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A new genus of ginkgoalean woody branch, Pecinovicladus kvaceki gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Upper Cretaceous (mid to late Cenomanian) Peruc-Korycany Formation at Pecinov Quarry, near Prague, Czech Republic. Eighteen branch specimens, anatomically preserved as charcoal, the product of wildfire, occur as allochthonous assemblages in intertidal facies and as parauthochthonous assemblages in supratidal salt marsh facies. Primary branches range from 7-13 mm in diameter, and are composed of a central, parenchymatous pith, a medial pycnoxylic xylem layer, and an outer periderm layer.

• Read more about A new anatomically preserved ginkgoalean genus from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of the Czech Republic

The Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Ardley trackway site in Oxfordshire, UK is described in detail. The track site is extensive, containing over 40 more-or-less continuous theropod and sauropod trackways preserved together on a single bedding plane with some trackways up to 180 m in length. The trackways display reasonable preservation, with claw marks discernible. Sauropod trackways are by far the most abundant and are representative of taxa that exhibit both narrow and wide-gauge styles of locomotion.

• Read more about A Middle Jurassic dinosaur trackway site from Oxfordshire, UK

Acaenoplax hayae is a spinose worm-like animal from the Silurian Herefordshire Lagerstatte of England, a deposit that preserves high-fidelity soft-part morphology of invertebrates in three dimensions. Specimens have been serially ground and reconstructed by computer to their three-dimensional form. Acaenoplax bears serially repeated transverse ridges dorsally, each with an array of probably aragonitic spines inclined posteriorly. Oblique ventral lobe-rows correspond in position to the dorsal ridges.

• Read more about Computer reconstruction and analysis of the vermiform mollusc Acaenoplax hayae from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte (Silurian, England), and implications for molluscan phylogeny

A phylogenetic analysis of 36 species provides a test for the taxonomy and the history of Early Cretaceous spatangoids. Most taxonomic units from genera to suborders are consistent with the proposed phylogenetic framework. We retain Hemiasterina, Micrasterina, Hemiasteridae, Schizasteridae, Hemiaster, Heteraster, Mecaster, and Periaster as original monophyletic groups. However, all of these clades originate without the classical apomorphies normally ascribed to them. We suggest a revision of their diagnoses and of the generic attributions of basal species.

• Read more about Phylogeny of Early Cretaceous spatangoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) and taxonomic implications

The Wenlock sequence of the Builth Wells district, central Wales is dominated by long-ranging Monograptus, Pristiograptus and Monoclimacis species. Cyrtograptus species, which underpin the graptolite biozonation, represent only about 10 per cent of recovered individuals. Ten Cyrtograptus species are present, most being zonal index species for the Builth district or other Wenlock sequences. Redescription of these Cyrtograptus species and comparison with all pertinent type material indicates that: the early Wenlock Cyrtograptus insectus, C. centrifugus and C.

• Read more about The Wenlock Cyrtograptus species of the Builth Wells district, central Wales

Phylogenetic analysis of the Early and early Middle Ordovician (Tremadoc and Arenig) ostracod species of Baltoscandia suggests a polyphyletic origin for the suborder Beyrichiocopa. Binodicopes, leiocopes and eridostracans are excluded from the beyrichiocopide clade. An independent origin from the basal ostracods is suggested for the binodicopes and eridostracans. The palaeocopes form a strongly supported monophyletic clade. Within this suborder, the ctenonotellid and the tetradellid families together form a monophyletic clade.

• Read more about Phylogenetic relationships of Early–Middle Ordovician ostracods of Baltoscandia

Fossil amoebae are very rare, although their evolutionary history extends back into the Proterozoic. The Cenomanian amber of Schliersee (southern Germany) is very rich in micro-organisms and contains the highest diversity of fossil freshwater rhizopods (Gymnamoebia and Testacealobosia) yet discovered. Altogether seven testate amoebae and one gymnamoebian species are recorded from this Mesozoic amber. The four newly discovered taxa described in this paper can be assigned to the extant species Centropyxis delicatula, Centropyxis hirsuta, Phryganella acropodia and Phryganella paradoxa.

• Read more about Diverse fossil amoebae in German Mesozoic amber

The first stem tetrapod from Gondwana, Ossinodus pueri gen. et sp. nov, is described from fragmentary material that includes a skull table and many important parts from the postcranial skeleton. It was recovered together with a typically non-marine to marginal (near) marine fish fauna from the Lower Carboniferous (mid Visean) Ducabrook Formation, Queensland, Australia. Phylogenetic analysis hypothesises that Ossinodus belonged to a clade that includes Whatcheeria and Pederpes, positioned on the stem of the crown tetrapods, one step crownward of Tulerpeton.

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Holasteroids are a major clade of irregular echinoids that today is confined to the deep-sea, but which has a rich fossil record extending back to the start of the Cretaceous Period. A cladistic analysis of this clade, encompassing the great majority of living and fossil genera, is undertaken based on new data on test architecture. The classification of the group is reviewed and a new hierarchical scheme is proposed.

• Read more about Phylogeny and systematics of holasteroid echinoids and their migration into the deep-sea

For over one hundred years the Ordovician fossil Solenopora Dybowski has been widely considered to be a calcified red alga. The type species, Solenopora spongioides, consists of tubes with longitudinally flexuous walls, lobate-petaloid cross-sections 30-175 micronsm across with septal projections, and sporadic cross-partitions. This internal micromorphology is not characteristic of calcified red algae, but is consistent with the original interpretation of Solenopora as a chaetetid, and with subsequent recognition of chaetetids as sponges.

• Read more about Solenopora is a chaetetid sponge, not an alga