani Formation is the most widespread and well-exposed unit of the Raskoh arc. During the present field investigation the Rakhshani forma-tion in the southeastern part of the Raskoh arc, is identified as an accretionary complex, which is designated as Raskoh accretionary complex. The Raskoh accretionary comple is subdivided into three units: (a) Bunap sedimen-tary complex, (b) Charkohan radiolarian chert, and (c) Raskoh ophiolite melange. The Bunap sedimentary complex is farther divided into three tectonostratigraphic units viz., northern, middle and southern. Each unit is bounded by thrust faults, which is usually marked by sheared serpentinites, except northern unit, which has gradational and at places faulted contact with the Kuchakki Volcanic Group. The northern unit is mainly composed of allochthonous fragments and blocks of limestone, sandstone, mudstone and the volcanics in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale. At places the shale is metamorphosed into phyllite. This unit is thrust over the middle unit, which exhibits relatively a coherent stratigraphy, represented by greenish gray calcareous flaky shale with intercalation of thin beds and lenticular bodies of mudstone, sandstone and limestone. The middle unit is again thrust over the southern unit, which is mainly composed of large exotic blocks of volcanic rocks, limestone, sand-stone, mudstone and conglomerate embedded in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale which is generally moderately argillized. The unit is thrust over the Kharan Limestone. During the present field investigation about 350 meter thick sequence of thin-bedded maroon and green chert intercalated with the siliceous flaky shale of the same colour are discovered within this unit, which is found in the southeastern part of the Ras-koh arc. This chert sequence occurs on the margins of a large exotic block (350m X 3 km) of volcaniclastic rocks of unknown origin, which makes an overturned syncline. This chert sequence is developed on its both limbs and has lower faulted contact with the Bunap sedimentary complex. Two samples collected from this chert sequence yielded radiolarian fauna, which include Parvicingula sp., Laxto-rum sp., Parahsuum cf. simplum, Parahsuum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet., Hsuum cf. Matsuokai., Archaeo-spongoprunum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet. and Hagias gen. et sp. indet., Tricolocapsa sp., Hsuum sp., Ris-tola sp., Archaeospongoprunum sp. and Tritrabinate gen. et sp. indet. This radiolarian chert sequence represents the late Early to Middle Jurassic pelagic sediment deposited in Ceno-Tethyan ocean floor; prior to the inception of volcanism in the Raskoh arc and accreted with the arc during Late Cretaceous to Eocene along with the Bunap sedimentary complex of Late Jurassic age.     

The oldest representatives of the family Throscidae (Coleoptera: Elateriformia) from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber

Two new genera and two new species of fossil Throscidae: Potergosoma gratiosa gen. et sp. nov. and Rhomboaspis laticollis gen. et sp. nov. are described from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber and are compared with extant and extinct genera. The described amber inclusions are the oldest known representatives of the family Throscidae. Some hypotheses on the phylogeny of the family Throscidae and the position of it in the superfamily Elateroidea are discussed.     

Neoselachians and Chimaeriformes (Chondrichthyes) from the latest Cretaceous–Paleogene of Sierra Baguales,southernmost Chile. Chronostratigraphic,paleobiogeographic and paleoenvironmental implications

This paper discusses a well-represented fossil record of cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) from southern South America. The recovered samples allow the recognition of three assemblages with chronostratigraphic and paleogeographic value: i) typical Maastrichtian sharks and rays with affinities to eastern Pacific fauna, including the taxa Ischyrhiza chilensis, Serratolamna serrata, Centrophoroides sp. associated to Carcharias sp., and Dasyatidae indet.; ii) a scarce reworked assemblage of Paleocene–Early Eocene age including the taxa Otodus obliquus and Megascyliorhinus cooperi; iii) a rich assemblage with reworked taxa of Early to Middle Eocene age, together with autochthonous deposited Middle to Late Eocene taxa with close affinities to paleoichthyofaunas recovered from the North Atlantic, represented by Carcharias ‘hopei’, Odontaspis winkleri, Carcharoides catticus, Macrorhizodus praecursor, Carcharocles auriculatus, Striatolamia sp., Striatolamia macrota, Hexanchus agassizi, Notorhynchus sp., Myliobatis sp., Abdounia sp., Pristiophorus sp., Squatina sp., cf. Rhizoprionodon sp., Ischyodus sp., and one new species, Jaekelotodus bagualensis sp. nov. The studied samples include for the first time taxa with well established chronostratigraphic resolutions as well as taphonomic information that help clarifying the age of the fossil-bearing units. In addition, they provide relevant information about the evolution of the Magallanes (=Austral) Basin from the Upper Cretaceous to the Paleogene, suggesting a probable connection with the Quiriquina Basin of south-central Chile during the latest Cretaceous. Finally, the studied assemblages indicate a latitudinal pattern of distribution that provides valuable data on the environmental evolution and temperature of southern South America during the Paleogene.     

