Berriasian (Lower Cretaceous) brachiopods from the Crimea

Four successive assemblages of Berriasian brachiopods distinguished for the first time in the Crimea are correlated with concurrent subdivisions of the ammonoid scale. Berriasian brachiopods are represented by 44 species of 27 genera and 14 families, which are most complete in terms of taxonomic composition as compared to other concurrent brachiopod faunas known elsewhere. The assemblages are dominated by local species. As is proved, the Berriasian brachiopods studied are appropriate for age determination, subdivision and correlation of their host deposits. Their geographic distribution that has been analyzed elucidates connections of the Berriasian sea basins within the Mediterranean paleozoogeographic region.     

桂北地区早石炭世杜内期的长身贝类的发现及其生物古地理意义

在广西北部兴安县高尚镇金子山剖面下石炭统鹿寨组底部，新发现了长身贝类腕足化石，包括1新种、1个相似种、6个未定种和2个属种未定类型。这些长身贝类以Productellidae和Productidae科的分子为主，另有少量Echinoconchidae和Monticuliferidae科的分子。这些长身贝类全部属于生活在静水环境中的薄壳类型，无一与华南同期地层中已知类型相同。它们之间的差异可能反映了不同沉积环境条件对腕足动物群属种的控制。在鹿寨组底部发现的长身贝类以及近年在桂林南边村和黔南睦化剖面腕足动物群的发现显示出华南台缘斜坡―盆地相区杜内阶中的腕足动物群具有极高的属种分异度，不但有大量见于世界其他地方同期动物群中的分子，也包含有不少原本认为只在维宪阶或更高层位出现的类型或全新的类型，说明华南台缘斜坡―盆地相区不但与世界其他地区的腕足动物群之间存在密切的生物地理区系联系，而且华南台缘斜坡―盆地相区是杜内期腕足动物起源和辐射演化的重要策源地之一。许多属种可能是在这里起源，并迁移扩散到其他地方。     

The Silurian of Gotland (Sweden): facies interpretation based on stable isotopes in brachiopod shells

The Silurian of Gotland, Sweden, consists of 440 m of carbonate deposits. Repeatedly, uniform sequences of micritic limestones and marls are interrupted by complex-structured reefs and by adjacent platform sediments. Generally, the alteration of facies is interpreted as the result of sea-level fluctuations caused by a gradual regression with superimposed minor transgressive pulses. The purpose of this study is a facies interpretation based on both field observations and stable isotope measurements of brachiopod shells. Approximately 700 samples from stratigraphically arranged localities in different facies areas have been investigated. The carbon and oxygen isotopes show principally parallel curves and a close relationship to the stratigraphic sequence. Lower values occur in periods dominated by deposition of marly sequences. Higher values are observed in periods dominated by reefs and extended carbonate platforms. The oxygen isotope ratios are interpreted to reflect paleosalinity changes due to varying freshwater input, rather than to paleotemperature. Carbon isotope ratios are believed to have been connected to global changes in the burial of organic carbon in black shales during periods of euxinic deep water conditions. Consequently, the facies succession on Gotland results from global paleoclimatic conditions. Changes in terrigenous input due to different rates of weathering and freshwater runoff, rather than sea-level fluctuations, control the carbonate formation of the Silurian on Gotland.     

Jurassic Brachiopods and Paleogeography of North Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

This paper deals with Jurassic brachiopods from North Tibet and SouthQinghai and the stratigraphical subdivision there.Based on faunas andstrata,a general outline of the palaeogeographical evolution has been traced outalong the line of plate-tectonic movements.In this paper,10 species of 8 gen-era are described,among which the species Lacunosella rhombica,Pentithyrisvulgaris,Tanyothyris appositus,Apatecosia navicularis and Flabellothyris sp.nov.have been recognized as new.     

Size‐frequency distributions of Joania cordata and Argyrotheca cuneata (Brachiopoda: Megathyrididae) from the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

Size‐frequency distributions can support reliable inferences concerning population dynamics of brachiopods, but only a few data are available so far. In this study, length and width frequency distributions of dead specimens of the Recent brachiopods Joania cordata and Argyrotheca cuneata from the Marine Protected Area ‘Secche di Tor Paterno’, Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy (41°35′ N, 12°20′ E), are reported in order to add new data about size‐frequency distributions of brachiopods. The studied specimens came from death assemblages in the coralligenous substrate, in the Posidonia oceanica meadows, and in the sand channels. The observed patterns vary from left‐skewed (J. cordata) to right‐skewed (A. cuneata), indicating respectively a low and high mortality of smaller individuals. Significant differences between the coralligenous substrate and the P. oceanica meadow were observed for both species, revealing a variation among different habitats. All length and width distributions are clearly polymodal, but the biological meaning of the peaks is difficult to interpret, as the two species seem to have a 2‐year life span. A biometric analysis of shell sizes revealed that length and width are the most variable parameters during the growth of the animal.     

