Arzonella exotica n. g. n. sp., a new brachiopod of indeterminate systematic position from the Lower Liassic (Broccatello) of Arzo (Southern Alps of Switzerland): A short note

A new brachiopod, Arzonella exotica n. g. n. sp., from the Liassic (Broccatello) of Arzo in the Southern Alps of Switzerland was described. By the associated rhynchonellid brachiopod Sulcirostra alpina the stratigraphical stage could be specified as Sinemurian. Arzonella exotica is an unusual, probably conservative form. Its systematic position is not established yet. Possible relationships were discussed.     

Mesozoic (Lower Jurassic) red stromatactis limestones from the Southern Alps (Arzo, Switzerland): calcite mineral authigenesis and syneresis-type deformation

The Broccatello lithological unit (Lower Jurassic, Hettangian to lower parts of Upper Sinemurian) near the village of Arzo (southern Alps, southern Switzerland) is a mound-shaped carbonate deposit that contains patches of red stromatactis limestone. Within the largely bioclastic Broccatello unit, the stromatactis limestone is distinguished by its early-diagenetic cavity system, a relatively fine-grained texture, and an in-situ assemblage of calcified siliceous sponges (various demosponges and hexactinellids). A complex shallow subsurface diagenetic pathway can be reconstructed from sediment petrography in combination with comparative geochemical analysis (carbon and oxygen isotopes; trace and rare earth elements, REE + Y). This pathway includes organic matter transformation, aragonite and skeletal opal dissolution, patchy calcification and lithification, sediment shrinkage, sagging and collapse, partial REE remobilization, and multiple sediment infiltration. These processes occurred under normal-marine, essentially oxic conditions and were independent from local, recurring syn-sedimentary faulting. It is concluded that the stromatactis results from a combination of calcite mineral authigenesis and syneresis-type deformation. The natural stromatactis phenomenon may thus be best explained by maturation processes of particulate polymer gels expected to form in fine-grained carbonate sediments in the shallow subsurface. Conditions favorable for the evolution of stromatactis appear to be particularly frequent during drowning of tropical or subtropical carbonate platforms.

A new family of scorpionflies (Insecta; Mecoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of England

Seven specimens of fossil scorpionflies (Mecoptera) not assignable to any known family were discovered in the Wealden Supergroup (Lower Cretaceous) of southern England. They were found at Rudgwick Brickworks, West Sussex and Smokejacks Brickworks, Surrey and came from the Upper Weald Clay Formation, dated as Barremian (∼129.4–125 Ma). A new family – Englathaumatidae fam. nov., new genus – Englathauma gen. nov. and two new species E. crabbi sp. nov. and E. mellishae sp. nov. are described. A discussion of systematic position of these new taxa within the order Mecoptera is given. Englathaumatidae fam. nov. has been a nomen nudum since the year 2002, due to the first author's untimely death.     

Fissumella motolae n. gen. n. sp., a new soritoidean (Foraminifera) from the lowermost Albian carbonate platform facies of central and southern Italy

The Soritoidea (Foraminifera) represent an important component of Cenomanian microfossil assemblages of the central and southern Tethyan carbonate platforms and are widely used as biostratigraphic markers. In this paper a new taxon, Fissumella motolae n. gen. n. sp., is described from the Cretaceous carbonate platform facies of central and southern Italy. It is characterized by its small size, planispiral-involute arrangement of chambers, fissure-shaped single aperture and few and short radial septula subdividing the marginal lumen of the chambers. Fissumella motolae n. gen. n. sp. represents the first soritoidean in the fossil record showing internal subdivisions of the chamber lumen. Carbon isotope stratigraphy supports an earliest Albian age for this significant step in the evolution of the superfamily Soritoidea. The new subfamily Fissumellinae is established for soritoidean foraminifera with planispiral-involute lens-shaped shells, single aperture and chamber lumen subdivided by few and short septula.     

A new species of the genus Besania Brough 1939 from the Middle Triassic of Canton Grisons (Switzerland) with a discussion of the phylogenetic status of the taxon

Recent excavations in the Middle Triassic Prosanto Formation (Ladinian, Ct. Grisons, Switzerland) have produced new material of the genus Besania Brough 1939. These specimens show many previously unrecorded details. Some features differ from those of the type species Besania micrognathus, and we therefore erect a new species, Besania schaufelbergeri sp. nov. This new material has prompted a re-evaluation of the phylogenetic interrelationships of the genus. The taxon seems to be closely related to basal Halecostomi. An erratum to this article is available at .     

A new species of Sinonemestrius (Diptera: Brachycera) from the Weald Clay (Lower Cretaceous, southern England), with a discussion of its affinities and stratigraphical implications

A distinctive but rare fly, Sinonemestrius akirai sp. nov. (family Xyophagidae), is described from the upper Hauterivian of southern England. This extends the range of the genus Sinonemestrius outside of China for the first time, and supports a Cretaceous date for the Laiyang Formation.     

Amazonsaurus maranhensis gen. et sp. nov. (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) of Brazil

A new genus and species of an Aptian–Albian sauropod from the Itapecuru Formation, northern Brazil, Amazonsaurus maranhensis, is described. It is known from an incomplete, but diagnostic postcranial skeleton. The new taxon possesses several autapomorphies, such as the anterior caudal vertebrae with lateral laminae formed by the coalescence of the spinoprezygapophyseal and postzygodiapophyseal laminae and, to a lesser extent, of the postzygodiapophyseal laminae. It exhibits many synapomorphies supporting its inclusion in the Diplodocoidea. These include high caudal neural arches and anterior caudal neural arches with spinoprezygapophyseal laminae on the lateral aspect of the neural spine. This record is consistent with previous hypotheses on the existence of a community of Afro-South American dinosaurs.     

高黎贡山洞穴伪蝎一新种记述（伪蝎目，阿伪蝎科）

本研究根据从云南省高黎贡山（保山市段）洞穴采集的伪蝎标本,整理并描述了阿伪蝎科安伪蝎属一新种,即禾木安伪蝎（Anatemnus hemuensis sp. nov.）。该属的主要特征在于触肢粗壮,腿节和膝节多具明显颗粒,不动指上的听毛it位于指的中部,听毛esb到est之间的距离大于isb到ist之间的距离,背板不完全分隔。世界已知22种（不包含本文新种）,主要分布于非洲和美洲,中国仅知3种：任氏安伪蝎（A. reni Gao & Zhang, 2016）、宝安伪蝎（A. orites （Thorell, 1889））、潮州安伪蝎（A. chaozhouensis Hu & Zhang, 2012）。该新种背甲的眼部已经完全退化,依据该特征,很容易区分,除分布于澳大利亚的2个物种（A. subvastus Alexander, Burger & Harvey 2014,采集自地下环境;A. cavernicola Berier, 1976,采集自Jump Up Cave）,然后依据步足I和步足IV跗节端部具有极其弯曲的刚毛将新种与这两种进行区分。新种触肢转节具有1个明显的背突,1.7倍长于宽（0.47/0.28 mm）,腿节2.8倍长于宽（0.90/0.32 mm）,膝节2.2倍长于宽（0.82/0.37 mm）,螯肢指明显短于具柄的螯掌;前螯螯掌具有4根刚毛,基部2根末端齿状,盔状物具有5个分叉,鞭状毛4根,末端2根齿状;口下突有5根顶端毛和1根亚中毛。在文中提供了新种的整体图以及特征图,另外还提供了中国安伪蝎属的分种检索表,所检视的标本保存于西华师范大学生命科学学院昆虫标本馆。