The first record of Ichneumonidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Upper Cretaceous of Myanmar

A new subfamily of Ichneumonidae, Novichneumoninae subfam. nov., is established based on two new genera with two new species: Novichneumon longus gen. et sp. nov. and Caloichneumon perrarus gen. et sp. nov. These two new species are the first ichneumonids described from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. A list of all described Mesozoic ichneumonid fossil species with their respective localities and ages is summarized. The distribution of Ichneumonoidea during the Cretaceous indicates that Cretaceous ichneumonids were documented from localities at high latitudes while braconids were distributed worldwide, a pattern consistent with the distribution of extant ichneumonids and braconids.     

Plant pathogen Protocolletotrichum from a Deccan intertrappean bed (Maastrichtian), India

A fossil fungus related to Colletotrichum Corda, which causes leaf spot and red rot in plants, was recovered from an intertrappean bed intersected by a well at Mohgaon-Kalan village, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh. The intertrappean bed is sandwiched between the two basaltic flows and is dated as Maastrichtian on the basis of plant and animal fossils. Radiometric dating of the volcanic rocks yielded ages of 67.8–61.6 Ma. The specimens are preserved on a leaf cuticle and are named Protocolletotrichum deccanensis gen. et sp. nov. They are strongly constructed, 1–2 septate, dark brown setae, each with a slightly swollen base and pointed tip.     

Early Cretaceous dinoflagellate cysts and chlorococcalean algae from freshwater and low salinity palynofacies in the English Wealden

A number of dinoflagellate cysts occur in Wealden deposits that are considered to have accumulated in fresh to slightly brackish water conditions. Most of the forms that have been encountered in the Weald Clay Group (Hauterivian-Barremian) of southeast England and the Wessex and Vectis Formations on the Isle of Wight are described and/or illustrated in this paper. Of these, the following are new: Australisphaera longicornis sp. nov., Cassiculosphaeridia parvula sp. nov., Microdinium? fibratum sp. nov., Kallosphaeridium? inornatum sp. nov., K.? spongiosum sp. nov., Pannosiella perforata gen. et sp. nov., Vectensia varians gen. et sp. nov., Corculodinium uniconicum gen. et sp. nov., Lobionella hirsuta gen. et sp. nov. and Spicadinium akidoton gen. et sp. nov. Commonly associated with several of the cysts are chlorococcalean algae referable to the genera Botryococcus, Tetraedron, Pediastrum, Scenedesmus and Tetrastrum. Four of these are also newly diagnosed, namely Tetraedron paraincus, Scenedesmus bifidus, Tetrastrum ciliatum and T. multifilorum.     

Discovery of Radiolarian Fossils from the Aiketik Group at the Western End of the South Tianshan Mountains of Chinaand Its Implications

The Aiketik Group, distributed at the western end of the South Tianshan Mountains, China, is an important lithostratigraphic unit involved in the South Tianshan orogen. It is separated from the adjacent rocks by faults. Generally, the geologists ascribed it to the Upper Carboniferous according to Pseudostaffella sp., Profusulinella sp. and Fusulinella sp. found from the limestone and sandy limestone of Aiketik. Our radiolarian fossils were obtained from the chert samples collected from the Haladaok section located at the upper Tuoshihan River. The fossils mainly include Albaillella undulata Deflandre, Albaillella paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella sp. aff. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon, Albaillella sp., Albaillella excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto (?), Belowea variabilis (Ormiston et Lane), Callella cf. C. parvispinosa Won, Entactinia cf. E. tortispina Ormiston et Lane, Entactinia aff. E. tortispina Ormiston et Lane, Entactinia variospina Won, Entactinia sp., Eostylodicty