北祁连山东部早石炭世早期腕足动物群落的古地理意义

北祁连山东部早石炭世早期经历了一次完整的海水进退旋回。此期该区腕足动物的演化明显受控于相对海平面变化。生存环境的稳定性似乎是群落演替过程能否持久进行的基础。在影响生物群落演替的诸多因素中,底质性质及其稳定性最为重要,其次是食物供应、海水盐度和水动力强度等。各群落在时间上相互取代的主要控制因素是海水深度,与海平面的变化直接相关。而造成这一时期腕足动物群落横向变化的主要因素除了海水深度外,陆源碎屑供应量、海水循环性以及含盐度都具有十分重要的影响。本区早石炭世早期腕足动物群落的生态位介于BA1和BA2之间,缺乏BA3－BA5较深水群落（BA－Benthic Assemblage,底栖组合）,说明此期该区早石炭世早期海水深度一般不超过10米。受沉积古地理环境的制约,本区早石炭世早期BA2生态域的主要分布范围局限于东部的景泰一带,向西水体明显变浅。     

The Early Valanginian ammonite, brachiopod and crustacean fauna of the Mecsek Mts. and its relationships with the embryonic shallow water hydrothermal vent at Zeng?várkony (Mecsek Mts., South Hungary)

Early Cretaceous development of the Mecsek Mts. (South Hungary) is characterized by continental rifting that produced mixed volcano-sedimentary rocks in the Tihonian/Berriasian and built up a volcanic edifice in the earliest Cretaceous of ankaramite-alkaline basalts. During the Valanginian, marl sedimentation occurred in the basinal part containing rich pelagic fauna dominated by ammonites. Beside phylloceratids, lytoceratids and haploceratids, Kilianella roubaudiana, K. lucensis, Sarasinella eucyrta, Thurmanniceras pertransiens, Th. (Clavithurmannia) foraticostata, Busnardoites campylotoxus, Olcostephanus drumensis, O. densicostatus, and Sabbaiceras stefanescui are indicating the Early and Late Valanginian Thurmanniceras pertransiens, Busnardoites campylotoxus and Saynoceras verrucosum zones. The Early Valanginian is also supported by Calpionellites darderi indicating the calpionellid “E” zone. The marl sequence contains a turbidite bed with rich fauna of shallow marine origin from the volcanic slope of lagoonal, reef, and tidal environs, however it contains metasomatized limestone olistoliths of different origin. Source of these olistoliths is the near iron-ore deposit, which is considered an embryonic shallow water hydrothermal vent. It includes a remarkable fauna of rich crustacean coprolite ichnospecies of Favreina dispentochetarius, F. hexaochetarius, F. octoochetarius, Palaxius decaochetarius, P. tetraochetarius, P. triochetarius. In the neighbourhood of the embryonic vent, a remarkable megafauna occurs, which is an almost monospecific brachiopod fauna dominated by Lacunosella hoheneggeri. Other brachiopods as Nucleata veronica, Moutonithyris moutoniana, Karadagithyris sp., and Zittelina pinguicula also occur as stray individuals. Together with benthic megafauna, nektonic elements as Nautiloidea gen. et sp. ind, phylloceratid- and lytoceratid ammonites and echinoid spines of Balanocidaris rysacantha occur.     

The Bivalve Yangtzedonta is not the Brachiopod Xianfengella

Abstract The alleged ＂holotype＂of the bivalve Yangtzedonta primitiva Yu.1985 figured by Qian （2001） is a broken and distorted specimen of the brachiopod Xianfengella prima He and Yang, 1982 and not the holotype of Y. primitiva. Qian contends that the oldest recognized monoplacophoran, Maikhanella pristinis （Jiang, 1980）, is neither a monoplacophoran nor the oldest molluscan fossil in the Meishucunian Stage of China. Furthermore, he considers that the oldest bivalve Xianfengoconcha eUiptica Zhang, 1980 is an inarticulate brachiopod, not a mollusc. WatsoneUa yunnanensis （He and Yang, 1982）, is associated with Yangtzedonta primitiva Yu but indicates no evolutionary relationship between the Classes Rostroconchia and Bivalvia in the Lower Cambrian Zhongyicun Member of the Yuhucun Formation. Qian＇s confusion in using non-molluscan fossils to discuss the early evolution of shelled molluscs also confuses the basic concepts of the respective groups.     

西藏申扎永珠乡晚石炭世和早二叠世的腕足动物化石

申扎地区石炭二叠系发育良好,化石丰富。本文描述的化石采自上下两个层位,下部化石少,以石燕贝类为主, 其组合特征反映了石炭纪腕足类的特点与改则县玛米雪山地区上石炭统所产相似;上部化石丰富,以石燕贝类的Spiriferella和Syrin-gothyris的出现为特征,共生还有长身贝类的Chonetinella,Echinauris,Tylo-pecta等。这个化石组合与西藏其他地区相同时代的化石组合不同。特别是Syringothy-ris在下二叠统的发现具有重要意义。