Archive

Neohibolites ewaldi (v. Strombeck, 1861) and Peratobelus foersteri sp. nov. are described from the Upper Aptian sediments of the Rio Maputo river, near Catuane, southern Mozambique. Peratobelus has a wider distribution than was first thought, occurring on both Tethyan (Mozambique) and Pacific (Antarctica, Australia) coasts of Gondwana. The presence of Neohibolites in Mozambique strengthens the hypothesis of a widespread migration of this genus in the Aptian-Albian.

• Read more about Early Cretaceous belemnites from southern Mozambique

The non-marine, upper part of the Fossil Bluff Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in Alexander Island, Antarctica, contains abundant fossil wood. Fine details of cell wall structures (including those produced by fungal and bacterial delignification) and relatively coarse cell-fill mineral textures indicate that silicification took place in two main stages. A silica overgrowth on cellulose microfibrils suggests early cell wall impregnation involving the precipitation of a very thin (?monomolecular) silica film on these structures.

• Read more about The preservation of conifer wood: examples from the Lower Cretaceous of Antarctica

Conodont faunas of the Taravale Formation, in sections measured at Buchan and Bindi, Victoria (south-eastern Australia), contain polygnathid conodonts representative of the dehiscens, perbonus/gronbergi, inversus, and serotinus zones of the Early Devonian (late Pragian to middle Dalejan). New taxa described are Polygnathus dehiscens abyssus, P. labiosus and P. pseudoserotinus (both belonging to a lineage derived from P. d. abyssus), P. nothoperbonus, and Ozarkodina prolata. The ammonoid faunas of the Taravale Formation are shown to be restricted to the dehiscens and perbonus zones.

• Read more about Early Devonian conodont faunas from Buchan and Bindi, Victoria, Australia

Fourteen species of trilobites are described and figured from three faunas within the clastic submarine fan sequence of the Singing Creek Formation, Denison Range, south-west Tasmania. It is suggested that all faunas fall within the top three Idamean (early Late Cambrian) zones of Proceratopyge cryptica, Erixanium sentum, and Stigmatoa diloma. The genus Denagnostus gen. nov., its type species D. corbetti sp. nov., and Pseudagnostus idalis denisonensis subsp. nov. are erected. Proceratopyge is reviewed and its constituent species split into two broad groups based on cranidial characteristics.

• Read more about Idamean (Late Cambrian) trilobites from the Denison Range, south-west Tasmania

For many years the taxonomy of the Callovian marine crocodile genus Metriorhynchus has been in a state of confusion. Bivariate and principal coordinate analyses are used in an attempt to identify cranial characters for discriminating species. Many of the characters used previously to define eight species of Metriorhynchus are shown to be individually variable or continuously variable. Only two Callovian species can now be identified on the basis of their skull proportions: M. superciliosus incorporates specimens previously assigned to M. superciliosum de Blainville, 1853, M. moreli E. E.

• Read more about The Callovian (Middle Jurassic) marine crocodile Metriorhynchus from central England

For many years the taxonomy of the Callovian marine crocodiles of the genera Steneosaurus and Mycterosuchus has been in a state of confusion. Bivariate and principal coordinate analyses are used in an attempt to identify cranial characters for discriminating species. Many of the characters used previously to define five species of Steneosaurus and one of Mycterosuchus are shown to be individually variable. Only two Callovian species can now be identified on the basis of their skull proportions and numbers and form of their teeth: S. leedsi incorporates specimens previously assigned to S.

• Read more about The Callovian (Middle Jurassic) teleosaurid marine crocodiles from central England

The Dimitobelidae is a Cretaceous belemnite family that was restricted to within the 30° S. palaeolatitude for its Aptian-Maastrichtian range. The family is described in detail from the Antarctic Peninsula region for the first time, and the three component genera Peratobelus Whitehouse, Tetrabelus Whitehouse, and Dimitobelus Whitehouse are revised. Species of Peratobelus (Aptian) and Dimitobelus (Aptian/Albian-Maastrichtian) from Antarctica closely resemble those from Australia, and include the new species D. praelindsayi sp. nov. A new species from Australia, D. dayi sp.

• Read more about The Cretaceous Dimitobelidae (Belemnitida) of the Antarctic Peninsula region

Well-preserved dendroids and graptoloids of Upper Llandovery, Monoclimacis crenulata Zone age are reported from the North Esk Inlier in the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The effects of palaeogeography and tectonics at the time of this zone are discussed, and a section on dendroid terminology is included. One new species Dictyonema pentlandica sp. nov. is described and ten other species (six of which have not been recorded from Britain before) are discussed. Emended diagnoses, based on material from the Pentland Hills, for the genus Thallograptus and most species are presented.

• Read more about Upper Llandovery dendroid graptolites from the Pentland Hills, Scotland

The first unequivocal theropod dinosaur is reported here from the late Jurassic-early Cretaceous of South Africa. The specimens are a third pedal ungual (claw) and two teeth. The ungual is from the Sundays River Formation and the teeth are from the Enon Formation. The age of these formations is discussed.

• Read more about A new report of a theropod dinosaur from South Africa

Thirteen species of trinucleid are described from the lower Llanvirn to lower Caradoc platform successions of Norway and Sweden. Of these, five are established taxa, four are described under open nomenclature, and four are new: Bergamia johanssoni sp. nov., Botrioides impostor sp. nov., B. simplex sp. nov., and B. margo sp. nov. The genus Botrioides is stabilized by choosing a neotype for the type species 'Trinucleus' coscinorinus Angelin and placing it in the synonymy of B. bronnii (Boeck). Two species groups are recognized within Botrioides centred on B. bronnii and B. foveolatus (Angelin).

• Read more about The Scandinavian Middle Ordovician trinucleid trilobites